I just spent several days tracking down a gremlin that was crashing my system every time I tried to write a post on this blog. I finally tracked the bugger down and then spent hours removing copies of it from the database. I think, hope, I have it nailed now and can resume regular posting.

Earlier this month I posted on some of the boy Harper’s smears and lies that I really didn’t think would leave him room to go much lower. Well, I’m not too big to admit when I’m wrong, I was wrong. The boy found room to go lower.

This week in response to Liberal calls for the resignation of Defense Minister Gordon O’Connor over his misleading parliament in regards to the follow up on detainees captured by Canadian troops and turned over to Afghani authorities, Harper rose not to defend his minister but to slam the Liberals by accusing them of supporting the Taliban over our own troops. Not surprisingly, the Liberals were outraged.

None of the men who fought the Battle of Vimy Ridge are around to speak for themselves but veterans groups have been lobbying the government to fly the Red Ensign at the 90th Anniversary ceremonies at the Vimy Memorial in France in April. Seen here on a WW1 recruiting poster.

It appeared briefly this week they had failed to sway Veteran’s Affairs, who are responsible for the care of the memorial which stands on ground given to Canada by France following WW1. They maintained that protocol required that only the Maple Leaf be flown on federal soil. Harper intervened with his wishes that it be flown for the event due to its historical significance. I don’t often agree with the boy Harper, but I do this time. 

Harper’s government has presented their second budget to the House. It contains about $10 billion in spending addressing a wide range of programs but very little for the average Canadian like across the board income tax cuts or GST cut, although a GST cut is only marginally helpful to the average Canadian.

Out of the gate, both the Liberals and the NDP have said they will oppose the budget while the Bloc Quebecois say they will support it. The government needs only one of the opposition parties to support the Budget, which is a confidence vote, for it to pass. So, it appears at this point that as much as the Boy Harper has been gearing up for an election over the budget, he wont be getting it at this point. Rather ironic that the traitors in the House of Commons will keep us from the polls.

Watching the coverage on the news media at this point is that most of the measures in the budget are more smoke and mirrors than real benefit for anyone. I suspect we’re going to a lot from the pundits over the next week or two before the vote on the bill in the House.

The Premiers of both Saskatchewan and Newfoundland have both come out with their strong disappointment in the equalization formulas presented in the budget. Quebec will take the billions more they are being given but intend to push for more.. what a surprise.. Quebec isn’t satisfied with more.

A British inquiry into the death of a young British soldier, Lance Cpl. Matty Hull, as the result of U.S. military action during the first week of the Iraqi war in 2003 has ruled the death as unlawful in that the pilot didn’t take steps to identify the target as a ‘friendly’ that could have been taken. The U.S. meanwhile has concluded their own inquiry and decided that the death was a ‘tragic accident’.

In some circles the response was outrage and anger at the US. In response, some US based bloggers sort of basically suggested that these things happen and get a life. While it would have behooved the US authorities to have provided full disclosure to the British authorities as allies and brothers-in-arms in the Iraq war, I rather doubt that the two responses would have changed.

For those who rail at the US, they may want to have a look at the response and outcome to ‘friendly fire’ deaths among their own service people. Had it been an American killed rather than a Brit, I suspect the outcome of their inquiry would have been the same.

Therein lies the problem. It has become abundantly clear that the British (and Canadian as our standards tended to be inherited from the Brits) standards of discipline and conduct are set higher than our US allies.

Just last week as the British inquiry was wrapping up their inquest, the Canadian military wrapped up an inquiry into the death of a young Canadian in a ‘friendly fire’ incident last year in Afghanistan. A Canadian soldier stands charged with manslaughter and neglect of duty in that death. In civilian life, the accident would have been a tragic accident, the soldiers weapon went off in a vehicle and killed his mate seated near him. In the Canadian military that is a serious breach of discipline.

The British military would likewise take the dropping of a bomb onto a position which had taken the necessary measures to identify themselves as ‘friendly’ as a very serious breach of discipline. Their US allies takes it seriously but provided with what they consider to be reasonable doubt decline to hold their service person to account for their actions.

I’m not particularly passing judgement on either system. There are those who would consider the Canadian & British standards harsh while there are others who would consider the American system, too forgiving. It appears the bigger question is when you have military service people of one country killing those of an ally, which standard takes precedence? Which laws govern the outcome?

It’s not an issue that it easily resolved. Had it been a British flyer killing an American soldier it seems that there would be a trial happening by now. Anything less would be contrary to order and good discipline so prized in the British military. Those are standards that their military has adhered to for generations just as the standards the Americans adhere to have been there for generations.

It seems that before one country agrees to be an ally of another, these are the sort of things that need to be agreed upon.

The OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) in Morrisburg, Ontario have now charged a total of three young people with the cowardly attack on decorated Canadian soldier Master Cpl Fitzgerald last Friday night. Police are still seeking at least on other assailant. I talked about the attack in this posting.

A member of the Morrisburg Junior B Lions hockey team, Trevor Baldwin, is the 21 year old initially charged with the assault. The stats on his hockey performance reported from the teams website seems to show a player more intent on being a team goon than a hockey player. The other two charged are listed as 22 year old Ian Tait and 19 year old Jeremy Stewart. Little seems to be known about these two.

While initial reports were that Fitzgerald had only just arrived at the bar last Friday night but now there is some indication that a previous verbal altercation may have occurred but appeared to have been resolved. Baldwin’s mother claims it wasn’t her son’s fault. Maybe she might be wise to expect her son to take some responsibility for his actions. The injuries Fitzgerald sustained were too severe to be able to blow the incident off as not anyone’s fault. 

One of the first Canadians to have received the Medal of Military Valour for his service in Afghanistan was jumped and beaten by four cowards in a bar in his hometown of Morrisburg, Ontario. Master Cpl Collin Fitzgerald, now stationed at CFB Trenton, was visiting his dad on the weekend and accompanied his fiance’s brother to a local bar. While there he met up with a childhood friend who introduced him to those around as a medal recipient and heroic soldier.

He was apparently hit from behind and knocked out as he was jumped by up to four others. Currently a 21 year old has been charged and released on a promise to appear. Investigation continues with more charges pending against the 21 year old and others.

Released? Geeze… this lout needs to be cooling his heels in jail for this unprovoked attack. Witnesses reported that he was heard saying “What kind of f—–g hero are you now?” as he was being pulled off. He’s the kind of hero that doesn’t have to take part in cowardly attacks like this lout engaged in.

Master Cpl Fitzgerald was one of three young soldiers who received the Medal of Military Valour, which is awarded for an act of valour or devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy, in a ceremony held by the Governor General on February 19th.

The citation attached to the Medal reads:
Master Corporal Fitzgerald deployed with 5 Platoon, B Company, 1 PPCLI Battle Group in Afghanistan. He is recognized for outstanding selfless and valiant actions carried out on May 24, 2006, during an ongoing enemy ambush involving intense, accurate enemy fire. Master Corporal Fitzgerald repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire by entering and re-entering a burning platoon vehicle and successfully driving it off the roadway, permitting the remaining vehicles trapped in the enemy zone to break free. Master Corporal Fitzgerald’s courageous and completely selfless actions were instrumental to his platoon’s successful egress and undoubtedly contributed to saving the lives of his fellow platoon members.

This incident is unbelievably disgusting. That anyone would suffer such a cowardly attack is bad enough, but it certainly appears that this attack was triggered by the fact that Fitzgerald had been honoured for his selfless actions takes the cowardice to a new level. While my first inclination is that this coward needs to have his ass in jail for a good long time, second thought strikes me that about 500 hours of community service might be a better lesson — 500 hours of working with our young men and women who have been injured in Afghanistan.

Should be long enough for him and his cowardly cohorts to start to get a clue.

Wajid Khan the former Liberal MP who crossed the floor to the Conservatives shortly after Dion became leader is once more traveling on the public purse allegedly fact finding on behalf of the boy Harper. He arrived in Afghanistan on Sunday as the start of a four day trip which will include a visit to his native Pakistan. I guess Harper needed to keep the little guy appeased and out of his hair during spring break.

Wonder what facts Khan would be collecting in Afghanistan that the Governor General (commander in chief of the Canadian Armed Forces), Gordon O’Connor (Minister of Defense) and Rick Hillier (Chief of Defense Staff) couldn’t have found. He must fit into scummy dark corners easier than they do.

Khan has a secret itinerary and  wont be producing a written report cause someone might mistakenly discover that he really doesn’t know how to write and if he could, he has nothing of value to say.