What is it with our Haitian born Monarch and the glorification of the military? Every time I see a photo of her, she is either in uniform for some “great war” commemoration or some battle remembrance or surrounded by soldiers on a royal visit. The army is an honourable institution for the most part for many us “proud Canadians” and that’s fine by me. But why the constant bombastic militarism? Are we living in the former German Democratic Republic (East Germany)? Or maybe North Korea?
For instance, when-ever our Queen Jean goes abroad to Africa or places where brutal civil wars are going on for decades, she seems to always there for a photo-op. The Congolese army is not known for upholding humanitarian principles. The Democractic Republic of Congo's troops are rather notorious for brutality and mass rapes and other inhumane conduct. Why didn’t our regal majesty who hails from Haiti (a nation which has suffered oppression and colonial subjugation), mention the plight of the Congolese children solders that are forced into the army at a pubescent age and are turned there into “natural born killers”? I am really perplexed with our royal representative. Why does she pose with such delight in photos with dictators like Paul Kagame of Rwanda or Kabila Junior in Congo (D.R.C.)?
She goes to the most poverty stricken places on the planet, but always with a military platoon accompanying her wherever she goes. What is the message that our great leader is trying to send by jetting her here and there, to the rest of the world? It seems to me our great leader is saying Canada is no longer for foreign or development aid but for post colonial interventions which fuel more conflict and wars. Is this the Canada we want portrayed? A nation of Rambos and mercenary thugs protecting, foreign mining interests in Africa? Does not our esteemed monarch, find parading with these African henchmen accompanied by Canadian troops a bit unpalatable? After all her majesty fled a country which was ruled over a by a despot, who brutalised his own people with glee. Why should she be going around with men in battle fatigues in parts of Africa run by despots and warlords? What good is this doing us and for our international image? I wonder.
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