So just how will Canada fit into the War of the New Millenium? Most people seem to think that we really won't be a part of it at all, or that we are safe.

On the issue of the likelihood of a terrorist attack against Canada...

For one thing, let's assume that Al Qaeda are primarily responsible for the majority of the terrorist acts that have been perpetrated against the United States thus far. Originally speaking then, we had no reason to be afraid, in this particular case. Osamah bin Laden is a religious extremist; he hates everyone that is not like him. He believes that we (not they, we) all deserve to die. But the grudge runs deeper with the United States. With them, it is a specific quarrel and a much younger one. Fresher. More potent, perhaps. Do not let this lull you into a false sense of security. For one thing, you might want to note that Al Qaeda has not yet conducted any terrorist acts against Israel. Yes, that's right folks. Israel, violating the human rights of more Muslims than any other country since 1921. Come to Israel for all your anti-Islamic needs. Al Qaeda has very good reason to despise the Israeli government as a whole, and, being terrorists, therefore have in their own minds good reason to attack the people of Israel. They have not. Does this make it safe to be an Israeli citizen? Of course not! It simply means that right now, the war against America is more important. The same goes for us, only in a much deeper way. We didn't avoid attack because we're non-inflammatory. We avoided attack because we're impotent. Unimportant. Insignificant. As John Oakley of CFRB 1010 so accurately put it today, on the worldwide scale of terrorist targets, we rate in importance somewhere between Papua New Guinea and the Falkland Islands.

In addition to this, please understand that Al Qaeda is not the enemy in a nutshell. They are a severly strong, powerful force, which on spoken word alone can wreak havoc on the world through the actual works of smaller organizations all over the planet. They have sent out a call to arms. This is a holy war. The Time of the Jihad is upon us. And you feel safe?? Are you stupid?? Do you honestly think that Osamah bin Laden and his troop of terrorists are the only people you have to worry about here? Every die hard, extremist Muslim in the world, regardless of whether or not they are affiliated with bin Laden's organization at all, sincerely believes that we are in the midst of a holy war, and guess what my friends... YOU ARE THE INFIDEL. And you feel safe. Fools! Now, I'm not gauranteeing that Canada is going to feel the effects of this in a big way, unless of course it manages to become a world war in the true sense. I'm not saying that we are a major target for the major players; we aren't, and that's obvious. But that doesn't mean that we aren't going to see any acts of terrorism as local fanatics take up arms against us. Sure, we live in a relatively free country, and that is wonderful, but it is our very freedom and our way of life that makes these people so angry in the first place. With our easy access to alcohol, lax policies on prostitution, ability to turn the occasional blind eye to consumption of illegal substances, we have made ourselves a horrible place to raise a devout, extremist Muslim child. We cause dissention in their people because of our freedom. Canada is not good for the strain of Islam that breeds terrorists, and that alone makes us somewhat of a target, even if we're too insignificant to warrant an attack on the part of the big guys. Just try to keep that in mind. Don't throw caution to the wind, that's all I'm saying.

On the issue of our military...

What military? Yes, we have been hacking and slashing at it for years, we all know that. Some people actually agree with it, though, or think that it is acceptable. It is not. "But we have to maintain neutrality!" "But we can't be like the United States!" I'm sorry people, but the fact that the United States of America abuses its military prowess does not invalidate the need to have an adequate defense for the citizens of your country. I pay for it, goddammit. I'm paying for a service, here. Where is the return on my investment? Yes, it's nice to have free health care and lots of cool social programs and art galleries and government-sponsored special interest groups... but first and foremost, the duty of a government is to keep it's people SAFE! Safe from those who would bring harm to them. Safe from agressors within the country - and without. Above all else, this is important. Military impotence is not the way to be respected in the world, and I should certainly hope it isn't the way toward the respect of your own citizens. Myself, I'd rather be safe. Truly safe. Not because I lived in a country that treaded lightly on the eggshells and sat its fat, laughable ass on the fence in the middle of the road, but because I lived in a country that was actually capable of repulsing an attack. what is so wrong with that? Why must advocates of DEFENSIVE spending be called warmongers? You don't see the global community getting all pissed off at Switzerland. Now, there is real neutrality. Not the spineless, only-get-involved-when-the-big-bad-united-states-makes-us-because-we're-too-weak-to-say-no-to-them bullshit that our country tries to pull off as actual foreign policy. Switzerland simply refuses to butt into other peoples' business. That doesn't mean that they feel it necessary to rape their citizens of tax dollars and do nothing of value with them. They have a damn good defensive army and they are prepared to use it if necessary. They back up their claim of neutrality with the ability to further protect their citizens from an unwarranted, unprovoked attack. They are a real country. Fuck our government and it's politically correct, appease-the-people mentality. I know it sounds callous of me, but honestly, as long as we're sitting ducks for anyone that hopes to exploit us, I couldn't really give a rat's ass about rasing public employees' salaries, expanding highways or sponsoring special interest groups. We have more important things to worry about. But no, we won't worry about them, will we? We'll keep feeding money to all the hungry mouths, because they're connected to minds that vote. Sure, come to Canada. Rant and rave about how much you hate it here, and we'll PAY you to do it. Say you want to start a special program to take care of orphaned chicken heads that feel marginalized since they've been detached from their bodies, and we'll be sure to give you some money to that end too. Fuck, come to Canada and receive a gauranteed standard of living, for doing absolutely NOTHING. Just vote for us, that's all we ask. And votes are, after all, of the utmost importance if our government is to serve what seems ostensibly to be its real purpose in life: to perpetuate itself. And still you all fall for it. They give you little handouts and you fall for it. And you swallow all the bullshit that you're fed about being neutral in the world and never pissing anyone off. So you must be safe, right? Who needs an army? Wonderful. That theory works great, people, if you assume that war and aggression are rational, sane and just, and that an attack couldn't possibly ever come unprovoked, out of opportunism or greed. Sure. War never happens because of greed. Never. Nor religion, either. So we're safe. So safe. So very safe. Yeah, blow me, you bunch of fools. If you're not going to protect me, then at the very least, I want my fucking money back.