Canada: Been There, Done That

Well, there’s one thing that can be said about shock media, it succeeds in its aim to offend. I sometimes think that the programmers at FOX must be fourteen-year-old males with raging hormones. At least that would account for the gleeful pleasure they take in tweaking First Amendment rights until they look like salt-water taffy. Don Imus is typical of the type. Loads of ratings when he uses racial insults, loads of ratings when there’s a tearful make-up session, and even more loads of ratings for call-ins about what should be done with the Don Imuses of the world. A lovely bloodbath of phony emotions with the appearance of meaning, and juicy ratings during sweeps week when audience is measured and the price of commercials set accordingly.

Trouble is that some people take all this manipulation seriously and there is no accountability when things get out of hand and become libelous. All that matters is ratings. So in this case, the listeners get what they want (and probably deserve) or at least what the nastiest little parts of the human species find titillating.

Unfortunately, the deer in the headlights this time is Canada, which already feels unvalued by its much larger neighbor to the south. A panel on FOX TV tried to raise ratings by sneering at the Canadian armed forces whose commander said they would need a year to rebuild after their years of service in some of the heaviest fighting areas in Afghanistan. Taking time off for pedicures, manicures, and romping on the beach, sneered one of the panel. Didn’t even know Canadians were in Afghanistan, sneered another. It may have been 3:00 am but You Tube is everywhere and the segment was rapidly made available worldwide. One of the repeatable responses from Canada called Americans morons. The timing was particularly bad for Canadian sensitivity since on that day they were repatriating the latest four Canadian war dead from Afghanistan.

Canada’s war dead land at the Air Force base in Trenton, Ontario, a hundred miles east of Toronto. They are driven in motorcade along Highway 401, called the Highway of Heroes for them. People line every overpass along the way, waving Canadian flags. Larger flags are hung over the railing above the road. Firefighters park their trucks and stand to attention with their hands over their hearts as the procession passes. Police officers salute. It is a profound moment of mourning for the country, televised for those who can not be there.

And into this stumbles FOX media, looking to raise the rabble and gain following, confirming in an instant every negative stereotype about ignorance and zenophobia in the US.

Sad, sad, sad. But in Canada they would say “ever so.” If you watch the movie, “The Great Escape,” you would think Americans (from below the border) were the principals. In reality it was Canadians, British, Europeans who flew with the RAF, and other Commonwealth, but Hollywood figured it needed Steve McQueen to interest audiences. You’d also think that US Americans were the only North Americans fighting during WWII. Again, in reality, Canada fought longer than the US (which only entered the war after Pearl Harbor), trained 307,604 aircrew for itself, the UK, Australia, NZ, and the USA, and of the 125,000 who flew in Bomber Command during WWII, 50,000 were Canadian and 9,919 were killed. That’s a terrible loss for a small country. Now, Canada did not send troops to Viet Nam or Iraq but there were still 35,000 Canadians who crossed the line to join the US forces.

The FOX panelist who claimed he hadn’t known that Canada is serving in Afghanistan reveals not only his ignorance but that of much of the US. How many people know that Canadians have served in every war—including the Civil War when 40,000 Canadians fought for the North and the country took in Confederate wounded? In the Boer War: 7,369 Canadians served, and 224 were killed. They were in the trenches in WWI: out of a population 6 million then, 644,636 served, 60,969 were killed, and 131,166 were wounded. During WWII: out of a population of 11 million, 1,086,343 served, 42,042 were killed, and 54,414 were wounded. In Korea: 5,540 served, 312 were killed, and 1,202 were wounded.

Oh yes, FOX panelists, Canada has always been there.

So far, Canada has lost 114 men to the war in Afghanistan. It is another large loss for a country of only 34 million. Compare this to the US Population of 306 million, some ten times larger. In comparable terms, Canada has lost the equivalent of over a thousand, one quarter of American losses in a war the country entered to support the US and NATO and not for ideology or national gain.

Canada has always stood with the US and Great Britain without getting much credit for it. Without knowing, and certainly without thinking, FOX has revealed both ignorance or worse deliberate oblivion.

But I really don’t blame the pimply, smart-alec cleverness FOX apparently knows attracts its audience. Very probably more people will now stay up to hear what further controversies the late show will stir up. Instead, I blame the lack of any accountability on these media. My husband once was suspended for allowing a guest on his radio program to use a swear word on the air. No one wants the FCC to become a hobnailed boot again, but there really needs to be an intelligence meter set a little above moron—particularly on the day that the Canadian war dead, none over 28, return to their homeland.

Statistics above, courtesy of George Sweanor, 419 Moose Squadron RCAF, POW Great Escape stalag, AKA Ye Olde Scribe because he is a researcher and historian. He’s building his own blog and I’ll link this one to his once it’s up.