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Currently at Toronto Pearson: 8.
I had to come on back to say something about Canada now being at war against Libya. Canada's part in the war against Libya is largely similar to its part in the first Iraq war--some planes on bombing runs, a ship off the coast. I remember the parliamentary debate concerning Canada going to war against Iraq in 1991. In particular I remember that John Turner, the former prime minister on his way out of parliament, made a rare appearance in the House of Commons to speak against his party's position opposing Canadian involvement in the war. It was a very big deal. It may be strange, today, now that it is so normal for Canada to be at war, to recall how big a deal it was. That was not only the first time that Canada had gone to war in my lifetime--it was the first time that Canada had been a belligerant party in a war in nearly forty years. I remember, too, when the bombing of Iraq started. I remember seeing it reported on television and going downstairs to tell my parents that it had started. It was momentous, world-shattering, and terrible. This week Canada went to war against Libya with no parliamentary debate, no real opposition, not much attention. There seems to be some general surprise after the fact that the American-dominated coalition of which Canada is a member has blown up so much in Libya--but the beginning of it was largely un-remarked-upon.
I recently realized that many of my students became aware of the world when Canada was already at war in Afghanistan. For them, Canada has always been at war. Canada going to war this week against Libya drives home how normal it is now for Canada to be at war, what a normal thing war, our going to war, has become in our outlook on the world. Until I was 16 and Canada went to war against Iraq, it was reasonable not only to hope but to expect that Canada would never go to war again.
I had to come on back to say something about Canada now being at war against Libya. Canada's part in the war against Libya is largely similar to its part in the first Iraq war--some planes on bombing runs, a ship off the coast. I remember the parliamentary debate concerning Canada going to war against Iraq in 1991. In particular I remember that John Turner, the former prime minister on his way out of parliament, made a rare appearance in the House of Commons to speak against his party's position opposing Canadian involvement in the war. It was a very big deal. It may be strange, today, now that it is so normal for Canada to be at war, to recall how big a deal it was. That was not only the first time that Canada had gone to war in my lifetime--it was the first time that Canada had been a belligerant party in a war in nearly forty years. I remember, too, when the bombing of Iraq started. I remember seeing it reported on television and going downstairs to tell my parents that it had started. It was momentous, world-shattering, and terrible. This week Canada went to war against Libya with no parliamentary debate, no real opposition, not much attention. There seems to be some general surprise after the fact that the American-dominated coalition of which Canada is a member has blown up so much in Libya--but the beginning of it was largely un-remarked-upon.
I recently realized that many of my students became aware of the world when Canada was already at war in Afghanistan. For them, Canada has always been at war. Canada going to war this week against Libya drives home how normal it is now for Canada to be at war, what a normal thing war, our going to war, has become in our outlook on the world. Until I was 16 and Canada went to war against Iraq, it was reasonable not only to hope but to expect that Canada would never go to war again.
