Politicizing The Canadian Military over F35’s

Another alarming story today- that will resonate with no one, outside of junkies- but still important in terms of the "evolving" Ottawa under Harper. The Canadian military doesn’t engage in partisan undertakings, or at least that was taken as a common sense given prior to this government. Think about this new reality for a second:

Defence Department sources have told the Ottawa Citizen some officers have been uncomfortable with the situation but the military is being pressured by the Privy Council Office and the Prime Minister’s Office to spearhead the sales effort.

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard some in the military are uncomfortable "selling" the F-35. Surprising to no one, because the military aren’t normally part of the political debate, it is not their role and it’s actually DANGEROUS to take sides. When your military sides with a particularly political party and/or partisan position, it has the potential to undermine their perceived authority, independence. What is happening here is actually unbelievable, such a departure for accepted practice, and yet with no recourse apparent, the government can do these things with virtual impunity.

This government systematically employs any means possible to promote its agenda, it operates with no shame. The Conservatives know it is wrong to put the military in this position, but their hyper partisan instincts trump all moral underpinning. No, in Harper’s Ottawa, military personnel are pawns, to be used, to not employ them a waste of potential political advantage. We’ve seen it before, the first priority is always messenging, the public service isn’t at arms length, it is another lever at people’s disposal.

The use of the military to pump Conservative talking points is offensive, unheard of, stunning really, but reality. That said, these Conservatives have cracked the Canadian political code- one day stories, no legs, little resonance equate to freedom to do as you wish, no matter the implication or legacy. Bloody depressing really… 

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