Widespread systemic racism in Canadian military ‘repulsing’ new recruits: report

[Halifax Tar]

Seeing as it's enshrined in our Constitution that the Crown is the Head of State and would require a full Constitutional Amendment to be removed.... good luck.

Fully aware, hence the use of "messy intersection".

Thanks to our forefathers it's not an easy thing to do.

 

[rmc_wannabe]

Thanks to our forefathers it's not an easy thing to do.

After seeing the complete train wreck that was 6 Jan 2021, I am content with maintaining a Constitutional Monarchy, if merely only symbolic, than adopting a partisan Head of State in a Republic.

As was stated before, the Crown, regardless of who wears it, represents all subjects, regardless of political opinion or belief.

 

[Remius]

You call roll around in word games all you like but that oath is pretty simple.

As support for the crown continues into obscurity our country is going to have to confront this messy intersection.

Has nothing to do with any roll around. It’s the concept. Whether you pledge alliegance to an inanimate object that personifies the state or a human you are in effect pledging allegiance to the nation and what it stands for.

Read up on what the Crown represents. You can disagree all you want but you are wrong if you think you haven’t pledged allegiance to your country and nation.

 

[FSTO]

Our first nations also see the Crown as another bulwark (although a rather toothless one) against the overreach of folks inhabiting the hill overlooking the Ottawa River.

 

[dimsum]

Seems as though a lot of these Cultural differences are not due to the CAF being unwelcoming to diverse candidates, but more being undesirable to the target demographics.

I'm a First Gen Canadian that grew up in Toronto. I was part of the Cadet program in high-school and we had a large diversity of cadets from every culture in our ranks. Parents were supportive because it was an free extracurricular that helped pad the university application. The second the conversation changed to joining the CAF, "oh dear no. We want so much more for our child than...that"

In my case, I told my father (who was against me joining the CAF from Day One) that he could either sign my application and give me a shot at a Summer BMQ, or I would just wait for my 18th birthday and do it behind his back, He relented and signed the form; and has since ate crow by saying it was the best life decision I have ever made.

Until we do a better job at selling the product and making it more socially acceptable to serve, we will face this hostility at every turn. Its not an internal cultural issue we need to solve as much as we need to present an option that will sway these cultural biases within New Canadian/First Gen Canadian populations.

Huh. Are you me?

 

[Brad Sallows]

All this talk about visibility and image...obviously things are different than all the years I (and others) were encouraged to minimize our exposure in public when in dress other than DEU (IIRC, combats were flat out forbidden - change at work). I suppose the organization will always be at the mercy of politicians who want to run on the horror of "soldiers in streets".

 

[rmc_wannabe]

Huh. Are you me?

 

[Underway]

Our first nations also see the Crown as another bulwark (although a rather toothless one) against the overreach of folks inhabiting the hill overlooking the Ottawa River.

And some like the Mohawk see themselves as having their own Crown.

 

[Kilted]

That would give the game away.

Maybe plagiarize ours...
"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

I went to a private school for a little bit in elementary school. It was part of an American system that required that the Pledge to the Flag was said every morning, and someone got the bright idea to change the words to "I pledge allegiance to the Canadian Flag and to the Dominion upon which it stands..." We also sang the anthem in English and French, not the bilingual version, both complete songs. Then at one point we sang the French version in English as well.

I should add that no one at this school actually spoke French.

 

[ArmyRick]

Good Fooking grief. I am glad to be out of the CAF now. It seems the CAF is once again a political football for politicians and the socialist who won't be happy until is gone.

 

[dimsum]

Good Fooking grief. I am glad to be out of the CAF now. It seems the CAF is once again a political football for politicians and the socialist who won't be happy until is gone.

...once again?

After WWII, when wasn't it a political football? And even during WWII, with Conscription and such, there were elements of football-ness.

 

[Weinie]

Fully aware, hence the use of "messy intersection".

Thanks to our forefathers it's not an easy thing to do.

You obviously mean forepeople here.

 

[quadrapiper]

Its my opinion we should swear allegiance to the nation and not a head of state.

In a conceptual post-Crown Canada, that would likely be preferable. Or a "SPQR with a maple leaf" government and people(s) of Canada concept.

It's an important distinction that the US military swears on the constitution not a person. It's the final US guarantee after the separation of Congress, Senate, Court, President, that democracy will not be turned into tyranny/dictatorship. It basically empowers the US military to enforce the Constitutional process.

It's worked so far, but has always seemed somewhat fragile, the constitution itself and the structures driven by it being in some cases less than straightforward. Who defines what upholding the Constitution looks like? A positional oath to a monarch is at least tidier: easier to parse in crisis.

Plenty of immigrant communities have positive views of the military as well. S. Korean community is very common in the RCN in my experience.

There are fixes for recruitment issues on this. But it requires a whole of government approach that I don't think the Treasury Board or Immigration are willing to change.

• accepting security clearances from Immigration Canada as valid for Basic Training and certain trades, if better security clearances are needed then initiate them at recruiting group and delay their trades training until its valid (Treasury Board Policy)
• accepting non-citizens through a "gain your citizenship program" similar to the USMC or French Foreign Legion (Immigration and Treasury Board Policy)
  • this in particular would require a change in the "points" system to allow people who don't meet the current cream of the crop standards
  • language training like in the Foreign Legion in an official language as part of their recruitment
  • this may go back to the security clearance from earlier. Immigration would accept CAF security clearances to make the new members citizens because we have a higher standard than they do.
• accepting commonwealth citizens as the UK does. This would immediately increase recruiting because Canada pays waaaaaay more then the UK does. All the folks from the Pacific Islands who join the Hussars in the UK would join the RCD's in Canada instead because they send the money back home to the family. And the bonus is they all speak English already.

Would likely need to stifle a few Civil Service voices objecting to poaching other (developing) nations' "best and brightest."

Quite like all those ideas.

 

[quadrapiper]

Maybe better outreach at the school level, but I can image the backlash at even the thought of it.

Given how wary the CAF seems to be of even breathing the notion of "maybe join us at some point" around cadets, there might be an institutional block somewhere.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Padres days are numbered.

We should swap them with officers who wander unit lines reciting litanies of discipline (aka QR&Os).

 

[PuckChaser]

Padres days are numbered.

We should swap them with officers who wander unit lines reciting litanies of discipline (aka QR&Os).

Social Justice Political Officers.

 

[Weinie]

Social Justice Political Officers.

They are called Commissars. Get your language straight.....or else.

 

[PuckChaser]

Get your language straight

That kind of language is heteronormative and offensive.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Padres days are numbered.

We should swap them with officers who wander unit lines reciting litanies of discipline (aka QR&Os).

I'm sure there are those who would relish the chance to eliminate some of the few people in the CAF who are specifically trained/qualified in ethics.

 

[Weinie]

That kind of language is heteronormative and offensive.

My most gracious and enduring thanks Commissar. As you have pointed out, I failed, when I said "Get your language straight." I obviously fell into the decadent Western trap that they had set.

I meant to say "Get your language aligned and permitted."