This Remembrance Week

Herr Carney is too good to be in Canada on Remembrance Day.

Some underling will be present to pretend to be sombre and make sure that the "Our Father " is not said. 

In other news, cemeteries for impoverished veterans will now be untended as the government has assumed responsibility for their upkeep:

The Department of Veterans Affairs has agreed to take over management of the largest private military cemetery in the nation at a $15.9 million cost. The National Field of Honour at Pointe-Claire, Que. was established in 1929 by private donors as a dignified resting place for impoverished veterans facing a pauper’s grave: “No man who has given his services in defence of his country should be buried as a pauper.” 

 

If you didn't die on the battlefield, you can come home and be snuffed out:

It was two days before Christmas when David Baltzer, a physically healthy man in his 30s, was offered medically assisted death by a Veterans Affairs Canada caseworker.

A former soldier who had served two tours in Afghanistan, Baltzer had been receiving psychological treatment for PTSD and suicidal thoughts.

He relied on veterans' benefits to survive after struggling to reintegrate into civilian life, so he was shocked when he received a letter informing him that his benefits had been cut. 

Upset and looking for answers, he called Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC).

But rather than receiving the help he was seeking, Baltzer claims the caseworker instructed him to end the call and provided him with a different number to contact.

During that subsequent conversation, he says the caseworker reviewed his file and suggested he consider another option.

'He looked at my file and said, "I can see the therapy you've done. It doesn't seem like much has helped. I'd like you to keep an open mind and think about this."'

'"Have you ever given any thought to medical assistance in dying?"'

Baltzer is among several Canadian veterans who have told the Daily Mail they were offered euthanasia in connection with their mental health struggles and disabilities.

Some said they felt 'disposable' and 'abandoned' by the country they served for years, as one claimed a nurse had 'bragged' to him about how many people they had euthanised.

Another said it is easier to access legal marijuana than medical equipment, as they argue Canada is washing its hands of its servicemen.

The Daily Mail also spoke to Catherine Christensen, a lawyer representing several veterans who were offered medical assistance in dying (MAID) and is working on a proposed class-action lawsuit against the Canadian government.

'You've got physically healthy young men asking for help, and the help offered is death,' she said.

For Baltzer, the call came at a particularly vulnerable point. He was already struggling to adjust to civilian life, had been experiencing difficulties in his relationship and had been assigned several different therapists through Veterans Affairs.

Speaking to the Daily Mail from his home in Manitoba, he said: 'To me, [the suggestion of MAID] was a confirmation of, 'Oh, my life is worthless'.' 

He says the 2019 conversation became a turning point, sending him into a downward spiral.

'The last six years have been a gong show. I went off the rails pretty hard. I ruined a lot of stuff in my life. I just burned it all to the ground.'

The suggestion that his life was no longer worth living profoundly affected his sense of self-worth.

'[After the call] I started questioning my value. I had a really bad attitude and was engaging in anti-social behaviour. Not even thinking about consequences, but thinking about things in the moment and just doing them.'

His actions became increasingly destructive and he began abusing alcohol and other substances. 

Eventually, as part of an appeal to have his veterans' benefits reinstated, Baltzer raised the issue of the MAID suggestion with a pension advocate, but says nothing came of it.

'I said, "You didn't help me at all, and in fact, you offered me medically-assisted suicide." And it just went blank. No one said anything. It just got swept under the rug.'

The experience left him feeling betrayed by an institution he had once been proud to be a part of.

'I was a stand-up, moral, law-abiding citizen and prided myself on that for a very long time. And then I realised all I'm doing is fighting the system constantly after I honourably served them.'

 

An ungrateful nation doesn't thank you for your service. 

 

Also:

The Department of Veterans Affairs will not recognize Indigenous fighters of pre-Confederation Canada as veterans. The honour was sought by the Assembly of First Nations: “Veterans Affairs Canada defines a veteran as ‘any former member of the Canadian Armed Forces who successfully completed basic training and was honourably discharged.”