Raising the Red Ensign

Two weeks ago the Raging Kraut hosted the Raising of the Red Ensign and explained how he came to fly the Red Ensign banner on his blog. It touched me deeply and reminded me of why this country is still worth fighting for (besides the scotch). The bar has been raised too high for my code-challenged self but I will do what I can with some shameless poaching.

I suppose that I represent what is old in Canada with what is new. Whether my ancestors were exiled for treason in their native land or were forced into exile by famine, tyranny, or persecution; to these shores they came and made a home in freedom. If there is one motif that unites all the family stories it is a commitment to freedom. To me, the Red Ensign represents the meeting of Freedom with the old and new in a land untouched by the sins of what was.



A defining moment in Canadian Nationhood was the battle of Vimy Ridge; so it appropriate that I led the with Alan at GenX40 who has one For the Reds highlighting the stain glass windows at Memorial Hall which is a testimony in art to our war dead 1914-1918.


Now we turn to the Armorer at Castle Argghhh! Who reminds us that August 19th was the anniversary of the raid on Dieppe, Operation Jubilee, where 7 out of 10 Canadians gave up their lives fighting on the road to freedom.

The Red Ensign’s very own Damian, of Babbling Brooks reminds us that November 11th “shouldn’t be the only day we remember our war dead” and has an excellence series of posts on “Extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the Enemy” here, here here and here.

Our Red Ensign Brigadier, Ghost of a Flea, produces a super hero amount of posts on a daily basis and still manages to find the time to run the Winston Review.


And if that wasn’t enough, the Flea has issued the triple dogged dare to bloggers everywhere to post pictures of themselves from grades 9 & 10. Alas, I went to so many different schools in those years due to a strong independent streak coupled with authority issues that I missed picture day every single time….

The coolest Death in the Afternoon pic has to go to Paul at All AgitProp, All the time. He also manages to juxtapose bible banning at citizenship ceremonies with a picture of our Fiberal PM getting feathered by a native shaman in a cabinet swearing-in ceremony. Further kudos go out to Paul for coining the phase “Bananada” that’s even better then “Scamada.”

Musing of a Canadian Slacker continues to live up to the blog name with still no new posts but glean the archives if you haven’t already.

Myrick, muses on such diverse topics as China-Taiwan relations, Siberian Throat Singing Punk bands and suggests that Canadians concerned with the current state of armed forces readiness might want to organize a Canadian version of a program in the US called Adopt a Sniper.

One of the interesting things about the blogsphere is how many people you don’t know are busy reading the same things your reading. Bumfonline was busy last week catching up on Podhoretz’s World War IV and Hitch’s Trial of Henry Kissinger as was I. Bumf also asks the question: Netherlands North? And he is not talking about the inability of Canadian federal bureaucrats to grow a decent marijuana crop.


Quotulatiousness has the goods on the latest Fiberal scourging of our Canadian military and sums up with an apt historical parallel. He succinctly answers the question that millions of his fellow citizens are asking.

Blogulaciousness, the blog stepfather-in-law, once removed of Quotulatiousness, wades into the fray with commentary about the ongoing Canadian #407 Highway dispute over toll prices with Spain being mediated by those arch-negotiators, the European Union. All that mediation experience with the Palestinians and Al Qaeda might finally pay off for Spain.

The Monger has been on vacation for the last few weeks so posting has been sporadic but I feel a rant on road etiquette could be forthcoming, but even so, check out the Monger archives. My personal favourite has to be the Suzuki Principle – a one size fits all principle with an every day application.

Occam's Carbuncle shares his vision of Two Canada's and carries posts of Busch-basing bears(I am a sucker for a bear story) which no doubt makes me a backward cracker escapee from the culture of defeat.

Paul over at Ravishing Light ravishes turns the light on Walter Cronkite,aka "High Priest of the Nattering Nabobs" and then moves on to shine the spot light on John Kerry, Vietnam Whiner.

Ith over at Absinthe & Cookies is currently on holiday but Crankybeach & Electra are keeping her cookies warm and fresh.

Ben at the Tiger in Winter posts on Counterfactuals, Messing with Texas and still has time to lunch with former national policy chair of the Liberal Party….. well, it once was the party of Laurier, once long ago, in another time and place.

Chris at Taylor & Company accepted the Flea’s triple dog dare and posts it. In A day late, A buck short he fisks Eric Margolis over troop withdrawals, offers insight on the insurance industry, and educates us on Canada’s own Wild Bill.

Trudeaupia fisks blood in Welcome Home, Returning Soldiers and Our Philosopher-Queens, plus posts proof of our troop's fighting spirit. A stroll through the archives is well worth the trip and he has great Laurier quotes.

Jason at Musings, who is obviously not a slacker, takes the safety off of Canada’s famed failed gun registry and on John Kerry’s wounds. He asks, “Who votes for this…well, idiot?”


I would also like to extend a welcome to The London Fog, our newest Red Ensign Blogger. The London Flog leads with the age old question: “Who's going to pay for your 'holistic' utopia? Huh? Part 989 374 278 881 of an ongoing series of exposes about people who want to spend your money.”


This ends the Raising of the Red Ensign and I turn over hoisting duty to Bumfonline for September 9th. A word of advice for the Bumf – give yourself plenty of time, it is easy to get lost reading among all the worthy blogs.