I'll stand for Hillier

I was reading a Toronto Star report on the appointment of Canada’s new Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Walter Natynczyk and came across a this line of utter ignorance and I could not let it stand without comment.

Hillier convinced the then-Liberal government to move the armed services away from the notion of soldiers as peacekeepers.

Bullshit. It was the times which created the change in the deployments. The times, you fracking ignornant knuckledragger. The Chief of Staff serves only at the pleasure of the government of the day. Canadian forces were first deployed in Afghanistan by order of the Canadian government, and whether one likes Jean Chrétien or not - he was certainly no one’s patsy – let alone General Hillier’s to play or command.

If the Canadian forces have moved away from tradition roles of peacekeeping per say it speaks more to the lack of trained manpower to maintain our commitment in Aghanistan as well as an unlimited number of peacekeeping deployments abroad. This is why last summer Canada ended its participation in the Golan Heights – one of the country’s longstanding peacekeeping missions.

General Hillier was a fine soldier and served his country and his men with outstanding distinction. Of course, I suppose when our media celebrate and idealize a failed and broken soldier - is it any wonder Hiller remains an enigmatic they cannot fully comprehend? I can live quite easily with our media ‘betters’ not getting Hillier but is there really any need to demonize the man?