THIS YEAR MARKS THE 75th ANNIVERSARY OF THE END OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR !!

My life-long friend Johnny suggested I write about this important Anniversary in one of my upcoming blogs:  I  think primarily because he knows that my dad, Robert Ralph Bell fought in that Conflagration.  Moreover, Johnny lives near the cemetery where my dad is buried and he and his wife lay a poppy on his grave every November 11th.  Thanks so much guys!

When Johnny and I were boy-cubs we attended, in uniform, those self-same November 11th ceremonies in our home town of Brighton, Ontario.  Back in the 50s there were soldiers still present from Four Wars - the Boer War; World War I; World War II; and Korea.  Today, for all intents and purposes, they are all gone.

That includes my Grandfather, his Brother and their Father - my Great Grandfather,  all signed up as volunteers to fight in the First War.  In that order their names are Jim, Bob and John.  They consisted of all the males in their household of six located in Foxboro, Ontario now part of the City of Belleville.  I only knew my grandfather Jim - but not very well, since he died when I was only 9 years old.  He was wounded near Arras and my Uncle Bob was killed in the long drawn out battle of the Somme on September 16, 1916.  My dad was wounded twice but never received a Wound Stripe which the Canadian Army, like its British Counterpart, awarded.  The Americans have a much sexier name for theirs ....The Purple Heart but as my dad muttered on several occasions, the Americans had a medal for virtually everything and dispersed them rather freely.

And from Laurence Binyon's Great War Poem:  'We will remember them'.

So who were these valiant soldiers of old?  First off, they were volunteers who signed up for the duration however long that turned out to be.  They were paid not even subsistence wages.  But of course they were not there for the money - adventure most likely, but they understood all too well that they were defending our Democracies from the Dictators of their Day and our Freedoms:  Freedom of Speech; Freedom of Religion; Freedom of Assembly and Freedom of the Press.  Too many lost their lives, their limbs, and and sustained many other serious injuries both - physical and mental.  But rest assured, everything we enjoy today is due to their Service.

And here Dear Reader is where I go rogue - and off the topic of gratitude.  Simply stated, my father and his father and their fellow soldiers both men and women who fought so valiantly without due regard to their own safety for the safety and well-being of others, would not recognize modern western society today.  I fear that they would be appalled at the state of affairs that currently stalks the land and would likely question why they had sacrificed so much in the first place...I truly hope that would not be the case but I am not so sure.  I know if I had fought and was one of the few living veterans left, I would be most discouraged with what I see taking place around me.

And it has nothing to do with Covid 19 though it has prompted many comparisons to the War Years.  It has to do with the Structures of Society...its very fabric is being ripped and torn and I fear too many of us are standing idly by and letting it happen. Indeed, I would go even further.. too many of us are encouraging it to happen.

Socialism and even Communism is being touted by the ever growing numbers of Progressives as being superior to Capitalism.  This despite the fact that the former have never worked and the latter is responsible to raising destitute billions throughout the world from abject poverty,  poor health and malnutrition.

Religion is under attack like never before.  The grey haired set like myself who attend Church are fewer and fewer in number while those younger sit home and party with their ever present cellulars always at hand.  The Environment, as they say, has become the New Religion or whatever other  raison d'etre the Progressives seize upon in passing..it seems to change almost daily - take defunding the police for instance.

Democracies that defend the Basic Freedoms are greatly outnumbered by Petty Dictatorial Tyrants and even our Democracies are less and less inclined to rally to their own defence.  Simply stated, we are  less able to speak freely about what we really believe in without risking censorship from our own politicians and judicial authorities.  A renowned writer of our age wrote in her column this week that re grew up in a Society of Freedom and now in our twilight have entered into a Society of Fear.  I personally like the adage...I may disagree with what you say but will defend to the death your right to say it...Evelyn Beatrice Hall.

Our neighbour to the south - America, once the guiding light for the world is beginning to see its candle burn out.  The most obvious sign of this is with respect to its economy...it is still number 1, but the day is quickly coming when Red China surpasses it.  The US is also split right down the middle between the worker and doers on the right and progressives on the left which expect others to pay their freight.  The progressives have already firmly entrenched themselves everywhere else in the Free World and now appear to be gaining ground there too. 

And speaking of China, and of course Russia and the rest of their militant cronies, to suggest we are headed for another World War is becoming more and more of a common refrain.  I worry that should this happen, we certainly will not possess the loyalty and dedication of our forefathers to duty and  are not likely to have united societies to rely upon to engage what are likely to be stronger better equipped forces. 

I mentioned earlier that the current Virus has been compared to the War Years and in many respects that is true.  But what we do not have today and what or should I say Who the Second World War had was Winston Churchill.  We desperately are in need of a 'Churchill' to rally the folks today like he did in the 1930s in the lead up to that war. Please keep that in mind wherever you live and whenever you vote. 

But back to my main topic - the Anniversary of the End of World War II , In Europe on May 8, 1945 and announced in Japan on August 15, 1945.  We Will Remember Them and for me personally I will remember my Dad's contribution along with my Grandfather's, my Great Grandfather's and my Great Uncle's ultimate sacrifice.

In an upcoming blog, I will recount a Thank You Reunion that my Dad and Mum attended which was sponsored by the City of Appledorn in Holland and where I was fortunate to be in attendance.

As I See It...

K.D. Bell

----

What Is Canada Going To Do About China????

Or better yet, What is the Free World Going To Do About China???

China is holding three of our citizens hostage ...Michael Kovig, Michael Spavor, and Robert Lloyd Schellenberg.  Schellenberg is on death row in this gross dictatorship while the two Michaels have been confined to solitary confinement for over a year and a half.  Interrogated every day for hours on end and housed in a small cell with the lights on 24 hours a day.  Inhumane does not begin to capture what these bastards are doing to our citizens.

Today our distinguished Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was "disappointed".  Never in the history of man has a word so understated the tragedy of what is taking place in this far away gulag.

And all because we - Canada, had the temerity to detain Meng Wanzhou a top executive with the well-known Chinese State controlled internet company called Huawei.  We arrested her in accordance with a Extradition Order issued by the United States in accordance of international law.

While our guys live in purgatory, Ms. Wanzhou lives the Life of Riley under house arrest in one of her two spacious mansions in British Columbia. 

Let me be clear here...I do not wish Wanzhou ill - but her legal battle is between her and the United States ...not Canada.  And unlike our guys, she can be assured of being treated fairly under the law. 

All this, is on top of the descent into Hell of this once proud and respected nation.  Simply stated, China, led by its chief henchman Xi Jinping, has gone rogue and is taking his country down the drain with him .

Words escape me on how best to vilify China.  But I will keep trying.

And I keep thinking of what might have been.  Through its nod to Semi-Capitalism it has raised millions of its citizens out of stark poverty and today has the world's second most powerful economy next to the Unite States.  But Dear Reader that will not last.  You cannot act the Fool and still expect riches to come your way.

Okay, I started this blog with asking what is Canada going to do about the way in which Red China is treating our citizens: 

First, we cut off all trade coming and going.  I would rather wear a $50 dollar shirt made in Canada than a comparable one made in China for $10 bucks. 

I would then canvass the world to find better, more honourable and friendly markets for our products.

I would also try to convince other nations to cease and desist trade with this Bully. 

Diplomatic relations with their Monstrous Leaders would be reduced to but a corporal's guard in our Embassy there and they would be only there to try in some way to be of help to our three innocents.

Our days of pandering to the beast would be over.

Okay - now the Free World:

We need to establish a League of Free and Democratic Nations to do everything the United Nations was setup to do.  We would include most especially Trade.

The likes of China will not be included.  Let them deal with the North Koreas. 

We would strengthen NATO since until the Dictator Nations like China and Russia collapse, or see the light, they will be dangerous militarily in much the same way as they are today.

The time has come.  We cannot continue along as we have been doing.

As I See It...

'K.D. Bell'

The Progressives Are Once Again Way Over-Reacting...

Green Energy ...now Racism is Everywhere. 

Well at least they keep themselves busy.  Too bad for the great damage they cause in so doing.

Not being an American, I do not feel qualified to speculate on how prevalent racism is south of the border but my educated guess is that it is not as bad as many on the left portray it to be.  But that said, our southern neighbours do have issues that we in Canada do not such as its History of Slavery and the fact that it is a Gun Society.  Maybe more on that in a future blog.

I can remember well taking my wife and grandson 2 years ago to Harlem where it once was almost signing a death warrant for a white person to enter its boundaries.  We did touristy things there and had many meals in the abundant patios filled with Blacks, Latinos, and Whites like us - all enjoying one another's company.  But again, I will leave it to Americans to deal with the issue themselves.

In regard to Canada though, I know that we are most certainly not racist.  That is not to say we do not have citizens who are racist...we most certainly do as all societies do but the vast majority of Canadians are hard-working Men and Women trying to make a decent living for themselves and their families.  Simply stated ...they have neither the time nor interest in pursing racism.

Recently one of my most favourite Columnists came out in a hard-hitting article to totally debunk the suggestion that Canadians are Racists.  And as you can imagine, the Left went ballistic.  Nothing it likes better to that to tear down societies. 

As I said above, there are though racists in societies including are own. Anarchy is preferable than Democracy and in many ways I truly fear that that could well be our future.

A couple of sad cases have been in the news recently - the first... where an Aboriginal Chief was tackled  and had his nose broken by a burly cop for no other reason than his licence plate had expired.  It was all caught on tape.  The officer should have been fired and then charged with assault but the only assault charge levied was against the Native Chief.  I have no trouble chalking that one up to racism but that does not mean for one minute that many of his colleagues are similarly tainted.  Police hiring should be done in such a way as to weed out such bad apples in the hiring process.  Failing that, quick firing and criminal charging would soon set an example for anyone harbouring racist tendencies. 

The other case that caught my eye was a young black woman who fell to her death from a Toronto balcony.  She had mental health issues and her mother had called 911 to seek psychological help for her.  In burst 6 burly cops and the next thing - this poor young woman lay dead from the fall.  A Police spokesperson said she had jumped, her family said that the cops pushed her over.  Realistically the poor woman was overwhelmed by 6 cops coming at here all hell bent for leather that she tried to escape her apartment by climbing over the raid and trying to reach the apartment next door and then slipped and fell to her death.

So what went wrong-- you do not send a swat team to subdue any young woman ...or any person for that matter - that is having a mental breakdown. Whoever sent in the cavalry should be fired. And all the police who participated in this debacle should be disciplined.

The Police should not be 'Defunded' rather parts of its duties should be 'Repurposed' so that the Full Monty is reserved for the truly bad cases ...read... the truly bad guys.  Militarization of the Police needs to stop and be reversed save for Swat Teams again, for use only in cases of last resort. And certainly not against citizens peacefully protesting for change.

And calling out everyone as Racist has got to stop ...we're not and nothing good comes from such labeling.

As I See It...

"K.D. Bell"

The World's Societies Have Gone Off The Rails !!!

Today's Blog is limited to the recent, excellent and insightful writings of Mark Mallett entitled The Now World Reflections of Our Times.

MARK MALLETT, is a Roman Catholic singer/songwriter and missionary. He has performed and preached throughout North America and abroad.

It is a long read but a most comprehensive one and if you like the bent of my writing, you are going to find his most interesting indeed.

https://www.markmallett.com/blog/black-and-white/


As I Read It....

'K.D. Bell'

JOGGING WHILE BLACK

We are seeing today riots occurring throughout America and indeed across the world because of the recent killing of George Floyd ...a black man...at the hands or should I say foot of a white policeman in Minnesota.

To me this is a result of a buildup in resentment on the part of blacks and indeed on the part of concerned citizens regardless of colour or creed.

I need not review what happened in the case of Mr. Floyd since it is fresh in all of our minds but I would like to review a few similar others that have occurred in recent history.

But before I get into that, I would like to take you back to 1939 with the courageous and yet star-crossed Billie Holiday's and her most famous signing of Strange Fruit:

Southern trees bear a strange fruit
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root
Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees

Holiday was vilified for her temerity in the American South, where Blacks could not eat at white only restaurants, drink at white only water fountains,  use white only toilets, their transportation and schools and neighbourhoods were similarly segregated.

And of course Justice was meted out to Blacks in the exception as opposed to the rule.

It was simply awful and difficult for us in the year 2020 to even imagine how bad things were for these poor people.  Things since then have improved but George Floyd's indiscriminate killing and the cases I am about to focus on - show that we in society have a long way to go to ensure everyone is treated equally.

So let's begin with a look at the 2012 Florida murder of 17 year old Trayvon Martin who was murdered by self-appointed vigilante George Zimmerman.  Trayvon's offence was in wearing a hoodie and walking through his neighbourhood at the ungodly hour of 7 p.m. in the early evening.

Zimmerman was found Not Guilty !!

2014 saw 18 year old Michael Brown killed by a Missouri Ferguson Police Officer who had fired 14 shots at Brown ...6 hitting their target.  Witnesses say Brown had his hands up in a surrender position.

2014 also saw Dontre Hamilton, 31, fatally shot 14 times by a police officer in a Milwaukee park. The officer was responding to a call from employees at a nearby Starbucks alleging that Hamilton, who had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, was disturbing the peace. In my readings there is no indication that Hamilton was armed.  No charges were laid against the police officer. 

There are just too many for me to even begin to itemize but for now ...one more.

And that pertains to the murder of Ahmaud Arbery who made the mistake of Jogging While Black in Georgia.  We have all heard of the offence of Driving While Black . but this is a first for me though I doubt in the annals of Racism against Blacks that this is by any means the first.

Anyway a former cop and his son, their pick-up, took it upon themselves to see that this fellow paid the ultimate price for his jogging.   Too bad for them, they were caught on tape doing it.

Surprisingly the Georgia Authorities for a month turned a blind eye to what had occurred.  It was only when the video became public that heads rolled and charges against these two pieces of white trash were laid. 

I would like to go on and on here with countless other such cases but for want of time now - I will leave it at this.  Over the course though I will continue to add more such cases at the top ....in honour of those mentioned above and in honour of those yet to be mentioned and hopefully not forgotten.

As I See It....

'K.D. Bell'

DURING COVID 19 WHAT IS MOST LIKE A HOSPITAL STAY?....

Why a Term in the Slammer ....aka Prison.

And don't just take my word for it...take my hospital room-mate's, a former Crown Attourney of over 30 years.  He was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1975 one year after me.

One night during my recent 10 day stay in hospital he said to me - you know when I was sending offenders off to jail during my career I often wondered what it would be like to have to go there myself.  "Having now stayed several days in hospital, during Covid, I believe I have some idea".

I told him it was funny that he had said that since the idea had also gone through my mind too as a retired lawyer who did some defence work during my career.

We both agreed too that it might have proven helpful if  part of our training had included a stay in a crowbar hotel.

Our conversation then went on to list what we saw as the similarities:

• Close confined quarters;
• Meer curtains to provide a semblance of privacy.  You quickly learned everyone's diagnosis including whether they had a successful bowel movement withing the last 24 hrs;
• We could not leave the floor;
• There were no telephones nor t.v. nor radios permitted;
• There was lights out; 
• And no visitors...even inmates are allowed visitors;
• No choice in meals - you got what was sent - for instance, I was served room temp tea 2x per day irrespective of the fact that I do not like tea...coffee is my weakness.  One patient mentioned that he knew for a fact that prisoners in provincial jails were being served the same food as us and here I thought all they got was bread and water....in thinking about it, maybe that would have been preferable;
• Lights came on a 6 am.   so no sleeping in. Good thing we were put to bed early.; 
• You were powerless - constantly told what to do and how to it;
• Beds were seldom made...you did it yourself and sponge baths ever given.  You had to ask for a towel to shave and wash yourself....I could go on but you get the idea.

Anyway I guess with my recent hospital stay I can now truly say I do have some idea of what it would be like to have spent some time in jail.  

So, dear reader, I can now mark that off my Bucket List !

As I See It...

'K.D. Bell'

China's Xi Jinping & America's Donald Trump are both dangerous to the future of our World....

Update Note:  In today's paper it is reported that a Motion put forward by our Conservative Party in Parliament, condemning China for its harsh crack-down on Hong Kong was defeated by the gutless trilogy led by our Liberal Government and supported by the New Democratic Party and the Green Party.  SHAME

In 1997 Prince Charles handed over Hong Kong to the Chinese on the understanding that there would be 2 forms of government ...a more liberal and open government for Hong Kong and a more dictatorial and closed one for the rest of China.  China is now in blatant opposition to that agreement.  I would hope if I were Prince Charles that I would have the courage to go back to Hong Kong to remind China of their agreement some 23 years ago.


But China's Jinping is by far and away worse.

And I am not talking about viruses, or Hong Kong, or denial of human rights, or Taiwan; or lack of rule of law; or imprisoning Canadian Citizens without cause; or locking up their journalists who write anything negative about the glorious State Dictatorship  etc etc.

I am referring to International Trade...that which makes the world go round and that which is needed to see the world go forward and truly put the current pandemic behind us.

Both Trump and Xi use their offices to continually mess with Unfeddered Trade but Xi is the most ruthless of the two and both personages spell trouble for the World Economy if they continue to hold office.

But at least the USA is a Democracy...China is a Dictatorial, Ruthless Nation.

In that regard, I have read many articles of late suggesting that we in the West should simply stop trading with China but that would be a fool-hardly and self defeating thing to do.

If China can provide things cheaper and with relative quality we would be fools to cut that off.  If for its petty purposes, they cut us off something, we simply go tit for tat and cut off a comparable amount of things that China wishes to receive from us.  And we look elsewhere to get what the Chinese have stopped sending to us. 

I have used similar examples in the past...but if Country A can produce apples at twice the quality and half the cost that Country B does - it borders on stupidity for the latter to not take advantage of that.  Country B can then focus on trading items - let's say Oranges - that it can produce better and at less cost than Country A.

Indeed China is only hurting itself when it plays games with Trade and they are certifiable for playing such a game.  It has made $Trillions in trade, raised Millions out of Poverty and now has the world's second biggest economy... soon be number one.

So Galagher are you saying we simply keep trading with China and turn a blind eye to all their negatives much like what Canada's Progressive Government appears so keen n doing?

NOT AT ALL.

I have said in previous blogs and recently read in a major newspaper editorial suggesting that the Democracies of the world ...a club of less than 30 nations out of nearly 200, need to come together and form their own Organizations to mirror but not replace the UN type of Associations.

Let's call this Club The Democracies of the World Club (DWC) and other countries - the remaining 170, will be free to join the DWC as soon as they can prove that they too have truly become Democratic and support the Rule of Law.

Leave the Dictators to sputter and spew in the UN and related organizations ....talking never hurts and it will give them something to occupy their time.  But for the real work - let's leave it to the Democracies.

Watch how fast countries like China come around ...they have too much to lose -  i.e. hard cash.

As I See It...

'K.D. Bell'