In the United States it's known as Veterans' Day; in Canada and the rest of the Commonwealth, Remembrance Day.
And what should Canadians remember? Canada has had a free ride vis a vis defense for decades because our neighbour to the south pretty much foots the bill and looks after us. Despite having some of the most enviable natural resources on Earth and a huges size in relation to our population that would make it very difficult to defend against a strong military force intent upon doing us harm, no nation thinks of touching us because we're the closest ally of the most powerful nation on Earth. So we don't spend anywhere near what the U.S. does and we are in the enviable position that we can get away with it. I'm not knocking it; hey, if we can get away with not spending oodles of money for defense then the money can be used for other valuable things, such as building bridges or health care. Here's my suggestion for who we, as Canadians, should remember on Remembrance Day: not only those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for Canada during wartime but, equally importantly, let us also remember, acknowledge and praise Mother United States, the entity most responsible for Canada enjoying its status today as the "Peaceable Kingdom." Thank you, America.
