Someone slipped into my DMs and had a bit of go at me for my comments on Bryan Adams

It wasn’t particular imaginative nor terribly well written

I’ve had worse & more accurate from better

But it did inspire a thread of why Mr. Adam’s casual racism is/was so abhorrent to me

1/x

My military career was neither more or less important or meaningful than the vast majority of vets but like them it has shaped my views pretty significantly including my deployments to Rwanda, Balkans, Middle East and Afghanistan (some of them several times over) etc

2/x

These experiences taught me to believe that failed states shared a number of characteristics: Institutional Corruption; Subjugation of Women; Repression of ethnic minorities; Religious persecution; and no meaningful civil society

3/x

Equally one common element in the move from being “at risk” to “Failing” to “failed” status was the language public figures used to demonize whole swathes of the society .

4/x

Invariably there was a small element of truth to their utterances which was invariably exaggerated and overly weighed allowing like minded bigots to defend them as “only speaking the truth”

5/x

The reality was quite different: It was a conscious attempt by those in positions of influence to appeal to the demons that exist in every society. History and current events reliably inform us that a fractured society is a vulnerable one

6/x

So when Mr Adams chose to speak in the manner he did he wasn’t just speaking he was inciting. I pretend to no special position, exercise no particular influence but that unimportant status is actually among the many reasons why I choose to speak out on these issues.

7/x

Silence by the ordinary citizen enables these cancers to grow. Lack of condemnation is tacit, implied and most certainly inferred approval. We need only look to our southern neighbors to see this dynamic in action.

8/x

It is also instructive to me that the apology was to those he “offended”, he didn’t apologize actually for what he said, he merely recognized that “some” may have been upset. The sub text magnified was if you were offended you were at fault.

9/x

To those who weren’t and who found a “home” in his comments it was clear he wasn’t really sorry but rather merely contrite that he was held to account.

That the media referred to his subsequent language as "damage control" however inadvertently captures the true essence

10/x

Canada is quite a remarkable place

Most Canadians suspect this but don’t have a comparison against which they can validate this suspicion

I have many comparisons that taught me that it can only remain special if we publicly hold each other to account

Hence my comments

11/11