The Dance of Warriors and Weaklings: A Tale of Two Nations' Blood-Bond Betrayed

In the scorched lands of Afghanistan, where valor once danced with death, Canadian and American warriors forged bonds stronger than mere diplomatic pleasantries. Yet now, in these diminished times, we witness the grotesque spectacle of friendship's dissolution at the hands of those who have forgotten the taste of blood and sacrifice.

Behold how swiftly the strong become weak! These warriors who once shared trenches now quarrel like merchants over copper coins. What glory is there in such petty disputes? The eagle has become a peacock, preening before mirrors while forgetting its former flights through storm-wracked skies.
Canadian soldiers gather at the base of a rock memorial to fallen Canadian soldiers at a forward operating base in Panjwaii district. Memorial stones signifying the deaths of 72 soldiers were buried in a sunset ceremony in Ma'sum Ghar, Afghanistan on Wednesday, June 8, 2011.

The slumbering masses of both nations drift in their comfortable dreams, while 158 Canadian spirits cry out from beneath stone markers. These fallen warriors, who gave their essence for a brotherhood now mocked by hollow threats of annexation, stand as silent witnesses to the decay of noble purpose.

See how the herd bleats contentedly in their peaceful meadows, having forgotten that peace was purchased with the coin of courage! They speak of trade wars and borders while the ghosts of their heroes weep!
Retired corporal Bruce Moncur in Afghanistan in 2006.

Retired Corporal Bruce Moncur, bearing the scars of friendly fire, speaks truth that the comfortable masses dare not whisper. His words echo with the thunder of authenticity: "If 9/11 were to happen again, I honestly don't think I would be as willing." Here stands a man who has tasted both the nectar of sacrifice and the bitter draught of betrayal.

American and Canadian soldiers pick their way through a grapefield at sunrise on Thursday June 2, 2011, for a joint patrol, in Zangabad, Afghanistan.

In the land of the sleepers, where comfort reigns supreme and television pundits hawk their empty wisdom, few remember the dawn patrols through grape fields where every step might have been their last. The masses digest their processed truths while warriors like Major-General Denis Thompson maintain their dignity, distinguishing between the eternal brotherhood of arms and the temporal madness of politicians.

What tragedy! The strong have become merchants, trading in threats instead of truth! They who once commanded armies now bow before the golden calf of commerce, while the spirit of warfare - noble, direct, honest in its brutality - lies forgotten in Afghan dust!
Retired Canadian Maj.-Gen Denis Thompson photographed in Kandahar in 2008.

The modern spectacle unfolds: a president threatens annexation while his people scroll mindlessly through their digital diversions. The last men, content with their warm houses and cold hearts, nod along to whatever melody their masters play. They have forgotten that true strength lies not in threats but in the willingness to bleed alongside brothers.

And what of these threats of annexation? They are but the mewling of those who have never known the weight of a comrade's body in their arms, who have never felt the sacred bond forged in combat's crucible. The comfortable masses may tremble at economic threats, but they know not that their very comfort is built upon the foundation of sacrifices they have chosen to forget.

Let them hear this truth: A nation that forgets its warriors while threatening its friends has already begun its descent into the abyss. The eagle that turns upon its own nest shall find itself wingless, earthbound, crawling among the worms it once disdained!

Thus stands this moment in history: A testament to how swiftly the strong can become weak, how easily the bonds of blood can be severed by the golden scissors of commerce. Yet perhaps in this very betrayal lies the seed of awakening - for only through such pain might the sleepers finally open their eyes to behold what they have become.