Oh Canada! The Lynchpin of the English Speaking World

“Those whom nature hath so joined together, let no man put asunder.”

In this age where the ever ungrateful, narcissistic and Godless sociopath who President, or should I better say Dictator of the United States ceaselessly attacks and threatens our Canadian friends and allies, we must not forget the wisdom of Winston Churchill. On 4 September 1941 while hosting a luncheon for Mackenzie King, the Prime Minister of Canada in London spoke these words.

“Canada is the linchpin of the English-speaking world. Canada, with those relations of friendly, affectionate intimacy with the United States on the one hand and with her unswerving fidelity to the British Commonwealth and the Motherland on the other, is the link which joins together these great branches of the human family, a link which, spanning the oceans, brings the continents into their true relation and will prevent in future generations any growth of division between the proud and the happy nations of Europe and the great countries which have come into existence in the New World.”

Those words were never more true than today as Canada asserts its rights, position, and liberty in the face of the bellicose American dictator and his power hungry sycophants.

Likewise we have wisdom from American Presidents about our relationship with Canada which we need to keep in mind as Trump tries to destroy the sacred bond between our nations. In 1936 Franklin D. Roosevelt visited Quebec and spoke this words:

“I read in a newspaper that I was to be received with all the honors customarily rendered to a foreign ruler. I am grateful for the honors; but something within me rebelled at that word ‘foreign’. I say this because when I have been in Canada, I have never heard a Canadian refer to an American as a ‘foreigner’. He is just an ‘American’. And, in the same way, in the United States, Canadians are not ‘foreigners’, they are ‘Canadians’. That simple little distinction illustrates to me better than anything else the relationship between our two countries.”

In 1947 while speaking before the Canadian Parliament Harry Truman spoke this words:

“Canada and the United States have reached the point where we no longer think of each other as ‘foreign’ countries. We think of each other as friends, as peaceful and cooperative neighbors on a spacious and fruitful continent…. Canadian-American relations for many years did not develop spontaneously. The example of accord provided by our two countries did not come about merely through the happy circumstance of geography. It is compounded of one part proximity and nine parts good will and common sense…. We seek a peaceful world, a prosperous world, a free world, a world of good neighbors, living on terms of equality and mutual respect, as Canada and the United States have lived for generations.”

Speaking to a joint session of the Canadian Parliament in 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower spoke these words:

“Your country, my country — each is a better and stronger and more influential nation because each can rely upon every resource of the other in days of crisis. Beyond this, each can work and grow and prosper with the other through years of quiet peace…. It is still a fact that our common frontier grows stronger every year, defended only by friendship…. You, of Canada, are building a magnificent record of achievement. My country rejoices in it.”

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy said this to the Canadian Parliament:

“Je me sens vraiment entre amis. (I feel that I am truly among friends.)…. “Geography has made us neighbors. History has made us friends. Economics has made us partners. And necessity has made us allies. Those whom nature hath so joined together, let no man put asunder.”

In 1967 at the opening of Expo ‘67 in Montreal, President Lyndon Johnson said:

“We of the United States consider ourselves blessed. We have much to give thanks for. But the gift of providence we cherish most is that we were given as our neighbors on this wonderful continent the people and the nation of Canada.”

In 1985, President Ronald Reagan spoke these words:

“We’re more than friends and neighbors and allies; we are kin, who together have built the most productive relationship between any two countries in the world today.”

And in 1987 Reagan said this:

“As two proud and independent peoples, there is much that distinguishes us one from the other, but there is also much that we share: a vast continent, with its common hardships and uncommon duties; generations of mutual respect and support, and an abiding friendship that grows ever stronger.”

At a luncheon in Ottawa in 1995, President Bill Clinton said these important words:

“Ours is the world’s most remarkable relationship – the Prime Minister said, whether we like it or not. I can tell you that on most days I like it very, very much…. We’re neighbors by the grace of nature. We are allies and friends by choice…. In a world darkened by ethnic conflicts that literally tear nations apart, Canada has stood for all of us as a model of how people of different cultures can live and work together in peace, prosperity, and respect…. The United States, as many of my predecessors have said, has enjoyed its excellent relationship with a strong and united Canada, but we recognize … that your political future is, of course, entirely for you to decide…. Every day, people, ideas, and goods stream across our border. Bilateral trade now is more than a billion Canadian dollars every day … and about 270 billion United States dollars last year, by far the world’s largest bilateral relationship…. Friendship, engagement: Canada and the United States have shown the best there is in partnerships between nations, all the great potential that awaits all the free peoples of this Earth if they can join in common cause….. The border separates our peoples, but there are no boundaries to our common dreams.”

President George W. Bush remarked in 2006:

“I view the relationship with Canada as a vital relationship for the United States. The relationship, of course, is defined government-to-government. It’s also defined people-to-people, and there’s a lot of people in my country who respect Canada and have great relations with Canadians, and we intend to keep it that way.”

Finally, President Barack Obama said in Ottawa in 2009:

“I came to Canada on my first trip as President to underscore the closeness and importance of the relationship between our two nations, and to reaffirm the commitment of the United States to work with friends and partners to meet the common challenges of our time. As neighbors, we are so closely linked that sometimes we may have a tendency to take our relationship for granted, but the very success of our friendship throughout history demands that we renew and deepen our cooperation here in the 21st century. We’re joined together by the world’s largest trading relationship and countless daily interactions that keep our borders open and secure. We share core democratic values and a commitment to work on behalf of peace, prosperity, and human rights around the world.”

In 2015 he remarked to Prime Minister Trudeau at the APEC summit:

“There are no closer friends that we have than the Canadians. And we share values, we share culture. The ties between our people are extraordinary. We are NATO Allies, and across the board, our interests align.”

The examples of cooperation, friendship and mutual respect run deep. Our troops fought alongside each other during World War I. In the Second World War Canadian and American soldiers fought together as part of the 1st Special Service Force or FSSF which fought in Italy and South France in 1943 and 1944. 900 Canadians and 900 Americans were trained in unconventional warfare, with British, American, and captured German weapons, and fully airborne qualified. Known as The Devil’s Brigade or the Black Devils, they wore a distinctive patch, a Red Arrowhead with USA across the top and CANADA from top down.

The Germans feared them and legend holds that the diary of an officer of the Hermann Göring Panzer Division contained these words in it: “The Black Devils are all around us every time we come into the line. We never hear them come." Their commander, General Frederick had cards printed up with the FSSF insignia and the words Das dicke Ende kommt noch! or "The worst is yet to come" printed in red ink down the right side to be left on the bodies of dead Germans as a form of psychological warfare.

Canadian and American Soldiers honoring the Devil’s Brigade in Afghanistan

They wore the Crossed Arrows worn by the Indian Scouts of the U.S. Army as their branch insignia. The soldiers of both countries became the nucleus of American and Canadian Special Forces to this day. Their service is still remembered by the Canadians and Americans. Today the members of the U.S. Army wear the Crossed Arrows worn by the Devil’s Brigade as their branch insignia while the Special Forces unit patch is still an arrowhead but now blue instead of red.

Canadians at Gander help those stranded on 9/11/2001

The history of friendship has never disappeared. After the attacks of September 11th, 2001 the Canadians opened up the airport in Gander Newfoundland to over 40 transatlantic flights which were grounded when U.S. airspace was closed to aviation traffic while Canadian Air Force jets patrolled the skies to defend the United States. Thousands of people, many of whom were Americans were fed and housed by the Canadians of Gander for days until they could return home. U.S. and Canadian Special Forces troops fought together in Afghanistan, and Canada supported that action for years.

Canadian “Water Bomber” flying over Los Angeles

Additionally, Canada sent aid to the United States when disaster struck. 9-11, Katrina, vast wildfires in the West, the Rockies, flooding on the Mississippi River and too much more to list here.

Meanwhile our maleficent Dictator Donald Trump is desperately trying to destroy the bonds forged over two centuries. He must not be allowed to break our bonds of friendship. Stand for Canada today and stand for Liberty. Canada is indeed the Lynchpin of the English speaking world.

I won’t be writing from tonight through Sunday night as I will be working on a larger assignment for my current doctoral class, so I decided to publish this early.

As always, be safe, enjoy yourself and try to take personal time to rest and refit between the daily slugfest we are having with Trump and MAGA. Also, as always, watch your six. All the best.