Shout-out to Canada for Canada Day

Canada Day is July 1st. As a child, I spent almost 12 years in Canada as an American citizen with "landed immigrant" status. I think the equivalent would be that my Dad had a Green Card and could bring his family over, though we never viewed our time in Canada as permanent.

Many years after returning to The States, I discovered a brilliant Canadian folk group called Tanglefoot.

Most American "patriotic" songs are about war, with homages to Flag and "Freedom." Tanglefoot also addresses war and its costs from the Canadian perspective. For instance, here they are performing a song about the War of 1812 and self-defense from American aggression. The only just warriors in a war are those defending their homes.



And here's a song about World War I:



It is sad that Canada, as part of the British Empire at the time, felt obliged to sacrifice its men in senseless debacles like World War I. On the other hand, the United States also took the side of the British Empire and got itself involved in that stupid war, and our diplomatic blundering led to World War II.

It makes one wonder why the States declared independence at all, if we chose to fight England's battles anyway.