THOMSON: We've heard some of this before and we need to hear it again — and again

In a slight departure from my regular columns I was asked (very generously) by my editor, to try my hand at writing a book review for the Western Standard. "In Defence of Canada — Reflections of a Patriot," was published just last week by Lt. Gen (Ret) Michel Maisonneuve. As a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces I gladly accepted; after all, it’s not often a former enlisted member gets the opportunity to critique a general.To those readers for whom the author's name doesn’t immediately ring a bell, he is the retired general who, at a gala event in Ottawa in Nov 2022, took the stage to accept the prestigious Vimy Award and used his acceptance speech to decry the negative impacts of climate change cultism, weak federal leadership, and cancel culture. These remarks, led to an intense and wide-ranging public response. Maisonneuve himself was pilloried for his remarks. Those in the Ottawa bubble, especially left-leaning academics, pundits, and many currently serving members of the CAF wrote or shared scathing condemnations of his views. Yet, on the other hand, there was a raucous chorus of support from those who shared his opinion. They were no less fervent, says Maisonneuve, and gave him impetus to write this book.In Defence of Canada, is billed as “one warrior’s heartfelt rallying cry for Canadians to face the reality of their country’s decline, recommit to principles of peace, order and good government, and build for the benefit of future generations a tolerant and diverse nation with boundless potential.” I can say, unreservedly, it is indeed all that.Through eleven chapters, In Defence of Canada covers an ambitious range of issues, albeit in a way that sometimes feels disjointed, or is occasionally repetitive in manner. That is not a critique of the author or the content, per se, but rather more of a disclaimer to those who have little or no experience listening to old soldiers tell stories. It’s more of a feature than a fault. Maisonneuve starts off by providing readers with his interesting personal backstory, followed by a brief history of Canada’s past accomplishments, before outlining what he sees as its gradual decline in the relative peace that followed World War Two.After setting the readers' minds to Canada’s past as well as his own, he launches into an elaboration on the many of the topics which brought him into the unintended limelight he found himself two years ago, before offering his thoughts on how we move forward as a more secure, prosperous and stable nation.In each chapter, regardless of the topic, the general does a commendable job of connecting his impressive forty-six years of military and public service experience to the subject matter through personal anecdotes. These narratives, which span from his time at basic officer training up until his retirement, are, in my opinion, where the real value lies in this book.I say this because apart from them, many of the ideas and thoughts expressed or shared in the various chapters weren’t overly original.In Defence of Canada is essentially a synopsis of right-leaning perspectives on all the hot button topics that have been shared in columns published in the likes of the National Post, the Globe and Mail, The Sun, the Western Standard over the past decade, to name just a few. That’s not to say it wasn’t a good synopsis though, because it was. Maisonneuve's book touches on all the salient issues that have troubled so many Canadians during the tenure of Prime Minister Trudeau and his Liberal government.Likewise the author's proposals — ‘How to Move Forward’ — are not groundbreaking. The general calls for Canada and Canadians to cease being complacent, to look after our defence, our veterans, our economy, and our international reputation and put merit above identity. Things that any country worth its salt, would, and should already be doing.But as Canada isn’t doing those things, when a person who has given nearly five decades of selfless service to Canada stands up to say something isn’t right, it’s a wise person who stops to listen why — or read why, as the case may be.General Maisonneuve’s first foray into authorship has produced a book that is easy to read and understand; it should serve as both a warning, and road map, for any Canadian political leader seeking to form government. The book is available through Amazon.ca in either an electronic version for your Kindle e-reader, or hardcover.

THOMSON: We've heard some of this before and we need to hear it again — and again

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