07/15/2024
Why Canada’s Military is Self-Destructing
How Politics, Careerism, and Political Correctness Undermine Canada’s National Security
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) are currently experiencing one of the most significant declines in operational capacity in their history. Over the past eight years, a cadre of leaders and influencers has compromised the CAF, corrupting its purpose. The military has been transformed into a target for addressing 'toxic masculinity' and a platform for advancing DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) agendas. A confluence of historic and recent events has converged to deliver a near-fatal blow to our operational capacity. I fear this issue will not be corrected until we face a catastrophic event that compels the nation to confront cancel culture and social activism.
The downward spiral of the CAF is rooted in two powerful forces:
Bureaucratic Promotion Systems: The bureaucratic nature of the CAF's promotion system tends to advance those who prioritize appeasement over merit. This system has left the CAF vulnerable to manipulation by political actors exploiting the institution for political gain. As a result, the CAF and its service members are exposed to politically motivated internal attacks, undermining the military's integrity and effectiveness.
Opportunistic Exploitation of the Ongoing Sexual Misconduct Crisis: The perpetual sexual misconduct crisis exacerbates this vulnerability, fostering a culture of self-interest and opportunism. An industry has emerged around perpetuating the crisis, with self-promoting experts and self-interested parties sustaining a cycle of victim creation. This system shows no intention of resolving the issues, further entrenching the CAF in its troubles.
How Did an Institution with Such a Critical Mission Lose Its Way and Moral High Ground?
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), like a patient with cystic fibrosis, is choking on its own dysfunction, unable to rise above self-created internal crises, bureaucracy, and poor decision-making. The path to recovery is obscured by those profiting from the perpetual dysfunction at the periphery. We need strong leadership to bring the mission back to the forefront of the discussion—someone who can withstand media criticism, bureaucratic obstacles, and the political minefields of resisting the PMO's office. Until the Generals and Flag Officers (GFOs) remember their oath to the country and start standing up to the nonsense, Canada will continue to be served by political appointees designed to please DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) directives rather than leaders who can protect us when duty calls.
Three-Part Series on CAF's Decline
I am writing a detailed three-part series to illustrate how and why the CAF is self-destructing. We have lost our ability to dialogue on important issues, and our leaders have stopped resisting nonsense due to pressures to conform to norms imposed upon the CAF by those with no understanding of its mission. Each week, I will publish an article on the following topics, hoping that by the end of the series, we will have a platform for real dialogue on how to heal and rebuild a military under siege and on the verge of total collapse:
1. Ottawa, We Have a Problem… it’s just not the one you are trying to solve: The perpetual Sexual Misconduct Crisis the CAF carries with it everywhere it goes is an anchor sinking the organization. I will examine how a failure to identify “the problem to be fixed” allowed political opportunists to steer the ship in the wrong direction, making Canadians unsafe. We have wasted millions trying to fix the wrong problem while hangers-on profit from the ongoing chaos. It’s a critical error that is only corrected when the courage to disagree exists.
2. The Compromised Military Justice System: How the military justice system plays the political game and lets down the service members who depend on an independent and fair system. From the Director of Military Prosecution to the National Investigation Service, the chain of command's desires infect our military justice system, and the breadcrumbs of interference are obvious to the informed observer. LGen Whelan’s catastrophic court martial will be a case study in political interfernce and investigative and prosecutorial negligence.
3. Leadership Failures - The Impact of DEI Agendas on Military Effectiveness: How the CAF leaders lost the plot and played to the crowds rather than risk reprisal. Our newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff is a career case study of an ordainment meant to serve as a public policy tool rather than an operational need. I will present a humble plan that can bring us back on track.
The CAF has been overtaken by political apparatchiks bent on pleasing their masters and conforming to the zeitgeist at the nation's expense. The CAF is paralyzed at the highest levels with fear and distrust, making effective decision-making nearly impossible. The result is an endless stream of superficial gestures, photo ops with disadvantaged groups, and leadership statements so convoluted that they require a degree in equity studies to decipher, let alone resonate with the troops.
CAF leaders currently remind me of the CEO of Toronto Pearson International Airport. Many of us have experienced the traumatic experience of moving through Pearson, once rated one of the best airports in the world, now considered a laughing stock of operational dysfunction. And yet, its CEO can hold a press conference and with a straight face declare the broken airport as a success. For a smile, remember the sharp videographer who captured the irony at a press conference in 2023. https://www.tiktok.com//video/7257322142830759174?lang=en
The current CAF leadership team rivals the Toronto Pearson International Airport management team for delusional performance reports and strict adherence to DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) directives. Both organizations excel at ticking non-operational boxes while failing miserably at meeting their operational demands. Meanwhile, the elites congratulate themselves at functions, blissfully ignorant of the reality on the ground and the impending disasters if the ship is not righted by a few tough leaders who can get things done and step on toes in the process.
The cognitive dissonance between reality and institutional talking points is putting Canadians at risk. This decline stems from multiple interconnected issues, including:
- A paralyzing sexual assault crisis: Poorly addressed and misdiagnosed, like a virus in the system that is ruining the other operating systems. If not addressed, the system collapses.
- A focus on social experimentation over combat readiness: The misguided belief that merely placing individuals from desired categories into leadership positions constitutes success is dangerously naive. This approach overlooks essential performance metrics and undermines the core mission of the Canadian Armed Forces.
- Political interference for personal and party gain: The ease of manipulating the CAF due to weak leadership makes it an irresistible opportunity for those with bad intentions. Political interference driven by personal and party gain undermines the integrity and effectiveness of the Canadian Armed Forces, compromising its core mission and values.
- Moral cowardice among senior leaders: Generals and Flag Officers (GFOs) with actual combat experience allowed themselves to be divided and replaced by weaker, more ambitious successors who appeased unelected political operatives. This shift set the stage for the degradation of the Canadian Armed Forces, reducing its credibility and effectiveness to the point of becoming a laughing stock within NATO.
- Incompetent military criminal investigations: Marred by fear of reprisals and chain of command interference it is tough to imagine how the military justice system regains the confidence of its members..
- A Branding Dumpster Fire: Arising from self-flagellation and trying to please everyone. The CAF is probably one of the worst-branded organizations in the world at the moment. Its messaging and dysfunction have ruined its reputation, and it cannot attract the people its needs to serve its mission while skilled service members leave.
In an attempt to address the need to improve sexual misconduct investigations, the system has not just thrown the baby out with the bathwater but has fundamentally handicapped the defence infrastructure.
Political operatives, the media, class action lawyers, social activists, and weak internal leaders have used the sexual assault scandal in the CAF to advance their interests, compromising Canada's national security.
The Fallout of Political Correctness
The CAF has lost experienced senior leadership due to allegations that proved untenable in court. The cumulative years of experience have been replaced by leaders who prioritize political correctness over operational effectiveness. The remaining leaders, compliant with political demands, may prove incapable when real threats emerge. The current leadership architecture is actually fixated on not making politically incorrect mistakes. Their mission is to please the Liberal Party’s social policy goals first and the operational mission last.
Conclusion
At some point, someone must stand up to the pressures of acquiescing to every accusation that the CAF is broken and corrupt. For the sake of the troops, the leaders who stayed true to their convictions, and the people of Canada, we must show the courage to assert that the CAF is not a political tool but the nation's last line of defence. The true damage may only be realized when we face a tragedy that could have been avoided with the right leadership and policies in place. I hope that my three-part series opens the doors to a more honest conversation about what is going on and how we might re-engage with our better angels to fix the problem and box out the scavengers and parasites eating away at a once proud institution.
Next Episode:
Part 1 - Ottawa, We Have a Problem… it’s just not the one you are trying to solve. How a failure to identify “the problem to be fixed” allowed political opportunists to steer the ship in the wrong direction, making Canadians unsafe.
