No honour in the business of war

We wear poppies to show respect for Canadians who have died or been injured in military service, especially those who have faced the horror of combat. This was originally meant to remind us about the terrible cost of war.

Since the end of the First World War, the Canadian military has participated in the Russian Revolution, the Second World War, the Korean War, Afghanistan, Iraq and countless United Nations' peacekeeping missions. While every soldier was in some way a hero, the same cannot be said for those who sent them to war and those who profited from the business of war.

This business of war has become a key part of the Canadian economy and unfortunately, our best customers include some of the world's worst dictators. Canada exports weapons systems and so-called security technology to oppressive regimes in Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Turkey and elsewhere.

Perhaps our real enemies are those powerful interests who profit from fear and endless conflict. Since serving soldiers can't voice political opinions, we must speak for them and resist those politicians who would sacrifice our soldiers to enrich arms manufacturers and those who covet the assets of weaker nations.

Poppies remind me that wars are fought by working people who are often discarded when their courage is no longer required. Selling weapons to foreign dictators in 2020 insults the memory of those Canadians who died fighting similar despots in past wars.

Morgan Duchesney, Ottawa