Big Steve stares down Russian navy

PM Harper aboard HMCS Fredericton fending off Russian warships in Baltic

Big Steve struck fear into the hearts of the Russians with a blistering speech to the 250 crew of the HMCS Fredericton.

The Royal Canadian Navy’s presence here is the physical demonstration that Canada stands up for what is right and good in a troubled world. 

We Canadians are a peaceful people.  

We believe in freedom, democracy and justice.  

We believe that might in and of itself does not make right.

But now just beyond NATO’s borders, we see new efforts to subvert free peoples and redraw boundaries by force.

The ongoing conflict in Moldova, the Russian offensive in Georgia in 2008, and now the invasion and annexation of parts of Ukraine by Mr. Putin.

Putin’s actions have cost the lives of more than 6,000 Ukrainians as well as the murder of hundreds of innocent civilians aboard a passenger plane.  

Mr. Putin’s recklessness threatens global stability, regional stability, and has spread fear among our eastern allies.

That, my friends, is why you, the men and women of the Royal Canadian Navy, are here.

Inspired by the will to defend, dissuade and de-escalate the conflict.  

Canada has joined our NATO allies to show our solidarity with our longstanding allies and with new democracies in Eastern Europe as they once again reject Russian imperialism.

All Canadians are filled with admiration and with the deepest gratitude of your services rendered here and elsewhere in the world.

And on behalf of all Canadians I’m proud to thank you for your service to our country.  

Until you return home safely, we will keep you in our minds and hold you in our hearts.  

May you have fair winds and following seas.

God bless all of you in your work.  

God bless Canada.

Is that not a splendid campaign speech?

We are a peaceful people, except when we're not. We believe in freedom, democracy, and justice, at least for NATO members. 

For Haitians and Palestinians, not so much.

And what up with that God bless Canada stuff? The Bible says blessed are the peacemakers. If we were serious about peacemaking we'd get our air force out of Iraq and Syria, our warships out of the Baltic, and our selves out of NATO.