There are a lot of unnerving connections between NB and the Vietnam War, at least where chemical defoliants are concerned. It bothers me to see the suffering Agent Orange caused in these three places. Vietnam was a long time ago, but we're paying the price over and over, in cancer, birth defects, spoiled water supplies and more.
It makes me angry to see how people in rural areas and small towns and 'third world countries' (that's what Vietnam would have been called at the time) are completely expendable to powerful people. Let them test their chemicals on their own men, women and children.
Lately I have been thinking about New Brunwswick and colonialism. I see how removed we are from centres of power, how poor the people are (44% of all households make less than 25 000$ per year), how we struggle to educate ourselves and retain our best and brightest. This could be a description of many 'third world countries,' yet we still see ourselves as 'Canadians,' with all the privilege that entails.
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