Stephen J. Thorne

The myth of the ‘Long Peace’

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

Some historians describe the period between the end of the Second World War and now as the “Long Peace,” or Pax Americana, based on the fact there have been no major wars involving the great powers. Proxy wars, yes; “major” wars, no.

They qualify this by describing it as a time of “relative” peace, implying that the Cold War—four decades of living with the prospect of nuclear annihilation hanging over our heads—was a good thing and that regional conflicts are inconsequential.

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THE NEWFOUNDLAND RANGER FORCE LEGACY PROJECT

Rangers at Midnight

STORY BY PAIGE JASMINE GILMAR

“They got to ride through blizzards when there’s trouble in the forest … If a man in a velvet suit is seen, they got to run him out of town.”

These tongue-and-cheek lyrics are from Crack the Sky’s rock anthem, “Rangers At Midnight.”

The song, a celebration of Canada’s paramilitary organization, suggests how enduring the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s image was within North American culture. But no police force perhaps better represents the do-it-all spirit of Crack the Sky’s song than the Newfoundland Rangers.

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