Monday, June 25, 2007

Afghanistan - Canadian gutlessness at home

PM Stephen Harper recently stated that the Canadian combat mission in southern Afghanistan would end in February 2009 if there were no consensus in parliament to extend it. He said he did not want to put Canadian troops in harm’s way "if the opposition at home is going to undercut the dangerous work they’re doing in the field".

Today, at ‘The Torch’, Mark Collins gives an excellent assessment of what this apparent capitulation means, highlighting the roles played by politicians and the media:

...the government has done a very poor job of explaining the mission. ...the Liberal Party is simply and irresponsibly playing politics with the mission. ...the NDP are sincere in their pacifism but fools; ...who cares about the Bloc? ....our media has: 1) an Oprah-like fixation on the death of troops; 2) a pattern of highlighting things that help discredit the mission (detainee abuse, civilian deaths); and, 3) a strong tendency to ignore either success in battle or in reconstruction.

[...]

...the 52 fatalities we have suffered in sixteen months of the Kandahar deployment ..... are what it has taken for the Taliban to defeat Canada. Not militarily, but psychologically and politically. We are indeed a weak horse, to use bin Laden's image.

[...]

...That will simply encourage more deadly violence by Islamic extremists everywhere. And smug, peace-loving Canadians will bear a degree of responsibility for those deaths.

As depressing as it is, it’s well worth reading the whole thing.
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2 comments:

  1. hunterJune 25, 2007 at 7:38:00 PM PDT

    I think that PM Harper has thrown down the hockey puck. He is challenging the opposition to really show support for the troops, not just mouth the words.

    As far as the MSM goes, they refuse to show the good things in Afghanistan, only the bad. They are the communicators, and it seems if it doesn't bleed, it doesn't lead.

    My neighbour spent some time in a refugee camp, and was lucky enough to make to Canada with her husband. The stories she tells are chilling, yet she supports our troops because she knows what a lawless country is like for the innocent people. You would think other immigrants/refugees would also get behind our troops, no matter how the MSM paint the story. They know the real value of our troops.

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  2. AnonymousJune 25, 2007 at 8:36:00 PM PDT

    AND HEEERRRREEE THEY COME! The journalists rushing out to explain how their incessant cheerleading of the Taliban is done ONLY in Canadians best interests and NOT - I repeat *NOT* in the interests of blatant political bias.

    ---
    any minute now . . .

    -----

    any - um -- minute now . . .

    aaawww to hell with it.

    Actually I *DARE* ANY journalist to comment and identify themselves as a journalist (no names - just occupation) and DENY the anti Harper anti-afghan mission bias.
    THAT won't happen of course because A) They CAN'T deny the bias. and B) cuz they're too chickenshit to identify themselves as journalists.

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