Four more dead Canadians

[spring-peeper]

Today, four more Canadians died in Afghanistan. That brings our total up to 22.

Saturday's bloody assault comes in the wake of a Taliban warning of accelerated attacks against Canadians. A spokesman for the outlawed fundamentalist former government told The Canadian Press earlier this month that the Taliban was counting on the increased casualties triggering a clamour among voters to withdraw Canadian soldiers.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who made a surprise visit to Afghanistan his first overseas trip last month, has insisted that Canada will not ''cut and run'' on its commitment to the country's fledgling democracy.

The country's president, Hamid Karzai barely has control beyond his heavily fortified compound. His government would not exist if it weren't being propped up at the point of bayonets fixed on foreign rifles.

Much of the country is lawless or run by warlords with spotty human rights records.

Insurgents in Afghanistan are getting stronger while adopting Iraqi-style suicide bombing tactics. About 1,500 Afghan civilians have been killed in the fighting over the last year.

There is much debate in Canada about whether or not to pull our troops. I hope we stay.

 

[jaxe]

Yea, fecking NDP, wanting us out. Harpers doing a great job, alot better than Jack "spinelss" layton would have.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

I think most canadians are on side with our troops being in Afghanistan.

 

[spring-peeper]

Our town lowered the flags as a sign of respect.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

Our town lowered the flags as a sign of respect.

Which is better than the fucking canadian govt did.

 

[spring-peeper]

My son doesn't understand. Leger (friendly fire) was from around here. We take pride in our dead. It's hard to explain it to him.

Have you been noticing a slight difference in the Canadian and world reporting of the events?

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

My son doesn't understand. Leger (friendly fire) was from around here. We take pride in our dead. It's hard to explain it to him.

Have you been noticing a slight difference in the Canadian and world reporting of the events?

I've only been reading the canadian version, in the Globe and the National Post.

 

[spring-peeper]

CBC - then I google.

Maybe, I just reading things into it. It just is all starting to seem a little like the US media approach.

Hey, did you see we are getting some of the money from the softwood lumber back? It's that nice

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

CBC - then I google.

Maybe, I just reading things into it. It just is all starting to seem a little like the US media approach.

Hey, did you see we are getting some of the money from the softwood lumber back? It's that nice

The conservatives seem to be getting results.

 

[spring-peeper]

The conservatives seem to be getting results.

From what I've seen and read, we should be grateful to the Americans for backing our troups up over there. Sometimes it's nice to have friends with bombs.

 

[Backatcha Bandit]

Sometimes it's nice to have friends with bombs.

You sick fuck.

Try telling that to Marc Léger.

 

[spring-peeper]

You sick fuck.

Try telling that to Marc Léger.

I can't, honey, he is dead.

Explain to me the Canadian mandate in Afghanistan. Come on now, no google...

 

[spring-peeper]

You sick fuck.

Try telling that to Marc Léger.

Do you remember when I posted this:

Our local high school had an old piano, donated by the Legion eons ago, in disrepair. Upon closer examination they found a plaque with the names of all the high school's students who died in the world wars.

They restored it and added the name of Marc Leger, one of the peacekeepers killed in the "friendly fire" incident in Afganistan.

They unveiled it at the remembrance day ceremonies.

One of the teachers is in a band, so he wrote a song about the piano and it's history. The song is a piano piece and contains the names of those students who had died, in a roll call manner.

We are a very close community and it was really nice to hear the names listed out at such an event.

They plan on having this song performed at future ceremonies. This way the names of our young people will always be remembered.

"Lest we forget" and "never again" are the slogans for our vetrans.

It was shortly after I posted this:

All of them - regardless of the conflict.

My son came home and told me about the rememberance service they put on for the local veterans.

He was sad because his favourite veteran wasn't there. He asked the veteran's granddaughter where he was and was told that he died last summer.

"Soon", he told me, "they will all be dead".

I assured him that we would always have veterans around.

But I find it hard to think of our peacekeepers in Afganistan being veterans.

*this has been a canadian moment*

It there are any veterans on this board - "Thank you!!!".

November 11

eta: both of my daughters were in the honour guard for Marc's funeral. He lived just done the road, you see.

 

[spring-peeper]

softwood lumber

I thought that was too easy

But industry sources said last night the deal-breaker revolves around two key points that may unravel this latest attempt at ending the long-running battle.

One is an "anti-surge" provision that would hit the Canadian industry with huge punitive duties if Canadian lumber shipments to the U.S. exceed certain levels.

That could hurt British Columbia, which ships about half of all Canadian lumber to the U.S., because of the pine beetle epidemic. An "anti-surge" provision could hamper efforts to salvage value from the infested wood before it is completely destroyed.

The other possible breaking point is that Ottawa is balking at the U.S. refusal to abandon its ability to challenge NAFTA panel rulings, including a key one made in March that essentially required Washington to eliminate the duties. The United States has until tomorrow to appeal that ruling.

Softwood deal in peril

I thought that was too easy

 

[Backatcha Bandit]

I can't, honey, he is dead.

No shit. Along with Ainsworth Dyer, Richard Green and Nathan Smith. Plus another eight maimed.

Bombed by an American aircraft.

we should be grateful to the Americans for backing our troups up over there. Sometimes it's nice to have friends with bombs.

As I said: Sick fuck.

 

[spring-peeper]

No shit. Along with Ainsworth Dyer, Richard Green and Nathan Smith. Plus another eight maimed.

Bombed by an American aircraft.



As I said: Sick fuck.

Sweetheart - go pull the thread that was started on this subject and then get back to me.

fyi - Canada and the US have already kissed and made up over this. Do try to keep up.

 

[spring-peeper]

by the way, have you googled and gotten yourself up-to-date on the Canadian mission, yet?

Found the battle that I was referring to?

 

[Backatcha Bandit]

Do try to keep up.

<looks back at spring-peeper>

Where the fuck are you going?

Oh. I see.

That you believe that the presence of Canadian (or any foreign) soldiers in Afghanistan has any moral basis whatsoever demonstates your myopia, moral bankruptcy, willingness to swallow all and any propaganda fed to you and sickness of spirit.

Your suggesting that if I only googled up the mandate I would find therein some sort of honest, accurate and worthy reason for Canadian troops being there only highlights the extent of your disease.

Not that I really want to mock your affliction, but I'd be interested to hear what you think are the reasons for your soldiers to be in a foreign land killing people.

I must warn you that if you mention 'freedom' or 'democracy' or any other jingoistic flag-waving shite, all you will hear is derisive laughter.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

No shit. Along with Ainsworth Dyer, Richard Green and Nathan Smith. Plus another eight maimed.

The difference between you, me and SP, is that you had to google up those names. We didn't.

You're trying to explain things to us, that we understand better than you.

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

<looks back at spring-peeper>

Where the fuck are you going?

Oh. I see.

That you believe that the presence of Canadian (or any foreign) soldiers in Afghanistan has any moral basis whatsoever demonstates your myopia, moral bankruptcy, willingness to swallow all and any propaganda fed to you and sickness of spirit.

Your suggesting that if I only googled up the mandate I would find therein some sort of honest, accurate and worthy reason for Canadian troops being there only highlights the extent of your disease.

Not that I really want to mock your affliction, but I'd be interested to hear what you think are the reasons for your soldiers to be in a foreign land killing people.

I must warn you that if you mention 'freedom' or 'democracy' or any other jingoistic flag-waving shite, all you will hear is derisive laughter.

Yes, Canadian soldiers are in Afghanistan, and they've killed people and been killed. But aside from that, do you know what it is they're doing there?

Do you know which detail is the most dangerous that a canadian soldier can pull?

My guess is: no.

 

[Backatcha Bandit]

Oh, please educate me, Johnny. But don't forget to tell me why they're there. Please do demonstrate the depth of your 'understanding'.

And FYI - I had 'those names' on file.

Here are a couple of articles I googled up:

Rash Afghanistan mission produces corporate profits

By sid shniad

Publish Date: 27-Apr-2006
Genuine Health

It is not unusual for invader-occupiers to describe their efforts as humanitarian initiatives. Britain, which waged three bloody wars to colonize Afghanistan, insisted throughout that it was supporting the country’s legitimate leaders against foreign interference.

That's true. It's an interesting article. Later, he comments:

Some people buy the government’s argument that Canada’s efforts are helping to bring democracy to Afghanistan. But is there reason to believe that the people who engineered the David Emerson affair are any more interested in bringing democracy to Afghanistan than they are in practising it here in Canada?

http://www.straight.com/content.cfm?id=17444

TV ban on Canadian coffins sparks debate

Ban mirrors U.S. policy that prevents media from showing coffins of soldiers killed in war

Taipei Times
Thursday, April 27, 2006

Toronto --- The Conservative government banned the media from showing live images of the flag-draped coffins of four Canadian soldiers when their bodies were returned on Tuesday from Afghanistan, provoking anger among political opponents and some family members.

http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-world.asp?parentid=44344

Media ban on return of dead soldiers

27 April 2006

Reporters Without Borders has protested against the April 22 ban imposed by the federal government on TV coverage of the return of soldiers killed in Afghanistan. On the evening of April 25, the media were not allowed into the military airbase at Trenton, near Toronto.

http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=17469

 

[Barking_Mad]

I assured him that we would always have veterans around.

And that's the problem, isn't it?

 

[spring-peeper]

The Canadian that was attacked with an axe has come out of the coma.

 

[spring-peeper]

I heard an interesting comment on the radio yesterday re: the flag lowerings.

The lady point was that these soldiers were killed while serving our country. Other people die while serving our country (police, fire-fighters, etc) and we don't lower the flags for them.

iirc, most of the families have voiced their opinions on the media blackout. Some are for it, some against. Media coverage of funerals should be a family's decision, imo. But I really do feel cheated by not being able to see the plane land. It helps give closure.

 

[spring-peeper]

And that's the problem, isn't it?

A couple of days ago, Australia celebrated "digger's day" - to honour their veterans. Julie was echo similar sentiments over in the Random/Mundate thread.

 

[Binkie]

People who join the state army should know they'll be sent anywhere the state decrees, and it doesn't take a great deal of imagination to see that if they take guns and bombs with them, they may be shot at by the people who live there.

My thoughts are with the Afghans.

 

[Backatcha Bandit]

People who join the state army should know they'll be sent anywhere the state decrees, and it doesn't take a great deal of imagination to see that if they take guns and bombs with them, they may be shot at by the people who live there.

Yep, that's pretty obvious to anyone who has the capacity for critical though.

Spring-peeper 'hopes they stay' out there to get shot.

I'm left wondering exactly how myopic you need to be, or how much bullshit jingoistic propaganda one must uncritically ingest to arrive at such an opinion.

Apparently there's something I don't 'understand' regarding the presence of Canadian forces in Afghanistan - I'm still waiting for one of these Canuck clowns to fill in the gaps in my 'understanding'.

 

[spring-peeper]

Yep, that's pretty obvious to anyone who has the capacity for critical though.

Spring-peeper 'hopes they stay' out there to get shot.

I'm left wondering exactly how myopic you need to be, or how much bullshit jingoistic propaganda one must uncritically ingest to arrive at such an opinion.

Apparently there's something I don't 'understand' regarding the presence of Canadian forces in Afghanistan - I'm still waiting for one of these Canuck clowns to fill in the gaps in my 'understanding'.

wrt to my bolding of your post: Well, duh!!!

oh wait - this is a comedy routine, isn't it?



well, silly me. I thought you were being serious and really didn't know.

 

[Backatcha Bandit]

I'm deadly serious.

Help me get 'up-to-date on the Canadian mission'.

Why are your troops in Afghanistan?

Why do you 'hope they stay' there?

 

[vimto]

Seems as if the 'triple m' one has quite a bit of explaining to do