http://desicritics.org/ Superior South Asian bloggers on Culture, Media, Politics, Sport, Business, and Technology. en Copyright 2006 by the authors Wed, 11 Apr 2007 12:00:32 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss BC custom software http://desicritics.org/2007/04/11/013731.php#comment-162883 As for Vimy Ridge, although one may in hindsight see WWI as a mistake (all wars are), at the time, out of solidarity with W. Europe against what they fully believed (and in many ways were right) to be an authoritarian regime that was bent on conquering Europe. As a people with a strong connection to the principles and cultures of the nations under attack, it is not "stupid" for Canadians to be proud. You may forget that over 400,000 volunteers enlisted within days of the declaration of war. Calling these brave men "stupid" is to trivialize the principles and values that these people held dear. 162883@desicritics.org Wed, 11 Apr 2007 12:00:32 EDT http://desicritics.org/2007/04/11/013731.php#comment-162877 Although I disagree with you on many points, I was with your consistent argument until you started naming a bunch of humanitarian and peacekeeping missions we could participate in instead. Are the Afghans in no need of security? Should we just abandon them for other poor souls? I can respect your arguments if they were based on an isolationist pacifism, but you seem to have now quams about going to Darfur to fight the janjaweed, which undoubtedly would have to happen if lives were to be saved. I don't quite see how that mission would unfold differently than Afghanistan. Sudan has plenty of extremist Islamists as well. It seems to me like your objection to Afghanistan has more to do with its US-linked, War on Terror origins than any other reason. There has been an unfortunate blurring of the Iraq war and the Afhan mission in the media these days (i'm talking to you toronto star). But they are quite different upon closer examination. Popular support for foreign troop presence is incredibly higher throughout Afghanistan than in Iraq. Although the new government is corrupt, as are most developing region governments (a function of holding power with no accompanying formal compensation), they are widely supported by the population and represent some potential for the future. The Taliban are only dominant in the Southern regions (where the Canadians are present) where they can reinforce themselves from Pakistan. This is quite different than the country wide civil war in Iraq. Without an appropriate security presence, the Taliban would surely spread their power further North. Canada must maintain credibility with civilians in the region who will pick their allegiences based on which group can give them protection and stability. Popular support for the Taliban is less ideological, and more a realistic means by which livlihoods can be protected. In Iraq, the U.S. has already visibly failed and the people have lost faith. That said, the Afghan mission must keep this dilemma in mind by offering effective security to villages in order to avoid reinforcing Taliban legitimacy. If politicians try to limit the scope of Canadian involvement, our credibility dwindles, and the Afghans will look to adjust to the inevitable return of Taliban oppression. 162877@desicritics.org Wed, 11 Apr 2007 11:53:31 EDT