Comments on: Mothers Against Diabolical Dictatorships http://sistersagesmusings.ca/2010/11/29/mothers-against-diabolical-dictatorships/ Center-left blog from Canadians across the country and beyond Thu, 27 Jun 2013 09:45:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.2 By: Kim http://sistersagesmusings.ca/2010/11/29/mothers-against-diabolical-dictatorships/comment-page-1/#comment-6063 Kim Tue, 30 Nov 2010 03:33:41 +0000 http://sistersagesmusings.ca/?p=5556#comment-6063 Exactly.

]]> By: 900ft jesus http://sistersagesmusings.ca/2010/11/29/mothers-against-diabolical-dictatorships/comment-page-1/#comment-6062 900ft jesus Tue, 30 Nov 2010 02:03:13 +0000 http://sistersagesmusings.ca/?p=5556#comment-6062 I’d have a problem “abandoning the people” also if I believed for a moment that’s why we are there and that we’re actually helping the average Afghan. Our government doesn’t even give a damn about our own rights, it’s a pretty big stretch to think they care about the rights of Afghans. If they weren’t shutting down aid and boosting military involvement, if they weren’t just sucking up to the US, if they showed here at home that they support women’s rights, if they were making efforts at curbing poverty here, if they weren’t screwing over First Nations every chance they got…maybe I’d believe they are there for human rights in Afghanistan and that they are just a bunch of fuck-ups who can’t manage military action without destroying a country in the process.

But really, supporting Karzai? Pulling aid?

Time to bring the troops home. Harper has no intention of focusing on development or aid, there. If they are ever sent to face danger, it should not be as extra fodder for the Americans or anyone else.

]]> By: Logan http://sistersagesmusings.ca/2010/11/29/mothers-against-diabolical-dictatorships/comment-page-1/#comment-6060 Logan Tue, 30 Nov 2010 01:06:21 +0000 http://sistersagesmusings.ca/?p=5556#comment-6060 The war in Afghanistan is being fought on so many fronts now it’s hard to keep up. First it’s being fought on the “We cannot waste the lives of those who have sacrificed the most” front. The argument is that if we pull out now, we have wasted the lives of 153 Canadian soldiers for nothing. But I say this argument is trying to rationalize a war which is, by it’s very existance, irrational. Another front is the “Democratize Afghanitan” front. While I know we have vaccinated, built schools and spread freedom, I think that the people of Afghanistan should be as much lauded for their persistance and struggle as any NATO forces. That they are able to push on while such insurmountable odds surround them points to an indominable spirit I think Canadians could learn from. Another front is the “National Interests” front. This front is perhaps the most incidious, as it propoes that the only way to fight terrorism abroad is to bring our own form of terror to the civilians of far off countries. Look how militancy and extremism has spread since we invaded Iraq an Afghanistan. True, we could not have done NOTHING after the 9/11 attacks, but we have failed so misserably as to add to the recruiting campaigns of terrorist organizations. Also, we have seen how successful their terror has been in the full body scans and patdowns by the TSA in the United States.

So, what do we do. Is pulling out unilaterally an option? Well, here’s my thing. We are in Afghanitan now and to me it makes little sense to just abandon the people, who I agree, probably don’t want us there anyways. As a progressive, I do want to help. The best way is to help develop agriculture using our technological abilities and help these people be self sufficient but also create a stable market economy. This will encourage people to engage in their economic productivity and move away from opium production. But opium production itself provides a source for freedom. There is a huge shortage of morphine and other drugs that are derived from Opium that Afghanistan could supply. So create a controlled crop. Personally, a plan Colombia will not work here, so we need to think up other market oriented solutions. And of course, most importantly, work to take our soldiers out of harms way so they can come home safe and sound. We have been here militarily for 9 years without any success. What makes us think four more is going to help?

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