Both the G&M and the TO Star carried these stories this afternoon on their e-newspaper-versions.
Hey I live 3, 4 blocks away from the House. I didn't go, of course, maybe spontaneity can't drift a few block south-west of the center block, eh.
This has to have been arranged by the Conservatives or DND.
Skeptical, you're right. I don't care whether the troops are in Afghanistan or not. It's a volunteer force so as they say fill-your-boots. But I hope too many don't get killed because I think that would just be a waste of life.
No matter what some politician, of any party, or the G&M editorial page, tries to spin, our troops being there have nothing to do with my safety, the defense of my country or some lofty democratic principle. Yes, yes, I've already done my time so I'm also not interested in the usual silliness from fools who haven't.
When the boys & girls come back I wonder how they refer to this period on their CVs.
The only people benefiting from this little adventure will be the politicians and officials, as the PMO spokeswoman and Harper have already indicated, their stature has risen at International meetings because we have 36 plus 1 dead.
As long as participation remains voluntary have fun people.
I might change my mind, and become much, much, less skeptical about a "public" out pouring of ordinary patriotism, if a couple of MP's, they could be in the Privy Council or not, kids were over there. They wouldn't have to be actually killed, eh. Maybe they could think of it as an extreme sport experience.
Enough, I guess.
So why are the Brits raising concerns. And why aren't any of our officers.
Guess we are happy as clams?
At least all the people in Ottawa and surrounding areas are really glad we have people over there - see stories mentioned above - so the politicians and their staffs will have a real happy hour tonight, guess?
I am starting again, however, to wonder about somethings.
Do the Brit's have reserves over there? I don't think so, but would have to defer to someone like Dave over at the Galloping Beaver to know for sure.
So, if the Brit's don't have reservist over there, as I think, and everyone is a professional soldier, and the British, as our MSM and Harper's government would have to admit have been on the world stage - never left it so-to-speak - for close to never, what's the problem? Why are professional soldiers use to the world stage raising concerns?
And, why don't we, Canadians, have some similar concerns? Dumb former colonists, still? I hope not.
Maybe it shows where we are, in terms of being actually able to do anything though. The British, except when the US cowboys are shooting them up, always complain about other branches of their own arm forces - since we are unified we'd have to complain about our "buddies" - so that's not on. And our Defense Minster and Prime Minister, not here at home of course, whine about other countries not coming to help us.
I think this means the British services, maybe the British government, see themselves as independent and self-sufficient, not really dependent on any other country's military alms (just had to put that in, eh). Well, we, or maybe only our current federal government, seem to have slipped into a completely dependent frame-of-mind.
Technorati Tags: Afghanistan, Canada, Globe and Mail, puppy, Toronto Star