normanchateau

Yes, I agree. Unfortunately, the Koran takes a different position and no laws in Afghanistan can be "contrary to the laws of Islam". In other words, human rights in Afghanistan are secondary to Islam. This does not fit most Canadians' idea of a democracy.

Yes, it's impressive that Harper has once again put economic interests aside and done something that will lose him votes among the business supporters. What would be even more impressive would be if he took a firm stand against other human rights abusers. For example, Islamic law is supreme now in the constitutions of both Afghanistan and Iraq. For some reason Harper has a problem when human rights are abused by communist regimes but not by Islamic regimes. Why not oppose both?

Here we go again, repeat a lie often enough and the masses will believe it. Is that why you keep repeatedly claiming that he's NOT a social conservative? How do you explain him supporting legislation which permits Canada to imprison young people for possession of even a few grams of marijuana. Does he think their employment prospects are enhanced by a permanent criminal record?

Their constitution states that no legislation, including human rights legislation, can be "contrary to the laws of Islam". And the very first line in our Constitution is, "Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law". God...not Christianity, not Islam, not Judaism. And in Canada, the rule of law can in fact be contrary to Islam, Christianity, Judaism or any other religion for that matter.

Sorry to disappoint you but I'm as heterosexual as you are, that is, assuming you are heterosexual. Does pushing a particular position always have to involve self-interest and selfishness? For example, if I strongly and repeatedly argue that we should lower taxes on those in the lowest tax bracket, does this mean I'm in the lowest tax bracket? When Stephen Harper on July 1st, 2006, raised the income taxes on those in the lowest tax bracket I thought this was absolutely wrong even though I'm in the highest tax bracket. And my point about Harper opposing Bill C-250 is not a point about gay rights. The point is that Harper is a so-con. Some people would rather deny it but Harper voted against legislation making it a hate crime to advocate or promote the killing of homosexuals. This doesn't mean Harper hates homosexuals and lesbians. This doesn't mean Harper is saying we should kill homosexuals. This does suggest Harper is a so-con. He did in fact vote against legislation making it a hate crime to advocate or promote the killing of homosexuals. Because of C-250, Section 318 of the Criminal Code of Canada now states that it's a hate crime to advocate the killing of homosexuals. The legislation passed overwhelmingly thanks to the Liberals, NDP and BQ.

It depends in part on whether Canadians see Karlheinz linked ONLY with the former Conservatives and not the current Conservatives. The current Conservatives prefer that Canadians view any reference to former Conservatives as old news and therefore not a fair subject for discussion. Will this issue do Peter MacKay more damage than his comments about Belinda? No. Is this worse than him publicly telling Alexa McDonough to get back to her knitting? No. Is this worse than his deal with, then subsequent betrayal of David Orchard? No. Will Peter MacKay be able to step in as the new leader when Harper loses the next election? That's for the Conservatives to decide. Perhaps they view MacKay as the epitome of Conservative values.

Karlheinz Schreiber is known for more than just his gift of $300,000 directly to Brian Mulroney. In 2004 He was ordered extradited to Germany for tax evasion, bribery and fraud. But he appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada. The Supreme Court was expected to rule Nov. 16th but instead requested additional information from his lawyers: http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national...c24&k=77532 It seems as though either lying Peter MacKay or his father, or both, are for some bizarre reason keen to help out multimillionaire Karlheinz. I suppose he needs the help given his contributions to previous Conservatives. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/Pag...orce_login=true

"AMSTERDAM, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The Dutch army leadership disagree with NATO's strategy of heavy combat operations in Afghanistan to keep the Taliban under control, fearing it would fuel more turmoil, a Dutch newspaper reported on Thursday. NRC Handelsblad quoted unnamed sources at the defence ministry as saying tension had emerged between the Netherlands and its NATO partners, the United States, Britain and Canada, over the Afghan peacekeeping mission." http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L16197202.htm Does not bode well for Canada's mission.

Once again you are ignorant about the issue. You mean we need Afghanistan more than they need us?

Sigh, once again you've completely missed the point. Perhaps if I say it enough times, it just might penetrate. Section 318 of the Criminal Code of Canada states that it is a hate crime to promote or advocate the killing of homosexuals. That statement in Section 318 is a direct result of the passage of Bill C-250. Harper voted against Bill C-250. In case you missed it, here's the story on section 318: http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/hatecrimes/

WRONG Promote and Advocate are different then actually murdering a person. Well this certainly changes everything. Mr. Harper merely voted against making it a hate crime to ADVOCATE or PROMOTE the killing of a homosexual. And you think this is good.

"...the sponsorship scandal that played such a key role in the last election appears to be declining in importance. While 44 per cent said sponsorship played a role in their last vote, only 32 per cent say it will influence their next vote." http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/National/...391118-sun.html The decline of the importance of the sponsorship scandal revealed in this poll released today is more bad news for the Conservatives. This time they will actually have to run on their record. I expect so-con Harper and the government will fall not long after they deliver the February budget, filled no doubt with desperate handouts to the taxpayers of their own money.

Apparently in your mind, evidence that the corrupt, fundamentalist Islamic Karzai government is now resorting to reintroducing Taliban practices to Afghanistan deserves to be buried somewhere else. That's understandable from the perspective of someone trying to rationalize Canadian support for the Karzai government.

No I did not think that Harper supported killing gays. Show me where I said that. Not surprisingly, your response failed to address the issue. You claim that I said "Harper supported killing gays." Show me where I said that. Not one of the quotes you've provided say that. But then again, you think the corrupt Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is a democracy...

Let's hope the next Canadian Prime Minister, presumably Rae, Dion or Kennedy, decides either to withdraw or place the Canadian troops up north where the majority of NATO troops are located and where the Taliban are scarce. Apparently you'd rather see Canadian troops in the south and you're entitled to your opinion. However, most Canadians disagree with you and no matter how much you whine, most Canadians will continue to disagree with you.

Being conservative is not his problem but being a SOCIAL conservative puts him on the fringes of Canadian society in the same way that being too far left would put a would-be PM on the fringes. CPC needs to face the facts and next time pick a leader who is not a so-con. Even Stockwell Day, who was a so-con on many issues, favoured marijuana decriminalization.

So would any sane person. But Harper is the only leader of an elected Canadian political party who believes that a criminal record and potential jail sentence is an appropriate punishment for youthful possession of a few grams of marijuana. That criminal record is permanent and no help in obtaining future employment. This is so-con Harper's position and is out of tune with the view of most Canadians. Yet some rabid Harper supporters claim he's a libertarian.

Why not just ban those political parties which aren't honest? Then the Conservatives would get 100% of the "honest" vote. The Conservatives' 2005 statements on the evils of parliamentary floor crosssing, the evils of appointing unelected senators and the evils of taxing income trusts have been mis-interpreted by the "dishonest" opposition parties.

If you have a current poll that asks a similar question, by all means post it. The only other current polls I've seen ask different questions relating to reconstruction and so on. The results I posted relate to the combat mission per se. You're absolutely right that I did not know of the large number of NATO countries in Afghanistan. Given the large number of foreign troops there, can you explain why so far the only deaths seem to have been among the Americans, Canadians, British and possibly Dutch? What are the other troops doing there if they're not fighting? And if they are fighting, why do they seem impervious to death?

Let's hope he calls an election real soon so he can prove that he is still Canada's favourite party leader even though the Liberals have now pulled ahead of the Conservatives.

"Afghanistan reconstruction efforts have also missed targets and disappointed government officials. Appathurai said corruption is rife in the newly elected government and President Hamid Karzai should remove those officials suspected of corruption immediately. President Karzai approved setting up what was called by the Taliban a "vice-and-virtue department." During Taliban rule police from the vice-and-virtue department patrolled the streets and arrested men who did not have long-enough beards, and women who were not being escorted by a male relative. President Karzai is said to have given into pressure by an Islamic council, which ordered resurrection of the department to prevent further influences of Western culture taking hold. Afghanistan's Interior Minister, the Ministry of Hajj, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, and the Supreme Court drafted the proposal. The measure awaits Parliament's approval in coming weeks. The vice-and-virtue department, as it is written, is expected to employ religious police who would enforce alcohol, drug, and prostitution restrictions. Critics of President Karzai claim at best the choice of words was alarming for the vice-and-virtue department was one of the most abusive practices under the Taliban. Human Rights Watch of New York took issue with the president's choice of words too. Zama Coursen-Neff, a senior researcher with the group, said that females across Afghanistan are facing greater insecurity than two years ago, and it is even more important than ever for its government to improve the quality of life not limit it. Coursen-Neff added that by reinstating such a controversial name only adds more grief to a country battling daily violence." Source: http://www.thinkandask.com/2006/072806-troops.html

No I did not think that Harper supported killing gays. Show me where I said that.

Sigh, you certainly have a vivid imagination. Harper voted against legislation which made advocating the killing of homosexuals to be a hate crime. That has been proven absolutely true. Section 318 of the Criminal Code of Canada now states that it is a hate crime to advocate the killing of homosexuals. That occurred as a result of Bill C-250 which Harper voted against. Show me where I said that Harper promoted hatred against homosexuals.

Good thinking and why restrict it to China? Harper should cut off all trade immediately with any country whose human rights record he disapproves of. Moreover, even if there is no trade, he should cut off all diplomatic relations with any country whose human rights record he disapproves of, e.g., any country where the Koran reigns supreme, any country where woman are second-class citizens, any country where lesbians have less rights than heterosexual women, any country which imprisons its reporters... Finally, a so-con leader who will stand up to the evil Chinese commies. Even George Bush and Richard Nixon ultimately kowtowed to the Chinese commies to please their Republican business cronies. But not so-con Harper. It may not win him votes in the business community but he'll sure show 'em gradually-becoming-capitalist Chinese commies that he means business.

On the first point, yes we do have to abide with the type of criminals that Afghanistan has elected to their parliament. But not all Canadians want to support, with Canadian troops, a country which elects such people to their parliament. On the second point, the UN was involved in that the Afghan constitution claims to provide UN style human rights to their citizens. Unfortunately, all legislation in Afghanistan, whether UN sanctioned or not, is secondary to the "laws of Islam". That's why Afghanistan can imprison blasphemers, Christian converts and homosexuals. Not all Canadians want to support, with Canadian troops, a theocracy which puts the Koran before human rights. I appreciate your sincere and well-meaning desire to extend the Afghanistan mission but most Canadians, myself included, no longer support it.