Afghanistan

[jdobbin]

Never fear, you're not any source as your theme never changes. One post is the same as another.

And I was going to say the same thing about the right wing on the issue of Afghanistan. It is always how there is a new strategy to re-build that country when there is little evidence to show that the Afghan government will be capable to be part of it or sustain it. One post is the same as another.

[Wilber]

And I was going to say the same thing about the right wing on the issue of Afghanistan. It is always how there is a new strategy to re-build that country when there is little evidence to show that the Afghan government will be capable to be part of it or sustain it. One post is the same as another.

Yawn

[jdobbin]

Yawn

Yes, we have seen that response before and yet the urge to post a reply seems irresistible.

Latest story on how the mission will change.

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.ht...360&k=24748

Afghanistan - Canada's mission in Afghanistan is expected to shift focus from security to development, the incoming commander of troops said upon arrival in Afghanistan Wednesday.

"Frankly, the mission has been evolving since it started and really that's all that's going to go on," said Brig.-Gen. Dennis Thompson. "The mission will continue to evolve while we're here. I don't think it's any surprise that it will take on more of a civilian flavour."

Thompson landed at the Kandahar Airfield Wednesday morning for the start of a tour as the top Canadian soldier in the country. He will officially replace Brig.-Gen. Guy Laroche sometime in the near future.

The Globe and Mail reported only a few weeks ago how most development agencies can't operate on the ground in southern Afghanistan. They are too vulnerable. I don't know what civilian group they are talking about willing to operate there unless it is Afghans themselves. And yet the story doesn't mention the Afghan component of the redevelopment.

[jbg]

And you and others can't resist to read it or comment on it.

Sad to say but the debate on what to do about Afghanistan is likely to be repeated again in 2011 because progress on the part of the Afghan government to rise above corruption, incompetence and tribalism seems like a pipedream.

Which is why I argue that we need to recolonize large chunks of that part of the world. They are incapable of self-government without kleptocracy.

[Mad_Michael]

Which is why I argue that we need to recolonize large chunks of that part of the world. They are incapable of self-government without kleptocracy.

Couple of questions here:

1. Who do you mean by "we"? (USA or 'other')

2. Do you mean 'actual' colonialism or some undefined 21st century 'soft and fuzzy' variety? (aka imperialism 'lite')

3. Depending upon answers to questions 1 or 2, on what basis do you propose 'colonialism' as a successful model worthy of emulation? I respectfully admit, that by even the most 'western-biased' scale of judgement, colonialism had a definitely mixed record of some modest success and lots of huge failures.

[WarBicycle]

Liberalism and Colonialism

[Mad_Michael]

Liberalism and Colonialism

With all due respect, I consider that linked essay to be a rather good argument about the ills of colonialism and the serious danger such colonialist policies poses to liberalism in the 'metropolitan' country. I don't believe that was the author's intention, but I do believe that's the result - especially from our present perspective some 50 years removed from the authorship of the essay.

For example...

A point may be reached where resistance must pass into repression bitter enough to poison the West itself and sap its own liberalism. Justice may be with the French in Algeria, but it may no longer be possible to impose French rule without ruining France itself.

That "justice" is assumed to belong with the French in Algeria in 1957 (when the essay was written) is a purely subjective value statement that is not justified in my opinion. Either way, the latter half of the statement is the more significant admission that admits the key danger or problem with all forms of colonialism.

Secondly, the deterioration of the quality of government is an argument of uncertain weight. Clearly this argument must be used with circumspection, even if we are entitled to rule others for their own good.

This is a good illustration of the general approach of the author of this essay that purports to address the topic of "Liberalism and Colonialism". It just assumes that British people are indeed entitled to rule others for their own good. Admittedly, there are a few paragraphs earlier in the essay that are relevant arguments given in support of this 'assumption', but I respectfully submit that those arguments are facile and self-serving ones designed for that conclusion.

But I need hardly tell liberals that it is not easy for them to advocate the rule of others for their own good. In this context this is partly because, as John Stuart mill long ago said of British rule in India, alien rule is weak at the heart however much more beneficent it is than native rule.

JS Mill was correct at least with the first half of that statement, regardless of the 'bias' of the second half.

Even though the West is obviously only partially and imperfectly liberal, it must be regarded in practice as the citadel of liberalism. The liberal should therefore be eager to see the West make it plain that it intends to defend itself. Positions of power, whether they are colonies, bases or spheres of influence ought to be retained, except where the strategy or tactics of defence makes them expendable; and the liberal must cease to be apologetic about this when it comes into conflict with demands for self-determination.

This one's rich. Here the author asserts that liberalism is little more than 'western nationalism' and that 3rd world colonies ought to be used or abused in the name of 'national security' of the western nations?

I could go on for another 1000 words ripping the arguments in this essay to pieces. It fails on so many levels that I just don't know where to start or stop. The argument seems to rise and fall like a yoyo, honestly admitting some of the faults, failures and dangers of western colonialism, but then just brushes all this aside and goes on pretending that colonialism works just fine if you manage it 'properly' (presumably with lots of force). The only supposed 'success' story of colonialism given in the essay as 'evidence' is the British in the Carribean.

All this is served up with lots of proscriptions of laissez-faire economic policies, free trade and the liberty of private capital.

The essay fails to defend colonialism and it fails to serve liberalism.

[jbg]

This new thread relates to Afghanistan developments the NDP-types like Taliban Jack will have trouble explaining away. Edited May 18, 2008 by jbg

[jdobbin]

The Kandahar prison is now empty.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...?hub=TopStories

Canadian troops are working to secure parts of Kandahar after bomb and rocket attacks on the city's main prison set hundreds of prisoners free and killed numerous police officers.

Tanks rolled into the city from the nearby Kandahar airfield, the area's main NATO base, an hour after the Friday night blast. A perimeter has been set up near the Sarposa Prison and the area is believed to be secure, Canadian military spokesman Jay Janzen said in a news conference on Friday.

A major set-back.

And this on top of an allied soldier a day being killed in recent weeks.

[DogOnPorch]

Indeed. This is beyond horrible news. Hot night in that town. Afghanistan...kind of like playing 'Snakes and Ladders'.

---------------------------------------

My brain hurts!

---Monty Python's Flying Circus

[Topaz]

This new thread relates to Afghanistan developments the NDP-types like Taliban Jack will have trouble explaining away.

Wait a minute. The CIA has had its nose into other countries to cause trouble for years. A 11 year old can't kill a western soldier unless that soldier is in the kids country. The west shouldn't be there and Canada shouldn't be there until the war is over then we can go into the country and help those people. What problem do you have with Jack?

[madmax]

http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/443954

A Star story Saturday detailed an allegation levelled by Schouten that during his tour, he heard an Afghan national army soldier abusing a young boy and then saw the boy afterwards with visible signs of rape trauma, his bowels and lower intestines falling out of his body.

It was this practice by the boy loving warlords that brought support to the Taliban.

If there is a don't look don't tell policy regarding the actions of the Afghan Soldiers, then this policy must be abandoned immediately.

Child abuse cannot be tolerated. There is no way we are going to get the support of the people if we look the other way to these offenses.

[Topaz]

Today, www.CTV.com has a report by the Pentagon saying things don't look that good in the war in Afg. It said that gov't corruption, the poppy trade,human rights abuses,reconstruction trouble, the inability of NATO to stop the insurgents in the south and east of Afghanistan as not looking good. Afg. has only one battalion, which is Canada's role is to train the Afghan troops and they hope to have 70,000 trained by year end and hope they can push it to 80,000. This is more and more looking like Iraq and until NATO gets security under control this is looking very bleak.

[M.Dancer]

Today, www.CTV.com has a report by the Pentagon saying things don't look that good in the war in Afg. It said that gov't corruption, the poppy trade,human rights abuses,reconstruction trouble, the inability of NATO to stop the insurgents in the south and east of Afghanistan as not looking good. Afg. has only one battalion, which is Canada's role is to train the Afghan troops and they hope to have 70,000 trained by year end and hope they can push it to 80,000. This is more and more looking like Iraq and until NATO gets security under control this is looking very bleak.

Looking is very important.

[Fortunata]

A piece from CBC said that it looks like al Qaeda are now helping the Taliban with strategy. That's how the prison break could be executed with so few. This can't be good.

[M.Dancer]

A piece from CBC said that it looks like al Qaeda are now helping the Taliban with strategy. That's how the prison break could be executed with so few. This can't be good.

Welcome to the last decade, CBC

[bush_cheney2004]

A piece from CBC said that it looks like al Qaeda are now helping the Taliban with strategy. That's how the prison break could be executed with so few. This can't be good.

Or it could be great! Now we can kill them.

[Fortunata]

Or it could be great! Now we can kill them.

Since they (al Qaeda) don't come out of Pakistan or hide in the shadows of Afghanistan, good luck with that. You've had lots of chances to kill these past few years and I don't see it making much of a difference. One thing they seem to be good at is learning from their defeats. Are you? Are we?

Edited - what good grammar I have, lol.

Edited July 3, 2008 by Fortunata

[bush_cheney2004]

Since they (al Qaeda) doesn't come out of Pakistan or hides in the shadows of Afghanistan, good luck with that. You've had lots of chances to kill these past few years and I don't see it making much of a difference.

I think a few Al Qaeda Moms would disagree with you....this little terrorist won't be coming home (in one piece, anyway):

Senior Qaeda Commander Is Killed by U.S. Missile Strike in Pakistani Tribal Areas

Published: February 1, 2008

An American missile strike in Pakistan's northwestern tribal areas killed a senior commander of Al Qaeda who had been involved in planning attacks on United States and NATO troops in Afghanistan, American officials said Thursday.

The commander, Abu Laith al-Libi, a Libyan who was about 40 years old, was a longtime lieutenant of Osama bin Laden,

One thing they seem to be good at is learning from their defeats. Are you? Are we?

Yes...we are learning new ways to kill them...just like we kill cockroaches. They really hate cluster munitions.

[jdobbin]

Emerson indicates Canada might send more troops.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/stor...?hub=TopStories

Canada may send more troops to Afghanistan and NATO countries have agreed to bolster their troop numbers in the country's volatile southern region, Foreign Affairs Minister David Emerson says.

During his first-ever trip to Afghanistan, Emerson told reporters at a news conference in Kabul on Saturday that Canada may deploy an additional 200 troops to the conflict-ridden country.

"Canada does have 2,500 troops here in Afghanistan and that number could expand to 2,700 as more equipment arrives," he said.

[Richie777]

Their biggest enemy is not the terrorists who hide behind civilian garb ,it is the traitorous news media of the left here at home who are selective in their so called news reporting.

Bingo! Every time I read a newspaper story about Afghanistan, it's negative. The media seem to have decided as a group to put a negative spin on this mission. It's too bad because I think having NATO in Afghanistan is better for the Afghans than having the Taliban in charge (whipping women for having their hand or foot exposed from underneath a burka, refusing to allow girls to attend school, banning TV, radio and newspapers, etc).

If you want to find the real sh*t disturber in Afghanistan, look no further than Pakistan and its secret service, the ISI.

[eyeball]

If you want to find the real sh*t disturber in Afghanistan, look no further than Pakistan and its secret service, the ISI.

Oh for Christ's sake...did you figure this out yourself? I recall the left dominated media repeating this years and years ago.

Did you know that not a single Afghani was involved with 9/11? You do recall 9/11 don't you?

[Topaz]

I just read a website that suggesting that Israel and some US higher ups in government have a connection to 9/11 and the reasoning behind is to do what Bush has done. Blame OBL and al qaeda for the WTC, giving the reasons for going into Afghanistan to get OBL and then find another way to go into Iraq and then into Iran. Why? to setup military center in the Middle-East and to control the oil. Just like at the BILLION DOLLARS spent to house US's new embassy. Bush has said in the past OBL doesn't matter and he knows why. Of course no country wants to believe its own would kill its own people but nothing surprises me on the people that surrounded Bush when he first came into power. I don't think we can get the REAL truth because I feel some of the Dems were in on the plan or were threaten. There's alot more to 9/11 then public knows and that's why I don't think Canada should be there fighting this war. I think we should be there for reconstruction but not the war. We don't have enough troops for this war and now NATO is still begging other countries to help out Canada with troops again. So anyway, both Israel and the US would gain by creating 9/11 in view. If anyone wants to read the website its www.tomflocco.com BTW, this guy has been threaten many times and he has friends in and out of the CIA and FBI.

[Richie777]

Oh for Christ's sake...did you figure this out yourself? I recall the left dominated media repeating this years and years ago.

Did you know that not a single Afghani was involved with 9/11? You do recall 9/11 don't you?

The ISI has a very shady past ever since the founding of Pakistan. I do know that not a single Afghani was involved in 9/11 unless it was in the pocket of one the hijackers: the people of Afghanistan are called Afghans, their currency is the Afghani. Regardless of your ignorance of that country and your inability to distinguish its people from their coinage, I should point out to you that the Taliban allowed Arabs and other foreigners to train in Afghanistan for terrorist operations. The Taliban are the creation in large part of the ISI.

[eyeball]

The Taliban are the creation in large part of the ISI.

Which, for the larger part, is a creation of the CIA.

Afghani may refer to:

The afghani, official currency of Afghanistan.

Of or relating to Afghanistan.[1]

A native or inhabitant of Afghanistan[1] (see Demography of Afghanistan).

Source. Good enough for the folks we hang out with.