Harper is in Kandahar

[geoffrey]

Heres the link: http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/200...oops060312.html

Harper is hanging out in Kandahar for the weekend apparently. The suprise visit consists of him meeting troops to up the morale and strengthen support for the mission at home.

Personally, I think its pretty crazy for our PM to be in a war zone. But if he wants to face those risks, I'm sure we have a capable person to take over back here if something was to happen. It does show commitment to the mission at the least.

It's a brilliant move politically, as Harper can easily say, look, I've seen whats going on there first hand, and its great work.

Anyways, thoughts on this people?

[Wilber]

Heres the link: http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/national/200...oops060312.html

Harper is hanging out in Kandahar for the weekend apparently. The suprise visit consists of him meeting troops to up the morale and strengthen support for the mission at home.

Personally, I think its pretty crazy for our PM to be in a war zone. But if he wants to face those risks, I'm sure we have a capable person to take over back here if something was to happen. It does show commitment to the mission at the least.

It's a brilliant move politically, as Harper can easily say, look, I've seen whats going on there first hand, and its great work.

Anyways, thoughts on this people?

Other heads of government do it. Bush and Blair have both been to Iraq. They had a tough time keeping Churchill away when he was PM. Maybe it's because Canadian heads of government have never done it that makes it seem so strange.

It's government that determines the mission and sends them there. It's only right that it's head should be seen with them and share a little bit of the risk. PM's aren't really that important or indispensable.

[Montgomery Burns]

Personally, I think its pretty crazy for our PM to be in a war zone.

Oh, it's not that bad over there. Eleven Canadian soldiers have died in Afghanistan since 2002, and four of those died by friendly fire. I'm sure the military knows that Al Qaeda or the Taliban would score a coup if they could get the "scalp" of a Western Prime Minister, especially one who is showing determination against radical Islam. Harper will be well looked after.

Harper is sleeping on an international military base during his Afghan visit and plans to meet frequently with troops in the field as well as sharing meals with them in the mess hall.

He's even going to go meet them out in the fields!

Harper says he wants to show support for the soldiers, aid workers, and diplomats conducting what he considers Canada's most important foreign mission in decades.

Harper gets it.

It looks like Canada is finally going to have a credible foreign policy and will once again rise to be a respected voice in the world--a voice that has some weight when it speaks.

I'm feeling proud to be Canadian right now.

Think I'll turn the telly to CBC Newsworld and watch the seething.

Edited March 13, 2006 by Montgomery Burns

[August1991]

Harper has done the right thing, and he's staying there for a day or two.

It is interesting to note that Harper has essentially no foreign experience and has travelled little. In some ways, it is very unfortunate that he will discover the world through the prism of an official programme. OTOH, foreign policy is just not that important in Canada.

[Canuck E Stan]

I think he went there because he thinks his chances to win on the "roll up the rim" contest at Timmy's might be better.

[geoffrey]

I think he went there because he thinks his chances to win on the "roll up the rim" contest at Timmy's might be better.

I drink two to three Timmy's a day and have only won a single lousy donut. I don't blame him.

[scribblet]

Harper is doing what any good PM would do, support the troops. Good for Harper.

[speaker]

I agree with August 1991 about the unfortunate case of a PM visiting a country like Afghanistan in the train of officialdom and militarism. I suppose that someone with Harpers views over the last twenty years wouldn't have noticed the difference between what's happening there now compared to what was going on there 20 years ago. Even leaving off with the various positions of the military forces arrayed in the country, would he have noticed the difference in the infrastructure, or the socio-economic base?

I don't wish him harm, so I hope no one tries to take a shot at him, but I hope it sinks in in some other way that the country has little left to lose, because when you got nothing left to lose... how does that old saw go again?

[Canuck E Stan]

From the song:

Nothing left to lose

You've got nothing left to lose (you've got nothing left to lose)

No you've got nothing left to lose (who'd wanna be standing in your shoes)

-Alan Parsons Project

[speaker]

Thanks Canuck E Stan, It's not the one I was thinking of but I'll look it up. The one I was thinking of may have been a song or maybe just an old line that went If you got nothing you got nothing left to lose. I can't remember who from or where I heard it first.

[theloniusfleabag]

Dear speaker,

If you got nothing you got nothing left to lose

Bob Dylan's 'Like a Rolling Stone' had the line "When you ain't got nothin, you got nothin' to lose", and "Me and Bobby McGee" (written by Kris Kristofferson) from Janis Joplin had the line "Freedom's just another word for 'nothing left to lose'. However, you may be thingking of the line from the song "Slaughterama" from Gwar, with "When your life is shit, the you ain't got much to lose, on 'Slaughterama!'

[speaker]

Like a rolling stone, that's the one, Thanks. I remember Janis' song but I don't think that the mood fits what I was thinking at the time. Good though it was. I'm too old for gwar but the sentiment is precisely the one I was looking for. Thanks again

[Nocrap]

I agree with August 1991 about the unfortunate case of a PM visiting a country like Afghanistan in the train of officialdom and militarism. I suppose that someone with Harpers views over the last twenty years wouldn't have noticed the difference between what's happening there now compared to what was going on there 20 years ago. Even leaving off with the various positions of the military forces arrayed in the country, would he have noticed the difference in the infrastructure, or the socio-economic base?

I don't wish him harm, so I hope no one tries to take a shot at him, but I hope it sinks in in some other way that the country has little left to lose, because when you got nothing left to lose... how does that old saw go again?

I guess Harper took a page from the handbook of George W. Bush - When things get too hot to handle, go for the photo-op. You know he almost had me until he claimed that part of the mission was to enforce women's rights. He might as well have promised the Afghan people affordable daycare, same-sex marriage and publicly funded healthcare. It was all just blowing smoke.

[margrace]

He's showing what a good little follower he is of the great god Bush. Now if some terrorist group will conveniently attack something in Canada,Do you think Canadians are as good little sheeples as Americans?

[America1]

He's showing what a good little follower he is of the great god Bush. Now if some terrorist group will conveniently attack something in Canada,Do you think Canadians are as good little sheeples as Americans?

"Conveniently attacked"? - What was convenient about some of us knowing people who died on 9/11 Mother F'er? If you were in front of me right now, the cops wouldn’t be able to pull me off you. Somebody needs to teach you some f*cking respect.

And yeah, to answer your question, if you did get attacked (God forbid) and your loved ones died, I think you'd see things completely different.

[uOttawaMan]

Most important mission in decades.. I lol'd.

[Nocrap]

He's showing what a good little follower he is of the great god Bush. Now if some terrorist group will conveniently attack something in Canada,Do you think Canadians are as good little sheeples as Americans?

"Conveniently attacked"? - What was convenient about some of us knowing people who died on 9/11 Mother F'er? If you were in front of me right now, the cops wouldn’t be able to pull me off you. Somebody needs to teach you some f*cking respect.

And yeah, to answer your question, if you did get attacked (God forbid) and your loved ones died, I think you'd see things completely different.

In defense of Margrave, I took it as tongue in cheek. 9/11 certainly made Bush and his cronies very wealthy men, so it's natural for some people to feel that it was a little too convenient. This does need mean that we do not feel compassion for the victims. However, reports that came out after, clearly indicate that Bush knew in advance that an attack was imminent, but chose to let it play out. Enough said.

[wellandboy]

He's showing what a good little follower he is of the great god Bush. Now if some terrorist group will conveniently attack something in Canada,Do you think Canadians are as good little sheeples as Americans?

"Conveniently attacked"? - What was convenient about some of us knowing people who died on 9/11 Mother F'er? If you were in front of me right now, the cops wouldn’t be able to pull me off you. Somebody needs to teach you some f*cking respect.

And yeah, to answer your question, if you did get attacked (God forbid) and your loved ones died, I think you'd see things completely different.

In defense of Margrave, I took it as tongue in cheek. 9/11 certainly made Bush and his cronies very wealthy men, so it's natural for some people to feel that it was a little too convenient. This does need mean that we do not feel compassion for the victims. However, reports that came out after, clearly indicate that Bush knew in advance that an attack was imminent, but chose to let it play out. Enough said.

I doubt Margrave requires defending and I doubt the comments were tongue in cheek if other posts are any measure of his/her particular beliefs. What did you say Margrave right after 9/11- "serve the bastards right".

There was some intelligence about terrorist attacks, but nothing specific.

[America1]

In defense of Margrave, I took it as tongue in cheek. 9/11 certainly made Bush and his cronies very wealthy men, so it's natural for some people to feel that it was a little too convenient. This does need mean that we do not feel compassion for the victims. However, reports that came out after, clearly indicate that Bush knew in advance that an attack was imminent, but chose to let it play out. Enough said.

"9/11 certainly made Bush and his cronies very wealthy men" - Please provide 1 piece of evidence to back up this retarded claim.

"Clearly indicate that Bush knew in advance that an attack was imminent, but chose to let it play out" - again ridiculous statement, to say he KNEW is beyond dumb. There was no actionable intelligence, period. Get off the conspiracy crap that Bush knew of the attack and let it happen. You lose all credibility when you make asinine claims like this.

[Hicksey]

Most important mission in decades.. I lol'd.

It IS very important.

If we lose the middle east, it will embolden countries like China, North Korea, Iran, to a lesser extent Russia, etc ...

Losing the middle east could ostensibly trigger the beginning of WW3. These countries are salivating at the chance to take down the US and waiting for the first show of weakness. I think that losing the middle east could be exactly the signal they're waiting for. If the US goes down, we'd have no choice but to fold like a cheap suit because the Liberals destroyed what once was a military force we could be proud of.

I don't know if we'd see it in my lifetime, but I think with the principal opponents starting a new nuclear arms race it will happen in the next 50-100 years.

[mowich]

The fact is that our troops are in Afganistan, whether we Canadians like it or not. We should have an open debate on the subject. However, as long as our men and women are putting their lives on the line, they deserve our complete support. I applaud Mr. Harper for his visit and hope that it does indeed help the troop morale.

[August1991]

Most important mission in decades.. I lol'd.

It IS very important.

If we lose the middle east, it will embolden countries like China, North Korea, Iran, to a lesser extent Russia, etc ...

Since the Korean War, Canada has only had a combat role in the First Gulf War. We provided logistical support to Suez in 1957 and then provided a military buffer in Cyprus, Golan Heights, Vietnam. We performed a peacekeeping role in the former Yugoslavia.

I think it is a fair to state that our military activities in Afghanistan are among the most important in decades.

[Bryan]

You lose all credibility when you make asinine claims like this.

Bush knew. And the whole thing has most certainly been a financial windfall for his family and their contemporaries.

[yorkman]

This is nothing but propaganda and PR - the selling of our mission in Afghanistan. As the days go by Mr. Harper is looking more and more like the Bush mini-me most of us thought he was. His rhetoric is identical. Obviously, some people are buying it. But then again, propaganda is nothing new whether or not it is coming from the occupiers trying to impose their values on another society (Canada in Afghanistan) and meddling in their internal affairs. Or whether it's coming from an invader such as America in Iraq. Don't think we would take too kindly to that if it were in reverse. Some of us even get a bit testy when the Americans start telling us what we should do.

Mr. Harper had better not follow the Bush (and Frum) line too closely though.......based on the latest opinion polls south of the border. Hopefully Canadians won't take five years to wake up to what is going on in their name. Though it appears the media have all gone to sleep on the issue. Guess they see a good story line that is going to last for 10 years or so - longer then the first and second world wars together.

HI MARGRACE!!!

[August1991]

This is nothing but propaganda and PR - the selling of our mission in Afghanistan. As the days go by Mr. Harper is looking more and more like the Bush mini-me most of us thought he was.

The Liberals decided to send troops to Afghanistan and while might argue about Iraq, I don't think there is any question that the Taliban regime in Afghanistan had to go.

Mr. Harper had better not follow the Bush (and Frum) line too closely though.......

Why is David Frum being dragged into this? Are you suggesting there is some kind of nefarious deep-integration plan afoot and David Frum is the go-between for Bush and Harper? Huh?