Archambault and other Quebec-based soldiers in Afghanistan expressed frustration and exasperation with the widespread opposition in their home province to Canada's military mission in the country.
One poll suggested 70% of Quebecers were opposed to the continued presence of Canadian soldiers in the war-torn land, while some members of the national assembly refused to stand up when several soldiers visited the legislature earlier this year.
Archambault said people who are against the mission are misguided when they accuse Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives of wanting to endorse U.S. foreign policy just to stay in the good books of the Bush administration.
"That has nothing to do with it," he said. "Canada is not getting a lot out of its presence here. It costs lives and it costs money but we're trying to give a chance to people who need help.
"It's probably the biggest thing I'll do in my life."
Canada has about 2,500 troops in Afghanistan as part of the NATO force supporting the Afghan government.
Canada is slated to leave Afghanistan in February 2009 and Harper has said extending the mission would require the consensus of Parliament.
Master Cpl. David Martel, one of the Van Doos patrolling the Shawali Kot district in southeastern Afghanistan, said the attitude of some people is disheartening.
"You come here because you believe in what you do," Martel said.
"You want to provide security and help people improve their lot, while back home people aren't very receptive to that. They say you're just off to kill people."
http://www.winnipegsun.com/News/Canada/2007/08/04/4393143-sun.html
Note: http://www.winnipegsun....
'Should Know Better'Van Doos Irked By Anti-War Sentiment
Posted on Saturday, August 04 at 14:22 by jensonjContributed By
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"That has nothing to do with it," he said. "Canada is not getting a lot out of its presence here. It costs lives and it costs money but we're trying to give a chance to people who need help."<<
My family has served Canada in the Military since the Boer War before, between and during the Wars as well as many other ways.
As long as man desires to dominate each other and evil prevails, man will always need to police and defend militarily or otherwise. But to say this is not Political is crap. The Military serves and answers to the Government of ones country and in so doing serves the people of ones country in a democracy.
There is 192 members in the United Nations most of them with greater resources and larger militias then Canada's but they were not asked to do what Canada has been asked by the U.S. government. If it was about trying to give a chance to people who need help then there are a lot of other places in the world in more desperate need, like Sudan.
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Perception is two thirds of what we perceive reality to be.
Difficult decisions are a privilege of rank.
"My family has served Canada in the Military since the Boer War before, between and during the Wars as well as many other ways."
Then you should know, the Military in Canada serves and answers to the Sovereign of Canada, not the government. The oath is to the Sovereign, not to the government.
"Pte. Francis Archambault says . . "Somebody who's educated, who has diplomas galore, told me there would be no war in the world if people like me didn't exist,"
Which is exactly his point. No one who is informed blames the soldier for War, just as no one blames the fireman for the fire; or the cop for crime.
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The preceding comment deals with mature subject matter, however immaturely presented. Viewer discretion is advised.
<br />
there is a dif though and is to be found in the words of <br />
<br />
ÉTIENNE DE LA BOÉTIE,<br />
<a href="http://www.constitution.org/la_boetie/serv_vol.htm">http://www.constitution.org/la_boetie/serv_vol.htm</a><br />
<br />
informed? Hardly!<br />
<br />
Ill-Informed or indoctrinated by the state is more to the point <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<p>---<br>"When I tell the truth, it is not for the sake of convincing those who do not know it, but for the sake of defending those that do."<br />
<br />
William Blake<br />
<br />
Canada has a constitutional monarchy. The head of state in Canada is the sovereign at present Queen Elizabeth II. We wouldn't want the Prime Minister getting a larger head then he already has . The role in Canada is, however, largely ceremonial. The Monarchy ties Canadians to their past and heritage. The Monarchy heads the country but the Government rules the country. Thus it is the Government of Canada that Canada's Military serves, answers to and takes its orders from not her Majesty. As well, Canada being a democracy and Canadians elect their Government the Government represents the people of this nation.
>>"No one who is informed blames the soldier for War, just as no one blames the fireman for the fire; or the cop for crime."<<
Education is seldom a sign of intelligence or soundness of one's beliefs, in time living will prove this to be true in most cases.
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Perception is two thirds of what we perceive reality to be.
Difficult decisions are a privilege of rank.
If the strategic value of Afghanistan were to suddenly dry up, this soldier and all his comrades will immediately be ordered to pack up their gear and go home in a big hurry.
War is all about imposing involuntary control over others through the use of deadly force and terror - no war in the history of man has ever been fought for any other reason.
<br />
<a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070804/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_afghanistan">http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070804/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_afghanistan</a><p>---<br>"When I tell the truth, it is not for the sake of convincing those who do not know it, but for the sake of defending those that do."<br />
<br />
William Blake<br />
<br />
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The preceding comment deals with mature subject matter, however immaturely presented. Viewer discretion is advised.
Whoia back, Jack! Don't be confusing pot with Junk, opium or ay of it derivs
Having been exposed to herione at an early age, aout 15 In Vancouve and watch how it addicts and destroys I can tell ya it ain't the same class of drug
Besides which, Afghani
poppies ain't the ones worn on "Rememberance" Day
the majority of that shit ends up in the viens of people looking for and escape hatch here in NA
and eles where
I posted it because I saw an irony
The Yanks
are so very very anti drug, with the exception of the CIA and yet opion production is on the rise in an occupied counrty
The hemp plant has more uses than the poppy
Odd? How exactly or are you just oir unjsy(ly) having sport with old Dio LOL
and anudder thing!
it does not follow (non seguitiur) that a pot pro is a junk pro, con me not!
My daily garbble
\
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"When I tell the truth, it is not for the sake of convincing those who do not know it, but for the sake of defending those that do."
William Blake
I'm not, I just pointing out that both have alternate uses; hemp as textile, Opium as painkilling drugs Morphine, Codine etc.
"it does not follow (non seguitiur) that a pot pro is a junk pro, con me not!"
But it does follow that you don't ignore the usefullness of a substance just because it's made illegal.
Afghan farmers have little choice in what crops they can grow. Why not take the billion dollar surpluses Canada generates, go to the Afghan farmers and buy their crops at more than fair market value, ship it here ourselves and sell it to big pharma at a profit?
Eliminate the illegal importation, and keep it off the streets? The only way to stop the Opium trade is ethier to give them crops they can grow and make enough money they can survive on, or redirect the illegal trade already present to a legal one. The UN isn't moving very fast to give them alternate crops, why don't we cut out the 'pusher' part of the opium trade?
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The preceding comment deals with mature subject matter, however immaturely presented. Viewer discretion is advised.
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Non Sequitr. Parliament is not in the chain of command of the Canadian Forces. Orders must come from the PM, to the Minister of Defence and approved by the CiC (Governor General of Canada) to the Commander, Defence Force. The CDF, nor any officer or NCO does not receive orders from anyone in Parliament without approval of the GG.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commander-in-Chief_of_Canadian_Forces">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commander-in-Chief_of_Canadian_Forces</a><br />
<a href="http://www.gg.ca/gg/rr/cc/hist_e.asp">http://www.gg.ca/gg/rr/cc/hist_e.asp</a><br />
<br />
Chain of Command is everything.
<br />
"Education is seldom a sign of intelligence or soundness of one's beliefs, in time living will prove this to be true in most cases."<br />
<br />
And being informed is not a sign of intellect ether. As the statement by Private Archambault attests to. If there were no professional soldiers, wars would simply be fought by Doctors and Farmers, like they have been in the recent past. Eliminating professional soldiers will not prevent war.<p>---<br>The preceding comment deals with mature subject matter, however immaturely presented. Viewer discretion is advised.<br />
Because I am a supporter of all the products hemp can be made in to does it does not follow I support opium , nor the perfume so called, that is the non sequitiur (I hope to get the spelling of the word correct--- some day)
An idea I and others have had is for the various governments to by the raw product and distribute it to the various folks interested in it
Big Pharma included
Hopefully, the junkies could catch a price break.
In my intimate experience with Junk the drug does not have to be “pushed” by the dealers it is sought after. Now, break the reasons for that puppy and I’ll thrown inm with you, and while we’re at it boozers who “drown their sorrows ain’t a hellova lot dif than junkies in my book. Again, find the reasons for escapism first then perhaps ifn it ain’t to much fucking trouble, (you are not the target of the 6 or 7 preceding words, K?)
to plant a seed
when the world bank IMF BIS and the like start to offer laons in the manner Ernesto Sirolli sspeaks off, then, maybe, some positive change can take place.
But I wouldn't be holding my hand over my asshole waiting for that to happen
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"When I tell the truth, it is not for the sake of convincing those who do not know it, but for the sake of defending those that do."
William Blake