Karine Blais R.I.P.

The Kite Runner

This sad, and sometimes disturbing film, shows the history of Afghanistan from the late 1970's until now. It is an unbelievable tragedy what has happened to the people of that rugged, beautiful country, first during the terrible invasion by the communists from the USSR, and then by the subsequent horrific rule by the Taliban.

I challenge anyone to watch this film and then want to turn their backs on the Afghan people. That many on the Radical Left equate what Canada & America & Britain & Australia are doing there to what the Russians and the Taliban did is beyond reprehensible and more reflective of the knee-jerk emotional reaction that constantly comes from that sector of our society. Backed by ignorance and fueled by emotion - what a way to run one's life!

I do not dispute that the democratically elected government in Afghanistan is corrupt. In fact, they're way down at #121 in this list of 160 countries. But rather than walk away and let the Afghan people once again have their lives destroyed by the murderous pedophilia-laden hypocrites known as the Taliban, wouldn't it be better to work with them & insist they move up the corruption scale rather than down it?

When President Barack Obama does the right thing and sends more troops to Afghanistan, I will be the first to condemn anyone who criticizes him for it.

Please read the latest dispatch from Michael Yon.

Blogging is Cheaper than Therapy

Kate McMillan, the founder of Small Dead Animals, one of the most successful political blogs in Canada, once said that the reason she started blogging was to stop throwing objects at the radio and TV when she heard something extremely stupid or biased (I'm paraphrasing).

Her blog is now so successful that she has guest bloggers as well. One of them just wrote this piece. His opening sentence reads as follows:

Sometimes I get asked why I blog. If anyone else can think of a more productive way to get this stuff off my chest, please let me know. As Sean says, it's cheaper than therapy.

In this particular case, he's commenting on a Paris Hilton like princess named Jessica Leader who is currently wearing a beret that says, "Globe and Mail War Correspondent". You've got to read her latest missive to understand just how absolutely pathetic she is. This is what passes for Canadian journalism these days?

Another blogger has a similar take.

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If you'd like to read & see some REAL reporting from Afghanistan then visit the website of Michael Yon.

Murdered For Being A Christian

Gayle Williams, a 34 year old British woman in Afghanistan, was murdered yesterday.

You can read the entire tragic story here.

The Hate-America-First Mentality of Vancouverites

This afternoon on CKNW I heard some rather disturbing things heard from callers about Canada's presence in Afghanistan. You can listen to it here (33:18). I got so upset that I wrote the host, Sean Leslie, this e-mail:

Free speech is a good thing but I must admit that hearing open-line callers on 'NW frequently saddens me. "Gary" and the junior members of his choir seem oblivious to the fact that their hatred toward America (and often toward Israel) completely obscures any sense of a reasoned thought process about foreign policy. On every single broadcast day it seems we hear such people calling up to 'NW and blathering on & on about how America & Israel are the Great Satans of the world and are to blame for every problem that now exists in the world.

How terribly short these peoples' memories are. It was just 2 decades ago when Ronald Reagan freed hundreds of millions of people trapped behind the Iron Curtain of the U.S.S.R. Without his determined actions the citizens of these nations would not be enjoying the freedom and democracies they have today. The ending of the Cold War thankfully did not require a shot to be fired but sometimes force is necessary. Have Canadians become so privileged and pampered that now even one death has them running? I often wonder if these critics have any idea of how many Canadians often died in any one battle of World Wars 1 & 2? In their minds, I guess, Canadians "have always been peacekeepers" so therefore never participated in these previous wars.

I absolutely reject the notion that Freedom and Democracy are only "American Neo-Con" concepts. Is the true meaning of "Canadian values" in the New Millennium actually an absence of all values entirely? We cannot help out every country in the world but I will never understand why seemingly so many CKNW listeners don't even want to help out one!!

P.S. I strongly encourage all your listeners to Google "Michael Yon" (the last name is spelled Y-O-N) to learn more about what is really going on in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Fascinating Story from Afghanistan

Michael Yon provides a detailed and brilliant commentary, plus tons of photographs, on what NATO troops are doing over in Afghanistan. This should be mandatory reading for every Canadian voter.

Blog from Afghanistan

A good friend of mine referred me to this blog, of a friend of his. It's a fascinating read and has some incredible photos.

A Moment to Remember

As we all settle down to gorge on good food and give & receive countless gifts, let's not forget that on the other side of the world there are several thousand Canadian soldiers who are protecting people much less fortunate than us.

I saw this quote and couldn't help thinking how appropriate it is for us right now:

"We sleep soundly in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm." - Winston Churchill

Published!

An abridged version of my recent editorial on Canadians' lack of support for your troops in Afghanistan was published in the National Post today:

Afghanistan: Should We Stay or Should We Go?

Six Canadian soldiers died from a bomb today in Afghanistan. It's an absolute tragedy and my heart pours out to the friends & family members of these brave men.

This event has renewed the discussion of whether we should stay in Afghanistan or go ... immediately. I've recently started watching a 9 part documentary (18 hours in total) on the American Civil War. Today it occurred to me that there's a strong parallel between the two wars.

The answer to whether we should stay or go is completely determined by one's perspective. Amongst Canadians there is a wide spectrum of people's opinions, all of whom will answer according to their own "truth". From the conversations around me, I have little doubt that a great many Vancouverites firmly believe that: 9/11 was perpetrated by the U.S. government and the recent attacks on British soil were orchestrated by MI-6. Such people further believe that Canadians have no business helping other people in the world if it means that our soldiers have to fire even one shot. Their overriding belief is that if we leave terrorists alone then they'll leave us alone.

I happen to believe something very different. I have this crazy notion that Islamic fundamentalist terrorism is the greatest threat facing us today. Afghanistan was an open training ground for such terrorists and they were actively exporting their hateful beliefs around the world; not just through words but frequently through attacks. 9/11 was a clear wake-up call for all Canadians of what was sure to be arriving in our land one day, but clearly many in our country had their blinders on and their alarm clocks turned off.

Today is July 4th, the birthday of the United States of America. 146 years ago our American neighbours started a 5-year long war amongst themselves to determine if the black people in their country would be given freedom or remain forever as slaves. While there has been no slavery per say in Afghanistan, no Canadian can honestly say that they would prefer to live under a dictatorial Taliban regime. How so many Canadians can so effortlessly detach themselves from the aspirations of freedom of the people of Afghanistan is a psychological feat well beyond my abilities.

Interesting Thoughts from Afghanistan

This letter was forwarded to the Echo by Mansfield residents Ruth and Gary Brown. It was written by their son, Steve, who is a member of the Canadian Forces fighting in Afghanistan.

To All:

I apologize for the generic letter, but these days I don't have a lot of time to sit at a computer drafting specific words of thanks to all the people who have offered me overwhelming support. All of you mean the world to me and so your support is not only appreciated but quite honestly sustains me through some of the worst days of my life. Bar none this is an experience that I will never forget and has changed me in so many ways.

I have been ambushed, attacked, bombed, mortared, mined and RPG'd to the point that I honestly cannot wait to get home. I have showered only 7 times in the 4 months that I have been here, gone through 4 changes of clothes and have lived out of a small valise. I have only slept 6 nights having taken my boots off the whole tour. Every night I have slept under the stars (until recently when it started raining) and each night I have seen at minimum one shooting star in a truly impressive Afghan skyline.

Half of our company has been wounded and of 120 men the enemy has killed six. Of the wounded, some of the most severe have endured the loss of limbs, paralysis in parts of the body and in one case he is learning to read and write again. The enemy is real and a brutal enemy he is. Never have I believed more in a cause and each and everyday I believe in it more.

Our enemy uses children to fight its battles and as shields, it coerces, threatens, blackmails, steals, sells opium and represses women. It murders people such as elderly men simply because they associate with us and it corrupts a religion by holding it hostage. It is uneducated and illiterate but certainly not stupid. It places its mines strategically and wages a war of terror so that the locals live in fear. Most of the Taliban are foreign, and use the local population for their purpose but do not care for their well-being. They force the locals on missions with absolutely no chances of success and accuse them of being bad Muslims when they question it. They have no hesitation in causing massive civilian casualties if it results in even one coalition dead. As much as it is a sin to kill your fellow man, it would be a bigger sin to let the Taliban have freedom of action in a country that does not want its return.

Contrary to what the media believes, Afghans do support the coalition, and we must support them. There is no shortage of people who are willing to die for their cause but I am thankful that those people choose to fight us here, rather than in Toronto or Ottawa.

As for the development of this country, Canada and reporters in general have it wrong. The West will not rebuild this country; Afghans will and are doing it each day. The West can do well to facilitate the process, but it is becoming clearer that in the areas that we are operating, international agencies are reticent to help. My message to them is to get off their soapbox and take some risk. Regardless of the situation, progress and development are continuing particularly in parts of the country where there is no fighting. For a media that is focused on our particular area of operations, they forget about the progress occurring around the country.

The Taliban has massed around us and we are willing to take on that burden. I guess the purpose of this letter is two-fold. The first is to thank all of you for the overwhelming support that you have given me. From the cards to the care packages, it has a profound impact on what we do over here. Secondly, I also want you very much to believe in what Canada is doing here in Kandahar. Canada at an international level has stepped up and is taking a leadership role in NATO for the first time that

I can remember. We are doing what is right, not what is easy. It is important that we carry the load at least until the end of our mandate, at which time we can let someone else take the lead. You have made this possible, and we should all be very proud to be Canadian right now.

Currently and for the foreseeable future we are committed to seeing the construction of a road, a simple road, but a road that has cost us seven soldiers including two from my Company, Sergeant Darcy Tedford and Private Blake Williamson. I am so proud to be with soldiers like these and am happy to report that they have represented us all so well. The rest of us will stand here on this road with our Afghan brothers, and this road will get finished.

Thank you all for all that you have done, each and every one of you have made me a better person and it is important that you know that. I have been raised as most other Canadians, with a sense of duty and fair play.That is directly related to the relationships that I have had with my family, my community and my country. Thanks for everything.

Pro Patria (For Country)

Captain Steve Brown
1 R.C.R.'s (Charles Company)