Monday, April 23, 2007
NDP Wrong By Doing Right Thing
The NDP has been consistent and absolutely right regarding the mission in Afghanistan from the very beginning. We should not have gone in and we should get out as fast as we can. The latest today from the Globe and Mail has dozens of Afghan prisoners claiming they were treated very well by Canadian soldiers, but were tortured as soon as they were turned over to Afghan authorities. This may be a war crime and is just another reason we should end this colonial nightmare. Now I'm not trying to start yet another debate about Afghanistan. I can talk about sovereignty, war lords, and Russians. Or Pushtuns, corruption, opium, and oil pipelines. I can talk about American hegemony, questionable elections, and puppet ex-patriots, but I'm unlikely to change many minds. If you are for this mission, you can talk about nation building, girls in schools, the tyranny of the Taliban, or how the sacrifice of brave Canadian soldiers cannot be for not. You can talk about Canada punching above its weight, the war on "terror", and American leadership until you are blue-liberal in the face and you're not going to change my mind. This is about convincing the NDP that they must support tomorrow's motion to pull the troops out by 2009. The NDP say they will not vote for this motion because they believe and have always believed that our troops should be pulled out yesterday. This is a very principled position, however it may end up keeping troops in Afghanistan for years to come. If this motion fails and the wheels are not set in motion for a 2009 withdrawal, Harper may get his majority and commit our troops for ever and ever, amen. That is certainly not what the NDP wants! Also, if this motion passes, Harper could not allow it, Bush wouldn't let him. He would have to fight an election on the issue. An election fought on the war in Afghanistan could be very good for the NDP.
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4 comments:
Rhetorically, why is that the NDP, again, has to 'fall on the liberal sword' that they created? Just because the libs have finally come out and said, oops, sorry, we need to get out of Afghanistan by 2009, they expect the NDP to support it.
If liberals were smart players, they would have supported the anti-scab motion (that they originally agreed to) but pulled out at the last minute, because they wanted to bring their own bill forward. Why wasn't their a hew and cry here from lib bloggers? Silence.
Anyway, I understand that the NDP suggested an amendment to the lib motion which would have got that support the libs so much want, but alas, the libs said no. What a missed opportunity.
Now that the libs have finally seen the light about Afghanistan its a bit rich to start, again, but lecturing the NDP. Oh, yeh, and calling him Taleban Jack. Sure a funny way of winning friends when you want their support.
So if the libs want support, tell them to suck up that amendment, and get down to getting the troops out of Afghanistan. Sure it might put egg on their face, but it will save Canadian soldier lives and Afghanistan lives.
And honourable negotiations happen without debasing your potential allie in pubic.
Militant Liberal, I like your politics. I am a chomski fan, and I see we share many similar beliefs. It's really sounds like your heart is in the right place, and I respect that.
The bottomline, we're there until 2009, period. Talk of immediate withdrawal might be based on some principle, but it's just empty words, unless of course you don't honor international commitments. The NDP should support the Liberal motion because it actually has real world application. If you want the troops out, then you have no choice but to look at 2009. If you want the troops out, then why not support the only option, because that's just the reality here, philosophical belief aside. The NDP position is based on theoretical, it has no relationship to possibilities. I don't necessarily like it either, but it's a done deal.
You can't argue about Kyoto commitments and then turn around and argue we should abandon our other obligations, that we signed on.
Jan may have another point of view :)
Jan your right the Libs have been wrong on Afghanistan since the beginning. I wont defend them there. They were also wrong about the anti-scab legislation.However a plan to get out by 2009 is better then Harpers plan to stay forever.Like Steve V said 2009 is politically saleable. I read this morning that two thirds of Canadians like the idea.The NDP should support the bill not because the Liberals deserve support but because it is a step in the right direction.
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