tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4294832262447672396.post8333254947007229273..comments2023-10-02T06:10:16.628-03:00Comments on Free Falling in the Great White UP: The Beginning of the End?Michelle Morgan-Coolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03671529553739362752noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4294832262447672396.post-60522433528199353592009-04-18T15:47:00.000-03:002009-04-18T15:47:00.000-03:00Well, that's certainly the fear. It's certainly my...Well, that's certainly the fear. It's certainly my fear, anyway. It will be very interesting to see how this plays out. Because in some senses, I have the feeling this law is already a done deal. And they are just 'humouring' us, like.Michelle Morgan-Coolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03671529553739362752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4294832262447672396.post-73431108433054197042009-04-18T10:49:00.000-03:002009-04-18T10:49:00.000-03:00You and Progue are right, political pressure and t...You and Progue are right, political pressure and the will to follow through sounds like a very viable 'solution'. And if not ... I have no answers, there are too many 'ifs' ... If the world backs out of Afghanistan ... will it get more proficient as a breeding ground of terrorists and islamic extremism? As I said, many many ifs.Eileennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4294832262447672396.post-44627231121971624082009-04-13T11:56:00.000-03:002009-04-13T11:56:00.000-03:00Like I said, I may not be entirely sure on what th...Like I said, I may not be entirely sure on what the *right* answer is but I'm pretty sure it falls somewhere in between offering our tactic support to a government that passes such a law (assuming it will actually be enacted) and just pulling out. Because we need to ask ourselves the question, if all of us did just that, what would the result be for the people of Afghanistan? And, by extension, the rest of us?<BR/><BR/>BTW I could be wrong but I seem to recall the majority, maybe even the vast majority, of Canadians being in favour of Canada joining NATO in Afghanistan. You may be right in that we may not be able to impose our values over there. But that still leaves me unsure of what the answer is. I don't see how simply pulling out now (or never having gone in the first place) could possibly make things better. <BR/><BR/>Perhaps the only real tool we really have left is, as Progue noted, reinforcing that old lesson that choices are actions, and that actions have consequences. Because something tells me that Karzai is smart enough to realize that without the support of Canada and other NATO allies, his government won't be around much longer to pass any laws. <BR/><BR/>In other words, political pressure backed up by the will to follow through might be our best, or only available, alternative at the moment. But even at that, I'm not so sure that the will to follow through should mean leaving the country to its own devices at the moment.<BR/><BR/>And I'm glad you're enjoying the blog. Thanks for dropping by.Michelle Morgan-Coolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03671529553739362752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4294832262447672396.post-34114124803775860382009-04-12T15:06:00.000-03:002009-04-12T15:06:00.000-03:00Who said the Afghans wanted democracy? Our wester...Who said the Afghans wanted democracy? Our western way of life is obviously not something that has much support amongst those who have been holding power over the years. I’m not suggesting the Afghan women might not appreciate living full lives but Afghan men must first consider them full human participants. Even the democratically elected Karzai has been exposed as an unenlightened person by our western standards.<BR/><BR/>I appreciate your argument for why we went to Afghanistan but we are trying to impose our values on a culture that sees the world differently. If we want to win the hearts and minds of the Afghans then we will have to engage them on another level. There are religious groups here in the west that want to have the same kind of control over women and we have found a way to live peacefully with them even though we disagree.<BR/><BR/>I belong to that group that never thought Canada should be in Afghanistan. But regardless of that I’m glad it was the issue of women’s rights that woke the public up to the futility of our being in Afghanistan. Even if Canadians are over there building schools, roads, infrastructure, etc., if women are not allowed to participate equally in society then we have no business trying to impose our values on them.<BR/><BR/>I enjoy the political commentary on your blog …Isabellenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4294832262447672396.post-76915218494050442592009-04-11T23:24:00.000-03:002009-04-11T23:24:00.000-03:00LOLThat's funny, Pogue.A grain of truth, perhaps, ...LOL<BR/>That's funny, Pogue.<BR/><BR/>A grain of truth, perhaps, although I'm sure in some ways you would still find me rather *liberal". It just depends on the topic. Remember, I happily live in a *socialist* country. ;-)Michelle Morgan-Coolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03671529553739362752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4294832262447672396.post-36058424715198926842009-04-11T20:15:00.000-03:002009-04-11T20:15:00.000-03:00We're all in Afghanistan in our own self interest....We're all in Afghanistan in our own self interest. That we can help improve their lives is secondary, though not unimportant. We can encourage a democratic government, but we have to accept that they may take a path that we don't care for. On the other hand, they have to accept that their decisions have consequences. The withdrawl of the support that makes their government possible could well be one of those consequences.<BR/><BR/>As an aside, you really seem to becoming quite conservative Michelle... Must be some of the unsavory characters you associate with on the internet :-)Poguehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14844435158421387888noreply@blogger.com