With the endless clamor coming from the anti-Afghanistan faction, coupled with the Harper government’s no-show in explaining “the mission”, it’s amazing that young people are still lining up to join the Canadian Forces … especially the army, which is enduring the brunt of casualties. Yet they join.
Canadians join for any number and combination of reasons as varied as adventure seeking to a genuine desire to serve and make a positive difference in the world. They come from all provinces with several contributing an unusually large share despite their small populations:
Nfld. and Labrador 1.4%
PEI 0.3%
Nova Scotia 11.8%
New Brunswick 6.4%
Quebec 20.3%
Ontario 33.6%
Manitoba 4.4%
Saskatchewan 1.3%
Alberta 10.2%
British Columbia 8.3%
Yukon Territory N/A
Northwest Territories 0.2%
Nunavut N/A
Outside Canada 1.8%
From Cjunk:
All of this raises the question; what are you willing to give for the cause? Is the cause worth it? Is any cause worth it? Hell, do you even believe in “the cause?” Are you in the 18-30 bracket and have you ever honestly considered joining the military? Would that be too much sacrifice for you? Try this then; what government handouts or percent of your paycheck are you willing to part with in order to ensure that those who fight in your name do so with the deadliest and best possible weapons and equipment in hand? These questions may seem obvious, but I can’t help but feel that few have taken the time to seriously ponder them.
OT slightly but the idea of “escalating casualties” is driving me nuts.
How could the number of casualties decrease? Its impossible. Therefore using the term “increasing casualties” is in itself dishonest as there is no other way casualties could go.
The media has no appetite for real war but apparently the young men of Canada do when the cause is just.
If you think that building roads, schools, hospitals, etc. (on the taxpayers dime, of course)
for third-world cretins who look the other way while other people kill and maim you, I say: you got something wrong with your head.
This whole ‘hearts and minds’ thing, is obviously not working- why not try a ‘scorched earth’ policy instead? Yaknow? For every Canuck soldier who gets whacked, X square kilometers of turf is made uninhabitable for the next X hundred years?
One problem sheik … “hearts and minds” is working … keep in mind that a very small minority can cause a disproportionate amount of violence. Also keep in mind, that in Afghanistan the primary target of the barbarians is the Afghan doctor, teacher, villager, woman, child, etc. For every Canadian killed in Afghanistan, many many Afghans are killed by Taliban thugs.
For a good read: http://www.rbcinvest.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/PEstory/LAC/20070824/AFGHANBLATCH24/Columnists/columnists/columnistsNational/1/1/2/
I have a newfound respect for the Canadian Forces and it is something that makes me proud – and I think that that is something that alot of people feel in Canada today.
For way too long, we’ve not had the guts to make our own decisions and make sure that we are soveriegn. We piggy back off of the Americans (and because Americans are good guys they’ve been supportive) and even in the World Wars we’ve given up control of our troops too often to egotistical nuts (witness Dieppe and Mountbatten – good thing the IRA got that inbred clown) and they’ve been used as fodder – and our troops are always the best.
We are controlling and managing our Forces and asserting our independence better than ever before and this creates pride in our country.
Yep, cconn, got to agree with you and you can bet your red and green booties that this wouldn’t be the case with the Liebrals or Dippers at the helm.
What a refreshing change.
The price of FREEDOM is blood.
Theirs and yours.
Better it’s spilled on their land than yours.
the Harper government’s no-show in explaining “the mission”,
Even hardcore leftists would never try and claim this.
The left is predisposed to assuming the mission is insanity regardless, AND that Harper is merely a Bush auto-droid regardless…
They’re kids with stars in their eyes. They think it’s a noble cause. They’re portrayed as heroes. How many MP’s sons a daughters are fighting over there? I see them crying on TV and I want to cry with them. I had a friend convicted of murder when we were in high school. We all couldn’t believe it. That’s like war. You can’t believe it.You’re in shock.
Hey, not-so-closet Liberal, the Afghanistan mission was running for four years before Harper was sworn in. And now you charge him, the guy universally seen as wrapping himself in the flag on the issue, with being a no show in explaining the mission. Not impressive. If you are going to criticize your leader learn how to do it right.
“This whole ‘hearts and minds’ thing, is obviously not working- why not try a ‘scorched earth’ policy instead? Yaknow? For every Canuck soldier who gets whacked, X square kilometers of turf is made uninhabitable for the next X hundred years?”
What are you? 12 years old?
The Canadian public(in general)is pre-conditioned to think that all things military is bad. That recruitment is alive and well just shows that decades of leftist brainwashing and social engineering cannot pacify the total population. Some families actually raise their children to believe in honor, duty and country. Radical concept to leftards, but it is still alive and well in Canada. As I come from a military family(50 + years for my 2 brothers and I), it gives me a sense of pride to see this generation stepping up to the plate. Let’s not forget kids, that these boys and girls know that they are not joining the boy scouts(the recruiting center makes the point very clearly). GO ARMY!
My cousin and a couple of his buddies signed up over the past 2 years from a town of 4500, and there’s many more who have joined or are going to join. He’s studying mechanical engineering, the other is training to be a doctor and the third is into communications and computers.
These CF men & women aren’t your sterotypical drop outs or looking for glory seekers, regardless of what impression we have of that generation. They’re smart, witty, tech savy and beautiful. They are informed, ‘connected’ and aware of the issues and believe they can make a difference in improving the world around them.
I guess most don’t read the MSM and instead get their information from other more reliable sources like the internet. Good thing Al Gore invented this thing.
I have trouble calling them “kids”. I don’t consider my son a kid … he went in “eyes wide open”. Sure, many are young, but BMQ knocks out most of the preconceived notions or romantic ideals they may hold. Those who think soldiers are idealistic doops have never served.
I am very proud of our troops . What troubles me is in the last lines of Afghanistans new constitution everything is subservient to sharia law. All the fancy talk about freedom and fairness can be gone in the snap of a mullah’s fingers. Muslims hate kuffars, they will be glad to take our help and aid and then stab us in the back as soon as possible. A bunch of filthy unbelievers will not win the “hearts and minds” of the slaves of Allah. It is best to kick their “arse and face” if you want to influence them.
You have to set aside your western mindset when dealing with Islam.
I keep hearing about Harper not explaining the Mission very well; maybe he is, but the press won’t cover it – naw, that would never happen! Regardless, info on why we’re there is easy to locate and perhaps the masses are educating themselves through the internet and facts, rather than relying on MSM editorials and opinion. CF Mission objectives available at following link: http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/newsroom/view_news_e.asp?id=1703
Cheers
Barry
I agree, Barry. The press is hostile to any support for the mission or good news stories, though I’m getting a feeling that is changing. That is until I read the G&M salting the data with their “Cdns have three times the casualties of everyone else.” Those cancelled EH-101s would have been marvelous in Afghanistan; Chretien didn’t feel our military was entitled to those “cadillacs.”
Maybe we could read a story about how Cdn are doing three times the good of everyone else. I suspect the closer we get to completing our mission and withdrawing, the greater the support there will be for the mission from the MSM. How ironic. Anyway, likely off the radar screen as election issue, not matter what Gilles Duceppe thinks.
CTV and CBC must be losing patience with these ridiculous patriots that inhabit this country. They were quite shocked when their campaign of showing every soldiers ceremonies over and over until you had the impression there had been dozens killed instead of one or two. Then the peasants outside of Toronto had the temerity to openly embrace Geo. Bush’s hitlerian war on the planet by backing our men and women and their mission. Even the NDP informing us that our troops were behaving worse than terrorists failed to turn us. (I pity the first NDP candidate who shows up at my door in the next election, he/she will come away with blistered ears at least if not a bruised arse.)
CBC and CTV have to now fake support for our soldiers till they can wear the population down with bad news or no news. Can these bastions of leftard loser thought be turned around? Can we vote to dissolve the CBC if we create a referendum? Scare them into a centerist view.
And the dance is only beginning too…
Well I’m all for a strong military, especially when they are doing something worthwhile like the current mission. I just think its important to realize that a strong military is a double edged sword. Who say’s some leftist nut can’t end up becoming PM and turn them on his own people for his own benefit. I wouldn’t have put it past Chretien, (look into how, the liberal government treated those farmers who brought grain over the border illegally, it was harrassment, The stories I heard they weren’t just treated like average someone who broke a law,)I’m convinced he could have done anything he wanted to the west and still won, election by a landslide!
The military may be made up of fine boys, bright intelligent ect. but they are still trained (indoctrinated) to follow orders without question, which is necessary! Given the order to shoot their own citizenry by said nutcase, will they do it? Probably, (much more likely than fragging their commanding officer, can’t you get shot for insubordination?)
So Where does that leave us? We need a strong military, no doubt, but I’m all for just as well equipped provincial militias to keep them in check.
I for one considered joining the military, and I give props to those that do, they are literaly out there going to protect our freedom and I consider them heroes. Though the problem with joining the military today is that it puts you at a severe disadvantage compared to your fellow citizens that don’t sign up, While your off learning to kill people (which usually doesn’t help you get a good job in civilian sectors) They are getting trained and working for their own success, Their getting married having families (You can’t tell me your going to have a quality family life if your stuck in afganistan for like 9 months to a year apart from your wife and children). These Men from the military, they come out, they risked life and limb and their back a square one.
On the Other hand if every young person after high school had to do a 2 year stint, men and women, (afterall equal rights must come with equal resposibility), Then no one would be disadvantaged by being part of the military. Personally I think that would have been very good for myself and many other people.
As to Paul’s comment about how were winning the hearts and minds of afghani’s, what a laugh, Just turn around see how quick they plunge the knife into you, ironically it’d probably be the knife you gave them, figuratively.
There is strong historical evidence that scorched earth policy can be very effective.