The Media's Sham War against Harper

For those of you who don't read Stephen Taylor's blog, I would encourage you to do so, as he has an excellent post up on the recent MSM criticisms of the Harper government for making the decisions to not lower flags to half-mast every time Canadian soldiers are killed and to issue a media ban on the repatriation ceremony of the four fallen soldiers. I'm in agreement with what Harper has done, for reasons I will explain below.
In the comments section of Taylor's post, a member of the Canadian Forces has spoken out strongly against the tactics used by the media and opposition parties. I'm in full agreement with everything that EdtheHun has stated. In addition to doing Canadians and the entire world a genuinely fantastic service by assisting in the reconstruction and democratization of Afghanistan, he has taken the time to illustrate the more personal, human, side of what it means to be a soldier fighting for a cause that is greater than any one person. It is commendable in the highest order, and I share his sentiments wholeheartedly.
I find it absolutely shameful the manner in which the media and opposition parties are behaving in this manner. It started with Jane Taber on Question Period on Sunday scolding the Conservatives, saying, "It doesn't take that much effort to lower a flag," and it has mushroomed from there. It is not a case of failed "effort" or disrespect or any of the other absurd and inappropriate charges being lobbed at the Prime Minister for his decision. Is it a tragedy that we have lost four young men in the midst of combat? Absolutely. But to suggest that Canadians aren't really getting the full impact of their deaths because we don't get to the see the repatriation ceremony, after the actual fact has been replayed endlessly for days by every media outlet in the country, is nothing short of blatant stupidity and an insult to every Canadian and every Canadian soldier. We know what has happened, we feel it in our hearts; having the flags at half-mast and seeing flag-draped coffins, in my opinion, only contributes to the depressing feeling and damages the overall national will to fight.
This conflict in Afghanistan is going to flare up, the experts have been predicting a spring offensive by the Taliban insurgency for months. Now it's happening, and we're only seeing the opening salvos. I, and I'm sure most Canadians, don't want to have to walk past half-drawn flags every day and be bombarded with images of grieving families at what really should be a private ceremony on a regular basis. These things have an effect on our psyches, and support for this conflict is soft enough as it is. Having so many visceral images, piled on top of the sad reality that Canadians are losing their lives in this right and just cause, will only contribute to Canada's own version of the Vietnam Syndrome, and could result in many opposition groups demanding a preciptious withdrawal from Afghanistan before the end of our mandate and before the mission has been completed.
I'm personally embarrassed to see Canadian politicians using soldiers' lives and deaths as instruments to score political points against the Prime Minister. I take issue with what was said above; not all of the Prime Minister's actions are political. Being the head of government, most actions are an act of statecraft. They should be, anyways, but we've gotten far too comfortable with Liberal leaders who turn every single issue into a matter of political gamesmanship. Harper is setting out a government policy, not Conservative policy; there is a wide distinction between the two, and the media and opposition parties are doing Canadians and the Canadian Forces a real disservice by trying to link Harper's actions to the always-unpopular-in-Canada Bush Administration. There's simply nothing there, and Ujjal Dosanjh's comments that Harper is well on his way to emulating Bush is inappropriate and is merely another reason I will not re-join the Liberal Party any time soon. I'll agree with my Dal colleague, Riley, that Dosanjh is rapidly becoming the worst of Canada's politicians, and his cheap anti-American tactic should be an embarrassment to the entire Liberal caucus.