26 April 2006

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.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Richard,

Hey it is EdtheHun. I had to check your blog out to see what you were about after your comments on StephenTaylor's site. I have to say, after reading your blog I offer my best wishes to you in life. Getting your Masters Degree is impressive! I hope you and your family/friends are proud of your accomplishments. But even more impressive to me is that you seem to be both intelligent and willing to learn. Not that you've asked for advice, but let me offer you some anyway. Keep questioning and looking for the truth. And the truth isn't what is necessarily being taught in school. I learned that when I attended Simon Fraser U as a mature student and saw first hand how young minds were being 'manipulated' by academics who had never lived their lives in the real world. They were academics. I used to love my political science course (first year). I aced the course even though my prof probably was the provincial president of the BC Communist Party and I recall having one particularly interesting debate about the merits of communism (this was just before the wall fell). I got the last laugh in that the Soviet Empire failed during my semester. Took all of the steam out of the professor's ability to spout off about the superiority of communism over capitalism.

Anyway, now I'm blabbing. Again, good luck in school and life.

EdtheHun

RGM said...

Ed,
Many thanks for dropping by, and I appreciate the comments and advice you've dropped me. Working as a TA and in the midst of marking finals exams, it's fairly easy to see how the kids these days are being affected by the media and the anti-American current in Canadian politics. I often get more out of the latest issue of Foreign Affairs or The National Interest than any given week in class discussion; people can say what they will about the writings of the "foreign policy establishment" in the United States, but it is far more reflective of the positions of Washington than we get from our own media and a lot of the academics of the world who have a grudge against the benevolent hegemon.

I wish you all the best while you are deployed, and I hope that you remain well to return home safely to those who love you. You guys are doing a fantastic job and you have the respect of this young man, and many others.