Why are we there again?

Afghan President Hamid Karzai refused to remove a former warlord from atop the energy and water ministry despite U.S. pressure to oust the minister because Washington considered him corrupt and ineffective. Secret diplomatic records showed the minister -- privately termed "the worst" by U.S. officials -- kept his perch at an agency that controls $2 billion in U.S. and allied projects.

The refusal to remove the official despite threats to end U.S. aid highlights how little influence the U.S. has over the Afghan leader on pressing issues such as corruption.

"How little influence the U.S. has..."

As Karzai and his corrupt personal appointees laugh in our faces and take our money, we keep sending our troops to face death and keep this scum in power.  But somehow, it's all for the women and children, right?  We'll bring all our soldiers home in 2014 and Karzai will run a democracy that will be fair to all, right?   

Entertainment can be a killer industry

Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan received a surprise Christmas visit on Saturday from one of their fiercest backers — Don Cherry.

“Fiercest backers”?  I don’t think so.  What Cherry backs is that mindlessness of cheering for your favourite team from the safety of the bleachers while the team takes all the risks.  And it doesn’t matter why the team is there, in case of military action, it only matters that they kick ass and look cool doing it.

And if such mindless backers of their favourite team get to mingle with the “stars” they worship, get to have a little of that hallowed sweat drip on them, and even, dare they even hope - don the uniform so linked to testosterone in action, well that’s just prime jacking off material.

"Taliban, here I come,"(Cherry) joked after getting approval to fire the explosive-laden training round.        

Yeah, real funny stuff, that.  War is hilarious.  And you get to handle a huge penis and shoot it off.

Petey sees the humour.  After all, he is defense minister -

"Don, this is a different type of ’He shoots, he scores,’"...MacKay (said).

Sure, ‘cause it’s just a big, entertaining game for boys.  And it’s cool.  So fucking cool with super-cool toys and that’s damn sexy -



But for those who come home maimed, and those who receive the caskets of loved ones so torn apart remains can’t be viewed, there’s reality -





Cherry and MacKay are fucking slave-lords, living off the pain of those they send out to face death and to kill.  Canadians should be outraged at the mockery they make of our troops sacriffices.

Putting Wikileaks to work: Canada's presence in Afghanistan

It's not just gossip, as some would like us to believe in their efforts to trivialize Wikileaks.
 
And while Assange and Wikileaks are stories in and of themselves, they would create not a ripple if Wikileaks did not produce anything that could shake up governments.
 
So, time to look at what's coming out, what floats to the surface as a result, and what that information means.
 
An August 2009 report from Kabul complains that President Hamid Karzai and his attorney general “allowed dangerous individuals to go free or re-enter the battlefield without ever facing an Afghan court.”
 
So let me get this.  Our soldiers face death and maiming capturing insurgents to help Karzai keep power and instill democracy, then Karzai lets them go, as long as they grease his palm, the insurgents go back to the battlefield where our troops face danger again, catch some of them again, hand them over to Karzai who makes more money by letting them go back to the battlefield...


So why are we sending our own to fight in Afghanistan?  Karzai must love it.
 
"We must be prepared for confrontation with Karzai on this issue, he said, or risk losing credibility among our own population if we go along with a rigged election. He argued that a new generation of Afghans is working to run for Parliament and they are watching to see if the electoral changes will happen. 'We can't be seen to collude with it,' (Canadian ambassador Crosbie) said.
 
Right.  Canadians may start questioning why we send our soldiers to face death propping up a corrupt government, a government that stomps all over the democratic process Canadians are told our own are being sent there to instill and defend.


And if enough Canadians kick up a fuss, harper will have to, I don't know, extend the mission anyway, count on the Liberals to back him, and have both parties say that really, a vote isn't needed.  Could happen.

"given what we now know, is there any way that the Karzai regime can be our partner in any Afghan policy that you can support?"
 
Diplomat Perter Galbraith: "the problem is not whether the goals are right or not, it is that they are unachievable because the policy, the military surge depends on having an Afghan government that can provide honest administration and win the loyalty of the Afghan people."

Galbraith goes on to say that this isn't possible because the Afghan government is so corrupt.  He's been saying that for quite awhile, and Hillary Clinton denigrated him, pretty much calling him a liar.  That was until Wikileaks came out with documents that supported all Galbraith had said.
 

So time to really call every politician on the bull-shit about being there for democracy, being there for the women and children.  Propping up a supremely corrupt government that is willing to send our troops out to capture insurgents only to face them again while Karzai gets rich, propping up a government that undermines democracy, propping up a government that doesn't care about stability for its people - these are not things our soldiers should be sent to face death for.

Bring them home now.

Quit lying to us.

Thanks, Wikileaks.

Harper just keeps supporting those troops, past and present!

OH look! A Canadian flag at half-mast!  At a CF base!  Quick, grab my photo team!  Round me up some cool tanks and shit for the background.  Roust up some old foggie vet...and don't, for chrissake, forget the damn poppies this time!

Oh...forget it, it's Gagetown.

The Harper government has returned more than $33 million set aside to compensate veterans exposed to the defoliant Agent Orange to government coffers after many veterans failed to meet its strict qualifications for payments. Liberal Senator Percy Downe said the veterans didn't qualify because compensation was narrowly limited to those affected by the chemical spraying at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown between 1966 and 1967.

Right, and even those vets didn't get compensation until they had to take their own government to court for it.

Downe said what concerned him is that the money wasn't returned to Veterans Affairs or used to fund assistance for Canadian veterans and their families as was originally intended when the money was set aside.At the same time, the government has spent nearly $8 million in legal fees fighting those veterans who have launched a lawsuit over the highly restrictive qualifications.

"It would seem that instead of assisting veterans, the unspent $33 million is being used to fight them in court," said Downe.

Well, Flaherty has been telling us we all need to tighten our belts.  Harper's defence funds have to come from somewhere.  Gotta keep extra in that kitty as well, never know what special interest group or fringe group may outrageously take him to court over trivial things like broken promises or human rights.

And there are all those ads to promote oil fields that need funding!  And someone has to pay for those Don Cherry Hearts Fantino appearances!  And...and...ADSCAM!!!!  Surely you haven't forgotten ADSCAM??!!!

Oh yeah...support the troops...and stuff...