Canadian troops have been fighting in Afghanistan for over five years. This military mission has endured for longer than the First World War and the Korean conflict. If the mission continues for another year, it will exceed the Second World War in duration, to become the lengthiest war in which Canadians have ever fought. To date, 44 Canadians have died in Afghanistan. On a per capita basis, more Canadians have been killed during the mission, than has been the case for any of the other allied countries who have sent forces to Afghanistan.
The Harper government has presented the mission to Canadians as combining a military element with the provision of aid to the people of Afghanistan. In fact, in dollars spent, the mission has been ninety per cent military, and only ten per cent reconstruction aid.
The Chretien government propelled Canada into the Afghan War with little thought in the autumn of 2001. The mission has since been sustained and extended by the Martin and Harper governments. Despite the brief debate and vote on the issue in the House of Commons in May 2006, this country has had no authentic national debate on the Afghanistan mission.
Beginning on Sunday February 11, I plan to publish a lengthy report I have written on the war in Afghanistan, advancing the case that it is time for Canada to bring its troops home.
In this 30,000 word long report, I have entered the debate not as an expert on Afghanistan, but as someone with considerable experience analyzing Canadian and American global policies. It is my belief that the Afghanistan mission is a tragic mistake for Canada. If prolonged, the mission will cost many more Canadian lives, without the achievement of the goals Canada and its allies have set for themselves in Afghanistan.
(This report will be published on my blog, at www.jameslaxer.com, one chapter at a time, beginning on Sunday, February 11. Then the report has a whole will be published on the blog. The report will be available as well in PDF format. You are welcome to reproduce this report in whole or in part.)
The schedule for the publication of the report is as follows:
Chapter 1: Canadians Went to War in the Absence of an Authentic National Debate---Sunday, February 11.
Chapter 2: The Invasion and Occupation of Afghanistan---Tuesday, February 13
Chapter 3: The Canadian Mission in Afghanistan---Thursday, February 15
Chapter 4: The Many Invasions of Afghanistan---Sunday, February 18
Chapter 5: Canada’s Allies In Afghanistan---Tuesday, February 20
Chapter 6: Pakistan’s Duplicitous Role in Afghanistan ---Thursday, February 22
Chapter 7: This War is not about Human Rights---Sunday, February 25
Chapter 8: The U.S. is Losing the Wider War---Tuesday, February 27
Chapter 9: Bringing Canadian Troops Home From Afghanistan---Thursday, March 1
Chapter 10: Toward a New Canadian Foreign Policy---Sunday, March 4
The Harper government has presented the mission to Canadians as combining a military element with the provision of aid to the people of Afghanistan. In fact, in dollars spent, the mission has been ninety per cent military, and only ten per cent reconstruction aid.
The Chretien government propelled Canada into the Afghan War with little thought in the autumn of 2001. The mission has since been sustained and extended by the Martin and Harper governments. Despite the brief debate and vote on the issue in the House of Commons in May 2006, this country has had no authentic national debate on the Afghanistan mission.
Beginning on Sunday February 11, I plan to publish a lengthy report I have written on the war in Afghanistan, advancing the case that it is time for Canada to bring its troops home.
In this 30,000 word long report, I have entered the debate not as an expert on Afghanistan, but as someone with considerable experience analyzing Canadian and American global policies. It is my belief that the Afghanistan mission is a tragic mistake for Canada. If prolonged, the mission will cost many more Canadian lives, without the achievement of the goals Canada and its allies have set for themselves in Afghanistan.
(This report will be published on my blog, at www.jameslaxer.com, one chapter at a time, beginning on Sunday, February 11. Then the report has a whole will be published on the blog. The report will be available as well in PDF format. You are welcome to reproduce this report in whole or in part.)
The schedule for the publication of the report is as follows:
Chapter 1: Canadians Went to War in the Absence of an Authentic National Debate---Sunday, February 11.
Chapter 2: The Invasion and Occupation of Afghanistan---Tuesday, February 13
Chapter 3: The Canadian Mission in Afghanistan---Thursday, February 15
Chapter 4: The Many Invasions of Afghanistan---Sunday, February 18
Chapter 5: Canada’s Allies In Afghanistan---Tuesday, February 20
Chapter 6: Pakistan’s Duplicitous Role in Afghanistan ---Thursday, February 22
Chapter 7: This War is not about Human Rights---Sunday, February 25
Chapter 8: The U.S. is Losing the Wider War---Tuesday, February 27
Chapter 9: Bringing Canadian Troops Home From Afghanistan---Thursday, March 1
Chapter 10: Toward a New Canadian Foreign Policy---Sunday, March 4
3 comments:
Let me say in response to Ferrethouse that "we" as Canadians are not doing anything except insofar as the Federal government has used tax monies to pay for war that many of "us" do not want. As Dr Laxer points out, at the very least there has been no national debate on the subject of Canadian government participation in the war in Afghanistan. Even if there were to be a national debate many of us who live in Canada would pay for this only against our consciences.
If anyone reading this wants to stop paying for war then join us in withholding that part of tax that will be used for war:
Conscience Canada
Insist that those of us who object to war be permitted to divert tax to peaceful purposes.
Bill Bell
Selkirk, ON
Hey, can I withhold my taxes in the amount equal to the amount spent on things I disagree with, too? 'Cause there's a lot of nice "Social Justice" funding which I don't like at all. And maybe I could withhold the equivalent of the amount that goes to the Liberal, NDP, & Bloc parties. Geez, I could really put a dent in my taxes if I could do that.
"We are rebuilding the country."
*snort*
That's a good one.
In any case, what makes you think the military should be doing rebuilding work. How are the citizens supposed to distinguish between military who kill and military who rebuild. How can they TRUST that?
The military could be put to good use providing security for REAL rebuilding projects - protecting NGO's (who are more efficient, and more respectful of local realities) for example.
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