Quickie Update: Canada.com is reporting that the Libs will allow their people to vote their conscience. Lets see who has one.
Update 5:52 pm So now Harper is saying that he will extend the mission by one year regardless of tonight's vote. Like, can he do that?
This one seems to be slipping rapidly out of control
7 comments:
I lowered the flag on my blog to half mast...
Let's hope the Grits show some grit...
The Liberal position on the Afghanistan vote is a sound one. Harper has taken a leaf from the Bush Book, inspired by Frank Luntz and ghost-written by Karl Rove, and tried to set a trap for the opposition parties. Harper is trying to divide the MPs into two camps of his own choosing: those "for" the troops (meaning those who will give Harper a blank cheque by voting for the extension for 2 years without any discussion or any qualifications), and those who against Harper and therefore against the troops.
This dog won't hunt. Canadians understand politicians who try to pull fast ones like that, and expect their MPs to watch out for them and for their nation and its troops.
Bush has bungled the Iraq war and is bungling Afghanistan, because there was and is too little planning to "win the peace".
We need a proper debate on what Afghan needs from Canada, so that we can decide what peacekeeping steps to take in addition to what peacemaking steps we should take.
What are our objectives? The leader of our country should spell that out. What must we do, in the short term and long term?
Harper asks for a blank cheque, and frames the discussion as being for or against the troops. The troops are better served by a country which knows what it is asking them to risk their lives for, and to die for if necessary. Let us not put them in jeopardy because we could not spare more than six hours to discuss why they should risk all.
Let us take the time to have a full and proper discussion. And let us postpone the vote until that takes place.
Harper is playing politics and the matter is too serious for that to happen.
She died in combat operations.
Mr. Harper's assertion that he is going to extend the mission anyway is an admission that he will probably lose the vote.
Such a move would be risky as we all know that he will leave himself open to accusations that he is ignoring the will of Parliament and he will be reminded of all of those times he accused the Liberals of same.
Then there is the risk that Canadians will relate the Afgan mission to the Conservatives alone and if the support for that mission continues to fall so will the support for the Conservatives.
It's Bushian logic and we all know how that is going over in our neighbour to the south.
If the mission is adjusted down to one year unilaterally, you think anyone on the fence would vote no and express outrage.
Weird. I'm sure this has something to do with Australian PM John Howard showing up tomorrow.
guess who didn't have the balls to show up and vote for Canada . . .
Paul Frikkiin Martin
Liberlas are pussies & wussies for not supporting our troops, not supporting the freedom of the people of Afghanistan.
For those of us who despise the NDP, we can can now also despise the Liberal Party of Canada like the majority of Canadians do
Harper toasted them tonight, smoked out their despicable liberal immorality..
I will sleep well tonight, after I send an email tp the trrops in the foeld thanking them for protectng our freedoms.
Sleep sweet anonymous. Safe in the folds of the warm manure used to fuel a fire that had no business being started at this time.
Your beloved leader pulled this hoodwink on the Canadian public for his own political gain.
Does Harper really care about the troops when he would put forth a motion designed to divide the country?
Did Harper care that his fake-vote (whatever the outcome, he said, he'll do it his way regardless) would serve to draw some fake lines and help Canada be a cohesive force?
Does Harper think Canada is so small that his ripples in the bucket will affect how most of Canada regards our role internationally?
This incident will go down in history in Pol-Sci classes for decades on how not to win a country.
Harper's divide and conquer tactics are Neanderthal (assuming he believes in evolution) and are bound to fail.
He forgets the most important quantity in his equations: Canadians.
Harper focuses too much on his kneelers, his base, the USA; this fake-vote today will come back to be the albatross around his neck.
Harper should brush up on Ancient politics.
It would behoove Canadians to brush up on regressive political tactics in general. We're going to need it.
Graham might have taken the low road today; but he will live to fight tomorrow. Hardly a decisive tactic for Harper. Now he should know that the country is polarized. Was that his plan? He even admitted he was worried. What kind of leader who has the people's wishes in mind would be worried?
So, from broken-hearted Canada, from broken promises from ALL parties, what is a Citizen to do?
I certainly won't be advising teens to sign up for the Forces, not when our Country can't get it together more than 50/50 or close enough.
Our politicians need to know better, and do better.
Let's have a little accountability here, okay?
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