Echoes of Europe

Europe has already become a feeding frenzy for immigrants seeking an easy living at the hands of tax payers, now Ruby Dhalla wishes the same for Canada:

Ms. Dhalla’s bill aims to reduce the residency requirement for obtaining an Old Age Security pension from 10 years to 3 years. According to the video posted below, seniors who come from some parts of the world have to wait longer than others in order to get their OAS.

... the details.

Spider Sense

Incredible:

"Spider silk is very elastic, and it has a tensile strength that is incredibly strong compared to steel or Kevlar,” said textile expert Simon Peers, who co-led the project. “There’s scientific research going on all over the world right now trying to replicate the tensile properties of spider silk and apply it to all sorts of areas in medicine and industry, but no one up until now has succeeded in replicating 100 percent of the properties of natural spider silk.”

Capetown

... Chicago:

Seconds later the honor student hit the pavement. That’s when witnesses, who are other high school students, say gangbangers began stomping on and punching Albert.

I'm just waiting for someone to propose a new Olympic sport if Chicago gets the nod ... perhaps they'll call it the 2 X 8.

Canadian Destroys the Hockey Stick

Mark this day down on your calendar, September 27th will forever be the day that the Hockey Stick died, unless incredibly convincing explanations are forthcoming ... and it was a Canadian who killed it:

The next graphic compares the RCS chronologies from the two slightly different data sets: red – the RCS chronology calculated from the CRU archive (with the 12 picked cores); black – the RCS chronology calculated using the Schweingruber Yamal sample of living trees instead of the 12 picked trees used in the CRU archive. The difference is breathtaking.

... and even more details.

Update: Taken from Climate Audit Comments by Ross McKitrick

Here's a re-cap of this saga that should make clear the stunning importance of what Steve has found. One point of terminology: a tree ring record from a site is called a chronology, and is made up of tree ring records from individual trees at that site. Multiple tree ring series are combined using standard statistical algorithms that involve detrending and averaging (these methods are not at issue in this thread). A good chronology–good enough for research that is–should have at least 10 trees in it, and typically has much more..

1. In a 1995 Nature paper by Briffa, Schweingruber et al., they reported that 1032 was the coldest year of the millennium - right in the middle of the Medieval Warm Period. But the reconstruction depended on 3 short tree ring cores from the Polar Urals whose dating was very problematic. http://www.climateaudit.org/?p=877.

2. In the 1990s, Schweingruber obtained new Polar Urals data with more securely-dated cores for the MWP. Neither Briffa nor Schweingruber published a new Polar Urals chronology using this data. An updated chronology with this data would have yielded a very different picture, namely a warm medieval era and no anomalous 20th century. Rather than using the updated Polar Urals series, Briffa calculated a new chronology from Yamal - one which had an enormous hockey stick shape. After its publication, in virtually every study, Hockey Team members dropped Polar Urals altogether and substituted Briffa's Yamal series in its place.http://www.climateaudit.org/?p=528. PS: The exception to this pattern was Esper et al (Science) 2002, which used the combined Polar Urals data. But Esper refused to provide his data. Steve got it in 2006 after extensive quasi-litigation with Science (over 30 email requests and demands).

3. Subsequently, countless studies appeared from the Team that not only used the Yamal data in place of the Polar Urals, but where Yamal had a critical impact on the relative ranking of the 20th century versus the medieval era.http://www.climateaudit.org/?p=3099

4. Meanwhile Briffa repeatedly refused to release the Yamal measurement data used inhis calculation despite multiple uses of this series at journals that claimed to require data archiving. E.g. http://www.climateaudit.org/?p=542

5. Then one day Briffa et al. published a paper in 2008 using the Yamal series, again without archiving it. However they published in a Phil Tran Royal Soc journal which has strict data sharing rules. Steve got on the case. http://www.climateaudit.org/?p=3266

6. A short time ago, with the help of the journal editors, the data was pried loose and appeared at the CRU web site. http://www.climateaudit.org/?p=7142

7. It turns out that the late 20th century in the Yamal series has only 10 tree ring chronologies after 1990 (5 after 1995), making it too thin a sample to use (according to conventional rules). But the real problem wasn't that there were only 5-10 late 20th century cores- there must have been a lot more. They were only using a subset of 10 cores as of 1990, but there was no reason to use a small subset. (Had these been randomly selected, this would be a thin sample, but perhaps passable. But it appears that they weren't randomly selected.)http://www.climateaudit.org/?p=7142

8. Faced with a sample in the Taymir chronology that likely had 3-4 times as many series as the Yamal chronology, Briffa added in data from other researchers' samples taken at the Avam site, some 400 km away. He also used data from the Schweingruber sampling program circa 1990, also taken about 400 km from Taymir. Regardless of the merits or otherwise of pooling samples from such disparate locations, this establishes a precedent where Briffa added a Schweingruber site to provide additional samples. This, incidentally, ramped up the hockey-stickness of the (now Avam-) Taymir chronology.http://www.climateaudit.org/?p=7158

9. Steve thus looked for data from other samples at or near the Yamal site that could have been used to increase the sample size in the Briffa Yamal chronology. He quickly discovered a large set of 34 Schweingruber samples from living trees. Using these instead of the 12 trees in the Briffa (CRU) group that extend to the present yields Figure 2, showing a complete divergence in the 20th century. Thus the Schweingruber data completely contradicts the CRU series. Bear in mind the close collaboration of Schweingruber and Briffa all this time, and their habit of using one another's data as needed.

10. Combining the CRU and Schweingruber data yields the green line in the 3rd figure above. While it doesn't go down at the end, neither does it go up, and it yields a medieval era warmer than the present, on the standard interpretation. Thus the key ingredient in a lot of the studies that have been invoked to support the Hockey Stick, namely the Briffa Yamal series (red line above) depends on the influence of a thin subsample of post-1990 chronologies and the exclusion of the (much larger) collection of readily-available Schweingruber data for the same area.

The Weaker Sex

... at least in Liberal minds:

"I told him that we have been soliciting female candidates and we not only intend to have women candidates, we want them where they can win." ~ Michael Ignatieff

The Polar Bear Politics of Global Warming

Shunning the unbelievers:

“MITCHELL Taylor is a Polar Bear researcher who has caught more polar bears and worked on more polar bear groups than any other, but he was effectively ostracized from the Polar Bear Specialist Group (PBSG) specifically because he has publicly expressed doubts that there is a crisis due to carbon dioxide emissions.

“Dr Andy Derocher, the outgoing chairman of the PSBG and Professor at the University of Alberta, wrote to inform Taylor that he was not welcome at the 2009 meeting of the PBSG.

“Keep in mind as you read his comments (below) that Taylor had arranged funding to attend the meeting in Copenhagen, and has been at every meeting of this group since 1981. With 30 years of experience in polar bear research, it goes without saying that he has something to contribute to any discussion about polar bear conservation. This is the original email from Derocher to Taylor explaining why he was not invited:

... more.

Merkel Back Stronger Than Ever

Germany's Social Democrats take a beating:

The BBC's Steve Rosenberg in Berlin says the result seems a disaster for the Social Democrats (SPD), who could have their lowest share of the vote since World War II.

The SPD have shared power with Mrs Merkel's CDU/CSU in an awkward grand coalition since the last elections in 2005.

An exit poll for ZDF television gave the CDU/CSU 33.5%, SPD 23.5% and the FDP, Mrs Merkel's preferred partners, 14.5%.

This would give the centre-right alliance, with 48% in total, a narrow majority over the SPD and the two other major parties, the Greens and the Left, both of which increased their share of the vote.

Body Bomb

Returning

***

Watch Out for The Chinese Military

China has hired professional female models to march in a parade. This was seen as very important for the survival of the communist government. The October 2nd parade in China, to celebrate 60 years of communist rule, wants to make China, and its government, look good. To that end, the parade organizers are having contingents, from all the military organizations in China, march past the high def TV cameras. Being a communist police state, there are lots of uniformed groups. Many have female components. The parade organizers particularly wanted to insure that the women in uniform looked good. Not just military good, but good.



"Private!"

"Yes Sir?"

"Keep an eye out for those damn Chinese!"

"No problem ... sir!"

Conservative Radicals: Destroying Art

... one masterpiece at a time:

Like you, when I read that a cabal of art-hating reactionary philistines had forced the resignation of Yosi Sergant from the National Endowment for the Arts, I was sickened. This was followed by shame, then fear. And then, finally, the realization that here was a golden opportunity for cheap blog traffic.

As a renowned collector of dumpster art and pork industry commemorative plates, I made a solemn vow to myself: this injustice will not stand. If these radicals are allowed to bring down the NEA's Assistant Liaison for Art Community Outreach -- for merely organizing an innocent devotional art program -- who is next on their dangerous anti-culture agenda? The NEA Undersecretary for Public Engagement? Western Civilization itself?

No, my friends, the stakes are too high. We in the Arts community must confront these vulgarian bullies and let them know that ART WILL NOT BE SILENCED. To show my personal commitment to this important cause, last night I dug deep into my kid's sock drawer and found $33.18, which I am now fully dedicating to an endowment to fund creative art aimed at promoting me and my agenda.

Read the shocking details, HERE.

McChrystal Report: Media Missing the Point

While the media focuses on "the surge", it misses the whole point of the McChrystal report ... that a surge lacking in proper strategy will be a surge to nowhere:

AKA the McChrystal report. It isn't about numbers as such, it's about how to do the job. Numbers nonetheless are important. Media and politicians do not seem to have really grasped how revolutionary the assessment is. It is a real "state paper" as the British once described such documents. One does hope President Obama reads the whole thing (though the Annexes can get somewhat tedious); I'm pretty sure defence secretary Gates has.

... more at The Torch.

The Most Envied in the Room

Recall this:

" Canada is becoming the country that dares not speak its name!" ~ Michael Ignatieff

... and THIS.

Compare and Contrast:

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, appearing to forget that his countrymen are generally known for their modesty, declared on Friday that his nation was the envy of the world.

Harper, usually a fairly wooden performer, seized on a routine question at a news conference and used it to deliver an impassioned defense of his 33-million strong nation and how well it has coped with the global economic crisis.

"Canada remains in a very special place in the world. . . . We are the one major developed country that no one thinks has any responsibility for this crisis," he said to laughter.

"In fact, on the contrary, they look at our policies as a solution to the crisis. We're the one country in the room everybody would like to be," he said at the end of the summit of the Group of 20 advanced and developing nations in Pittsburgh.

Don't Worry, Be Happy

The economy is safe ... what, with geniuses like this in charge:




Julian Robertson is a much respected fund manager ... when he gives a warning, it's best to sit up and take notice:

Well, I-- I-- I think that-- it's almost Armageddon if the Chinese and Japanese don't buy our debt. I don't know where we could get the money. And-- maybe we-- end up printing it-- and-- taking-- a million dollar bill-- bill to the grocery-- shop, which you have to do now in Zimbabwe. But-- I-- I think we've let ourselves get in-- in terrible situation. And I think we ought to try to get out of it.

ERIN BURNETT: Do you think we can grow our way out of it?

JULIAN ROBERTSON: I think we can grow and save our way out of it. And-- and-- and I think that's-- the only way we're gonna have that threat removed. I-- I wonder what some of the Congressman who have been so upset about-- financial leaders-- I-- I-- I wonder what they think of-- of the leadership of the country that's permitted these very speculative-- policies. I mean, it's amazing. And we're totally dependent on the Chinese and Japanese.

The Mother of All Sponges

Leftwing organizations generally exist for one reason only, and that is to sponge. With each victim class or cause that can be created, no matter how dubious, a parallel leftist organization or government bureaucracy is set up, and in each case, the pockets of the productive are drained to fund said NGO or bureaucracy.

The mother of all such organizations in North America is Acorn ... its tentacles reaching far and deep, each with suction cups at the end designed with the singular purpose of sponging up every possible dime.

The list of suction cups is long ... 294 long:

1. ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS FOR REFOR MAILING
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402 FOREIGN NON PROFIT Name Type:LEGAL
Status:ACTIVE
Florida Secretary of State

2. ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION FOR REFORM NOW PRINCIPAL CORPORATE ADDRESS
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402 Name Type:LEGAL
Filing Date:03/05/1980
Status:ACTIVE
Massachusetts Secretary of State

3. CHICAGO ORGANIZING AND SUPPORT CENTER, INC. BUSINESS
1024 ELYSIAN FIELDS AVE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70117-8402 LOUISIANA NON-PROFIT CORPORATION Name Type:LEGAL
Status:CURRENTLY ACTIVE IN SECRETARY OF STATE RECORDS
Louisiana Secretary of State

... keep reading.

Warning: High Blood Pressue Inducing Material

The following smackdown is performed on a presentation that has been shown to thousands of school and college age young people ... including one of my own at the Saskatoon Edwards School of Business:













ht

Aporn

***

The 4 Climate Change Myths

Warmists react to "Climate Change" in 4 predictable ways ... yet each reaction is based on faulty thinking ... so says a believer in AGW:

First is the Edenic myth, which talks about climate change using the language of lament and nostalgia, revealing our desire to return to some simpler, more innocent era. In this myth, climate is cast as part of a fragile natural world that needs to be protected. It shows that we are uneasy with the unsought powers we now have to change the global climate.

Next, the Apocalyptic myth talks about climate in the language of fear and disaster. This myth reveals our endemic worry about the future, but also acts as a call to action.

Then there is the Promethean myth, named after the Greek deity who stole fire from Zeus and gave it to the mortals. This talks about climate as something we must control, revealing our desire for dominance and mastery over nature but also that we lack the wisdom and humility to exercise it.

Finally, the Themisian myth, named after the Greek goddess of natural law and order, talks about climate change using the language of justice and equity. Climate change becomes an idea around which calls for environmental justice are announced, revealing the human urge to right wrongs.

The value in identifying these mythical stories in our discourses about climate change is that they allow us to see climate change not as simply an environmental problem to be solved, but as an idea that is being mobilised in various ways around the world. If we continue to naively understand the climate system as something to be mastered and controlled, then we will have missed the main opportunities offered us by climate change.

... keep reading.

2010: Afghan Make or Break

2010 Will Determine a Win or Lose ... because Western civilian populations will have it no other way.

Lessard:

"We are making tactical success in Kandahar but overall in the country and that's what Gen. McChrystal's saying -- is if you're thinking long-term of establishing security, development and governance -- we're a long way from establishing that," Lessard explained.

"It's not only in terms of security operations. When we look at it next fall -- the fall of 2010 -- we will ask are the Taliban degraded yes or no? But the important thing is does the ordinary Afghan, man or woman, have confidence in the government of Afghanistan to deliver good enough security, good enough governance?"

Previous:

Schools

How to Lose

Here Come the Yanks

Vietnamistan

Canadian Government Missing in Action

GG

New National Park in Afghanistan

... thanks to a Canadian:

Despite the dangers of travelling to a war-torn country, for the past several years Canadian Chris Shank has been spending a third of his time in Afghanistan.

But Shank's work has little to do with NATO's mission in the mountainous Central-Asian state. A wildlife biologist based in Cochrane, Alta., he took a post at a non-profit group called the Wildlife Conservation Society in 2006, to help establish protected areas in Afghanistan.

Earlier this year his efforts paid off, when the Afghan government created the country's first national park, called Band-e-Amir, which lies 240 kilometres west of Kabul.

"The landscape is incredibly beautiful," Shank told Canada AM on Friday. The park's six lakes, located on a plateau 3,000 meters above sea level, are bright blue and surrounded by red limestone cliffs, he said.

Shank first got the idea to create a conservation area there in the 1970s, while he was working for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. He created a management plan at the time, which became the basis for the park's creation three decades later.

The area was in relatively good shape during Shank's initial trips. But Russia invaded Afghanistan in 1979, and the country has been in varying states of war for much of the time since then. That fighting has taken its toll.

"Prior to the war, people didn't have much in the way of modern firearms," Shank said. "But now, firearms are very prevalent and just opportunistic hunting has really decimated some of the large animals in the area."

"The habitat is very heavily affected."

Snow leopards have disappeared from the area, according to the conservation society. But it's still home to wild goats called ibexes, a type of wild sheep called urials, foxes, fish and birds, the group says.

USS New York

***

Creating a Spectacle

... and a damn good one at that:

Canada will boycott Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s speech at the United Nations on Wednesday, saying his outbursts about the Holocaust and Israel are “shameful.”

Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon will be at the world body to attend the opening of the UN General Assembly’s annual debate, but officials signal he and other members of the Canadian delegation will vacate the Canadian seats when the Islamic republic’s president approaches the podium.

Walking out of the chamber is seen as a strong diplomatic show of disgust at the UN — and since the chamber is generally packed on the first day of the annual summit, Canada’s empty seats will not go unnoticed.

Who's the Better Dancer

You decide:

Warmists: Do They Even Have a Clue?

A new study looks at water vapour and it's role in weather change and climate change and in the process determines just how little is known:

In the end this paper raises more questions than it answers, something many good scientific investigations do. At the end of the paper the authors pose the question, “what controls the static stability of the subtropical and extratropical atmosphere?” After listing five major unsettled questions regarding atmospheric circulation and the dynamic effects of water vapor, the study's authors summarize their findings: “The lack of a theory for the subtropical and extratropical static stability runs through several of the open questions. Devising a theory that is general enough to be applicable to relatively dry and moist atmospheres remains as one of the central challenges in understanding the global circulation of the atmosphere and climate changes.”

Without such a theory it is impossible to predict changes in atmospheric circulation, it is impossible to predict changes in the hydrological cycle, it is impossible to predict storm frequencies, intensities and tracks. Future climate cannot be predicted without a theory explaining how climate works, yet the IPCC has confidently made predictions regarding changes in storms, precipitation and climate for decades, even centuries into the future.

If something as seemingly simple as water vapor can have such complex and bewildering impacts on Earth's climate why does the IPCC and the climate crisis crowd continue to insist that all fault lies with CO2? It could be that even they realize that blaming global warming on water vapor would give them no political leverage. After all, 70% of our planet's surface is covered with water and not even the most wild-eyed geoengineering proponent would propose we attempt to control the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere.

Source

The Future of Afghanistan's Military is in the Schoolhouse

It's difficult to comprehend Afghanistan moving much further down the road to stability without an educated middle class. Without a greatly increased literacy rate, there can be no bureaucracy, no labour force capable of building, least of all maintaining even a marginal economy ... and there can be no modern military:

On the surface you would say “of course it does,” but what if your countrymen are 75% illiterate and what if your fellow soldiers are 90% illiterate? Then what do you do? Can a force possessing this level of reading skill or the gross lack thereof be trained in anything but basic infantry skills?

If we are going to equip, train, and fight alongside the Afghanistan National Army, -- then how can they operate for the long term as an Army if they cannot read? The enemy has shown that they can operate without this “critical” skill. How? Their tactics are in small groups, usually attacking on very familiar ground, with weapons that are man-portable and simple to operate.

The Afghan Army must instead operate complex weapons, weapons-systems and equipment that in most regards becomes somewhat difficult or impossible to operate without the skill of reading. They must take the fight to the enemy, the Taliban, wherever they may be throughout Afghanistan. How do you get there with your 500 man unit, how do you plan, how do you coordinate, and which road do you take if most of your force cannot read? Do you disagree?

... keep reading Combined Arms Center Blog.

Defeating Ourselves

How sad, that in the end a loss in Afghanistan will come down to whether or not we "defeat ourselves":

McChrystal sees three major problems, and he does not distinguish in importance between them. There is "a resilient and growing insurgency", but there is also "a crisis of confidence among Afghans" – in both their government and the international community. That undermines our credibility and emboldens the insurgents. Thirdly, there is "a perception that our resolve is uncertain makes Afghans reluctant to align with us against the insurgents."

Despite that, McChrystal believes that success is achievable. And in a single sentence, he injects a degree of realism that may yet make it happen, cutting through the cant and false optimism that we have been hearing for so long. That success "will not be attained simply by trying harder or 'doubling down' on the previous strategy."

The general concedes that additional forces are necessary but, he writes, "focussing on force or resource requirements misses the point entirely." The "key take away from this assessment", he declares, "is the urgent need for a significant change in our strategy and the way we think and operate."

There is no mistaking this phrasing. No matter how much the media – and anyone else - might spin it, McChrystal puts strategy as his first priority, his "key take away". To focus on force or resource requirements "misses the point entirely". You cannot get clearer than that but, just in case there is any doubt, he later adds: "... it must be made clear: new resources are not the crux."

It all raises an interesting question:

Has Canada got it right all along, but simply lacked the resources and cooperation from ISAF to do what needed to be done?

Another thing we can take away from the US report is the concept of "Do it right ... or go home!" Sobering, indeed.

Changing Tactics Made Possible by US Surge

We told you the other day that things are indeed changing in Afghanistan, thanks to the US Surge:

So instead of clearing an area and moving on, Canadian troops in complements of about 100 are now setting up in "platoon houses" and living in the villages. The goal is "to really interact with the local population," said Paul.

The change in tactics seems to have boosted morale among the troops, who enjoy being around the Afghan children and helping them however they can.

It was the second time in a week that high-ranking officers took pains to explain to reporters how Canadian troops are here to provide security and protect the population by eliminating insurgent command and control networks in Panjwaii district.

Further reading on changing tactics can be found @ The Torch.

Remembering a Son

... the story.

Just Shut the Hell Up

Perfect!

We have no cause to doubt the resolve of the Afghan people. It's our own resolve that's the problem, and while peace in Afghanistan may require more soldiers and firepower, not less, all the troops in the world will do no greater service to the Afghan people and their cause than plain words, spoken in plain language: We will not betray you. We will not abandon you. We will not surrender. We will not retreat.

Any Canadian politician who is not capable of speaking these words clearly and plainly should do the country and the world a favour and just shut the hell up.

... more fireworks here.

Ve Haf Vays of Making You Green!

If you can't win on the science ... use emotional pressure and bullying:

The heads of state attending the UN summit are to be stripped of their entourages. Each will be allowed just one aide, generally their country's environment minister, in the sessions.

Instead of set-piece speeches, leaders will be paired off to chair discussion groups. Britain will be with Guyana, Tuvalu with the Netherlands, and Mongolia with the European commission.

The leaders will also lunch with environmental activists and chief executives of corporations who have been pressing their governments for action. At dinner, the leaders of the biggest polluting countries will dine with the leaders of Bangladesh, Kiribati and Costa Rica – which are among the primary victims of climate change.

By the end of the day, the rationale goes, the leaders will be imbued with a new sense of purpose. Leaders of rich countries will have been galvanised to take on the big emissions cuts – 25-40% over the next decade, 80% by 2050 – needed to keep temperatures from rising more than two degrees above pre-industrial levels, the temperature set by science to avoid the most calamitous effects of climate change.

Global Warming Reveals Hidden Lairs

Decision Time Afghanistan

When people see a strong horse and a weak horse, by nature, they will like the strong horse. ~ OBL

Now is the time that Obama shows whether or not he can earn the title, Commander-in-Chief. The leak of McChrystal's report is high stakes politics in which Afghanistan is now made Obama's baby ... if he doesn't comply with military requests, a loss in Afghanistan will be on his shoulders. Whether or not this the reality is irrelevant, it will be the perception:

The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan warns in an urgent, confidential assessment of the war that he needs more forces within the next year and bluntly states that without them, the eight-year conflict "will likely result in failure," according to a copy of the 66-page document obtained by The Washington Post.

Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal says emphatically: "Failure to gain the initiative and reverse insurgent momentum in the near-term (next 12 months) -- while Afghan security capacity matures -- risks an outcome where defeating the insurgency is no longer possible."

His assessment was sent to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates on Aug. 30 and is now being reviewed by President Obama and his national security team.

McChrystal concludes the document's five-page Commander's Summary on a note of muted optimism: "While the situation is serious, success is still achievable."

But he repeatedly warns that without more forces and the rapid implementation of a genuine counterinsurgency strategy, defeat is likely. McChrystal describes an Afghan government riddled with corruption and an international force undermined by tactics that alienate civilians.

He provides extensive new details about the Taliban insurgency, which he calls a muscular and sophisticated enemy that uses modern propaganda and systematically reaches into Afghanistan's prisons to recruit members and even plan operations.

McChrystal's assessment is one of several options the White House is considering. His plan could intensify a national debate in which leading Democratic lawmakers have expressed reluctance about committing more troops to an increasingly unpopular war. Obama said last week that he will not decide whether to send more troops until he has "absolute clarity about what the strategy is going to be."

The commander has prepared a separate detailed request for additional troops and other resources, but defense officials have said he is awaiting instructions before sending it to the Pentagon.

Senior administration officials asked The Post over the weekend to withhold brief portions of the assessment that they said could compromise future operations. A declassified version of the document, with some deletions made at the government's request, appears at washingtonpost.com.

McChrystal makes clear that his call for more forces is predicated on the adoption of a strategy in which troops emphasize protecting Afghans rather than killing insurgents or controlling territory. Most starkly, he says: "[I]nadequate resources will likely result in failure. However, without a new strategy, the mission should not be resourced."

... what this means is no more endless patrols; it means moving in and setting up house.

I can't see most of our timid NATO allies going along with this simply because living in and among Afghans to protect them will initially spell higher casualties ... as for Canada, now that our battle space has shrunk we may already be on the way to "protecting civilians" more effectively.

More @ The Torch

... and HERE.

Previous:

The Staggering Implications of Losing

The Sea Change

Vietnamistan

Harper: Missing in Action

GG

I Have Not Yet Begun

Nice International Twist on an Oldie

Root Causes

... click.

All About MO

picture: Michelle Obama arrives at a posthumous Medal of Honor award ceremony ... For the occasion, Mrs. O debuted a new floral frock in a bold, red rose print, accessorized with green kitten heels and chandelier earrings ... ouch.

***

... More Mo.

AQSA

UK Off the Rails

Eurabia has arrived:

A Christian couple have been charged with a criminal offence after taking part in what they regarded as a reasonable discussion about religion with guests at their hotel.

Ben and Sharon Vogelenzang were arrested after a Muslim woman complained to police that she had been offended by their comments.

They have been charged under public order laws with using ‘threatening, abusive or insulting words’ that were ‘religiously aggravated’.

The couple, whose trial has been set for December, face a fine of up to £5,000 and a criminal record if they are convicted.

Although the facts are disputed, it is thought that during the conversation the couple were challenged over their Christian beliefs.

It is understood that they suggested that Mohammed, the founder of Islam, was a warlord and that traditional Muslim dress for women was a form of bondage.

Wishing for Violence

It's so strange how the American Left is obsessing over political violence fomented by the Right ... when so far almost every single violent act in and around protests and town halls has been a leftist affair. It's almost as if the Left were wishing for violence ... was hoping desperately for an Oklahoma City or Reagan assassination attempt ... a Crisis.

What's going on?

Right now, however, there is something nagging at me. Keeping me up at night. Making me absolutely, positively scared to death of the American political left. And I’m not scared of much.

For the past few weeks, I’ve noticed among left-leaning politicians, pundits and media types a growing obsession with political violence and, specifically, the assassination of President Barack Obama.

Each and every night, as I lay down to sleep, I not only thank God for the health and safety of my family and for bringing my wife and daughter into my life, but also for the continued safety and security of the president, his wife, and his adorable two little girls. I think I speak for a number of Americans on the right side of the proverbial aisle when I say that I may not agree with Barack Obama politically, but that anybody would even think about harming him or his family makes me physically ill. Having a little girl myself, I cannot even fathom the idea of being robbed of the chance to see her grow up; people look at the office of the president and forget, sometimes, that the person occupying it is a man first—and in Obama’s case, a father--and chief executive second.

Drugs of Desperation

Death Panels?

... a few more won't make any difference:

Mr. Picard argues that a cost-benefit analysis of some of the new cancer drugs, including the one I'm taking, shows they're not worth the expense. He calls them "drugs of desperation" and cites the added survival times as only 10 days to three months.

Mr. Picard is a bit dodgy with the facts. Many of the drugs he talks about can dramatically change outcomes in certain cancers. They sometimes extend life by years. They certainly offer better quality of life than the typical chemotherapy cocktails. Side-effects can be mild or manageable, a small price to pay for a longer life.

... it's always the same in socialist systems; sooner or later the cow you've been milking runs dry and you're forced to begin playing god with those who most need her sustenance.

The discussion ...

A Leviathan From the Deep

The History:

The Tirpitz was sunk on November 12, 1944 after multiple attempts by the allies to destroy her.

Postwar the wreckage of the Tirpitz was sold off and broken up in situ by a Norwegian company. Nearly the entire ship was cut up and hauled away. However, a large portion of the bow remains where it sank in 1944. The main part of the hull (less the decking) is clearly visible and can be found at 69°38′50″N 18°48′30″E / 69.64722°N 18.80833°E / 69.64722; 18.80833Coordinates: 69°38′50″N 18°48′30″E / 69.64722°N 18.80833°E / 69.64722; 18.80833 on Google Earth. Amongst other things, the ship's electrical generators were used for a temporary power station, supplying the fishing industry around Honningsvåg with electricity.[verification needed] Near the wreck site there are artificial lakes along the shore—created by bomb craters from Tallboy bombs that missed their target. To this day, sections of Tirpitz armour plates are used by the Norwegian Road Authority ("Vegvesen") as temporary road surface material during roadwork. Additionally, a large chunk of the armour plating is held at the Royal Naval 'Explosion!' museum in Gosport, Hampshire."

And now comes ... TIRPUTZ MkI:

Vocality

I'll see your Balkan-ized 80's Vocal Masterpiece, and raise you one hilarious scene from one of my all time favorite comedies:



Update: A push-back from the comments.

Telling Whoppers to Support the Religion

Surely, even believers in human caused global warming have got to be embarrassed over the tosh being shovelled at the BBC:

There was much warmist trumpeting last week, led by The Independent and the BBC, over a German businessman's claim that two of his ships had managed to sail round the Arctic coast of Russia, writes Christopher Booker in today's column.

Indeed there was, with even Time magazine joining the fray last Friday. Hilariously, the caption to its picture pronounced, "A pair of German merchant ships traverse the fabled Northeast Passage". Yet the lead ship of the two shown was the Russian nuclear icebreaker 50 let Pobedy.

Despite ample evidence that the story was false, the BBC just could not leave it alone. Yesterday, the coprophiles on the BBC Radio 4 Today Programme were back on the case telling us that the northeast passage had until recently "been too icy to navigate."

Coprophagic Richard Galpin had been despatched to Archangel (at our expense) to meet one of the two German ships which had just completed the journey. There, he breathlessly told us that "the fact that it is now possible to sail through the northeast passage in the summer months is all down to one thing – that the ice cover in the Arctic Sea has been shrinking rapidly in recent years."

He then cited the "environmentalist" Alexi Kakorin, who was "convinced that man-made climate change is the most important reason behind this." And then we got: "Many scientists do believe that it is only a matter of decades before there'll be no ice at all in the Arctic regions during the summer months."

... indeed, it never seems to end.

Enjoy ... From Slovenia

What do Arctic Ice Experts and Laypeople Have In Common?

... nothing.

It turns out that laypeople are much better at making predictions:

* Fourteen computer modellers and experts in their fields from various professional organisations who spend their time, each and every working day investigating such things, all underestimated the ice minimum by between 200,000 to 1 million square kilometres.

The difference is, that laypeople believe honest science ... while the "experts" make the science up.

A Call to Service

Serve.gov ...

“... your online resource for not only finding volunteer opportunities in your community, but also creating your own. Use Serve.gov to help you do your part. America’s foundation will be built one community at a time – and it starts with you.”

And there's lots to choose from, like Healthcare Activist.

Dreams of My Great Grandfather

... it's coming back to me now ... something about Ukes and Jews:

Count Ignatieff vigorously disclaimed any desire to expel the Jews from Russia. He had some Jews on his estate, he said, where they were allowed to settle, provided that they would work in the fields like the other peasants. But the Jew is indisposed to agriculture. The Jewess does not like to go out into the fields. The Jew prefers to trade. The Russian peasant is very simple, and the astute sons of Israel find little difficulty in making their book at his expense.

[...]

"I have reasons to take Ukraine seriously indeed...But to be honest, I'm having trouble. Ukrainian independence conjures up images of embroidered peasant shirts, the nasal whine of ethnic instruments, phoney Cossacks in cloaks and boots, nasty anti-Semites."

... what's a Boyarin to do?

Imagine

Mr. Harper:

We would like to thank the New Democratic Party leader, Mr. Layton, for the constructive suggestions offered by his party. After considering his proposals, the CPC caucus agreed to make several additions and deletions to the Bill now before The House ...

Mr. Layton:

The New Democratic Party will be supporting the Bill currently before The House. We find the measures found therein to be good for Canadians, sound fiscally, and above all, helpful for those who have lost jobs in these difficult times. We thank the Prime Minister for including a number of measures put forth by the NDP, specifically the measure to ...

... is this so hard?

Hubris

... and a carbon footprint the size of a Leopard Tank:

Let's say you're preparing dinner and you realize with dismay that you don't have any certified organic Tuscan kale. What to do?

Here's how Michelle Obama handled this very predicament Thursday afternoon:

The Secret Service and the D.C. police brought in three dozen vehicles and shut down H Street, Vermont Avenue, two lanes of I Street and an entrance to the McPherson Square Metro station. They swept the area, in front of the Department of Veterans Affairs, with bomb-sniffing dogs and installed magnetometers in the middle of the street, put up barricades to keep pedestrians out, and took positions with binoculars atop trucks. Though the produce stand was only a block or so from the White House, the first lady hopped into her armored limousine and pulled into the market amid the wail of sirens.

Then, and only then, could Obama purchase her leafy greens. "Now it's time to buy some food," she told several hundred people who came to watch. "Let's shop!"

Cowbells were rung. Somebody put a lei of marigolds around Obama's neck. The first lady picked up a straw basket and headed for the "Farm at Sunnyside" tent, where she loaded up with organic Asian pears, cherry tomatoes, multicolored potatoes, free-range eggs and, yes, two bunches of Tuscan kale. She left the produce with an aide, who paid the cashier as Obama made her way back to the limousine.

There's nothing like the simple pleasures of a farm stand to return us to our agrarian roots.

... you go girl.

A Tango That Never Ends

Freedom and Sacrifice, two realities of the human condition that have never existed apart; both entwined in an ageless Tango that never ends.

In Politics, Timing is Everything

picture: Some of the 20,000 Polish officers murdered by Soviet Forces


70 Years Ago ... Today.

Poet - In - Chief

Read:

Sitting in his seat, a seat broad and broken
In, sprinkled with ashes,
Pop switches channels, takes another
Shot of Seagrams, neat, and asks
What to do with me, a green young man
Who fails to consider the
Flim and flam of the world, since
Things have been easy for me;
I stare hard at his face, a stare
That deflects off his brow;
I'm sure he's unaware of his
Dark, watery eyes, that
Glance in different directions,
And his slow, unwelcome twitches,
Fail to pass.
I listen, nod,
Listen, open, till I cling to his pale,
Beige T-shirt, yelling,
Yelling in his ears, that hang
With heavy lobes, but he's still telling
His joke, so I ask why
He's so unhappy, to which he replies . . .
But I don't care anymore, cause
He took too damn long, and from
Under my seat, I pull out the
Mirror I've been saving; I'm laughing,
Laughing loud, the blood rushing from his face
To mine, as he grows small,
A spot in my brain, something
That may be squeezed out, like a
Watermelon seed between
Two fingers.
Pop takes another shot, neat,
Points out the same amber
Stain on his shorts that I've got on mine and
Makes me smell his smell, coming
From me; he switches channels, recites an old poem
He wrote before his mother died,
Stands, shouts, and asks
For a hug, as I shink, my
Arms barely reaching around
His thick, oily neck, and his broad back; 'cause
I see my face, framed within
Pop's black-framed glasses
And know he's laughing too.

by: Barack Obama

Yep ... that's it ... just what everybody wanted, a POTUS who was tossed around as a child by people who didn't want him; essentially raised by a who's who of ne'er-do-wells, and then commenced to surround himself and be mentored by a collection of perverts, terrorists, drunks, marxists, and other assorted greeblies from the bottom of the bucket.

If Mr. Obama isn't psychologically damaged, he's truly an amazing survivor. If he has an enormous chip on his shoulder ... or is focussed solely on himself ... it'd be perfectly normal for someone who's trod the path he has.

What Progress Looks Like in Afghanistan

Significant progress is being made in Afghanistan, and with the US Surge just firing up, we can expect a surge in "progress" as well.

CTV:

But once fighting eases off, as it tends to as winter approaches, several Canadian development projects are expected to get underway - including a market for the farmers of this district west of Kandahar city.

The land for the market, which will be located in the relative safety of the area just outside the military base, has been de-mined. Plans are being drawn up for the project to be funded by the Canadian International Development Agency.

Over the years, farmers have fled the area as insurgents have taken over. For those farmers who do remain, the nearest markets are in Kandahar city, a short distance away along a highway littered with roadside bombs.

Being able to sell locally at their own market means more money for area farmers, and a more stable community.

"At the end of the fighting season we'll be able to start it," Proulx said. "As soon as the freedom of movement improves, we need to be ready to do as many projects as possible."

Developments like the Zhari market are key to Canada's counter-insurgency strategy in Kandahar in the years ahead, as the growing presence of civilians on base attests.

There are about 100 Canadian government employees in theatre, working for Foreign Affairs, CIDA, Corrections Canada, RCMP and civilian police forces. They trained for months with the Canadian Forces in Wainwright, Alta., before their current deployment.

... more.

The 9/13 Rally

Someday, we will look back on this day and call it ... the Merry-Go-Round:

The UAV War in Pakistan

US attacks inside Pakistan during 2009:

• US strike kills five foreign fighters in North WaziristanSept. 8, 2009
• US strikes Taliban compound in South Waziristan, 8 killedAug. 27, 2009
• US Predators target the Haqqanis in North WaziristanAug. 20, 2009
• US kills 14 in strike on Taliban training camp in South WaziristanAug. 11, 2009
• Baitullah Mehsud's wife killed in Predator attackAug. 5, 2009
• US Predator strikes in North Waziristan, kills 5July 17, 2009
• US strikes Taliban communications center in South WaziristanJuly 10, 2009
• US kills 25 Taliban in second Predator strike in South WaziristanJuly 8, 2009
• US Predator strike on Taliban camp kills 8 in South WaziristanJuly 8, 2009
• US Predator strike kills 14 Taliban in South WaziristanJuly 7, 2009
• 13 Taliban fighters killed in US airstrikes in PakistanJuly 3, 2009
• Scores of Taliban killed in second US strike in South WaziristanJune 23, 2009
• Six killed in US Predator attack in South WaziristanJune 23, 2009
• US strikes target Mullah Nazir in South WaziristanJune 18, 2009
• US kills five in South Waziristan strikeJune 14, 2009
• US strikes Taliban, al Qaeda in North WaziristanMay 16, 2009
• US strikes again in South WaziristanMay 12, 2009
• US strike targets Baitullah Mehsud territory in South WaziristanMay 9, 2009
• US strike kills 10 Taliban in South WaziristanApril 29, 2009
• US airstrike targets Taliban training camp in South WaziristanApril 19, 2009
• US Predator kills four in South Waziristan strikeApril 8, 2009
• US strikes Haqqani Network in North WaziristanApril 4, 2009
• US launches first strike in Arakzai tribal agencyApril 1, 2009
• Latest US strike targets al Qaeda safe house in North WaziristanMarch 26, 2009
• US airstrike kills 8 in Baitullah Mehsud's hometownMarch 25, 2009
• US launches second strike outside of Pakistan's tribal areasMarch 15, 2009
• US missile strike in Kurram agency kills 14March 12, 2009
• US airstrike kills 8 in South WaziristanMarch 1, 2009
• US airstrike in Pakistan's Kurram tribal agency kills 30Feb. 16, 2009
• US Predator strike in South Waziristan kills 25Feb. 14, 2009
• US strikes al Qaeda in North and South WaziristanJan. 23, 2009
• US hits South Waziristan in second strikeJan. 2, 2009
• US kills 4 al Qaeda operatives in South Waziristan strikeJan. 1, 2009Read

The Staggering Implications of Losing in Afghanistan

What does it mean if we pick up and leave Afghanistan before it has been stabilized?

To answer that question, we need to first define who “we” are.

For that, let’s turn to Terry Glavin who recently penned an essay that spells out the "we".

This is not merely a "western" project. The countries that devised the Afghanistan Compact and the Bonn Agreement in the first place include several Islamic republics, along with western democracies. This is a United Nations mission, and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan includes soldiers from such places as Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Turkey. That's who "we" are.

So then "we" are a UN force consisting of a smattering of non-Western sidekicks but buttressed primarily with Western power. “We” have sunk blood and treasure into Afghanistan, but to what effect? Judging by the growing scepticism and calls of “It can’t be done”, one might think that little, if anything, has been accomplished. Yet, if a measuring stick is applied, one that a historian might use, the progress in Afghanistan has been enormous.

Once again, Glavin sums it up:

Several million Afghans were refugees, wandering the far corners of the world or rotting in refugee camps. Roughly two million Afghans had already been slaughtered in the country's abattoir of war, and by the summer of 2001, five million Afghans were on the brink of starvation. In the northern provinces, people were reduced to eating grass and rats. Women were slaves. Music was banned. Even kite-flying was banned. The Taliban had shut down the UN's polio immunization program. Aid workers, foreign doctors and UN food program officials were routinely harassed and arrested on charges of spreading Christianity or consorting with Afghan women.

Eight years later, millions of girls are in school. The country has a constitutional government that reserves a quarter of its parliament to women. There are a dozen universities, several dozen newspapers, radio stations and television stations, and one in six Afghans owns a cellular phone. Five million refugees have returned. More than 80 per cent of the people have access to basic medical services. Almost all children have been immunized against polio and childhood diseases. The big debate in Afghanistan these days is whether the incumbent president, who was elected peacefully four years ago, has earned enough votes in a scandal-plagued run for a second term to avoid a runoff against his nearest rival.

Of interest to me then, is what are the implications if “we” abandon Afghanistan.

First, let me point out that our entire endeavour in Afghanistan is very “un-Western”; it’s simply not the way our civilization has generally done things.

The West has a penchant for impatience in war that has given us the Western way of war. We seek decisive engagements where the enemy can be crushed. Victor Davis Hanson spells it out convincingly in Why The West Has Won. To the Western mind, there are better things to do than “build” nations from scratch or get bogged down in protracted dirty little wars. The Western way is focussed solely on getting things over as quickly as possible ... it was so with the Greeks and Romans ... and it is so with us. The result is that when faced with armed conflict, the West has always sought decisive and crushing confrontations which allowed its citizen to get back to focussing on wealth creation and individual pursuits.

Western warfare tends to be incredibly costly in lives and treasure as a result, and when non-Western forces seek war with the West it is best they avoid head-on confrontation. In modern parlance, we often hear the phrase “Go big, or go home” bandied about. It represents perfectly the Western Attitude; besides, how can one go about pursuing excess while simultaneously wasting money on Afghan schools?

A caveat of sorts must be applied, for there have of course been scores of asymmetrical wars fought by Western powers, but usually they involved the protecting of colonies; hence, the acquiring or buttressing of sources of wealth. Even there, however, Western interests sought decisive battles wherever possible.

As such, “we” have become tired of Afghanistan. “We”, want either a win or a loss; in fact, in many quarters a loss is viewed as better than a protracted win. This view is often couched in terms that bemoan the waste of soldier’s lives; yet this seemingly heartfelt point of view makes no sense. Those complaining know full well that Western professional armies are made up of volunteer soldiers who are chaffing at the chance to get into the fight. It’s logically impossible to be overcome with a desire to want them out in order to save their lives, while knowing full well that they want nothing more than to be in.

Perhaps we are faced with deeper cultural reasons for wanting out. Nation building is an expensive and icky task that clashes with our pursuit of wealth. Backwaters like Afghanistan have little to offer in terms of financial benefit for the West. The war is hard on the psyche ... after all, how can one enjoy a luxurious Western lifestyle while being jarred regularly by pictures of dead soldiers appearing in the news. It’d be better to simply turn off the switch and go back to life without terrorists, flag draped coffins, collapsing towers, and massive expenditures on irrigation systems and roads.

What are the implications then, of a loss in Afghanistan? What does it say about us if we give up, fail to build a nation from scratch, and allow a rag tag band of murderous barbarians to chase us out?

It means this: That the incredible military power of NATO, ISAF, and America, along with its collective economic might, couldn’t tame Afghanistan to the point that it became a functioning state, and the failure came about simply because the citizens of the West didn’t have the will to stick it out. The implications of that reality are staggering long term ... simply staggering. It means that the survival of our civilization in times of conflict rests only in our ability to utterly destroy an enemy ... his cities, economy, and people ... but not in assisting him in building a civil society. It means that the West is not willing to suffer long term but limited pain, in order to prevent potentially cataclysmic confrontations in the future. It means that the West would rather lay waste to a land, than raise it up. It means, that little has changed in several thousands years of Western dominance.

The implications for our foes are also profound. They can exist comfortably, knowing full well that as long as they don’t cross some magic line ... like bringing down two of the world’s tallest buildings, we will let them be. Our enemies have already figured out that they can become nuclear powers, can kill our soldiers using proxy forces, can meddle in our economies, can meddle in our domestic affairs, can fund political forces within our very borders, can meddle in the affairs of their neighbours, possibly even invade... and we will not lift a finger.

Sadly, the West may once again get its decisive conflict. My son, a serving Canadian soldier in Afghanistan, reminded me recently that we are in Afghanistan partially to avoid just that; a confrontation which will require us to take massive retaliation (think Iran) where Western might is turned against civilians in order to get at the villains. We’ve done it before. How sad, that our pursuit of decadence ( often masquerading as pursuit of health and happiness) just may be the cause of greater loss of life and destruction than anything we could envisage happening in Afghanistan today. It doesn’t take much to imagine the young men and women protesting the Mullah’s in Iran today being incinerated when the West or Israel take revenge for some future beastly crime perpetrated by Iran’s nuclear leadership.

Not only is our Western civilization one that seeks out decisive conflicts and avoids protracted ones, it is also a civilization that has time and again miscalculated and ended up in brutally bloody affairs simply because the price of vigilance was considered too high; and it was more important to live in ease at home, rather than deal with a barbarian while he was still a minor problem and far away on the frontier.


Further Readings:

The Sea-Change

Running Away

Mark leaves us with this, taken from the former blog, The Torch.

The, to me pitiful, fact that a wealthy nation of 33 million people cannot keep some 1,000 troops in combat--with around 30-40 fatalities a year--for more than five years. Reasons: political controversy, public ambivalence, and a very limited military capacity.

From the comments:

"The Afghan Government would collapse, to be replaced by an overt civil war fought between the Taleban and local governors in the various provinces. A million or more Afghan refugees would again flee their country, many of them ending up in the West. Deprived of support from the US, as recommended by our commentators, President Musharraf or a successor would effectively withdraw from the border regions, leaving a vast lawless area from central Afghanistan to north central Pakistan. Al-Qaeda and other jihadists would operate from these areas as they did before 9/11. This time these forces - already capable of assassinating a popular democratic politician - would seriously impact upon the stability of Pakistan, which is a nuclear state.

"Jihadists everywhere, from Indonesia to Palestine, would see this as a huge victory, democrats and moderates as a catastrophic defeat. There would hardly be a country, from Morocco to Malaysia, that wouldn't feel the impact of the reverse. That's before we calculate the cost to women and girls of no longer being educated or allowed medical treatment. And would there be less terror as a result?

"We have been here before. . ."

You Lie !

How to say it, without using the "L" word:



***

Michael Says

" Canada is becoming the country that dares not speak its name!" ~ Michael Ignatieff (Canada's American Prime Minister in Waiting)

Hey Mike:

I AM CANADIAN, and THIS IS MY FLAG !

**

Taliban; IED's; Kids: and Self-destruction

ht

Educating Canadians: As Important as Educating Afghans

If opposition to the Afghan mission is indeed a result of ignorance, then perhaps Canadians need more schooling than Afghans:

Alexandre Beaudin-D'Anjou, Canadian Forces: "I want to say that part of the Canadian population negatively views the work that we do here, above all because they don't understand what we do. In my opinion, the majority of the Afghan population benefits from what we do."

Educate Yourself:

click
click
click

Full National Post Article ... Soldier's Voices

Balls

Picture: UK Forces with fixed Bayonets

Lt James Adamson; Royal Regiment of Scotland; Military Cross

Breaking Mao Tse-Tung

With Biometric Hightech:

Mao Tse-Tung wrote that “The guerrilla must move amongst the people as a fish swims in the sea”, suggesting that in order to be successful, the guerrillas most move freely and anonymously amongst a given population. This speaks to the problems with identifying insurgents in a movement—who are the good guys and who are the bad guys? But what if you had the ability to identify the good guys that belonged in a village and the bad guys did not and limit the bad guy’s freedom of movement? In the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, Commanders have a powerful set of tools to help them positively identify and track potential insurgents.

Canadian Liberals Off the Rails

Picture: A new Liberal Party of Canada Flyer shows that Liberals are no longer proud to be Canadians.

What's the point Libs ... tell us!

Afghanistan? No Green Shift? Seal hunts? Oil? Strong Banks? Freedom to own Guns? Too much prosperity? Kahdr's still in the slammer? Our Prime Minister isn't the 6th Smartest Man on Earth? Canada's economy is strong?

... or will you regain your pride only if you win an election and put an American into 24 Sussex.

Afghanistan Naysayers: Ignoring a Sea Change

During the Iraq conflict, the cacophony of opposition to that endeavour reached its peak just as US forces were launching the now famous “Surge”. Along with the “coming over” of Sunni militias, The Surge was decisive. Yet, immediately prior to it, even long time supporters of the Iraq mission were falling overboard. Even as US and Iraq Forces swept up one region after another, and the most violently anti-American region, Anbar, came on side, pundits from across the world increased their mocking opposition.

At one point, US and Iraqi Forces entered Basra, the city that had soundly defeated the UK, and from one end of the planet to the other sneering editorials predicted utter failure. When, a few weeks later Basra’s Shia militias had been trounced, the world press just quietly moved along (and UK Forces peeked out cautiously from their stockades wondering what all the quiet was about).

Fast forward to the summer of 2009 and history may be about to repeat itself. Just as a massive sea change is taking place in the Afghan battle space, more than just the rats are fleeing the ship. From senators to generals to former supporters, cries of “it can’t be done” rent air.

There are many reasonable arguments on the table as to why we need pull out ... that this conflict is, indeed, a lost cause. But, the arguments most often heard are the least defensible.

Some of the more ludicrous reckonings state that because Canada is taking casualties ... we are losing. When, I ask, ever in the history of the world did taking casualties mean one was losing a war? In fact, any student of history will tell you that winning moments in war usually came simultaneously with a time of sustaining maximum casualties. Looking back no further than WW1, WW2, and Korea ... the most critical victories were also times of great sacrifice.

Most offensive to me, personally, is the attack from some quarters on Afghan civilians (as opposed to Afghan leadership). Afghans don’t want our schools, our hospitals, warm clothing, vaccines, and peace because they are, after all, just barbarians, or so goes the argument. Tell that to the thousands of children risking their lives to attend schools, tell that to those girls who return even after being hopelessly scarred by acid attacks ... tell that to Governor General Michaelle Jean. In fact, tell that to the thousands of Afghan police officers who are sustaining incredible losses ... yet who keep signing up for service.

The fact is, that starting this summer the battle space in Afghanistan, even for Canadians, is changing dramatically. Thousands of US soldiers along with incredible numbers of aircraft and all manner of vehicle are spreading out into the landscape with the single goal of separating Afghan civilians from the murderous Taliban. And isn’t that the point of this whole dirty little war ... that Canadian critics of Afghan civilians have such a hard time understanding; that until the civilians can be assured that they have protection, they will not , nay they cannot, take a side nor move their country forward.

How can Afghan civilians fully support us, knowing full well that after the once a week visit from those nice Canadians, the Taliban killers will creep back in and kill or maim any who show so much as a passing preference for the Canucks. As it is, the support shown Canadian Forces by Afghan civilians is astounding. Has it not dawned on detractors of Afghan civilians, that if those “barbarians” were by and large opposed to our forces, that the death toll among our troops would be many times higher. It amazes me that those who risk not a hair on their heads are so reproachful of the Afghan civilians who risk everything to simply become a policeman, or a teacher, or attend school.

So it is, that the Afghan conflict enters its endgame. Casualties among ISAF, and especially US forces will go up initially ... indeed, they must. If winning means separating Afghans from the thugs who terrorize them, then all those extra forces flooding the battle space will trigger that many more engagements, IEDs, and suicide attacks. As Americans enter the landscape and remain, something that hasn’t yet been done by ISAF, the Taliban must strike back or be driven into the depth of the Hindu Kush.

As of this writing, the bad guys are dying like flies as a record number of electronic eyes search out their IED teams and even snoop out their wilderness camps and ever more soldiers take and hold villages and districts; perhaps the solitude of the Hindu Kush will come as a desperate relief.

Even Canadians should expect more casualties if, in fact, our forces take advantage of their shrinking battle space, now that the Yanks have taken over so much ground and responsibility. Perhaps we’ll be able to do more separating of the sheep from the wolves ... but that might mean initially taking greater risks and casualties. (That is, if our government hasn’t become too squeamish to win).

So, as of this writing, the Taliban are facing something they have never before faced; a Yankee wave the likes of which even most pundits can’t comprehend. The American military is all about winning ... period. It’s not founded on “peace keeping” or “observing” or making war on a starvation budget. It’s not about status quo or hiding out in FOBs or being satisfied with simply taking out bad guys from a safe distance. It’s not about getting stuck in a rut until all is lost ... it’s about winning at all costs. In Iraq, American forces proved to be incredibly stubborn and tenacious with one word to sum up their mentality ... WIN. Now those same forces are arriving in Afghanistan in numbers never before seen in Kandahar; and many thousands are in Canada’s zone.

It is the fourth quarter of what has been a slow, grinding game, but now the good guys are putting unanswered point after point on the board ... yet as is so typical of the decadent West, the bleachers seem to be emptying and all those impatient fans aren’t even going to be around for what may be a stunning victory.

What a pathetic shame.

Cooper: How Do You End the War?




Michael Ware: Mark of a Mission in Crisis




The New Reality: Day in day out, the Taliban are now hunted and Canada has full access to the new US Reality.




Don't pity these guys: For them, "It makes not one jot of difference".



More thoughts - Terry Glavin: Hurtling Towards Vietnam