|
|||||||
| Coffee Lounge Talk amongst other community members. |
 |
|
|
LinkBack | Topic Tools | Rate Topic |
Dec 01, 06
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
Im a scuba instructor, but Ive gone over to commercial diving. Part of the offer will be placing me as a combat diving instructor after I do a TOD. 
|
|
Dec 01, 06
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
|
|
Dec 01, 06
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
|
|
Dec 01, 06
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
If going back to the forces put me straight into a diving unit I might be more keen on taking it. But its the TOD and stuff that I would have to do before hand that is making me think more about it before accepting.
|
|
Dec 01, 06
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
Thats why Im taking my time to decide!!! Maybe I will see you someday. Maybe on New Years even if you come to the SwiftBeats party!
|
|
Dec 01, 06
|
|||
|
|||
|
You have honorable intentions so i wouldn't rag on you for that but in my view it's a losing battle. It's a war of ideas that is a result of hegemony. Band-aid solutions for a much wider transnational problem that still has not been addressed, if it ever will.
|
|
Dec 03, 06
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
And since you're planning to enter a country armed with your full combat gear and misplaced nationalism, here’s a few quick facts. Since the invasion of 2001 Afghanistan now has: _The greatest margin of poverty _The worlds worst literacy rate _A life expectancy across sexes, that has dropped 4.5 years _The largest internally displaced number of refugees (surpassing Iraq and Palestine) _A government almost solely comprised of Northern Alliance members (who were one in the same with Taliban members from the early seventies up until the series of proxy wars between the Soviet Union and the US _almost non-existent major roadways, waterworks or electricity for most of the population Every picket that we have held in front of Recruiting Office downtown has resulted in several career soldiers asking why we don’t support "our brothers and sisters" I tell them they are killing my brothers and sisters. In a time of poverty, increasing cost of living, and skyrocketing tuition more young people are turning to the armed forces in a bid to create a better life for themselves. The massive funding behind the increasing fervor of Canadian forces recruiting is in essence an economic draft. History finds itself repeating, as once again, predominantly, the poorest layers of society see joining the military as a way out of their circumstances. In turn further generations find themselves in imperialist war trying to forge a better life. What this results in, is being indoctrinated with lies, slander, and racist ideology. Anyone who fights back in Afghanistan is branded Taliban, Islam becomes extremism, impoverished men, women and children who understand the fallacy of a foreign occupying force bringing democracy, become more and more desperate everyday. A young man such as yourself, pumped full of self-importance, a need to contribute, and perhaps even in search of adventure, is given a gun and told whom the enemy is. Even if you are without a gun, the projects you undertake only make it possible to increase the national PR campaign that tries to have Canadian believe that their own western arrogance takes precedent over another countries right to self determination. Today Afghanistan has several token schools that are usually empty as no one dares go through one of hundreds of checkpoints that have served as the killing ground for young children who are illiterate and have no idea that the signs posted say stop or risk being shot. Afghanistan has a government that has lost almost all faith of the populace. (*note that the last elections only saw just over 20% of the population come out and vote) Afghanistan has seen opium production increase tenfold. Afghanistan has seen Tim Horton’s and Coke bottling plants erected. BUT, what Afghanistan HASNT seen, is "peacekeeping" When General Rick Hillier (your top commander) stated that the Afghan people where "Murderous scumbags and killers" and that the job of the Canadian Forces was "killing people" he wasn’t kidding. For every one of the 44 soldiers dead, there are at least 1000 Afghan civilians dead. I support my troops, I don’t support whom they are fighting for, and it’s that reason why I want them to come home. Its gut check time bro, before you head out, do some real research outside of governmental propaganda, CNN, CBC or the Globe and Mail. And if you decide to go, understand that when you hear about a "Taliban terrorist taking an axe to a young brave Canadian soldiers head" understand that it was really a 14 year old half starved kid, who took a smashed tin can and jammed it into a stick and attacked a soldier who was part of a platoon that threw a flash grenade into his families mud hut, and then charged in and opened fire on his entire family before scoping out the place first. Your "Canadian Military Pride" is someone else’s worst nightmare.
|
|
Dec 03, 06
|
||||
|
||||
|
Good job on serving Canada.
I myself am waiting for the last two pieces of Paper so I can hopefully get accepted to RMC for Pilot Training.
|
|
Dec 03, 06
|
|||
|
|||
|
Wow, if i said something like that id more then likely get kicked out of the military with a dishonorable discharge. There are strict gidelines that I am forced to live by when it comes to the media and ROE's (rules of engagement).
The military isnt a vary nice thing, we do the job no one else wants to do. But perhaps we should not be used unless our country absolutly need us, I wish I could say more but i do fear what could happen as a result. Dont Judge your brothers and sisters in arms, dont hate the military. We are agents of our government and controld by them, when they present us with a job to do, we do it. "For every one of the 44 soldiers dead, there are at least 1000 Afghan civilians dead" To be honest, I dont want to see anyone dead. But i will do what it takes to come home. Its a diffrent kind of war out there and we cant even trust the A&A (Afghan Army) or the A&P (Afghan Police), because of the fact that people there are about familys, just like us. They are poor, because of that fact they are willing to switch sides from ISAF to the "Taliban" just to feed there family for another day. But wouldnt you do the same? Im sorry to say that the same people we are trying to help can also be the enamy. I do wish I could say more... Noah *
|
|
Dec 03, 06
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
Fable, can you give us a run down on universal human rights? Then tell us all about what life was like before the invasion. No economics, no 'hegemony' no imperialism. Maybe to broaden the discussion. Just for shits and giggles...
|
|
Dec 05, 06
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
|
|
Dec 06, 06
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
|
|
Dec 06, 06
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
Make this effort first, and I will reciprocate will further engaging you in online dialogue. Tonight MAWO hosts its bi-monthly politcal classes which have been going for two months and average 40 people per class. This goes to show the growing consciousness and awareness of people here in the lower mainland. It is without question that MAWO and surrounding coallition is the most agressively and diverse in North America (*this is a reaffirmation of our effectiveness, NOT than a slight on such legitmate and hard working groups like ANSWER in the US) and adding these classes to our overall program only elevates the relevency of our work and offers even more opportunity for various under represented communities/demographics/individuals to get involved. The class begins at 6:30 pm at Joe's Cafe on Commerical Drive off Charles Street. Look for me, Im the the brown skinned, pierced grumpy "a+w bear looking like" fellow. Tonights class will be centered on the Sudan and how the most recent concern UN, US, CAN, UK intervention in the area is the intial steps in a possible invasion, imperialist in nature, revolving around a competition that includes China who already holds significant control of oil reserves in the Sudan. ez Shak 604.719.7410
|
|
Dec 07, 06
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
its great to turn people's rhetoric against them when they dont know what they are talking about.
|
|
Dec 07, 06
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
|
|
Dec 07, 06
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
But it's difficult to live like that. Human beings do share basic values - ones that can't necessarily be traced back to Enlightenment thinking. Hurt and suffering for instance are universal and fly in the face of a common human desires. If we don't step in to aid those who suffer, does that make us accomplices? If you knew what misery exists in the world, would you be able to sleep knowing you've done nothing? Or are we just happy to chalk up the very concept of suffering to some sort of Western 'orientalist' construction? Of course, I'm simplifying this greatly - and someone will come along and say that we need to step in, but we need to do it differently (i.e. without imperialist undertones). Is that possible? My goal in challenging Fable here is to try to broaden the scope of the discussion. If he argues that on balance, its better for us to stay the fuck out, I'm open to that. I just want to solicit a response that really shows the dynamacy of the issue. Last edited by DJ Ponz; Dec 07, 06 at 09:41 PM.
|
|
Dec 07, 06
|
|||
|
|||
|
Quote:
What exactly is the challenge? To describe the scope of the environment that Afghans lived in before occupation? It was reletively shitty. YOU WIN!
|
