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Politics : Canadian Political Free-for-All -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ichy Smith who wrote (10462)	9/10/2006 12:40:59 PM
From: Richnorth	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 37180

Oops, I had meant why did Harper ask to extend the mission. Even if NATO had indeed asked, Harper could still have said NO. It's all so very easy for politicians in power to send young men and women to die at the frontlines in the name of freedom and democracy. All too often, at the end of the day, many a soldier had died needlessly on the whim and fancy of some politicians. Many a veteran was heard to say, "I fought in WW1 (or WW2) so that we will continue to have our freedoms." Very noble sounding! Right? But were North America and Canada really seriously threatened in WW1 and WW2? Not at all! But F.D. Roosevelt and his advisors engineered Pearl Harbour (or allowed it to happen) for an excuse and to galvanize all of America to go to war with Japan, and the Brits successfully manipulated the American public, through the American media, to go to war in Europe also. And America did go to war, not so much for freedom and democracy as for the sake of economic recovery and prosperity! (Recall that the economy of the US had been in a very bad shape during the the ten years following the Great Crash of 1929/30?). Incredible as it may seem, FDR saw in war the golden opportunity to stimulate and revive the American economy through large scale manufacturing and construction of war materiél and agricultural growth & food production & etc & etc. Ah, but I digress. In WW1, Canada went to war because the Brits asked Canada to do so and it seemed "fashionable" and de rigeur to comply. Rightly or wrongly, I understand that most of the Canadian troops were sent into the most dangerous areas and ended up as cannon fodder. Ditto in WW2. What a goddamned waste of human lives! Some Canadian troops that were sent there in the last days of the war never saw action at all and not a few of them whiled away their time in pubs and having a fine time with the local chicks. When the past is viewed from the vantage point of hindsight, it is visible that WW1 and WW2 were avertable, but for the pride and hubris and greed and distrust and revenge of politicians. Hitler has often been demonized and blamed for everything that happened leading to and during WW2. But, really, the other major powers of the time, notably Gt. Britain and France and the US were not entirely squeaky-clean or innocent parties. Yet, skillful propaganda have made them look so very heroic. However, I tip my hat to those veterans who honestly and sincerely believed in what they were fighting for. But I still maintain they didn't know better. But, really, how could they be expected to know better, especially when they were so young and therefore so very impressionable and impulsive and also unemployed at the time and they very much wanted to join their buddies in uniform? Many a young fellow enjoy the sound of guns, big and small, and shooting at targets. But little do they realise it's no fun when being shot at. Suddenly, when the shooting began, reality set in! All too often, 'twas too late!!! .