[Guy_Fawkes]

I think you hit the nail on the head with that one Smacle.

They should give the Afghanistan conflict a snazzy name like the "Peace Outreach Misson". It wont change everyones mind, but Im sure that if you put Peace in the title somewhere some would stop bitching about Canada being there.

[BartSimpson]

EyeBrock EyeBrock:

Was there ever a successful UN mission?

I believe Kofi Annan's mission to divert a few million dollars into his son's personal bank account was successful.

[Public_Domain]

[Goober_McGee]

Smacle Smacle:

Newfy Newfy:

I think that is one of the biggest problems with some Canadians. They've gotten to used to the Canadian Forces doing peacekeeping missions and so they think that's all they should be doing. A soldier cannot live on peacekeeping alone.

I think the problem is that people think soldiers will stop dieing if we only do peace keeping.

I think that it's more a long the lines of "people won't like us anymore." It seems to me that certain elements of the Canadian population only want to maintain peacekeeping because it puts Canada in a favourable light (somehow). People, especially those with far left leanings seem to really worry about Canada's reputation, and a strong or at least capable military participating in any sort of military action would in some way deteriorate out country's international standing (how, I have no idea) or makes us seems more like Americans (which it also wouldn't).

[Public_Domain]

[Akhenaten]

$1:

Canadians want peace.

a lot of people want peace. You don't get it with peacekeepers.

[Public_Domain]

[Guy_Fawkes]

Mr_Canada Mr_Canada:

Misinformation is always the best way to deal with peaceniks.

Either they get it from us or they get it from people like Michael Moore. There is always be a small amount of people who will listen to the loudest drum and say it is the only sound they want to hear. The peacniks who do read the issues and come to their own concluions wont be fooled. Thats fine, it's just the lazy idiots who dont bother are the ones I want to target.

[Public_Domain]

[EyeBrock]

Mr_Canada Mr_Canada:

Canadians used to viciously hate peacekeeping.

For some reason, the pleasantness of Switzerland seemed to rub off on us.

Canadians want peace.

And the Canadians who want peace the most carry a C7 and spill their blood for us.

Any soldier who has seen combat is a life-long believer in peace.
But peace through strength, not lily-livered weakness in the face of bad men.

[Guy_Fawkes]

That's the problem though, sheeple (hate using this term ) wont bother investigating facts. Which is why MSNBC, Faux and to a lesser extent CNN have become parodies of themselves.

[Akhenaten]

Mr_Canada Mr_Canada:

Or, we could all agree to stop being clowns and perhaps neither give such misinformation.

Maybe I'm just too foolishly hopeful for such a thing.

I don't think you're foolish. I just think if you want peace then you're better served by diplomacy than "missions" concocted by a school yard of 'nations' who are simply vying for whatever they can get for themselves in the guise of "doing what's right". If the UN ever had a chance at doing something right they would've done it in Rwanda. The UN served the peacekeeping role well during the cold war but in most instances, imo, it wont work.

The underlying reason why most people are cynical of peacekeeping missions is that at the end of the day peace is either done through talking or fighting. The reason people are hopeful for peacekeeping is precisely because it presents that illusional third choice that doesn't really exist...mostly because it doesn't really work. It's not the first time it's been tried either.

The very look of a blue helmet is an oxymoron. Iterally in cases, it's like a rifle without a bullet. A carrot and stick without the carrot.

[Guy_Fawkes]

Meh the only way to secure peace is through trade. If you stabilize Afghanistan so that its economy can survive trade without turning to illegal drugs or terrorism there will be peace. This, as I see it, is really the ultimate goal here.

[BartSimpson]

Trade is irrelvant to people who want you dead or on your knees because they believe that their god or gods appointed them the rightful masters of the earth and of every last human being. You just can't make peace with people like that.

[Guy_Fawkes]

This is why they are stabilizing the country so that the moderates are in control, like in Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, ect.