War, at Any Cost

One of the great consistencies of history is the sound of politicians justifying war.

There is always, apparently, a good reason for your sons to die "honorably."

And there is always the ploy of confusing the criticism of the campaign with an implied criticism of the soldiers in the front. This is not only a blatantly false equation, it is ugly and detestable.

When I hear of 6 more Canadian soldiers dying in a completely mistaken and hopeless mission in Af-bloody-ghanistan, I do not find myself overtaken by a communal sense of "genuine, shared grief."

Rather, I am outraged.

While Vimy Ridge is being rightly memorialized, this stupid commitment to failure in Afghanistan continues.

The flags of democracy and other highly held western ideals are waved about, to be sure. But this is the customary sham.

As much as America should get out of Iraq as soon as possible, Canada should get out of Afghanistan even sooner.

Canadian soldiers dying for the ultimate furtherance of a heroin-based economy is a maddening obscenity.