...by Kevin Jones. If this is not an aberration but common practice, then the Canadians can't be the only ones to have seen it, and the culture we're defending is not worth saving. Get out of Afghanistan.
Yes, I was absolutely horrified. The thing that horrified me most was its going on *on Canadian bases* where the Canadian soldiers could actually hear the childrens' cries for help and were not allowed to "interfere." (I guess they were allowed to give them medical treatment later.) That is so depraved. The other article he quotes about teaching Americans not to be "judgmental" of the practice is similarly horrific and makes me wonder if the same thing is taking place on American army bases. Apparently nobody knows. There is a conspiracy of silence around the whole thing.
And of course Kevin is right about the double standard vis a vis the Catholic Church. Where are all the people yelling, "Heads should roll! Punish everybody who knew and covered this up"? And yet it's true. Heads should roll, and everybody who knew and covered this up should be punished.
What's worst about it is that it's unclear whether either Canadian or American tolerance for this within their own sphere of alleged control (e.g., on their own bases) is on-going or if there has been a crackdown. Nobody knows. Nobody's talking. This could be going on under American auspices or Canadian auspices right now.
If this is a widespread practice within the society, I say give them an ultimatum: knock it off or we're gone. If American or Canadian troops catch someone in the act, they should intervene with all necessary ferocity and then insist that the Afghan justice system (ha ha) prosecute violators. If they don't do it, we're gone. Some things are just so wrong that a see-no-evil policy brings as much shame to ourselves as to the perpetrators. By turning away, we become parties to the act.
Absolutely. I feel terrible for that one soldier with PTS from being ordered not to intervene. But he should have disobeyed. Obviously he thinks so, too, and is suffering enough pangs of conscience over it and trying to make amends by being a whistleblower. His last name is the same as the name of someone I went to college with (Schouten), and I wonder if he's related. Probably not, as the person I went to college with was not Canadian that I know of.
3 comments:
Yes, I was absolutely horrified. The thing that horrified me most was its going on *on Canadian bases* where the Canadian soldiers could actually hear the childrens' cries for help and were not allowed to "interfere." (I guess they were allowed to give them medical treatment later.) That is so depraved. The other article he quotes about teaching Americans not to be "judgmental" of the practice is similarly horrific and makes me wonder if the same thing is taking place on American army bases. Apparently nobody knows. There is a conspiracy of silence around the whole thing.
And of course Kevin is right about the double standard vis a vis the Catholic Church. Where are all the people yelling, "Heads should roll! Punish everybody who knew and covered this up"? And yet it's true. Heads should roll, and everybody who knew and covered this up should be punished.
What's worst about it is that it's unclear whether either Canadian or American tolerance for this within their own sphere of alleged control (e.g., on their own bases) is on-going or if there has been a crackdown. Nobody knows. Nobody's talking. This could be going on under American auspices or Canadian auspices right now.
I almost got sick reading the article.
If this is a widespread practice within the society, I say give them an ultimatum: knock it off or we're gone. If American or Canadian troops catch someone in the act, they should intervene with all necessary ferocity and then insist that the Afghan justice system (ha ha) prosecute violators. If they don't do it, we're gone. Some things are just so wrong that a see-no-evil policy brings as much shame to ourselves as to the perpetrators. By turning away, we become parties to the act.
Absolutely. I feel terrible for that one soldier with PTS from being ordered not to intervene. But he should have disobeyed. Obviously he thinks so, too, and is suffering enough pangs of conscience over it and trying to make amends by being a whistleblower. His last name is the same as the name of someone I went to college with (Schouten), and I wonder if he's related. Probably not, as the person I went to college with was not Canadian that I know of.
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