Ramblings of Nick Robillard

Sorry for re-hashing something that may seem old and repetitious. But seeing that my own flesh and blood, my little brother, will be heading to the "Stan" this year, I can't just accept what we're being told and not continue to question.

Canadian death toll: 115 139

Why is Canada in Afghanistan?

Here is a synopsis of the reasons we have been given since 2001:

• The mission is necessary to protect Canadians from the threat posed by the Taliban and Al-Qaeda
• Counter-insurgency mission is needed to restrict the production of opium
• The counter-insurgency mission is needed to protect the Afghan people
• Canada's credibility would suffer if we withdrew from the counter-insurgency mission
• Canada's credibility in Washington would suffer

Every one of these points can be easily argued against especially when the exact opposite has been achieved. (opium production, Afghan safety, etc.)

In reality, Canada initially went to Afghanistan to assist the United States in its ideological War on Terror.

Let's take a look at how other wars against ideologies have gone, shall we.

War on Drugs: This one is pretty obvious. An utter failure and huge waste of taxpayer resources and lives.
War on Poverty: Same as war on drugs. Nothing has been accomplished. Same amount, if not more, homeless and children living in poverty today than ever before.

Wars on behaviors, and not on an identifiable enemy, can never be won (without a complete authoritarian dictatorship, or police state). Ever. How can you defeat something you cannot see? How can you forcefully suppress a behavior without looking at the underlying causes of that behavior?

So that answers 1 of the questions. We know why we went to Afghanistan in the first place. But again, I ask, what have we to gain by staying? You tell me because I really don't know.