tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post6911383361345482544..comments2024-03-03T17:01:57.876-05:00Comments on Montreal Simon: How Canada's Politicians Sold Out Our CountrySimonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-80745463521342749162007-08-29T23:46:00.000-04:002007-08-29T23:46:00.000-04:00"Hi Patrick...Of course Omar Khadr Canadian kid sh..."<I>Hi Patrick...Of course Omar Khadr Canadian kid should never have been anywhere near Afghanistan. But as I just said to Elvira he didn't have any control over that. As everyone knows his crazy family... made those decisions for him.<BR/>And of course it all ended tragically. With his father dead, one brother crippled for life, another brother locked up in Guantanamo before he started working for the CIA, and of course Omar.When you read what the other Al Qaeda fighters said about him...how hard he worked to please them by bringing them tea and other things...it's really quite pathetic.<BR/>As for the child soldier angle...Canada has made a big deal out of rehabilitating child soldiers in Africa...as we should.<BR/>But how could we then do nothing about Omar? <BR/>Finally ...as for my language...I apologize for that...it's just that the weak way our government has acted...compared to other countries...it just makes me so mad..</I>"<BR/><BR/>I'm not offended by your language. I just think you should understand that some people may not get your message if they can't read through it.<BR/><BR/>Aside from that, I should mention that Omar Khadr had some options. He could have run away from his home, or he could have refused not to fight. His presence in Afghanistan <I>does</I> suggest it was somewhat willing, although we must also recognize that he was still a teenager at the time, and had only the faculties of a teenager to make that decision with.<BR/><BR/>One thing we need to understand is the insidious brainwashing (for lack of a better term) that child soldiers are subjected to. Often, it's identity- and personality-altering, and hard to rehabilitate them.<BR/><BR/>Omar Khadr <I>is</I> getting the short end of the stick, but a person also has to understand the seriousness of the situation he's been caught up in. It's bigger than Khadr, the United States, or Osama Bin Laden.Patrick Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04592482865332628189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-80544797520829080142007-08-29T21:35:00.000-04:002007-08-29T21:35:00.000-04:00Hi anonymous....thanks for the tip.I'm working on ...Hi anonymous....thanks for the tip.I'm working on it... :)<BR/><BR/>Hi Elvira...don't stray from the topic at hand...like bringing in China or trying to make me believe that Cuba still executes homosexuals. Where did you get that one from Miami? <BR/>And quite frankly what a 15-year-old in Afghanistan has the right to do is irrelevant as well. Omar Khadr, whether you or like it or not, is a CANADIAN.<BR/>And he should be treated according to OUR standards.<BR/>Secondly...Khadr didn't commit an act of terrorism. He was part of an Al Qaeda fighting group that was a militia of the country's Taliban government. And he killed and was wounded in a battle with U.S. Special Forces. He wasn't blowing up anyone. And yes I'm perfectly aware that Al Qaeda and the Taliban are murderous religious extremists. Just like I've written before that if I ever met Omar Khadr it would probably take about 30 seconds before I'd want to slap him or strangle him.<BR/>But thta's beside the point. The fact is the kid was taken to Afghanistan by his crazy jihadist dad...and sent to terrorist training camps when he was just ten. And that he was a child soldier because his parents led him astray.And that when he killed according to Canadian law he was a JUVENILE and should never have been sent to Guantanamo...and never should have been tortured.<BR/>But here's the larger point. I'm sure you and I share the same desire to see the threat of religious extremism and terrorism banished from the world. But you and others think we are in such a desperate position that we should cut corners and act like animals just like our enemies do. While I on the other hand believe that we can and must uphold our Canadian values...and be better than them...so our victory over these dark forces won't be a hollow one... <BR/><BR/>Hi Patrick...Of course Omar Khadr Canadian kid should never have been anywhere near Afghanistan. But as I just said to Elvira he didn't have any control over that. As everyone knows his crazy family... made those decisions for him.<BR/>And of course it all ended tragically. With his father dead, one brother crippled for life, another brother locked up in Guantanamo before he started working for the CIA, and of course Omar.When you read what the other Al Qaeda fighters said about him...how hard he worked to please them by bringing them tea and other things...it's really quite pathetic.<BR/>As for the child soldier angle...Canada has made a big deal out of rehabilitating child soldiers in Africa...as we should.<BR/>But how could we then do nothing about Omar? <BR/>Finally ...as for my language...I apologize for that...it's just that the weak way our government has acted...compared to other countries...it just makes me so mad..<BR/><BR/>hi Scout!! ...yeah you know I want to believe that the Liberals are better than the Conservatives...and in so many ways they are. But when it comes to dealing with the Bush administration both parties have behaved shamefully.<BR/>I'm proud of our humble Canadian values...and I expect all governments to stand up for them...<BR/><BR/>Hi Red Tory! I certainly am in good company. And I see you have been busy taking care of the problem... :) Excellent!!!<BR/>And thanks for adding me to your blogroll.<BR/>Never mind Werner's award...THAT is a real honour...Simonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15309809679331128837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-9552634870541021372007-08-29T09:55:00.000-04:002007-08-29T09:55:00.000-04:00Congrats on earning the contempt of Werner Patels!...Congrats on earning the contempt of <A HREF="http://www.wernerpatels.com/musings/2007/08/the-dumbest-blo.html" REL="nofollow">Werner Patels</A>! You're in good company. ;) <BR/><BR/>p.s. I added you to my blogroll. Sorry for taking so long to get around to it.Red Toryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00422305796158017027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-5095856507825419162007-08-29T01:47:00.000-04:002007-08-29T01:47:00.000-04:00welcome to canada...with the blinders pulled off. ...welcome to canada...with the blinders pulled off. this is the way it's always been. in the big picture there's very little difference between the cons, glibs and dippers....jack layton won't even recognize indigenous sovereignty. so we have harper the suit clown, dion the wimp and layton the used car salesman....why? because it's the system.<BR/><BR/>if we were to go back in canada's history the rotten deals, lies etc. would reveal a pretty dismal place. oh canada, we're bland and like to pee!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-79389428944483910422007-08-29T01:14:00.000-04:002007-08-29T01:14:00.000-04:00In all honesty, do you know where else Khadr shoul...In all honesty, do you know where <I>else</I> Khadr shouldn't have been?<BR/><BR/>Afghanistan.<BR/><BR/>That being said, the only real objection I would raise to your post is the language. Other than that, there's nothing here that's outside the realm of the perfectly reasonable.<BR/><BR/>It isn't unreasonable to suggest that Khadr could be brought to Canada and tried here. It isn't unreasonable to suggest that an individual who committed his crimes when he was 15 years old shouldn't be tortured.<BR/><BR/>Most of all, let's keep in mind that Khadr was a Canadian citizen as well as a child soldier. Clearly, child soldiers aren't merely an issue in war-torn developing countries -- we may have them here in Canada, too. We should be doing everything we can to identify and demobilize them, so what happened to Khadr can never happen to another Canadian.Patrick Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04592482865332628189noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-83874753551130093222007-08-28T21:19:00.000-04:002007-08-28T21:19:00.000-04:00How about being consistent? If you're going to go ...How about being consistent? If you're going to go on a rant about Guantanamo, what about China's detention and execution, not to mention organ harvesting of Falun Gong members? How about the fact that Cuba still executes homosexuals? <BR/>Khadr is a minor by Canadian standards, but not by Afghani standards. At age 15, in Afghani society, he would have been able to marry, drive, and do all the things that adults have the right to do. Even under our laws, a 15-year old who commits a capital crime like murder can be tried as an adult. Khadr committed an act of terrorism - yes, he was not a member of the Afghani military, so he does not qualify for protection as a soldier under the Geneva convention - he committed an act of terror as a member of an extremist, hate-mongering, NGO called Al-Queda who, if ever gained power, would treat women no better than beasts, and execute gays.<BR/>Not sure why you would want to rally around such a person. And yes, a 15 year old knows what he's doing. At 15, we all knew it was wrong to go blow up somebodyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23253782.post-28080645989134023842007-08-28T11:36:00.000-04:002007-08-28T11:36:00.000-04:00First post here. You were just name checked as th...First post here. You were just name checked as the dumbest blog in Canada by that idiot xenophobe Werner Patels. Keep up the good work!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com