Thursday, March 22, 2007

Taliban Dion

Well the pejorative "Taliban Jack", used by Blogging Tories against the NDP leader for the principled opposition he and the party has to the war in Afghanistan is now being used by Harper against Dion and the Liberals.


Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence has provided a clear explanation to the House of Commons. As the member knows, this government was at the time operating under an agreement signed by the previous government. We have since entered into a new arrangement with the Independent Afghan Human Rights Commission.

I can understand the passion that the Leader of the Opposition and members of his party feel for Taliban prisoners. I just wish occasionally they would show the same passion for Canadian soldiers.



Of course truth is the first victim of war. In this case the principle of innocent until proven guilty is also abandoned. How does the government know these prisoners are Taliban, since they are Pashtun villagers arrested in the war zone?

Nor do they have any information about them since they handed them over to the Afghanistan government with no proper follow up procedures.

Top military officers off base on detainee file

Which was the whole point of the oppositions demand that the lying, incompetent Defense Minister resign.


And predictably the Blogging Tories are all cheering the PM's slander. The progressive blogosphere is all a buzz about the latest over the top comment from the PM. Why the surprise he is an autarch not a statesman.

See

O'Connor

Afghanistan



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4 comments:

susansmith said...

Eugene, I note the outrage by Lib bloggers of Dion being labeled as "Taliban Dion". It is admirable that they do a full court press in defence of his political and personal integrity, and despicable smear by the Harper himself and his con forces.
And yet, I see some these same outraged lib bloggers who have in the past had no problems with doing additional drive-by smearings by labeling Layton as "Taliban Jack". Or some others, remaining silent,didn't even bother to muster up a small reprimand or wee compaign for Jack, a progrressive, as a person also deserving of respect. Thus, I want to say - so - what's the problem here? Why can't I seem to muster up all that outrage of the latest smear by Harper and his mean harperites towards Dion?
I know that sounds harsh, but might it not be time for reflection by lib bloggers who profess progressive tendencies, to know what it is like when the shoe, so to speak, is on the other foot? How does that feel, when your genuine questions and concerns get off-sided by utter distortion and reframed so that the critical questions never get asked or concerned actually debated? It wasn't right when that happen to Jack and it is wrong when it is happening to Dion.
So to all those lib bloggers who have called Jack Layton, Taliban Jack, how about blogging about how that was wrong. To lib bloggers, how about including defending the defaming of Jack Layton with the same monkeyed label. Than we are all progressives together, and actually walk and talk that walk. Is that too much to ask or do you speak out of both sides of your mouths?

EUGENE PLAWIUK said...

Well said.

susansmith said...

Eugene, I was having problems this am going to the prog site and vote on this. when I just looked for it, it wasn't there anymore. Want to run it again. I'll vote for sure. This needs to be said.

EUGENE PLAWIUK said...

Yes I was having problems for an hour as well then it appeared again. Now it is the afternoon and it has disappeared again.