Third Way Camp Grows

War or appeasement is the rhetoric on the right. But there is a third way, as NATO members are showing by their reluctance to pony up in Afghanistan. They are voting with their feet. Cold feet indeed, over Bush/Blair/Harper/Howards hot wars in the Middle East and Afghanistan.

What is the third way? NATO defines a new mission. One that is about diplomacy and development, which are the real keys to security. And self reliance. Actual training of security forces that are indidgenous to the conflict regions. Hey I am not saying this a British Lord is..... A Conservative British Lord.

That third way is what Jack, Alexa and the NDP are advocating, ironic eh.


Bush creating a more dangerous world

It may now be time to start pulling together a new partnership of like-minded nations to whom an America that has patently lost its way might at last listen. Nations such as India, Japan, Australia, Canada, and some from "New Europe," such as Poland, the Czech Republic and the lively Baltic three, come to mind.

There are undoubtedly plenty of countries that are by no means anti-American but are prepared to speak with candor and force to the present administration in Washington, to urge a change of strategy and direction -- not to appease terror and extremism but to encourage skilled and firm diplomatic engagement with every state, including Syria and Iran, which in the end are just as much threatened by nonstate terror and anarchy as anybody else.

This would be a big step out of the present morass. But will it be taken? Both Blair and Bush are irredeemably committed to the existing path, with its immensely damaging consequences for the interests of both the U.S. and its chief allies. A fresh start of this kind is probably not on the cards until both these figures leave the stage.

Only then will there be a chance to bring to an end this dismal period of folly since that dreadful morning that changed the world five years ago.

David Howell is a former British Cabinet minister and former chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. He is now a member of the House of Lords

Also See:

Conservative Leader Blasts Bush

Afghanistan

Iraq





Find blog posts, photos, events and more off-site about:
Canada, Nukes, Pakistan, Taliban, Balochistan, Harper, Bush, Afghanistan, nuclear, nuclearfuel
NDP, liberals, Afghanistan, PB, BT, Canada, Progressivebloggers, bloggingtories, blogs, blogging, bringthetroopshome, Layton,NDP, Layton, TroopsOut, Afghanistan, War, Harper, Conservatives, Liberals, Canada, politics, military, NATO, peacekeeping, Karzai, NDP, liberals, Afghanistan, PB, BT, Canada, Progressivebloggers, bloggingtories, blogs, blogging, bringthetroopshome, Layton,NDP, Layton, TroopsOut, Afghanistan, War, Harper, Conservatives, Liberals, Canada, politics, military, NATO, peacekeeping, Karzai, Graham, Liberals, Canada, Soldiers, Death, Injury, Afghanistan, Government, Politics, values, Men, mysogyny, women, Afghanistan, Canada, Harper, war, Taliban, Kabul, Karzai, Islam, fatewha, girls, school,

Tags
Canada
USA
War
Friendly Fire
Canadian Troops
Afghanistan
Kandahar