The difference between perception and reality

[thanks4thefish]

For those of you that missed it, NATO reported yesterday that recently completed Operation Medusa, which involved the Canadian-led NATO force driving Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters out of the Punjwai area near Kandahar, and which claimed 5 Canadian lives resulted in 1,000 to 1,500 Taliban casualtiesNATO emphasized that the Taliban have not been

Comments

[rogula]

I wish the media would cover other events, like rebuilding schools, roads.

Cover the fact that Afghanistan is recieving hundreds of millions of dolars in foriegn aid to rebuild. Cover the medical aid being given to Afghan people.

Not just flash a headline "Another Canadian dead" or "1500 Taliban killed".

[thanks4thefish]

Funny, I was just listening to an news item on CBC news about a member of the public who is trying to find out how the aid money for Afghanistan is being spent, but apparently he can't because the money was funnelled through the World Bank, which doesn't have to give consent to release the info under the Access to Information Act.

The ironic thing is that stories about school construction and the like would probably make Canadians as a whole feel much better about the mission; far closer to what the public thinks of as our traditional role in these situations.

[dubhagan]

Very well said.

[thanks4thefish]

I wasn't saying anything of the sort. My point is that it's important to realize the ways in which media coverage impacts our perspective.

[thanks4thefish]

They are ways of honouring fallen soldiers that, as you point out, don't have to involve sensationalism. I'm saying I'm less critical of Harper than I was before in his feeling that seeing every step of every fallen soldier being laid to rest receive wall to wall coverage skews the perception of what is happening in this conflict.

[emptymotel]

Does anybody pay respect to fallen Taliban fighters? God, I felt sick to my sotmich when I read that headline. That a country where I live is responsible for killing all those people...unforgivable.

[sun_tzu]

What respect is to be paid to people who fight for an organization that threatens to kill teachers for having the audacity to let girls attend school. Why should we mourn people who burn down medical clinics? Why should we feel any remorse for dispatching people who use suicide bombers that kill Afghan children? Every single dead Taliban fighter is one less individual who is a threat not only to our soldiers, but to the people of Afghanistan who want to see their country move forward. There's not a tear worth shedding for them.

[emptymotel]

they are still humans and deserve utmost respect. The man whose name you use would acknowledge that.

[sun_tzu]

I'm not sure how Sun Tzu would regard the Taliban, actually. I'm interested in finding out though, nothing in my recollection of the Art of War really covers it.

The Taliban have some right to be afforded burial in accordance with their custom, which they are given, after all the clashes lately NATO forces have allowed other fighters to retrieve their bodies. That's what they should be afforded, as a degree of humanity. Canadians (and no one else) have no obligation to afford them them any other comfort. I have no remorse for my countrymen killing them.

I can't imagine how you could feel sick to your stomach over the deaths of these people. I can't imagine how it's impacting my brethren who are the ones doing the job, but I do know that they know they're doing it for good reason, we owe it to the people of Afghanistan to do what's necessary to provide them with a safe place to live as they choose.

[_social_retard_]

I'd like to point out that I read in the BBC that Canadians are more likly to die than other troops in afganistan, or something allong those lines.. Ig uess I should go find that link..

[sun_tzu]

That was some study put out by some left-leaning think tank that's not really all that meaningful. The operations Canadian soldiers were engaged with in Pashmul/Panjwaii (where, incidently, the PRT is now setting up medical clinics in villages) were big fights, and casualties happen.

[_social_retard_]

Well Im not surprised by casualties, but i find it interesting to know that thies operations are considered (at least by this left leaning think tank) to be rather high risk.

[sun_tzu]

You mean, exactly like the Martin government and the CDS suggested they might be back when the operational focus shifted to southern Afghanistan?