tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7101405.post2197661730092881913..comments2023-11-02T07:17:33.658-04:00Comments on The Last Amazon: Leading Horses to Water 2Naftalihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13554950952366823858noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7101405.post-42038509318437776472009-03-04T10:08:00.000-05:002009-03-04T10:08:00.000-05:00I've shaken my head over the past few days of repo...I've shaken my head over the past few days of reports showing past things that Harper said about Afghanistan and his recent remarks on it being unwinable. Why? Because I feel that at the start they really hoped they could make a difference. My mom's cousin was the first killed over there in this conflict (Robert Short) yet other cousins from our family still went over there, they believed in it. As time passed I'm sure they knew it was going to be a lot harder than they first imagined, even probably knew it was pretty much a lost cause for completely 'winning', but kept up hope. Now they are done, tired of it, and don't want to keep sending Canadians over there forever. I don't see what was so wrong about Harper being honest. If he had said years ago that it was unwinable, useless, etc, it could have undermined their attempts to work with the Afghans to at least try to repair their govt and make them stronger against the Taliban/insurgents. It would be like if I was helping a friend through a tough college course, and half way through I said "Well I'm still helping you even though I'm pretty sure you are going to fail the final exam". After saying that, my friend might lose respect for me and not bother with my help at all, or at least be half-hearted about it. <BR/><BR/>Now, after 7+ years, it's time to back away. We could end up over there again someday, but I believe Harper said something about not wanting to commit our soldiers to security over there for an undetermined amount of time (which could mean forever). Our military has already spent a great deal of time over there and away from their families. I respect his decision to start bringing them home, and I understand why the govt did not air their inner beliefs that it was actually a lost cause.KGouldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05537080163900313558noreply@blogger.com