War and Peace

I don't have anything to say about Harper's visit to Afghanistan, or even more generally about the place of war in a democratic society, but Tim does and it's worth reading.

Here's a brief quote from Tim's post to whet your appetite (although you're better off ignoring this, clicking the link and just reading his whole piece to begin with),

"For the record, I am anti-war. Very much so. I am also anti-murder, anti-rape and anti-property and livelihood destruction. In general, I vehemently oppose anything that causes mass destruction and death to innocents. I'm funny that way. This doesn't make me a coward, and if the events on the ground in Afghanistan change to the point where I would like our troops to come home, that's not necessarily "cutting and running".

This also does not mean that I don't recognize that war is sometimes the necessary evil for which even the most peaceful society must sometimes be ready. The decision to send our countrymen and women into combat must be one that we take only in extremes, and if your position on going to war is fraught with doubt and moral conflict, that probably shows you've given the issue a lot of thought.

I will not blindly "support the troops" as the right likes to say. I will not, in the face of changing conditions leave them in the lurch, and proudly proclaim I am "supporting the troops." I support the troops whether or not I support the mission in which they are currently deployed. Anyone with more than five brain cells should be able to understand that notion, and anyone who does not is not worth engaging in civilized debate."