What are we fighting for?

The list of young Canadians being sent home in bodybags from Afghanistan is growing daily.

At press time, 66 Canadians have been killed in Afghanistan by Taliban insurgents, 'friendly fire' and roadside bombers. Opposition parties are calling for the withdrawal of troops by 2009 and the NDP, along with the majority of Canadians, are demanding an immediate withdrawal.

Regardless of public opinion, Canadian soldiers deserve the utmost respect. What’s questionable is the reason we are fighting in a country that has been at war for years. Even Alexander the Great, the cleverest strategist of all time, could not defeat armies in Afghanistan. Why would we think that even with today's high-tech weaponry Canada stands a chance of ridding the world of hate-filled extremists?

Those who try and compare the current 'war' to what our countrymen endured during WWI and WWII haven’t studied their history. The Great Wars were fought to preserve our freedom by preventing the Nazis from taking over the world with their vision of a Third Reich through ethnic cleansing.

Sadly, when most soldiers returned from fighting in Europe, they were left largely on their own to fend for themselves. Too many young men returned from war broken and addicted to drugs or alcohol while facing public disdain for their behavioural problems.

It was only recently that this country even recognized the massive contribution the merchant marines made to the war effort during WWII. What few brave old sailors were still alive received a medal and a pat on the back from a government shamed into the act.

Major General Lewis Mackenzie withdrew his support recently for an open-ended commitment from our troops in favour of a withdrawal as soon as possible. Mackenzie said he would not support any commitment beyond the proposed withdrawal set for February 2009.

Is Mackenzie weak? Quite the contrary. He’s a man who doesn’t mince words, and knows Canada has already done substantially more than other nations involved in the Afghan insanity.

Stephen Harper, in typical Tory fashion, touts this American-style war strategy as our 'finest hour' and uses it as a political tool at every chance. When Harper banned media from covering the return of fallen comrades, he did so not to protect the families of the deceased, but to keep the cruel reality of death during war well away from the cameras and the voting public.

The recent about-face by current Chief of Defence General Rick Hillier reflects public opinion. Even Hillier knows when enough is enough. Harper's Bush-like stance to not 'cut and run' has played out badly for his beleaguered government as Canadians realize the futility of this conflict.

Canada isn’t America, and if there’s one thing wily Jean Chretien did to save this country, it was to keep us away from Iraq and the warmongers intent on its obliteration.

This country has learned a valuable lesson. We know our limits and we don't have the destruction of the cradle of civilization on our national conscience. The troops need to come home in February ’09 and leave the madness for the little man from Texas.