May we hope that these planes will be more accurate in their aim, so that fewer Afghan civilians will be killed or injured?
Showing posts with label war. Show all posts
Showing posts with label war. Show all posts
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Who Benefits?
All evidence suggests Canada is wasting lives and money but achieving nothing for the people of Afghanistan, by having our troops in their country. Our Conservative government's Department of National Defence is about to spend $9-16 billion on 65 "modern" aircraft - like the ones used by the Americans, who also build them!
May we hope that these planes will be more accurate in their aim, so that fewer Afghan civilians will be killed or injured?
May we hope that these planes will be more accurate in their aim, so that fewer Afghan civilians will be killed or injured?
Sunday, February 28, 2010
It's All Marketing
In Gore Vidal's 2002 book, "Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace," he has twenty pages where he lists conflicts with U.S. Forces Involved, starting with The Berlin Airlift in 1948 and ending with Determined Force in Kosovo, 1999. The list includes clashes in every part of the globe, including Counterdrug Operations which notes action in a few US states, as well as other countries.
What makes this section fascinating is the extraordinary names assigned to the operations.
Some terms which recur are: Hope, Guard, Guardian, Determined, Decisive and Deliberate. Marketing military attacks requires imagination. Here are just a few examples - some are quite interesting: Operation Tailwind, Laos (1970); Operation Pocket Money, North Vietnam (1972); Eastern Exit (1991) Provide Relief (1992), Restore Hope (1993) all in Somalia. I believe the Pirates won those! Since 2000, Vidal could add quite a few big ones to the list. However, if you wish to read the other 19 pages from Vidal's book, you'll have to visit the library!
What makes this section fascinating is the extraordinary names assigned to the operations.
Some terms which recur are: Hope, Guard, Guardian, Determined, Decisive and Deliberate. Marketing military attacks requires imagination. Here are just a few examples - some are quite interesting: Operation Tailwind, Laos (1970); Operation Pocket Money, North Vietnam (1972); Eastern Exit (1991) Provide Relief (1992), Restore Hope (1993) all in Somalia. I believe the Pirates won those! Since 2000, Vidal could add quite a few big ones to the list. However, if you wish to read the other 19 pages from Vidal's book, you'll have to visit the library!
Operation Freedom!
Shame Byron died so early. His reputation rests, alas, upon his physical prowess and poetry but he had much to offer us in political guidance, as the following stanza proves:
When a man hath no freedom to fight for at home,
Let him combat for that of his neighbours;
Let him think of the glories of Greece and of Rome,
And get knocked on his head for his labours.
To do good to mankind is the chivalrous plan,
And is always as nobly requited,
Then battle for freedom wherever you can,
And, if not shot or hanged, you'll get knighted.
When a man hath no freedom to fight for at home,
Let him combat for that of his neighbours;
Let him think of the glories of Greece and of Rome,
And get knocked on his head for his labours.
To do good to mankind is the chivalrous plan,
And is always as nobly requited,
Then battle for freedom wherever you can,
And, if not shot or hanged, you'll get knighted.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
