At the recent NATO Conference in Chicage our prime minister, Stephen Harper, said firmly and clearly that while Canada will continue to provide financial aid to Afghanistan, our military mission is over. While my initial reaction is "thank God" I am also deeply saddened by that decade in which158 and women lost their lives, and more than 2000 others were injured. Some of them will struggle to live meaningful lives as a result of psychological and physical disabilities.
Billions of dollars were spent on the war which most now agree didn't accomplish much. Even the much ballyhooed assassination of Osama Bin Laden happened near the end of that decade and in another country.
Jeffrey Simpson of the Globe and Mail said it much better than I can and I encourage you to read the article. What I can offer is my reflection that the intense emotions connected to both war and religion can easily become confused, and religion can be coopted to support war out of the best of intentions. After all they both extoll unselfish behaviour and the willingness to sacrifice for a greater good. The trouble is that that "good" can often become obscured.
Again it is important to be grateful for the bravery and sacrificial service of our military personnel. We can pray for a new order in Afghanistan despite our cynicism about what has existed there for centuries.
What are your thoughts in light of Prime Minister Harper's announcement?
3 comments:
I am grateful it's over, and I really think you've said it all in this particular posting. Well done.
Ditto, Ian
I hope it's all over...but with those words coming from Harper, I don't really feel reassured.
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