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Afghanistan: Debacle in the Making

Afghanistan: Debacle in the Making

DOBBIN: In order to sell Canadians on our war-fighting mission in Afghanistan, the Harper government resorts to using language that reduces the debate to an adolescent level. By constantly repeating phrases like "we can't cut and run" and we won't leave "until the job is done," or "we have to support our troops" or we "can't let the terrorists win" Harper hopes to frame the debate so that nothing substantive ever gets discussed. These are the kind of arguments you find amongst adolescent boys fighting in schoolyards: too immature and too driven by their testosterone to actually think straight about the consequences of their actions.

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In This Series

Harper's Taste for War

Harper's Taste for War

PM's pride tied to military muscle, U.S. approval.

Murray Dobbin / 25 Sep 2006


How the West Destroyed Afghanistan

How the West Destroyed Afghanistan

History got us into this mess. Can it get us out?

Murray Dobbin / 3 Oct 2006


Operation Backfire

Operation Backfire

Our soldiers are making enemies of those they are supposed to be helping.

Murray Dobbin / 16 Oct 2006