Afghanistan Gets a Constitution
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From: Detroit Subs
Originally posted by Waxy
Do you think that a child will actually learn math, and value the skill, unless he has a desire, or feels the need to do so? Do you believe you can teach by force? I don't. In fact, I think using force prohibits any meaningful education by creating a defensive/ rebellious attitude in the pupil.
You've obviously never attended a Parochial School, have you?
I don't question the desire of many, likely most, Afghanis to form a free and democratic society, IN SOME FORM OR ANTOHER. The problem is, if they feel that the system in place is not of their own choosing, and if it is not favoured by a large majority, it will make maintaining it nearly impossible when the guns leave.
Only time will tell, won't it?
If memory serves, it wasn't that long ago that you were agruing in favour of letting other countries find their own way in terms of their economies and gov'ts, stating that "no one gave the USA a helping hand". I believe we should help Afghanistan, but do it in a passive manner, help them to help themselves so to speak. Take no initiative until the general populace has done so first. Perhaps that is what we're doing, I just don't get that read on it.
I don't believe that I can claim the "no one gave the USA a helping hand" comment, mostly because I know better than that. We DID have help, the French, when they were still a powerful nation. And I do believe in NOT imposing our Labor Laws on others. That slightly different from liberating an oppressed people. And we are helping them to help themselves. We have already trained something like 7000 troops to help them help themselves.
You wrote:
I've learned to expect such comments from you JP. I only posted that in response to the cheap shot about only one of our two countries 'doing anything' in the area. Though I will admit I was more focused on the Afghanistan situation rather than Iraq, being as how that was the topic of the thread.
My comment doesn't say what you have read into it. Nowhere did I say that the US was the ONLY country doing anything in the area. I'm well aware of Canada's huge role in Afghanistan. What I said was that only one of our countries had a couple of hundred thousand reasons for Afghanistan to not backslide. IIRC, Canada doesn't have 200k soldiers in the region, but the US does.
You wrote:
Wonderfully flippant, but it didn't address the question in any way.
I believe it WAS an answer. I have no way of knowing the future; we'll have to wait.
you wrote:
I guess it does. I was basing my comments on internet articles and one in the Calgary Herald. Unfortunately, I don't have links.
Now, here's a "wonderfully flippant" response: Maybe you need to find a "real" news source and not a daily fish wrapper.
Do you think that a child will actually learn math, and value the skill, unless he has a desire, or feels the need to do so? Do you believe you can teach by force? I don't. In fact, I think using force prohibits any meaningful education by creating a defensive/ rebellious attitude in the pupil.
You've obviously never attended a Parochial School, have you?
I don't question the desire of many, likely most, Afghanis to form a free and democratic society, IN SOME FORM OR ANTOHER. The problem is, if they feel that the system in place is not of their own choosing, and if it is not favoured by a large majority, it will make maintaining it nearly impossible when the guns leave.
Only time will tell, won't it?
If memory serves, it wasn't that long ago that you were agruing in favour of letting other countries find their own way in terms of their economies and gov'ts, stating that "no one gave the USA a helping hand". I believe we should help Afghanistan, but do it in a passive manner, help them to help themselves so to speak. Take no initiative until the general populace has done so first. Perhaps that is what we're doing, I just don't get that read on it.
I don't believe that I can claim the "no one gave the USA a helping hand" comment, mostly because I know better than that. We DID have help, the French, when they were still a powerful nation. And I do believe in NOT imposing our Labor Laws on others. That slightly different from liberating an oppressed people. And we are helping them to help themselves. We have already trained something like 7000 troops to help them help themselves.
You wrote:
2. It's just paper- At this point, I don't think it's workable, let alone actually working. All reports I've heard indicate that other than US strongholds in Kabul and surrounding area, the country has returned to warlord rule and Islamic fundamentalism. Neither of which jive with a democratic constitution. It's one thing to have a piece of paper, it's another to have a populace that believes in and RESPECTS the ideals written down on that piece of paper and a means to carry it out.
To which, I responded:
Good thing that one of our two countries still has a couple of hundred thousand reasons in the region for Afghanistan to NOT backslide.
To which, I responded:
Good thing that one of our two countries still has a couple of hundred thousand reasons in the region for Afghanistan to NOT backslide.
I've learned to expect such comments from you JP. I only posted that in response to the cheap shot about only one of our two countries 'doing anything' in the area. Though I will admit I was more focused on the Afghanistan situation rather than Iraq, being as how that was the topic of the thread.
My comment doesn't say what you have read into it. Nowhere did I say that the US was the ONLY country doing anything in the area. I'm well aware of Canada's huge role in Afghanistan. What I said was that only one of our countries had a couple of hundred thousand reasons for Afghanistan to not backslide. IIRC, Canada doesn't have 200k soldiers in the region, but the US does.
You wrote:
On the point, is democracy, and the proposed constitution, AT THE POINT OF A GUN, truely democracy and a constitution?
Which I replied:
Only time will tell. My crystal ball's malfunctioning today, sorry.
Which I replied:
Only time will tell. My crystal ball's malfunctioning today, sorry.
Wonderfully flippant, but it didn't address the question in any way.
I believe it WAS an answer. I have no way of knowing the future; we'll have to wait.
you wrote:
It's also my understanding that the US/Coalition has largely given up on the fight against these warloards (due in large part to a shift of focus), and that the country has returned to widespread opium harvesting and remains hospitable to the terrorist element in large amounts of its territory.
I replied:
I guess it depends on where you get your news. From what I've read, the opposiite is true.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...us_040127155955
I replied:
I guess it depends on where you get your news. From what I've read, the opposiite is true.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...us_040127155955
I guess it does. I was basing my comments on internet articles and one in the Calgary Herald. Unfortunately, I don't have links.
Now, here's a "wonderfully flippant" response: Maybe you need to find a "real" news source and not a daily fish wrapper.
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Joined: Feb 2002
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From: Calgary Canada
Not really flippant per se. I'm not really sure what that comment was, slightly arrogant perhaps, maybe a little insulting? The only thing I am sure of is that it wasn't real funny. I take it by that comment that a "real" news source prints only the same 'facts' with the same 'spin' that you consider correct.
As for democracy at gun point, that was hypothetical question, though I maybe could have worded it better. IMHO, it's completely independent of the Afghan situation, so your response wasn't an answer at all.
Waxy
As for democracy at gun point, that was hypothetical question, though I maybe could have worded it better. IMHO, it's completely independent of the Afghan situation, so your response wasn't an answer at all.
Waxy
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