Liberals furious over Harper's Taliban remarks
- Thread starter darmil
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Mr. Campbell, I have to say I agree with your sentiments.
PM Harper does appear to see the CF as a tool and IMHO, that is exactly the difference between this current Conservative gov't and past gov'ts (of both stripes). For the Liberals in the 90's, we were a last resort. The only times we were used were due to pressures from our allies and the UN.
The PM's position appears to be that Canada has a proper place on the world stage and we (the country) will use all of the tools available to us in order to hold (or reattain) that position. The Liberals held that ground from a moral stand point (soft power my butt!!), where the Conservatives attain it from a practical stand point.
PM Harper does appear to see the CF as a tool and IMHO, that is exactly the difference between this current Conservative gov't and past gov'ts (of both stripes). For the Liberals in the 90's, we were a last resort. The only times we were used were due to pressures from our allies and the UN.
The PM's position appears to be that Canada has a proper place on the world stage and we (the country) will use all of the tools available to us in order to hold (or reattain) that position. The Liberals held that ground from a moral stand point (soft power my butt!!), where the Conservatives attain it from a practical stand point.
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Well, Gimpy, being as you asked...
I have thirty-four years of service and a long memory. I remember the Lieberals before Mulroney, I remember Mulroney, and I remember the Lieberals after Mulroney.
I remember the huge boost to our collective morale when the Mulroney PCs won their first election, the elation, and the rejoicing, at seeing the Lieberals slung out. I remember the heady years of the White Paper. I still think of Perrin Beatty as our best MND in my time in, based largely on chatting with him in the Mess on two of his visits to Lahr in the lead-up period to that. I also remember it's gutting in 1989, and the resulting feeling of disappointment and betrayal.
While I still, almost two decades later, harbour considerable bitterness as a result of that (and the "new" environmental uniforms, and Kim Campbell's disgusting firearms legislation), we were still better off at the end of the Mulroney years than we were at the end of the Chretien/Martin years.
As far as that deficit's concerned, I seem to recall that our national debt was spawned and nurtured in the Trudeau years, and Mulroney inherited it. There were two components to it: the overspending, and the interest payments on the money borrowed to feed that overspending. The Mulroney government managed to bring the former under control, but the latter remained a problem due to the size of the debt and the high interest rates at the time (my mortgage rate back then was twice what it is now).
Paul Martin increased taxes and raided EI and OUR PENSION FUND in order to eliminate the remaining interest portion of the deficit. At the same time, government spending continued to increase - and the worst aspect of that was that untold billions went into asinine black holes like the firearms programme, $1.3B to buy no helicopters, HRDC scandal, and various unaccountable slush funds. In the meantime, the RCMP and CF starved. Recovery will take years.
I am watching this government closely. I am less than completely happy with it, but it is far, far, far better than our last one.
What truly amazes me is that anybody is willing to admit being a Lieberal.
I have thirty-four years of service and a long memory. I remember the Lieberals before Mulroney, I remember Mulroney, and I remember the Lieberals after Mulroney.
I remember the huge boost to our collective morale when the Mulroney PCs won their first election, the elation, and the rejoicing, at seeing the Lieberals slung out. I remember the heady years of the White Paper. I still think of Perrin Beatty as our best MND in my time in, based largely on chatting with him in the Mess on two of his visits to Lahr in the lead-up period to that. I also remember it's gutting in 1989, and the resulting feeling of disappointment and betrayal.
While I still, almost two decades later, harbour considerable bitterness as a result of that (and the "new" environmental uniforms, and Kim Campbell's disgusting firearms legislation), we were still better off at the end of the Mulroney years than we were at the end of the Chretien/Martin years.
As far as that deficit's concerned, I seem to recall that our national debt was spawned and nurtured in the Trudeau years, and Mulroney inherited it. There were two components to it: the overspending, and the interest payments on the money borrowed to feed that overspending. The Mulroney government managed to bring the former under control, but the latter remained a problem due to the size of the debt and the high interest rates at the time (my mortgage rate back then was twice what it is now).
Paul Martin increased taxes and raided EI and OUR PENSION FUND in order to eliminate the remaining interest portion of the deficit. At the same time, government spending continued to increase - and the worst aspect of that was that untold billions went into asinine black holes like the firearms programme, $1.3B to buy no helicopters, HRDC scandal, and various unaccountable slush funds. In the meantime, the RCMP and CF starved. Recovery will take years.
I am watching this government closely. I am less than completely happy with it, but it is far, far, far better than our last one.
What truly amazes me is that anybody is willing to admit being a Lieberal.
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Gimpy said:
Well for just being introduced to the Political Scene, you seem to have all the answers, especially your knowledge of Military Strategies. IMO, Liberalism started going down hill since they had leaders who,
1. Ruled with a big Stick (regardless of Public Opinion or concern).
2. Talked out of the Corner of his Mouth (and not from any psychical affliction)
3. Who couldn't talk at all (wether he knew anything or not).
4. And one who is talking or blowing in the wind (that's if the Wind doesn't blow him away first).
Admittedly and Sadly enough, its taken me 50 years to figure this out, I wish you better luck.
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