There are threads-o-plenty for Hamas/Hezbollah debate. Lets stick to Mr. Ruxpins intent.
Boy, and I thought the Ex-Charging Bison thread drew out a bunch. :
I cannot get my head around anyone who is saying that Layton and Mr. Harper are cut from the same cloth? ??? I can understand being cynical with all government, but the two individuals are at two ends of a spectrum.
Layton is using fear mongering tactics for no other reason than to play up to what he perceives as Canadians lack of fortitude for a shooting war. In doing so, he can try to discredit Mr. Harper's government and thus try to rob a few seats away from the Lieberals next time around. It is that simple. Self serving, BS politics. Where he is running into trouble is that he is dead wrong, but if he backs down now he looks like an even bigger tool. He had his opportunity to bow out gracefully when Pres. Karzai was here. He could have had a big "I've seen the light" revelation, then still tried to get in his two cents. But he appears to be sticking to his rhetoric just for the sheer pettiness of it. Which is all well and good, if you are arguing about GST or health care. Snipe away.
But Layton is playing with peoples lives. At the best of times, the Taliban and Al Qaeda are focused zealots who are willing to die for what they believe in. They view us as weak, decadent and sub human. As such, they are probably somewhat baffled that we have the resolve that we do. So now we have a "leader" that routinely gets on the television and is going on at length about wanting us to pull out. Does he thing that doesn't get back to them? So any moral erosion that the soldiers over there have caused the Taliban gets shot to crap. Now, all they have to do is hang in there and keep trying, since one idiot mouth continues to advocate our withdrawl like it is a foregone conclusion. Now, all they need to do is throw out the odd reminder to the citizens that "Hey, we are still here, and we can reach out and touch you whenever we want. And when the infidels are gone, you are gonna get it
so much worse than before". Thanks Jack. No doubt your flagging career is more important than our soldiers lives.
But we have hung in, and we do continue to stand up to them. It is that demonstrated fortitude that has gotten us local cooperation and paved the way for some decisive victories. The Afghan people respect strength and conviction. If we pull out now, not only do we tell the Taliban that killing westerners is a good way to get them to leave, we will also be telling Joe and Jane Afghanistan "good luck, it was fun while it lasted". So do you really think these people will get too ramped up when a terrorist camp opens up next door to go after westerners? Terrorists have money to buy supplies and patronize the local economy. The Afghans need to make a living just like anyone else does, and they don't have the luxury that we do to take time to be morally righteous.
Layton knows damn well that we are not going anywhere. He also knows that it would be a human rights disaster if we left, and likely in reality doesn't want it to happen. However, it is the only thing he can pick at with Mr. Harper's government since things are going so well.
I might suggest that history will remember Ojacka Bin Layton the same way as Neville Chamberlain; a weak appeaser that lacked the moral fibre to do what had to be done. But that would be entertaining the idea that he will be remembered in history, and I just don't think that will be the case.
(I can't take credit for the picture. It came from another thread)
Layton showed me his attitude towards our military past and present when I watched him at the national ceremonies commemorating the end of WW2 held in 2005. The other political leaders picked up the wreath they were to lay and did so with some pride and reverence. Layton had a cadet carry it up to the cenotaph and looked like he was picking up some dirty diaper when he did take it to lay it. 
