Pro-war propaganda has left its mark on Canada
Re: Corrupt warlords rule Afghanistan by Gwynne Dyer Aug.20-26 2009.
Bravo Gwynne Dyer! Your article confirms that this Afghan presidential election has been an eye-opener for the public and has caused it to ask “What are we fighting for?” Bribery drugs blackmail corruption warlords and war criminals seem to be the answer.
When a country is under the thumb of foreign powers looking out for their own interests we can’t expect anything else. After eight years of NATO-U.S. occupation we see a country running on the opium trade foreign handouts and a successful insurgency that has American generals calling for more troops every week to quell the uprising.
When Canada embarked on the road of war in Afghanistan it forgot how to contribute to building peace except through brute firepower. Even if we live up to our promise to depart in 2011 it will take a long time to heal the damage this war has done to our foreign policy and to our national psyche. Years of pro-war propaganda from our government and media have left their mark.
George Melnyk
University of Calgary
