Oh yeah I forgot to get angry about this one

So in the House of Commons the other day, the government had its first debate ever on the subject of Canada's military involvement in Afghanistan.

I longboard over to meet sheila and see some familiar faces on the usual banners and megaphones, and suddenly im getting people to sign a petition, and later we form a circle and make a peace sign. Do the whole candle-light thing listening to the soldiers names who have died so far. The best part really was just turning to a stranger and chatting. Everyone had an idea or so.

Then we go into parliament and witness this 'debate'. This disgusting display of power in theory, talking about its own virtues and legitimizing these assertions because the speaker or someone they sorta knew had gone to Afghanistan twice; once before once after and saw how much better it all was, those lucky women and so forth. Then a member on the conservative side suggested this very debate in the house was providing al-jazeera with material [he said it would be fanned by al jazeera all over the middle east] and as if he stood in the highest civilian house of law and said that a democratic debate is the kind of thing that helps the terrorists and harms democratic citizens.

As if he implied al-jazeera was the mouthpiece of al-quaeda; i'd be more interested in the extent to which al-quaeda and 'the taliban' [whatever that really means] and all of georges other favorite spook words and catch phrases end up in the mouths of Americas media agency. Ironically that non-debate in a democratic society and its media agencies is better for the resolve of the troops than an informal debate a couple years too late in the house of commons with a couple mouthpieces and shame gamers in attendance.

One conservative tried to suggest an NDPers participation in the protests meant that he/she did not support the troops; then the gent interrupts as this speaker in question responds, he wasn't interested in doing anything except maybe making the news that night and squelching the protest a bitty.

pessimism, pessimism, pessimism.

just these old men talking about their theories on how different cultures should be living and enjoying their lives makes me so disgusted at the lack of intellectual honesty in macro politics.

Ignatieff, what has happened to you? I had hopes for you at one point; I believed the rumours I heard that you would come along and be different; be philosophical, intruiging, and wise. Yet instead you have been politicking, boring, and unexceptional. Your speeches are dry and full of imagery and metaphor speak, dualistic thinking, question begging and i find them hard to sit through.

rant rant rant, only because you've seen the junk i've been posting- essays! I've written so much about theoretical widgets.

The bad news comes in cynical little spurts.