doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Are these liberals you guys talking about?

On BMD, jack, the ground stations are going in. It's the triangulation or "fudging" of saying one thing while doing another; it keeps the country together. The conscription crises of balancing our English-French cultures and interests are examples of political skills and diplomacy which Canada used successfully on the world stage---and not incidental is our federation as a much-examined multicultural model. Turning thumbs-down to Iraq put strains on our friendship but talking straight is what friends do.

If that's meant as a joke, it's a sad one.


When has the UN gotten down to 'real business'? When eight thousand civilians were slaughtered in the 'UN Safe Haven' at Srebrenica while blue-helmeted soldiers stood by without firing a shot? Or when they withheld authorization for UNAMIR's Canadian troops to intervene in Rwanda to stop the ethnic cleansing of hundreds of thousands? Or when Saddam Hussein thumbed his nose at 16 toothless Security Council resolutions? Or when a Canadian UN observer was killed in Lebanon because Hezbollah was using his UN post as a shield from IDF attacks? Or when the UN pulled out of Baghdad at the first sign of trouble? I've seen your blue-helmeted Canadian boys in Haiti, King, sitting cool but helpless in their white air-conditioned SUVs while the nation crumbles around them. Now deaths in Darfur are mounting at wholesale rates while the UN dithers with "diplomatic efforts."

How many tens of thousands more will die under the frozen gaze of blue-helmeted troops before the UN "gets down to real business"? Canada has contributed many good soldiers to UN 'peace-keeping' missions around the world, and they are not to blame for the UN's limp and pathetic performances. But sadly, the UN has never come close to the promise the world once hoped for. World consensus is a laudable dream, but the UN track record so far suggests that "going it alone" may be the only alternative to going nowhere.

My memory might be faulty, but has the UN done ANYTHING significant in a situation where trigger pulling might be necessary, since the Korean War?

Jack, re UN it seems better than any of the alternatives bruited these days for Iraq. Agree with all you've said about the UN but does that mean it must remain that way? And if not the UN, who? There's no purely military solution. All these things end with jaw-jaw.

Given the UN's military record, I would be ashamed to be seen wearing their blue helmet. And they haven't done any better with diplomacy. With no real prospect for change at the UN, there is no hope for their future.

Iraq's fate will be decided between the US, the Arab states, Iran, and possibly Turkey. Thousands more will die in another bout or two of ethnic cleansing, while the UN stands by and wrings its collective hands. The Security Council will pass a resolution, and no one will notice.

Aside from a few good works by its humanitarian agencies, the UN is an abject failure. Too bad - it was a nice idea.

Larry, Jack, you guys got the UN all wrong. They are changing their ways. What better than to put the most evil, despotic nations in charge of instilling democracy everywhere. In addition, they have by General Assembly vote assigned Zimbabwe to head the Committee for Sustainable Development. I suppose they did this because Zim has 6000% inflation over the past few years.

Larry, Jack, you have to learn to TRUST the UN like our leading DIMOCRAPs have done.

Pete, I trust the UN to never deploy troops unless peace is already established--guess that's why they're called "peacekeepers". Then they'll either stand by and do nothing, or else pull out, if the real shooting starts again.

Larry - you left out one of their significant military functions. In Lebanon, the UN set up observation posts that made convenient shields for Hezbollah rocket launchers. That's how the blue helmets suffered one of their rare casualties - IDF fighters bombed a Hezbollah position and a nearby Canadian UN observer was killed.

Rumor has it that as Hezbollah plans their next attack on Israel, they're asking the UN for more observation posts.

Guys, another great UN example is voting Lybia to head the Human Rights Commission. I tell ya, you got them all wrong. You gotta believe in the UN and the Dimocraps.

Hey Pete,
Do you have lots of friends with politics a little different from yours?
Jake