Comments on: CDPI Response to the Manley Report http://www.departmentofpeace.ca/2008/02/cdpi-response-to-manley-report/ News from the Campaign to Establish a Canadian Department of Peace Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:13:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Janet Ritch (Dr.) http://www.departmentofpeace.ca/2008/02/cdpi-response-to-manley-report/comment-page-1/#comment-13030 Janet Ritch (Dr.) Sat, 29 Mar 2008 18:31:06 +0000 http://www.departmentofpeace.ca/news/2008/02/15/cdpi-response-to-the-manley-report/#comment-13030 Dr. Preston, Thank you for this critical view of the Manley Report, which John Manley himself fears will be ignored. Our leaders have already extended our commitment in Afghanistan until 2011, without fulfilling all the pre-requisites demanded by this report. I myself fear that parallels with the U.S. role in Vietnam are worrisome and that we cannot trust our current leaders to control our armed forces (whose mandate now is war, not peace) and to begin a process of withdrawal. In 2010, they will vote again to extend our commitment, because they are not working on any alternative - as far as the general public can see. After the recent series on the Taliban by Graeme Smith in the Globe and Mail, the Talbian may have acquired a human face for some of us. A campaign to educate them would help greatly to ease tensions, as well as diplomacy. We could barter their peace and reconstruction with our withdrawal. I suggested this to Bob Rae in the recent by-election. He said, "it is too early" (to start treating the Taliban as human beings, however lost in despair?). Never too early - I say. Your statement above begins with an optimistic assertion that we in Canada are united in the goal of peace. I am afraid that is not true and gives a false impression on the website for those who read no further than the front page. Thank you, Dr. Janet Ritch Dr. Preston,
Thank you for this critical view of the Manley Report, which John Manley himself fears will be ignored. Our leaders have already extended our commitment in Afghanistan until 2011, without fulfilling all the pre-requisites demanded by this report.

I myself fear that parallels with the U.S. role in Vietnam are worrisome and that we cannot trust our current leaders to control our armed forces (whose mandate now is war, not peace) and to begin a process of withdrawal. In 2010, they will vote again to extend our commitment, because they are not working on any alternative – as far as the general public can see.

After the recent series on the Taliban by Graeme Smith in the Globe and Mail, the Talbian may have acquired a human face for some of us. A campaign to educate them would help greatly to ease tensions, as well as diplomacy. We could barter their peace and reconstruction with our withdrawal.

I suggested this to Bob Rae in the recent by-election. He said, “it is too early” (to start treating the Taliban as human beings, however lost in despair?). Never too early – I say.

Your statement above begins with an optimistic assertion that we in Canada are united in the goal of peace. I am afraid that is not true and gives a false impression on the website for those who read no further than the front page.

Thank you,
Dr. Janet Ritch

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