[Kevin]

Robert, that's a hell of a lot to respond to. I don't necessarily agree with some of your comparisons and characterizations of American policy. I think you oversimplify things on the U.S. side just as I have been guilty of oversimplifying things on your side of the border (i.e. Layton = coward).

As for the hearts and minds argument versus guns a'blazin', I think that's a gross mischaracterization. A fraternity brother of mine, our faculty advisor is a full colonel in a reserve unit in the U.S. Army. He's been spending about half of each year since the war began in Afghanistan helping to develop civilian infrastructure as well as communications between the local government and the coalition forces in the country.

He's not alone of course. Are you trying to suggest that the U.S. mission is limited to combat operations? I'm sure you know better than that -- and I'm sure you know better than I do what U.S. forces are up to. Let's stay away from the "us good, you bad" comparisons.

I don't know much about Layton -- is he ex-military? I'm suspicious of politicians who think they know better than generals as to how to prosecute a war.

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As to the debate, how important (or rare) is it for a minority party to have a different opinion? They're the minority party for a reason -- they do not have the country's support. Tell me -- why woudl the majority lend these guys a platform so that they could grandstand for an extended period of time? How would that serve the interests of those in power? Do you think that's realistic? I don't know enough about the Canadian government to answer that, but maybe you can.

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I'm not sure how we could better organize the overall war effort than through the White House. It seems to me that the vast majority of the overall resources committed to the war come from the U.S. It also seems to me that sovereign nations such as Canada are allowed to decide what they will or will not do regarding their presence in Afghanistan.

Finally, you allude to popular opinion. Aries admits her own opinion is largely based in information she knows to be biased or untrue. I hope that's not representative of Canada as a whole.