Quote:
Originally posted by KSig RC
I get the friendly-fire side of things - I feel like that's a potential hot-button issue, and I can't really say there shouldn't be an emotional response to that. But the UN side of things - is that primary or secondary?
I personally feel that the UN is pretty much a useless organization - however, that doesn't invalidate the efforts of those serving for the UN, b/c they're not running the organization but are instead serving to their best abilities. Is it purely an emotional response here, then, too?
For instance - I think the UN is a corrupt organization in so many ways, showing favoritism to certain horrific regimes while virtually ignoring genocide in other parts of the world. I also think Arya is a great human for doing the work he has, in spite of the misguided UN hierarchy (I know he has expressed similar frustrations, as well).
Can't that carry over to the military side, as well?
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The UN side of the issue is ummm - complicated...
Canada's foreign policy has always held to a track that being a responsible member of the global community, which man by extension see the UN as a physical representation of this community. Canada has for the most part strongly supported the UN, even when rulings didn't exactly fall in the country's favour - or motions are defeated in session. Finally Canada could be called the founders of Peacekeeping as it was a Canadian (and future PM at the time) that suggested the solution during the Suez Crisis, as well as being the first to commit troops to Peacekeeping... okay basic primer done.
Now part of the Canadian national identity is a strong identification with the good work the UN has done over the decades, despite being hampered by the politics of the Cold War or political grandstanding by different nations on different issues... the Canadian Armed Forces have an even stronger identification with the UN because of the commitment that has been made by the forces since the founding of the UN - even now the average soldier does around 3-4 tours with the UN as a Peacekeeper, observer, trainer, police, or even relief aid. So there is a tendancy to identify strongly with the concept of the UN as an important and vital extension of Canadian policies...
So with all this in mind now imagine an enviroment where the troops you serve with habitually insult or dismiss the UN as ineffectual, corrupt, unwanted, or a failure; in addition to seeing it on the US media made available over there. From talking to guys a lot of them took it personal... as they saw something believed in being under attack, as well as the sacrifices they have made. Now as for the comments about the military being frustrated by aspects of the UN... the common gripe that I heard was almost always leveled against the lack of US commitment (materially and politically) to the UN and how that undermined and overstreatched the orginization.