[roger-roger]

What so you think is more important to worry about; what someone should or shouldn’t tell the press or what decisions should be made that could affect thousands of Canadian soldiers lives.

[ridenrain]

Do remember to ask about the huge referendom and press conference that Chretien had when he volunteered us in 2002. Not to mention that vote to extend the mission that many Liberals voted for also.

[DerbyX]

ridenrain ridenrain:

Do remember to ask about the huge referendom and press conference that Chretien had when he volunteered us in 2002. Not to mention that vote to extend the mission that many Liberals voted for also.

Do you mean the bush led NATO operation that obligated Canada to serve and left up to Chretiens majority govt that you ay you supported?

If you want Chretien to shoulder all the blame then he should receive all the credit also.

Resurgence of the military ---- Liberal check.

War to support our allies ----- Liberal check.

International responsibility ---- Liberal check.

"honour" restored --------------- Liberal check.


War funding withheld ----------- Conservative check.

2011 cut and run --------------- Conservative check.

29% of funding ----------------- Conservative check.

Fucking cons. Always gutting the economy and the military.

[Reverend Blair]

$1:

What so you think is more important to worry about; what someone should or shouldn’t tell the press or what decisions should be made that could affect thousands of Canadian soldiers lives.

We live in a democracy, not a military dictatorship, Eisensapper. That means that the population deserves to have enough information to make an informed decision about what their government is doing. That doesn't mean that official secrets have to be published or that operational security has to be breached, but it does mean that the military is answerable to civilian oversight. Part of that oversight is the political opposition and part of it is the press.

$1:

Do remember to ask about the huge referendom and press conference that Chretien had when he volunteered us in 2002. Not to mention that vote to extend the mission that many Liberals voted for also.

I remember that Harper and company supported the decision, although they were pissed off that we weren't neck-deep in Iraq.

[PluggyRug]

Reverend Blair Reverend Blair:

$1:

What so you think is more important to worry about; what someone should or shouldn’t tell the press or what decisions should be made that could affect thousands of Canadian soldiers lives.

We live in a democracy, not a military dictatorship, Eisensapper. That means that the population deserves to have enough information to make an informed decision about what their government is doing. That doesn't mean that official secrets have to be published or that operational security has to be breached, but it does mean that the military is answerable to civilian oversight. Part of that oversight is the political opposition and part of it is the press.

$1:

Do remember to ask about the huge referendom and press conference that Chretien had when he volunteered us in 2002. Not to mention that vote to extend the mission that many Liberals voted for also.

I remember that Harper and company supported the decision, although they were pissed off that we weren't neck-deep in Iraq.

Well if the military was as verbose as yourself, bullets would be redundent.

Can I now have my pulpit back.

[EyeBrock]

Reverend Blair Reverend Blair:

$1:

What so you think is more important to worry about; what someone should or shouldn’t tell the press or what decisions should be made that could affect thousands of Canadian soldiers lives.

We live in a democracy, not a military dictatorship, Eisensapper. That means that the population deserves to have enough information to make an informed decision about what their government is doing. That doesn't mean that official secrets have to be published or that operational security has to be breached, but it does mean that the military is answerable to civilian oversight. Part of that oversight is the political opposition and part of it is the press.

$1:

Do remember to ask about the huge referendom and press conference that Chretien had when he volunteered us in 2002. Not to mention that vote to extend the mission that many Liberals voted for also.

I remember that Harper and company supported the decision, although they were pissed off that we weren't neck-deep in Iraq.

Show me how the military are not accountable to civilian oversight Rev? I don't see your point on this one.
Parliament is kept up to speed on these issues as well as the Privy Council.
You are not going to get Major Jones or Private Smith giving interviews to the press. The media have good access to the military, they embed and they have guys at Khandahar 24/7.
I'd say that was pretty open?

[PENATRATOR]

This is standard stuff, election or not, christ, another slow day at CTV I guess

[Reverend Blair]

$1:

they embed and they have guys at Khandahar 24/7.
I'd say that was pretty open?

"They embed." Look at the rules that go along with embedding and tell me if it encourages openness. Just the opposite, actually.

The US and Canadian military are very careful to control the press as much as possible. They know that when people see some of the things that go on, public opinion tends to turn against the military. It happened in Britain when news reels of British soldiers brutalizing unarmed Indians started showing up, and it happened with Vietnam when the war showed up on people's TV sets.

Now the military, and their political masters, control the message as much as possible. It's far from open.

[roger-roger]

Reverend Blair the military can hold back whatever they want in order to protect the security of the soldiers. Civilians do not have to right to know the goings on of the military in Afghanistan, unless it breaks a law or treaty the Canadian military has signed. If that happens they let people know (ie Rwanda, freindly fire ect), the media does not even have the right to know when a soldier is injured or died. Those statistics are given up freely by the military, no where does it say the military must report to the media.

[roger-roger]

Its very open, I personally had Lisa LaFlamme embedded with us for 3 weeks. She reported everything she saw, she was disapointed she missed out on a tick we got into at one point but that is all. The reason she missed out was because they did not want to endanger the news crew. The only rule she had with us was to give us our privacy so we didnt feel like we had camera in our face. The stories she reported were very accurate, and I gained a tremendous respect for CTV after the experience.

[meaden24]

I don't get what is so hard to understand. listen, any information about the military that the "people" know is what the taliban knows, it's that simple.I've had friends on the pointy end of the spear in afghanistan and it pisses everyone off in uniform when they hear of joe blow couch potatoe wanting to know everything there is to know about the mission which puts his ass directly in danger just so someone that has no clue how modern day warfare is run wants to make a political point and a jab at the government. This shit is secret for a reason, WE'RE IN A FUCKING WAR, let the world's most professional military do the job and stop trying to play politics with soldiers lives.

[bootlegga]

Reverend Blair Reverend Blair:

Another Harper gag order, no doubt.

I have to agree with DerbyX. I don't think this is a gag order. The CF, at least on the surface, has to remain apolitical. CF members might be inclined to vote PC/Conservative, although I can't understand why, given that they are no better at funding the CF than the Liberals.

Remember the stink Hillier caused 6 months ago when he bitched about the 'decade of darkness' (which in reality was two decades of darkness)?

Personally, this makes sense to me. Having federal departments weigh in on election issues could be the equivalent of cutting their own throats, depending on what was said about whom and which party won, not to mention just being immature and childish.