Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Article shingle refused to Publish
A Number of Truths About Heroes, Deserters, Duty, Betrayal, Honor, Family and Choosing Propaganda Over Truth. by ianlowden.blogspot.com
Not everyone shares the view of the the "New" Ndp about bringing our troops home. Most Canadians are proud of our troops, and our troops don’t want to come home – they know that helping the Afghan people to be free of their TALIBAN TYRANTS is a noble thing to do, and we haven’t had a single deserter, in fact our troops scheme to get into the units that are being sent, so unlike what the NDP would have us believe, they are all volunteers and proud of it.
I like Cliff and I hope he gets to stay in Canada but calling him a "WAR RESISTOR" insults the memory of those many who struggled, were beaten, imprisoned and killed in legitimate War Resistance. War Resistors do not join a military already at war and they don't wait two years taking Uncle Sam's money until they are being sent over before they desert.
I think Cliff made a very stupid choice by VOLUNTARILY joining up and compounded the error by desertion. However, we have all made stupid mistakes in our life and will probably do so again. Refusing to fight in Iraq, which ranks right up there with the stupidity of Vietnam and their Civil War, does not mean he should be deported and put in jail. He has already given up his family and his country and that is not easy to do. Being afraid to die or be maimed is natural. Not being willing to die in a war that has made Iraq worse off than it was, is just plain common sense.
I would feel different if Cliff had deserted because he was being sent to Afghanistan, which is a just war, as was WWII. He would also have a lot more support if the "NEW" NDP were not using him to spread their propaganda and show Jack Layton what good little followers they are. Being used by the NDP's little blind soldiers is the last thing he needed, and calling him a WAR RESISTOR shows an astonishing amount of miss-trained intellect and a total lack in their grasp of history.
Cliff should be allowed to stay in Canada until Obama pulls the troops out of Iraq and puts them into Afghanistan, which is where they always should have been. I expect that with Obama, Canadian troops as well as a greatly expanded international fighting force will be in Afghanistan until the people there are safe from tyranny. I also suspect that Obama will issue amnesty and call off the hunt for people like Cliff who put survival ahead of stupidity. So wake up Cliff, admit you made a mistake and stop going on with the left-wing whackos that are insulting every one’s intelligence by trying to make you out as some kind of hero. You are just a guy who made a mistake and didn't want to die because of it. I wouldn't allow them to send me to Iraq either, nor would most of the people on this Island be willing to go.
I haven't submitted anything to the Shingle since the election and for two months before the election was not allowed to even submit my regular column because their was the fear that I might point out some of the many things about the Island Trust that need fixing, The Shingle ignored the issues and chose to print nothing except propaganda for the Triumphurate. So while I was banned from publishing anything my IT opponents were given plenty of coverage of their own choosing. I was left with five pieces of ant-ian articles and no chance to even defend myself from the misquotes, quotes taken out of context and outright untruths, including a hate letter full of the insane-like ramblings of my ex-brother-in-law. My wife’s family is angry because I could no longer tolerate their crazy-making and unacceptable behavior. Since then my wife was given a choice to divorce me or lose her family, she chose me and has therefore been cut off from any and all contact by her mother, brother and sister, because she supported her husband and not "THE FAMILY". (I added this because so many people have asked why my wife and her family are now dead to each other - (brother's’s choice, mother’s loss).
I had hoped that this refusal to do any balanced reporting might have been a temporary mental burp but it appears now that propaganda rather than truth is the way the Shingle has decided to go. Therefore, as I refuse to have my name associated with propaganda instead of truth I very much doubt you will ever see my name on anything in the Shingle again. It is un-fortunate that June decided to sell her paper to someone who abuses and ultimately will destroy her life's work. June had strong opinions but June would at least try to print all sides and I never saw her ever risk someone's whole future just to echo a political leaders personal viewpoints. I think June, (like I) was an Ed Broadbent/Tommy Douglass kind of NDP and there is no longer any room in the NDP for anyone with the ethics, commitment, or passion for truth of Ed and Tommy.
I have offered my column and skills to the Sounder, which at least seems to strive for neutrality and balanced reporting, as a community newspaper should. So if you want to continue reading my views you can contact the Sounder and tell them so or you can go to my blog - ianlowden.blogspot.com where you will find many postings including a power-point collection of pictures called the Highway of Heroes-which shows how many other Canadians feel about our military in Afghanistan - Pride and Gratitude - not a War Resistor to be seen
.
Ian Lowden
Not everyone shares the view of the the "New" Ndp about bringing our troops home. Most Canadians are proud of our troops, and our troops don’t want to come home – they know that helping the Afghan people to be free of their TALIBAN TYRANTS is a noble thing to do, and we haven’t had a single deserter, in fact our troops scheme to get into the units that are being sent, so unlike what the NDP would have us believe, they are all volunteers and proud of it.
I like Cliff and I hope he gets to stay in Canada but calling him a "WAR RESISTOR" insults the memory of those many who struggled, were beaten, imprisoned and killed in legitimate War Resistance. War Resistors do not join a military already at war and they don't wait two years taking Uncle Sam's money until they are being sent over before they desert.
I think Cliff made a very stupid choice by VOLUNTARILY joining up and compounded the error by desertion. However, we have all made stupid mistakes in our life and will probably do so again. Refusing to fight in Iraq, which ranks right up there with the stupidity of Vietnam and their Civil War, does not mean he should be deported and put in jail. He has already given up his family and his country and that is not easy to do. Being afraid to die or be maimed is natural. Not being willing to die in a war that has made Iraq worse off than it was, is just plain common sense.
I would feel different if Cliff had deserted because he was being sent to Afghanistan, which is a just war, as was WWII. He would also have a lot more support if the "NEW" NDP were not using him to spread their propaganda and show Jack Layton what good little followers they are. Being used by the NDP's little blind soldiers is the last thing he needed, and calling him a WAR RESISTOR shows an astonishing amount of miss-trained intellect and a total lack in their grasp of history.
Cliff should be allowed to stay in Canada until Obama pulls the troops out of Iraq and puts them into Afghanistan, which is where they always should have been. I expect that with Obama, Canadian troops as well as a greatly expanded international fighting force will be in Afghanistan until the people there are safe from tyranny. I also suspect that Obama will issue amnesty and call off the hunt for people like Cliff who put survival ahead of stupidity. So wake up Cliff, admit you made a mistake and stop going on with the left-wing whackos that are insulting every one’s intelligence by trying to make you out as some kind of hero. You are just a guy who made a mistake and didn't want to die because of it. I wouldn't allow them to send me to Iraq either, nor would most of the people on this Island be willing to go.
I haven't submitted anything to the Shingle since the election and for two months before the election was not allowed to even submit my regular column because their was the fear that I might point out some of the many things about the Island Trust that need fixing, The Shingle ignored the issues and chose to print nothing except propaganda for the Triumphurate. So while I was banned from publishing anything my IT opponents were given plenty of coverage of their own choosing. I was left with five pieces of ant-ian articles and no chance to even defend myself from the misquotes, quotes taken out of context and outright untruths, including a hate letter full of the insane-like ramblings of my ex-brother-in-law. My wife’s family is angry because I could no longer tolerate their crazy-making and unacceptable behavior. Since then my wife was given a choice to divorce me or lose her family, she chose me and has therefore been cut off from any and all contact by her mother, brother and sister, because she supported her husband and not "THE FAMILY". (I added this because so many people have asked why my wife and her family are now dead to each other - (brother's’s choice, mother’s loss).
I had hoped that this refusal to do any balanced reporting might have been a temporary mental burp but it appears now that propaganda rather than truth is the way the Shingle has decided to go. Therefore, as I refuse to have my name associated with propaganda instead of truth I very much doubt you will ever see my name on anything in the Shingle again. It is un-fortunate that June decided to sell her paper to someone who abuses and ultimately will destroy her life's work. June had strong opinions but June would at least try to print all sides and I never saw her ever risk someone's whole future just to echo a political leaders personal viewpoints. I think June, (like I) was an Ed Broadbent/Tommy Douglass kind of NDP and there is no longer any room in the NDP for anyone with the ethics, commitment, or passion for truth of Ed and Tommy.
I have offered my column and skills to the Sounder, which at least seems to strive for neutrality and balanced reporting, as a community newspaper should. So if you want to continue reading my views you can contact the Sounder and tell them so or you can go to my blog - ianlowden.blogspot.com where you will find many postings including a power-point collection of pictures called the Highway of Heroes-which shows how many other Canadians feel about our military in Afghanistan - Pride and Gratitude - not a War Resistor to be seen
.
Ian Lowden
