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I am a Polish immigrant to Canada. Canada very reluctantly helped the US with their air raid campaign over Afghanistan, but as far as I am aware we didn't have

I am a Polish immigrant to Canada. Canada very reluctantly helped the US with their air raid campaign over Afghanistan, but as far as I am aware we didn't have much say in Iraq. And either way, I fail to see how that translates to having a closer relationship with their people. If anything, it distances them from our psyche. Obviously the invasion of Iraq was the wrong thing to do. I am not arguing that it was right in any way whatsoever.

freeflight 7y ago
Canada is part of FiveEyes, thus aid was offered [0] and very likely taken. The lack of Canadian large scale military participation was due to practicality and not moral objections to the invasion [1]: "The weakness of the Canadian military had been a factor in its very limited role in the 1991 Gulf War. While the military had been asked about the feasibility of sending 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (4 CMBG) from Germany to the Gulf to participate in direct combat operations, the Canadian Forces were forced to report that Operation "Broadsword", a theoretical deployment, would likely be a failure." [0] https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/weston-canada-offered-to-aid-iraq-invasion-wikileaks-1.1062501 https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/weston-canada-offered-to-ai... [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_and_the_Iraq_War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_and_the_Iraq_War
- flyGuyOnTheSly 7y ago
  Again, I was not in the military in the early 90s. I have no connection to Iraq personally. I do not collectively harbor guilt and constantly stress about the horrible things that the country I choose to reside in has done in their past. I have Hong Kong products in my house, and I interact with people who were born in Hong Kong all the time. The same cannot be said for Iraqi products or people. That is the point I am trying to make.
  - freeflight 7y ago
    As a German, I consider that a very weird stance to have. I try to keep up with the military involvement of my country, I'd guess other people in other countries would do the same. Tho I guess in contrast to you I actually get to interact with a whole bunch of Iraqis, Afghanis, Syrians, and other nationalities out of the MENA region. People out of HK are a rather non-existing sight at the local refugee reception center.
  - monetus 7y ago
    The responsibilties and attachments of a superorganism like a society differ too much from that of an individual's. It is so easy to let communcation break down when people discuss both of those things at the same time.
  - vonseel 7y ago
    What’s made in Hong Kong? iPhones and electronics? I feel like most of the stuff in my house that has a “made in X” tag says something like China, Bangladesh, or Taiwan.
    - flyGuyOnTheSly 7y ago
      I own a lot of old video game systems that were made in Hong Kong, for example.
ndarwincorn 7y ago
Lol pretending like Harper wasn't at the front of the pack right next to Blair hopping on the coalition of the willing
TeMPOraL 7y ago
The invasion did have a lot to do with shaping the oil market to the US liking, so if you're a western consumer of petroleum industry - which you are - then perhaps you might find some connection with the plight of Iraqi people after all.

freeflight 7y ago

Canada is part of FiveEyes, thus aid was offered [0] and very likely taken. The lack of Canadian large scale military participation was due to practicality and not moral objections to the invasion [1]: "The weakness of the Canadian military had been a factor in its very limited role in the 1991 Gulf War. While the military had been asked about the feasibility of sending 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (4 CMBG) from Germany to the Gulf to participate in direct combat operations, the Canadian Forces were forced to report that Operation "Broadsword", a theoretical deployment, would likely be a failure." [0] https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/weston-canada-offered-to-aid-iraq-invasion-wikileaks-1.1062501 https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/weston-canada-offered-to-ai... [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_and_the_Iraq_War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_and_the_Iraq_War

flyGuyOnTheSly 7y ago
Again, I was not in the military in the early 90s. I have no connection to Iraq personally. I do not collectively harbor guilt and constantly stress about the horrible things that the country I choose to reside in has done in their past. I have Hong Kong products in my house, and I interact with people who were born in Hong Kong all the time. The same cannot be said for Iraqi products or people. That is the point I am trying to make.
- freeflight 7y ago
  As a German, I consider that a very weird stance to have. I try to keep up with the military involvement of my country, I'd guess other people in other countries would do the same. Tho I guess in contrast to you I actually get to interact with a whole bunch of Iraqis, Afghanis, Syrians, and other nationalities out of the MENA region. People out of HK are a rather non-existing sight at the local refugee reception center.
- monetus 7y ago
  The responsibilties and attachments of a superorganism like a society differ too much from that of an individual's. It is so easy to let communcation break down when people discuss both of those things at the same time.
- vonseel 7y ago
  What’s made in Hong Kong? iPhones and electronics? I feel like most of the stuff in my house that has a “made in X” tag says something like China, Bangladesh, or Taiwan.
  - flyGuyOnTheSly 7y ago
    I own a lot of old video game systems that were made in Hong Kong, for example.

ndarwincorn 7y ago

Lol pretending like Harper wasn't at the front of the pack right next to Blair hopping on the coalition of the willing

TeMPOraL 7y ago

The invasion did have a lot to do with shaping the oil market to the US liking, so if you're a western consumer of petroleum industry - which you are - then perhaps you might find some connection with the plight of Iraqi people after all.