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65 Responses to “Who should shoulder the blame for the alleged torture of suspects transferred to Afghan authorities by Canadian troops?”
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Contrary to popular belief, the ceremonial lighting of the Olympic flame at the Opening Ceremonies is, in fact, a decidedly modern affair. The culmination of the torch relay in a grandiose display at the Opening Ceremonies is a relic of the 1936 Berlin Games—just one of many attempts by the Nazi regime to lend a mythical air to the Games. Still, despite its dubious history, the lighting of the cauldron has evolved into one of the most spectacular and ostentatious displays at the Games. And the secretiveness that surrounds the lead-up to the ceremony only lends to the hype.
When it comes to the 2010 Games, the speculation about who will be selected to light the cauldron has coalesced around whether VANOC will go the traditional route and opt for a former Olympian or take the road less-travelled and pick someone from outside the sports world. Facebook groups have popped up promoting everyone from Terry Fox’s mother, Betty, to former Vancouver Canucks captain Trevor Linden. So far, Vancouver’s Olympic organizers have kept a tight lid on who the potential candidates might be. We’ve assembled a list of the names making the rounds, but feel free to add your own in the poll or in the comments below.
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Why we Canadians and the other "civilized" world criticize US and its actions in Guantanamo and CIA-run torture cells in Eastern Europe. After all, Canada was considered a beacon of peace and always held in high regards in foreign relations when compared with its peers (US, UK, Australia, and Western Europe), but now cracks are showing up in that reputation.
These events should be opening our eyes and should make us to know more about what's going on in the world. It amazes me that in this day and age of internet, we are still ignorant of common issues plaguing our world. We know more about flaky things like celebrities and movies, and deliberately avoid knowing the real issues. Adding insult to injury, almost of all of our media is littered with bias and true journalism is thrown out the window; i.e. Global/Canwest, CTV, CBC, and all major US networks. I, personally, love and watch theRealNews.com. I am not definitely promoting it but I haven't found any other news network which such frank news analyses. It is a Canadian news network exclusively available on Internet. Cont'd….
We must realize that all these issues are a slippery slope. Today, some people are condoning this issue of torture. Tomorrow, we will be ok to imprison a whole ethnic group, in Canada, just because they follow a different religion.
@ Cash (hating Italy): You may have your own reason hating your ethnicity and ancestors' country, but I'd like to point out that Canadian cities are not immune to cities being controlled by organized crime. Case in point, Montreal.
Our current government repeatedly resumed handing over detainees, despite repeatedly halting because they saw (and evidently agreed with) evidence that our detainees were likely to face abuse. MacKay admitted to three more times this year alone.
You may be able to get away with claiming, “We never thought they would be tortured,” the first time, or even claiming, “We never thought they would torture prisoners a second time after we came to an agreement,” but when we’re trying to pass, “We never thought they would torture detainees a THIRD time?” There is a limit to what number you can shove into that sentence. “We never thought they would torture detainees a FOURTH time?” A FIFTH time? How many times did they resume detainee transfers?
The fact that there are problems in Afghanistan doesn’t give us the right to add to them, then try to cover it up and pretend that we are above the law.
Afghans did not ask us to invade their country, nor did they ask us to overthrow one brutal regime, and replace it with another, slightly more westernized, BRUTAL REGIME. None of us has a right to be impatient with Afghans. They are paying a much higher price for our reckless stupidity than we are.
Torture is wrong. Contributing to torture is wrong. It is a national disgrace (and more than a little creepy) that there are ANY Canadians who don’t know that.
Yes, it is indeed creepy!
A week later: 69% appear to be for the aggregate "Not Stephen Harper's Fault" options.
Oops.
But keep flogging the torture 24/7, Wherry!