# Taliban Jack



## Tow Tripod (4 Jul 2007)

CTV.ca News Staff

As news of the deaths of six more Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan hit home, NDP leader Jack Layton stepped up his call to start bringing our troops home. 


Layton urged Prime Minister Stephen Harper to do what Canada is best known for - initiating a peace process that will not only help stabilize the region but will also help the country scale back their military operations in Afghanistan. 


"A comprehensive peace process must include all combatants, all elements, all countries involved in the region with international leadership," Layton told a press conference in Ottawa Wednesday. 


"Canada is an expert in this area. We used to be known globally for our expertise in this area. I believe it's time for Canada to get back on that path and begin to carve out with those many nations who are concerned about what is happening in Afghanistan, and Afghan leadership, to adopt a new strategy." 


The current strategy implemented by NATO and supported by Harper is only fueling Taliban support in the area, and civilians are paying for it, Layton said. So far, 270 Afghan civilians have been killed during the military operations. 


If Canada doesn't start implementing peace instead, Canadians could be stuck in an extended role in Afghanistan that is escalating day by day, he continued. 


"What is happening now is working for the Taliban, not against them," he said. "In other words, we're seeing growth of support of the Taliban because of these airstrikes, the escalation of war and the death of civilians. That's why comprehensive peace process involving all of the countries, involving all of the players has got to be initiated." 


The Afghan mission will be a priority issue for the NDP in the next federal election, Layton promised. 


"Any time Canadian soldiers are killed, Canadians are thinking of their families and comrades and supporting our troops," said Layton when asked about the latest casualties. 


"This simply underlines, with this escalating death toll of the soldiers and of civilians in Afghanistan, that this mission is going in the wrong way." 


Since 2002, 66 Canadian military personnel have now lost their lives in Afghanistan, along with one diplomat. Canada has committed to sending troops to the NATO alliance for the next two years. Harper has said he will seek a consensus among all political parties on Canada's future role with NATO. 


The six Canadian soldiers who died Wednesday were killed by a roadside bomb 20 km from Kandahar. They were traveling in a RG-31 Nyala armoured vehicle with an Afghan interpreter when they were hit. The interpreter was also killed. 


Canadian Forces have yet to reveal the names of the dead soldiers pending notification of next of kin. 


With a report by the Canadian Press


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## smitty66 (4 Jul 2007)

The PM should appoint him the "Government Special Envoy for Peace with the Taliban" and fire him onto a plane headed to Afghanistan. See how well the Taliban listen to him. Bet it'll be an awful short process!


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## TN2IC (4 Jul 2007)

It is really sad how Taliban Jack uses us troops for his pleasure.

Hope your happy Jack.

How about a deployment yourself, Mr Layton? 
I don't see you running to the Recruiting Center anytime soon.
And no you can wear that orange tie with your DEU's.

Thanks for wasting my oxygen,
Regards,
TN2IC

Edit for Spelling


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## Sig_Des (4 Jul 2007)

way to use the deaths of 6 of our brothers/sisters as a step onto the podium.

I'm just a dumb soldier. Please, Mr. Layton, show me how I should negotiate with the Taliban. Why no, I wouldn't be interested in providing security for you Mr. Layton. Wouldn't that hold against your values? But I'm sure you'll just be fine talking to the Taliban on your own. They'll see that you really want peace, and you'll be just safe


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## JLeclerc (4 Jul 2007)

Again another sad note in politics and how to correctly tear the country in half using us the soldiers as an excuse. If you are looking for a campaign poster or quote, find something else Mr. Layton. Your blatant bad use of soldiers to get elected will get you nowhere. 

Instead of pulling out the guns of political debate, why not join us in mourning for our fallen brethren? Thanks in advance Jacka...amen.


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## Mike Baker (4 Jul 2007)

*WARNING: Rant*

 :rage:

I have two words I use to describe Jack, but, in fear of backlash (i.e. banning because of harsh language), I will not say it. Oh how I wish I could speak with him, then I would tell him something......


*END OF RANT*


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## Yrys (4 Jul 2007)

You can write to him, if you find him, which I don't ...

http://webinfo.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/MainMPsCompleteList.aspx?TimePeriod=Current&Language=E


ADD: Oups, I forgot his family name   !


Hill Office

House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Telephone: 	(613) 995-7224
Fax: 	(613) 995-4565
EMail: 	Layton.J@parl.gc.ca
Web Site:* 	www.npd.ca/jacklayton
Preferred Language: 	English

Constituency Offices

221 Broadview Avenue , Suite 100 (Main Office)
Toronto, Ontario
M4M 2G3
Telephone: (416) 405-8914
Fax: (416) 405-8918


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## TN2IC (4 Jul 2007)

Control + F and type in Layton..then Enter will find it...


Enjoy...


Edit due to Temper..


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## MarkOttawa (4 Jul 2007)

"A comprehensive peace process must include all combatants, all elements, all countries involved in the region with international leadership," Layton told a press conference in Ottawa Wednesday. 

"Canada is an expert in this area. We used to be known globally for our expertise in this area. I believe it's time for Canada to get back on that path ..."

This is yet another self-gratifying and ignorant myth that Canadians have about the country.  I challenge anyone to name any "peace process" in the last 30 years in which Canada played a truly major role, and especially to name any such process we even participated in that actually produced peace.   Other than dealing with arms decommissioning in N. Ireland which was done by an individual Canadian, not formally acting as a government representative.

Which leads to the bright idea--the government might nominate Mr Layton to talk to the Taliban, in his personal capacity, and offer him transportation to the NWFP.

Mark
Ottawa


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## Greymatters (4 Jul 2007)

More importantly - what countries does he believe would be suitable areas for his version of 'peacekeepers' to deploy to?


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## Big Foot (4 Jul 2007)

GreyMatter said:
			
		

> More importantly - what countries does he believe would be suitable areas for his version of 'peacekeepers' to deploy to?


Countries where our soldiers can't possibly be killed and wouldn't need to carry weapons.


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## Greymatters (4 Jul 2007)

Like Holland?   (_Edit - I mean, the Netherlands?)_


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## peaches (4 Jul 2007)

I will NEVER watch CTV NEWSNET again!!!  I watched todays announcement about the loss of our Canadian soldiers on CTV NN, right after the report of our loss they flashed to ejackulayton with his BS.  CTV gave him free air time, no questions, the cowardly reports asked the twit nothing.

RIP


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## Big Foot (4 Jul 2007)

GreyMatter said:
			
		

> Like Holland?   (_Edit - I mean, the Netherlands?)_


Or some other first world country that isn't at war. Wait, why don't we just save the expense and keep our troops in Canada? That way, we could strip the CF down to nothing more than a glorified police force.


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## TN2IC (4 Jul 2007)

Big Foot said:
			
		

> Or some other first world country that isn't at war. Wait, why don't we just save the expense and keep our troops in Canada? That way, we could strip the CF down to nothing more than a glorified police force.




THAT'S NDP TALK!!! STOP IT! MODS............... BAN HIM!












jk....


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## Edward Campbell (4 Jul 2007)

peaches said:
			
		

> I will NEVER watch CTV NEWSNET again!!!  I watched todays announcement about the loss of our Canadian soldiers on CTV NN, right after the report of our loss they flashed to ejackulayton with his BS.  CTV gave him free air time, no questions, the cowardly reports asked the twit nothing.
> 
> RIP



Tell them that.

Go to http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/HTMLTemplate/!ctvPop/News/Feedback?date=20070704&slug=layton_ndp_070704&archive=CTVNews&outputFormat=TextEmailFormat-realtime&brand=generic&articleURL=http%3A//www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070704/layton_ndp_070704/20070704%3Fhub%3DCanada and tell them what you think.

Better still, watch the next CTV nerwscast; note the sponsors; write them and tell them you're not going to buy their products until CTV News stops acting as a tool for Taliban Jack.


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## peaches (4 Jul 2007)

ER,

Thank you for the link, I will tell them when I get home this evening...


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## TN2IC (4 Jul 2007)

E.R. Campbell said:
			
		

> Better still, watch the next CTV nerwscast; note the sponsors; write them and tell them you're not going to buy their products until CTV News stops acting as a tool for Taliban Jack.



They must think we are all sponges... boys they are wrong.


For Country!

By the way Jack, or whomever agree with Jack. Your welcome. Your welcome for the freedom that our troops gave. That freedom to kick us in the nuts. To stab us in the back, while we are away. This is a war. Soldiers die. That is part of the gig. Soldier on. Oh wait... did I hurt your feelings? Want a hug? Call some of your hippie comrades.

Regards,
TN2IC




Okay I'm done now.


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## Greymatters (4 Jul 2007)

Big Foot said:
			
		

> Or some other first world country that isn't at war. Wait, why don't we just save the expense and keep our troops in Canada? That way, we could strip the CF down to nothing more than a glorified police force.



Again?     "... strip the CF down to nothing more than a glorified police force jumped-up boy scout platoon."


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## Kirkhill (4 Jul 2007)

I wonder if it would make any difference to the collective unconscious if the Afghanistan Force were designated the Afghanistan Special Service Force ( a la Korea and the Boer War).  I know that you lot are all volunteers but I wonder if the peepul fully appreciate that.

Laurier and St-Laurent side-stepped Quebec by using the same tactic.  The Special Service Forces were all volunteers raised especially for the occasion.  Funded by the Government but staffed by volunteers.  The first rotation to Korea was (if I remember correctly) largely composed of WW2 retreads and their kid brothers formed as the 2nd Battalions of the existing regiments.

It might open up some interesting opportunities for organization, equipment and training.


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## beands (4 Jul 2007)

What ever happened to the days of the petition?
Someone, (who is alot more organized and educated than I am) NEEDS to step up and start one if they still work. 

There are how many CF members, and other civi persons who actually support the CF that I'm sure would willingly sign. 

People need to see the fact that the people we elect (for the most part) spew lies to grab their few years at  the podium. 

People need to see that if we do not continue to wipe out a major threat, it will come to our homes and take them away.
What would our casualty numbers look like if this was done on HOME soil rather than foreign? 
The people that support politicians like Layton are (possibly unintentionally) ungrateful for their freedoms. What does Layton do on Remembrance day? Lay a wreath and look half sad and half concerned about the fallen. 

Irregardless of the mission, we MUST honour our fallen. How can they honour anyone when they don't want them doing what they do to keep our country OUR country?

Is it honestly going to take a massive attack on Canadian ground for these people to realize we MUST eliminate this threat?


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## Pte_Martin (4 Jul 2007)

beands said:
			
		

> What ever happened to the days of the petition?
> Someone, (who is alot more organized and educated than I am) NEEDS to step up and start one if they still work.
> 
> There are how many CF members, and other civi persons who actually support the CF that I'm sure would willingly sign.



Correct me if I am wrong but as CF members we are not allowed to sign a petition especially against the government right?


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## beands (5 Jul 2007)

I don't mean "against the government".
I meant a petition to rally support for our troops and our cause.
A petition against CF naysayers, who don't want our troops pulled because of how an overpayed politician puts it into words.

OR

Maybe even a CF funded/run news system where CF public information can be broadcast to the masses, without political agenda or media spinoff.
Maybe something making a law that politicians cannot use religious, military or any other opinion/belief as a platform to gain favor. 

Politicians need to do MORE for people, not take away freedoms and prey on the sheeple's uneducated decisions.


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## alfie (5 Jul 2007)

Just fired off my post to CTV, hope they know who Taliban Jack is


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## Trooper Hale (5 Jul 2007)

He's a disgusting interesting character. I talked to my folks about this and with my dad especially who doesnt support the war. I told him that if i were to go over there and get killed i needed him to promise not to do anything like using me as a platform for his views. He wouldnt do it but i want to be sure. Jack Layton is betraying you Canadian soldiers every time he goes on TV after some the boys have been chopped. Its discraceful to watch him use the death of 6 men as a tool for him to gain points. Its politics at its very worst and i hope to God that next election over there the NDP get the arse kicking that they so soundly deserve.


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## FascistLibertarian (5 Jul 2007)

> He's a disgusting human being.


I dont agree with or like what he says.
But he wants to help Canada.
I know he is right now helping the bad guys and doesnt even know.
But he is not a bad person.........
I dont know why he does what he does.
But I know he KNOWS he is doing what is right.


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## Trooper Hale (5 Jul 2007)

Yeah, i suppose your right mate from that persective and my words are a tad strong. I find it really offensive though when people use dead diggers to further their arguements and thats what i think he's doing right now. I'll edit it and tone it down because looking back i believe your right and i'm a little out of order.


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## retiredgrunt45 (5 Jul 2007)

Hale as crude as your post may sound, it's the truth. He has been doing this for years and getting away with it. 

As for not knowing he's aiding and abedding the enemy, he knows exactly what he's doing. But again there is a big difference between empty words and taking action. In his case its all tongue and cheek. 

It's below him to get on a plane and back up all that spewing at the mouth with action. He'll just continue to belittle the Canadian forces from behind a podium in front of a television camera, showing everyone what a little insignificant man he actually is. I for one would delite at the idea of Layton trying to negotiate with the taliban, that would be a treat!

He is truly a disgrace to Canada and it's men and women in uniform.


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## Disenchantedsailor (5 Jul 2007)

beands said:
			
		

> I don't mean "against the government".
> I meant a petition to rally support for our troops and our cause.
> A petition against CF naysayers, who don't want our troops pulled because of how an overpayed politician puts it into words.
> 
> ...



That constitues an effort on the part of a cf mbr to influence government, that is the realm of politics, if our wifes were to start a petition thats one thing, for the soldiers to do it, thats mixing politics with soldiering, not good, and the CF is apolitical by nature and law. (I will however suggest my wife start this petition in our community)


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## MikeM (5 Jul 2007)

FascistLibertarian said:
			
		

> I dont agree with or like what he says.
> But he wants to help Canada.
> I know he is right now helping the bad guys and doesnt even know.
> But he is not a bad person.........
> ...



He needs to help Canada and himself by STFU.

He needs to stop using our fallen as political tools to politically bag lick people and try and get support for his party. 

The man holds a press conference shortly after the announcements are made, thats a fucking slap in the face to the families.

Could care less if he thinks he's doing the right thing, until he's been over there he will never know what doing the right thing is.


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## CF_Enthusiast (5 Jul 2007)

I wrote CTV a letter regarding this before I logged on here today. Great minds think alike hate Jack Layton.


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## Kiwi99 (5 Jul 2007)

Hey, I need some help on this one.  How do I get to be an 'expert' so that I can go on TV and talk about things that I can claim to know a lot about?  Seriously, I guarentee I know less about more than the 'experts' they have there now.

One wonders why Taliban Jack spouts off the crap he does.  It's because he gets fed all of it prior by a bunch of 'experts' made up out of old Colonels and ex-privates who haven't been in the CF for since the 90s, kave never actually been to Afghanistan, and some who can barely speak English.  And if its not these clowns its some dude from some university that couldn't find his a** with both hands in the dark!

Sure, Mr Layton is an idiot, and spouts of idiotic things.  But who are the idiots giving him the info, and where do those idiots get it.  Thats right, people who havent laced up their boots for fifteen years.

As I always say,  time served does not equal experiance gained!!!


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## Old and Tired (5 Jul 2007)

Smitty

_The PM should appoint him the "Government Special Envoy for Peace with the Taliban" and fire him onto a plane headed to Afghanistan. See how well the Taliban listen to him. Bet it'll be an awful short process!_

It would be a nice idea, but then some of our guys would invetitably have to go and save his a** when his little Negotiating trip went south.  Much that it would grate on me to do it, I would feel morally obligated to.  If we didn't it would jusat prove one of his points.

I can just imagine he and Dawe Black sitting in a tent trying to explain to the Taliban and/or Al-Quida the error of their ways and that things would just all sunshine and roses if they could get along with everyone.  Oh and by the way we're sorry for trying to undermine your dark ages approach to life in general, and women and children in particular, please to do carry on.

I can't agree with anything that he says, EVER, but......

Hugh


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## Old and Tired (5 Jul 2007)

Forgot to add that Taliban Jack doesn't seem to listen to anyone other than the voices in his head.  So maybe your right Smitty, it would be a real, real short process, because he would be conducting both sides of the conversation in that pea brain of his right up until the lights went out for good.


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## DaveTee (5 Jul 2007)

> His grandfather, Gilbert Layton, was a cabinet minister in the Union Nationale government of Maurice Duplessis in Quebec, and resigned due to the provincial government's lack of support for Canadian participation in World War II.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_layton

I'm not sure how accurate wikipedia is, but if it's true I think Jack should take a lesson from his grandfather.


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## Cdn Blackshirt (5 Jul 2007)

CF Enthusiast said:
			
		

> I wrote CTV a letter regarding this before I logged on here today. Great minds think alike hate Jack Layton.



I wrote a letter to their editors about 2 months ago when they intentionally merged the stories of the Stanley Cup going to Afghanistan with the Prisoner Handover hysteria.

I'll see if I can find it later....

As per others, I may tune in again only long enough to get a hold of the sponsors names for their coverage and then track their Investor Relations Contacts.


Matthew.


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## FascistLibertarian (5 Jul 2007)

> A comprehensive peace process must include all combatants, all elements, all countries involved in the region with international leadership



So basically he is leaving the door open to talk with ANYONE and EVERYONE no matter what.
Thats not really very democratic if you think about it. It sounds democratic, but its really not........
Or smart really............


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## Flip (5 Jul 2007)

> I wrote CTV a letter regarding this before I logged on here today. Great minds think alike hate Jack Layton.


 ;D

My laugh for the day! Thanks...........

My letter went to Taliban Jack himself.
Some helpful advice on how to gain support by getting the facts first.

I wonder how many votes ( by informal survey ) could army.ca members
suggest the NDP has lost by taking their current position?

Hmmmm


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## Kiwi99 (5 Jul 2007)

Or how many votes they have gained, given the extremely easily led Canadian public


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## sm0ke (5 Jul 2007)

This entry in his Wiki article had me in tears laughing...



> 'In July 1988, he married Hong Kong-born Toronto school board trustee Olivia Chow in a ceremony on Algonquin Island. Their whitewater rafting honeymoon plans had to be abandoned, however, when days after the wedding Layton collided with a newspaper box while bicycling.'


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## MarkOttawa (5 Jul 2007)

The Taliban know their targets: Jumpin' Flash Jack (that's intentional) and _Citoyen_ Dion, and people who might support them--a post at _The Torch_:

How we die, and why 
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blogspot.com/2007/07/afstan-how-we-die.html

Mark
Ottawa


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## Yrys (5 Jul 2007)

Well, THAT entry in wipi tell me he's not as left as he appear :



> In 1984, he was fined for trespassing when he handed out leaflets at the Eaton Centre during a strike by Eaton's staff,
> but the charge was later thrown out on freedom of speech grounds.



Shees, can't even respect a strike !  



> Layton and Chow were also the subject of some dispute when a June 14, 1990 Toronto Star article by Tom Kerr accused them
> of unfairly living in a housing cooperative subsidized by the federal government, despite their high income.[2] Layton and Chow had both
> lived in the Hazelburn Co-op since 1985, and lived together in an $800 per month three-bedroom apartment after their marriage in 1988.
> By 1990, their combined annual income was $120,000, and in March of that year they began voluntarily paying an additional $325 per month
> ...


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## 1feral1 (6 Jul 2007)

This Layton bloke is like a modern male version of Hanoi Jane.

How can he even sleep at night?

Truly put the NDP in the cesspool of politics with the meanstreamers of Canadian society.

A public embarrassment for us all. Shame on him.

Cheers,

Wes


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## beands (6 Jul 2007)

ArtyNewbie said:
			
		

> (I will however suggest my wife start this petition in our community)



I really think it needs to be done, best of luck with that, and as a pre-enrolee, let me know where to sign before I can't!

That aside, as nice as it would be for Mr. Layton to go and single-handedly do some of this negotiating, I think a bigger challenge (as a politician) would be to actually go to A'stan and meet the troops. Shake some hands, get some point's of view, and maybe be present at a ramp ceremony. I think a good week down there would change his ways a fair bit. 

(I do worry our men and women on tour might have some "pretty" choice words for him.) But if they maintain professionalism and let him see a few things, he should have a change of heart.


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## GAP (6 Jul 2007)

beands said:
			
		

> (I do worry our men and women on tour might have some "pretty" choice words for him.) But if they maintain professionalism and let him see a few things, he should have a change of heart.



Layton knows too well what is happening and why. He does not need to be educated. Layton will step on and walk all over anyone/anything that will assist him in getting votes. He wants a legacy with the NDP, much like "whatshisname" before him.....


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## The Bread Guy (6 Jul 2007)

How's this for another factor causing Messrs. Layton & Dion to jump so quickly?  Highlights are mine - shared with the usual disclaimers....

*NDP leader is worth watching*
Chantal Hébert, Toronto Star, 06 Jul 08
Article link

*According to Decima's Bruce Anderson, more voters say that their opinion of NDP Leader Jack Layton is improving than fading, a distinction he shares only with Green Leader Elizabeth May these days. 

That is particularly true in Quebec where Layton now ranks second to the Bloc Québécois' Gilles Duceppe. 

This summer, Layton will attempt to parlay that personal appreciation into votes for the NDP by turning three soon-to-be-called Quebec by-elections into a mini-referendum on the Afghan mission.  * Over the course of a news conference (scheduled before the latest casualties in Afghanistan came to light), Layton made his intentions crystal clear Wednesday. And he reiterated his call for bringing the troops home before Canada's current commitment to NATO ends in February 2009.

The NDP seized on the Afghan issue last summer in part to stake distinct ground from the surging Green party. To this day, its position also sets it apart from the bulk of Quebec's establishment.

Although the Bloc Québécois voted against the extension of the mission last year, it has not been pushing for its early termination. As one Bloc MP put it in a conversation this week, the party agrees that the government has a parliamentary mandate to pursue the deployment until 2009.

Beyond that, Duceppe is pretty much on the same page as Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion. Both oppose another extension of the deployment in Kandahar province but could support an alternative role for Canada in Afghanistan.

Duceppe has so far begged to differ with the vocal section of Quebec public opinion that sees Afghanistan as just an extension of the American-led Iraq war. In a major speech last January, he stressed that, like Canada, a sovereign Quebec would have signed on to the international coalition in Afghanistan. 

For his part, Premier Jean Charest just attended the send-off ceremonies for the Valcartier-based contingent that will be off to Afghanistan next month. When a group of battle-bound soldiers visited the National Assembly, Health Minister Philippe Couillard, whose son is an officer-in-training, berated the handful of PQ members who declined to applaud. He is not the only supporter of the mission within the Quebec government.

Culture Minister Christine St-Pierre, who served as a reporter on Parliament Hill until she ran in the provincial election, wrote a letter to the editor of La Presse in support of the deployment last fall. (She was briefly suspended from her Radio-Canada duties for this breach of journalistic neutrality.)

This may be a case where Quebec's sovereignist and federalist tenors are out of synch with mainstream voters. Or it could be that the 70 per cent of Quebecers who tell pollsters they oppose the mission are answering a black-and-white question that leaves no room for nuances. The by-elections will provide part of the answer.

*Against the sobering backdrop of probable Quebec casualties, Layton will be making the case that the lives of young soldiers are being squandered on a misguided mission. And while it is a prospect that makes every other party privately squirm, there is no question that the Afghan issue has not been well served by the rhetorical shortcuts that have been offered by both sides in the debate to date.*

But there is at least one other reason why the distinctive NDP contribution to this debate should be welcome and it has to do with peace on the Canadian home front. But more on that in another column.


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## Highland Laddie (6 Jul 2007)

Here's an editorial cartoon from today's Winnipeg Free Press that sums up Jack nicely:

http://www.winnipegsun.com/Comment/Cartoon/2007/07/06/4317104.html


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## beands (6 Jul 2007)

+ 100, 000 on that cartoon!!


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## McG (8 Jul 2007)

Just a caution for all.  Lets make sure we keep clear of the ad hominem. http://forums.milnet.ca/forums/threads/51970.0.html
If nothing else, we can go to bed knowing that we've made a more honest argument.



			
				Tow Tripod said:
			
		

> Exactly WHO does Jack Layton want to Negotiate with?????


Well, based on the recommenced source of a recent group of left wing posters, I've checked with RAWA and they are dead against any negotiations with the TB.  So, I am stumped.  http://www.rawa.org/events/un_apr28-07_e.htm



			
				Kiwi99 said:
			
		

> How do I get to be an 'expert' so that I can go on TV and talk about things that I can claim to know a lot about?


Get out & write a book that is critical of all the things we do right or wrong, then offer your on solution in the closing chapters.


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## Edward Campbell (8 Jul 2007)

Jack Layton *is* negotiating, *with Canadians*.

He’s _negotiating_, right now, with a few tens of thousands of traditionally leftist Liberal voters – mostly in Toronto but a few in greater Vancouver, Ottawa and even Montreal.  He wants, he needs them to vote NDP in the next election.  If a few thousand in each of a dozen ridings shift their votes from the Liberals to the NDP then his party and his fortunes are saved.

He’s also _negotiating_ with NDP voters.  He wants them to stay on-side, to not run to the Greens.

The war is his best issue.  He’s playing the war card.  Jack Layton knows little and cares less about the Canadian soldiers who are fighting and dying – they and their deaths are _pawns_ in his game, _props_ in his political theatre.  He also knows nothing and cares less about the poor, war ravaged, abused people of Afghanistan.  He doesn’t want to hurt them but their fate is inconsequential when measured against the *B*ig issue: how can the NDP increase its seat count in the next election?

He’s negotiating all right; he’s doing a bloody good job of it, too, I think.  Liberal support is reported to appear stagnant, even soft, ditto Conservative support.  Layton’s anti-war rhetoric is good TV fodder because he’s a highly skilled communicator able to deliver the 10 second sound bites upon which TV news producers depend – they love him.


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## DaveTee (8 Jul 2007)

It's the NDP's ONLY issue. No one paid attention to them until the garbage they're spewing came out.


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## MarkOttawa (8 Jul 2007)

Take off the moustache, and anyone notice how much like a thinner Mussolini Jack looks, especially when his eyes get into their piercing, commited mode and his chin starts moving forward?

Mark
Ottawa


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## Edward Campbell (8 Jul 2007)

MarkOttawa said:
			
		

> Take off the moustache, and anyone notice how much like a thinner Mussolini Jack looks, especially when his eyes get into their piercing, commited mode and his chin starts moving forward?
> 
> Mark
> Ottawa



I can't imagine him as anything other than the _video professor_.  Every time I see him I expect him to tell me that he can teach me how to use Photoshop or something, Free!!! (plus shipping and handling).


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## GAP (8 Jul 2007)

Maybe somehow, this needs to be pointed out to Canadians, rather than just rebut the issues he spews about, but to break down what he is doing to the Canadian Public and why.....


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## TN2IC (8 Jul 2007)

E.R. Campbell said:
			
		

> I can't imagine him as anything other than the _video professor_.  Every time I see him I expect him to tell me that he can teach me how to use Photoshop or something, Free!!! (plus shipping and handling).




E.R. Campbell ... I was thinking the same thing a few days ago. Thank you so much for a good chuckle...again.


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## DaveTee (12 Jul 2007)

My goodness! Jack Layton IS the Video Professor! He gurantees we'll be satisfied with his CD's or he'll send us 10$!  I have to say though, in all seriousness, that I firmly believe this is a conspiracy...The learning CD's actually send out brainwashing NDP messages well you learn to use your computer...I mean let's face it...someone who can't learn how to use windows XP is probably the type the NDP are looking for as voters. Some may call me crazy, but don't say I didn't warn you about the dangers of jack "The Video Professor Layton".


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## GAP (12 Jul 2007)

In the video professor ad one woman exclaims that her 3 1/2 year old uses a computer better than her before the video professor, I have to wonder if she only got up to a matching level with the 3 1/2 year old>......


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## DaveTee (12 Jul 2007)

I'm pretty sure she can use the computer better, seeing as when i was 3 and 1/2 my spelling and or counting skills were mediocre...also, if you watch someone young play sim city or a game with a lot of clicking, they are terrible at it! So, my point is: how idiotic is this woman?


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## Tow Tripod (14 Jul 2007)

So I wrote Mr Layton and this is the response I received.

Thank you for your comments following my recent press conference on Afghanistan. I welcome the opportunity to explain the timing of the press conference and the federal NDP's position on Canada's role in Afghanistan.

First, my July 4th press conference calling on Prime Minister Harper to work towards a de-escalation of the war was already underway when the sad news of the soldiers' deaths was breaking. 

Five years after the invasion of Afghanistan, it is reasonable to examine the present situation. NDP Defence Critic Dawn Black has released our Party’s comprehensive report on the Conservative-Liberal mission in Afghanistan. It provides background on the conflict, analyzes the issues faced by Canadian troops and Afghan citizens, and offers concrete solutions to help stabilize the country. 

In commenting on our report, journalist Barbara Yaffe said, "The party details a logical, realistic position in an 11-page dissenting opinion to a June 18 report on the deployment by the Commons committee. It followed several months of hearings. ... The NDP's blunt conclusion is one that is mighty hard to refute." (Vancouver Sun, July 10, 2007) 

For more information, please visit: http://www.ndp.ca/page/5462 

Some will say that if we do not support the mission, then we do not support our troops. That is not the case. The NDP supports our troops and their families and it is out of the deep respect for each and every one of them that we seek a de-escalation of this conflict. We believe in sending our brave men and women of the armed forces on missions that have clear goals and a specific plan on what our soldiers need to do to achieve victory. The truth is that the mission in Afghanistan has neither.

Since 2001, military efforts in Afghanistan have failed to bring peace, reduce poverty, stop heroin production, or help reconstruct Afghanistan. NATO was supposed to secure some areas of the country, where institutions could be strengthened and development projects executed, and therefore, help the Afghan government to deliver stability to its citizens. The sad truth is that both U.S. and NATO military efforts have failed to deliver peace and prosperity to the most vulnerable of Afghans: women and children. http://www.senliscouncil.net/modules/publications/014_publication

Malalai Joya, a female MP in the Afghan National Assembly, said, “The situation in Afghanistan and conditions of its ill-fated women will never change positively, as long as the warlords are not disarmed and both the pro-US and anti-US terrorists are removed from the political scene of Afghanistan.” (Quote from speech delivered to 2006 NDP National Convention)

The former Foreign Affairs Minister of Afghanistan, from the pre-Taliban regime, Najibullah Lafraie, stated, "If the international community wants to deny the Taliban and their allies an important recruiting tool, it must withdraw Western troops from Afghanistan as soon as possible." (Reported in Spiegel On-Line, September 6, 2006)

Looking forward, whether it's on climate change, child care, prescription drugs, corporate crime, the high cost of gas and ATM fees, or takeovers by foreign companies the federal NDP is working on the issues that everyday Canadians care about. You can find out more about our work at http://www.ndp.ca or by subscribing to our e-mail bulletin at subscribe@ndp.ca.

Again, I appreciate the time you have taken to register your views on this difficult issue. 

Sincerely, 



Jack Layton, MP (Toronto-Danforth) 
Leader, New Democratic Party of Canada 

Say what you will I was surprised to receive a letter.


TOW TRIPOD


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## ModlrMike (14 Jul 2007)

I'm surprised that you got a letter. I'm not surprised though, that it says nothing of substance. Then again, if you read the statement referred to on the NDP page, it doesn't say anything either. The "...logical, realistic position in an 11-page dissenting opinion..." is, to quote Shakespear, "full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."


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## Huzzah (15 Jul 2007)

Hi Tow Tripod,I received exactly  the same email form letter
from Layton after sending him an email.In my email I wrote..."Dear Sir,if you
wish to negotiate with the taliban,book your flight immediately.The first thing
you might want to discuss is whether they will kill you before,during,or
after your negotiations.How out of touch with reality can you be?"
  I was surprised to get a response from his office,'til I read your post and realized
it was more form letter junk.
  With regard to his content.He leaves out some facts.NATO went to Afghanistan to
kill taliban...and they've been very successful at it.


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## MarkOttawa (15 Jul 2007)

Huzzah:





> NATO went to Afghanistan to kill taliban...and they've been very successful at it.



Actually NATO took over ISAF (originally a non-NATO, UNSC-santioned mission) in August  2003 to maintain security in Kabul.
http://www.nato.int/docu/pr/2003/p03-091e.htm
http://www.nato.int/issues/afghanistan/040628-factsheet.htm

Non-combat PRTs were first established in the north over the next year or so.  A true combat role for NATO only emerged when ISAF took over Regional Command South, with Canada in charge, in the summer of 2006.

Mark
Ottawa


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## Sassy (16 Jul 2007)

Big Foot said:
			
		

> Or some other first world country that isn't at war. Wait, why don't we just save the expense and keep our troops in Canada? That way, we could strip the CF down to nothing more than a glorified police force.



Isn't that what the liberals did?

Layton has no idea what Peace Keeping is about, he glorifies in our history of Peace Keeping but he  has no grasp of ROEs and how restrictive and damaging it is to troops to have their hands tied behind their backs writing reports to the UN or NATO that never get read.  He's an idiot, if he wants to  negotiate with a bunch of barbaric savages let him step up to the plate in Afghanistan and negotiate.  I'll loan him hubbies old blue beret, with a big ole target on the back portion.  Anyone got a spare kit in size xx small for Taliban Jack?


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## 3rd Herd (18 Jul 2007)

the usual disclaimer:

NDP call for military program reforms

Jul 18, 2007 04:38 PM 
Alison Auld 
Canadian press

HALIFAX–Kevin Landry fumbles for one of the prescription pill bottles in his pocket and explains how he had to increase his dosage Wednesday morning just to make it out the door.

The Canadian Forces veteran suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder linked to his service in Bosnia and Croatia in 1995, and rarely leaves the seclusion of his rural Nova Scotia home.

But Landry, slight and soft-spoken, wanted to join several other veterans in Halifax as they criticized the federal government for clawing back their disability payments and leaving many of them on the brink of financial ruin.

"It's not a question of whether we'll go bankrupt next week or next month – it's every day," he said at a news conference. "The first day that you join the military, they tell you that if you get hurt they will take care of you and your family, and that is the biggest lie."

Under the military insurance plan, injured veterans are entitled to a percentage of their former salaries. But the plan treats monthly pension payments as income and deducts the pension amount from what is paid to former Forces members.

Landry, 33, loses about $1,700 a month in clawbacks and estimates the practice has cost him $40,000 since he began receiving his Veterans Affairs pension after his release in 2005.

Landry, who takes eight pills a day to control panic attacks and other ailments, has joined dozens of other veterans from across the country in a class-action lawsuit against the government to end the controversial clawback.

Dennis Manuge, a Nova Scotia veteran who filed the suit last March, said the case illustrates how poorly the federal Conservatives treat veterans who have been hurt serving their country, yet have to fight to get benefits.

"The bottom line is we are having money stolen from us," he said angrily as veterans from the Korean and Second World Wars looked on. "It just doesn't make sense. We are owed a certain debt of gratitude by the government."

Defence officials have said the department is reviewing the issue and "wants to make a decision that is fair to all members and former members of the Canadian Forces balanced with fiscal accountability to Canadian taxpayers."

Manuge said there are up to 6,000 veterans across the country whose disability pensions are being clawed back, putting the cost of stopping it and reimbursing veterans at around $320 million.

A military ombudsman has also called on the government to get rid of the clawback, describing it as "profoundly unfair."

Veterans also criticized the Conservatives for failing to move quickly enough to extend the national veterans independence program, which provides housekeeping, home maintenance and home-care services for 97,000 eligible veterans, their spouses and widows.

Access is restricted and many veterans or their spouses have been denied claims.

When he was Opposition leader in 2005, Prime Minister Stephen Harper promised in writing that a Conservative government would ``immediately" expand the program at a cost of about $300 million a year.

But Harper has said an expansion won't come until the next budget. Veterans Affairs also has to complete a review of its programs before proceeding with any changes.

Chris Beattie's husband became ill and later died after helping in the cleanup of a nuclear spill in Chalk River, Ont., in 1958 while he was doing basic training at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa.

She said the federal government is failing widows who tended to their husbands round the clock rather than put them in nursing homes. 

"I find it an embarrassment that I have to beg (Veterans Affairs) to acknowledge the promise that was made in 1999 and again in 2005 that we the widows would be taken care of," said Beattie.

Peter Stoffer, the NDP's veterans affairs critic, said he has repeatedly asked the government to eliminate the clawback and extend the veterans independence program, but has been stonewalled.

"Supporting our troops doesn't just mean when they're wearing the uniform – it means supporting them throughout their lives," Stoffer said.

Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson said the government is committed to moving ahead, but can't reform the programs "overnight."

"We're dealing with many issues that have been left over by successive Liberal governments and so we can't fix everything in one day," he said in an interview from his riding in St. Stephen, N.B. http://www.thestar.com/News/article/237365


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## Theskoalbandit (23 Jul 2007)

Every time i come on here somthing about taliban jack is put up heres somthing youl all love who dont like that man and cant figure why people seem to enjoy electing him its a well written article

http://www.damianpenny.com/archived/007838.html


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## FSTO (23 Jul 2007)

Has Mr Layton ever visited a Military Base? Has he ever sat down with some military folks to here what they, the ones who volunteered to serve, what they think about his positions?

Didn't think so.


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## Fishbone Jones (23 Jul 2007)

skoalbandit,

We welcome anyone who wishes to contribute, but first, please read the User Guidelines regarding, punctuation, grammar and use of 'spellcheck' and spelling. It will go a long ways in people taking your posts seriously, if they are at least comprehensible (which yours above was not).


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## Edward Campbell (23 Jul 2007)

FSTO said:
			
		

> Has Mr Layton ever visited a Military Base? Has he ever sat down with some military folks to here what they, the ones who volunteered to serve, what they think about his positions?
> 
> Didn't think so.



Look at the recent Ruxted article; about half way down the page it cites a _Toronto Star_ article which says, *"“But every time a Canadian soldier is killed, the doubts of a conflicted nation spasm and the same chorus of opportunists kick up their indignation, whipping that pale rider on a horse. Yet these are, to a large extent, the same people who don't really give a toss about soldiers or their families and view dimly the whole military ethos, as if service in uniform were an anachronism … Canadian soldiers hate them … At Kandahar airfield, when Layton's face appears on the TV screen, soldiers jeer. When anti-war rallies are broadcast, or reported in newspapers that arrive weeks late, they grow quiet and downcast, feel their willingness to sacrifice all is being undermined and exploited.”* (My emphasis added.)

I suspect most serving soldiers have a similar regard for Dion and Coderre and I would not be surprised if Harper and O'Connor are not approaching the same level of _respect_.


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## IN HOC SIGNO (23 Jul 2007)

E.R. Campbell said:
			
		

> Look at the recent Ruxted article; about half way down the page it cites a _Toronto Star_ article which says, *"“But every time a Canadian soldier is killed, the doubts of a conflicted nation spasm and the same chorus of opportunists kick up their indignation, whipping that pale rider on a horse. Yet these are, to a large extent, the same people who don't really give a toss about soldiers or their families and view dimly the whole military ethos, as if service in uniform were an anachronism … Canadian soldiers hate them … At Kandahar airfield, when Layton's face appears on the TV screen, soldiers jeer. When anti-war rallies are broadcast, or reported in newspapers that arrive weeks late, they grow quiet and downcast, feel their willingness to sacrifice all is being undermined and exploited.”* (My emphasis added.)
> 
> I suspect most serving soldiers have a similar regard for Dion and Coderre and I would not be surprised if Harper and O'Connor are not approaching the same level of _respect_.



I'm not sure I understand. Why would troops be starting to disrespect a PM and MND who are building up the Forces and acquiring equipment in a timely fashion to support the troops....tanks, chinooks, C17s, Nayalas on an IOR etc etc. I would agree that the announcements of Defence spending in Quebec is politically self serving.....but then they are going to be spending money in other parts of Canada on ship building and air craft housing and maintenance (Trenton). Would we prefer a return to the rust out and dilly dallying of the last Government for whom defence spending was a definate political football.


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## Munxcub (23 Jul 2007)

I think he probably means how poor a job they're doing at explaining the mission and rallying support from Canadians. The lack of "leading" (there's a thread on that around here somewhere...)


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## IN HOC SIGNO (23 Jul 2007)

Munxcub said:
			
		

> I think he probably means how poor a job they're doing at explaining the mission and rallying support from Canadians. The lack of "leading" (there's a thread on that around here somewhere...)



In that regard I agree. they are doing a very poor job and have done from the get go of getting the word out on the positive stuff going on with the mission. I wonder how much of this is due to the MSM resisting and obfuscating?


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## Cdn Blackshirt (23 Jul 2007)

Every time I see Jack, I see George Galloway.  

I have little doubt that if Jack could've been bank-rolled by Saddam as Galloway was, he'd have taken the money in an instant.



Matthew.   :threat:


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## MarkOttawa (23 Jul 2007)

But why pay Jack when Galloway by comparison has real ability (of a twisted sort) and lives in an important country?

Mark
Ottawa


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## bily052 (23 Jul 2007)

I know this is a bit off the topic but here it goes:   Where is Jack now???  This is almost his back yard and still haven't heard anything out of him  

Second man charged in T.O. boy's killing   http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070723/gun_violence_070723/20070723?hub=TopStories

bily


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## IN HOC SIGNO (23 Jul 2007)

Busy wringing his hands over military spending.


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