"Canadian general vents anger over bombings to Afghan village elders"

[The Bread Guy]

C'mon X-mo, you know it's simpler than that! If only the government would listen to stopwar's solutions:

No military = No war! If we don't have an Army then we won't be tempted to use it.

Just like no Police Dept = no crime, and no Fire Department = no fires!

See, it's simple! If only us warmongers would listen...

Funny you should mention this - it's already being looked into by the NDP:

A federal New Democrat has teamed up with a Liberal to propose the creation of an army of peace professionals within a new federal department to resolve violent conflicts within Canada and around the world.

The idea was introduced through new legislation tabled by NDP MP Bill Siksay, seconded by Liberal MP Jim Karygiannis. Mr. Siksay said the proposed department of peace could change the role of the Canadian military, but not necessarily replace it.

"In a utopian vision of our world, maybe that will be possible some day but certainly we see this as an area that hasn't gotten the attention it deserves," said Mr. Siksay at a news conference.

"The inclination to seek a non-violent solution to conflict isn't always the first action that people take in our society and around the world." ....

 

[vonGarvin]

Ah, the Utopians...

"The inclination to seek a non-violent solution to conflict isn't always the first action that people take in our society and around the world." ....

Actually, in both Iraq and Afghanistan, non-violent solutions were indeed the first action taken by the west.

In Iraq, following the invasion of Kuwait, non-violent solutions were pursued for quite some time.  Following the cease-fire in 1991, there were 12 years of (mostly) non-violent solutions pursued.  Unfortunately, some (*cough* FRANCE *cough*) were profitting from the oil for food scandal, thus undermining the non-violent solutions.  Of course, GW Bush et al went on shaky int of WMDs; however, President Midnight Rambler would simply have pointed to the existing UN resolutions and the terms of the cease fire agreement as "Jus ad Bellum".  Even the Taliban government was given pleas from the West to turn over OBL.  They refused.  So, yet again, we have the Utopians.

The formation of a "Department of Peace" is laughable.  The idea of an army is to enforce national foreign policy.  To suggest that some sort of pseudo-Peace Corps would deploy to "enforce" Peace is....is.... I don't know.  Words fail me!

 

[Edward Campbell]

BGen Vance just gave a rather lengthy, very effective interview on CBC Radio's "The Current." A podcast should be available here later today.

He easily handled a few rather pointed questions re: e.g. Senators Kenny's recent, ill-informed comments and he deftly turned a comment about "Canadians react badly to casualties" to a "win" in which he emphasized the bond between Canadians and their military.

We got accustomed to having a highly skilled communicator in the top job. BGen Vance is, in my opinion, "better" at it than Gen. Hiller and that skill, and the calmness which, of necessity, accompanies it, makes him a very impressive communicator and, therefore, a "comer" in the senior officers' sweepstakes.

 

[The Bread Guy]

This, from Agence France-Presse:

The military situation in Afghanistan is "serious" and "desperate," the top Canadian commander in the country, General Jonathan Vance, warned in an interview with CBC television station.

"It's a serious, desperate situation. It's a major emergency," he said.

He said it was important to explain the situation to the Afghan and Canadian publics, but not to "sugar coat anything, and it's certainly not to make the mission seem better than it is."

"But (I)... try and put all of that into some sort of context such that people -- whether they believe we should be here or not -- at least they understand," he said in the 20 minute interview broadcast Wednesday....

As those smarter than I say, anything to sell papers...

 

[vonGarvin]

I listened to the interview.  milnews is correct: they focus on one part of the interview, take it on its own, no context, and scream "THE SKY IS FALLING".  What's next?  "Panzers on the Seine?"  :

 

[Edward Campbell]

It's the news and "No news is good news" "Good news is not news" and most of what BGen Vance offered was (cautious) good news.

 

[X-mo-1979]

C'mon X-mo, you know it's simpler than that! If only the government would listen to stopwar's solutions:

No military = No war! If we don't have an Army then we won't be tempted to use it.

Just like no Police Dept = no crime, and no Fire Department = no fires!

See, it's simple! If only us warmongers would listen...

They should start a special organization for  "containment of x-mo-1979 (warmonger) gets a terminal disease at a old age".Nothing but evening news cast of me punching people at gala's etc. ;D

 

[deborahsmith]

I work at CBC Television and I'd like to talk with soldiers who have fought in Afghanistan. I'm looking for someone who can answer questions from the public about what it's like to be a soldier in Afghanistan. 
thanks, deb
Please call me at 416 205 5711 or e-mail me at deborah.smith@cbc.ca if you would like to find out more.

 

[The Bread Guy]

I work at CBC Television and I'd like to talk with soldiers who have fought in Afghanistan. I'm looking for someone who can answer questions from the public about what it's like to be a soldier in Afghanistan. 
thanks, deb
Please call me at 416 205 5711 or e-mail me at deborah.smith@cbc.ca if you would like to find out more.

Welcome to Milnet.ca, Deb.  You've come to a place where there's a LOT of good information to be had.

To deal with some anxiety some serving or former members might have about dealing with the media, you may want to consider sharing a bit more information regarding what you're looking for, and how you're going to use the material - what the general angle of the story is, the format of the final product (short news clips, a longer feature, a documentary, town hall guest, something else), what program you're working for, and who else you've spoken with or want to speak to.  I know you don't want to give anything significant away to the competition, but even a bit more might be welcome.

 

[PMedMoe]

Not to mention, anyone who might wish to speak to the press should seek guidance from their CofC and/or Public Affairs Officer.

 

[X-mo-1979]

She asked where she could post this on here.So I just copied and pasted it.


I'm working on a new show with Mark Kelley (starts oct 26 on Newsworld) and this is for a 4 minute segment on his show.
Every couple of weeks we'll take someone out to a mall or a park...some public place.  We put up a sign saying "Ask Me Anything. I'm a soldier /  I was a soldier  and I've been to Afghanistan." And we give the public a chance to sit and talk about anything they want with you.  I'm doing one next week with a nurse who's had the swine flu, and we're going to a shopping mall where people can ask her questions about what it's like to be sick, and also, if they should get a vaccine, etc. etc. Whatever people want to ask.
I'm looking for someone who's been to AFghanistan and will answer questions honestly and openly.  I have been in touch with Public Affairs for the Forces and they are helping find someone, but, I'm also looking for someone who doesn't need their stamp of approval.
let me know what you think.  i can tell you more, if you want.
thanks for responding.  Is there a place I can post my note I sent to you?
thanks again, deb  416 205 5711 (call collect)

 

[The Bread Guy]

Thanks for that X-mo-1979 & PMedMoe....

 

[The Bread Guy]

I got a transcript of the Vance interview, and calculated how much of the 20 minutes ended up in the follow-up stories mentioned above. The magic number, based on word count:

2 per cent

Impressive, eh?  :  Something you may want to keep in mind when you read stories based on "Bloggins made the statement during an interview with ABCD news."

A bit more here.

 

[Roy Harding]

I got a transcript of the Vance interview, and calculated how much of the 20 minutes ended up in the follow-up stories mentioned above. The magic number, based on word count:

2 per cent

Impressive, eh?  :  Something you may want to keep in mind when you read stories based on "Bloggins made the statement during an interview with ABCD news."

A bit more here.

At the beginning of the first Gulf War, I was interviewed (with the CO's approval) by a local television station.  I had recently returned from Iran and Iraq (deployed with UNIIMOG - not the war), and was the closest thing they could find to someone with "recent experience" in the area.

The interview went fine, took about 10 minutes - I actually had a good time, felt that I had put my point of view across fairly well, and that I had "connected" with the interviewer.

When I saw the TEN SECONDS of the interview that was actually aired, I couldn't believe it.  I came across as a war monger (which I certainly WAS - but I hadn't expressed that in the interview), and basically a "knuckle dragger lookin' to give someone a good kickin' ".  Not at all what had taken place during the interview itself.  Some "creative" editing was involved.

Use caution when approached by the media.  The PAFFO folks are, in my experience, MUCH more switched now on than they were back then - and should usually be able to alleviate this kind of thing.  Don't do an interview without one at your side.

 

[ballz]

but, I'm also looking for someone who doesn't need their stamp of approval.

Not sure that exists... At the end of the day, anybody who agrees to this would be seen by most viewers as an ambassador for the CF. You'd have to be stupid to walk into this, knowing the plan is to publish you "as a Canadian soldier that's been to Afghanistan," without approval and guidance from your CoC and the PA officers.

 

[mellian]

Funny you should mention this - it's already being looked into by the NDP:

Reminds me of the Ministry of Peace in Babylon 5, or even n 1984.

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

 

[X-mo-1979]

Not sure that exists... At the end of the day, anybody who agrees to this would be seen by most viewers as an ambassador for the CF. You'd have to be stupid to walk into this, knowing the plan is to publish you "as a Canadian soldier that's been to Afghanistan," without approval and guidance from your CoC and the PA officers.

I also asked Mrs Smith about that as well,and expressed that concern.She was quick to reply that in no way would she be trying to get someone in trouble with the COC or have one person who was released there as well as a PAFFO approved.Although she did wonder if a person whom was no longer in the military would be able to express things a serving soldier would not.Which I agree with.I first thought the same as yourself,however that is not her intentions.

 

[ballz]

I also asked Mrs Smith about that as well,and expressed that concern.She was quick to reply that in no way would she be trying to get someone in trouble with the COC or have one person who was released there as well as a PAFFO approved.Although she did wonder if a person whom was no longer in the military would be able to express things a serving soldier would not.Which I agree with.I first thought the same as yourself,however that is not her intentions.

I'm not trying to find ill of her intentions or warn anybody of a witchhunt by any means. It's just that some of us aren't all that gifted with the tongue and could easily reflect negetively on the CF no matter what our or the newscasters intentions. I for one am way too hot-headed and exciteable to do something like this and have it turn out for the better... but I know that about myself, some people don't.

I know Mrs. Smith just wants a raw, uncensored version of the answers for her piece, which is great and all, but the CF can't do that for a TON of reasons, right from PA to OPSEC and beyond.

 

[X-mo-1979]

I'm not trying to find ill of her intentions or warn anybody of a witchhunt by any means. It's just that some of us aren't all that gifted with the tongue and could easily reflect negetively on the CF no matter what our or the newscasters intentions. I for one am way too hot-headed and exciteable to do something like this and have it turn out for the better... but I know that about myself, some people don't.

I know Mrs. Smith just wants a raw, uncensored version of the answers for her piece, which is great and all, but the CF can't do that for a TON of reasons, right from PA to OPSEC and beyond.

Thanks for the enlightenment.