M
Ms. Mallick - This article was, without a doubt, one of the most moronic pieces of literature that I‘ve ever read. It exemplifies the whiny, leftist, and anti-American pouting from Upper Canada, that people in the west and east, have come to hate. "Ohhhh... hired guns of the Evil Empire".
First, with the issues of mercenaries, you act as if this is something new. Do a little research - mercenaries have been used for thousands of years. Of course, that aspect would reduce the effects of your alarmist stance.
Second - "I pledge allegiance to my paycheque"? Boy, if that‘s not a hypocritical statement. You don‘t pledge allegiance to the Editors at the Globe & Mail (i.e. YOUR paycheque)? Come now - you should be an objective and neutral purveyor of world events, as a journalist. If you are here to serve the better good of mankind, you probably shouldn‘t be doing this for pay - lest it clouds your objectivity. I suppose that is different, though.... Do you honestly think that every Canadian soldier serves our Armed Forces for Queen and Country? Surely you are not that naive - many joined for a career. I guess you are not old enough to remember the first Gulf War, when droves of our service people, at the thought of being deployed, protested "Hey - we just joined up for a job - we weren‘t expecting this stuff!"
Third - Your opinions seem to question the patriotism of these men. What have you done, in the service of YOUR country, to put you in such a position to question the motives of others? I‘d be very interested in knowing that.
Anti-US? Fine. Anti-Bush? Also fine. Thumping your left-wing drum at the expense of men whose career choice YOU didn‘t agree with? Ridiculous. I suppose if they were prostitutes or drug dealers, you‘d be defending them, for some reason.
Marshall MacFarlane
Phoenix, Arizona