"Liberty, etc": Quebec separatists weigh in on why we should not help Afghanistan

Canada's treason party, the separatist Bloc Québecois, is positioning itself to exploit the anti-Israel sentiment and rabid jew-hatred currently on the rise in the "distinct society" of La Belle Province.

Last weekend, the leader of the Bloc Quebecois party, Gilles Duceppe, participated in a pro-hezbollah rally in Montreal, Quebec. Canada's center-right national newspaper, the National Post, reports that when Duceppe ..."attempted to compensate for [his] attendance by calling for Hezbollah to be disarmed, [he was] booed."

I've been grappling with sincerely understanding the left's definition of "peace" and "peace-keeping" these last few weeks. The more I listen to their side of things, the more confused I become.

Looking for answers, this morning I descended into the enemy lair: the official Bloc Québécois website.
I notice that the amount of material at the site that is translated from french into english, is rather skimpy; dare I say, selective....?

The party's stance on our country's war on the taliban is pretty clear and unambiguous: [translating] "The Bloc Québécois does not believe that Canada can permit itself to maintain a comprehensive army, it must specialize in peace missions.
"Liberals and conservatives want the contrary: increase the budget and manpower without understanding what mandate Canada wished for its army."

Reading the comments from supporters, we can discover what mandate seperatist quebecois demand for our armed forces.
We can also lean that the average Bloc Quebecois follower is as likely to be besotted with Michael Moore conspiracy theories as they are with the day-dream of separation from Canada.

Here's a sampling of comments I've translated, on the subject of withdrawing Canadian troops from Afghanistan:

[Jocelyn, June 6, 2006] "It's clear that the interests here are not to defend ourselves from a menace but instead to control resources and the [oil] pipeline. It's humiliating that we are in the middle of helping tyrants enrich themselves.
Inform yourselves, you won't get the answers from television!"

[Roger Fery, May 18, 2006] "It is shameful that the Prime Minister intends on supporting the USA, especially Mr Bush in this adventure destined for failure (the russians know a thing about that).
These afghan or iraqi people will never stop their guerilla attacks.
This is submitting our guys to the worst catatrophes...."

[Richard, May 18, 2006] "Despite the traditional virtuous justifications for sending soldiers into another continent (liberty etc), the historical perspective that follows incites me to oppose the deployment of canadian troops: [The commentor launches into a rather lengthy recap of the Unocal trans-Afghanistan pipeline story from Michael Moore's 9/11 film and books. I'll just translate a brief excerpt..] ...An ultimatum is served to the Taliban as they nevertheless controlthe country: you must choose between bombs [invasion] or gold [pipeline]; meanwhile we begin the plans for invasion. The Taliban do not budge. We all know the rest, the 9/11 attempt principally orchestrated by Saudi dissidents, serves as a springboard for an invasion of... Afghanistan (and Iraq)."

[Francois, May 17, 2006] "To all the Bloc Quebecois deputies, in the name of respecting the sovereignty of nations and Canada's pacifist politics, we demand of you, today, as members of quebec youth, to oppose the prolonguing of the militaristic politics of the Harper government. The mission in Afghanistan... has not contributed at all to the progress of the afghan people and sows greater and greater confusion on the ground. Canada must return to its initial mission which was to maintain a climate of peace and to protect civilians. Furthermore, it is our duty to give to the Afghans the tools necessary for their development without imposing any agenda whatsoever.
Mr. Duceppe, if you are in favor of the sovereignty of the quebec people, you must support the sovereignty of the afghan people against american imperialism, characterized ever more by the ambitions of the canadian government.

[Jocelyne, May 17, 2006] "The Bloc Québecois must absolutely oppose the prolonging of the troops stay in Afghanistan.
Think of the 70% of all québécois that are against this war mission.
Bloc Québécois: who will elect you at the next elections?
May Canada return to missions of peace!"

[Isabelle, May 16, 2006] "...There is nothing humanitarian in keeping our troops in Afghanistan when we know that the principal objective in this conflict is that Mr. Bush's american government wants access to the immense oil reserves, by going through an adjoining country. What might motivate the canadian government to make itself the accomplice of president Bush and his entourage, knowing that they hold important roles in oil companies?"

[Marc, May 15, 2006] "All are in favor of peace missions authorized by the UN. But what is worrysome is the HARPER foreign policy that is so glued to that of BUSH and the neocons, that Canada's reputation as a nation, risks being forever ruined.
Imagine how different Quebec's foreign policy would be from that of Canada's?
Quebec has no interest in being part of a country like Canada."

Well Marc, as frightening as it is to contemplate, I think we have seen in recent days, on Montreal's streets, the particulars of how different a Quebec foreign policy would be from Harper's principled stand with Israel. With such open and strong support for hezbollah, your province, hopefully, will have no place within my Canada. In whose eyes, I wonder, will Canada's reputation suffer..?
In hezbollah's eyes, perhaps?
Why would that be such a bad thing, anyway; wouldn't it be a badge of honor to be hated by such monsters?
The left are quick to speak of "humiliation" and "shame"; such are evidently the real terrors that life can hold for them, I guess.

Shamed in whose eyes? Humiliated in front of whom?

I'll leave the last word to the National Post:
"Hezbollah is a terrorist group. It has committed countless atrocities aimed at Western and Israeli civilians in Israel and around the world. Its actions precipitated the current conflict in Lebanon. Hezbollah is listed under Canada's Anti-Terrorism Act. Canadian politicians have no place at any demonstration where Hezbollah flags are flown. And Canadian citizens who publicly demonstrate their support for Hezbollah should be seen for what they are: Islamic extremists and terrorist sympathizers.
In other words, the enemy."