Comments on: When semantics attack http://www.barrelstrength.com/2008/01/26/when-semantics-attack/ Over Proof Opinion, Smoothly Aged Insight Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:59:17 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Graham Johnson http://www.barrelstrength.com/2008/01/26/when-semantics-attack/comment-page-1/#comment-8 Graham Johnson Mon, 28 Jan 2008 08:21:11 +0000 http://www.barrelstrength.com/2008/01/26/when-semantics-attack/#comment-8 Ah! Semntivs. But how is a "Taliban Irregular" identified and distnguished from a peasant farmer? People who are not indigenous to what we know as Afghanistan have been running across cultivated acreage for aboutb three centuries. It has not been accepted with equanimity s the British, the Russians, the British again, the Soviets and now an array of Europeans and Americans are once again attempting to impose order ... to the dismay of probably most Afghanis who are very poor, have a grea deal less that those who are running over their lands and who resist in general (not always) with "weapons of the weak". The great difficulty that professional soldiers from the NATO countries has is how to distinguish the "Taliban irregulars" from everybody else. What this means is that verybody dressed in local clothing is at risk of injury, death or capture. And when Canadians hold (even detain) someone who is indistguishable from other Afghanis, that person may (and was until November) be handed over to the authorities in Afghanistan and there is a strong possibility when that happens that the person "detained" will be tortured. Canadian investigators found plausible evidence of toture under a chair. Whta happens when Afhhanis are captured or detained by, say, American forces is unclear. In the past they were sent to places like Guantanamo Bay. Here is another word, "rendition" -- there are reports of conditions in the American enclave on Cuba which are much wose than even the worse Orwellian fantasy and after, is it & years, there has been little effort to bring these detainees (?) to any kind of just hearing. I assume that Glendronach has visited Afghanistan and knows Pushtu well and can readily distinguish "Taliban Irregulars" from everybody else? Ah! Semntivs. But how is a “Taliban Irregular” identified and distnguished from a peasant farmer? People who are not indigenous to what we know as Afghanistan have been running across cultivated acreage for aboutb three centuries. It has not been accepted with equanimity s the British, the Russians, the British again, the Soviets and now an array of Europeans and Americans are once again attempting to impose order … to the dismay of probably most Afghanis who are very poor, have a grea deal less that those who are running over their lands and who resist in general (not always) with “weapons of the weak”. The great difficulty that professional soldiers from the NATO countries has is how to distinguish the “Taliban irregulars” from everybody else. What this means is that verybody dressed in local clothing is at risk of injury, death or capture. And when Canadians hold (even detain) someone who is indistguishable from other Afghanis, that person may (and was until November) be handed over to the authorities in Afghanistan and there is a strong possibility when that happens that the person “detained” will be tortured. Canadian investigators found plausible evidence of toture under a chair. Whta happens when Afhhanis are captured or detained by, say, American forces is unclear. In the past they were sent to places like Guantanamo Bay. Here is another word, “rendition” — there are reports of conditions in the American enclave on Cuba which are much wose than even the worse Orwellian fantasy and after, is it & years, there has been little effort to bring these detainees (?) to any kind of just hearing. I assume that Glendronach has visited Afghanistan and knows Pushtu well and can readily distinguish “Taliban Irregulars” from everybody else?

]]> By: MarkCh http://www.barrelstrength.com/2008/01/26/when-semantics-attack/comment-page-1/#comment-7 MarkCh Mon, 28 Jan 2008 02:56:08 +0000 http://www.barrelstrength.com/2008/01/26/when-semantics-attack/#comment-7 <i>It may also mean that the enemy might, just might, show the same mercy should any of our soldiers be captured.</i> Puh-leese. That's the most implausible thing I have heard all day. Hello....these guys set off bombs in classrooms full of young girls. It may also mean that the enemy might, just might, show the same mercy should any of our soldiers be captured.

Puh-leese. That’s the most implausible thing I have heard all day. Hello….these guys set off bombs in classrooms full of young girls.

]]> By: Greg http://www.barrelstrength.com/2008/01/26/when-semantics-attack/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Greg Sun, 27 Jan 2008 13:22:11 +0000 http://www.barrelstrength.com/2008/01/26/when-semantics-attack/#comment-5 <i>Letting your enemy know that he may be treated with some modicum of dignity in captivity makes it far more likely that waverers will surrender rather than fight to the death.</i> It may also mean that the enemy might, just might, show the same mercy should any of our soldiers be captured. Letting your enemy know that he may be treated with some modicum of dignity in captivity makes it far more likely that waverers will surrender rather than fight to the death.

It may also mean that the enemy might, just might, show the same mercy should any of our soldiers be captured.

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