Possible future role for CF at Kandahar
A retired chief of the defence staff has some reasonable suggestions. But that's the problem, they're just too reasonable. Somehow I just don't see any opposition party agreeing to our continuing a substantial role at Kandahar after February 2009 (even with much reduced combat); and I don't see any of the reluctant NATO members coming in to help significantly with combat on the ground. The Afghan National Army may be a pretty decent force by then but I can't see there being no need for combat assistance from international troops.
I suppose the US and UK will have to take up most of the slack, with luck having much reduced Iraq commitments in the US case.
The Conservative government, for its part, still can't properly communicate what our mission is all about; rather it is "looking for a place to hide". One can but hope that a new minister of national defence will do better.
Depressing.
I suppose the US and UK will have to take up most of the slack, with luck having much reduced Iraq commitments in the US case.
The Conservative government, for its part, still can't properly communicate what our mission is all about; rather it is "looking for a place to hide". One can but hope that a new minister of national defence will do better.
Depressing.
posted by Mark, Ottawa at 4:12 p.m.
8 Comments:
I fear that no matter who is the Defence Minister the message will always be skewed by the media. I read an article about the NRC and the desire to do a news release about Kryptonite. It seems that the Privy Council Office has to approve releases and it takes 5 days. Now, I am sure that the head of the NRC knows the policy, but the whole article focused on the fact that they wanted to do the press release but were not allowed because they didn't staff it soon enough. Now, it sounds like a draconian measure from the PCO, but if it is a known policy they should have submitted it a week in advance and all will be fine. You see, it is not the NRC head's fault, it is the CPC and their PCO rules.
No matter who the Minister of Defence happens to be the media will see the worst in everything that the military and DND does. Perhaps that is a harsh assessment, but that is what I see every day.
What message?
Seriously, the reason the media is "skewing", to the extent that they are, is that there is a vacuum. There is no message. None.
http://tinyurl.com/2uxqsg
That is the link to the DND news releases, statements, backgrounders etc. Have you seen a lot of this in the news? There is a message, but is the media listening? I don't see a vacuum Cameron, I see more of an agenda.
OMG THEY'VE RELEASED PRESS RELEASES? DID THEY END WITH -30-? Did they say "for immediate release at the top"? Are they in a nice font? Because if they are that qualifies them to be used for TP in every news room on the planet along with THE HUNDREDS OF OTHER FUCKING PRESS RELEASES THAT COME ACROSS THE DESK OF EVERY EDITOR.
I'll tell you what, go find a politician and tell him or her that you want to be their campaign manager. Tell them that you are going to run their campaign via " news releases, statements, backgrounders etc". I would argue for wearing one of these so as to deflect the spittle from the laughing.
The war in Afghanistan is a product, an idea, something to sell.
Do I like that reality? Not even a bit.
Does it exist? Yes.
Should people deal? Oh yes indeed.
So I'll tell you what, you stick to blaming the media, pointing to press releases etc. Because it's entertaining. Because from over here it looks like this. And I like watching people yell "lalalalalalla" at the top of their lungs.
Nice response, about what I expected. Lets see... I guess what I really need is to drag a reporter over by the hair and make them print what I want them to print. Yeah, that's a good idea.
Cameron, the editors and reporters pick what they want to print, they don't do what they are told. You feed them information in various ways and they decide what to do with it. My point is that there is a ton of information for them to pick from and they pick what they want and ignore what they want. An army of Public Affairs Officers could sit and pound out good news stories all day, but if no one publishes them then the work is for naught. So, how to MAKE the media do what you want? Well, as the CPC has found out, you can't. Hold a press conference and the press will do whatever they want with the footage, they control it all. An articulate minister can be shown to be an ass by judicious editing.
So if you know the secret to getting a message out when the media doesn't want to tell your message, sign up with someone and work your magic. Or better yet share it with us so we all know how to do it, God knows I don't know how to get a reporter to say something they don't want to or a publisher to publish something they seem to disagree with.
Lastly. the war in Afghanistan is not a commodity to sell, it is a political decision to support one side and oppose another. It is ideology backed up with force. That we are there because a spineless politician wanted to appear to do something says a lot about the situation. But regardless of how we got there we are doing some good, and we should stay and help them get all the way up onto their own two feet, and then we should leave. Funny, the Allies did just that to conquered nations after WWII, you think the West could continue to do so. NATO didn't conquer Afghanistan, but they did help depose a regime and they are helping to set up something better. And when that job is done NATO and the West will leave, because that is what was done in the past. Not conquers after all, because a conquerer never leaves.
Can you show me dwayne where I said anything about dragging anyone anywhere? You can't. Because I didn't.
"Cameron, the editors and reporters pick what they want to print, they don't do what they are told. " Go on. Really??
"My point is that there is a ton of information for them to pick from and they pick what they want and ignore what they want."
Yes, and if all you're doing is sending out press releases and politicized crap ("The New Government of Canada's New Ships for the New Arctic Reality!") then it. will. be. ignored.
"So if you know the secret to getting a message out when the media doesn't want to tell your message, sign up with someone and work your magic. Or better yet share it with us so we all know how to do it, God knows I don't know how to get a reporter to say something they don't want to or a publisher to publish something they seem to disagree with."
Better information, better explaining, an actual coordinated message strategy from the CDS and the Minister, better packaging of the info you have... I know it's fun to think of reporters as these evil, other worldly beings, but they are just human, overworked, busy, sometimes lazy humans.
Your last paragraph is amusing, because a casual reader would believe that you're responding to something that I've said. Sadly, for both your lips and your fingers, I never said anything that merits that response. I know that you're unable to work out that I'm not some arch-lefty stereotype that you've constructed in your head...
Anyway, speaking of responses that I expected, yours is pitch perfect and what I've come to expect from the what passes as conservative nowadays: Everything is someone else's fault boo hoo... people like you remind me that the political continuum is more circular than linear.
I disagree and you disagree, I believe my argument proves my point and you don't, I can live with that. I don't think that the CPC could do anything to make the media happy. If you can point me in the direction of supportive media coverage then I will stand corrected, but isolated instances will be ignored. I can almost hear your response that the CPC is just incompetent at using the media.
As to my last paragraph, let me point to your sentence:
The war in Afghanistan is a product, an idea, something to sell.
I say again, the war in Afghanistan is not a commodity and I stand by that, and the rest of the paragraph. That you call it a product degrades it and so I responded. The casual reader may not be smart enough to read back through the comments, but I try and read before I respond.
"but isolated instances will be ignored" hahhaahhahahahahaha...
Well played dwayne.
I have no idea if the CPC are good or bad at selling things to the media, they never try.
It's a commodity in the marketplace of ideas. Period. Just like "leave now" is a commodity. Just like the LPC or the CPC or the NDP or pro or anti abortion or anti racism or racism or any one of a million different view points. All are inputs and outputs from the political machine. The ones that succeed are the ones with the most people behind them. Period. That's how politics works. Always has.
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