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In the brief, futile debate on Afghanistan that I began with "Brian" of the "Canada-Afghanistan Blog," I also encountered Canada's version of Christopher Hitchens, Terry Glavin. I had great expectations of a vigorous debate with both those individuals, but, alas, as I've detailed in tiresome detail here at the schoolyard, twas not to be. Glavin deletes contrarian comments on his blog without even thinking about it, and launches into tirades alternating between self-pity about his persecutions at the hands of the anti-war crowd and insults to his opponents. "Brian" simply ignored the comments for a short while before resorting to his colleague's practice of deleting them. After some empty-headed attempts at condescension, "Brian" said that he'd delete everything we (anti-war readers) typed from now on, unless we said something intelligent (by his standards). I typed what was to be my last missive (which was later deleted) but then re-read his critique of my posts and noticed that he'd called me "anti-American." Well, that just couldn't stand, so I typed the following:

Oh, but I just noticed you called me "Anti-American." Before I leave you to the brain-destroying writings of Rosie Di-Fucking-Moron, let me say this:

"America" doesn't = "Bagram Airbase."

The United States of America does stuff you know. Because it's the most powerful country in the world. Some of that stuff is nasty. If you understood how the world really works, you'd know that. But the United States is a big country with lots of people and a rich culture. It is more than the depredations of its foreign policy elites and their killing machines. If you choose to equate "America" with Reagan's deathsquads, bush II's Guantanamo and Bagram (which is now Obama's Bagram) that's your business. But given the abhorrent nature of those abominations, I rather think that your equating them with the USA makes you the "Anti-American."

A last word Brian. I think you're deluded. I don't think you're an idiot. I actually think that if you blind yourself to the fundamentals of this project and our involvement in it, there's enough to the rationalizationis, the "cover story" to justify your devotion to it. But there's a reason we [the West] has been there since 2001 and the country remains a basketcase with a GROWING insurgency. And that's because the people in charge DON'T GIVE A SHIT about the people of Afghanistan.

Terry Glavin is obviously too far gone to be reasoned with. And, for the record, immature, what with his deleting comments and heaping insult after insult upon anyone who disagrees with him. But I thought you had a stronger core than that.

If people disagree they will go back-and-forth on a subject, obviously. They don't agree. They dispute with each other. But if you want to cocoon yourself with the ravings of Glavin, DiManno, and Canadian officials who speak mindlessly of "progress" year after year after fucking year, then you're hopeless.

This was subsequently deleted as well. But I think there's something worthwhile in that so I've re-posted it here (after considerable delay).

Finally, I can't resist mentioning that one of the things Glavin wails about in his pity-parties is how he's called all sorts of awful names by the anti-war crowd; "imperialist," "war-monger," etc. To which I can only say, "boo-hoo-hoo-hoo!" As if Glavin and Brian don't sling the insults about. Maybe they should take up their painful sufferings with "Taliban Jack."