Tuesday 15 December 2009

Offering succour to the hacks!

I see that many of the scribbling masses who seek to enrage the self-righteous and comfortable with their awfully fascist rags are having a field day over an interview with Bishop to the Forces, Stephen Venner. I include the offending piece here (in italics) with a few comments - read and enjoy children:

Though the Taliban can perhaps be admired for their conviction to their faith and their sense of loyalty to each other, they are fighting in ways that we would not recognise as being honourable or acceptable. 

The reality is that that some of the Taliban are fighting to defend their faith as they understand it. The fact that this is not a true faith but a skewed rendition that sends them into battle is by the by, the reality is that for some, this is an obvious outworking of their commitment to their faith and to their 'brothers' in that faith with whom they take up arms. But again, as the bishop says, they don't play the game in any way that is right or honourable (surrendering and then drawing concealed arms as the captors draw near surely has no honour). The man speaks the truth (although Torygraph and Daily Fascist readers will not doubt be baying at this piece!).

We must remember, however, that there are also a lot of people who are under their influence for a whole range of reasons, people who live in territory that they control and we simply can’t lump all of those together. I suppose many of those who are even fighting under the banner of the Taliban might be doing so for a range of reasons, including indoctrination, fear, misinformation. We simply don’t know. To blanket them all as evil is not helpful in a very complex situation. To paint all the Taliban as black is not helpful.

People fight with and for the Taliban for a number of reasons. Some are indoctrinated and effective brain-washed, others are coerced (fight or we kill your kids in front of you and then you die too!), many more because their Imam has skewed the Koran and its content to be an anti-Western gospel of death and destruction. To merely label a whole people group as 'evil' is to permit any, and all, action against the group - not a Christian or even civilised way of looking at things. This is the reason some in the US (and here in the UK) see all means available as valid - and I mean 'ALL' means :(  

We’ve been too simplistic in our attitude towards the Taliban. There’s a large number of things that the Taliban say and stand for which none of us in the west could approve, but simply to say therefore that everything they do is bad is not helping the situation because it’s not honest really. It makes it more difficult to find a way through this to find something that is better for the Afghan people in the end. The bottom line is that anyone who is not an Afghan can withdraw. 

We're looking at Animal Farm - Western ideals 'Good' - Taliban - 'Bad'. To find a solution requires more than weapons and CIA supplying each and every faction (as I understand is often the case) in the hope they will use them against each other (but they end up being used against us, which means between 'blue on blue' encounters and these weapons - we're often stuffed by US armoury!!!). We need to show respect and, as we in the british forces seek to do, win 'hearts and minds' - a slow but eminently more persuasive approach than kicking the tar out of them! 

Afghanistan is going we hope in the end to find a way to live together with justice for all and prosperity for all. In order to do that we have to involve all the people of Afghanistan to find it. And it is that lasting and just peace that will in the end justify the sacrifices our servicemen and women have made. 

Can any one here find fault with these words - if so, feel free to cat the first stone. +Stephen has not 'offered succour to the enemy' he has merely dialogued sensibly with the situation before him and as my bishop he has my full support.

A food for thought moment to end with:

How many here wish the Taliban didn't engage in the mantra - West "bad' -Taliban 'good'? If you do, what is the differnce between them and us if we merely reverse the good and bad labels?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Like you, I find the bishop's words reasonable and on point. Those who are yelling the loudest about this seem to share a common attribute: they all focus on the first half of the first sentence of the bishop's commentary that you posted, deliberately ignoring the rest, therefore deliberately misconstruing what he was saying.

The same sort of invented controversy seems to be occurring here in the US more and more often as well. Here is a link to an editorial about how much attention extremist rantings get versus more sober analsis in the US: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/12/16/the_year_of_the_political_jackass.html

Some will use any excuse to come up with a self righteous rant. It often seems the case that the more outrageous the rant the more people stand up and take notice. This sort of thing sells newspapers, gets politicians publicily, enhances radio or television ratings, (and also drives links to blogs as well--just think of the possibilities, Vic, you could become a blogging celebrity if you just threw any sense of morality, truth, and decorum to the side). One of the problems, though, is it makes our societies seem more divided and acrimonious than they really are. People are all up in arms with the bishop's words without ever bothering to discover what he really is saying.

Dave C. (aka okieduckie)

Vic, on a personal note, would you keep my wife Amy in your prayers? She is undegoing outpatient surgery this afternoon on one of her toes. She will be in the hospital several hours and home tonight. It's not a huge deal, but she is scared and worried about it, more than she lets on)

Anonymous said...

I see my linked source is too long to fit. Here is an excerpt from the editorial I linked to:

It feels like the online political universe. The virulence of the political blogosphere has seeped into our politician's discourse. It's the fragmentation and depersonalization of partisans. The causes are indeed manifold. As I've written, we now have a partisan industrial complex invested in our divisions.

It's the consequence that reached new extremes this year. And even the more clownish extremes evoke a trend of more serious breaches. The statesmen have largely left the stage.


Dave C.

Vic Van Den Bergh said...

Hi Dave thanks for your comments - have been praying for AMy (and will continue to do so) - trust all went well yesterday.

Hopefully engage on the Cavedwellers forum a bit more.

I am almost glad that only a few read this having seen some of the comments that appear on other blogs - not always a good encounter I fear.

I have also writtent o +Stephen and told him of my support and prayers.

Anonymous said...

Vic,

Yes, all went well. Thank you for the prayers. I will bookmark the cavedwellers forum. I see there are some familiar names there.

Dave C.