Why Canadians Will "Cut and Run"

I use the term "cut and run" because Stephen Harper likes to adopt Bush administration slogans to argue our resolve in Afghanistan. However, the death of these four soldiers tells us a great deal of how much Canadians will tolerate. Last night, I watched a CTV reporter describe the scene at the Canadian base in the aftermath of this incident. Particularly striking was the fact that CTV had footage, taken only a day prior, of Lieut. William Turner engaging Afghans in a southern village. The CTV reporter had met Lieut. Turner and you could see more emotion than you would expect from a supposedly stoic press. There is a intimate character to our mission because the number of troops lends itself to many personal interactions with reporters. This interplay doesn't allow for the relative detachment that we see in the American war coverage.

I marvel at the fact that most American news networks only offer a mention on their tickers if one or two soldiers are killed. Only when the violence reaches a certain threshold is the coverage substantial, the same can't be said for Canada. Each death is viewed as a national event, with the requisite re-examination of our mission. This morning I heard CBC's Sasa Petricic, stationed at the Canadian base, question the military's claim that the local population supports the Canadian presence. Again, the coverage had a personal angle that comes with such close proximity to the troops. Given the relative importance Canadians place on each death, I would argue that our tolerance for a protracted engagement is questionable. Harper can mimic the American rhetoric, but this argument won't resonate in the long term even if there are "minimal" casualties. The pressure to articulate an exit strategy looms on the horizon, despite Harper and the military's open-ended commitment.

It's a good thing that every death is given the coverage it deserves because it doesn't allow for the de-humanization of the sacrifice. I predict the Harper government may recognize the danger of our personalized coverage and attempt to restrict media access to our troops. The flag decision reveals political calculation, and we should expect future attempts to minimize the "bad" press. Harper has a window, wherein Canadians are prepared to accept some casualties, but as each violent episode is discussed, that timeframe shortens dramatically.