News The Land of Canada
posted by on July 16 at 12:03 PM
Canada in the age of Bush:
A U.S. soldier who fled to Canada because he refused to serve in Iraq has been deported, and now faces a possible court martial.Robin Long crossed the border into Canada in 2005. Last October, he was arrested in Nelson, B.C., on a Canada-wide warrant.
He called military operations in Iraq “an illegal war of aggression.”
This is sad, so sad.
The saddest thing about this is that he could've just told them he was gay and it all would've gone away.
What, that he voluntarily joined the military so they would pay for his college and then broke the contract?
Sorry Charles, this is not the 70's... he SIGNED UP.
This is aboot Canada in the age of PM Harper.
And what @2 said.
What @2 said. It doesn't matter what the war is, the military can't tolerate soldiers going AWOL without consequences. True in George Washington's time as it is in GWB's time.
Yeah, I'm dittoing #2 as well.
You break your phone contract - you pay a fee.
Maybe we can get the country out of debt this way?
(;=
not feeling too bad for him...we don't have a draft and no one forced him to join.
he should have offered to fellate his commanding officer.
Sorry he signed up, knowing that war was a possibility. Its the military not starbucks. He made the commitment, received the benefits and has to accept the responsibilities. Order and discipline are important in a military.
The Iraq war is not so illegal or immoral as to rise to the level of say serving the Nazis. Now if he say receives a direct order to say mow down some children, he should disobey, but he does not get to leave the military just because he doesn't like the war.
Charles,
I agree with just about everyone on this Slog and part with you. It's not sad it's foolish. He (Robin Long or Corey Glass et al.) won't get any empathy from me. Mr.Long volunteered. He wasn't drafted. Many Canadians against the Iraq War and the Canadian courts apparently agree as well. Which is one of the reasons why some if not all these AWOL American servicemen will be deported.
I second #2 and #8. If this guy felt so strongly that Iraq is an illegal war, then he should have refused deployment and been court-martialed, where he would have had the opportunity to present his argument. Now, I'm almost certain that he would have been found guilty in that scenario, and maybe sent to prison, but he should have been aware of that when he chose to act the martyr. Running away from his obligation makes him a coward, not a hero.
Former veteran here, and I ditto everyone in these comments. People join to get all of the benefits - and there are many! - but they kind of forget the main reason the military exists. Anyone who has joined since 9/11 KNEW they were going to war. If they say otherwise, they're blatant liars. Or morons. Once you're in, you're in. Uncle Sam owns your ass, and what he says goes, whether you agree with it or not. These guys should have thought about that instead of their $5000 signing/re-enlistment bonus.
So how is this any different than the Watada saga? Other than Watada garnered near unanimous support from Sloggers...
He should have run to Mexico.
It's more fun anyway.
@12, I think he got a lot of support from actual sloggers. Myself and others in the comments thought he was a whiny fuckwit.
@12 and 14,
Rather than trying to dodge his obligations, he stuck around and faced them head on. It's the difference between saving your own skin and accepting responsibility for a poor decision.
@1 is right.
By the way, Nelson BC is a wonderful place this time of year, if you're looking for an inexpensive vacation destination with mountains, biking, hiking, beaches, theatre, and lots of young folks. And free ferry boat rides.
Shout out to Kaslo and Trail as well!
@12 and 14,
Rather than trying to dodge his obligations, he stuck around and faced them head on. It's the difference between saving your own skin and accepting responsibility for a poor decision.
@17, facing them head on would have been to plead guilty and go to jail.
@16 and if you're looking for really great weed & Canadian hippies.
Charles,
I think you're crazy.
Charles,
I think you're crazy.
Charles,
I think you're crazy.
As @2, @8 and other have said, the main difference is volunteer vs. conscript.
Although as a Canadian I'd like to let them come run up here anyway, on the other hand I can see the point in not letting them. Many of these people signed up specifically to go to Iraq.
Now some have changed their minds. They made a bad choice, but they have to live with that choice now. It's sad, but it was their choice.
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