From The Toronto Star
By John Watson

Every morning, as I walk into work, I am reminded of the life-and-death nature of humanitarian work by black memorial plaques listing the 300 CARE humanitarian workers killed delivering essential aid to very poor people caught in dangerous contexts. Similarly, I recall the many fine members of our Armed Forces whom I met in the field and to whom I have spoken on many occasions in Canada. Invariably, these Canadian Forces personnel and the humanitarian workers share a commitment to do the “right thing” in a highly professional manner, and for the good of the local populace.

But with the current approach dictated by the West, the potential of both of these factions is being severely threatened — particularly in the current setting of Afghanistan. Our success in our military operations and in our efforts in failed states is being threatened by an unforeseen enemy: our own present-mindedness.

By this I mean that the West has lost the ability to understand how our actions in the present can create obvious problems even in the near future and this is bound to create more havoc as we continue our efforts in Afghanistan. This present-mindedness is so pervasive that it is extremely difficult to counter. The best way of doing so, I believe, is to take a disciplined, longer-term point of view.

This prevailing lack of vision may not be evident to us, but is shockingly real to those whom we believe we are assisting.

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