Rob points out that a Canadian soldier in Afghanistan has been ordered to stop blogging.
Michael Geist
mgeist@uottawa.ca
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Stop blogging dude and start shoting
From a law standpoint,this issue is very cut and dry. Canadian Soldiers, including me, do not enjoy all the freedoms guarenteed by democratic process. Freedom of association, freedom of mobility, freedom of expression, as in this case, are all limited. Besides, his internet access is not provided by Sympatico or Telus, but by the military Signals Corps. If he disobeys, don’t look for a landmark supreme court appeal of a court martial, look for a soldier asking his buddies if they have a spare postage stamp.
The reason should be painfully evident, Johhny Taliban DOES have net access, and CAN read English.
Now the caveat: when he gets home, and his contract expires (including paid vacation)he is not subject to military disciplinary orders or regulations. He can blog all he wants, so long as he does not violate the Official Secrets Act.
Recomended course of action for him, as commented above, put down your keyboard and pick up your rifle.
It’s always the privates, the sergeants, the non-commissioned military soldiers that get killed. Where are the colonels, captains, lieutenant-colonels? They never seem to be in harm’s way. Hiding I guess. Let the little people take the bullets.