An unanticipated turn of events...

In a move that seems quite uncharacteristic of late, Canada has chosen to refuse Specialist Hinzman's application for status as a refugee. This is a story I've been following for some time now. Specialist Hinzman deserted from the 82nd airborne shortly before it was scheduled to be deployed to Iraq. It was determined that he did not face a significant threat of torture should he be returned to his homeland. The DOD indicates he is likely to receive a 5 year prison sentence for desertion in a time of war.

This opens a rather interesting logical dilemma. What should be done with individuals that desert? The UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice, the legal system the military uses) still carries execution as the maximum penalty that can be doled out for a deserter.

In Hinzman's case, he was a freeloader. He was gambling on the chances that he would not actually be expected to do the work he signed on for, in exchange for a free education. Unfortunately for him, war broke out... Which meant that he would have to be a man and fulfill his end of the deal. With that prospect in mind, he decided to run.

So it's a given that Hinzman's a coward, but what do you do with them?

You certainly don't want people to have to bet their lives on his ability to do his duty, so returning him to active service is certainly not an option.

The left in this country fails to see execution as a viable answer. Frankly I think if we did a bit more of it, people might take their commitments a little more seriously though.

Is five years in prison a just punishment for abandoning your brothers-in-arms in the time of their greatest need? I think not!

I know that he is unlikely to see the death penalty, unfortunately... Five years however is a farce. I'd like to see him warehoused until he was a very old man. Anything less that 20 years would simply be a travesty!

This is the very embodiment of the problems that face us as a nation. Too many want to snag the freebies, while too few do the work. It's all about "What can I get that I do not deserve"... The very description of a liberal.

Anybody want to place wagers on which political party this dickless coward, Hinzman subscribes to? I know what my bet would be and I only make bets that I know I can win...

This opens up a whole other line of inquiry. Canada has relied on the United States to defend it for a very long time. They've failed to provide an adequate military aparatus for themselves, because they knew they could simply lean on Uncle Sam to bear that expense for them. Canada has been growing rather bold of late... Snubbing the hand that protects them. I just wonder where all of this is going to lead...