Thursday, October 10, 2013

Good Cheer

In the ordinary run of events I would have been mildly interested in watching the short documentary broadcast on local tv this evening about Singapore's army's involvement in Afghanistan over the last six years. But since it featured Fuad's brother Fahmi, who did his tour of duty out there last year, it became a must-see, and very interesting it was. Lots of the troops who'd been out there were featured and their pride in the good they'd tried to do, and what they'd achieved, was palpable. And when Fahmi was featured receiving an award for his work we were cheering.

Happily no casualties from the SAF were featured, and I say happily because I don't think there were any. But I couldn't help reflect on the casualties there have been amongst the troops from my country, and other countries including, of course, Afghanistan itself. I hope, as do we all, that the courage and dedication of the troops out there turns out to have really been worthwhile in the long run. Sadly, I have my doubts.

Though these doubts don't extend to the value of the clean water, the dental care, the hospitals, the bridges that the SAF sought to provide. In some things there is an absolute good, things really worth cheering for.

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