And now we know where everybody really stands.

Ottawa — The House of Commons has overwhelmingly rejected an NDP motion calling for an immediate end to Canada's combat mission in Afghanistan.

Conservative, Liberal and Bloc Québécois MPs joined forces Monday to defeat the motion by a vote of 225 to 28.

So the Conservatives think that the American style 'tough' counter-insurgency combat mission is the right mission for Canada, that the whole business is going swimmingly and that it should be an open-ended commitment - winking at the 2009 deadline they hope a majority will allow them to ignore.

Oh and we have no responsibility to prisoners once we hand them over to the Afghans and caring about their human rights makes you a Taliban sympathizer, a racist for applying Canada's cultural beliefs about torture to the Afghans and probably a fag.

The Liberals and Bloc on the other hand, judging by their statements and their serious (?) attempt to make the 2009 end-date quasi-firm, think the combat mission in Afghanistan is now the wrong mission for Canada and that it's going badly, but that we should still leave our troops in this meat grinder for two more years.

Upon reflection, at least the Cons believe something, repugnant though it may be. Their position doesn't seem to be entirely a product of triangulation. They're vicious, stupid, lizard brain eatfuckkill level beliefs but at least they seem to form policy based on something other than political calculation.

This was your gut check, we now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

Hat tip to Accidental Deliberations