On studied positions

Yesterday, I quoted pogge's post lamenting the complete lack of democratic debate over the Cons' sudden decision to keep a thousand troops in Afghanistan past the promised end date.

Today, at least one commentator gets a nice, shiny space in the national media makes it absolutely clear that as far as he's concerned, what we actually need is less democracy in determining how Canada's troops are deployed:

An international affairs expert questions the wisdom of a possible vote in the House of Commons on a proposed Canadian troop-training mission in Afghanistan.

Philippe Lagasse, a University of Ottawa professor, says such votes may reduce government accountability, disarm opposition parties and muddy what should be direct lines of command from government to the military.

And for an added bonus, Lagasse looks to be nicely tangled up in the federal government's funding of military-related academia. Anybody else see a potential issue in a government paying for a statement that what minimal avenues we now have to express disagreement with a minority government should be eliminated for fear that they might actually be used?