When Justin Trudeau looks in the foreign policy mirror who does he see? Someone very much like Stephen Harper. On the world stage Canada under Trudeau the Second has acted almost the same as when Harper was prime minister. The Liberals have followed the previous government’s posture on issues ranging from militarism to Russia, nuclear... Continue Reading →
A day to remember
Remember. Remember that today marks the culmination of a militarist, nationalist ritual organized by a reactionary state-backed group. Every year the Royal Canadian Legion sells about 20 million red poppies in the lead-up to Remembrance Day. Remember that red poppies were inspired by the 1915 poem "In Flanders Fields" by Canadian army officer John McCrae.... Continue Reading →
The Left in denial over Canadian imperialism
As hard as it is to admit for a former junior hockey player who spends many hours writing at the neighbourhood Tim Hortons, some things are better in the USA. For example, comparing Green Party leader Elizabeth May to her American counterpart Jill Stein on foreign-policy issues puts Canada to shame. While Stein has articulated... Continue Reading →
Toronto mining firm gives Canada a bad name
The ‘Ugly Canadian’ strikes again. Toronto-based Kinross Gold recently suspended work at its Tasiast mine to protest an order from Mauritania’s government that unpermitted ‘expatriates’ stop working on the massive project. The lead foreign firm in the sparsely populated West African nation has been embroiled in a series of power struggles with its Mauritanian workforce.... Continue Reading →
Ignoring Canada’s real history in Uganda very poor scholarship
A recent Globe and Mail article (reprinted on Rabble.ca) by Gerald Caplan detailing Canadian relations with Uganda made me mad. Why? It was not so much for what’s in the article, but rather what it ignores, which is reality. Any progressive author writing about Canada’s foreign affairs betrays his readers if he ignores the bad this country... Continue Reading →
TPP about adding to corporate power, not ‘free trade’
The hypocrisy of “free market” advocates is astounding. While they trumpet increased competition and the elimination of state imposed barriers as a means of spurring economic advancement, they ignore how the Trans Pacific Partnership and other “free trade” accords increase monopolistic intellectual property provisions. In a recent CTV interview on the TPP, Carleton business professor... Continue Reading →
Let us also remember the victims of Canada’s wars
Trudeau “unveils most diverse Cabinet in Canada’s history”, was how one media outlet described the new Liberal cabinet. It includes a Muslim woman, four Sikhs, an indigenous woman, two differently abled individuals and an equal number of women and men. Half even refused any reference to God at Wednesday’s swearing in ceremony. But in one respect there was... Continue Reading →
How soon until Justin Trudeau reveals his liberal imperialism?
Right-wing commentators are calling Justin Trudeau’s decision to withdraw fighter jets from Syria-Iraq “un Liberal” and unfortunately they’re right. But, by citing the Liberal sponsored Responsibility to Protect (R2P) to justify Canadian participation in the US-led bombing, these pundits are revealing the essence of this “humanitarian imperialist” doctrine. Last week senior Maclean‘s writer Michael Petrou called... Continue Reading →
Canadian companies well known abroad for bribery
While most Canadians proudly recognize the beaver, the hockey player and the curling broom as symbols of this country, some of us would be made uncomfortable by another enduring emblem of the Great White North: a businessman wearing a maple leaf lapel pin discretely passing a plain manila envelope stuffed with cash to a foreign... Continue Reading →
Shining light on the secret world of Canada’s special forces
Last week former defence minister Jason Kenney said if re-elected the Conservatives would significantly expand Canada’s special forces. Kenney said they would add 665 members to the Canadian Armed Forces Special Operations Command (CANSOFCOM) over the next seven years. Why? What do these “special forces” do? Who decides when and where to deploy them? For what purpose?... Continue Reading →
Mining the leaders’ debate
The Liberal, NDP and Conservative leaders are set to debate Canada's role in the world at an event put on by Munk Debates, an organization named after and financed by a wealthy businessman who made his fortune in mining. It will be interesting, therefore, to see if mining as a topic is given much, if... Continue Reading →
Will Canada’s love affair with Israel last?
Pro-Israel lobbyists have had it good in Canada. The outgoing government is wildly supportive and the "Left" party recently purged a number of candidates for publicly expressing pro-Palestinian sympathies. But the election this fall may turn out to be zenith of Israeli influence. Stephen Harper's pro-Israelism is legend. At the General Assembly this week, Canadian... Continue Reading →
Who has heard of Canadian gunboat diplomacy?
Former Prime Minister Kim Campbell once said “an election is no time to discuss important issues.” But surely the opportunity to free up $40 billion while making the world a safer place ought to spark a discussion about the Canadian Navy’s role in the world. Four years ago the Conservatives announced the National Shipbuilding Procurement... Continue Reading →
Canada in Haiti: Is this how friends act?
Reading the comments below a recent Toronto Star op-edreminded me of an important, if rarely mentioned, rule of Canadian foreign policy: the more impoverished a nation, the greater the gap is likely to be between what Canadian officials say and do. In a rare corporate daily breakthrough, solidarity activist Mark Phillips detailed a decade of antidemocratic Canadian policy... Continue Reading →
Look where Harper’s lawbreaking led Libya
Since the start of the Canadian election campaign a series of posts have detailed the Harper Conservatives repeated abuse of power. The Tyee published "Harper, Serial Abuser of Power", which listed "70 Harper government assaults on democracy and the law." But the widely disseminated list omitted what may be the Conservatives' most flagrant – and... Continue Reading →
Got a billion? They will listen
We've all heard many times that "money talks" in politics but it was unclear how loudly. Now we know --one billionaire is heard over 50,000 ordinary Canadians. While about 50,000 people and 175 organizations supported Up for Debate's call for an election debate focused on women's issues, it won't happen because Stephen Harper refused to participate and... Continue Reading →
Canadian crimes against humanity in Africa
Should Africans pursue Stephen Harper for crimes against humanity? The Africa Progress Report 2015 suggests they may have a solid moral, if not necessarily legal, case. Led by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, the Africa Progress Panel highlights Canada and Australia as two countries that “have withdrawn entirely from constructive international engagement on climate.”... Continue Reading →
Glorifying a very bad war
In their bid to brand Canada a "warrior nation," Stephen Harper's Conservatives seek to glorify Canadian military history, regardless of its horrors. On Saturday Canada's Minister of Veteran Affairs released a statement to mark "113 years since the end of the South African war." Erin O'Toole said, "Canada commemorates all those who served in South Africa, contributing... Continue Reading →
Conservatives promote Canada as arms dealer
Psst. Looking for arms? Guns, ammunition, high tech supplies, armoured vehicles, and more, all quality Canadian made. Background check? We can get around that. Not democratic? No worries. Tools of repression? Sounds good to us. Stephen Harper's Conservatives are working to expand Canadian arms exports and the focus is Middle Eastern monarchies entangled in a... Continue Reading →
Supporting ‘terror tourism’ to Israel gets Canadian tax credits
When is a Canadian who leaves this country to join a foreign military force and participate in the killing of innocent civilians, including children, called a “terror tourist” and sent to jail? The answer is: Only when that person joins a military force the Conservative government disagrees with. Numerous ministers in the current federal government... Continue Reading →
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