Canadian foreign policy critics don’t do it for dough

Investigating the political economy of ideas is imperative to understanding foreign policy. But those seeking to discredit already marginalized critical perspectives shouldn’t ignore Canada’s large, well-financed, ideological apparatus promoting pro-corporate and US empire policies. Recently a journalist from leftist Québec publication Pivot asked me “Do you receive some money when you’re interviewed by Chinese media... Continue Reading →

Who is pushing Canada to go on war footing?

Militarists, warmongers and arms dealers are riding a wave of momentum and they’re organizing to profit as much as possible. Yesterday the Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI) hosted a conference titled “Putting Canadian Defence Procurement on a War Footing”. The military put up $50,000 for the conference and likely spent tens of thousands of dollars... Continue Reading →

Media coverage determines ‘worth’ of victims

The notion of ‘worthy’ and ‘unworthy’ victims is important to understanding Canada’s propaganda system and foreign policy. A common form of bias is for media outlets to concentrate on the victims of enemy states while largely ignoring those victimized by friendly governments. Contrasting Russia’s two-month-old invasion of Ukraine with the war in Yemen or the... Continue Reading →

Now more than ever we must ignore militarists

Militarists are trying to present their long-standing requests for ever more arms spending as simply a response to Russia’s brutal actions in Ukraine. Yesterday the Canadian Press reported, “One of Canada’s most influential business lobby groups is making an unprecedented request for increased defence spending in Thursday’s federal budget because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.... Continue Reading →

Blaming Russia for ‘trucker’ convoy illustrates Tyee’s bias

The Russians were responsible for the “freedom convoy”, claims a purportedly progressive media outlet. The Tyee’s promotion of this conspiracy theory demonstrates the ideological grip of US imperialism. Recently Andrew Nikiforuk argued that the trucker convoy in Ottawa was the by-product of Russian propaganda, specifically RT. This spinoff from some Democrats’ explanation for Donald Trump’s election... Continue Reading →

Media Hides Canadian Support for Israeli Apartheid

  The dominant media permit only a narrow spectrum of opinion regarding Canadian foreign policy. Their refusal to report critical information about this country’s foreign policy can be startling. Even journalists who uncover illuminating internal government files put the information down the memory hole. Recently Canadian Press journalist Lee Berthiaume reported on Canada’s military mission... Continue Reading →

‘Arm’s-length’ military institution promotes belligerent worldview

Not satisfied with Canada’s largest public relations machine, the Canadian Forces also employ various “arm’s-length” institutions to push their influence over the discussion of military and international affairs. For example, the Conference of Defence Associations (CDA) Institute recently published a half-page ad in the Globe and Mail to announce its Conference on Security and Defence.... Continue Reading →

Arms firms swarm decision makers

More politically dependent than almost all other industries, arms manufacturers play for keeps in the nation’s capital. They target ads and events sponsorships at decision makers while hiring insiders and military stars to lobby on their behalf. Activist and academic Tamara Lorincz recently posted a photo of an F35 ad in a bus shelter in... Continue Reading →

Beware foreign policy ‘experts’ who are shills for imperialism

Aside from government officials the dominant media is fond of quoting “experts” from foreign policy think tanks when discussing Canada’s role in the world. While presented as neutral specialists, these opinion shapers are generally entangled with powerful, wealthy, elites. Take the case of Venezuela and Canada’s leading foreign policy ‘ideas organization’. Recently Canadian International Council... Continue Reading →

SNC Lavalin the corporate face of Ugly Canadian

While the Justin Trudeau government’s interference in the prosecution of SNC Lavalin highlights corporate influence over politics, it is also a story about a firm at the centre of Canadian foreign policy. In a recent story titled “Canada’s Corrupt Foreign Policy Comes Home to Roost” I detailed some of SNC’s controversial international undertakings, corruption and... Continue Reading →

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