Would it surprise you to learn the Canadian military spends millions on art and history? Until April the Canadian War Museum is hosting an exhibition of war art from the Ukraine created through the Canadian Forces Artists Program (CFAP). In 2014–15 eight artists were sent to observe Operation UNIFIER, Canada’s “training” mission to support Ukraine’s... Continue Reading →
Ottawa’s foreign policy swamp an unhealthy quagmire
Drain the swamp’ was a popular Donald Trump campaign slogan that referred to reducing the influence of Washington lobbyists. While the three words reflect an extreme lack of ecological consciousness — wetlands need to be protected and recreated, not destroyed — the image of politicians slogging their way through lobbyist infected, tangled, dense vegetation and... Continue Reading →
McGill University ignores its real racism problem
While accusations of student anti-Semitism at McGill draw international headlines, the university administration's open association with the Jewish National Fund has been ignored. In the latest iteration of a multi-year smear campaign against Palestine solidarity activists at the university, Canadian Jewish Political Affairs Committee activist Noah Lew cried "anti-Semitism" after he wasn't voted on to the Board... Continue Reading →
How can First Nations believe Canada is a force for good in the world?
The power of foreign policy nationalism is immense. Even the primary victims of the Canadian state have been drawn into this country’s mythology. Dispossessed of 99% of their land, Indigenous people have been made wards of the state, had their movement restricted and religious/cultural ceremonies banned. Notwithstanding their antagonistic relationship to the Canadian state, indigenous... Continue Reading →
Canada a settler state helping pull imperial strings, not a colony
Colony or settler state? Recently foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland dismissed concerns that Canada was seeking "regime change" in Venezuela by saying "Canada has never been an imperialist power. It's even almost funny to say that phrase: we've been the colony." As I detailed in an initial response, Ottawa has passively or actively supported numerous U.S.-backed military coups against progressive... Continue Reading →
Canadian imperialism not amusing to its victims, Ms. Freeland
It may walk and quack like a regime-change-promoting duck, but Ottawa's unilateral sanctions and support for Venezuela's opposition is actually just a cuddly Canadian beaver, says Chrystia Freeland. "Canada has never been an imperialist power. It's even almost funny to say that phrase: we've been the colony," said the journalist-turned-politician after a Toronto meeting of foreign ministers opposed to the Venezuelan government.... Continue Reading →
Canada joins gang showing colours in Asia
Canadian leaders search for “gravitas” and “respect” from their US counterparts is adding to friction in the Asia-Pacific. Amidst tension on the Korean Peninsula, the Canadian Navy has joined Washington’s “pivot” towards Asia. Recently departed, HMCS Chicoutimi is expected to be in the Asia-Pacific until March. While they refused to offer CBC News much detail,... Continue Reading →
Canada must stop subsidizing this racist, colonial, institution
Imagine if there were an organization called the White National Fund that raised tens of millions of dollars each year from Canadians to buy land in the US to be held exclusively for people of European descent. WNF land couldn’t be leased or sold to anyone who they didn’t consider “white”. Would it be acceptable... Continue Reading →
Celebrating war rather than peace reflects a sick society
Why do we build monuments to war rather than to its absence? I wondered about this when reading about a recent tussle in the nation's capital over the location for yet another celebration of people killing each other. Last month the Canadian War Museum (CWM) complained to the National Capital Commission about the planned site... Continue Reading →
Undermining Venezuela’s socialist government nothing new for Canada
Alongside Washington and Venezuela’s elite, the Trudeau government is seeking to oust President Nicolás Maduro. While Ottawa’s campaign has recently grown, official Canada has long opposed the pro-poor, pro-working class Bolivarian Revolution, which has won 19 of 21 elections since 1998. Following a similar move by the Trump Administration, Global Affairs Canada sanctioned 40 Venezuelans... Continue Reading →
Statistics, damn lies and the truth about Rwanda genocide
The real Rwanda genocide story has no Canadian heroes. Canadian commentators often claim more Tutsi were killed in the genocide than lived in Rwanda. Since it aligns with Washington, London and Kigali's interests, as well as liberal nationalist Canadian ideology, the statistical inflation passes with little comment. A Tyee story last month described the "slaughter... Continue Reading →
Despite mythology Canada has long been a player in nuclear arms race
A house built on an imaginary foundation may be a "dream home" but it can never be lived in. The same holds true in politics. One need not mythologize Canadian foreign policy history to oppose the Trudeau government's egregious position on nuclear arms. In fact, "benevolent Canada" dogma weakens the critical consciousness needed to reject the policies... Continue Reading →
NDP foreign affairs critic marches in step with US Empire
Does the NDP consistently support a foreign policy that benefits ordinary people around the world? Or does the social democratic party often simply fall in line with whatever the American Empire demands? Hélène Laverdière certainly seems to support the US-led geopolitical order. While the NDP foreign critic has called for stronger arms control measures and... Continue Reading →
Canada enables Barrick’s bad corporate behaviour
Will the Canadian government continue to support Barrick Gold’s exploitation of mineral resources in Tanzania no matter what abuses the company commits? Would the Trudeau government stop backing the Toronto-based firm if it bilked the impoverished nation out of $10 billion? Or, what if one thousand people were raped and seriously injured by Barrick security?... Continue Reading →
Most ‘free trade’ critics silent after Israel FTA overrides Canadian law
Two weeks ago the worst fear of Canadian opponents of neoliberal "free trade" agreements came true. Surprisingly, there has been almost no reaction from the political parties, unions, and other organizations that warned these agreements would be used to undermine Canadian law, even though this is exactly what happened. After David Kattenburg repeatedly complained about inacurate... Continue Reading →
The Left’s racism problem concerning Israel
Most progressives would agree that opposing all forms of racism is a key element of what makes them left wing. But it is not always straightforward how best to confront white privilege, avoid cultural appropriation, tackle colonial attitudes towards indigenous peoples or avoid being labelled anti-Jewish when working for Palestinian human rights. And in the later case, accusations of Left anti-Semitism actually mask a more significant racism problem on the... Continue Reading →
Canadian, US complaints about Russian election meddling hypocritical
If a guy does something bad to someone else, but then complains later when another person does that same thing to him, what do we say? Stop being a hypocrite. Either you change direction or you got what you deserved. Does the same moral logic apply to countries? Purported Russian meddling in U.S., French and other... Continue Reading →
The lies told to justify Canadian foreign policy
Lies, distortions and self-serving obfuscations are to be expected when political and business leaders discuss far away places. In a recent Toronto Star column Rick Salutin observed that “foreign policy is a truth-free, fact-free zone. When leaders speak on domestic issues, citizens at least have points of reference to check them against. On foreign affairs... Continue Reading →
How Canadian military tries to control what soldiers think
The Canadian Forces spends hundreds of millions of dollars a year to shape popular discussion of military affairs. But, did you know that commanding officers also aim to control the flow of information to rank and file soldiers? Recently, the newspaper at the Esquimalt, British Columbia, naval base rejected an ad from a law firm... Continue Reading →
Does NDP support Trudeau’s caving in to Trump, spending more on military?
It's no wonder the Trudeau government has moved to ramp up military outlays. Even "left" commentators/politicians are calling for increased spending on Canada's ecologically and socially destructive war machine. Recently Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan announced a more than 70 per cent increase in military spending over the next decade. Canada's new defence policy includes a... Continue Reading →
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