Canadian Author and Activist
Who are they “standing on guard” for, really? The Canadian military has deep ties to their US counterparts. From naval patrols to special forces deployments, research initiatives to wars, the Canadian Forces (CF) function largely as an appendage of their southern neighbour’s enormous killing machine. Recently HMCS Winnipeg joined with a US destroyer to... Continue Reading →
A startling about-face on fighter jets highlights the Liberals deference to Lockheed Martin’s influence. After aggressively criticizing the Harper government’s plan to buy 65 F-35s Trudeau’s Liberals have paved the way to buy 88 of the controversial stealth weapons of mass destruction. During the 2015 election campaign Justin Trudeau slagged the Conservatives as “unhealthily attached... Continue Reading →
The Trudeau government’s plan to buy 88 new fighter jets and 15 combat vessels will do little to protect Canadians from this country’s most serious threats. And some people are angry enough to take the streets to send this message to Ottawa. Two dozen rallies were held across the country last week to oppose a... Continue Reading →
Is the Canadian or Chinese military a greater threat to humanity? As the likelihood of military conflict with China grows it’s worth assessing the balance of power. This offers an indication of which parties are likely to be the primary belligerent force (because they would prevail in a conflict). When it comes to international bases... Continue Reading →
A military concept few have heard of is shaping Canada’s second largest ever government procurement. Ottawa is planning to spend tens of billions of dollars on 88 new fighter jets largely to serve the god of “interoperability”. At its most basic “interoperability” means the ability for military forces to act together seamlessly because their doctrines,... Continue Reading →
A friend in Montreal, whose partner is a teacher, recently messaged me: “My wife, who sat through the Grade 4 virtual Remembrance Day activity organized by the school board described what it was like: The students watched two soldiers walk around a military base giving a tour. This included tanks. … A student asked if... Continue Reading →
The Canadian military seem willing, even eager, to work with neo-Nazis in the Ukraine in order to weaken Russia, something the US, NATO and Ukrainian–Canadian groups support. On Monday Ottawa Citizen military reporter David Pugliese revealed that when Canadian military officials met with the Azov Battalion in June 2018, they knew the group used the... Continue Reading →
Progressives shouldn’t buy or wear red poppies. Remembrance Day promotes martial patriotism and the militaristic, imperialistic, Royal Canadian Legion owns the copyright to the red poppy. Red poppies commemorate Canadians who have died at war. Not being commemorated are the Afghans, or Libyans killed by Canadians in the 2000s, or the Iraqis and Serbians killed... Continue Reading →
The government should spend whatever is necessary to ensure the security of Canadians. And to do so requires redirecting resources away from weapons of destruction towards the real and present dangers that threaten our security. Leftists have long argued that “national security” is a euphemism for promoting a violent, patriarchal, institution that aids corporations and... Continue Reading →
Randall Garrison was recently removed as NDP defence critic. Prompted by antiwar and Palestine solidarity campaigners, Garrison’s removal improves the prospect that the social democratic party will shift away from militarism. In the summer two dozen groups signed a public letter instigated by Just Peace Advocates calling for Garrison to be “removed as NDP defence... Continue Reading →
To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail. To a man with Canadian military training, any threat requires one to shoot first and consider other alternatives later. Recently, the Supreme Court called for a retrial in the acquittal of former army reservist Peter Khill. He was charged with second-degree murder for firing... Continue Reading →
10. Bloated government? Misplaced priorities? The military is by far the largest Canadian government department, employing the largest number and purchasing the most equipment. The combined budget of the Department of National Defence (DND) and Veteran Affairs is $30 billion, about 15 times Environment and Climate Change Canada’s. With 0.5 percent of the world’s people,... Continue Reading →
Undoing centuries of racism requires looking at major government purchases through the lens of whether or not they challenge, or reinforce, existing structural power imbalances. For example, would spending billions of dollars on 88 new fighter jets reinforce white domination? To answer that question, one must look at history and current affairs. Historically, the Royal... Continue Reading →
The real story is much more than an adventure starring a Canadian hero. A CBC story about an ex-Canadian soldier who helped dozens flee Afghanistan ought to have considered the role of the private security industry in the disastrous 20-year-long war in that central Asian country. The large number of private security companies... Continue Reading →
Erin O’Toole brags about attending the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC). This tells us a lot about his politics, world view and priorities given the troubling history of the Kingston-based university. O’Toole spent four years at RMC. Friends say the Conservative party leader and possible future prime minister was heavily involved in RMC life... Continue Reading →
The growing campaign to oppose spending tens of billions of dollars on 88 new fighter jets faces an important, if unconventional, obstacle: the warplanes themselves. Fighter jets are an important tool of militarist propaganda. In recent weeks Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) planes have done numerous flyovers and participated in airshows across the country. As... Continue Reading →
While recent events have destroyed the credibility of militarists who pushed for the invasion and 20-year-long occupation of Afghanistan, the moral bankruptcy of their supporters in the aid industry has also been stunningly revealed. A quick Taliban victory over the foreign trained “Afghan army” at least (momentarily) embarrassed Canadian militarists. But what about their... Continue Reading →
Toronto’s waterfront shouldn’t serve as a prop to promote violent warplanes. With the air force set to select a new fighter jet, the controversial F-35 Stealth Fighter will be participating in this weekend’s Canadian International Air Show. As a father of a young child, I understand the appeal of some excitement in the sky, especially... Continue Reading →
The forest fires, torrential floods and other extreme weather events wreaking havoc around the world are a cry from Mother Earth to take bold action. It’s time for environmentalists to directly challenge militarism, which is inherently anti-ecological and divides the world into good guys and bad guys at a time when we need international cooperation... Continue Reading →
The quick collapse of the US-backed government in Afghanistan has revealed how little ordinary people should trust Canada’s military, arms industry and associated ideological supporters. Their justifications for war, their claims of progress and then victory have proven to be no more than propaganda and lies. Canada’s biggest military deployment since World War II, more... Continue Reading →
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