Canadian unions should be raising their voices to promote peace. Instead, a recent British Columbia Federation of Labour resolution highlights the labour movement’s alignment with NATO and the political right. At the BC Fed’s convention two weeks the resolution committee endorsed a statement on Ukraine. It notes: BECAUSE of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on... Continue Reading →
Heather McPherson praises Cotler, opposes Ukraine negotiations
The NDP foreign affairs critic recently lauded a notorious anti-Palestinian former Liberal cabinet minister. Heather McPherson’s celebration of Irwin Cotler follows on the heels of her maintaining a more hawkish position on Ukraine than the head of the US military. On Thursday McPherson tweeted about meeting Cotler. She wrote, “this afternoon, Professor Irwin Cotler and... Continue Reading →
Logic of mutual escalation leads to nuclear apocalypse
Canada’s obsession with NATO is escalating the conflict in Ukraine and increasing the possibility of nuclear confrontation. During a press conference with her US counterpart last week foreign affairs minister Melanie Joly said Canada supported fast tracking Ukraine into NATO. If that transpired alliance members would be treaty bound to invoke Article 5 of the... Continue Reading →
How many Ukrainians will die before Ottawa seeks peace?
By restarting Operation UNIFIER Canada is ramping up its war with Russia. The military training mission had been Ottawa’s principal contribution to a seven-year-old proxy war, which appears likely to continue for years. Last week Defence Minister Anita Anand announced that 225 Canadian troops would be dispatched to England to train Ukrainians. They will offer... Continue Reading →
Imagine US reaction if Russian embassy hosted ‘truckers’ in Ottawa
It’s been four months since Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine. While Canadians generally consider Moscow’s actions brutal and illegal, few recognize Ottawa’s role in helping precipitate and prolong the deadly conflict. After Viktor Yanukovych’s Party of Regions passed a bill favoring Ukrainian neutrality in 2010, Ottawa worked to subvert the elected president. During the three-month long... Continue Reading →
Troops on the ground prove Canada is at war with Russia
Canada is at war with Russia. But the government doesn’t want to talk about it. On Saturday the New York Times reported that Canadian special forces are part of a NATO network providing weapons and training to Ukrainian forces. The elite troops are also in the country gathering intelligence on Russian operations. The Department... Continue Reading →
Intellectual prostitutes call critics foreign agents, useful idiots
A military funded academic, working at a school launched by Condoleezza Rice, claims leftist journalists engage in Russian disinformation. His report doesn’t provide any evidence or refute anyone’s argument, but the mainstream media laps it up. On Thursday the University of Calgary School of Public Policy released “Disinformation and Russia-Ukrainian war on Canadian social media”.... Continue Reading →
Educating journalists about Canada’s propaganda system an eyeopener
“Propaganda is to a democracy what the bludgeon is to a totalitarian state.” Noam Chomsky Propaganda isn’t a euphemism for how the other side controls information. Nor is it simply about jailing journalists or shuttering media outlets. A serious discussion of the matter must look at the broader forces shaping information dissemination and suppression.... Continue Reading →
Hard to know the truth when war propaganda is everywhere
The Canadian government’s financing of rape investigations in Ukraine warrants healthy skepticism. A similar initiative in Libya was used to justify violence. Canadian officials have repeatedly criticized Russian soldiers for raping Ukrainians. Last week a Global headline noted “Ukrainian sexual assault victims need reproductive health care, Sajjan says” while a few days earlier Ottawa put... Continue Reading →
Time for Canada to wage peace in Ukraine
The war in Ukraine can continue for years. Or it could escalate into something far worse. Or it could end in the near future. Canada has limited influence over its direction, but what influence it has should be used to support, rather than undermine, peace negotiations. The Italian, French and German governments have all recently... Continue Reading →
NDP onboard with Cons, Liberals in warmongering over Ukraine
Canada’s “left wing” party is openly opposed to negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine. In “Feds must do more to support Ukraine, say experts, Ukrainians, opposition MPs” NDP foreign affairs critic Heather McPherson repeats the party’s call to send more weapons to fight Russia and suggests the NDP formally opposes negotiations. The Monday... Continue Reading →
Harper pushed conflict with Russia long before invasion
Stephen Harper recently joined the chorus ratcheting up tensions with Russia. Paradoxically, the former prime minister’s crass distortion of his relationship with that country offers a sort of roadmap for antiwar forces to restrict further escalation and force Ottawa towards diplomacy. At a public talk Harper portrayed his government as having sought good relations with... 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 →
NDP fails those who want peaceful solutions to conflict
All those who would like to support a political party working for peaceful solutions to military conflicts are being driven away from the New Democratic Party. Instead of advocating for diplomacy, the NDP has long pressed for conflict with Russia. They’ve consistently supported measures that escalate tensions in Ukraine and have prodded the government to... Continue Reading →
Lesson from World War 1 — No to imperialists on both sides!
Canada is at war with Russia and leftists need to focus on restricting Canada’s further contribution to the horror in Ukraine. Last Tuesday prime minister Justin Trudeau announced that “Canada will be sending heavy artillery to Ukraine”. The recent federal budget earmarked half a billion dollars for arms to Ukraine (in addition to over $100... Continue Reading →
Rich countries provide weapons but no Ukraine debt relief
Why has there been so little discussion of debt relief for Ukraine? Is it because powerful debt-holders support Ukraine fighting Russia but care little about that country’s economy, democracy or sovereignty? Amidst an outpouring of support for Ukraine, no Western leader has called for international debt forgiveness. But, the country owes the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World... Continue Reading →
Canadian ties to Ukraine long used as wedge against Russia
Chants of “CA-NA-DA” at rallies. The Maple Leaf waving at protest camps. A Canadian labeled “godfather” of its military. Canada has long had significant influence in Ukraine, which it has used to drive a centuries old bid to weaken Russia. In “Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” the camera pans over a Maple Leaf... Continue Reading →
Canada’s history of promoting anti-Russian Ukrainian nationalism
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is a flagrant violation of international law. It has led to thousands of deaths, millions of refugees and tens of billions of dollars in damage. Troublingly, the situation could get worse if the escalatory politics sweeping Canada is any indication. A month ago, Ottawa was unwilling to send lethal weapons... Continue Reading →
Remembering Canada’s role in Ukraine’s ‘blatant coup’
Ottawa’s hostility to Ukrainian democracy is a largely ignored element in the tragedy unfolding in that country. While not excusing Russia’s criminal invasion, Canada’s multi-year campaign to subvert an elected government was an important factor in producing the conditions that led to where we are today. As I previously detailed, the Canadian government encouraged the... Continue Reading →
NATO is a problem, not the solution
While in no way excusing Russia’s criminal invasion, NATO expansion eastward increased its likelihood. Although we’ll never know if the war would not have happened under different circumstances, after a month of Russian violence against Ukraine the two countries’ negotiators have reportedly agreed that it will reject joining NATO as part of a peace pact.... Continue Reading →
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