Has it become NDP policy to support US-backed coups in Latin America? The Canadian social democratic party’s foreign critic Hélène Laverdière has certainly remained silent regarding US leaders musing about a military coup or invasion of Venezuela and has openly supported asphyxiating the left-wing government through other means. At the start of the month US... Continue Reading →
Be it resolved that the NDP support Palestinian rights
At next week’s New Democratic Party convention in Ottawa Palestinian rights are set to be a major flashpoint. The NDP Socialist Caucus has submitted a resolution calling on the party to “actively campaign in support of the demand of Palestinian unions, civil society and unions across Canada and around the world which call for Boycott,... 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 →
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 →
Standing up for Palestine boosts Ashton’s popularity
Sometimes silence in politics speaks louder than words. Israel lobby groups' response (or lack thereof) to NDP leadership candidate Niki Ashton's recent support of Palestinian rights suggests they believe previous criticisms backfired. Two months ago B'nai B'rith attacked Ashton for attending a rally in support of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike and a subsequent Facebook post... 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 →
Trudeau’s foreign policy a lot like Harper’s
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 →
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 →
Dallaire does not deserve accolades from progressive organizations
Repeat after me: Roméo Dallaire is not progressive. And paying Dallaire to speak at your meeting does not further the cause of international peace and a just system of international relations. I was reminded yet again of how many supposed “progressive” organizations seem confused about Dallaire and what he represents after learning he and Irwin... Continue Reading →
Trudeau confuses anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism
Canada’s Prime Minister would like us to believe that the ideology that shaped Israel is designed to fight anti-Jewish prejudice. But, even when anti-Semitism was a significant political force in Canada, Zionism largely represented a chauvinistic, colonialist way of thinking. On Israel Independence Day earlier this month Justin Trudeau delivered a speech by video to... Continue Reading →
Why would NDP foreign affairs critic legitimize Israeli racism?
Should a social democratic party’s spokesperson on foreign affairs address the Israel lobby’s top annual event and legitimize an explicitly racist institution? These are questions those currently vying for leadership of Canada’s New Democratic Party must be pressed to answer. According to the Canadian Parliament’s recently released disclosure of members’ sponsored travel, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee... Continue Reading →
Global Affairs Institute pushes right wing, militarist foreign policy
A registered “charity” with buckets of donations from arms manufacturers and other corporate sources is aggressively trying to push Canadian foreign policy further towards militarism and the use of violence. And the right wing Canadian Global Affairs Institute seems to be growing in influence, or at least media prominence. Since last month’s federal budget senior... Continue Reading →
Tax subsidized schools rally children to glorify Israel colonialism
On Tuesday thousands will gather to celebrate the most aggressive ongoing European settler colonialism. Organizers of Montréal’s annual Israel Day rally claim it is the largest event of its kind in the country. A significant proportion of the crowd will come from the city’s 15 Jewish day schools, which receive most of their funds from... Continue Reading →
Let’s inject some left wing political boldness into NDP leadership race
A leadership race is an opportunity to promote bold ideas and invigorate a political movement. Canada’s right-wing party seems to understand this, the left not so much. In recent months Conservative Party leadership contenders have promoted a bevy of extremist ideas. Last week the spokesperson for Conservative contender Brad Trost boasted that his candidate is... Continue Reading →
Jewish Defence League organizes hate, violence
We live in strange and dangerous times. While Toronto thugs export their violence and extremist ideology to the USA and the Jewish Defence League works with neo-fascists to bash Muslims, the dominant Canadian media has placed a cone of silence over these disturbing developments. At the recent American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference in... Continue Reading →
NDP leadership candidates call for foreign policy debate
There has yet to be a single question about foreign policy in the NDP’s first two leadership debates, but some contenders say they want the party to devote a forum to international affairs. During a gathering organized by Courage after the recent youth issues debate in Montreal I asked Niki Ashton whether she voted in... Continue Reading →
Justin Trudeau is no friend of the environment
Today the lives of over 10 million people in the Horn of Africa are at risk due to a drought at least partly caused by climate change. A study by Britain’s Met Office concluded that human-induced climate disturbances sparked a famine in Somalia in 2011 in which over 50,000 died. For its part, the Climate Vulnerability Monitor estimated in... Continue Reading →
NDP leadership hopefuls should debate foreign policy
Is the NDP establishment scared to have party members discuss Canada’s international posture? At the party’s first leadership debate last weekend there wasn’t a single foreign policy question despite a host of contentious recent party positions on international affairs. Certainly at a time when the mainstream media is giving prominence to militarist voices, many members... Continue Reading →
Lester Pearson was no ‘honest broker’ or friend of Palestine
It’s no wonder Canadians are confused about their country’s place in the world when a leading advocate of the Palestinian cause praises the official most responsible for dispossessing Palestinians. In an article about a recent poll showing Canadians have a negative attitude towards Israel, reject the notion criticizing Israel is anti-Semitic and believe the media... Continue Reading →
Ottawa helped overthrow Africa’s most popular leader
A half-century and one year ago today Canada helped overthrow a leading pan Africanist president. Ghana’s Canadian-trained army overthrew Kwame Nkrumah, a leader dubbed “Man of the Millennium” in a 2000 poll by BBC listeners in Africa. Washington, together with London, backed the coup. Lester Pearson’s government also gave its blessing to Nkrumah’s ouster. In The... Continue Reading →
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