Governments, like gardeners, reap what they sow. Trudeau’s continuation of Harper’s Conservative Mideast foreign policy has reaped the current mess with Saudi Arabia. The Liberal brain trust must be wondering, “what do we have to do? We slavishly back the odious Saudi regime and they freak over an innocuous tweet.” The Trudeau government has largely... Continue Reading →
Critical voices needed at development studies conference
Are they critical thinkers or cheerleaders pretending to be independent of the government that funds them? Given the title conference organizers chose — “Is Canada Back: delivering on good intentions?” — one would guess the latter. But, an independent researcher keeps an open mind. Publicity for the mid-September conference organized by the Canadian Council for... Continue Reading →
Trudeau’s broken promise part of build-up to war against Iran
Another Liberal broken promise. Before becoming prime minister, Justin Trudeau promised to re-engage with Iran. His government has failed to do so and is beginning to echo the warmongers in Washington and Tel Aviv. “I would hope that Canada would be able to reopen its mission [in Tehran],” Trudeau told the CBC in June 2015.... Continue Reading →
NDP flirts with anti-Russian extreme right
In response to Ukrainian Canadian Congress campaigning, two NDP MLAs recently convinced the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission to withdraw a brand of Russian vodka from its stores. Alberta MLAs Deron Bilous and Jessica Littlewood argued that a hammer and sickle logo on a bottle of vodka was “offensive“. Articulating a growing rightist effort to... Continue Reading →
Who cares about Ottawa interference in Venezuela’s election?
Is there no voice in Parliament willing to denounce Canadian interference in another country’s electoral process? The Trudeau government is engaged in a wide-ranging campaign to weaken Venezuela’s elected government. In a bid to elicit “regime change,” Ottawa has worked to isolate Caracas, imposed sanctions, and supported the country’s opposition. Recently, foreign minister Chrystia Freeland... Continue Reading →
Real concern should be Singh’s support of Canadian violence
We should be concerned about Jagmeet Singh’s support for political violence. But not the stuff that’s making news. While the media makes much of the new NDP head’s ties/indifference to Sikh violence, they’ve ignored Singh’s leadership of a party/community that has repeatedly backed Canadian aggression. In a Rabble story on the controversy, Karl Nerenberg described... Continue Reading →
Maple Leafs swimming in choppy Canadian imperial waters
Hey Maple Leafs, be careful which traditions you honour. On Saturday the Leafs play an outdoor game against the Washington Capitals at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. To mark the occasion the team created a jersey with the Royal Canadian Navy's (RCN) "Ready, Aye, Ready" motto on it. The website... Continue Reading →
NDP marches with USA on Venezuela
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 →
When siding with Israel supports Trump, Canada abstains
Thank you President Donald Trump and US UN Ambassador Nikki Haley for helping end the Trudeau government’s ‘Israel no matter what’ voting pattern. On Thursday Canada actually abstained on a UN General Assembly resolution, which “affirms that any decisions and actions which purport to have altered, the character, status or demographic composition of the Holy... 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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
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 →
Canada’s contribution to the Belgian Congo holocaust
Canada’s 150th anniversary offers a unique opportunity to shed light on some darker corners of Canadian history. One of the dustier chapters is our contribution to one of the most barbarous regimes of the last century and a half. In a bid to extract rubber and other commodities from his personal colony, Belgian King Léopold... Continue Reading →
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