The Conservative Party of Canada, in response to Omar Khadr being awarded a damages settlement for torturous conditions of his imprisonment, said, “No words,” on their Facebook post. I’ve some words. A political party that was okay with leaving a child soldier to be tortured in an American prison, ought
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Accidental Deliberations: Saturday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Derrick O’Keefe makes the case for much-needed regime change in British Columbia, while Nancy MacDonald notes that such a result is far from guaranteed despite the Christy Clark Libs’ gross abuses of the public trust. And Christopher Pollon examines the close link between
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Mother of all Bombs: No oversight required?
During his presidential campaign, President Trump promised to bomb the Islamic State of Syria and the Levant (ISIL) brigands in the Middle East back to the Middle Ages. He now seems to have given America’s generals carte blanche to do that. The only problem is that the ISIL fanatics involved
Continue readingAlberta Politics: News Satire: U.S. will not tolerate foreigners acting like Americans, officials say
ILLUSTRATIONS: A map showing some of the countries in which the United States has interfered in the political process (grabbed from Geology.com). Below: U.S. CIA Director John O. Brennan, Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican candid…
Continue readingAkaash Maharaj - Practical Idealism: National Post: NATO and the Judgement of Paris
The lessons of Afghanistan were purchased at a bitter cost: the war claimed more lives, more years, and more money than any other campaign in NATO’s history. Unless the alliance takes those lessons to heart, a war in Syria and Iraq to extinguish D…
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: When Is War, War?
Don Maroc One thing we can feel secure about, a lot of out neighbours seem to know a great deal about what’s happening in Paris, France and Syria, Iraq, Kurdistan, and all the other Read more…
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Stephen Harper and the Bloody Harvest of War
As I'm sure you remember, during the early years of the war in Afghanistan there was no greater chicken hawk than Stephen Harper.Until he realized it wasn't winning him enough votes, and he decided to cut and run.But while he has been able to run away from a lot of things, like
Continue readingLeft Over: The Fundamental(ist) Reasons for It All…..
Rise of the ‘precariat,’ the global scourge of precarious jobs Barely one in four of the global workforce has a stable job, UN reports By Brian Stewart, CBC News Posted: Jun 01, 2015 5:00 AM ET Last Updated: Jun 01, 2015 8:36 AM ET Back in the 7-‘s, when i was
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: No Good Men Among The Living – Dispelling The Imperial Narrative
We tell ourselves the stories we need to hear. This is excerpt details American involvement in Afghanistan, but from a non-embedded reporters point of view and analysis. “The central thesis of the American failure in Afghanistan — the one you’ll hear from politicians and pundits and even scholars
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Finally, a Mulroney We Can Believe In.
David Mulroney served as a deputy minister in charge of Canada’s Afghanistan task force. It seems he learned a thing or two from the experience, enough to know that we’re at risk of repeating the same mistakes in our rush to war in Iraq. “When I recently saw Foreign Minister
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Excerpts from “Letter to a Young Army Ranger” – Rory Fanning
A brief note. I think that this essay should be required reading for all those who consider joining the armed forces and participating in the cycle of terrorism and destruction that currently dominates our foreign policy and geo-political goals here in the West. Many thanks to Tom’s Dispatch for hosting
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Caution. This May Make Your Jaw Drop.
The book opens with this mea culpa: “I am a United States Army general, and I lost the Global War on Terrorism,” Lieutenant-General Daniel Bolger begins his history of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. “It’s like Alcoholics Anonymous; step one is admitting you have a problem. Well, I have a
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: America’s Back in Business in Afghanistan
The end of America’s combat mission in Afghanistan has, well, ended. The New York Times reports that Obama has signed a no longer secret order re-instating his military’s combat role in support of the Afghan government. The order authorizes American troops to conduct missions against the Taliban and other groups. It
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Harper’s Experiment to Wrap Canadians in "Protective Stupidity" Mission Accomplished?
The Tyee’s Murray Dobbins laments the success Stephen Harper has had, with the powerful support of a shamelessly collaborative media, at manipulating the Canadian public. Harper’s amoral political calculations about who and when to bomb people has little to do with any genuine consideration of the geopolitical situation or what
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: #GlobalNoDrones: First global day of action against surveillance and killer drones
On Saturday, October 4, 2014, thousands of people around the world are expected to protest the burgeoning use of drones for surveillance and extrajudicial killings. The post #GlobalNoDrones: First global day of action against surveillance and killer drones appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Washington, Kabul Kiss & Make Up. US Troops Stay in Afghanistan Until 2024.
Hamid Karzai talked tough about getting Western forces out of Afghanistan immediately if not sooner. Afghanistan, however, is under new management that means America’s longest war ever will be extended for another decade. Barack Obama, elected president in 2008 on a wave of anti-war sentiment, will pass off both
Continue readingPaul S. Graham: Video: Canadian Human Rights on Trial – the Case of Omar Khadr
Almost unnoticed amidst the hoopla and the protests associated with the opening of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights was a dinner held at the Grand Mosque Community Centre last Friday in honour of Edmonton-based human rights lawyer Dennis Edney, QC. Sept. 19, 2014: Human rights advocate Dennis Edney, QC,
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Perspective That Age Bestows
Unlike some, I do not bemoan the passage of time. True, I am of that generation known as ‘the baby boomers,’ but while I am at times mildly bemused about certain things (‘How can it be 50 years since the Beatles first played in Toronto?’), I was never beguiled by
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Charlie’s War
Saw “Charlie Wilson’s War” [8/10] which explains the background behind the Soviet’s failure in Afghanistan, and paved the way for the Taliban to later take over. Today I saw “Cars 2″ [6/10] which explains why we have people focused on fossil fuel vehicles. Each somewhat ties into the 10 year
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Welcome to the 1,000th Politics, Re-Spun Editorial!
Steve Harper, the greatest threat to Canadian security in the modern era. Happy August! Happy Day! I have a few comments about this, the 1,000th editorial at Politics, Re-Spun. But you can read them below, about my sabbatical plan, new visions for this almost 12-year-old website, and other things. But
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