Better late than never, the Kenney Government sharply changed course yesterday and announced much tougher lockdown measures that have the potential to slow the spread of COVID-19. These will include closing bars, lounges, casinos, hair salons, libraries, and sports studios, restricting restaurants to take-out sales, mandating indoor masking and at-home
Continue readingTag: Canadian Armed Forces
Alberta Politics: We know what’s wrong with long-term care in Canada — we need politicians with the courage to fix it, not an inquiry
There are bound to be calls for formal inquiries after the long-term care horror show discovered in Ontario and Quebec, and quite likely on its way to being discovered in other provinces. This isn’t actually what Canada or any Canadian province needs, though. We already know what led to the
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Calling Peter MacKay! Could you remind us what we were fighting for in Afghanistan again?
Peter MacKay, former Harper Government defence minister and one of the dimmer candles to cast his flickering light Canadian affairs, turns out to have been a prophet after all! Who would have guessed? Back in 2008, when Canada’s role in the long war in Afghanistan had grown considerably in its
Continue readingAlberta Politics: There was a whole lotta scrambling going on, 24/7 … can the 2015 PMO security breach whodunit be solved?
PHOTOS: Former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper, at right, somewhere in Iraq in 2015 (Photo: Screenshot of Global News video). Below: The very model of a modern major general, although not necessarily a Canadian one (Photo: Wikimedia Commons), and the Canadian defence minister of the day with some ghostly military
Continue readingModest proposals for our defence policy
The federal government has promised to develop a new defence strategy for the country and Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan has confirmed the public will be asked to participate. I thought, therefore, I would get my two cents in early.
The minister’s mandate letter states, "As Minister of National Defence, your overarching goal will be to ensure that the Canadian Armed Forces are equipped and
Continue readingAlberta Politics: What’s next? F-35 boondoggle to land on the deck of a Canadian Mistral carrier?
PHOTOS: The F-35, possibly the worst military aircraft ever made, dollar for dollar or pound for pound, photographed to make it look less like a brick. A hovering version of the same plane. A not-quite-finished Mistral-class helicopter carrier. SANTA FE, N.M. I suppose a hotel in the desert, just down
Continue readingAlberta Politics: ‘Event logisticians’? Give us a break! They’re bouncers! What’s that tell you about the Tories?
PHOTOS: Prime Minister Stephen Harper meets a group of foreign event logistics consultants while travelling abroad (Government of Canada photo). Below: Pierre Trudeau does suppressed fury the right way; Mr. Harper does it with considerably less appeal. Clearly, the continuing uproar about Stephen Harper’s “event logistics team members” tells us
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: RADAR? We Don’t Need No Stinking Radar! – Canadian Military ‘Procurement’
I’m curious as to how our military procurement system is intends to differentiate itself from the awesome-fun game of spitting into the wind. “The Harper government is terminating its contract with Thales Canada Ltd., which was to supply new radar units to support Canada’s CF-18 fighter jet squadrons
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Canadian Forces and the Shame of Harper’s Army
Ever since he came to power Stephen Harper has been trying to militarize this country. Trying to destroy our noble peacekeeping traditions, and turn our military into Harper's Army, with his hollow slogan: STRONG. PROUD. FREE. But as a new report makes clear the truth couldn't be more UGLY.Read more
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 readingAlberta Diary: Six things we all need to think about when Canadians volunteer to fight for the Kurds
The Kurds: They should have had a country of their own, but since they don’t, and since Canada is allied by treaty to one of their principal enemies, letting Canadians join their fight isn’t a simple matter. We need clarity on just what Canada’s position is from the Canadian government.
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Maybe fake soldier didn’t understand only Tory politicians and TV stars are allowed to play military dressup in Canada
Canadian Armed Forces members and veterans were outraged when this man allegedly passed himself off as a Forces member at the scene of a flood in Calgary, Alberta. As you can see, he seemed to have a couple of civilians fooled. However, his weird haircut gave him away to keen
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Ice storm 2013: Is the Canadian government like the cops – never around when you need them?
Prime Minister Stephen Harper over flooded Calgary last June. Apparently there’s no sign of him anywhere near Toronto now. Below: Then U.S. President George W. Bush over New Orleans in August 2005; Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne; the PM’s unhelpful Tweet from Calgary Sunday night. The Toronto Star reported yesterday that
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Why Canadians Should Reject The Russell Williams Crime Movie
“An Officer and a Murderer” celebrates Russell Williams heinous crimes and violence against Canadian women, says The Canadian Progressive publisher, Obert Madondo The post Why Canadians Should Reject The Russell Williams Crime Movie appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Why Let the Air Force Decide What We Want?
It’s up to Parliament to tell the Air Force what Canada needs from the RCAF, not the other way around. What the Air Force wants and what the country needs are not one and the same. That’s especially true for today’s “Americanized” military that may be losing sight of the
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Harper Tories cry havoc and let slip the wars of dogs!
Meow! Prime Minister Stephen and Patron of the War Animals Laureen Harper with their Military Intelligence advisor “Trinity.” Below: the GRU and CSIS lapel pins. Note the similarity of design. Coincidence? I think not! A Royal Canadian animal hat: Here be Dragoons. And below that: Modern elephant-mounted light artillery …
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Time to Give the Armed Forces a Reality Check
It’s time to hit the “reset” button on Canada’s military, or at least its top ranks. That much was plain from reading the jingoistic remarks of General Walt Natynczyk from a Canadian Press interview. While I won’t quote broadly from the interview it’s apparent that Natynczyk feels he’s presiding over
Continue readingPaul S. Graham: Canada’s military: soldiers or psychopaths?
Canada’s Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Walt Natynczyk Photo: Jake Wright, The Canadian Press This interview with Canada’s Chief of Defence Staff says more about the psychopathology of militarism than I would have believed could be found in a daily newspaper. Read along with me and ask yourself what kind
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: And So Ends the Renaissance of the Canadian Armed Forces
“I do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, Her Heirs and Successors. So help me God.“ Stephen Harper vowed to restore Canada’s military to its former glory and prestige. Instead he corrupted our military institution and
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: The Perversion of Canada’s Military
Since he clawed his way into power, Steve Harper has wasted little time turning Canada’s public and armed services into political agencies of the prime minister’s office. He began by gagging the public service and the armed forces. Under Harper’s iron fist communications policy, the public were not allowed direct
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