I recently wrote a post about the motivations for middle powers like Canada to join international coalitions for wars such as the recent war in Iraq. Now that we have seen Harper official justification for the war to Parliament, it is worth noting how closely what I said tacked with
Continue readingTag: Iraq
Accidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Following up on yesterday’s column, Michael Harris offers his take on how Stephen Harper refuses to accept anything short of war as an option: Stephen Harper talks as if this is yet another of those good-versus-evil fables he is always passing off to
Continue readingCanadian Political Viewpoints: War Is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength.
I am a great admirer of George Orwell, the man whose quote has provided the title of this post. The first and last part of it are, sadly, greatly applicable to the situation we now find ourselves facing.Since the 1950s, the Western World has found itse…
Continue readingCanadian Political Viewpoints: War Is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength.
I am a great admirer of George Orwell, the man whose quote has provided the title of this post. The first and last part of it are, sadly, greatly applicable to the situation we now find ourselves facing. Since the 1950s, the Western World has found itself clenched in the
Continue readingCanadian Political Viewpoints: War Is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength.
I am a great admirer of George Orwell, the man whose quote has provided the title of this post. The first and last part of it are, sadly, greatly applicable to the situation we now find ourselves facing. Since the 1950s, the Western World has found itself clenched in the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on how leaders who stand up to hysterical calls to abandon peace and human rights in the name of fleeting threats tend to be vindicated by history – and how Thomas Mulcair is carrying on the NDP’s legacy on that front even in the face of criticism from Very
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Bizarre Conservative MP Paul Calandra’s Wikipedia Page Vandalized
Someone really pissed off has edited Paul Calandra’s Wikipedia page to reflect the Conservative MP’s bizarre obsession with Israel. The post Bizarre Conservative MP Paul Calandra’s Wikipedia Page Vandalized appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Aaron Wherry reviews what the last week has told us about the functioning (or absence thereof) of our House of Commons – and points out that the most important problem is one which hasn’t yet surfaced in headlines or memes: (T)he most important
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On choosing sides
Shorter L. Ian MacDonald: Anybody doubting whether it’s worth going to war in Iraq based on minimal information and questionable reasoning had best take a cold, hard look at the dangers of being on the wrong side of history. But of course, anybody demanding a war in in Iraq based
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Harper Lied About U.S. Requesting Canada’s Military Help In Iraq
American officials say Canada offered further military help to fight the Islamic State in Iraq – not the other way around as Harper told the Wall Street Journal earlier this week. The post Harper Lied About U.S. Requesting Canada’s Military Help In Iraq appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Harper’s small but important lie on Iraq
Harper got caught in a lie important enough that the US Secretary of Defence’s office took the somewhat rare move of embarrassing Harper by telling everyone it was indeed a lie. Namely, as reported by Global News, Harper made something of a big show that the US was asking for Canadian
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Harper’s small but important lie on Iraq
Harper got caught in a lie important enough that the US Secretary of Defence’s office took the somewhat rare move of embarrassing Harper by telling everyone it was indeed a lie. Namely, as reported by Global News, Harper made something of a big show that the US was asking for Canadian
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Harper’s small but important lie on Iraq
Harper got caught in a lie important enough that the US Secretary of Defence’s office took the somewhat rare move of embarrassing Harper by telling everyone it was indeed a lie. Namely, as reported by Global News, Harper made something of a …
Continue readingdrive-by planet: New US-led Middle East war repeats old mistakes: fuels the cycle of violence
Airstrikes and rockets targeting sites in Syria and Iraq this week marks an escalation in the early stages of a war stamped with the trademark Made-in-the-USA. This misguided war is a continuation of earlier interventions and strategic errors that have fanned the flames of jihadist resistance around the globe. The
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Harper Lied About U.S. Requesting Canada’s Military Help In Iraq
American officials say Canada offered further military help to fight the Islamic State in Iraq – not the other way around as Harper told the Wall Street Journal earlier this week. The post Harper Lied About U.S. Requesting Canada’s Military Help In Iraq appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Conservative MP, Commons Speaker Desecrated Parliament
A simple question by NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair during Question Period led to a bizarre exchange with a Conservative MP and exposed House of Commons Speaker Andrew Scheer’s incompetence and lack of neutrality. The post Conservative MP, Commons Speaker Desecrated Parliament appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your weekend reading. – Lana Payne examines the Cons’ economic record and finds it very much wanting: Inequality has deepened under Mr. Harper’s watch, job quality has declined, wages have stagnated, economic growth has been anemic, social protections have been reduced while corporate profits and CEO pay
Continue readingdrive-by planet: Washington’s war to ‘destroy’ ISIL: what is ISIL and who is the real security threat?
In recent weeks Western media has been sounding the alarm over the speedy territorial gains made by the Islamic State – also known as ISIL and ISIS – with warnings of the threat it poses to the West. In some of the more alarmist commentary you would think ISIL had
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Obama Doesn’t Have a Clue
Barack Obama has a mess on his hands in Iraq and has no idea what to do to clean it up. And so he falls back on neo-America’s default option – bomb it. Retired US Army commander turned academic, Andrew Bacevich, offers some insights that reveal how hapless – and
Continue readingThe Islamic State—should we be helping to clean up the Americans’ mess?
In early 2003, there were no Islamic extremists in Iraq, or at least none that dared raise their heads above ground. Then the Americans and their “coalition of the willing” invaded. Today, Islamic extremists so vile even al-Qaeda disowns them have taken control of a huge swath of the country
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