U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates is not amused by the lack of military esprit de corp among America’s NATO allies. “The blunt reality,” he lectured, “is that there will be dwindling appetite and patience in the U.S. Congress—and in the American b…
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the reeves report: Re-imagining Canada in the World: Start by tackling Tall Poppy Syndrome
The Globe and Mail has been choc-a-bloc lately with guest columnists (academics, NATO ambassadors, think-tank CEO’s) talking about where the debate over Canada’s foreign policy has gone. It was conspicuously absent in the recent federal election campaign, as noted by Jeffrey Simpson back on April 6 when he wrote that “there is plenty to talk … Continue reading »
Progressive Proselytizing: The relationship between public goods and sovereignty
As our world modernizes, the relationships of self determination and sovereignty flex and change. Technological and sociological changes have made the provision of a wide variety of public goods possible at much larger scales. There is a trade off, ho…
Continue readingWorld Headlines Review: Afghanistan: War, Power and Illusion
Canadian LAVs, Afghanistan, by isafmedia This week, Project Censored has released its annual list of top 25 censored news stories in a volume entitled Censored 2011: The Top Censored Stories of 2009-2010. An astounding article published by The Nation on November 11, 2009; How the US funds the Taliban, resurfaces
Continue readingPop The Stack: He Leaks Me, He Leaks Me Not, He Leaks Me…
The unrolling of the US diplomatic cables by Wikileaks over the past week is a fascinating event that may be unparalleled in human history, so far. I’ve had difficulty deciding if this is a good or a bad thing over the past week as the news has come out. See my other article here over at Computationally […]
A. Picazo: Child Soldiers: The Other Taliban and Al-Qaeda Militants
“A poignant reality of contemporary conflicts is that increasingly children are being used as cheap and readily available weapons of war. From Colombia to Sri Lanka, from Sierra Leone to Uganda, thousands of children have been used in armed conflict situations. In Afghanistan, our forces are seeing the increasing use
Continue readingTattered Sleeve: Well Israel, you have really lost the PR war now
You have got yourselves perfectly embroiled in an international incident that is not going away until you learn that even you must eat crow sometimes. So far, it doesn’t appear to have sunk in. I notice it only took you a few hours to release some prop…
Continue readingA. Picazo: Denial And Deceit: The Harper Government And Torture In Afghanistan
Canada has long been known as a peacekeeping nation; lauded for our humanitarian missions and respected for our international contributions. The unassuming nature of Canadian soldiers garners an admiration few other militaries can boast; A history of moral and honourable service. But for the mission in Afghanistan, the ethics and
Continue readingA. Picazo: Debating Afghanistan: The Case For Withdrawal
Yesterday, I discussed the need for an open discussion about Canada’s future in Afghanistan, focusing primarily on recent requests from our NATO partners to extend our commitment to the Afghan mission. I was careful to remain personally neutral on the issue, though the article largely supported the argument to prolong
Continue readingA. Picazo: It’s Time For An Open, Honest Debate On Afghanistan
As the date for withdrawal from Afghanistan by the Canadian forces approaches, pressure to remain in the battle mounts amid two high profile requests for Prime Minister Stephen Harper to reconsider his decision to abandon the Afghan mission. On March 29, in an interview with CTV’s Tom Clark, U.S. Secretary
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