By Yves Engler · February 13, 2018 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. […]
By Yves Engler | Palestine Chronicle | February 9, 2018 At next week’s New Democratic Party convention in Ottawa Palestinian rights are set to be a major flashpoint. The NDP Socialist Caucus has submitted a resolution calling on the party to “actively campaign in support of the demand of Palestinian unions, civil society and unions […]
Niki Ashton injects vital ideas and principles into the NDP leadership campaign Niki Ashton. Image credit: Matt Jiggins/ flickr By Prof. Tony Hall | American Herald Tribune | July 24, 2017 Like many NATO countries, Canada has suffered from an impoverishment of free and open debate when it comes to the issue of relations with […]
Lies, distortions and self-serving obfuscations are to be expected when political and business leaders discuss far away places.
In a recent Toronto Star column Rick Salutin observed that “foreign policy is a truth-free, fact-free zone. When leaders speak on domestic issues, citizens at least have points of reference to check them against. On foreign affairs they blather freely.”
By Yves Engler | CounterPunch | June 12, 2017 It’s no wonder the Trudeau government has moved to ramp up military outlays. Even “left” commentators/politicians are calling for increased spending on Canada’s ecologically and socially destructive war machine. Recently Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan announced a more than 70 per cent increase in military spending over […]
A leadership race is an opportunity to promote bold ideas and invigorate a political movement. Canada’s right wing party seems to understand this, the left not so much.
By Yves Engler | Dissident Voice | March 18, 2017 Is the NDP establishment scared to have party members discuss Canada’s international posture? At the party’s first leadership debate last weekend there wasn’t a single foreign policy question despite a host of contentious recent party positions on international affairs. Certainly at a time when the […]
Israel apologists often complain about leftists “singling Israel out” or “obsessing” over that country, inferring a motivation of anti-Semitism. Putting aside the obvious truth that “obsessing” over the plight of an oppressed people ought to be considered a compliment and campaigning on any issue amounts to “singling” it out, the accusation often represents what a Freudian analyst would call a “projection”.
It is the Israeli nationalists themselves who single out and obsess over that country.
In the run-up to the October 19, 2015 Canadian federal election, I found these two federal all-candidates sessions to be very interesting. This one in the riding of Fundy Royal, New Brunswick is interesting because the independent candidate, David Amos, looks like Gandalf from the Lord of the Rings, and he has some intelligent things […]
