Afganistan

Friday March 25, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday March 25, 2022

Ukraine refugee crisis exposes racism and contradictions in the definition of human

May 9, 2019

Not only has the Russian invasion of Ukraine brought to light the awful tragedies that accompany armed conflict, but the subsequent refugee crisis has also uncovered deeply seated racism in the country.

Reporters have documented dehumanizing treatment against international students from Africa, South Asia and the Middle East in Ukraine. This treatment also extended to racialized permanent residents of Ukraine, including a long-time practising Nigerian doctor.

While white women and children were given priority on vehicles departing the country, African women were barred from trains leaving Kyiv even though there were empty seats.

These incidents demonstrate a racist logic that positions some people as vulnerable, and others as beyond the realm of moral obligation to receive protection. Black and racialized people, it seems, are not as deserving of care.

As Black Studies researchers in the field of education, we study how colonialism and anti-Blackness shape what we know. Although some have been shocked by these reports, we are not surprised.

Wednesday September 26, 2001

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday September 26, 2001

Canada’s war is already over

If Canada applied to participate in joint military operations, it would be turned down — which is why John Manley’s belated promise of ground troops is less manly than it sounds. He knows full well they won’t be required. His generous offer is as laughable as me offering to play in the Wimbledon men’s final. The reality is that what’s left of Canada’s forces is too poorly equipped to share a battlefield with the Americans, the British, the Australians or any reasonably funded army. Even New Zealand, which isn’t exactly a famous military power, is in a position to make a more useful contribution through its SAS, the kind of elite special forces that will be especially prized in this most modern of wars. Canada’s equivalent, the secrecy-shrouded JTF2, have no international reputation except as an ill-disciplined rabble. Intelligence? CSIS is underfunded and politically irrelevant: When they report that 50 global terrorist groups are actively operating in Canada, the Prime Minister files it in the bottom drawer under his golf club bill-of-sale napkins and, if anyone brings it up, flatly denies its conclusions. Canada is the only G7 country whose government is involved in covert sabotage of its own intelligence gathering.

Yet, confronted with an obvious truth, we persist in hunting for ludicrous alternatives. Is it that Bush personally dislikes Chrétien? You can’t blame the guy. In his speeches, our Prime Minister has a half-dozen jokes about what a dummy Dubya is: “I explained to him that Alberta is in Canada,” etc. In person, he’s boorishly patronizing: Chrétien welcoming Bush to the Summit of the Americas in Quebec: “Bienvenue.” Bush: “Thank you, sir.” Chrétien: “That means welcome.” (Source: Mark Steyn, National Post)