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Wednesday April 10, 2024

April 10, 2024 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday April 10, 2024

Canada’s Defence Dilemma: A Legacy Fading Under the Stars and Stripes

May 29, 2002

As NATO celebrates its 75th anniversary amidst rising global tensions, Canadians are grappling with a troubling reality: our once-vibrant military legacy is fading under the shadows of American security alliances. This sobering moment comes at a time of heightened geopolitical turbulence, exacerbated by Russia’s brazen invasion of Ukraine and the lingering spectre of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s rhetoric threatening NATO’s cohesion.

News: NATO at 75: Is Canada losing its grip on the world’s greatest military alliance?

March 1, 2024

The recent announcement of increased defence spending by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, while a step forward, is also a stark reminder of years of neglect and misplaced priorities. Trudeau, suddenly pandering to calls for bolstering Canada’s defence, has had ample time since assuming office in 2015 to reverse the decline of our military capabilities. Instead, successive governments have allowed our armed forces to languish, reflecting a lack of will to prioritize and invest in our own defence.

Canada’s journey from a post-war military powerhouse to a nation dependent on American security alliances can be traced back to the gradual erosion of our military capabilities. The decline began with decisions made decades ago to let our military infrastructure deteriorate, coupled with a societal shift that undervalued the importance of investing in our national defence.

February 13, 2024

The spectre of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine underscores the urgent need for Canada to reclaim its role as a stalwart defender of democratic values and international security. However, our ability to project strength and credibility on the global stage has been compromised by years of underinvestment and strategic complacency.

Moreover, the unsettling rhetoric of former U.S. President Donald Trump, who openly mused about abandoning NATO and questioned the value of collective defence, sent shockwaves through the alliance. While Trump’s presidency has come to an end, the echoes of his disruptive rhetoric continue to reverberate, casting doubt on America’s steadfast commitment to its NATO allies. Now, with Trump hoping for a return in the 2024 election as the Republican presidential candidate, the prospect of renewed uncertainty in U.S. foreign policy looms large.

Opinion: Sham defence review shows Canada will never meet its commitments to NATO allies

November 17, 2015

Prime Minister Trudeau’s sudden pivot towards bolstering defence spending seems reactive rather than proactive, highlighting a broader pattern of neglect towards our military forces. It’s a far cry from the era when Canada asserted its sovereignty by distancing itself from the security umbrella of the United Kingdom.

As we mark NATO’s milestone anniversary amidst geopolitical uncertainty, it’s time for Canadians to reassess our priorities and reclaim our legacy as a nation that values and invests in its military. Our armed forces deserve better than years of neglect and half-hearted commitments. Let’s heed the lessons of history and renew our dedication to a strong, independent, and capable Canadian military—one that reflects the values and aspirations of our nation. (AI)

Thursday January 4, 2023

January 4, 2024 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday January 4, 2023

The West’s Commitment to Ukraine Must Not Waver

December 13, 2023

The West’s commitment to supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression and its growing fatigue towards this commitment is a grave mistake. It is crucial to recognize the strength that lies within the West and the importance of upholding our values, interests, and partnerships. The West must reverse course, abandon weakness, and stand firmly with Ukraine in its quest for victory.

Warmongering dictators pose a significant threat to their citizens and neighbouring states. However, it is the weak leaders who appease them that enable their aggression. Compromise and concessions are seen as weakness by these dictators, emboldening them further. Bad behaviour must be punished, not rewarded. Just as rewarding wrongdoing reinforces misconduct, rewarding bad faith actors in international politics only encourages further aggression.

The West’s response to Russian aggression in the past has been marked by weakness and appeasement. For example, after Russia invaded Georgia in 2008, instead of imposing devastating consequences, Russia was appeased. Concessions were made, and Russia faced limited sanctions, which only emboldened Putin to pursue a more aggressive foreign policy. The West’s feebleness was further highlighted when Russia invaded Ukraine, annexing Crimea and invading Donbas, right after hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The limited scope and scale of sanctions imposed on Russia and the rewards given to Putin, such as Nord Stream 1 and hosting the World Cup in 2018, only reinforced his belief that he could act with impunity.

News: Ukraine war: with stalemate on the battlefield Nato needs unity and commitment more than ever

February 24, 2023

The consequences of the West’s weakness extend beyond Europe. In the Middle East, the West’s inaction in Syria allowed Russia to intervene and support the Assad regime and Iranian terror proxies. This resulted in the loss of countless lives and the transformation of Syria into a narco-state. Furthermore, the West’s hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan, despite years of sacrifice and investment, showcased weakness once again and led to Putin’s second invasion of Ukraine. Failing to extinguish the fire in Europe risks setting the rest of the world ablaze.

President Joe Biden’s recent shift in supporting Ukraine’s bid for total victory to focusing on negotiations and territorial concessions is concerning. The West must not falter in its commitment to Ukraine’s goal of expelling Russia from its territory. The war in Ukraine represents a conflict of great power magnitude on the European continent, and its resolution will have significant implications globally. The West must provide Ukraine with the necessary support to strengthen its defensive position and deter further Russian offensives.

The West must recognize its strength and abandon acts of weakness that have only served to embolden dictators like Putin. Upholding our values, interests, and partnerships is crucial. The West’s commitment to Ukraine must remain unwavering, and we must stand firmly with Ukraine in its quest for victory. Failure to do so risks not only the freedom and prosperity of Ukraine but also the stability and security of the entire world. (AI)

Some moderated backnforth – occasional gleanings from social media – because why let time spent engaging and writing stuff go to waste?

From Instagram

Critic1: If Trump were still in office Ukraine wouldn’t have been invaded.

MacKay: Sure, and Putin would’ve returned Crimea under Trump. But didn’t. The Trumpsters are oblivious. Reagan is rolling in his grave.

Critic1: Putin doesn’t want Trump because Trump is likely to respond to any threats to the U.S. or our allies. He’s unpredictable. He won’t tell the enemy what his plans are unlike some traitors from his cabinet.

Graeme MacKay: …well, there’s that hokey narrative, that Putin fears Trump. In actuality, Trump is a pushover. Trump showed he cared not about Syria, nor Crimea, and he essentially cleared the way for Putin to make his move on Ukraine, which will become Putinland if Trump is elected.

*** * * * ***

Critic2: As someone who is from that area of the globe and pays a lot of attention to what happens there, you are either grossly lacking in information on the matter, or this is just shallow politics for the faithful, which, if that’s the case, my apologies for disturbing the preaching.

MacKay: Being practically scared to death as a kid in 1970s-80s all thanks to the fear of Cold War nuclear annihilation gives a certain awareness even to those of who aren’t from the USSR/East bloc. Decades of Putin’s criminality has been enabled by aloof western leaders, for sure, but the Russian people are ultimately to blame for their own aloofness over the years by allowing this monster to thrive. Putin’s tactic to cause misery on Ukraine as a means to divert attention from the criminal ways he’s enriched himself since 2000 demonstrates how he’s put his own people under a spell. If senseless meat grinder of hundreds of thousands of 18-25 year old “soldiers” won’t send Russians into the streets in outrage then one wonders about their complicity. Biden and Trump? They’re a sideshow.

Critic2: as someone who is friends with a person who smuggled Boris Nemtsov’s documents out of Russia after his assassination and is friends/works with Navalny etc, they (and I) would disagree with you that our presidents are a sideshow. Putin seems to take certain things into consideration before acting, two of which seem to be who is US president and the price of oil. In addition, without giving away too much, presidents have a lot of sway over funding of organizations that oppose Putin’s regime; when Biden became president, he cut funding to the ones I’m familiar with. He’s reversed that since, after the conflict started, but at the beginning his administration wouldn’t even communicate with them. Also, I understand the fear, i lived next to a soviet nuclear bunker as a kid, it was accross the street from my elementary school. At the school, we did nuclear attack drills and lessons about things like Pershing missiles. It was a different time.

MacKay: I’m not sure what we’re disagreeing on. That Trump would be better dealing with Putin? It would end the killing but it would strengthen his dictatorship.

Critic2: hmm, well, thank you for conveying to me that you are not interested in engaging with different perspectives.

MacKay: well, from your viewpoint who’s better for the world in terms of dealing with Putin, Trump or Biden? I ask because I’m dealing with Putin apologists on other threads. They tend to leave comments in tandem under critical cartoons.

Saturday November 4, 2023

November 4, 2023 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday November 4, 2023

The Frustration of Steven Guilbeault, Once an Activist, Now a Minister Facing Carbon Tax Flip-Flops

October 28, 2021

Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s Environment Minister, faces a perplexing shift within the Liberal government, causing internal conflict with his former activist stance on climate change. The recent about-face in policy decisions appears to be a move aimed at reviving plummeting polls, especially in Atlantic Canada. Guilbeault, who once championed climate change causes, may find himself increasingly frustrated by the governmental reversals he’s now a part of.

A month ago, Guilbeault adamantly stood by the federal mandate for a net-zero power grid by 2035, dismissing requests from Alberta for an extended timeline. This firm stance faced opposition from Alberta’s Environment Minister, Rebecca Schulz, and Premier Danielle Smith, who vocally criticized the Clean Electricity Regulations (CER) as impractical and disconnected from reality, potentially leading to blackouts in a province heavily reliant on natural gas.

Analysis: Playing defence on the carbon tax has put Trudeau’s Liberals on the defensive

February 3, 2023

Guilbeault, defending the federal regulation, emphasized the necessity to avoid exceptions for provinces, highlighting the importance of a unified approach across the federation. However, the subsequent announcement of an exemption for home-heating oil in Atlantic Canada saw a complete reversal from the federal government’s firm stance. This shift provoked further demands from other provinces, including Saskatchewan and Alberta, for similar exemptions in their regions.

The stark contrast between Guilbeault’s initial commitment and the recent exemptions, particularly for home-heating oil, suggests a significant departure from the consistent climate-focused policies he once advocated for. The exemptions raised concerns about the logical inconsistency and fairness of the carbon tax application. This move has left the Liberals in a defensive position, contradicting their previous arguments about the carbon tax rebate.

The internal discord within the Liberal government and the public critique underscore the complexity of policy implementation and the pressure faced by the Liberals to address concerns in Atlantic Canada. Despite the ongoing debates and mounting pressure for additional exemptions, Guilbeault maintains a resolute stance against further carve-outs as long as he holds the environment minister position.

Opinion: Trudeau’s new carbon pricing rules are really a not so subtle bribe

October 28, 2023

The Liberals’ strategy to navigate the current political storm remains unclear. While attempting to address concerns in Atlantic Canada, the exemptions granted may have inadvertently compounded the challenges faced by the government, inviting criticism and intensifying the existing political turbulence.

Ultimately, the government’s recent decisions seem to have created more complexities than resolutions, fostering doubts about the coherence and consistency of their climate policy agenda. As Guilbeault, once an advocate, grapples with these policy shifts, the government faces an uphill battle to justify their recent actions while maintaining the integrity of their climate initiatives. (AI)

From sketch to finish, see the current way Graeme completes an editorial cartoon using an iPencil, the Procreate app, and a couple of cheats on an iPad Pro. If you’re creative, give illustration a try:

Friday February 24, 2023

February 24, 2023 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday February 24, 2023

Total number of civilian casualties in Putin’s invasion

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is precisely one year old, Vladimir Putin having announced his “special military operation” on 24 February 2022.

January 26, 2023

Western nations have ramped up military suport for Kyiv since the near year, with Germany and the US both announcing in January that they would send battle tanks to Ukraine.

Berlin will provide 14 Leopard 2 tanks from military stocks as a first step. The training of Ukrainian troops in their use will begin in Germany soon, with logistics support and ammunition part of the package.

The US will meanwhile send 31 M1 Abram tanks in the coming months.

German chancellor Olaf Scholz came under huge international pressure to approve the use of the Leopard 2 models, with nations requiring permission from Germany to re-export those in their own armies. The eventual decision to go ahead paves the way for other countries such as Poland, Spain and Norway to supply their stocks of Leopard 2 tanks too.

December 22, 2022

Between the war’s commencement on 24 February 2022 and 21 February 2023, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has recorded 21,293 civilian casualties in the country: 8,006 killed and 13,287 injured.

According to the UN OHCHR, of the adult civilian casualties whose sex is known, men accounted for 61.1 per cent of civilian casualties and women for 39.9 per cent.

At least 487 children were killed and 954 injured.

An estimated 90.3 per cent of civilian casualties were caused by explosive weapons with wide area effects, including artillery shells, cruise and ballistic missiles, and air strikes. Most occurred in populated areas.

The OHCHR has also recorded 632 civilian casualties – 219 killed and 413 injured – caused by mines and explosive remnants of war.

September 14, 2022

The UN understands the actual number of civilian deaths are considerably higher than reported, as the receipt of information from some locations where intense hostilities have been going on has been delayed and many reports are still pending corroboration.

According to Ukraine’s leading war crimes prosecutor, more than 100,000 Ukrainian civilians are believed to have been killed over the course of the last year, more than 10 times the current official death toll.

The horrific tally illustrates the scale of devastation in the country, which has fought a relentless onslaught from Vladimir Putin’s forces since their invasion on 24 February last year.

Speaking to The Independent, prosecutor Yuriy Belousov revealed his fears about the human cost on the civilian population.

“There could be 100,000 civilians killed across Ukraine, whose bodies will have to be found and identified once occupied territory is liberated,” Mr Belousov said. The current official death toll published by the UN this week puts the official death toll at 8,000.

March 1, 2022

Meanwhile, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has branded Mr Putin a “nobody” and suggested it is too late for face-to-face peace talks with the Russian leader to make any difference.

In an interview, Mr Zelensky described the Russian president as a “man who said one thing and then did another” as he said he was not interested in meeting him.

Speaking in English, he said: “It is not interesting for me. Not interesting to meet, not interesting to speak. Why? Because we had meeting with him in Normandy Format, it was before full-scale invasion.

“I saw the man who said one thing and then did another. So for me, I can’t understand – is it his decisions or somebody else? So to meet what – to shake hands? Not interesting. To speak? I really don’t understand who makes decisions in Russia.”

He also accused Russia’s president of having a disregard for his troops and throwing them “into the meat grinder”, ahead of an anticipated new offensive. (The Independent)

From sketch to finish, see the current way Graeme completes an editorial cartoon using an iPencil, the Procreate app, and a couple of cheats on an iPad Pro …

Thursday February 16, 2023

February 16, 2023 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday February 16, 2023

Ford won’t say who sent invites to daughter’s $150 stag-and-doe event

January 28, 2023

Ontario Premier Doug Ford did not divulge details of who sent invitations – including to developers – for his daughter’s $150-a-ticket stag-and-doe party last summer, saying only “the boys” took care of the money that was raised.

His office later said “the boys” was a reference to the premier’s son-in-law and the man’s friends.

The integrity commissioner has cleared Ford over the stag and doe, which is typically a fundraiser for a couple before they get married.

Ford bristled at journalists’ questions Wednesday about the pre-wedding event that had an unknown number of developers in attendance.

January 17, 2023

“In my opinion, it’s absolutely ridiculous about a $150 stag, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Ford said Friday at a funding announcement for auto parts maker Magna in Brampton, Ont.

Based on information provided by Ford, the integrity commissioner said the premier had no knowledge of gifts given to his daughter and son-in-law. The commissioner said there was no discussion of government business at the event, but confirmed developers who are longtime friends of the Ford family were there.

When asked how much money was raised at the stag and doe from developers and who the money went to, Ford said “the boys took care of that.”

The premier said he and his family know “tens of thousands of people.”

December 10, 2022

“No one can influence the Fords,” the premier said.

Several months after the stag and doe, the province announced it was opening up the protected Greenbelt to build 50,000 homes as part of its plan to build 1.5 million homes in 10 years.

Ontario’s integrity commissioner and auditor general are conducting separate investigations into the government’s decision to open the Greenbelt to development – both Ford and Housing Minister Steve Clark have denied any wrongdoing. (CBC)

From sketch to finish, see the current way Graeme completes an editorial cartoon using an iPencil, the Procreate app, and a couple of cheats on an iPad Pro …