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India

Wednesday September 20, 2023

September 20, 2023 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday September 20, 2023

India’s Troubling Shift Toward Rogue State Behaviour

April 28, 2022

As the world’s attention is drawn to the annual gathering of the United Nations in New York, a disconcerting narrative is emerging: India, a nation once celebrated for its democratic values, is stepping into a perilous realm reminiscent of rogue states like Russia and Saudi Arabia, notorious for sponsoring the assassination of their critics on foreign soil. The recent accusation by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the Indian government may be involved in the assassination of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil has ignited a geopolitical firestorm.

Trudeau’s bold assertion points directly at India’s ruling administration under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, suggesting that it could be linked to the fatal shooting of Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia on June 18. In response, Trudeau took the extraordinary step of expelling a top Indian diplomat, the head of Indian intelligence in Canada, underscoring the seriousness of the allegations.

The Times of India: India, Canada pause trade talks amid Khalistan row  

February 22, 2018

This controversy unfolds against the backdrop of mounting tensions between Canada and India. Modi, a Hindu nationalist leader, has urged Trudeau to quash Sikh protesters in Canada advocating for Khalistan, an independent homeland in North India’s Punjab district. Trudeau, while addressing the Canadian House of Commons, declared, “Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty.” He called on the Indian government to cooperate with Canada in getting to the bottom of this matter.

The repercussions of this crisis extend beyond diplomatic tensions. Canada hosts one of the largest overseas communities of Indian origin, making up around 1.4 million individuals. Sikhism, the faith of many Khalistan supporters, is reported by approximately 770,000 people in the 2021 Census. Trade talks between the two nations, once promising, have frozen due to “certain political developments,” potentially damaging the economic relationship. In 2022, bilateral trade was valued at just C$13.7 billion, a small fraction of Canada’s total trade.

Furthermore, the Khalistan issue has global reverberations. Sikh separatist sentiments, driven by historical tensions between Sikhs and Hindu nationalist rulers in India, have emerged in various parts of the world. Khalistan supporters are active not only in Canada but also in the United States, where some attempted to set fire to the Indian consulate in San Francisco. Similar incidents have been reported in Brisbane, Australia, and London, England, further straining India’s diplomatic ties.

NYTimes: Trudeau Rejects India’s Denial of Involvement in Assassination in Canada  

June 23, 2022

It is concerning to witness this rise of rogue state-like behaviour, seemingly in concert with each other. As India grapples with allegations of extraterritorial assassinations, the world watches closely. The annual United Nations gathering serves as a poignant reminder that international norms, peace, and diplomacy must remain paramount in our interconnected world. The onus is on the global community to address these issues, fostering dialogue and cooperation while holding those responsible for transgressions accountable. (AI)

 

Posted in: International Tagged: Canada, China, India, Justin Trudeau, Kim Jong Un, Mohammed Bin Salmon, Narendra Modi, rogue state, Russia, United Nations, Xi Jinping. Vladimir Putin

Wednesday April 27, 2021

May 3, 2021 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday April 28, 2021

A tale of immuno-privilege

March 20, 2021

We are immuno-privileged. You might think this adjective is a neologism applicable to bodies vaccinated against Covid-19, but that is not quite it. We were already immuno-privileged before, when we started working from home and did not sink into poverty from losing our income, when we were not frontline workers providing care during the pandemic, or simply when we did not catch the coronavirus because we were living in the halfway world of social isolation. And now that we are vaccinated, we have added another layer of privilege to the term. As documented Latin American women living in the United States, we received the vaccine before our elderly parents in Argentina and Brazil.

February 2, 2021

We feel a dual sense of unease and relief because we are bodies rendered immuno-privileged by life’s inequalities. While it is true that every privilege is a form of immunization, not every immunization comes in the form of a vaccine. Being a man in a patriarchal society is a form of immunization for misogyny, just as being a white body offers immunization against police violence. The vaccine merely makes a product out of what our bodies had already experienced as privilege, naturalized by the policies of life. And like all products, there are disputes over access, control, and distribution. While 26% of the US population has already been fully vaccinated (that is, received all required doses), Argentina has only immunized about 2% of its population and Brazil has reached only 4%. Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas and the Caribbean, has not even begun its vaccination drive. To date, less than 2% of all Covid-19 vaccines administered worldwide have been distributed on the African continent, which is home to 16% of the world’s population.

It is obvious that unequal vaccine distribution has global consequences since it allows new variants to emerge and thus means even the vaccinated may be infected.

January 28, 2021

Here are the geopolitics of immuno-privilege: by early April, 87% of administered vaccines had gone to inhabitants of high- or middle-income countries, whereas only 0.2% had been administered in low-income countries. If global vaccination rates remain at these levels, it will take four to five yearsto reach herd immunity – that is, full vaccination of 70% to 85% of the population. It is readily obvious that unequal vaccine distribution has immediate global consequences since it allows new variants to emerge and thus means even the vaccinated may be infected. But from the other ways we experience privilege, we know that addressing inequality does not mesh well with distributive policies, and countries will begin disputing these products. Hoarding becomes a way to exercise control, and selfish nationalism takes the reins in negotiations between countries.

Wealthy countries have secured vaccine reserves well beyond what is needed to vaccinate their populations. Vaccine development was contingent on this surplus because no vaccine could have been developed this quickly without government investment. But rather than negotiating intellectual property agreements to facilitate equitable vaccine access for middle-income countries with production capability, the governments of rich nations have opted to guarantee their own surplus, under the mattress. Save your own people first, and then think about others. In keeping with this logic, the United States has donated doses to Mexico and Canada, while China is negotiating with Brazil.

Pandemic Times

Countries are concerned about their own borders or their own trade agendas – about folks whose access to this immuno-privilege matters not because of the genteel values of dignity or right to life, but rather because they are trade partners or political allies. From this twisted perspective of who gets immunized and who is left to die, we find ourselves as privileged bodies not because of who we are, but as the lawful inhabitants of a territory that is not our homeland. Sad to say, there is no way we can distribute our immuno-privilege; it becomes inalienable individual property. This is yet another piece of property for bodies who have survived thanks to privilege and are now privileged because of something we had not seen as property: legitimately and temporarily inhabiting a country that hoards vaccines. (El Pais) 

 

Posted in: Canada, International, USA Tagged: 2021-15, Canada, communities, covid-19, hotspot, India, Joe Biden, marginalized, pandemic, privilege, vaccines, wealth

Saturday September 7, 2019

September 14, 2019 by Graeme MacKay

Saturday September 7, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday September 7, 2019

Trudeau snubs Munk, Maclean’s/Citytv debates but will attend commission debates

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is committing to taking part in two federal election debates and is willing to do a third — but will be a no-show for both the Munk and Maclean’s/Citytv debates, despite efforts to convince the Liberal leader to take part.

August 8, 2015

The two debates that Trudeau has committed to attending are being organized by the Leaders’ Debates Commission, which was established after the last election and is led by former governor general David Johnston.

“The commission was established after the last election where the governing party tried to game the system and make sure the fewest number of Canadians engaged in the debates. We think that’s wrong,” Daniel Lauzon, the Liberals’ director of communications and policy for the campaign, said in a statement.

“The commission debates will be widely distributed on television, radio, digital and social streaming platforms and reach the largest possible audience.”

The decision means that Trudeau will not be taking part in the Munk Debates on foreign policy, set for Oct. 1 — a debate Trudeau did take part in during the 2015 election.

It also means the prime minister will not participate in the Maclean’s/Citytv leaders debate scheduled to take place September 12.

September 19, 2015

So far, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May have all agreed to participate in the Munk and Maclean’s/Citytv debates.

A spokesperson for the Conservative Party said the debates are about Canadians, not the leaders, and Scheer would be attending all election debates.

“We know Justin Trudeau is a formidable debater, as he proved in the last election. The only reason he would have for not wanting to attend all the debates is that he’s afraid to defend his record,” Brock Harrison said in a statement.

During the 2015 election, then-prime minister Stephen Harper refused to participate in the English language debate being run by the consortium of broadcasters, the predecessor to the commission.

October 1, 2008

Harper instead agreed to participate in the Maclean’s/Citytv debate and the Globe and Mail debate, on top of the French language consortium debate, TVAs’ debate and the bilingual Munk debate on foreign policy.

The opposition at the time criticized Harper’s decision to snub the English language consortium debate in favour of smaller debates, some of which were only streamed online, as a move that prevented the largest possible audience from viewing the exchanges between party leaders.

Trudeau was keen to participate in multiple debates in 2015 — an election that saw the longest campaign period in modern Canadian history. But Trudeau’s critics now argue that he is cherry-picking debates for political reasons.

In the last election he was the third-party leader and had much to gain from engaging with other leaders at every opportunity. But as prime minister, Trudeau exposes himself to greater political risk by agreeing to additional debates. (CBC) 

 

Posted in: Canada Tagged: #elxn2019, 2019-31, Armoured vehicles, Canada, China, debate, Donald Trump, election, foreign policy, Huawei, India, Justin Trudeau, monster, Munk debates, Saudi Arabia, tariffs, USA

Thursday February 22, 2018

February 21, 2018 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday February 22, 2018

How Justin Trudeau NEVER misses an opportunity to don traditional attire

Dressed head to toe in robes of gold, then red, then white – Justin Trudeau has certainly cut a distinctive figure during his first three days in India.

Bollywood Justin

Indeed, the Canadian Prime Minister seems to have made a point of dressing like a local during his debut visit to the country as leader.

But he also has a history of donning traditional robes at home, especially to honor special dates in the Indian calendar.

As far back as 2012, Trudeau attended the premiere of Midnight’s Children – based on the book about Indian independence written by Salman Rushdie – dressed in a white sherwani robe.

Screening at the Toronto International Film Festival, Trudeau was only a member of parliament when he attended along with wife Sophie Gregoire, who opted for a navy blue halter gown.

Twice last year he also marked important dates in the Indian calendar while dressed for the occasion.

After the junket- February 26, 2018

In August he stepped out wearing a kurta – which literally translates from its Persian origins as ‘a collarless shirt’ – in order to celebrate Indian Independence Day.

Then again in October he donned a dark black sherwani – a heavy, more formal robe usually worn over the top of a kurta – to mark Diwali.

Although on that occasion he drew the ire of many Hindus by tweeting the image along with the caption ‘Dewali Mubarak!’

Mubarak as an Arabic word which means ‘blessed’ and is not used as a greeting by the majority of the Hindu religion.

In January this year, Trudeau was again dressed up to celebrate Thai Pongal, the harvest festival of the Tamil people, in Scarborough.

Trudeau has also routinely celebrates vaisakhi, a Sikh harvest festival, and often does so in traditional robes.

In 2013 he took to the streets of Vancouver in an emerald green jacket with a white cap covering his head, in a nod to the traditional Sikh turban. (Continued: Daily Mail) 

 

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Posted in: Canada Tagged: Canada, clothing, costume, India, Justin Trudeau, Narenda Modi, tour, traditional

January 16, 2007

January 16, 2013 by Graeme MacKay

Again I find myself the only cartoonist who felt it necessary to draw on something that has been completely ignored by everyone else: the Premier’s trade mission to India. The 17 day trip began last week and includes a 100-member Ontario government delegation with hopes of cashing in on the country’s lucrative film industry and becoming a self-styled “Bollywood North,” as Dalton McGuinty himself described it. To me it smells an awful lot like the old Chretien days, when the old Prime Minister would gladhand his way through countries like China and India with high hopes of bringing foreign investment to Canada. It’s debateable how effective these junkets are. For now let Dalton be the star of his own cheesy show.

Here’s some photos from the trip thus far. I’d love to see some cartoonist out there draw something on this rather comical journey by Ontario’s Premier.


By the Numbers

I was curious to find out how frequently Dalton McGuinty appears in cartoons so I did a little tabulation of cartoons I’ve drawn of him over the past 12 months. Through a simple defined search of my syndicate I discovered I drew 16 cartoons of him in 2006. Sue Dewar of the Ottawa Sun actually beat me by drawing 20. This led me to wonder which politician was drawn the most last year among all the artists represented through Artizans. Here’s the ranking:

  1. Stephen Harper — 422
  2. Ralph Klein — 89
  3. Paul Martin — 87
  4. Dalton McGuinty — 48
  5. Jack Layton — 45
  6. Michael Ignatieff — 42
  7. Rodney MacDonald — 35
  8. Peter MacKay — 34
  9. Stephane Dion — 34
  10. David Emerson — 32
  11. Belinda Stronach –28
  12. Rona Ambrose — 27
  13. Bob Rae — 23
  14. Gordon Campbell — 23
  15. Gilles Duceppe — 20
  16. Jim Flaherty — 17
  17. Jean Chretien — 15
  18. Scott Brison — 14
  19. Bill Graham — 9
  20. Frank McKenna — 9
  21. Joe Volpe — 9
  22. Ken Dryden — 7
  23. Ed Stelmach
  24. Hedy Fry — 6
  25. Gerard Kennedy — 4
  26. Jean Charest — 4
  27. Vic Toews — 4
  28. John Baird — 2
  29. Gary Doer — 1
  30. Lorne Calvert, Martha Hall Findlay, Danny Williams — 0

Posted in: Cartooning Tagged: Bollywood, commentary, Dalton McGuinty, David Emerson, India, Jean Chretien, Jim Flaherty, Ken Dryden, Michael Ignatieff, Ralph Klein, Stephane Dion, Stephen Harper, Sue Dewar, Trade, trade mission
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Click on dates to expand

Please note…

This website contains satirical commentaries of current events going back several decades. Some readers may not share this sense of humour nor the opinions expressed by the artist. To understand editorial cartoons it is important to understand their effectiveness as a counterweight to power. It is presumed readers approach satire with a broad minded foundation and healthy knowledge of objective facts of the subjects depicted.

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