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Thursday December 19, 2024

December 19, 2024 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday December 19, 2024

Canada Must Stand Firm Against Trump’s Meddling Ways

September 20, 2024

Canada, a proud G7 nation with a history of strong global leadership and cooperation, finds itself in an embarrassing and humiliating position—the subject of repeated provocations from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. His reckless and inflammatory rhetoric, coupled with aggressive policy proposals, has not only strained Canada-U.S. relations but also raised profound questions about sovereignty, national resilience, and the nature of modern foreign interference.

Trump’s antics have been nothing short of disruptive. His comments about Canada becoming the “51st state” and labelling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “Governor of the Great State of Canada” are not only undignified but deeply undermining. Such statements blur the line between joking and serious political discourse, forcing Canadian leaders to address what should be laughable claims in earnest.

November 18, 2024

This is not a matter of harmless banter. Trump’s provocative rhetoric carries weight, as demonstrated by the $1 billion Canadian border security plan unveiled in response to his criticisms of “ridiculous open borders” and alleged drug trafficking. His proposed 25% tariffs on Canadian imports threaten to destabilize industries and livelihoods on both sides of the border, with Ontario Premier Doug Ford describing it as akin to “a family member stabbing you, right in the heart.” Canada is being forced to react and realign its policies to counteract the whims of a U.S. president-elect who wields his influence like a wrecking ball.

Unlike covert foreign interference—such as the disinformation campaigns and clandestine efforts linked to Russia, India, and Iran—Trump’s meddling is loud, public, and unapologetic. It’s a form of influence that weaponizes social media to provoke, disrupt, and destabilize, all in plain sight. On Truth Social, Trump’s repeated posts about annexation and false claims of the U.S. subsidizing Canada by “over $100,000,000” are designed to stir division and force Canada into a defensive posture.

News: Trump repeats ‘51st State’ jab and false trade-deficit claims

November 8, 2024

As one reader comment noted, “This is how he weasels his ideas into the national conversation, by saying something inappropriate in a joking sort of manner. But we know there is often something serious behind it.” Indeed, Trump’s comments are not just the ramblings of a provocateur but calculated moves to inject his agenda into public discourse and undermine Canada’s standing as a sovereign nation.

Perhaps the most troubling aspect of this situation is the damage it does to Canada’s sovereignty and international image. Canada is a nation that values its distinct identity, from its universal healthcare system and robust social programs to its commitment to bilingualism and multiculturalism. Trump’s “51st state” rhetoric trivializes these defining elements and reduces Canada to a subsidiary of U.S. interests.

Reader feedback underscores the real danger of such rhetoric. “Calling Canada a ‘state’… could be the beginning of the end of our sovereignty. Lots of water and minerals up here to plunder. We are in danger if this type of rhetoric continues,” one commenter warned. Another drew parallels to Russia’s actions in Ukraine, suggesting that what starts as a joke can evolve into a serious threat.

November 12, 2018

Trump’s meddling extends beyond Canada’s sovereignty to include his vile and misogynistic comments about Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland. Referring to her as “totally toxic” and claiming she was not conducive to making deals, Trump’s remarks echo his long-standing pattern of disparaging strong women in politics, including Kamala Harris, Liz Cheney, and Nancy Pelosi. This behaviour is not only disrespectful but also emblematic of the broader undermining of women’s leadership roles, which should have no place in international diplomacy or politics.

While some Canadian leaders, like Premier Ford, have risen to the occasion with strong rebukes of Trump’s behaviour, others appear less decisive. Trudeau’s “surprise” trip to Mar-a-Lago yielded little more than vague optimism, and his government’s response has yet to fully address the broader implications of Trump’s interference. Meanwhile, political figures like Pierre Poilievre have faced criticism for failing to robustly defend Canada against these affronts.

April 13, 2018

This lack of unity and clarity only emboldens Trump’s meddling. Canada must adopt a coordinated approach that combines assertive diplomacy with tangible measures to protect its interests. This includes strengthening economic resilience against tariff threats, ensuring robust border policies, and unequivocally rejecting any narrative that undermines Canadian sovereignty.

Canadians must also recognize the broader stakes. Trump’s actions are not just an affront to Canada but a symptom of a world where strong nations increasingly exploit weaker ones through overt and covert means. As a G7 country, Canada has a responsibility—to itself and the global community—to stand firm against such tactics and reaffirm the principles of sovereignty, respect, and mutual cooperation.

The humiliation of responding to Trump’s antics is real, but it is not insurmountable. By taking decisive action and refusing to be drawn into his games, Canada can turn this challenge into an opportunity to showcase its strength, unity, and resolve on the world stage. (AI)

Tuesday May 3, 2022

May 3, 2022 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday May 3, 2022

Pulling back from wider war in Europe

August 15, 2008

As bad as the war in Ukraine has already been, it may soon get a lot worse.

So far, the death and destruction has been confined to Ukraine itself. It’s a tragedy for the Ukrainian people, but the conflict has at least been contained.

But what if it spills over into other parts of Europe, or turns into a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia? Or more directly, between the United States and Russia? That would be far more dangerous.

This is not idle speculation.

As Ukrainians put up fierce resistance to the invaders, bolstered by political support and a flood of weaponry from the West, it looks like the war will drag on. The possibility of a deal to end the fighting, a lively possibility a few weeks ago, has faded.

April 28, 2022

And the longer the conflict lasts, the greater is the risk it will spread. Not necessarily because either side has a grand design for major conflict, but by a series of escalations and miscalculations. We know from Europe’s bloody history that this is how small wars become big ones.

Once again, the danger of escalation is coming mostly from Russia. This past week, it cut off shipments of natural gas to Poland and Bulgaria and ramped up warnings about its nuclear capability.

It also looks like Moscow may be eyeing the tiny former Soviet republic of Moldova, squeezed between Ukraine and Romania, as its next target. Russia already has troops there, and a Russian general has publicly said his country intends to take over all of southern Ukraine and then link up with Moldova, the justification being to end “oppression of the Russian-speaking population.”

Behind all that, it seems, is deep frustration within the Russian military over its setbacks against Ukrainian forces and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s strategy of abandoning the goal of controlling the entire country in favour of a more limited campaign to dominate the east and south.

February 23, 2022

“Russia’s military believes that limiting the war’s initial goals is a serious error,” Russian journalists Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan write for the Center for European Policy Analysis in Washington, D.C. “They now argue that Russia is not fighting Ukraine, but NATO.”

All of which suggests that behind the facade of unity behind Putin, Russia’s military and security apparatus is seriously divided, with a powerful faction arguing in favour of expanding the war, not ending it. They’re pushing for even more aggressive action in Ukraine itself, as well as a push beyond its borders.

On the other side, western allies are escalating their support for Ukraine. More sanctions, more troops in the region (Britain announced 8,000 more last week), and more heavy weaponry.

Some have read much into the statement by U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin that Washington wants “to see Russia weakened to the degree that it can’t do the kinds of things that it has done in invading Ukraine.”

Marvellous Maps

For them, that reveals a hidden “real reason” why the U.S. (and presumably Canada, France, Germany et al) are backing Ukraine. This, however, ignores the fact that Russia brought the alliance against it entirely on itself with its unprovoked aggression. And what decent person, in the end, doesn’t want to see Putin rendered incapable of inflicting similar violence on others?

Regardless of the rights and wrongs, the prospect of a wider war is horrifying. Right now there’s a consensus in the West around supporting Ukraine. But there’s no consensus around pursuing a broader campaign against Russia as such.

The danger, however, is that we may find ourselves on that road without quite realizing it.

While there’s still time, the world needs to find a way to back away from the brink. (Hamilton Spectator Editorial)

Friday June 5, 2020

June 12, 2020 by Graeme MacKay

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday June 5, 2020

We should have done more, admits architect of Sweden’s Covid-19 strategy

Sweden’s chief epidemiologist and the architect of its light-touch approach to the coronavirus has acknowledged that the country has had too many deaths from Covid-19 and should have done more to curb the spread of the virus.

May 6, 2020

Anders Tegnell, who has previously criticised other countries’ strict lockdowns as not sustainable in the long run, told Swedish Radio on Wednesday that there was “quite obviously a potential for improvement in what we have done” in Sweden.

Asked whether too many people in Sweden had died, he replied: “Yes, absolutely,” adding that the country would “have to consider in the future whether there was a way of preventing” such a high toll.

Sweden’s death rate per capita was the highest in the world over the seven days to 2 June, figures suggest. This week the government bowed to mounting opposition pressure and promised to set up a commission to look into its Covid-19 strategy.

“If we were to encounter the same disease again knowing exactly what we know about it today, I think we would settle on doing something in between what Sweden did and what the rest of the world has done,” Tegnell said. It would be “good to know exactly what to shut down to curb the spread of infection better”, he added.

In an interview with the Dagens Nyheter daily, Tegnell subsequently said he still believed “the basic strategy has worked well. I do not see what we would have done completely differently … Based on the knowledge we had then, we feel we made the appropriate decisions.”

According to the scientific online publication Ourworldindata.com, the number of Covid-19 deaths per capita in Sweden was the highest in the world in a rolling seven-day average to 2 June. The country’s rate of 5.29 deaths per million inhabitants a day was well above the UK’s 4.48.

The Swedish prime minister, Stefan Löfven, told the Aftonbladet daily that the country’s overall approach “has been right”, but it had failed to protect care homes where half of all Sweden’s Covid-19 deaths have occurred. Social affairs minister Lena Hallengren told Reuters the government had been “at all times prepared to introduce wider, further measures recommended by the expert authority”.

Life in a Pandemic

Relying on its citizens’ sense of civic duty, Sweden closed schools for all over-16s and banned gatherings of more than 50, but only asked – rather than ordered – people to avoid non-essential travel and not to go out if they were elderly or ill. Shops, restaurants and gyms have remained open.

Although there are signs that public opinion is starting to shift, polls have shown a considerable majority of Swedes support and have generally complied with the government’s less coercive strategy, which is in stark contrast to the mandatory lockdowns imposed by many countries, including Sweden’s Nordic neighbours.

But the policy, which Tegnell has said was aimed not at achieving herd immunity but at slowing the spread of the virus enough for health services to cope, has been increasingly and heavily criticised by many Swedish experts as the country’s death toll has increased.

Sweden’s 4,468 fatalities from Covid-19 represent a death toll of 449 per million inhabitants, compared with 45 in Norway, 100 in Denmark and 58 in Finland. Its per-million tally remains lower than the corresponding figures of 555, 581 and 593 in Italy, Spain and the UK respectively. (The Guardian)