Two Pellans for a Queen

Since, after all, this blog is also about trivia, why shouldn't we find some delight with some high-flying, jetsetting, classy gossip...?

If rumours that Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird has an inclination for same sex loving (xtra.ca, 2. o2. 2010; Montrealmirror, 29. 07. 2010; MediaStyle, 18. 09. 2010) are indeed veracious, it should come as no surprise that he decided to replace the two Alfred Pellan paintings in the MFA hall with a massive portrait of Her Majesty the.... QUEEN ! Pun intended, of course.

As Harper consolidates Majority, Militarization of Canadian Society becomes Grotesque

There is a single unifying theme underlying Harper's military jingoism: grotesque!

If the militarization of our society had been mostly creeping in the five years of minority government, it has achieved full-blown scale since the 2011 ushered in a majority.

While we all are true patriots respecting and celebrating the accomplishments and successes of our armed forces, the maniac overtones of the new twist imposed to the theme is becoming naively caricaturesque, if not simply grotesque.

This begun with the militarization of the Arctic and the cooption of inuit communities in this project. It continued with the launch of a massive modernization programme (much needed to be fair) of our military hardware.

But its social and ideological ambitions became clear when the Harper announced plans to lay accent on militaria in the new citizenship study guides released in 2009. It continued this year with the decision to field a soldier or two to be present to all new citizenship celebrations (perhaps as a new post-Afghanistan "expeditionary" role?)

More recently, the 2011 Canada Day celebrations were a whole glorification of our (military) role in Afghanistan.

And let's just pause a second to consider the schedule of the Dukes of Cambridge's 10 day visit. Has there even been one day not marked by a military reference, whether in speech or in deed? The answer: No...

What is alarming is that it is starting to rub off. Have you all seen how inappropriately militaresque is the new Winnipeg Jets logo and theme??

Recall President Eisenhower's (a Republican, incidentally!) words:

"we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex." (1961)

Adapting them and paraphrasing them to the Canadian context, we can say:

we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-cultural complex.

We should put an end to this ridiculous tendency, before some crazy thinks they can grab a machine gun and start walking down our cities.

The Cornwall Border Crossing Controversy: Killing Three Birds with One Stone

Can you believe the conservative government's latest screw up?
Tensions between the Canadian Borders Services Agency (CBSA) and representatives of the Akwesasne Mohawk Reserve on Cornwall Island, had been growing since the GoC's announcement on May 1, 2009, that CBSA officials would start carrying duty firearms starting June 1st.

Mohawk leaders pleaded for an exception given that the border lies on Mohawk land, and feared the symbolic implications of seeing armed Canadian officials manning the border crossing. Protests had also been held.

According news reports, in the face of the ongoing spat, Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan has recently ordered the Border post be moved inland in the form of a "makeshift checkpoint," from where they have been operating since July 12, under RCMP protection.

What a great idea! The Conservatives have effectively managed to kill two (perhaps three) birds with one stone...

First, they have unilaterally retracted the reach of Canadian sovereignty- the principal meaning of which, Max Weber reminds us, is the monopoly over the use of legitimate violence within a bounded territory. The move, as a matter of fact affects both elements of sovereignty contained in this textbook definition: Firstly, in the face of the well known and public revendications of the Mohawk community to establish a Mohawk sovereign state, the territorial integrity of Canada has been somehow undermined, if not jeopardised, and potentially, a precedent lain. And God forbid, Quebec separatists should hear about this story... Secondly, the monopoly of legitimate violence over the area has been relinquished. Perhaps not the domestic policing side of it- reports are not specific enough on this matter- but certainly the defense from external threats.

Second, they have created one of those dreaded no-man's lands outside of any control that punctuate the world -with due distinctions, but similar to Transnistria, the South American Tri-border area, or the Ferghana Valley- at the heart of North America. Fears have been expressed that this will curtail attempts to control drug and Tobacco smuggling, and bolster organized crime groups. To this should be added the more serious security threats that a patch of anarchy within Canadian territory could generate, should the situation extend itself, for both Canada and the United States.

This latter point leads us to the third bird of the potential repercussions on bilateral relations with the United States, who remain highly focused on the countering of asymmetric threats and the protection of the continent from potential attacks. This could spur renewed distrust in a Northern neighbour that simply does not do enough for the Security of North America. For a government broaching itself as a champion of law and order, and the first Executive taking security seriously, the handling of the border crossing issue grazes on ridicule.

The Western Foreign Policy Bandwagon

Fourty-five Days into the Obama presidency, the US is undergoing a major, overdue, foreign policy repositioning. While this is a welcome development, it baffles to observe the zeal with wihich all of the Western allies of the US, which until two months ago were staunchly and convincedly supporting the albinistic policies of the Bush administration, are rushing to shift gears and signal as well as put into practice similar policy turnabouts.

There is something grotesque in the way such leaders strive to impress the new strong-man in Washington to secure a little place in the sun. In spite of arguments about the declining hegemony of the US, this is a clear indication of the power relations still prevailing within the Western coalition, where client leaders scuffle to become the new Poodle-in-Charge.

This shows that the ideal of an independent and self reliant foreign policy is nothing more than an ideal, and so much for national sovereignty. It also shows the importance of ideology to international politics, this truly the neglected variable in the scientific study of international relations. If state behaviour can change so dramaticaly from night to day, there must be factors other than rationality and material interests animating the actions of states.

Therefore, when the US calls, the poodles bark! Look at Iran: we can now talk to the ayatollahs; look at Iraq: we are pulling out; look at Afghanistan: we need to talk to the neighbours; look at China: we can work with them. And all of the conservative poodles go along wagging their tails. For example, consider:

Italy: after announcing a visit to Iran, to facilitate a rapprochement between the West and that country, in the hope of gaining new credit in Washington after the memorable gaffe of wise-man Silvio Berlusconi, the foreign ministry rushed to cancel a visit of Minister Frattini to Iran. This came as a 'mindful' response to Hillary Clinton's blasting on Iran (La Repubbica, 06. 03. 2009). The irony is that the next day Clinton reinstated the Administration's policy of engagement.
Canada: Whereas PM Stephen Harper has so far pointedly refused to appoint a Special Envoy for Afghanistan, after a meeting with NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, Mr. Cannon said he will raise the issue with the PM, to bring Canada in line with the coalition's preferences as initiated by the US wit their own appontment of Richard Holbrooke (Globe & Mail, 06. 03. 2009).

The UK, at least, preserved the elegance of the form: you must lead! Gordon Brown pronounced to a joint session of the US Congress (CBC, 05. 03. 2009).

But a little coherence would avoid the need for such embarassing somersaults.

The Northwest Passage: Melting Away.

The London (UK) based The Independent has today come out with a story on the state of the ice cap over the Northwest Passage. The news is that this Summer, the Passage has been completely ice-free for the first time, as far as human memory can recall.
Attention to this development was drawn by the drama of a family of polar bears that has been drifting in the Arctic ocean for about a week now, as ice literally melted beneath their paws. This whole scenario can only be seen as a reason for alarm South of 60, as it threatens to permanently alter the status quo that had kept our Country's dispute with the world...frozen.
While very little to no mention of this was made in our media, as Canadians we should be very much aware of what happens in our North, also as a way to hold our Government accountable.
The Harper Government has spent the months since its 2006 Speech from the Throne preaching the need for bolstering Canada's military presence in the North, by appealing to the sovereignty/security nexus, and in the process irreparably confusing and mixing up its two terms. And to their credit, they have more or less followed through on many of their commitments and objectives.
However, while heating up the climate around the True North, the Harper government was also contradicting itself by refusing to take any action on the single measure that could have somewhat prevented the precipitation of the Northwest Passage (and Arctic) issue to actual emergency- as its navigability demonstrates. As a matter of fact if the Northwest Passage is now open to navigation, it is for the effect of global warming. An issue that as is well known, the Government has always refused to take any action, both domestically, and internationally, as the Canada's stance at the Bali Conference last Fall proved.
The crux of the matter being, that if there is any Northwest Passage issue today, it is because of the unmitigated effect of carbon emitting activities, and their effect on climate.
What is ironic in its handling of the issue, is that the Canadian government, with one hand, has been giving to the Arctic 'cause' by boosting a (almost exclusively) military presence, and with the other, it has been taking (from itself), by supporting the single element that could have an impact on the status quo: pollution.
Needless to say, an intact ice cap over the Passage this Summer would still have left the issue of sovereignty unaddressed, but at least it would have preserved what, all considered, was a fairly comfortable status quo. Now that the ice turned into water, let us hope that Canada's Arctic policy does not fall apart.

Watching over the MDA Verdict

The Honourable Jim Prentice in the end rejected the takeover of MDA by Alliant technologies, on grounds that "under the Investment Canada regime (...) we don't see net benefits to Canada in this transaction." (CBC, 10.04.2008). This decision was wlcomed by choral paeans across the board (The Star, 11.04. 2008; Rideau Institute, 11.04.2008), with the exception of commentator (Macleans, ).

Unfortunately, positions like Croynbee's are not uncommon in Canada, where oftentimes an idealised view of economic liberalism has blinded analysts and decisionmakers alike to the power dimension of corporate ownership in the competitive international political economy.

This naive opinion has, over time, been responsible for the sell out of some major pieces of Canada's industrial and financial capitalism, on which successive governments have regularly failed to stand up against.

The final decision by the Federal Government is due today (08. 05. 2008). Let us watch that today's decision is not just an act in a panthomime where the actor's knew of a positive outcome from the start. Let is make sure, that is, that the Minister of Industry stays the course of his initial opinion and definetely rejects the sale.

So, Jim and Stephen, be advised: ve'll be watching over your shoulders...

Of Satellites, Pride and Sovereignty

A big up for The Honourable Jack Layton, who has overtaken the Conservative government on the Canada First lane. With this, the Conservatives undoubtedly deserve some heartfelt sarcasm for all their rhetoric and pizzazzy about reclaiming national sovereignty.

The problem is that after all said and done, the waiting game played by the Harper government by lowering a delay on any decision on the prospected sale of the satellite-producing division of MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd., the maker of RadarSat I and II, as well as the Canadarm, to Alliant Techsystems of the US, looks ironic, not to say contradictory.

This stems from two main considerations:
I- Radarsat2 is essential to the ensure surveillance of the many remote areas Canada's territory is made of, including the Government's new crusade: the Arctic region. Besides considerations of accountability given that MDA has received CND$ 400 million in taxpayers' contributions for the development of sensing technology, for the government to allow the alienation of such a strategic industry would mean jeopardizing Canada's national security as well as any future capabilities.

II- Allowing the sell-out of such a strategic industry "to the almighty dollar" would cast a very negative shadow on the Conservative government. To the extent that the main threat to Canada's sovereignty comes and has always come from the stronghold of the Canada-US defence relationship, permitting the prospected transaction would witness of a serious miscalculation of the nature of that bilateral relationship. The point being that having a technological edge as afforded by devices like Radarsat2 (which at present the US can only dream of) is key to bring some degree of balancing into an otherwise heavily asymmetrical relationship.

While it is true that Cabinet Minister Jim Prentice has until April 21 following his potponement of any decision, and a second level of clearance needs to be granted by Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier, in compliance with the 2005 Remote Sensing Space Systems Act; Jack Layton's promise to take a potential sale of MDA's satellite division ot the court is welcome (Globe & Mail, 06:04: 2008).

Together with the Rideau Institute's important advocacy and awareness activism it is helping to make the Canadian public aware of the issue and putting necessary pressure on the goverment in office.

Will the Harper Government show the maturity to say no to our powerful neighbour thereby living up to its rhetoric, or will it give in to the pressures that are surely being exercised from Washington.

What is right for Canada is easy to tell, but what will the legendarily secretive Harper government do is far from clear. So go on Stephen, make your choice.