Prime Minister Mark Carney made “a terrible mistake” with his immediate full-throated support of U.S. President Donald Trump’s war of choice in Iran, Canadian historian and security-intelligence expert Wesley Wark said yesterday.
It’s hard to argue with Dr. Wark’s grim assessment that the hasty announcement by the PM while at the Canada-India Growth and Investment Forum in Mumbai was “the Carney government’s first major error in the realm of foreign policy.”
“It would have been better to take a leaf from the Chrétien government’s response to the U.S. intention to go to war against Iraq in 2003,” Dr. Wark wrote in his thoughtful National Security and Intelligence Newsletter, which is published on Substack.
Lest readers have not heard of him, Dr. Wark is not some naive peacenik. A professor, author and former advisor to the public safety minister on national security policy, he has served on the Canadian Advisory Council on National Security and the advisory council to the Canada Border Services Agency.
So even if you disagree with him, his view that what Canada ought to do right now is “stay cool and on the sidelines” deserves serious attention.
But, as he pointed out, old habits die hard – even if the prime minister has based his nascent political career on proposing dramatic responses to the rupture in international trade relations created by U.S. President Donald Trump. “It seems we still struggle to unhook ourselves from thought and policy dependency on the United States, despite a brave speech in Davos,” Dr. Wark observed.
Even the obvious fact that Mr. Trump’s attack on Iran came in the middle of negotiations – the equivalent of firing on your enemy after approaching under a white flag – seems not to have caused much hesitation, so habituated were we to jumping on the American foreign policy bandwagon before the advent of Mr. Trump’s erratic regime, the honourable example set by prime minister Jean Chrétien in 2003 notwithstanding.
Meanwhile, here in Alberta, Premier Danielle Smith hasn’t said anything yet about the so-called “pre-emptive strike” – which is a fair description of the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran Friday night since it was clearly intended to pre-empt the comprehensive peace deal that CBS had reported the day before that Iran was prepared to accept.
This would make sense from President Trump’s perspective, since a short successful war is likely to give his Republican Party a boost in November’s mid-term elections and a long unsuccessful once would give him the excuse he’s been looking for to cancel the mid-terms. (Both Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt contested presidential elections during wartime, but they were obviously made of sterner stuff than Mr. Trump.)
As for Alberta’s governing United Conservative Party, no doubt they are privately celebrating the outbreak of war in the Persian Gulf region because the result is certain to be an immediate spike in international oil prices and quite possibly longer-term increases. How much remains to be seen – predictions in the past few hours have ranged anywhere from a few tens of U.S. dollars to catastrophic increases in the hundreds.
But this does mean Finance Minister Nate Horner’s provincial deficit budget on Thursday afternoon was already obsolete by Friday night.
If Alberta needs oil prices to be in the range of $74 to $77 per barrel to balance the provincial budget, this means Mr. Horner may have just seen his chicken poop budget turn into chicken salad in less that 24 hours!
A little more time will be required to tell how the war is really going, how long it’s likely to last, and, importantly, whether Iran can choke off the Persian Gulf.
UCP leaders would be wise to keep their lips zipped about this, since the impact on the rest of the world, not to mention on ordinary working people in Alberta, could be catastrophic. Wisdom not being a UCP strength, we can probably look forward to a gleeful statement from the government by Monday, if not before.
Meanwhile, it’s extremely hard to predict how Mr. Trump’s war will go, other than whatever happens it’s likely to keep reporting about the Epstein Files and the sad-sack state of the Trump economy off American front pages and home pages for a few days or even weeks.
Right now, the Internet is full of Orwellian misinformation and propaganda, the fog of war is notoriously murky at the best of times, and there are plenty of historical precedents for the troops not making it home in as timely a fashion as promised when the first shots were fired in anger.
It’s weird to say this, but Chretien could voice his opposition to the US’ action in Gulf War 2 without reprisal. Turns out Geo. W. Bush was a reasonable man, who didn’t consider disagreement to be acts of hostility.
Yep, it’s weird.
I seem to recall the French being called “cheese eating surrender Monkeys” and French fries being re-christened “Freedom fries” because the French would not participate in the illegal invasion of Iraq, based on false narratives about weapons of mass destruction. I don’t think Bush was directly responsible, and I think the first term originate much earlier, possibly in the Simpsons. And of course France had a veto on the UN security council, which Canada did not. But still it looks as though disagreement was considered a wee bit hostile.
PM Carnage makes me ashamed of my country.
tRump makes me ashamed of the human race.
Well, you are half right.
I was absolutely appalled and aghast at Carney’s missive.
This was an illegal war crime and act of war under both USA and UN international law. Neither of which, Carney bothered to mention. Carney didn’t unequivocally denounce it, or even mildly rebuke these actions. He wasn’t even neutral.
So much for Carney’s speech at Davos. Just words. He blew away all the international political capital he built in a stroke of the tweet. He didn’t join the middle powers in righteous indignation–he capitulated to Cut-Rate Caligula and his minion BiBi, immediately. Nobody would have blamed him if he’d held off saying anything for a day or so–after all, that’s his usual calm style after reflection.
These absolute Imperialist lunatics may well have just set off WWIII because Israel has nukes and is in serious danger of being ground to dust then implementing their Samson option.
This war crime was not a fluke and it wasn’t done in a rage. To put together a military force of that size takes *months* of planning, the world has been holding its breath for at least sixty days and Carney is not an idiot so he knew what was afoot and had ample time to consider what he might say.
This is another US Empire-initiated disaster in the Middle East where they don’t belong nor does their colonial outpost unless it agrees to live without apartheid.
If nothing else at this point, the oligarchs have lost their playgrounds as Iran batters American bases along with their sex dungeons and glitzy conference rooms in the Arab world. Israel is likely to be begging again for peace *again* after a dozen days of pummelling.
I doubt Iran will be in a forgiving mood after decades of betrayals, starvation siege and deliberate currency devaluation at the hands of the western powers and now the assassination of their religious leader and the attempted assassination of their elected president.
Nobody can hold a gun to someone’s head and expect them to live by their moral code or give in to military intimidation then call it “negotiation”, no matter how right they think they might be.
The rest of the world will be paying for this in massive economic turmoil. Millions may die. Already more than a hundred little girls have been slaughtered at their school in Iran. Wonder whose trademark will be found in the rubble from those bombs.
We are hanging onto the whipping tail of that crocodile so who will stand for us when it turns to eat us, now?
‘We are hanging onto the whipping tail of that crocodile so who will stand for us when it turns to eat us, now?’
Well we have never been on the weaker side before. It is not fun.
My thought was that Carney has just torpedoed his very good recent efforts to improve trade with China.
Hello DJC and fellow commenters,
It looks as if Donald Trump wanted military action, beginning with attacking Iran. It doesn’t seem likely that the political or human rights situations will change much, if at all, in Iran. Attacking Iran after the U S seems to have been on the brink of a peace plan with Iran suggests that Donal Trump wants war with Iran and doesn’t realize or, more likely, doesn’t care about the increased instability and probable disaster that a war in the area is likely to create. P M Carney’s approval is a shock, especially in view of Jean Chretien’s position in the past. A more diplomatic comment, if any comment was deemed necessary, would have been preferable. This event and the subsequent military responses by other governments raises the question of whether Canada will get involved.
Astounding that one could characterize Carley’s vile lick-spittle statement as “a mistake”. He’s a scumbag. Good ol’ pragmatic centrist Canadians supporting a murderous missile bombardment by the only state to ever use nuclear weapons and its ethnonationalist colonial settler apartheid chain dog. And the Canadian media in lockstep interviewing Iranian gusanos who want to bring back a Shah. Elbows up so you don’t get puke on your hands!
I agree, I think this is a grave mis-step. He should have tread carefully, because this is more a religious war, than a war to free/ take over a country. Trumps religious backers have been pushing him to flare-up the Middle East, because in their minds it would be the beginning of the second coming. I don’t see a happy ending to any of this. And beware of Smith, she’ll use this distraction to grab more control. Out of curiosity, at what point does a religious sect and the members turn into a cult?
DJC writes, “A little more time will be required to tell how the war is really going…”
Here’s a start from the New York Times “The Morning” newsletter March 1, 2026.
“One strike hit a girls’ elementary school near a naval base in southern Iran and killed more than 60 people, according to Iranian Red Crescent and state news outlets. Videos from the scene showed piles of bloodied, dusty backpacks. U.S. officials said they were investigating.”
“It’s hard to argue with Dr. Wark’s grim assessment that the hasty announcement by the PM … was ‘the Carney government’s first major error in the realm of foreign policy.'”
Recall Carney’s feeble response to Trump’s kidnapping of Venezuela’s leader at the cost of 100 lives — to say nothing of the illegal boat strikes off its coast:
“The Canadian government therefore welcomes the opportunity for freedom, democracy, peace, and prosperity for the Venezuelan people.”
Carney failed to condemn Trump’s violation of national sovereignty and kidnapping of another nation’s leader.
Carney did not condemn the deed or name the transgressor. He certainly welcomed the result. He did not mention the collateral damage.
Carney did not mention, much less criticize, the death of a hundred military and civilians in the U.S. assault.
Sabine Nölke: “If there are exemptions to the rule of law then there is no rule of law.”
—
ii) Last June, Carney had the temerity to call for a Zionist Palestinian state:
“(Palestinians) living side by side in security with Israel — a Zionist, if you will, Palestinian state that recognizes the right of Israel not just to exist, but to prosper and not live in fear — we can’t have peace unless we move towards that.”
Displaced, dispossessed, terrorized, oppressed, abused, tortured, and slaughtered for decades, if the Palestinians want Carney’s support for an third-class Bantustan state under Israel’s jackboots, they must kneel down to their tormentors, support their genocidal ideology, and be grateful for the Zionists’ theft of their land.
Carney’s defence of Israel’s “right to exist” is doubletalk for the Zionists’ right to displace and dispossess Palestinians. Palestinians must accept their losses as a fait accompli and cease resistance.
Peace in our time.
Carney has never called Israel’s assault a genocide. Carney has never advocated for comprehensive sanctions or an arms embargo on the state of Israel to end its slaughter in Gaza. Carney averts his eyes while violent settlers under state sanction and military protection wreak murder and mayhem in the occupied West Bank.
—
iii) Add Carney’s shameful capitulation to Alberta’s oil mafia.
In 2021 Mark Carney wrote a book called “Value(s): Building a Better World for All”.
A doorstopper I am happy to say I have never read, as many of its readers fall into a deep catatonic state and moral abyss from which they never recover.
Whatever Carney’s values may be, they do not seem to be principled or Canadian.
Somewhere between Fort Smith (NWT) and Ottawa, our Zionist, fossil-fuel expansionist, neoliberal bankster PM dropped his moral compass in the snow.
“the honourable example set by prime minister Jean Chrétien in 2003”
Yes, about that.
Ostensibly bowing to public opposition against Bush’s illegal invasion of against Iraq following 9/11 — another war propped up by lies about WMD — Chretien nimbly upped Canada’s commitment in support of America’s misadventure in Afghanistan, instead. Which allowed the U.S. to focus on its misadventure in Iraq starting in 2003.
Smoke and mirrors.
“About a hundred Canadian exchange officers, on exchange to American units, participated in the invasion of Iraq.
“Neither the Pentagon nor the office of the US secretary of defence had pressured Canada for military support; with US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld making it clear to McCallum that the Americans were not seeking military support from Canada, and preferred if the Canadian Armed Forces focused on their deployment in Afghanistan. Pressure for Canada to participate in the coalition primarily originated from the White House, which ‘sought the Canadian flag and the political cover it granted an invasion.’
“… Though no declaration of war was issued, the Governor General-in-Council did order the mobilization of a number of Canadian Forces personnel to serve actively in Iraq. On 31 March 2003, it was reported in Maclean’s that in the previous month Canadian officers, aboard three frigates and a destroyer, had been placed in command of the multinational naval group Task Force 151, which patrolled the Persian Gulf region. A further 30 Canadians worked at the US Central Command in Qatar, and 150 troops were on exchange with US and British forces in proximity to combat. North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) stationed Canadian Air Force pilots also flew combat missions with the US Air Force E-3 Sentry, and exchange officers fought with US units. Canadian pilots also flew Boeing C-17s into Iraq to “season” the flight crews. In all, 40 to 50 Canadian military members participated in the conflict.
“… Because of this Canadian involvement in Iraq, the Ministers of the Crown at the time were criticised by Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition as hypocritical, and demands were made for the return of these Canadian Forces personnel. The Prime Minister stated that the Canadian military was not involved in direct combat, while still fulfilling its commitment to NORAD.
“However, it was claimed by Janice Gross Stein and Eugene Lang in The Unexpected War that people from Canadian ministries were in Washington, D.C., openly vaunting Canada’s participation in Iraq; as Stein and Lang put it: “in an almost schizophrenic way, the government bragged publicly about its decision to stand aside from the war in Iraq because it violated core principles of multilateralism and support for the United Nations. At the same time, senior Canadian officials, military officers and politicians were currying favour in Washington, privately telling anyone in the State Department of the Pentagon who would listen that, by some measures, Canada’s indirect contribution to the American war effort in Iraq– three ships and 100 exchange officers– exceeded that of all but three other countries that were formally part of the coalition.”
“Canada and the Iraq War” (Wikipedia)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_and_the_Iraq_War
Yes, there already has been some significant increase in oil prices in anticipation of conflict in Iran. The Alberta Finance Minister must be secretly hoping for a prolonged conflict, which spreads to nearby countries and includes attacks on oil shipping. So far he seems to be getting this, but what turned into chicken salad could easily turn back into something else just as quickly. The US is still struggling with simmering inflation and higher oil prices for too long could bring it to a boil, so they probably want to resolve this as soon as possible.
Some European leaders also voiced support for the attack, so Canada has company. Whatever their real feelings, western leaders do not want to come out against Trump too openly here, lest they become the next target of Trump’s ire. Of course, Iran has few friends and the current bully leadership of the US likes to attack the weak and the isolated. However, this is no coalition of the willing, it will probably be another situation where most or all of the military action is by the US. At least this time the US is not loudly claiming there to be chemical weapons, just vague statements about Iran perhaps intending to make nuclear ones.
If the US succeeds in this, history may again be written by the victors, but with all the nearby neighbours and oil shipping at stake, there is much more risk of collateral damage here and the negative effect of this being more broadly felt elsewhere in the region and in the world.
I could not agree more with Wesley Wark. It was unnecessary and to me a big mistake. Mark Carney is one of those individuals that can be very surprising. It would be interesting to figure out why he did it? Was it CUSMA? If it was a reflection of his understanding of foreign politics than I need to know more before next election.
Carlos— my first reaction was “oh no”….but then ,not wanting to jump to conclusions, I started searching; different opinions, right/wrong historical events etc.. These can be looked at, comparisons made. As Rachel Maddow says “prequel”.
Things change and you can’t make judgments or comparisons on apples >oranges when you’re dealing with a kumquat.
“Claus Kellerman bluesky”-had what I found to be an interesting take and as reasonable an explanation that I found. It makes sense to me and at least gives me a little bit of hope . If he’s wrong…???
Randi thank you for your comment. We all have different opinions of course and that is what makes for a great discussion.
I am not a big fan of Mark Carney for different reasons but no doubt he is the best person available at this time considering what is happening in the world in general. Imagining Pierre Poilievre as prime minister at this time is a nightmare.
I believe that the reaction to Mark Carney’s decision to be the first to support the attack by Trump (not the US), is not that positive.
The best explanation I have seen so far is by Rachel Maddow and knowing Trump, I think it makes a lot of sense. I have not been able to find any other better explanation. If you have not seen it yet, take a look.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/why-trump-war-iran-benefits
Carlos– I’ve been a fan of Rachel’s since her book “Blowout” / 2019….about the O&G industry .
Given what is happening now in the middle east, the raid on Venezuela comes into focus.
The seized oil tankers, the comment about Venezuelan oil now flowing; Bessent saying there’s enough oil that prices shouldn’t increase much and supply is good (so supporters shouldn’t worry). If I remember correctly, the Venezuelan oil is used for jet fuel– have to keep all those fighter jets flying, right?
And apparently the “Peace Board” is going to help build d’rump Gaza. I’m guessing once this military operation is over>>hmmm , that phrase sounds familiar.
Oh sorry, my mistake, help the Palestinian people.
Surprisingly (TFIC), even with the German Chancellor beside him, d’rump was complaining about not getting support from the European countries, especially Spain and he was going to talk to Bessent about cancelling all trade with them. Damned if you do, blacklisted if you don’t.
So about those eggshells…
In the meantime, all the “help” he’s getting from the loyal leader of the opposition, who just coincidentally flew off to England & Germany— right after posting that the Prime Minister was jetting off to India, Australia and Japan…
doing his job: so what is Skippy’s excuse?
Doubtless the Carney apologists are wheeling into position to defend the Great Leader’s n-th dimensional chess etc.
Unrelated observation: when they’re shown together in the same image, it’s quite remarkable how alike Carney and his wife appear.
Sub: Similarities more often attract than opposites. That aside, indeed, Mr. Carney’s most enthusiastic supporters have been defending him on social media on the grounds the statement issued today by European leaders is quite similar. One could argue with equal force, of course, that the EU leaders are on the same wrong track for the same reasons. DJC
As if what the European leaders say or do is the correct path! I agree with you. Their colonial strategy did not work very well did it?
By the way why is the US or any other nation to determine who can have nuclear weapons? What are the conditions to allow someone to have those weapons? Moral superiority? I am not sure the US or any other country that owns those weapons can throw the first rock.
To me this is just a control game. Iran is a major problem in the world right now but so is Russia and the US. It is not Iran that is threatening to make us the 51 state, is it?
Is this how it will go for Canada? Discussions, then an attack in the middle of discussions?
More Jean Chrétien, less (WWIII) war, please! We must not get dragged into this any further than we already are. Canada needs to back out of this immediately.
@Abs, I think that’s *exactly* what’s going to happen. I feel like Debbie Downer here but the second we get into serious CUSMA negotiations and Carney starts capitulating…*that* will be the exact moment the USA strikes.
Because that’s been the template the last three times.
Best possible outcome? Don’t pick up the phone, don’t go to any meetings.
We already know what Trump’s art of the deal is so what is it that Carney does not understand? Either we accept what the US wants or we become the 51 state. Carney is getting what the game is and is trying to use the Mamdani strategy of flattering Trump. That can be a disastrous strategy.
I agree Carlos. The only explanation I could possibly see, and I don’t like it–is that Carney was keeping Trump off-balance while he sold the resources they’d need to continue their warmongering, to India. This could effectively shut down their war machine if Iran doesn’t run out the USA’s resources, first.
If he did that as statecraft, I could respect it even if I don’t agree.
If he didn’t, then he’s clueless and an azz-kisser.B
@Carlos,
According to the negotiator from Oman, Iran agreed to every USA term and were bombed for their troubles.
That’s what capitulation to the USA gets you. It’s a fascist rogue state and not a word out of their mouths nor a contract/treaty/agreement they sign can ever be trusted.
The one and only response to that is to stop talking.
Mrs Smith will be rejoicing when oil goes up tomorrow when the markets open!
TB
Anything that covers up her incompetence is to be rejoiced.
Carlos: The end is near for Danielle Smith and the UCP. A gut feeling tells me that. Her appearance of late has been looking very antsy and disturbed. Corrupt Care has a part in that.
Seriously, my commenting friends,
How hard would it have been for Carney to say, “Canada supports International Law and wishes it to apply to all nations in a conflict” then STFU?
It would have been impossible for Carney to say that, given who he is and who started the war. There’s a name that appeared 12 000 times in the Epstein files and the Balfour Declaration. It isn’t Trump.
@Murphy
Was Chuckie bad? Cuz other than Randy Andy, I’m not sure who you’re referring to, here.
Mr Carney as a preeminent student of realpolitik fully realizes that American imperialist geo-strategic goals and the imperial politics designed to deliberately obfuscate American imperial intent in the public mind have not changed in decades so that the fundamental objective, as opposed to the widely available and repeated publicly disseminated propaganda, both remains intact,
“We have about 50 percent of the world’s wealth, but only 6.3 percent of its population…Our real task in the coming period is to devise a pattern of relationships which will permit us to maintain this position of disparity…To do so, we will have to dispense with all sentimentality and daydreaming; and our attention will have to be concentrated everywhere on our immediate national objectives…We should cease to talk about vague and unreal objectives such as human rights, the raising of the living standards, and democratization.”
and inextricably intertwined with controlling, for example, not only Middle East oil and gas reserves, but those in Venezuela as well, as that control is viewed as crucial to preventing a rival power from challenging US dominance, where; the Carter doctrine remains currently preeminent:
“Let our position be absolutely clear: An attempt by any outside force to gain control of the Persian Gulf region will be regarded as an assault on the vital interests of the United States of America, and such an assault will be repelled by any means necessary, including military force.”– https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carter_Doctrine
As such Mr Carney fully and completely knows his place in a world where “the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must”.
This is going to cause even worse problems, because it will spread, and more countries will get involved. Expect more widespread conflicts. The UCP can’t gloat about rising oil prices, caused by more bloodshed in foreign countries. Oil prices are going to sink again, because whenever they have risen, in the last 5 years, they sunk. There are forces at play who do not want oil prices to rise above $70.
Nobody in their right mind is going to shed a tear for the late Ayatollah Ali Khameini, or any of the other Iranian political or military leaders killed by Israeli and/or US munitions. They led a brutal authoritarian regime that murdered its own citizens on a fairly regular basis. But using air power to assassinate foreign heads of government is not how responsible nations conduct statecraft.
As for “regime change”, the last time foreign military intervention ousted a brutal authoritarian regime and it was replaced with a genuine democracy with free and fair elections and respect for human rights … was in 1945. And that took six years of the most destructive war in human history.
Clearly, many people bashed tears for the murdered Iranian leadership. They operated a state that was beset by US puppet Saddam Hussein immediately after the revolution to oust the US puppet Shah, and continued to operate that state for forty-five years beset by US economic attack and Israeli terror attacks. The leadership of the western allies were quite fond of Hitler’s methods and did not undertake a war of regime change. The notion that the US and Israeli mass killers did anyone a favour by murdering a cancer-riddled old man and his family is an absurd construct derived from your propaganda-derived sentiments.
It would appear that millions of Iranians disagree with you, as well as millions of Shia around the world. Did you say the same thing when Jimmy Carter died ? Will you shed a tear for Khamenis niece ? His daughter, his son in law ? Will you shed a tear for 108 little girls who will never grow old ?
Ghoulish comment, really.
In light of the current geopolitical situation, I strongly believe Canada should and must develop nuclear weapons. A small and effective surface test will not only impress the Donald, it will assure a message is sent to the US that they are in danger.
Agreed, Canada should have its own nuclear weapons. It doesn’t have to be a huge stock pile, 10 would do it. I believe that is the number the U.S.A. keeps in the Netherlands. Way back in the day, some wondered if Israel had nuclear weapons and if so how many. Eventually a few small articles reported Israel had ten. Its enough to make others think twice.
Most likely it is only Trump who would be interested invading if he couldn’t get what he wanted with threats. Right now Trump is making threats and bombing but those he is bombing don’t have a deterrent
I was gobsmacked to hear PM Carney’s position on the Israeli American attack on Iran. I’ve grown used to appreciating his thoughtful and nuanced assessments of global issue and have supported his response to American political and economic bullying. Was I missing something? What thought hadn’t I thought? How can this endorsement of Trump be reconciled with the Davos statement?
PM Carney asserts America’s right to prevent Iran getting nuclear weapons and prevent Iranian support of terrorist activities. Surely he understands that Trump’s motivations are more likely based on the hope of distracting the American public from the increasing pressure the Epstein files. That motivation makes Trump’s actions even more criminal, more reprehensible.
I agree that the most that should have been said is that Canada supports international law.
@Hecate
Difference is that Don Corleone didn’t take bribes.
I can’t say I was shocked or disappointed by the PM, I’ve long suspected the liberals are just red Tories. (What’s that make the Tories then, brownshirts?). Having said that, I don’t think we are going to hear a lot about it further. To me it looks a lot like a statement that was made for one purpose, from his lips to Donnie’s ass.
The other thing we have to remember is Carney has the benefit of actual intelligence reports when reading his tea leaves, and we don’t even get to see the internal polls. It’s almost certain this will not work out well for Donnie and co, I mean even a brief glance at headlines this morning shows it’s not going particularly well so far, Iran has already bloodied the nose of not only the US but of every single ally they have in the region and they don’t seem likely to stop anytime soon.
It’s likely that this will create a significant blowback for trump as he heads to the midterm, a coup would require the support of the military, who despise the orange toad, and if the democrats DO manage to retake the balance of power, Donnie will be a lame duck president, likely to be impeached for his many crimes, starting with this one.
If* that happens, and reminder, carney likely has better info than all of us pee ons; who’s in a better position to plunge the knife than the guy standing next to you ?
Et tu Brutus ? I wouldn’t call the PM out yet, I thought it was crass and stupid and borderline criminal, but he’s a shrewd character, to me it looks like he’s trying to thread an impossible needle.
Things are already getting worse with with this. The fallout will be immense.
I’m sure Carney’s tacit approval of whatever Donald is doing is more subconscious than anything else. Canadian PM’s have been nodding yes to US imperialist manifestations forever with a few exceptions.
It’s only nine hundred or so KM from DC to Ottawa, it’s quite hard for us to avoid the Washington consensus.
Taking the contrarian position, I wholeheartedly support the Iran regime in its hour of need.
Iran has been victimized by British and American interests for well over a century. It was the overthrow of the MI-6 installed Shah in a popular revolution that, briefly, gave the Iranian people a moment of real self-determination. However, the arrival of Ruhollah Khomeini and the Shia Islamist regime that quickly broke their will. Further, the war by US-backed Iraq and CIA operative Saddam Hussein — a war started by Iraq — that hardened Iranians after almost 1 M of their people were slaughtered on the battlefields of that conflict. Israel’s madness has become Trump’s madness and here we are.
Will the orange shit gibbon have even noticed the PM’s statements? Questionable. We all know what his attention span is.
Are any Canadian service people in harms way? Also questionable. DND is saying no, retired officers saying entirely possibly some embedded officers were involved on planning.
Was Carney’s support statement cringe worthy sycophancy?Borderline. Was it a “mistake”? Maybe. Iranian/Canadian diplomatic relations have been in the cesspool since the ayatollahs took over. Can’t see Carney’s support of the dipshit in chief making an change with the Iranians … barring a true and effective regime change.
Is the Iranian regime a cancerous monstrosity richly deserving judgement by Allah?
Repression of women, repression of basic human rights, supporting exportation of terrorism. Oh yes indeed.
Is the Iranian regime a genuine regional and possibly global danger? A ballistic missile program, coupled with an uranium enrichment program – 60% enriched uranium is good for one thing only – nuclear weapons. It’s way to “hot” for power generation.
Innocent people are dying because of religion & realpolitik. That’s the real tragedy.
I had promised myself that I would close my “Carney Apologists’ Phrasebook” when it got to #100. But it’s hard to maintain self-discipline when the rush of new material continues unabated:
101. “he’s trying to thread an impossible needle”
Tonight at sundown the festival of Purim ends. My darling made Hamantaschen–the little cookies that, I’m told, look like the tricorn hat than the cruel governor wore until the Persian king Ahasuerus executed him for being nasty to his subject Jews– hence the celebration, the singing, feasting and drinking.
“Hamantaschen” actually mean’s “Hamon’s ears” which the little cookies also look like. I’m reminded that world leaders deserve a hatful of ears with regard anything they hear about Persia–or Iran, as we now call the ancient civilization–for not only do they need to hear information about the current situation to understand how ill-advised the US/Israeli attack really is, but also they need to value the very deep and meaningful history of this unique region, reminding that history is really about the present. Even the Sword of Islam got bent out of shape in Persia as it scythed its way into Asia.
Western mythohistorical tradition casts Persia–, or Parthia, or Babylon, or any of many other names for this patch of crumpled continental plate–as a great power to be both feared and envied. Alexander the Great overran it centuries Before the Current Era but liked it so much he adopted its style of clothing, the mystery of its religions, and the hospitality he found so alluring that he tarried there on his way back to Macedonia from India, the furthest extent of his empire. And there he died.
There are of course many noteworthy historical events involving Persia, some of the best descriptions being of Roman fascination with and desire to control the region, for even in Ancient Rome was Persia itself more ancient and legendary. Today I’m reminded of Valerian, Roman Emperor from 253 to 260, the first emperor in Roman history to have been taken prisoner, this time by his Persian counterpart, Shapur I, during the battle of Edessa in the year of Valerian’s demise.
A number of hair-raising versions of how Valerian was treated by Shapur exist, most probably of the sour-grapes variety. The former Roman emperor was variously described as a caged plaything for the Persian court or numismatically as a footstool for Shapur to mount his horse–something tRump, sure to be remembered as the chamberpot of history, will never have to worry about. Perhaps the most relevant aspect to today’s situation was Roman ‘superbia’–or ‘hubris’, to the Ancient Greeks who were also dealt not a few smarting lessons when adventuring in Persia –whichever leading the Romans to underestimate the Persian military and to suppose their surrounded army could bargain its way out of defeat. Suffice to say Valerian never got home again–just like Alexander half a millennia before. Roman foot were repurposed as stonemasons for satrapies of the Persian realm.
Of bigger concern for us is the possible parallel, or a history rhymed if not repeated, that Valerian’s defeat precipitated such political and strategic instability in aging Imperial Rome that it never recovered. Within the following century of political assassinations and internecine battles, already shaky walls started to buckle, and two generations after that the whole Western Empire collapsed into a heap of barbaric Germanic kingdoms whose geographical imprints exist to this day. But we are more concerned today with the ‘New World’ scions of European globalization and wonder if all the emulations of Ancient Western culture retained by the USA–its ethnicities, languages, orthography, religions and architecture (particularly the Greco-Roman architecture of capitol buildings all across the Americas) might not encourage temporary personalities of power to imitate–or possibly imagine completing–the ancient envy and enmity with the western Asian region we now call Iran.
So what is Carney’s Canada in all this? A client kingdom like Armenia was to Ancient Rome? We can’t know what information he is privy to that made him decide to say something we don’t like–that is, anything, absolutely anything that appears to side with tRump. Without knowing the unknowns we should not get too rummy to think that we can unknow the knowns. The Orbange One is probably still smarting over that netherlanded kick Carney gave him in Davos, with CUSMA coming up soon, with tRump in a mood–maybe it was thought prudent to either side with him but, at the same time, feed him more rope for his noose. But one thing’s sure: tRump ain’t smart like Carney, nor as brave as Valerian.
Today Iran knows it is still an island of Shi’a surrounded by Abrahamic nuclear powers and Sunni petro-competitors. It is a sophisticated, educated nation state of 90 million souls, approximately one-quarter pro-Islamic Revolution–the armed ones. Fat chance the citizen “militias” will venture out at tRump’s invitation whilst US/Israeli bombs are falling everywhere–and without weapons themselves (the same reason Big Oil balked at his “gift” of Venezuela). Not to put too fine a point on it: Iran ain’t Iraq (although a disturbingly large proportion of Americans cannot distinguish the two on an unlabelled map–not even with a hint that they are contiguous with each other; “Conagyio-what?”) tRump tore up the nuclear treaty, then attacked Iran under the flag of truce. The fool is in domestic shit so deep he doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing. If he were smart enough to read this, he’d prob’ly ask his doctor for some a that “valerian”–maybe get a good night’s sleep. Finally.
How do we know he’s jumping the shark? Because history shows he already did–and it’s all downhill from here on in. I hope we don’t get to do anything more than watch. Canada does have the third-largest Iranian diaspora in the world. But then we also have the largest Ukrainian diaspora in the world.
Happy Purim, my Alberta friends!
I have only a couple of minor quibbles with this, Scotty. Babylon, I am quite certain, was located in the territory today known as Iraq. Iran is an Abrahamic power too. That is all. DJC
I’m old enough to remember when the Americans tried to FORCE nuclear weapons on us. LBJ reportedly manhandled LBP over the issue, can’t remember which B’s office it was in. During the Cold War in which we absolutely would be targeted in the event it went hot; Canadians decided the moral weight of nuclear weapons, not to mention the danger and the cost of their upkeep was not worth the squeeze. If they’re such a deterrent why is Nato attacking Russia ? Why do the Americans constantly war game invading Taiwan ? How’s the nuclear deterrent working out for Israel, right now ? I honestly believe that in the future humanity will look back on the nuclear era (error) with abject horror and confusion.
Bird: If you drive past the Air Museum near the old Blatchford Field in Edmonton, there is a Bomarc missile visible from the street. The warhead has been removed. DJC
@DJC
Just popped in to see if you were here cuz we haven’t seen ya in a few days and to hope you are okay and on a vacay.
B: Please see the note o9n tonight’s post. My apologies for not updating the comments. I was busy, and then tired. I’m back in the saddle now. DJC
@DjC
Good to see you back. Glad you got some rest.
B: I didn’t get much rest, but for the fact I was too tired at the end of each day to write blog posts or go to the bar, so I went straight to bed. Found a very nice, modestly priced restaurant in Ottawa, though. DJC
Wesley Wark is correct.
Perhaps P.M. Carney ought to hire him and consult with him before making comments regarding Trump’s wars. The P.M.s of England and Spain have been clear and are to be commended for their positions. Canada needs to do the same. We don’t need the top General in Canada to think about things, we need to stay out of it. What Trump is doing ought to get him a trial at the Court of the Hague. Canada should not do anything to support the U.S.A. in this genocide.
I’m certainly no fan of the Iranian government. However, given Iran hadn’t fired at the U.S.A. yet, what was the point of starting a war. Its clear to me Trump doesn’t play with a full deck but bombing Iran is just crazy and cruel.
Canada ought to be very careful. Trump’s alleged rape and beating of a teenage girl isn’t exactly the behaviour of a moral individual. Empty Wheel has a good post up about the latest.
Bombing schools with young girls in it is just a bomb too far. Canada needs to speak out about that type of murder. Its not that Trump hasn’t displayed his disgusting behaviour previously, his career as a business person left a lot to be desired, his first term as President his behaviour was disgusting separating children from their parents when then placed them in concentration camps. Wonder if all the children were ever re united with their parents.
eBetween murdering people on speed boats, kidnapping and invading Venezuela, trying to starve Cuba into surrender and threatening to invade, and bringing 5K white South africans into the U.S.A. every month we know what Trump’s agenda is. The Iranians are now bombing the U.S.A.’s “supporters” in the middle east causing more deaths. Trump is not going to stop his activities. He is most likely enjoying himself and feeling like he some sort of “tough guy” when he is truly only a coward with declining mental capabilities and lacking ethics.
Those good Christian Republicans are such a joke. Guess they didn’t read the section which says, “thou shalt not kill”. Yet they keep a war monger in office. Carney needs to be clear about Canada’s position and that needs to be Canada does not support the U.S.A. actions of invading, bombing, starving other countries and will not give any aid to the U.S.A. If this continues we could easily slide into another World War.