Canadians generally are peaceable. We own guns, but use them for hunting not “personal protection “. We have navigated internal conflicts and made multi-cultural living work for hundreds of years. Including the largest Ukrainian diaspora in the world.
But don’t push us too far. So while we are not war mongering, we have become more assertive in our own defence and the defence of a democratic world. We have a front row seat to what the far right MAGA is creating and this reality is setting us all free of illusions.
Good morning Shankar! Thank you for pointing this out! And as usual you are 100% correct! Because even as Russia raises the ax with one hand, it screams bloody murder that the guy with the shield who's deflecting your blade is really a dangerous problem and needs to be eviscerated! How dare they thwart the plan?
Trump has done an excellent hatchet job with the ax on the United States. Europe and Canada have begun to and are deflecting the assault and rebuilding their defenses! We can't have that, they say!
Yes! Yes we can! Thank you again Shankar! Your vigilance is key to our understanding! You're the best!
When I read those words yesterday my antenna did go up, but not in concern.
My brain tied it to Trump and upcoming CUSMA talks. Because the two items hit the cycle at approximately the same time: Canada is warmongering (lol we haven’t done any warring since WWII) but then: “I may not renew CUSMA” which is actually not a thing Trump can do in the near term.
I don’t necessarily tie Alberta in with this because of the very large Ukrainian diaspora there, which has even increased significantly since Russia invaded. I just think it’s more the entire sloppy mess of Maple MAGATs across the country who’ve been wailing relentlessly that Canada should keep all its money at home. But, point taken.
Great perspective in the article. Canada's international prestige since Davis has increased. Canucks getting too uppity for the oligarchs, MAGA so Russia sends an overt message to its influencers. As you point out Expect a lot more ugliness coming from social media, rebel news type disinformation, etc ; bot farms outside Canada pushing the Maple MAGA/discord, "Alberta separatist movement" is exactly par for the course. I'm just very disappointed the right leaning conservative governments in Saskatchewan and Alberta, egged on by Polieviere, Manning, Harper- basically the Conservative party of Canada flirt with these influencers/convoy clowns/populist right wing christian nationalists.
The' leopard eating its own face' metaphor has become so ubiquitous you'd think Conservatives would have caught on by now. Which makes you wonder, maybe they didn't hold those (ahem) vénérable old values to begin with.
I am very pleased Ms. Zakharova believes Canada is currently a “warmonger”. Mr. Putin said in 2014 when asked about Canada (subsequent to the Crimea incursion) stated with a shrug words to the effect “What’s Canada?”. I’m pleased our world standing has improved. If Russia is irate, we Canadians and our allies are doing something right.
And since we are neighbours with Russia via the Arctic and we have seen how important they are in these days, it is good to get some expertise in that domain. Never know when that expertise would come in handy especially sandwiched as we are between 2 superpowers 😏
It feels like people are waking up to the hypocrisy, but I thought that too before and then they reelected Trump. It's hard to know what's in a man's heart.
It’s easy to know what’s in 35% of the voting Americans’ hearts. But heck if I can wrap my head around it, as hard as I try. And heck if they’re not going to find out that 35% of the (former) voting public isn’t the same as the whole population.
I disagree with this though - the global far-right and the Kremlin are actually a deeply united team. I argue they are actually one and the same, all the way down.
There are internal divisions in the team - there always are - but they act together in unison and in coordination. They’re the same in both tactics and motivation. They each want to themselves have power and money - unchecked by democracy, morals, or public good. And they work together.
To pretend they’re not on the same team is to ignore the decades of coordinated spy-work and bribery and disinformation.
The Epstein - Maxwell spy ring, and the other Maxwell sisters’ (ongoing) tech espionage, and all the paid politicians, journalists and influencers. (Admittedly the spy rings were for Israel as much as for the US and Russia)
The modern far-right grew from that (and prior such movements), and was funded and grown by Russia (and Israel). Heck, the toxic manosphere that won Trump the presidency was engineered and funded by Peter Thiel… who was Epstein the spy’s close friend, and who has deep Putin connections.
They ARE one, though each wants to own their own slice of the world, for all purposes.
Now I’d be fine with saying that Russia and China and Iran and N Korea are not one and the same. All of those get to the same place, use similar tactics, and have coordination, but are deeply distinct in motivation.
Your comment reminded me of reading/hearing that Jared Kushner reached out to the Kremlin through a back channel just days (minutes?) after learning Trump won in 2016.
Of course the AB separatist issue is tied into the framework of Maga and Moscows efforts to destabilize democratic countries. What me must be vigilant about is the Canadian sycophancy that is assisting them. Separatist Albertans who are creating the myth that they get to decide if they stay in Canada or not should be challenged to leave Canada and move to the society and culture they covet. There is no need for a referendum, they can vote with their feet. The same can be said of politicians who support the Maga/Russia playbook. They must be soundly trounced electorally and called out constantly.
Let’s continue to respond by increasing our commitment to Ukraine, Europe and other democratic nations.
Trump and the Kremlin seem to have only one guidebook between them. The world has been watching, and the same old tactics are so obvious now as to be laughable. Not discounting the damage that can be done to Canada, but Canadians are not going to buckle under to Putin nor MAGA.
Two former superpowers on power trips. I'm not underestimating their intentions, but continuing to call them superpowers only reinforces the myth they are trying to perpetuate. They are practically dead in the water and trying to bluff their way back into dominance.
Very, very useful information. Canada's quislings are the enemy within. Time for enforceable legislation to put certain influencers and traitors to work re-building the railroads, plural, to and from Churchill.
Canadians generally are peaceable. We own guns, but use them for hunting not “personal protection “. We have navigated internal conflicts and made multi-cultural living work for hundreds of years. Including the largest Ukrainian diaspora in the world.
But don’t push us too far. So while we are not war mongering, we have become more assertive in our own defence and the defence of a democratic world. We have a front row seat to what the far right MAGA is creating and this reality is setting us all free of illusions.
Beautifully stated Meg!
Good morning Shankar! Thank you for pointing this out! And as usual you are 100% correct! Because even as Russia raises the ax with one hand, it screams bloody murder that the guy with the shield who's deflecting your blade is really a dangerous problem and needs to be eviscerated! How dare they thwart the plan?
Trump has done an excellent hatchet job with the ax on the United States. Europe and Canada have begun to and are deflecting the assault and rebuilding their defenses! We can't have that, they say!
Yes! Yes we can! Thank you again Shankar! Your vigilance is key to our understanding! You're the best!
When I read those words yesterday my antenna did go up, but not in concern.
My brain tied it to Trump and upcoming CUSMA talks. Because the two items hit the cycle at approximately the same time: Canada is warmongering (lol we haven’t done any warring since WWII) but then: “I may not renew CUSMA” which is actually not a thing Trump can do in the near term.
I don’t necessarily tie Alberta in with this because of the very large Ukrainian diaspora there, which has even increased significantly since Russia invaded. I just think it’s more the entire sloppy mess of Maple MAGATs across the country who’ve been wailing relentlessly that Canada should keep all its money at home. But, point taken.
These people don’t understand Canadians if they believe this will stop us from doing what is right.
Great perspective in the article. Canada's international prestige since Davis has increased. Canucks getting too uppity for the oligarchs, MAGA so Russia sends an overt message to its influencers. As you point out Expect a lot more ugliness coming from social media, rebel news type disinformation, etc ; bot farms outside Canada pushing the Maple MAGA/discord, "Alberta separatist movement" is exactly par for the course. I'm just very disappointed the right leaning conservative governments in Saskatchewan and Alberta, egged on by Polieviere, Manning, Harper- basically the Conservative party of Canada flirt with these influencers/convoy clowns/populist right wing christian nationalists.
Like everything else, follow the money.
The' leopard eating its own face' metaphor has become so ubiquitous you'd think Conservatives would have caught on by now. Which makes you wonder, maybe they didn't hold those (ahem) vénérable old values to begin with.
Yes, Carney's speech at Davos was moving. Can't imagine what Trump's blood pressure was after hearing that and seeing the standing ovation!
None if these people are really conservative. The UPC isn’t and neither is the CPC. They don’t follow actual conservative principles.
I am very pleased Ms. Zakharova believes Canada is currently a “warmonger”. Mr. Putin said in 2014 when asked about Canada (subsequent to the Crimea incursion) stated with a shrug words to the effect “What’s Canada?”. I’m pleased our world standing has improved. If Russia is irate, we Canadians and our allies are doing something right.
And since we are neighbours with Russia via the Arctic and we have seen how important they are in these days, it is good to get some expertise in that domain. Never know when that expertise would come in handy especially sandwiched as we are between 2 superpowers 😏
It feels like people are waking up to the hypocrisy, but I thought that too before and then they reelected Trump. It's hard to know what's in a man's heart.
It’s easy to know what’s in 35% of the voting Americans’ hearts. But heck if I can wrap my head around it, as hard as I try. And heck if they’re not going to find out that 35% of the (former) voting public isn’t the same as the whole population.
Very true.
I disagree with this though - the global far-right and the Kremlin are actually a deeply united team. I argue they are actually one and the same, all the way down.
There are internal divisions in the team - there always are - but they act together in unison and in coordination. They’re the same in both tactics and motivation. They each want to themselves have power and money - unchecked by democracy, morals, or public good. And they work together.
To pretend they’re not on the same team is to ignore the decades of coordinated spy-work and bribery and disinformation.
The Epstein - Maxwell spy ring, and the other Maxwell sisters’ (ongoing) tech espionage, and all the paid politicians, journalists and influencers. (Admittedly the spy rings were for Israel as much as for the US and Russia)
The modern far-right grew from that (and prior such movements), and was funded and grown by Russia (and Israel). Heck, the toxic manosphere that won Trump the presidency was engineered and funded by Peter Thiel… who was Epstein the spy’s close friend, and who has deep Putin connections.
They ARE one, though each wants to own their own slice of the world, for all purposes.
Now I’d be fine with saying that Russia and China and Iran and N Korea are not one and the same. All of those get to the same place, use similar tactics, and have coordination, but are deeply distinct in motivation.
Your comment reminded me of reading/hearing that Jared Kushner reached out to the Kremlin through a back channel just days (minutes?) after learning Trump won in 2016.
"Russia wants to call Canada a warmonger for helping Europe and Ukraine defend themselves.
Oh, well."
No better two words that every non-Maple MAGA says to Russia.
We know how badly things are going for Putin.
We know that the usa is a mess.
We know their influence has waned.
Unless they actually put boots on the ground in my country, I'm not worried.
Of course the AB separatist issue is tied into the framework of Maga and Moscows efforts to destabilize democratic countries. What me must be vigilant about is the Canadian sycophancy that is assisting them. Separatist Albertans who are creating the myth that they get to decide if they stay in Canada or not should be challenged to leave Canada and move to the society and culture they covet. There is no need for a referendum, they can vote with their feet. The same can be said of politicians who support the Maga/Russia playbook. They must be soundly trounced electorally and called out constantly.
Let’s continue to respond by increasing our commitment to Ukraine, Europe and other democratic nations.
Trump and the Kremlin seem to have only one guidebook between them. The world has been watching, and the same old tactics are so obvious now as to be laughable. Not discounting the damage that can be done to Canada, but Canadians are not going to buckle under to Putin nor MAGA.
Two former superpowers on power trips. I'm not underestimating their intentions, but continuing to call them superpowers only reinforces the myth they are trying to perpetuate. They are practically dead in the water and trying to bluff their way back into dominance.
No reason to listen to the russkies now!
Very, very useful information. Canada's quislings are the enemy within. Time for enforceable legislation to put certain influencers and traitors to work re-building the railroads, plural, to and from Churchill.
Very astute, as usual. 👍