Opinião

Imperialistic Canada needs to make changes

As some of you know, in June, Canada was denied a temporary seat on the United Nations  security council. A temporary position would have had Canada for two years seated beside the  permanent members, consisting of the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, and  France. It’s a highly sought-after position, especially by the Canadian government. Since the  formation of the United Nations at the end of the Second World War Canada has held a seat on the security council six times (1948-49, 1958-59, 1967-68, 1977-78, 1989-90, and 1999-2000). 

 

Imperialistic Canada  needs-opiniao-mileniostadium
Art by Robert Carter

 

Think about that, every decade since the forties, Canada held a seat at least once.  However,  since 2000 or the last two decades, Canada has failed time and time again to get that seat, which,  as stated, is highly sought after by our government. Prime Minister Harper tried and failed, and  now Trudeau has been unable to follow in his father’s footsteps. So, what has Canada done or not  done in the last twenty years to not get that prized seat at the table? 

In 2002, Canada joined a  coalition of mostly imperialistic nations in attacking Afghanistan. It doesn’t matter what your  view is on September 11th, 2001, that event, as unfortunate as it was, didn’t require Canada’s  attention from a military perspective. By joining this borderline illegal conflict, which eventually  spread to Iraq, Canada began a process of becoming combatants instead of peacekeepers. This  conflict, as many have learned since, wasn’t about freedom, liberty, or the security of  democracy. It was about spreading imperialism and opening up countries whose markets and  resources were off-limits to the west.

Canadian soldiers, no longer peacekeepers, were accused  of torture by detainees in Afghanistan. Since it’s been long-established, this was a war for  resources and not liberty; even though the world was powerless to stop it, it took note. A major  strike against Canada and its foreign policy. Fast forward to 2009, Canada, always playing  second to its big brother to the south, decided to get its hands dirty on their own. Canada took  part behind closed doors in a coup d’etat of the democratically elected Honduras government.

Canada helped overthrow a government that was transitioning to becoming more socialist than  capitalist. The reason why: money. Canadian elites and transnational companies had invested a  considerable amount of capital in Honduras, for nothing more than pure profit. Once those  profits became threatened, the action was taken by the Canadian government to make changes. 

In the process of all of this, democracy was undermined; human rights and environmental  violations occurred and most likely continue to happen today. Justin Trudeau also ran for  office on an agenda of helping Canada’s Indigenous population, which has been overlooked for  so long by so many past governments.

Pipelines are built through their land without their  permission; mining occurs on their lands without their consent and it also destroys the  environment. Many live-in poverty: some areas have little access to education or clean drinking  water and food. Trudeau promised change. I’m not sure whether he simply lied or can’t make  good on his promises, but the point is he has failed them. Is he that ignorant to believe the world  can’t see what’s happening within our borders?

Trudeau and his government spent  millions trying to obtain the council seat. The problem for Trudeau is that the world has  become a much smaller place, and it doesn’t forget. It is no coincidence that Canada has been  unable to get a seat in the last 20 years, the time when Canada became imperialistic. Large  portions of the world need a voice; it requires actual peacekeepers, not governments who  overthrow democracies or torture people for profits.

Canada’s peacekeeping commitment to the  world is at a 60-year low. Still, it deploys troops to nations it has vital investments in, to help  train the police and soldiers in these other countries, so that they can protect critical assets needed for the capitalistic machine to churn. Justin just learned you couldn’t just throw money at  a problem or a goal and expect results. This country, before it becomes a nation full of  hypocrites, needs to look in the mirror and decide what the reasonable Canadian values  moving forward are. If it’s goodwill, then it’s goodwill. If it is profiteering, so be it, but don’t try  to fool the world anymore. These nations are clearly on to us. 192 countries vote for the temporary member seat on the council. 128 votes are needed, Canada in a stunning defeat only received 108. It is quite evident as to why. Mass movements have begun to take center stage, but our population seems to only care about the people here, not the millions who sovereignty Canada has overrun, so they can keep having everything for as cheap as possible. It is time to wake up Canada.

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