Stéphane Dion: Let them eat cake

The government of Canada is no less responsible for the climate of chaos and violence which prevails at this time in Europe and the Middle East. It claims a non-combat role in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon while it props up the invasions by the U.S. and European powers, and the groups that engage in acts of terror under the guise that they form a legitimate opposition. Canada claims that its model of “strength in diversity” should be followed by all countries while it works to overthrow secular and independent states in West Asia and North Africa claiming that it supports freedom of religion and the rights of women.

CPC(M-L) opposes hypocritical attempts to promote “Canadian values” in a way that deprives the people of their right to conscience. The questions which concern matters of war and peace, security and rights concern the peoples everywhere. CPC(M-L) calls on Canadians to go all out to make sure it is they, and not the rulers who have brought Canada under U.S. command, who determine Canada’s role internationally.

Stéphane Dion, Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with Adel Al Jubeir, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs in Ottawa on Dec. 17, 2015 and issued the following statement : “I congratulated the Minister on his leadership in bringing together the Syrian opposition parties, an important step toward a much-needed political resolution to the crisis.” After the U.S., the feudal and theocratic Saudi monarchy is the second-largest purchaser of arms exported from Canada, its second most important ally after Israel, and organizer of the Riyadh conference in mid-December of “jihadists” terrorist factions.

What is the “much-needed political resolution”? It’s rather like the smoke arising from pouring oil on the fire.

213th Anniversary of the Haitian Revolution

Haitian people step up their heroic resistance

Monument in Cap Haitien dedicated to those who fought in the Battle of Vertières in November 1803, the decisive conflict of the Haitian revolution.

 

January 1, 2017 marked the 213th anniversary of the Haitian Revolution. Beginning in 1791, the organized resistance of the enslaved peoples of the French colony of Saint-Domingue took hold and eventually overthrew both slavery and colonial rule. The revolutionaries led by Toussaint L’Ouverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines fought off successive European powers — the French, Spanish and British — to proudly establish their independent republic, Haiti, in 1804.

Canada and Syria: Canada’s quandary over what happens post-US election

In mid-November, Canada hosted an international meeting on Syria. None of the participants were identified | Three articles

By PAULINE EASTON

The Government of Canada co-hosted with the Netherlands a meeting in Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, from November 11 to 13, to “discuss the situation in Syria.” At the meeting Minister of Foreign Affairs Stéphane Dion called for international cooperation in Syria. The meeting was attended by the “Syrian political opposition” and Syrian “civil society” – what Dion calls legitimate opposition groups in Syria.

UN General Assembly briefing on humanitarian situation

On October 20 a plenary session of the United Nations General Assembly was held in New York for a briefing on the humanitarian situation in Syria. The session, which was described as informal, was called in response to the request by Canada and 70 other member states for the General Assembly to take up the matter.

One year of Liberal rule: Trudeau government’s logic of national betrayal

Demonstration in Ottawa, March 19, 2016 marked 13th anniversary of U.S. invasion of Iraq.

In the anti-national tradition of previous governments, the first year of the Trudeau government confirms that it is openly embracing the warmongering, militarism and reaction of U.S. imperialism. To cover this up, it promotes the image of Canada as a force for peace, saying that peacemaking is Canada’s main pursuit internationally today. Foreign Minister Stéphane Dion cites the role played by Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson in creating the UN peacekeeping force, known as the Blue Helmets or Blue Berets, at the time of the Suez Canal crisis in 1956 to say that today, under different circumstances, what Canada is doing internationally also serves the cause of peace. Speaking at a meeting of the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations on October 17, Dion said, “Sixty years, ago, the UN agreed to deploy the first peacekeeping force in history along the Suez Canal. The Blue Helmets were born and, the following year, Lester B. Pearson won the Nobel Peace Prize. This innovation had extraordinary consequences for the world. Peacekeeping forces have become a vital tool and a part of Canada’s identity on the international stage.”[1] Canada is “a determined peacebuilder,” Dion said.

Trudeau government launches new program to meddle in the affairs of other countries

On August 26 the Trudeau government announced the establishment of the Peace and Stabilization Operations Program (PSOP). A news release from Global Affairs Canada describes the program as a “comprehensive approach to support Canadian interests and UN peace efforts.” The announcement comes shortly after Canadian Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan led a Canadian delegation to five African countries to seek out “facts on the ground” to help decide on a new military adventure appropriate for Canada within the U.S. imperialist push for new “peace operations” worldwide.

Saudi arms deal: The foreign minister must resign!

No to the arms sales to Saudi Arabia! No to the “new doctrine” called “responsible conviction!”

(April 13) – The Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada condemns Canada’s sale of arms to Saudi Arabia for which this government signed export permits on April 8. No matter what the pretext, these arms sales are unacceptable. By no stretch of the imagination can Saudi Arabia be considered a peaceful or a democratic country as the ministry and Trudeau government claim. Nor can Canada’s mission in the Middle East be considered a peaceful one. This is simply not true.

The example of the arms deal to Saudi Arabia was given by the Foreign Minister in a speech at the University of Ottawa on March 29, to vindicate the new government doctrine called “responsible conviction.” On that occasion, the Minister created the impression that the arms sale was a done deal by the previous Harper government. He said it would not be right for Canada to go back on its signature due to harmful consequences. He repeated that Canada’s aim is to bring stability to the region and advanced various other pragmatic excuses to justify aggression and war.

Now it turns out that Dion signed the papers himself on April 8. He has to be held to account for trying to mislead Canadians on this matter since the beginning of January and again on March 29.

Dion’s delusions of grandeur: Hubris about Canada’s role in the imperialist system of states

To prove the importance of “responsible conviction,” in his speech at the University of Ottawa on March 29 Foreign Minister Stéphane Dion presented a fairy tale of Canada as an intrepid and indispensable international actor whose “responsibility” has allowed it to change the course of history. The Harper government only had “conviction” but not “responsibility,” Dion suggested, and this has blunted Canada’s ability to play such a role.

‘Responsible conviction’ – Dion announces new foreign affairs doctrine

Trudeau government moves to criminalize the right to conscience

(April 9) – Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stéphane Dion spoke at an international conference at the University of Ottawa on March 29, entitled “Canada in Global Affairs, New Challenges, New Ways.”[1] Dion continued the practice of prior governments of making important announcements about Canada’s foreign policy in an offhand manner. Dion used a speech to a university audience to announce a new foreign affairs doctrine for Canada he calls “responsible conviction.” Dion says “responsible conviction” will be the “guiding principle” the government will follow in implementing foreign policy.

Trudeau’s self-righteous pitch for UN Security Council seat

On March 16 at the United Nations the Liberal government announced its bid to fill one of five non-permanent seats on the UN Security Council in 2021. Prime Minister Trudeau held a meeting in the lobby of the United Nations to which all UN member states were invited as well as members of the press and Canadians working at the UN.[1]

As part of its election platform the Liberals committed to “restoring Canada’s leadership in the world.”

Syria’s President Assad vows to recapture whole country

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad pledged that the army will retake the whole country from terrorists

However, in an interview with AFP released on Friday, February 12, Assad said the process could “take a long time,” stressing that the eventual goal of the government is to liberate the whole country from the control of the terrorists.

The Liberal government’s hypocritical promotion of an aggressive role for Canada!

Among matters which concern Canadians most are questions related to war and peace. Canadians opposed the Harper government not least for its extremist positions, opposition to peaceful resolution of conflicts and warmongering activities. The Harper government offended Canadians with its boorish rhetoric and refusal to comply with international norms. This included its support for the war in Afghanistan, participation in bombing and regime change in Libya, aggressive stance towards the peoples of Iran and Palestine and the DPRK, support for regime change in Syria and, most recently, embroiling Canada in a dirty war in Ukraine and another U.S.-led war in Iraq and then Syria.

Diplomatic appointments linked to anti-social offensive and privatization of public assets

Minister of Foreign Affairs Stéphane Dion made a number of diplomatic appointments on January 16, two of which are noteworthy because the appointees do not come out of the foreign service but are linked directly with the Liberal Party and to the program of privatizing public assets as well as upholding monopoly right.

Liberal Party’s foreign and military policy platform

We are posting below those parts of the Liberal Party’s “Real Change” platform for the 42nd General Election concerning Canada’s relations with other countries and the structure and make-up of Canada’s military.