If the Russian invasion of Ukraine didn’t convince Canadians that the civilized world order is shifting, then the bloody murder, rape and hostage-taking in Israel by Hamas terrorists last weekend should remove any doubt.
When neighbours arbitrarily invade and murder civilians, including beheading babies, then there’s a seismic shift in geopolitics. We must change too.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is naive at best and incompetent at worst when it comes to international politics.
Sure, he and his deputy, Chrystia Freeland, have sprinkled Canada’s shopworn military hardware over Ukraine like so much aging pixie dust. But a Howitzer here and a decrepit tank there isn’t a rational response to the new aggressive world order.
We lag woefully behind our NATO allies in our contribution to that organization. We’ve been excluded from security briefings.
In 2021, Canada was cut out of a Five Eyes agreement. Earlier this year, Canada was excluded from the tripartite AUKUS defence and security pact that included Australia, the U.S. and the U.K.
A report released in May by the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies co-authored by Victor Rigby, a former national security adviser to Trudeau, had this to say:
“The glacial pace at which Canada appears to be adapting to the realities of modern great power competition has left it far behind the curve, with consequences for both Ottawa’s reputation among its allies and its ability to protect Canadian territory, sovereignty and contribute to global peace and stability.”
In April, the Washington Post reported on a leaked Pentagon document that says Canada isn’t living up to its defence obligations. Trudeau has told NATO officials privately that Canada will never reach the promised 2% of Gross Domestic Product level of military spending. The document said deficiencies in our military capabilities are a source of tension with our allies.
This week, five G-7 countries, the U.S., Italy, France, Germany and the U.K., released a statement condemning Hamas. Canada wasn’t a signatory. The ground has shifted underneath Trudeau’s has left us isolated in the world.
Like that annoying neighbour who wants your wifi password, we’re freeloading off the U.S. for defence. After Hamas’ assault on humanity, it’s urgent we step up and act like grown-ups.
Source : Toronto Sun
