On the first day of the Iran war, they bombed a school and murdered 165 children, seriously injuring 95 more. It wasn’t so very long ago that such a brazen war crime would have resulted in shock, horror and global condemnation. Not anymore. UNESCO condemned the bombing as a grave crime. But there was relative silence from Western leaders. Canada’s foreign minister, Anita Anand, refused to say whether Canada stood with the UN in calling out the bombing campaign as a violation of international law. Meanwhile, Pete Hegseth, America’s Secretary of War, bragged to the media to expect more. He said this wasn’t going to be a “politically correct” war and he ridiculed “stupid rules of engagement.” The “stupid rules of engagement” are the laws established internationally for over 100 years to stop the reckless murder of civilians. In the age of monsters the wanton breach of these laws has become something to boast about. Since the invasion of Ukraine and the genocide in Gaza war has become a terror exercise against civilians. In her book Autocracy Inc., Anne Appelbaum describes the underlying policy behind Putin’s war crimes in Ukraine:
Trump’s so-called “Board of Peace” is part of this plan — to sideline the United Nations and establish arbitrary rule by the powerful. This was clear to anyone from the minutes the first bombs were dropped. This is why Canada’s decision to distance itself from the UN is deeply concerning. Just four days ago, our PM supported Trump’s initial justification for the war claiming that it was about stopping Iran’s nuclear program. But Iran didn’t have a credible nuclear program. Everyone knew this, and the nuclear threat justification has quickly fallen by the wayside. Also tossed aside is the claim that the war was launched to free the Iranian people from a brutal regime. Pete Hegseth was blunt, saying that Americans weren’t wasting any time worrying about democracy or nation-building. He referred to the war as Operation Epic Fury. The war should be called Operation Epstein because it is a desperate gamble for the president to distract from his tanking poll numbers. What has become clear is that there is no credible plan for how the United States and Israel will surgically bomb Iran into submission. This is a nation of 93 million people living in a country larger than Germany, France and the UK. We are seeing the result – chaos, violence and escalating regional war. Trump is backed into a corner. He is now huffing and puffing and threatening to unleash the kind of punishment that has never been seen before. Did we just sign on to the nuclear option of a dangerous madman? Canada failed the moment by accepting the claim that this is a crusade to stop a nuclear threat. It is an even more transparently bogus than the notorious weapons of mass destruction excuse used for the Iraq invasion. Just last month, the PM galvanized the international community with his call for middle powers to work together in an age of lawlessness. He said that it was no longer “good enough to go along to get along.” As we watch the growing destabilization in the Middle East, Canada is in danger of going along with the further disintegration of international law. When I wrote about these issues on day two of the war I was reflecting the shock and unease of many Canadians. But I wasn’t surprised to receive some blowback. More than one person said, “Shame on you for undermining our Prime Minister.” Others suggested I was being irresponsible for speaking out. There was the usual gaslighting that I misrepresented the PM’s words or that I should stay loyal to the “team” and say nothing. One woman bluntly told me it was my responsibility to “trust your leader,” and then said that since I didn’t know the facts, people “don’t give a f -kk about your opinion.” This isn’t the first time I have been accused of betraying the “Elbows Up” spirit. It happens whenever I call out the government for failing to speak up against attacks on the International Criminal Court or the rule of law. My focus in starting the resistance network is not to be a cheerleader but to do the best I can to make sense of this age of monsters and to provide people with tools for maintaining our democracy and the rule of law. I would be failing in my work if I was silent now. I am very frightened by what might happen next. There are no guardrails on the regimes in Washington, Tel Aviv and Tehran. Anything is possible. I know that people get comfort by imagining ourselves as Team Canada with a strong Captain. But it is essential that we remember that Canada’s real strength is that we are a democracy in a world where democracy is increasingly under threat. In a democracy, we do more than sit in the stands and cheer on the captain. A democracy brings with it specific rights and responsibilities. One of those rights is to have the PM brings his case to the people to get their buy-in and support. Our democratic institutions exist so the leader can be questioned and challenged to prove their case. The problem with bringing this case to Parliament is that the normal checks and balances are no longer in place. The official opposition has sidelined itself with its obsession with culture wars, while the NDP has lost status and is unable to participate in committee hearings on vital issues like foreign affairs, military spending, the environment, and the economy. The responsibility then falls to us, ordinary citizens, to make our voices heard. This harkens back to the weapons of mass destruction debacle. In 2003, there was immense pressure on Canada to join the coalition of the willing. A number of Canada’s key allies gave in to American pressure and signed on to the war. But in Canada, mass demonstrations helped stiffen the backbone of Prime Minister Chretien, and he eventually announced that Canada would not go along to get along. We are in such a moment again. We need to remind the PM of Canada’s longstanding commitment to the rule of law and the United Nations. In a time of growing instability, Canada must stand with the UN and distance itself from the murder fantasies of Donald Trump, Pete Hegseth, and Benjamin Netanyahu. In 2003, Canadians marched in the streets. We must do what we can to stop the slide into the darkness now. Contact the PM. Contact your MP. Tell them Canada needs to be a voice for peace in a time of dangerously spiralling global violence. Thank you for reading Charlie Angus / The Resistance. If you’d like to upgrade to a paid subscription your support will help keep this project independent and sustainable. I’m grateful to have you here - thank you for your support.
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