Category: Foreign Relations | Page 10

483 – “Politics”: The theatrical release

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Dec 152016

It has often been said that “politics is theatre.” That might explain why many would call politics the theatre of the absurd. But all theatrics aside, theatre in politics simply can’t be pushed aside. The play’s the thing.

If there’s a lesson to be learned from the recent US election, it is that “all the world’s a stage,” and nationalism sets that stage for political theatre. Since most have never experienced good political theatre in recent times, it’s not surprising that, when encountered, few understand the plot – especially those who falsely believe they are writing the script. It’s a lesson that seems to have been forgotten, if ever learned.

Imagine if television had existed during the times of William Gladstone and Benjamin Disraeli (1800s Britain); would it have been censored by political correctness?

From Gladstone’s narrow escape from being tossed to his potential death out the window of Britain’s new parliament buildings, to Disraeli’s being taunted with pork on a stick while giving his electoral speeches, British politics of the era was pure drama. By comparison, Donald and Hillary’s 21st-century antics would have attracted little more attention than the mildly feuding couple next door. Continue reading »

481 – Trudeaumaniac / Reality check

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Dec 012016

With his father Pierre, it was Trudeaumania. With Justin, it’s more like Trudeaumaniac. On the heels of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro‘s death, Canada’s Prime Minister made that extra effort to show the world that he is in serious need of a reality check. Like father, like son?

From the implications of Justin Trudeau’s admiration for dictatorships and dictators, to his penchant for “proportional representation,” these are signals that should alarm any freedom-minded nations and individuals.

Here is the statement by the Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, on the death of former Cuban President Fidel Castro issued from Antananarivo, Madagascar, November 26, 2016:

It is with deep sorrow that I learned today of the death of Cuba’s longest serving President.

“Fidel Castro was a larger than life leader who served his people for almost half a century. A legendary revolutionary and orator, Mr. Castro made significant improvements to the education and healthcare of his island nation. Continue reading »

473 – Guest: Salim Mansur – Syria: Epicenter of war / Trump: The peace candidate

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Oct 062016

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:42 — 68.5MB) | Embed

“What is Aleppo?” asked US Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson when questioned by CNN about his stand on the Syrian city. His honest question could have easily been asked by most Americans and Canadians alike.

Aleppo, of course, is the Syrian city currently at the epicenter of today’s middle-east conflicts. From daily news accounts of the violence, the streams of refugees pouring out into Europe and now to North America, and of the growing polarization over immigration policies, the West is faced with a crisis that few Western leaders seem to comprehend. As a consequence, many Western leaders end up making matters even worse.

With America and Russia at odds over the Assad regime, many have good reason to fear that a conflict much larger than the one in Syria may erupt. Syria’s problems have become the world’s problems, and the world’s problems may well be soon revisited upon Syria.

Just as many might justifiably stumble over the question “What is Aleppo?”, so too most would not be able to answer another key question that bears on events much closer to home: “Who is America’s best presidential candidate for peace?”

Answer: Donald Trump. Indeed, America’s direct involvement in Syria could be a thing of the past if U.S. president Donald Trump has his way. Continue reading »

465 – Guest: John Thompson: Strategic Capital Intelligence Group – Terrorism’s means and ends

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Aug 112016

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:42 — 68.5MB) | Embed

TerroRising Trends: So what’s new in the world of terrorism? What are terrorism’s latest explosive trends? What might be tomorrow’s terrorist strategies that we have yet to witness? What, if anything, can we do about it?

On the very day that we are learning of a thwarted terrorist attack on Canadian soil in Strathroy and possibly in London, those are just a few of the spotlighted questions we target on today’s Just Right. To help us in our quest, John Thompson of the Strategic Capital Intelligence Group joins us for a frank discussion about the realities of terrorist ambitions and efforts.

Today, terrorism is on the rise. That means that tomorrow, today’s terrorism levels will seem like the ‘good old days’. What motivates terrorists? Are they crazy? Are they ideological? Is there a difference?

For an examination of why there is a rise in this trend, as well as a look at how to effectively combat terrorism, join us as we search for the elusive right answers that have become clouded in our environment of political correctness. Continue reading »

463 – Fear and Loathing in America / Trump acceptance / Feedback – some polite some not so polite

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Jul 282016

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:42 — 68.5MB) | Embed

TRUMP ACCEPTANCE: As with the five stages experienced by many facing grief and loss, Republicans opposed to Trump have now similarly passed through the familiar stages of denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally, with Trump’s victory at the GOP: Acceptance.

For the first time, we take a look a Donald Trump, not as a phenomenon of populism and anti-establishment sentiment, but as the next president of the United States. Is Trump’s promise to “make America great again” merely empty rhetoric, or will he be able to deliver on that promise? What, in critical and concrete terms, will “making America great again” mean in practice?

As Trump now turns his attention to win the hearts and minds of the American voters rather than to defeat his Republican opponents, we can finally see the real choices faced going into this November’s U.S. elections.

On today’s Just Right, join us as we review, not the phenomenon that is Trump, but the promises and policies that he has put forth as the key themes of the Republican campaign. For the first time since he stepped into the political arena, Donald Trump has now set the standards and objectives against which he must be objectively judged. Continue reading »

462 – Guest: Salim Mansur: Trump – Zeus among mortals? / Establishing the new Establishment

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Jul 212016

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:42 — 68.5MB) | Embed

ZEUS AMONG MORTALS – AN ‘UNINTENDED’ CONVERSATION

Some have called Donald Trump a Trojan Horse in the Republican camp. However, that legendary analogy may only be a small part of a much bigger picture: How does Trump’s success at this week’s GOP convention relate to the Homeric tales of Troy and Sparta? What is the lesson we should learn? You’ll be amazed by this unparalleled conversation about history’s eternal parallels.

“The gods of history are trying to tell us that we are conceited to think we are fully rational actors, fully forearmed and foresighted, that we know everything, at a given point in time.” All the world’s a stage in the story told by our guest, Salim Mansur, as he connects the dots between significant historical events and ideas that have led to the Trump phenomenon, the Brexit vote, the rise of Islamist terrorism, the resurgence of racism and the various crisis‘ that face the world today.

Given the theme of today’s conversation, it should not be surprising that our discussion about history’s ‘unintended consequences‘ should similarly have led to unintended and unexpected directions in that conversation:

“History is paradoxical because none of us knows what the unintended consequences of our decision are. We always understand history in retrospect. But we live history in prospect.“ Continue reading »

460 – Exit-stential threats / A new soviet? / The 7.9% solution / Anti-ideal, logically speaking

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Jul 072016

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APPLYING THE 7.9% SOLUTION TO BRITAIN’S EXIT-STENTIAL THREATS

On today’s Just right, more on the ‘exit-stential’ threats created by Britain’s vote to leave the European Union: Is it fair to contrast the values of those on either side of the vote by comparing the juvenile behaviour and irrational fears of the one side with the mature, confident, and rationally persuasive arguments of the other? Or is it even fair to ask that question?

Post-Brexit vote reactions on either side of the original debate are still running at an emotional high.

And while most attention is currently on Britain, what of Europe’s future in a smaller EU? Is it possible that Europe could evolve into a new ‘soviet’? Continue reading »