#canadian imperialism

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Vancouver police say 14 people were arrested for mischief and obstruction during a protest that blocked traffic and a rail line in East Vancouver.

In a statement, Const. Tania Visintin of the Vancouver Police Department said approximately 100 people were involved in the protest at Kaslo Street and Grandview Highway from around 11 a.m. to approximately 2:30 p.m., when the arrests were made.

She said both road traffic and a CN Rail line were blocked, and protesters refused multiple requests to allow traffic to move through, with "some members" becoming "hostile to police."

She said investigators are reviewing the case before forwarding information to Crown counsel for potential charges. [...]

One of the participants, Atiya Jaffar, says she and other parents laid clothes down on the rail line to symbolize the children killed in Gaza.

"These children should be in school, playing," she said in a written statement. "Instead, they are buried, trapped under rubble; or worse, no trace of them remains." [...]

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @newsfromstolenland

[canadianabroadvery]

Canadian Imperialism—Busy as a Beaver

[readingsquotes]

A secret blacklist? 

One Saturday in mid-October, I arrived at work shortly after the airing of an interview with the prominent Palestinian-Canadian lawyer and former spokesperson for the Palestine Liberation Organization, Diana Buttu. 

There had been a commotion, I was told. A producer from The National—the CBC’s flagship nightly news and current affairs program—had apparently stormed into the newsroom during the interview saying that Buttu was on a list of banned Palestinian guests and that we weren’t supposed to book her. 

I heard from multiple colleagues that the alleged list of banned Palestinian guests wasn’t official. Rather, a number of pro-Israel producers were rumoured to have drawn up their own list of guests to avoid.

Later, I was told by the producer of the interview that, after the broadcast, Buttu’s details had mysteriously vanished from a shared CBC database. By then, I had also discovered that the name and contact details for the Palestinian Ambassador Mona Abuamara, who had previously been interviewed, had likewise been removed. It didn’t seem coincidental that both guests were articulate defenders of Palestinian rights.

While producers distressed by the CBC’s coverage of Gaza were speaking in whispers, pro-Israeli colleagues felt comfortable making dehumanizing comments about Palestinians in the newsroom.

In one case, I heard an associate producer speak disparagingly about a guest’s decision to wear a keffiyeh for an interview before commenting that “[the host] knows how to handle these people.” This guest had dozens of family members killed by the Israeli military in Gaza. 

It seemed the only Palestinian guest CBC was interested in interviewing was the sad, docile Palestinian who talked about their suffering without offering any analysis or solutions to end it. What they did not want was an angry Palestinian full of righteous indignation towards governments complicit in their family’s displacement and murder. 

At this stage, I was starting to feel nauseous at work. And then one Saturday night, that sickness turned into anger. 

I had been asked to finish production on a pre-taped interview with a “constructive dialogue” researcher on incidents of campus hostilities over the war and how to bring people together—the sort of interview CBC loves, as it’s a way to be seen covering the story without actually talking about what’s happening in Gaza. 

I carried out the task in good faith, writing an introduction leading with an example of antisemitism and then another of anti-Palestinian hate, taking care to be “balanced” in my approach. But my senior producer proceeded to remove the example of anti-Palestinian hate, replacing it with a wishy-washing “both sides” example, while leaving the specific serious incident of antisemitism intact. He also edited my wording to suggest that pro-Palestinian protesters on Canadian campuses were on the “side” of Hamas. 

I overheard the host thank the senior producer for the edits, on the basis that incidents of antisemitism were supposedly worse. While the introduction of these biases into my script was relatively minor compared to some other double standards I witnessed, it was a tipping point. 

I challenged the senior on why he had made my script journalistically worse. He made up a bad excuse. I told him I couldn’t do this anymore and walked out of the newsroom, crying. 

...

There had been previous attempts at CBC to improve the public broadcaster’s coverage of Israel-Palestine. In 2021, hundreds of Canadian journalists signed an open letter calling out biases in the mainstream media’s treatment of the subject.

A number of CBC workers who signed the letter were hauled into meetings and told they either weren’t allowed to cover the subject or would have any future work on the issue vetted. A work friend later regretted signing the letter because she got the sense that she had been branded as biased, leading to her pitches on Palestine being more readily dismissed. 

[downmystreeandupyours]

On the bright side: The headlines and reactions acted like bright-red neon arrows in terms of identifying those who are sane from those whose brains are infected with fear-causing pus

[intersectionalpraxis]

The Canadian government sends arms to the US -that's where the paper trail is able to conveniently end. The US then can export these weapons to the IOF. There are zero regulations and transparency about this. So we don't know -and I imagine the estimates each year probably exceed the amount frustratingly so. I'm glad to see that steps are being made to suing the federal government for their complicity. To all folks living in Canada, keep an eye on the House of Commons website. Some MPs are still introducing bills for more transparency about weapons sales and exports. I will track this case and update here when information is available.

[theworldofwars]

Sergeant Leslie Collins, Australian Imperial Force Killed in action at Lone Pine Gallipoli on 07/12 August 1915, aged 21. Son of Daniel and Esther Collins, New South Wales.

[nando161mando]

"No Canada" (EN: English)

[muirneach]

just said i hate the army in class and felt the air get sucked out of the room. honestly i forget the average person isn’t like violently anti war

[delusionsofspace]

You ever have an app on your phone for 5 years and not know what it actually did the entire time

[lachiennearoo]

Angry Rant from a Sad Frenchie

I'd advise you read this entire thing before you comment, reblog or get any opinion on this. Just to make sure you have the full context.

Alright...

Recently I found this image

It made me mad, for obvious reasons, as I am a québécois. And so I made a big rant about it in DMs with my anglo Irish boyfriend, who's always very happy to talk, and I love him very much-

ANYWAYS.

I realized that not everyone would understand my anger. Some people might even agree with this post.

But I think it's out of ignorance. Not out of anything else

And so, I will share the rant I did. Have fun

All and all, this may not sound like much, but pronouncing words in another language correctly is basic respect.

I think that if you don't care about the way you pronounce other languages' words, you just don't care about their culture or about respecting them. It's not hard to take that extra step and learn how to correctly say words.

When I say French, English, Spanish, Japanese- words, I'll always try to say them the right way. It's the least I can do to show respect.

[raziraphale]

(Link to article sans paywall)

Recent article about one of the security guards that works to keep people off of dangerous rocks at Peggy's Cove and literally every tourist quote they got makes me insane. Tourists think it's their god-given right to die in stupid and preventable ways.

Infuriating highlights:

"Maybe if they had a sign" says person who already walked past and somehow missed the dozens of signs telling them not to walk on the black rocks or they will die.

"Locals who know the waters would know how to save people" Local people know not to go in that water at all. Being local doesn't make you immune waves crushing you against rock. You are asking local people to risk their lives because you feel entitled to risk your life for a picture. Climbers on Mt. Everest behaviour.

Do you know what's more annoying than being admonished by a guy with a whistle? Death. Probably.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Two years after being ordered on an urgent basis, a new defence policy for Canada was unveiled Monday that promises — among other things — to bolster the military's surveillance and combat capabilities in the Arctic.

The strategy commits to delivering new equipment, including airborne early warning aircraft (AWACs), long-range surface-to-surface missiles for the army and utility helicopters that may or may not be manned.

The plan also lists new equipment the Department of National Defence is considering acquiring, such as air defence systems to protect critical infrastructure and new submarines.

The new policy, entitled Our North, Strong and Free, includes an additional $8.1 billion in new defence spending over the next five years and commits to an additional $73 billion in defence spending over the next two decades.

The additional investments will not bring Canada all the way to meeting NATO's military spending target for member nations — two per cent of national gross domestic product. The Liberal government estimates that the new policy will see military spending rise to 1.76 per cent of GDP by 2029-30. [...]

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @newsfromstolenland, @vague-humanoid

Note from the poster @el-shab-hussein: So NATO's mad at Canada for not doing enough imperialism and military pollution? Remind me what the Paris accords were for again?

[james-p-sullivan]

my fav cookie recipe i've been using since i was 7 💪💪:

225g butter

140g caster sugar

1 egg yolk

2 tsp vanilla essence

225g plain flour

55g cocoa powder

dark, white, & milk chocolate chips/chunks

cream the butter & sugar, then add the egg and vanilla. add the flour and cocoa & chocolate chips. cook at 180 degrees celcius for 11ish minutes

(i cant remember if you're american or canadian lmao so sorry if you can't use the measurements)

I CANT BELIEVE I MISSED THIS 😭

it sounds bomb! i saved it to try out the recipe in the new year, thank you for sharing!!!!!!!!!

[sparksinthenight]

“educators, workers, health professionals, youth groups, Indigenous communities & farmers protested the widespread environmental and social harms caused by mining.”

Call on Canada to stop the First Quantum Minerals mine in Panama!

[rambleonwithrosie]

On a scale of 1 to I'm Gonna Eat my Crewmate Rather than Ask the Indigenous People for Help how racist are you?

The Franklin Expedition never ceases to amaze me. The locals are RIGHT THERE and can the Brits get past their superiority complex enough to maybe ask for help? No. Of course not. We're just gonna eat Fred instead of ask the people who live here for some food or how to survive

[intersectionalpraxis]

the IOF kidnapped an American-Canadian pair of brothers from Gaza -after tying up the women and children and destroying their home. let's all watch Trudeau and Biden do jack shit. assuming they haven't been murdered already.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/2024/2/8/24065995/gaza-palestinian-israel-war-borak-hashem-alagha-yasmeen-elagha-oakbrook-lombard

This is beyond heartbreaking. My heart goes out to this family, especially those who are beyond vulnerable right now. I cannot imagine how traumatizing it has been continuously -especially with the IOF nearly cutting off their communication entirely if not for being able to hide one phone. The IOF are beyond sadistic terrorists. The US and Canada are doing the bare minimum, as always, to say they really care/will investigate, but at the end of the day the settler states care more about supporting genocidal monsters. I truly hope they are all able to reunite safely.