Public statements disclosing our intentions not to engage in an actual war were stupid
What if the following occurred at a Prime Ministerial news conference? Reporter #1: Prime Minister, there are reports that most or all of our ships at CFB Esquimalt on the west coast have left port. Can you tell me where they’re headed? PM Trudeau: This is a normal military action. Ships must leave port regularly…
Canadian deterrence simply consists of heavy breathing from Trudeau
Those who worry about hyperbolic accusations of an authoritarian government in Canada because of recent events need not worry. Wouldn’t an authoritarian government have been better able to direct police to prepare for the truckers’ convoy and related protests? They did, after all, have a month’s notice. Ottawa's ineffectiveness proves we don’t have totalitarian tendencies…
Putin reignites the Cold War
I don’t often write about house-to-house combat, so I’ll seize this opportunity as Russians attempt to seize cities in Ukraine. A primary consideration in war is how to get from one spot to another while supplying your troops. In the U S. Civil War there was a good road from the south winding up to…
The “theatre” of security is not actual security
In the current Canadian Freedom Convoy emergency, it’s important to remember that we have the “theatre” of security, not actual security. We have badges, signs, uniforms, guns, scans, and pat-downs. We’re told to say something if we see something but are not told what to look for or whom to tell. This theatre accomplishes less…
They've rarely been any good at predicting the future
It’s surprising how surprised many commentators are about quite unsurprising events during this Canadian emergency. Our security and intelligence systems were so focused on international terrorism they were caught unawares by domestic threats, such as the truckers’ convey and protests. Before shouting “Stop the presses!” it’s worth seeing how recent events fit in with the…
Supreme Court: “persons who are not Canadian citizens and who do not reside in Canada can exercise an Aboriginal right”
The Supreme Court of Canada has begun to repair the hundreds of years of friction between Indigenous people and European settlers. The court recently ruled that “persons who are not Canadian citizens and who do not reside in Canada can exercise an Aboriginal right.” Many people are thinking long and hard about the implications. Imagine…
The camera doesn’t doesn’t lie. The stuffed characters behind the head of government in COVID news conferences are always on
Who are those people standing behind the newsmaker at press conferences? I see them in the hallways of legislatures when the party leader is making an announcement. I see them in a studio behind the head of government during a COVID-19 news conference. “Oh,” you say, “they’re showing that governing is a team effort and…
Isn’t it time politicians learned to simulate a real-life encounter with people who have questions?
Head of government: “… and so stay safe.” (Long pause.) Robotic voice: “Our next caller is Scoop Notepad from the Daily Planet.” Scoop: “Hi.” Head of government: “Hi Scoop.” (Pause. Sometimes the greetings are reversed.) Scoop asks a question, head of government responds and then we hear the oddball, robotic voice again. Who is that?…
The mere act of informing the public and mandating certain actions seems to still bedevil politicians and public-policy practitioners
By Derek Ng, Deborah Prabhu and Allan Bonner Contributors “Pandemics are a magnifying glass that sheds light on social conditions,” says May-Brith Ohman Nielsen, professor of history at the University of Agder in Norway. Pandemics lay bare the failures of a country’s organization and capacity that went unnoticed during uneventful times. Conflicting policies, staff vacancies,…
Communication mistakes undermine the credibility of scientists at a time when trust is necessary to effectively combat the pandemic
By Derek Ng, Deborah Prabhu and Allan Bonner Contributors Crises make for strange bedfellows. It took the COVID-19 pandemic to forge a bond between journalists and epidemiologists. These two occupations have little in common. Journalist detest jargon and are admonished by editors for wordy prose. Epidemiologists publish in medical and scientific journals using the jargon…