Canada and the American Empire: US Military Personnel Seeking Refuge in Canada
Losing the Ability to Protect Conscientious Objectors and Private Information. Global Research News Hour Episode 136
‘The StatsCan mantra is “you will be prosecuted, fined and jailed” if you don’t comply with the census…The situation is exacerbated by the fact that the American military through Lockheed Martin Corporation (contractor) and IBM (sub-contractor) will in time have access to the Canadian census data base. Part of the census work was “out-sourced”, effectively to the American military (Lockheed Martin) starting in 2003 and continues in spite of citizen protest.’ Sandra Finley [1]
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Canada has the distinction of sharing a border and a continent with the most formidable military power on the planet.
The United States has continued to project its power throughout the world. It operates over 1000 military installations and/or bases in 63 countries. [2]It has deployed hundreds of thousandsof military personnel in foreign countries around the globe. [3]The world’s remaining superpower commands the high seas, and according to 2015 estimates, has stockpiles 7,100 nuclear armed warheads, or about 45% of the world’s supply. [4]
The US has also secured advantages in the realm of cyber-surveillance. Edward Snowden famously outlined the capacities of the US State’s capabilities in this regard. [5]
The awesome clout of Canada’s next door neighbour compels one to wonder just how far it can hope to exercise any genuine sovereignty.
This week’s Global Research News Hour broadcasts two stories relating to the question of living in the shadow of empire.
In the first half hour, we resurrect the plight of US military personnel seeking refuge in Canada rather than participate in the war in Iraq, or endure the penalty for desertion. Michelle Robidoux of the Toronto-based War Resisters Support Campaign joins us to talk about litigation initiated under the previous Harper government that has not been blocked or canceled by the Liberal Trudeau Government. Rhetoric expressed during last year’s federal election led many to believe the war resisters may finally be welcomed as new Canadians rather than expelled like lepers.
The War Resisters Support Campaign is organizing a campaign to Encourage Canadians to write to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and demand he end the litigation facing four US War resisters. A model letter with email contact info can be found at this link.
In the second half hour, Sandra Finley, a community activist originally from Saskatchewan talks about her concerns about the Canadian Census and particularly Statistics Canada’s Contracting partner Lockheed Martin. The former leader of the Saskatchewan Green Party claims that despite StatsCan assurances, personal information cannot be kept private from LM and the US Security State. She states that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects Canadians from having to disclose private personal information. She also raises concerns about how the groundwork for a global police state is being rolled out through this technology and centralized control of information.
More resources are available at her website sandrafinley.ca.
LISTEN TO THE SHOW
Length (59:14)
Click to download the audio (MP3 format)
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Notes:
1) http://sandrafinley.ca/?p=248
2) http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-worldwide-network-of-us-military-bases/5564
3) Ibid
4) https://www.armscontrol.org/factsheets/Nuclearweaponswhohaswhat
5) http://www.globalresearch.ca/edward-snowden-and-the-emerging-police-state/5343230
