Left, Right — Marching to the Beat of Imperial Canada: A Conversation with Yves Engler

Canada Progressives Supportive of US-NATO Military Agenda

Yves Engler

“We must remember that in time of war what is said on the enemy’s side of the front is always propaganda, and what is said on our side of the front is truth and righteousness, the cause of humanity and a crusade for peace.”

-Walter Lippmann [1]

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Click to download the audio (MP3 format)

Propaganda is an essential tool by which the elite factions within a society are able to capture the imaginations of the people and mesmerize the general public with messaging as to the essential goodness of a policy action for the nation.

When it comes to foreign policy, national myths are on the front line of that public relations battlefield.

The Americans, of course, have their ‘exceptionalist’ mythology, about its unique commitment to the ideals of democracy, liberty, personal freedom and individualism, and that it is America’s duty to export these exceptional qualities to less enlightened regions of the world. [2]

Most Canadians may regard with bemusement this self-aggrandizing legend of their geographic neighbours, however they would seem to be blissfully unaware of how an equally insidious mythology has penetrated their own national consciousness.

Canadians like to see themselves as a ‘force for good’ on the world stage, ‘peacekeepers not warriors’ and such. Canadian author Yves Engler has, for more than a decade, debunked that view as out of touch with reality. In several books and articles published over the last decade, Engler has diligently documented Canada’s historic role of upholding racism, exploitation and empire, from Haiti, to Congo, Palestine, Afghanistan, Libya, Ukraine, Syria, Venezuela, and the Global South generally. [3]

In a previous book, A Propaganda System — How Government, Corporations, Media and Academia Sell War and Exploitation, Engler examined the architecture of Canada’s public relations scheme which disguises the true role of Canada internationally, describing an interlocking network of academic institutions, government departments, think tanks, and media heavyweights which have worked to conceal the true nature of Canadian power.

His latest book Left, Right — Marching to the Beat of Imperial Canada, builds on this analysis, revealing how and why prominent left wing organizations who traditionally challenge corporate power domestically, including labour organizations, and the left of centre New Democratic Party (NDP) have apparently become complicit in reinfrcing this misleading portrait of Canada as ‘The Peaceable Kingdom.’

This week’s Global Research News Hour radio program devotes most of the hour to an overview of Engler’s thesis as he begins his cross-Canada book tour. (Tour dates can be found below.) This week’s special guest interviewer is Winnipeg-based videographer, citizen journalist and GRTV associate Paul Graham.

Yves Engler is a Montreal based political activist and writer specializing in dissident perspectives on Canadian foreign policy. He has been referred to as Canada’s Noam Chomsky, and has authored close to a dozen books over the last decade. His most recent book is Left, Right — Marching to the Beat of Imperial Canada. More of Engler’s articles and information about his 2018 cross-Canada book tour can be found at the site yvesengler.com.

LISTEN TO THE SHOW

Click to download the audio (MP3 format)

Global Research News Hour Episode 231

Book Tour Schedule:
Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2:30 pm
Ottawa
(A discussion on the Left’s role in dispossessing Palestinians)
University of Ottawa, Simard building, 429
Sponsor: GRIP-OPIRG
https://www.facebook.com/events/294031301189269/

Wednesday, Oct. 10, 7 pm
Ottawa
25 One Community, 251 Bank St (2nd floor)
Sponsor: Octopus Books
http://octopusbooks.ca/event/left-right-—-marching-to-the-beat-of-imperial-canada-book-launch-with-yves-engler

Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2:30 pm
Winnipeg
Menno Simons College, University of Winnipeg, 102-520 Portage Ave Room TBA

Wednesday, Oct. 17, 7 pm
Winnipeg
Université de Saint-Boniface, 200 Avenue de la Cathedrale, Room 2322
Sponsor: Peace Alliance Winnipeg
https://www.facebook.com/events/968363916703546/
Sponsor: Peace Alliance Winnipeg

Thursday, Oct. 18, 5 pm
Regina
Knox-Met United Church,
2340 Victoria Ave, Room 105
Sponsor: Regina Peace Council

Saturday, Oct. 20, 1 pm
Prince Albert
The Mann Art Gallery
Sponsor: Council of Canadians Prince Albert

Sunday,Oct. 21, 2 pm
Saskatoon
615 Main Street
Sponsor: Turning the Tide Bookstore (turning.ca) & Council of Canadians Saskatoon

Monday, Oct. 22, 7 pm
Edmonton
University of Alberta Education Centre South,
Room 158
Sponsor: Palestine Solidarity Network

Tuesday, Oct. 23, 7 pm
Calgary
Community Wise Resource Centre (Old Y Building) 223 12 Ave SW
Sponsor: Justice for Palestinians
https://www.facebook.com/events/2062566467100837/

Wednesday, Oct. 24 7 pm
Calgary
Mount Royal University Jenkins Theatre
(A debate on Canada’s Israel policy)
Sponsor: Rational Space

Thursday, Oct. 25
Nelson
Location TBD
Sponsor: Mir Centre for Peace & Council of Canadians Nelson

Friday, Oct. 26
Kelowna
Okanagan College, 1000 K.L.O. Road
Sponsor: Kelowna Peace Group

Saturday, Oct. 27.12:30 pm
(A discussion of Canadian mining policy)
Vancouver
Location TBD

Tuesday, Oct. 30 6 pm
Vancouver
SFU Harbour Centre (515 West Hastings Street) room 7000
Sponsor: SFU Institute for the Humanities & Lawyers Rights Watch Canada
https://www.facebook.com/events/562967147452951/

Thursday,Nov. 1, 7 pm
Victoria
University of Victoria, Harry Hickman Bldg Room 105
Sponsor: Social Justice Studies & Victoria Peace Coalition

November 2
Victoria
(A discussion of NDP Palestine policy)
Location TBD

Monday, Nov. 5, 6 pm
Courtenay
Library, 300 6th St

Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2:30 pm
Nanaimo
Sponsor:  Vancouver Island University
Sponsor: Political Science Department

The Global Research News Hour airs every Friday at 1pm CT on CKUW 95.9FM in Winnipeg. The programme is also podcast at globalresearch.ca . Excerpts of the show have begun airing on Rabble Radio and appear as podcasts at rabble.ca.

The Global Research News Hour now airs Fridays at 6pm PST, 8pm CST and 9pm EST on Alternative Current Radio (alternativecurrentradio.com)

Community Radio Stations carrying the Global Research News Hour:

CHLY 101.7fm in Nanaimo, B.C – Thursdays at 1pm PT

Boston College Radio WZBC 90.3FM NEWTONS  during the Truth and Justice Radio Programming slot -Sundays at 7am ET.

Port Perry Radio in Port Perry, Ontario –1  Thursdays at 1pm ET

Burnaby Radio Station CJSF out of Simon Fraser University. 90.1FM to most of Greater Vancouver, from Langley to Point Grey and from the North Shore to the US Border.

It is also available on 93.9 FM cable in the communities of SFU, Burnaby, New Westminister, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Surrey and Delta, in British Columbia, Canada. – Tune in  at its new time – Wednesdays at 4pm PT.

Radio station CFUV 101.9FM based at the University of Victoria airs the Global Research News Hour every Sunday from 7 to 8am PT.

CORTES COMMUNITY RADIO CKTZ  89.5 out of Manson’s Landing, B.C airs the show Tuesday mornings at 10am Pacific time.

Cowichan Valley Community Radio CICV 98.7 FM serving the Cowichan Lake area of Vancouver Island, BC airs the program Thursdays at 6am pacific time.

Campus and community radio CFMH 107.3fm in  Saint John, N.B. airs the Global Research News Hour Fridays at 10am.

Caper Radio CJBU 107.3FM in Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia airs the Global Research News Hour starting Wednesday Morning from 8:00 to 9:00am. Find more details at www.caperradio.ca

RIOT RADIO, the visual radio station based out of Durham College in Oshawa, Ontario has begun airing the Global Research News Hour on an occasional basis. Tune in at dcstudentsinc.ca/services/riot-radio/

Radio Fanshawe: Fanshawe’s 106.9 The X (CIXX-FM) out of London, Ontario airs the Global Research News Hour Sundays at 6am with an encore at 4pm.

Los Angeles, California based Thepowerofvoices.com airs the Global Research News Hour every Monday from 6-7pm Pacific time. 

Notes:

  1. Shah, Anup. “War and the Media”; www.globalissues.org/article/157/war-propaganda-and-the-media
  2. Ridenour, Ron, “The Russian Peace Threat: Pentagon on Alert”, p. 489, Punto Press Publishing, Brewster, NY
  3. https://yvesengler.com/yves-books/

 


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Articles by: Michael Welch and Yves Engler

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