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August 13, 2008

Thought for the Day

MI5, which reports that Russian agents in Britain are now back at Cold War levels, regards Russia as the third most serious threat to British security after terrorism and nuclear proliferation.
- The Times

Posted by David Mader at 12:56 AM | (0) | Back to Main

August 12, 2008

Georgia

Nobody has any answers, because nobody really knows what the damn question is yet. I'm not going to pretend I know anything. I merely point out the following:

(1) Canada shares a contested border with Russia.

(2) The contested border area may contain substantial natural resources.

(3) The likelihood that Russia would seek to gain control of those resources militarily is exceedingly remote.

(4) If the Russians did decide to seize the arctic by force, they would succeed.

(5) Canada cannot hope to win a military conflict with Russia.

(6) Canada can further diminish the already remote chance of a military conflict with Russia through a combination of clever diplomacy and steely-eyed preparedness.

So if I were in Ottawa, I'd be recruiting clever, soft-spoken diplomats; and I'd be looking for a very, very big stick.

Posted by David Mader at 01:05 AM | (1) | Back to Main

August 04, 2008

You Might Almost Say He's Not a Leader

It's innocuous in the abstract, but have you ever seen a news report about Harper that reads like this?

Despite the dare and double dare election hysteria unfolding in recent weeks, Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion has been advised to cool his summertime desire for an early fall election and postpone his encounter with voters and the Conservatives believe Dion will heed the advice.
Here's some free advice to the Liberal leader, from a guy who admittedly has no political experience: when you've been defined as a guy who lacks leadership, try not to play to type.

Posted by David Mader at 11:36 AM | (0) | Back to Main