The PRC has a problem with extremism. Part of their challenge lies in Tibet where Buddhist monks self-immolate in the streets. I will set aside why monks are choosing to burn themselves to death (which I think we all can agree is an extreme act) in this blog, mostly because they are not engaging in […]
Category: Perspectives
There is no question that fear sells. The latest Stephen King film about an evil clown – It – grossed over $120 million in its first three days after all. We are odd in that we both fear fear and we are entertained by it – go figure. But fear is not always helpful, unless you […]
Remember the ‘refugee crisis’ of a few summers ago? We all were riveted by the pictures of hundreds of thousands of desperate Syrians, Iraqis and many others, risking their lives in overland journeys or even more perilous sea voyages, fleeing danger and violence in their homelands to start a new life in Europe. Some countries […]
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Thank God for incompetent terrorists
Yes, there are some very nasty terrorists who are very good at what they do, but there are also many who are only slightly above incompetent.
We in Canada have longstanding ties to the UK. We were, after all, part of the British Empire for a over a century and by Confederation a sizeable part of our population had come from the British Isles. Even well after 1867 immigration was dominated by Irish, Welsh, Scots and English families seeking a new […]
I don’t get it. We make a big deal of terrorism these days, too big in my opinion, but we have collectively decided that terrorism is a serious threat (which it is) and that we need to deal with it. Part of our response is making sure organisations like CSIS and the RCMP have enough […]
Scientists have made great progress in eradicating diseases that once maimed or killed millions of people. Think of smallpox. Or polio, which a few years ago was on the verge of disappearance though state instability and war have allowed it to cling to life. The reason why these scourges were defeated (apparently there is a […]
And so the debate continues on which terrorist movement(s) poses a bigger threat in the West. Is it really Islamic State and IS-inspired extremists or is this belief a symptom of Islamophobia? Or is it the collection of hate-filled racists and white supremacists as everyone seems to be saying? And what about the rise of […]
Before this piece goes any further I need to spell out that I am not a big fan of the use of force unless absolutely necessary (and when necessary it is best to use it wisely while still protecting the lives of the force wielders). Clearly it is required in some situations but if public […]
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The cutting edge of terrorism
When most people think about terrorism and terrorists they probably go immediately to explosives, suicide vests, firearms and, increasingly, the use of cars and vans. Attacks in which these ‘tools’ are used are ubiquitous and have become a scourge in far too many countries. Nary a day goes by without news about an incident somewhere […]