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 […]
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July 1 is of course an important day for Canadians. We may not wear our patriotism on our sleeve as often as out southern neighbours in the US, but July 1 – Canada Day – is an exception. Average Canadians drape themselves in the national red and white flag, paint maple leaves on their cheeks […]
We all know that hindsight is 20-20 – or at least we think it always is. There is no question that having the best information possible is better than not having it and that usually more information is better than less. If we knew then we what we know now we would certainly have made […]
I suppose I have to explain the title for this blog. I recall reading a book by English author H.E. Bates called Fair stood the wind for France back in high school about a British pilot that crash lands in Nazi-occupied France in WWII and ends up falling in love with the daughter of a […]
There is indeed good news coming out of western Iraq and eastern Syria these days. When is the last time anyone said that? Islamic State (IS), a truly barbaric terrorist group if there ever was one, is on the outs. It is about to lose Mosul and maybe even Raqqa and, according to recent reports, […]
A pattern is emerging when it comes to the aftermath of a terrorist attack in the West. People of all faiths and backgrounds denounce the attack, politicians swear that their nations will not be cowed by fear, candles and late-night vigils abound, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris is lit with the colours of the […]
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ISIS in Scarborough?
Once in a while I come across (or, in this case, have someone point me in the right direction) a story related to terrorism that surprises even me, a 30-year grizzled veteran of intelligence and counter terrorism. I saw a lot in my time at CSIS and had the incredibly amazing opportunity to work on […]
Terrorism is a charged term and for good reason. The crime evokes fear and an inability of states to keep their citizens safe from outside (or inside forces). And fear of course is the goal of those who are behind this nature of attack. Even if there is little agreement on how terrorism is defined […]
Earlier this morning the suspect in the Berlin Christmas market attack that killed 12 and wounded dozens more was shot to death by Italian police in Milan. An international manhunt ended successfully with the killing of Anis Amri, a Tunisian refugee who had spent time in Italy before moving on to Germany. He was known to […]
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When Monty Python meets terrorism
I was saddened to hear recently that a member of one of the funniest group of comedians ever to grace the screen is suffering from dementia. Terry Jones of the irreverent and very clever Monty Python troupe announced that he has the condition and will no longer be able to give interviews. A very dark […]