4/10/20
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to hold the world’s attention, Canada has decided to resume selling weapons to the butcher regime in Saudi Arabia. An April 9 release from Global Affairs Canada entitled “Canada improves terms of light armored vehicles contract, putting in place a new robust permits review process” stretches the limits of feel-good government double-talk, effectively stating that the country is willing to trade jobs for its principles, albeit with a bit more transparency and an “arms-length advisory panel of experts who will review best practices regarding arms exports.” Well, that’s all sorted then. And never mind the timing. As journalist Martin Lukacs put it on Twitter, “Thursday afternoon before a four-day weekend in the midst of a global media-monopolizing pandemic… the perfect time for Liberals to announce they’ve green-lighted exporting more death machines to the Saudi dictators.” I guess Canada is back, but hoping no one was watching.
Last year, Global Affairs Canada disputed the claim that there would be “negative consequences” from Canadian exports of military equipment to the Saudi regime. Experts immediately pushed back. I know who I believe. Canada’s inconsistency and two-faced treachery is maddening. I’d call it a Faustian bargain, but it’s far worse. At least Faust wanted knowledge; Canada already has knowledge. We know this is a bad deal with bad people sending dangerous weapons abroad that have a significant likelihood of being misused — or, rather, used as intended. The government of Canada ought to be ashamed of itself for going forward with this deal. And Canadians ought to be ashamed of their government for doing so. The decision is wrong. The decision is immoral. The decision ought to be condemned. The decision ought to be reversed. And, in the meantime, Canadians ought to give careful consideration to the chasm between what Canada says it prefers, values and represents, and how it behaves when put to the test.
