Canada is not the country most Canadians remember, or wish it to be. If anything, the majority in this country consider the country's role is to be a just arbiter at home, and moderating force abroad. Maintaining these principles, modern Canada has managed to survive two world wars, a cold war that pitted the nation squarely between two nuclear armed powers, and helped it navigate safely a series of increasingly destructive economic shocks. In all this, moderation has served Canada well, without the overt predatorial behaviour of our behemoth neighbour south. That's all changed now.

I wrote that introduction for Yves Engler, author, political analyst, and activist from Montreal last year, and sadly things have not changed for the better. Yves was here at UVic last speaking on the recent UN rebuff of Canada's attempt for a seat on the UN's Security Council. That seat went to Portugal. Engler lays the blame for that failure of diplomacy squarely at the feet of the Harper government, and its retrogressive international policies. Engler says:

"Harper's Conservatives have gone out of their way to make enemies and alienate countries around the world. Under Harper, Canada has repeatedly sabotaged international climate negotiations; obstructed efforts to reschedule the Congo's debt; failed to cut aid to the Honduran military government after it removed elected president Manuel Zelaya; repeatedly criticized the Venezuelan government; signed a free-trade agreement with Latin America's most repressive state; militarized aid to Haiti; flew fighter jets near Russian airspace; unconditionally supported Israel against the Palestinians, paved the way for a possible attack on Iran; rejected a proposal to make diplomatic and financial support for resource companies operating overseas contingent upon socially responsible conduct; supported torture in Afghanistan and embraced an increasingly violent counterinsurgency war; and lost the vote for a seat at the UN Security Council. The result? Canada has few friends left in international bodies."

Yves Engler is author of the books, 'Canada in Haiti: Waging War on the Poor Majority,' (co-authored with Anthony Fenton) 'Canada and Israel: Building Apartheid,' and most recently, 'The Black Book of Canadian Foreign Policy: '  

Yves Engler recorded live last week at UVic, today for the full hour.