articles my EDITOR hesitateS to publish
The Threat to Academic Freedom
Prince George, BC, April 10, 2025 - Yale University professor Jason Stanley, who specializes in the study of fascism, is leaving the United States and will be teaching at the University of Toronto. When one sees the rising extremism, attacks on immigrants and visible minorities, attacks on the transgender community, coupled with attacks on universities under the Trump administration, one can see why a Jewish academic would seek freedom and safety for his family outside the United States.
Stanley points out that pro-Palestine protests have resulted in accusations of antisemitism and crackdowns on universities. With many of the protesting students and faculty themselves being Jewish, the accusation of antisemitism simply does not hold water. He warns that this is likely only the beginning of attacks on academic freedom, and he is disturbed to see universities, the legal system, and the media folding to the fascist pressures exerted upon them by the Trump administration. What is particularly alarming to Stanley and to many others is the very real fear that, “The history of this era will say that Jewish people were the sledgehammer for fascism.”
It is interesting that Stanley is going to the University of Toronto, where a peaceful student encampment for Palestinian solidarity was dismantled due to the threat of a police raid last July. We heard the same accusations of antisemitism, despite a strong Jewish presence among the students and faculty.
We need to remember that Canada also experienced violent police raids on peaceful student encampments, particularly in very conservative provinces. Amnesty International stated, “We are alarmed by the disproportionate use of force by law enforcement against peaceful protesters on university campuses in Alberta.” While the attacks on students were most violent at the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta, peaceful student protestors were subjected to court orders, criminal charges, academic consequences, and accusations of antisemitism across the entire country. Universities also largely ignored student demands to divest from industries supporting the death and violence being inflicted on Palestinian civilians.
In 2022, Independent Jewish Voices published a document entitled, “Unveiling the Chilly Climate – The Suppression of Speech on Palestine in Canada.” The climate remains unchanged, in fact, it may even be worse.
The fact that 55% of Canadians support a prohibition on weapons sales to Israel and 56% believe that Canada should uphold the International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not reflected by our government. One of Mark Carney’s first acts as Prime Minister was to name a non-Jewish, pro-Israel extremist, Marco Mendicino, as his Chief of Staff. Operation Ploughshares has also reported that Canada continues to produce weaponry for the Israeli military.
Of course, the condition of free speech in Canada could be much worse if the Conservative Party of Canada wins the federal election later this month. Pierre Poilievre’s party has continually attacked free expression on the Palestine issue, even within the House of Commons.
There is reason for Canadians to hold onto some optimism, but it requires that we vote responsibly in the upcoming election. A group called Vote Palestine has presented a platform that is supported by many candidates across the country. Most of these are New Democratic Party and Green Party members, but to his credit, Mark Carney has allowed Liberals to support the platform as well. Members of Poilievre’s party are conspicuously absent.
Bishop Desmond Tutu stated, “Gaza is going to test who believes in the worth of human beings.” It also seems to be testing who believes in free speech.
Jason Stanley is leaving the United States and seeking refuge in Canada because he recognized that the Palestine issue is merely the canary in the coal mine in the suppression of our freedoms. Let us hope that he is not disillusioned.
articles my EDITOR hesitateS to publish
The Destruction of Christianity
Prince George, BC, April 3, 2025 - At his final press conference in January, former American Secretary of State Anthony Blinken was confronted by award winning Jewish-American journalist Max Blumenthal who stated, “You helped destroy our religion Judaism by associating it with fascism.” As he was dragged away by security agents, Blumenthal asked, “Why did you sacrifice our commitment to a rules-based order on the mantle of your commitment to Zionism? Why did you allow my friends to be massacred?”
Blumental expressed the sentiments of many Jews around the world who have been the staunchest defenders of Palestinians’ right to live in peace in their indigenous homeland. They are not Zionists, and they see Zionism as a distortion of Judaism.
As a Christian constantly seeking enlightenment, I am strongly influenced by Jewish thought, with some of my favourite writers being Viktor Frankl, Noam Chomsky, and Gabor Maté, not to mention the Biblical prophets and the disciples of Jesus of Nazareth. I therefore recognize that Blumenthal and other Jewish activists are following this same tradition.
It is important to note that I am not a Roman Catholic, I am a Syriac Catholic. That is to say, the roots of my Christian faith are not in Europe, but in the Levant, the birthplace of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. While the message of Jesus is available to everyone, no matter where in the world they live, it was distorted when it reached powerful Europeans. In Europe, Christianity became the religion of the state, and the message was changed to justify class hierarchy and colonialism; things that Jesus would never have approved of. It also became quite antisemitic.
The difference between European and West Asian Christianity was on clear display in Spain in the late 15th century, when Jews were ethnically cleansed from the region. Many found a home in the Levant. My grandparents’ city of Aleppo, Syria is well known for having welcomed Jewish refugees. Historian Ussama Makdisi points out that while there were occasion conflicts between Christians and Muslims in the Ottoman Empire, it is difficult to find evidence of any tensions toward Jews. That is, until Europeans became involved in the region, especially in the 20thand 21st centuries.
In Europe, the United States and Canada, Christian colonialism led to the genocide of Indigenous populations, accompanied by the rise of Christian nationalism. This provided fertile ground for the rise of Christian Zionism, which advocates for Jews to leave Europe and North America, move to Israel, and prepare for the return of Jesus. It should also be noted that Christian Zionists far outnumber Jewish Zionists. Unfortunately, the promotion of the State of Israel that they believe will bring about their rapturous entry into heaven has resulted in the deaths incalculable numbers of Jews, Christians and Muslims in the Levant, and may even lead to a Third World War.
The Encyclopedia Britannicatells us, “Cultural appropriation takes place when members of a majority group adopt cultural elements of a minority group in an exploitative, disrespectful, or stereotypical way.” Is this not exactly what Europeans and North Americans have done with Christianity? I therefore relate to Blumenthal’s anger toward Anthony Blinken because it is the same anger that I feel when I see how the religion that my family has practiced for 2000 years is being used to justify violence directed at my own people.
It is time for Western Christians to recognize that Jesus of Nazareth was not a blond-haired, blue-eyed racial supremacist. He was a Palestinian Jew who is biologically linked to the people of the Levant. Some of these people remained Jewish, some became Christian, and others adopted Islam. All love Jesus and relate to him as one who walks among them.
Jesus practiced compassion for all people. It is time for Western Christians to begin to embrace real, Christlike love.
articles my EDITOR hesitateS to publish
This Chaos All Started with the Powell Memo
Prince George, BC, March 27, 2025 - American Vice President JD Vance recently stated, “Judges aren’t allowed to control the executive’s legitimate power.”
It is extraordinary that a person who went to a prestigious law school would make such a statement. It is absolutely vital that an independent judiciary hold lawmakers and other government bodies accountable to the principles of democracy. Otherwise, a government could simply become an elected dictatorship.
A case in point happened in Canada in the early 2000s. The BC Liberals had a huge majority in the Legislative Assembly in 2002, and felt empowered to strip the collective bargaining agreement of BC teachers. The BC Teachers’ Federation took the government to court, and while it took 15 years, the Supreme Court of Canada finally ruled in the teachers’ favour. If our courts are to be criticized, it is because they move very slowly and are too costly for ordinary citizens to benefit from their protection, unless they act collectively as the BC teachers did.
The framers of the American government understood the importance of checks and balances, so it is particularly puzzling to hear a person who claims to love America like JD Vance criticize the founding principles of his country. The Federal Government of the United States is made up of three branches, the legislative, judicial and executive. None has absolute power. For example, the president (executive) can veto a law passed by congress (legislative) and the courts (judicial) can rule a law unconstitutional. One reason why Donald Trump was held in check during his first term as president was because of this system.
Unfortunately, the system put in place to preserve democracy in the United States and elsewhere has been under assault for decades. After the rise of consumer and environmental advocacy in the 1960s, corporate America was presented with the Powell Memo in 1971. This was written by corporate lawyer Lewis Powell, who, interestingly, went on to become a justice in the Supreme Court of the United States.
Over the decades, corporations became more and more powerful, and government institutions put in place to protect ordinary citizens were gutted. Today in the United States, many would argue that with their ability to fund elections and lobby politicians, the corporations now control America. The tactics put forward by the Powell Memo have also had a negative impact on democracies in other countries, including Canada.
Is the Trumpian chaos consuming the United States the inevitable result of corporate control of that country? Are their democratic institutions strong enough to survive the current onslaught against them?
The answer may be found by listening to the person whose consumer advocacy movement was specifically mentioned in the Powell Memo, Ralph Nader. Powell stated that he “had become a legend in his own time and an idol of millions of Americans.”
Nader is now 91 years old, and despite efforts to discredit and marginalize him, he continues to fight for democracy and corporate accountability. He has also inspired countless others to engage in this effort. Many of these people are featured on his weekly podcast, the Ralph Nader Radio Hour, which provides a voice of reason in our troubled world.
Nader has been warning about the impact of the attack on the principles of the American Constitution for decades, but, unfortunately, he has been largely shut out by the corporate media, and few seem to be listening.
As we prepare to vote in Canada, it is important we recognize that while corporations play a valuable role in our capitalist system, we need effective means to hold them accountable. We also need to pay attention when politicians attack the institutions that are essential to democracy, notably our unbiased judiciary, our free and objective press, accompanied by academic freedom and the right to protest.
Is it too late for America to recover? Hopefully the Trump administration is a wake-up call for citizens of democracies around the world.
What to Expect in 2025
Prince George, BC, January 2, 2025/Troy Media/ - What will happen in 2025? It is a question we ask about each new year as it begins. Of course, no one knows the answer to this question, but we can look at historical patterns to gain an idea of what is likely to happen if certain actions are taken.
First, we need to understand that wars of aggression are never a good idea. More territory may be taken, but occupying another nation is an endless drain on a country’s resources. In addition, one will always face tremendous resistance in fighting against people defending their homeland. It is always most economically expedient to develop mutually beneficial relationships with other nations.
Secondly, “shock and awe” methods of warfare only lead to short-term gains. When civilian populations are bombed it has the metaphorical impact of swatting a beehive with a stick. One will get stung and be forced to retreat.
Thirdly, while Western military weaponry was once the most effective and advanced in the world, other countries have now caught up. In essence, Western countries and their allies are paying huge sums of money for weaponry that is proving inferior to what is produced more cheaply in other countries. This could change in the future, but in 2025, the West has no response to the Russian Oreshnik missile.
Fourthly, Western politicians need to be mindful of the fact that young people understand the realities of war and will not volunteer for the military. Whereas in World War I, it was relatively easy to manipulate the media to create a frenzy of support for “God and King”, this is now impossible. Western governments may use air and missile attacks, but there can be no follow-up with boots on the ground.
It is also significant to note that the West, and in particular the United States, has become more isolated politically and economically. We see this not only in votes in the United Nations General Assembly, but in the growth of influence of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) nations. In addition, the International Monetary Fund reports, “an ongoing gradual decline in the (US) dollar’s share of allocated foreign reserves of central banks and governments.” Perceived support for Israel’s aggressions against Palestinians has also resulted in significant losses for American companies, and one wonders what the long-term impact of this shift in consumer spending will be for both the United States and their allies.
The unavoidable reality is that the American Empire has weakened itself in the last 30 years largely due to failed military exploits. To continue to attack other countries, either directly as was done in Afghanistan and Iraq, or through proxies, as is currently being done in Ukraine and Israel, will only hasten this decline. It could also lead to World War III.
Of course, there is an alternative to world war. There are structures in place that provide a mechanism to settle disputes through negotiation rather than military aggression. We have a system of international humanitarian law, which if respected, will significantly reduce the risk of further violence. In addition, international economic collaboration is far more conducive to long-term stability than exploitation and isolationism.
What will be written in the history books about 2025? Will we build a better world, or will we destroy what we and our ancestors have built? We can naively ignore our current reality and continue on the road to military aggression, or we can come to our senses, accept the situation as it is, deal effectively with the mistakes we have made, and begin to work together.
articles my EDITOR hesitateS to publish
Media Bias Case Study
A ceasefire deal to end the killing in Gaza and the release of Israeli hostages has been negotiated just in time for Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration. Whatever we call the humanitarian catastrophe endured since October of 2023, it will always be associated with American President Joe Biden and his administration.
We have learned much over the last 15 months; our world is forever changed. Now we are left with many more questions. To find the answers, fewer and fewer people are looking to the mainstream media, with alternative news sources now filling the void, especially among younger generations.
There is a huge difference between mainstream and alternative news coverage, especially when it comes to the Biden-sponsored assault on Gaza. Two events in Toronto in 2024 illustrate what appears to be an anti-Palestine bias in the mainstream media, though the bias also extends to law enforcement and government.
In February of last year, during a protest in downtown Toronto, a character dubbed “Spiderman for Palestine” climbed from building to building raising a Palestinian flag. One of these buildings was Mount Sanai Hospital, a Jewish institution. This was immediately condemned as an act of antisemitism by everyone from the Mayor of Toronto to the Prime Minister of Canada.
Chelsey Lichtman of Jews Say No To Genocide, one of the organizers of the march, said, “Spiderman for Palestine is somebody who commonly comes to these protests and is a climbing expert. There was no specific targeting of any of the structures that he chose to climb.”
Despite the reasonable doubt as to the motivation of Spiderman for Palestine, an editorial in the National Post concluded, « They protested a Jewish hospital because they hate Jews, or at the very least are entirely tolerant of people who hate Jews….Everyone knows it. »
Several months later, in the Toronto neighbourhood of Leslieville, vandals stenciled the words « F*** Gaza » using spray paint on everything from bus shelters to planter boxes. Instead of calling this an alleged act of anti-Palestinian racism or a potential hate crime, the Toronto Police charged three suspects with « mischief to property under $5,000. »
What is especially interesting is that the incident received almost no coverage in the mainstream media. A headline in the Toronto Sun simply stated, “3 charged, 1 wanted after city properties vandalized over Middle East conflict. »
Most of what we know comes from independent Toronto journalist Samira Mohyeddin, who has confirmed that one of the suspects is Robert Walker, assistant director of the Israeli media watchdog Honest Reporting Canada.
I would be remiss not to address the potential accusation of schadenfreude directed at both Mohyeddin and me because Honest Reporting Canada has many times targeted our journalism. I have even been accused of being anti-Israel.
My readers will note that I consistently promote human rights and international law. More than anything, I want all people, including those in the Levant, to live in peace, regardless of their religion. I recognize Israel’s right to exist, and I am deeply concerned about the long-term impact of Israel’s current policies. One only needs to look at historical patterns to see the warning signs. Napoleon’s unending military aggression, for example, led to his downfall.
I also wish no ill on Mr. Walker, but I am puzzled by his alleged actions.
One thing is clear: The world wants an end to violence. We want politicians and journalists who are fair and honest because truth leads to peace. Promoting human rights is not a partisan effort; all individuals everywhere deserve great respect.
For the moment, Donald Trump is the world’s hero for achieving a ceasefire when Joe Biden could only make excuses while thousands upon thousands of innocent children were traumatized and murdered.
May President Trump’s ceasefire endure so that Palestinians, Israelis, and all people of West Asia can live in equality, peace, and prosperity.