Canada and the New American Empire: War and Anti-War

The first major collection of essays to examine Canada’s role in opposing the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, deeply examining the ramifications for Canada-US relations on multilateralism and national sovereignty.

The US invasion of Iraq in 2003 sent shock waves around the world. The unilateral decision to invade Iraq and overthrow its government was opposed by many nations and citizens. Prior to the invasion, tens of millions of people around the globe marched with one voice demanding peace and calling for restraint in the face of the looming threats of war. This outpouring of global protest was an unprecedented expression of popular sentiment that challenged self-serving political and corporate interests.

Recognizing this open opposition from governments and the public, Canada refused to join the invasion even though it was a long-time ally of the United States and enjoyed a beneficial relationship with the superpower. The influential contributors to Canada and the New American Empire discuss the ramifications of this decision to Canada-US Relations from the standpoint of multilateralism and national sovereignty.

This is the first major collection of essays on Canada’s role in opposing the war. It documents and analyses how Canada and Canadians furthered peace and democracy at a crucial time in the nation’s history.

With Contributions By: Coleen Baumier, Arthur Clark, Trudy Govier, Robert Hackett, Jim Harding, Mel Hurtig, Imtiaz Hussain, Tareq Y. Ismael, Jacqueline S. Ismael, Don Lovett, Goerge Melnyk, Joyce Patel, Satya R. Pattnayak, Bill Phipps, Scott Ritter, Douglas Roche, and David Swann

George Melnyk teaches in the Department of Communication and Culture at the University of Calgary. He is co-editor (with Tamara Palmer Seiler) of The Wild Rose Anthology of Alberta Prose (University of Calgary Press). He is also known for his two-volume Literary History of Alberta.

Introduction

From War to Peace
George Melnyk

Thinking: Canada’s Involvement in American Wars

The US or the UN: A Choice for Canada
Douglas Roche

Canadian Mass Media and the Middle East
Tareq Y. Ismael and Jacqueline S. Ismael

The John Wayne Fallacy: How Logic Helps Us Lose Our Faith in Violence
Trudy Govier

The Humanitarian Dimension of the US-Iraq Relations
Colleen Beaumier and Joyce Patel

The War on Iraq, the Bush Doctrine, and Canada’s Future
Jim Harding

Acting: Peace Activism and the Global Anti-War Movement

Finding My Voice for Peace
David Swann

Faithful Counterpoint to War
Bill Phipps

Peace Activism: A Canadian’s Involvement in the Iraq Conflict
Donn Lovett

Iraq, International Law and Responsible Citizenship in the Twenty-first Century
Arthur Clark

Drumbeating for War? Media versus Peace and Democracy
Robert Hackett

On Being Trapped in the Paradigm of Endless War: A Peace Option for Canada
George Melnyk

Observing: International Perspectives on Canada’s Role in the New Empire

Squandered Responsibility: Canada and the Disarming of Iraq
Scott Ritter

Doggone Diplomacy? The Iraq War, North American Bilateralism and Beyond
Imatiz Hussain

The Moral Superiority Complex in the United States for Peace Poses a Moral Dillema for Canada
Satya R. Pattnayak

Afterword

Canada’s Defence and Foreign Policy Independence: Is This Our Last Chance?
Mel Hurtig

Notes on Contributors