Canada Is in the War Business
Oct 25, 2016
Let's not kid ourselves, Canada is in the war business
Why the Canadian government hasn't criticized Saudi Arabia for its brutal attacks in Yemen [?]
Neil Macdonald, CBC.
Canada has a conflict of interest because Saudi Arabia is the No. 1 customer for our military business. The 14-year $14.8 billion contract to sell Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) is just 0.20% of Canadian exports annually but Canada's business reputation and 3000 jobs are at stake. There is no win-win here. Faced with a choice between a big business deal and 3000 Canadian jobs versus the safety of innocent civilians in far-away countries, Harper chose Canada and Trudeau did the same. Canadians, not the innocent civilians of Yemen elected them Prime Minister.
Other arms exporting countries are not clean either.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon used simple and clear language in his address to the General Assembly:
Powerful patrons that keep feeding the war machine also have blood on their hands. Present in this Hall today are representatives of governments that have ignored, facilitated, funded, participated in or even planned and carried out atrocities inflicted by all sides of the Syria conflict against Syrian civilians.