Dangers in Canada's Integration into the U.S. War Machine
The situation in Ukraine shows how important it is to elaborate why Canada should get out of NATO and NORAD and how Canada's membership in NATO and NORAD are factors that contribute to war. Getting out of these and other aggressive alliances will make a contribution to peace internationally and contribute to the pro-social development of the economy.
There is a great
pressure at this time to make the issue
whether
Russia was or was not justified in its action in Ukraine.
CPC(M-L) has
indicated that the action was provoked by the U.S. and NATO.
This hits
at the heart of the matter, which is what are the factors for
war
internationally and what
contributes to peace? The Canadian government deliberately
presents the
situation as if Russia is acting irrationally, and repeats that
this
was an "unprovoked" attack. This is done to make the issue
Russia and
its actions, and to deliberately hide what Canada has done and
is doing
in the service of
the U.S. and its war machine to foment conflict and prepare for
war.
This creates the conditions for war itself. When conflict takes
place,
as it has over the prospect of Ukraine becoming a member of
NATO, then
all the war preparations aimed at Russia as the "threat" are
presented
as justified,
which is the height of cynicism and fraud. Canadians must speak
out now
to make clear that the escalation of war preparations is not the
way
forward and will only fan the flames of war.
Prior to the September federal election, the Trudeau Liberal government announced plans to spend more than $553 billion on war preparations over the next 20 years. Much of this funding will go into the U.S. war economy to purchase fighter jets, armed drones and other implements of war. It will be taken from the value produced by Canadian workers and handed over to the war monopolies.
TML pointed out that "This increased spending was confirmed the day before the election call when Canada's Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin issued a joint statement agreeing to 'modernize' NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defence Command, and outlining 'priority areas for new investments.'
"Canada and the United States share a desire to coordinate in fielding new capabilities to complement and eventually replace the North Warning System with more advanced technological solutions as soon as possible. Ensuring effective awareness ultimately requires a system-of-systems approach including a network of Canadian and U.S. sensors from the sea floor to outer space."
It further pointed out: "'System-of-systems' is Pentagon jargon for Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD). NORAD modernization includes the positioning of U.S. missiles in Canada and weaponization of outer space as part of the U.S. ballistic missile shield. When BMD is declared operational, the U.S. and its war allies including the Canadian government believe and will then declare that 'a U.S. nuclear war is winnable' and a pre-emptive nuclear strike could be used. The U.S. war economy since 2014 has conducted 17 BMD tests of its 'system-of-systems' to 'destroy incoming ballistic missiles.'"[1]
There is a constant attempt to create conditions for Canada to join BMD in opposition to the public opinion that exists in Canada against such a thing. Canada joining would mean handing over more territory, money and authority over Canadian affairs to the U.S. military.
In the past, especially following 9/11, the pretext used by the U.S. was the need to protect itself from terrorist or rogue states. At the time Canadians spoke out all across the country against having any part of missile defence. Following the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and Canadians' strong opposition to that war of aggression coupled with their steadfast refusal to accept the placement of U.S. missiles in Canada, then Prime Minister Paul Martin, with his government in a minority situation, announced Canada would not participate.
Later, under Harper, the justification became one of countering an alleged attack from Iran and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). After the Harper government made its contribution to trying to destroy public opinion on the question of missile defence, the Trudeau Liberals took up the mantle, albeit very quietly, when they were elected.
No doubt now with the response of Russia to NATO's constant provocations the Canadian ruling class may see it as an "opportunity" to let the cat out of the bag that they intend to pursue missile defence after all. Only now the pretext switches from a supposed threat to "North America" from Iran, or the DPRK, to Russia. Meanwhile the year by year increase in U.S. missiles on land and sea surrounding Russia, China and the DPRK is not to be considered a threat to those countries. What's good for the goose is not good for the gander.
The issue of the placement of U.S.-controlled missile systems in Eastern Europe and on Russia's borders is a serious matter, showing why NATO's expansion must be taken seriously. It is not just about embroiling more countries in the U.S. war machine, but expanding NATO's offensive weapons in existing NATO member countries.
For example, it was reported in November 2021 that a land-based Aegis surface-to-air missile system, also misnamed a Ballistic Missile Defence System, will be made operational at the end of 2022 in Redzikowo, Poland. The system has been there for a number of years; however the decision to make it operational was taken by the U.S. last year. Redzikowo is roughly 200 km from the border of Russia's port city of Kaliningrad. It also sits right on the Baltic Sea.
Such a system called "Aegis Ashore" already exists in Romania and has been operational since 2015. The Aegis system was originally designed to be based on ships. In 2017 the U.S. had 33 ships with the Aegis system on board, marauding the maritime borders of its adversaries in both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Japan also has four warships with the systems, which it uses to patrol the waters around China and the DPRK.
It is important to note that these systems are not simply meant for defence against incoming missiles. They are first-strike systems meant to hit mid- to long-range targets on land, sea or in the air. This was clearly revealed for example when in July 2020 the head of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command asked Congress to fund such a system in 2022, to be built in 2026 for Guam, to prepare for war with China. He made it clear that the system could provide offensive "long-range precision strike capability into the First Island Chain." The First Island Chain is defined by the U.S. as the chain of islands that begins at the Kuril Islands, runs through the Japanese Archipelago, the Ryukyu Islands and the island of Taiwan, the northwestern portion of the Philippines (particularly the islands of Luzon, Mindoro and Palawan) and finishes towards Borneo. The decision to place such a system in Guam, an unincorporated U.S. territory, came following Japan's cancellation of plans for such a system to be placed on its territory.[2]
The massive amount of public funds and corruption that goes along with such missile systems in the interests of the U.S. war machine is astounding. Each installation costs billions of dollars -- not to mention the destruction of the local environment and takeover of territory in the host country, with the U.S. military put in command of it.
The U.S. and NATO would no doubt want to place similar systems in Ukraine as well as the Canadian Arctic as part of preparing for war with their rivals. As far as Canada goes, the U.S. has made this very clear, and the Canadian ruling circles have already indicated it is something they also want to pursue. Canadians must remember that the Canadian Arctic shares a maritime border with Russia as well as a land border with Alaska. These territories are the hereditary lands of the Inuit and other Indigenous peoples and belong to them.
In the face of the dangerous provocations of NATO and the escalation of war preparations it is critical that Canadians speak out against attempts to expand NATO, modernize NORAD and other euphemisms for increasing the militarization of the economy and turning Canada into a base for U.S.-led wars and provocations against the peoples of the world.
Notes
This article was published in
Volume 52
Number 3 - March 1, 2022
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2022/Articles/MS52035.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca