This is not an original thought. Somewhere, almost a week ago, on a blog I only go to for news about Russia vs. NATO stuff (where most of the commentors deny global warming and the dangers of COVID) there was a link to a site that said the Canada vs. India spat [wherein J. Trudeau accused the Modi government of assassinating on Canadian soil, a Canadian citizen who was a Sikh advocate of Sikh separatism] was mainly about the USA putting Modi off-balance.
The USA was not happy that Modi successfully resisted pressure to have an anti-Russian message be agreed upon at India's hosted G-20 summit. [When I mentioned US plans to compel Modi to do this to an intelligent co-worker of Indian origins (a Sikh, ironically), he said (as if it was the most obvious thing in the world) "But Russia is our friend."] Trudeau is citing "Five-Eyes" intelligence. Trudeau (like stephen harper and most Canadian PM's before him) was willing to serve as the USA's attack miniature-poodle against China in the bullshit lawfare case against Meng Wanzhou, and there's no doubt he would have even less of a problem stepping on India's toes. (Canada had more to jeopardize by pissing off China given our much lower interaction with India.)
This isn't to say that Modi couldn't have had Hardeep Singh Nijjar killed. Just that I can also see that the USA could use Canada to send a message to Modi to register its displeasure with his benign neutrality towards Russia.
2 comments:
Well, whether it's cynical international politics or cynical domestic politics (just to wrap himself in the flag and look tough and get a badly needed poll bump) or both, it's certainly cynical politics.
And yet, I'm finding it curiously refreshing. These days, cynical politics almost always involve doing bad things that are bad for the country and (nearly all of) its people. This time, at least the cynical reasons are working on behalf of defending Canadian sovereignty and citizens. And really, I think it's pretty likely India offed the guy. So like, doing the right thing for the wrong reasons is better than doing the wrong thing for the wrong reasons, which is what we usually get.
(Consider: Ultimately, all non-revolutionary left politics is about forcing decision-makers to do the right thing for the wrong reasons)
PLG,
Oh yeah. I didn't want to give the impression I'm indifferent to Modi having a Canadian citizen killed on our own soil. I pretty much agree with everything you wrote. Trudeau should speak out against such arrogant behaviour.
Of course, if he has to, Trudeau would probably fist-bump Modi six months from now. Just like Biden did with the "pariah" Clown Prince Bonesaw.
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