The Canadian Dissident

Today marks the 1st anniversary of the Canadian Dissident! I wrote 20 articles over the past year on a variety of topics relevant to ongoing events in Canada, from healthcare to warfare. Here's a quick look at some of the most popular articles from this successful first year: Hospital Capacity is Not a New Problem This was the year's most popular article, with over 700 views. I outlined the long-term capacity crisis in Canadian hospitals, especially in Ontario and Manitoba, from 2011 to 2020. We're Not "All in This Together" While Canadians endured lockdowns and restrictions, politicians partied, profited, and played by a different set of rules. Why Canada Needs Decentralization Giving more power to the provinces and municipalities would strengthen Canadian democracy.  Canadian Muslims Under Attack Muslims and mosques have been violently targeted in recent years. Only education can prevent the violence from escalating. Trudeau Campaigning on Authoritarian New Laws

Since Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the possibility of war spreading to other Eastern European countries has become a very real danger. Multiple NATO countries are at risk of Russian invasion, including Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. If any NATO country is attacked, Canada is obligated by Article 5 of NATO's founding treaty to come to their aid. This may include " the use of armed force " if deemed necessary. However, sending troops is not required by the treaty. The reality is Canada has nothing to gain from joining a war in Europe, and everything to lose. Canada is currently burdened by record-high debt, and any military action would be very costly. For example,  the  Afghanistan War  cost Canadians an estimated $18 billion. The human cost was also high. 165 Canadians were killed and over 2000 Canadian soldiers were injured. Thousands more were diagnosed with PTSD after deployment. A war against Russia, which has one of the world's larg

A protest against covid-19 restrictions outside the Alberta Legislature, February 22, 2022. Every province in Canada, except for British Columbia, has announced a plan to drop vaccine passports. As of today, 7 provinces have already ended vaccine passport requirements. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and PEI dropped vaccine passports in February. Today Ontario and Manitoba followed suit. Quebec and Newfoundland both plan to end their vaccine passport programs by March 14. This leaves British Columbia as the last province holding on to vaccine passports. Despite declining covid-19 hospitalizations and a high vaccination rate, the province has yet to announce any end to their vaccine passport program. However, the province's health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has suggested some restrictions may lift by spring. "Looking ahead, as we expect transmission to continue to decrease and the weather gets warmer… we will likely no longer need those extra layers of protecti

Supporters cheer on the arrival of the Truckers Convoy in Ottawa ( @steveglwalsh / Steve Walsh Photography) The ongoing "Truckers for Freedom" convoy is an example of a real populist protest and a genuine grassroots movement. It wasn't started by politicians or celebrities. It was started by truckers and other working class Canadians - insignificant "nobodies." It's not funded by big businesses or political parties, but $7 million (and counting) has been donated by thousands of individual Canadians. Politicians like Jason Kenney and Erin O'Toole only voiced their support after the convoy started and it became apparent that hundreds of thousands of Canadians were cheering the truckers on. But n o major politicians were involved in starting or organizing the convoy. Contrast the MAGA (Make America Great Again) "movement" in the United States, which was founded and funded by billionaire-politician Donald Trump. MAGA was never a genuine grassroots