Creating a Failed State: The U.S. and Canada in Afghanistan

Taking the stance that the mainstream media sugarcoats Canada's involvement in the U.S.'s war in Afghanistan—and equates "supporting the troops" with supporting the war—this analysis looks at Canada's role in light of the politics of oil and U.S. imperialism, making heated calls for Canada's withdrawal. It is argued that the intent of capturing Osama bin Laden was merely a guise for the U.S.'s desire to dominate internationally, and that Canada's historical role of essentially following U.S. foreign policy makes it impossible to justify their continued presence and should be questioned more fervently as an imperialist quest for oil and gas resources.

Taking the stance that the mainstream media sugarcoats Canada's involvement in the U.S.'s war in Afghanistan—and equates "supporting the troops" with supporting the war—this analysis looks at Canada's role in light of the politics of oil and U.S. imperialism, making heated calls for Canada's withdrawal. It is argued that the intent of capturing Osama bin Laden was merely a guise for the U.S.'s desire to dominate internationally, and that Canada's historical role of essentially following U.S. foreign policy makes it impossible to justify their continued presence and should be questioned more fervently as an imperialist quest for oil and gas resources.

John W. Warnock is a former professor of political economy and sociology at the University of Regina and is the author of The Other Mexico, The Politics of Hunger: The Global Food System, and Saskatchewan: The Roots of Discontent and Protest. He lives in Regina, Saskatchewan.