An Introduction to This Blog

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An introduction to this blog:

At this moment in time, it is an understatement to say that as a country we are facing unprecedented challenges to our political, economic and strategic well-being.  Our sovereignty and distinct identity as a nation, developed and refined over the past 158 years is under threat from a long-time neighbour as well as new and recycled global powers.



In the tumult of our times there is no shortage of commentators, think-tanks and research institutes attempting to lean into the topics of the day, and I do not intend, nor am I able to compete with them and their capable army of researchers.

However, I do intend to provide my readers with a different perspective from my vantage point as a Canadian who has lived, studied, practiced and taught global business and followed political and economic events for the better part of my adult life.

In part, our perspectives are shaped by our experience and my experiences have informed many of my views. As a student in primary school, marshalled into the hallways or stuffed under our desks, in a faint hope to survive a nuclear strike from our Cold War adversary, I have experienced the threats of a potential Armageddon. As a young adult travelling through a guarded corridor to an encircled Berlin, I have pondered the massive barrier dividing people and their freedom behind the competing ideologies of east and west, of communism and capitalism. As an instructor in front of my Chinese students under the watchful eye and cameras of my Chinese hosts, I have experienced first hand the subtle tensions imbedded in our international relations.

I also admit my bias as a proud Canadian, coupled with the recognition that while we merit the admiration of the world, we are not perfect. Our challenges from within are just as pressing as those we face externally. Nevertheless, I firmly believe that if we face them squarely, with a cold and calculating eye to continuous improvement, we will prevail as an enviable society while other nations, consumed by destructive ideology, eventually falter.

Consequently, my opinions and the views expressed in subsequent pages of this blog are my own, informed from a Canadian context and based upon the experiences and observations I have collected over many years. In all these things I remain a life long student, and where other sources are relied upon, they will be properly attributed and cited.

Finally, it is my hope that, you, the reader who may spend their precious time following my posts, will find my blog at the very least entertaining, or at best, interesting and useful to understanding the world as it is in our time.

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