by DIMITRI LASCARIS
In a scandal that threatens to lose Justin Trudeau the next election, several pictures of Canadian prime minister doing blackface have emerged. Margaret Kimberley of Black Agenda Report explains why the recent scandal highlights the trouble with the idea that Canada is somehow a more benign version of the U.S.
Watch Kimberly discuss Canadian politics in the video above the transcript.
DIMITRI LASCARIS: This is Dimitri Lascaris reporting from Herald Square in New York City at the People’s Mobilization Against the U.S. War Machine and To Save The Planet.
And I’m here today with Margaret Kimberley of Black Agenda Report, who just spoke on stage and addressed the crowd here today. Thank you very much for joining, Margaret.
MARGARET KIMBERLY: Thank you. Thank you for having me, Dimitri.
DIMITRI LASCARIS: My pleasure. So, as you and I were discussing just a moment ago, you were making some interesting comments about Canada’s role in the whole project of U.S. imperialism, which I found quite interesting–not just because I’m Canadian, but also because as a Canadian I’m constantly being told about how we are different from the United States and we have this wonderful political capital on the world stage, and we can be such an effective mediator and peacemaker. What do you make of that narrative? Do you think there’s legitimacy to it? And if not, why not?
MARGARET KIMBERLY: Well, the problem is that Canada is the U.S.’s partner. Canada is a member of NATO, Canada’s part of the G-7, so Canada is a partner in crime to the United States. Canada makes common cause with Ukraine, where they’ve put neo-Nazis–maybe they’re not neo, maybe we shouldn’t use that–people who are openly fascist in Ukraine’s government. Canada has helped the U.S. in its attack on Venezuela, upheld the sanctions against Venezuela. Canada’s mining interests have a role in Haiti; Canada’s helped occupy Haiti. Canada is pro-Zionist and anti-Palestinian.
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