A significant issue that has generated much heated discussion on the left is not over whether Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine is justifiable. Few, that is very few, say it is. Rather the key question is whether raising the issue of NATO enlargement distracts from the atrocity of Putin’s aggression. Indeed, some on the left accuse those who raise the issue of NATO of justifying the invasion.

On Tuesday morning, it was announced the Liberal Party and the NDP had reached a supply and confidence deal to keep the current government in power until 2025 in exchange for key priorities held within the NDP’s platform. What we find are many questions remaining, but also the seeds of a deal that could flourish into a meaningful victory for Canadians, especially those who need the greatest help.

The following is an excerpt from the forthcoming book, Capitalism and Dispossession: Corporate Canada at Home and Abroad, edited by David P. Thomas and Veldon Coburn. The collection brings together a broad range of case studies to highlight the role of Canadian corporations in producing, deepening, and exacerbating conditions of dispossession both at home and abroad.

We know that combating the climate crisis requires bold collective action at the greatest scale possible. It requires a range of tools to begin immediately investing in mitigation as well as adaptation. That is why I have put forward Bill C-245, an alternative to the Liberals’ privatization agenda that uses public ownership to support communities in the fight against climate change.

Framing Russian aggression as a disastrous escalation in a long-term proxy war is necessary both to accurately make sense of how and why this cataclysm is unfolding. For peace to be achieved, people living in NATO states first have to understand the role our governments have played in setting the stage for Russia’s brutal attack.

Historical poetic justice now happens to rule that Russia and Iran are about to sign a very important agreement, which may likely be an equivalent of the Iran-China strategic partnership. The three main nodes of Eurasia integration are perfecting their interaction on the go, and sooner rather than later, may be utilizing a new, independent monetary and financial system.

Ottawa’s primary objective in Ukraine has long been to promote neoliberalism and support Washington’s bid to create conflict between Ukraine and its powerful neighbour. While Canadians should sympathize with Ukrainians who reject Russian influence, and condemn Putin’s criminal invasion, we also need to consider Canada’s considerable role in this unfolding tragedy.

Realism is an approach to the study of international relations. Its main assumptions are that all nation states seek security within an anarchic international system, and that decision makers tend to act in a rational manner. This way of looking at the world can provide useful insights that cut through emotional responses and the distortions of propaganda.

New South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s economic program is classically neoliberal. He supports ‘market-led approaches,’ including job creation led by the private sector rather than government projects. But these policies are unlikely to stem the tide of the country’s rising poverty rate and its income inequality, which are among the worst among wealthy countries, with youths facing some of the steepest challenges.

Peace has been sacrificed for US global hegemony. Peace could have seen state resources invested in people rather than systems of control. It could have allowed us to address the climate emergency. But we cry peace, peace, and there is no peace. Nations frantically rearm, threatening nuclear war. They prepare for the worst, ensuring that the worst will happen.