Ballistic Missiles Cont.

“A successful ballistic missile attack on the US with weapons of mass destruction, as well as being devastat- ing for the US, would have serious consequences for Canada. Given the level of missile technology in some states of concern, it is also possible that missiles targeted at the US could land in Canada.”

Mr. Moore dismissed the argu- ment that participation in the American missile defense program would be a break with traditional Canadian values. “Participation in BMD would in no way diminish our commitment to tradi- tional Canadian priorities, such as arms control, peacekeeping missions and multilateralism.” He also empha- sized the governments’ consistent opposition to the weaponization of space.

He countered a common argu- ment that Canadian participation in BMD will weaken Canadian sover- eignty by responding, “Canada and the US have cooperated in continental defense for over 60 years, to the mutu- al benefit of both nations. This cooper- ation does not compromise the sover- eignty of either nation.” He argues that Canadian participation would be an application of Canadian sovereignty and adds, “not participating in BMD would mean not having input into cru- cial decisions on how North America (including Canada) is defended from ballistic missiles.”

It is evident that the Ballistic Missile Defense program will go ahead with or without Canadian approval. This has also caused several average Islanders and Canadians I have spoken with on the issue to believe that although some believe BMD may not be the best option for the world, since the project will go ahead it would be rational for Canada to be included in the missile shield instead of not having this additional protection in a turbulent and unpredictable world.

(Note: The final segment of the series studying Ballistic Missile Defense will appear in the next issue of the Cadre. It will detail the arguments against Ballistic Missile Defense.)

By: Jonathan Smith Reporter

So you think world politics are a bore laid bear? That as stu- dents, why should we care about anything that is going on in the world? And why should we? We have enough problems - multiple jobs, rent to pay, papers to write... So why should we care? Well, here’s a simplified version of the world situation from one position. From the perspective of military historian and freelance journalist Gwynne Dyer, here is the world in a nutshell.

According to Dyer, the world is in trouble. The optimistic time of a world that doesn’t use force is fading. We’re at the verge of seeing the collapse of interna- tional organizations such as NATO and the demise of the UN. Listening to the news in the morn- ing is enough to make one want to roll over and go back to sleep. Fear is indeed the message. But is what’s happening around the world all related to September 11, 2001 and terrorism? For Dyer, the answer is no; you have a smaller chance of being killed in a terrorist attack than drowning in the bath.

Which is why, he says with

a smirk, you should “bathe in pairs”.

So what is happening around the world? A simple news- paper article does not allow enough time to say it all; here it is in a simplified version. There are three projects in the world at this time. One is being carried out by radical Islamists which make up a very, very small percentage of the world’s Muslims. It’s goal is to win back the glory of the Muslim world as it was not so very long ago.

They are not born terrorists, just driven to become them after grow- ing up in a world where “your past is trashed, you don’t have a present and there’s no future”. However, despite that, Dyer feels the plan will ultimately fail if it hasn’t already simply due to lack of sup- port by the rest of Islam.

There is, however, the proj- ect of Pax Americana. This is the project that is being managed by a very small group of neo-conserva- tives that fill up most of the posi- tions of power in the White House. Dyer feels that George Bush him- self is not one of them, but being a man who doesn’t seem terribly interested in ideas, he has quite willingly allowed himself to be surrounded by them. They are not “evil” either, they simply sincerely

believe that spreading American:

democracy and free market is the way to go. But regardless of whether they lose the election or hang around for a few more years, Dyer feels their time is fading as well.

The final project is the one that Canada and the majority of the world is involved in: the continued attempt to replace the rule of force with the rule of law and make war illegal. So why be bothered by any of this? What does it matter if it’s all going to burn itself out? The question is not whether what is happening now will end but how much unrepairable damage will be done in the mean time. I must admit this bothers me, as it seems to encourage simply waiting for things to go away. If we can believe that all the world’s prob- lems will simply fade away, I’d be concerned that would just create more apathy.

UPEI Cadre March 29, 2004 page 6

spoon-feed us

asked

Over dinner I Gwynne Dyer how the student population should view the whole world situation. He looked at me, then said “Go get laid. It’s much more fun.” However, following his presentation, we discussed that stu- dent apathy is a problem, that we students are in a position to change things if we are willing. Which got me to thinking - does this mean we all must drop what we are doing and become political activists and news hounds? Not at all.

It means that we must be willing to think for ourselves as individuals, ask questions of our world without waiting for some- thing such as religion or politics to the answers. Politicians are no more intelligent or capable than any of us can be. It’s not their world, it’s our world and we all share it. We must be cynical and dissatisfied, not com- placent and apathetic. It’s not about politics, it’s about living on this planet. We must get away from the belief that dissatisfaction and com- plaining are to be beaten out of.us by society. Forget the bombs, bul- lets and bureaucracy. They haven’t worked before, and they won’t work now or in the future. If we all take our heads out of our asses and simply take a second to say “there’s something wrong here”, that may make a world of differ- ence in itself. That alone could have an astounding impact. In my last words with Gwynne Dyer for the evening, I came up with a con- clusion, something that we stu- dents can work toward and be proud of: “Get laid and change the world”. . .

He concurred.