Author: John Weissenberger

2018 marks the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War. Despite the passage of time, the events of that terrible human tragedy still have the power to horrify, inspire, and unleash our tears. Lest we forget the sacrifices of the Canadians who fought and died in that war and all the military conflicts that have tested our nation’s mettle, C2C Journal is marking Armistice Day with an essay by John Weissenberger that is bookended by the stories of the first and last Canadians who died in the Great War.

2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War, which began in part because of persistent Russian meddling in the Balkans. The Soviet Empire that grew out of the Bolshevik Revolution was largely created by Russian meddling in the affairs of its eastern and central European neighbours before, during and after the Second World War. Today the Russians are meddling in Ukraine, among other countries. The point is, the core of Russian foreign policy never really changes. We should not be surprised or acquiescent. If we give Vladimir Putin an inch, he will take a mile. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been saying as much for years, write George Koch and John Weissenberger, and it’s time for tougher action by Canada and the other western powers to contain modern Russian aggression.

The Harper government should have known that appointing a carpetbagger like Mike Duffy to the Senate could blow up on them. But they appreciated his journalistic contributions to the destruction of Stephane Dion in the 2008 election and figured he would be a useful fundraiser. When he got caught wallowing in the trough they tried to bury him but old Duff had other ideas. He would attach himself to all the anti-Harper memes he could and take the Tories down with him. He goes to court next year, but the real trial for the government will be in the court of public opinion – the 2015 federal election. John Weissenberger and George Koch saw this coming one night in Calgary’s Palliser Hotel 22 years ago…