Remember this article from a few days ago?
Canadian Forces ‘information operations’ pandemic campaign quashed after details revealed to top general
The Canadian Forces planned what some military insiders described as a propaganda campaign aimed at heading off civil disobedience by the public during the coronavirus pandemic.
But the initiative was shut down by the country’s top soldier who questioned whether it went too far in the methods military officers wanted to use.
The campaign called for “shaping” and “exploiting” information, allowing the Canadian Forces to be able to strengthen trust in official sources of information, said a military planning document reviewed by this newspaper. One of the desired results was that civil order be maintained during the pandemic. “Canadian public is deterred from participating in Civil Disobedience,” according to the objectives of the plan. “Canadian public compliance with suppression measures is reinforced.”
When Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jon Vance was briefed about the information operations campaign, he ordered it stopped. Some senior military staff raised concerns the plan could be open to abuse in using propaganda or deception to manipulate the Canadian public.
Various military sources contacted this newspaper to raise concerns about the information campaign. The Canadian Forces later provided the unclassified information operations document to this newspaper.
The information operations plan was issued April 8, temporarily rescinded five days later, and then officially halted on May 1. Canadian Forces sources say Vance told military leaders that as long as he was in charge information operations tactics wouldn’t be used in a domestic situation, except in the case where an enemy had invaded the country. […]
And today, this:
Gen. Vance to resign as Canada’s top military commander
Canada’s top military commander is retiring.
Gen. Jonathan Vance, the country’s longest serving chief of defence staff, announced the decision in a letter to the troops that was published on Twitter on Thursday.
In the letter, Vance wrote that he has already informed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and Governor General Julie Payette that he plans on relinquishing command of the Canadian Armed Forces in the “months to come.”
“You, the members of the #CAF, have been the inspiration for my life and I have given you my all. Until I relinquish command I will continue to serve you and Canadians with the same energy and effort I always have. Pro Patria” JV pic.twitter.com/Uf1lh9TENu
— General Jonathan Vance (@CDS_Canada_CEMD) July 23, 2020
(As Canadians, we must hope these events are not connected. But if they are, Canada is led by a man who is inspired by the likes of Chavez or Xi.)
The later at night it is, the more my thoughts stray to fanciful.
What if the end-game is China having proxy control of a country bordering the US? Methinks that Mexico would be too much effort to control and who wants to learn Spanish or Yucateca when English will suffice? Would China allow a free Quebec?
“The Monroe Doctrine was the declaration by President James Monroe, in December 1823, that the United States would not tolerate a European nation colonizing an independent nation in North or South America. The United States warned it would consider any such intervention in the Western Hemisphere to be a hostile act.…
“Though the statement would carry President Monroe’s name, the author of the Monroe Doctrine was actually John Quincy Adams, a future president who was serving as Monroe’s secretary of state. And it was Adams who forcefully pushed for the doctrine to be openly declared.…
“In the latter half of the 19th century, and well into the 20th century, the Monroe Doctrine was also cited by American political leaders as an expression of American dominance in the Western Hemisphere. The strategy of John Quincy Adams of crafting a statement that would send a message to the entire world proved to be effective for many decades.”
https://www.thoughtco.com/monroe-doctrine-1773384
James Monroe Museum and Library Director, Scott Harris explains James Monroe’s influence on American foreign policy through the adoption of the Monroe Doctrine.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4893815/user-clip-monroe-doctrine
Applying the Monroe Doctrine to Venezuela
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The Monroe Doctrine, first articulated in 1823 by President James Monroe, was designed to protect the Americas from foreign threat and intervention. The Doctrine has a renewed relevance in today’s Venezuela
https://besacenter.org/perspectives-papers/monroe-doctrine-venezuela/
The Monroe Doctrine in 21st Century Great Power Competition
https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/monroe-doctrine-21st-century-great-power-competition
…….
Canada looks like an exception:
With the existing colonies or dependencies of any European power we have not interfered and shall not interfere.
or, maybe:
“Britain had already pledged not to acquire new territories, Canada is not an exception to the rule but rather the singular holding around which the doctrine had been tailored. As for Rupert’s Land, it was already controlled by a British company under a royal charter as a royal grant.”
Sarcen1174 (talk) 11:05, 5 May 2008 (UTC)
[Hemispheric exclusion requires a navy that can enforce it. We didn’t have that for a long time.]