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The best of writing, photography, art, and argument – on everything from film to foreign policy.

“Ever dreamed of subscribing to a cultural magazine that doesn’t seem to be eating out of the hand of half a dozen media magnates? Something pluricultural and unassuming but nonetheless covering everything worth seeing, reading, doing or listening to for a season? Well, it exists, and in Canada to boot!”

“There is no on-line version or web site, which either makes John a dinosaur or a man of character. (I opt for the second, since the editorial team occasionally has a kind word for me.)”

John Howe — Canadian artist and co-conceptual designer on all three “The Lord of the Rings” motion pictures.

* Editor’s Note: The age of the dinosaurs has at last come to an end — with the arrival of this website!

No Hill to Die On: The Dos and Don’ts of Public Protests

On February 20, 2022

No wonder many of are losing confidence in the judgment of our elected leaders, the efficacy of our public institutions, and the inclination of those with opposing points of view to engage in civil discourse. For their part, protesters took over downtown of the national capital for […]

The Trouble with China

On October 25, 2021

The trouble with China is that it is an autocratic one-party state with a world-view that is inimical to our core values. It is hostile to human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. It freely violates treaties, international law, and the shared precepts of the rules-based […]

With “Friends” Like These…

On October 31, 2021

The Free World needs to be far more discriminating about whom we call allies, let alone friends. During the Cold War, we supported any number of repugnant regimes throughout the Third World. If they were hostile to communism and pliable to our economic interests, it mattered not […]

The Ignominious Debacle in Afghanistan

On August 25, 2021

Abject failure is a hard thing to face; yet that is precisely what has been unfolding before our eyes on a daily basis as the 20th anniversary of 9/11 draws near. The complete and ignominious collapse of our long mission in Afghanistan has manifested itself with a […]

Apocalypse in Slow Motion: A Brief History of An Intractable Conflict

On August 23, 2021

It is deeply imbued in the human psyche to regard those we perceive as “the other” in negative terms: it gives us licence to treat them with indifference, suspicion, and active hostility. Our capacity (some would say, our need) for subdividing ourselves into “us” and “them” is […]

The Case for a New, Improved Pax Americana

On May 4, 2021

During its first 200 years, the Roman Empire presided over a period of unprecedented (for its time) stability and prosperity throughout the Mediterranean world – a period known as the ‘Pax Romana’ (or ‘Roman Peace’). While that order was largely established by force of arms, what gave […]