Limits of the ‘acceptable’ left
Written by: Yves Engler
A Canadian icon is also a symbol of the limits of the “acceptable-to-the-system left” in this country.
Maude Barlow is anti-Palestinian, staunchly pro-NATO and supportive of the US empire. The long-time head of the Council of Canadians highlights the western chauvinism that grips much of Canada’s left.
This author recently looked through two months of Barlow’s posts on X (formerly Twitter). Even though this author knew she promoted the NATO proxy war, was an obstacle to Palestine solidarity at the Council of Canadians and the organization she led published a position paper praising Canada’s role in Haiti two years after the 2004 coup, the extent of Barlow’s Western chauvinism was a surprise.
Barlow certainly appears anti-Palestinian. She hasn’t criticized the Canadian government for enabling Israel’s genocide in Gaza even though she retweeted multiple hyperbolic condemnations of Hamas’ attack on October 7. Over the past two months Barlow has also posted multiple times about antisemitism. Some of these statements were anti-Palestinian smears promoting the Israel lobby’s claims about protests at Cafe Landwehr and Aroma in Toronto as well as a dispute at Concordia University in Montréal. She also reposted a message about a “totally false claim about Israel bombing a church in Gaza” while ignoring Israel’s well documented bombings of mosques, bakeries, hospitals, etc.
With 18,000 Palestinians killed in — including 8,000 children — the closest Barlow has come to criticizing Israeli actions was reposting UN Secretary-General António Guterres noting: “My appeal today from the Middle East: Immediate, unrestricted & sustained humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza. Immediate & unconditional release of all hostages. Immediate & dedicated efforts to prevent the spread of violence, which is increasing the risk of spillover.”
Over the past two months, Barlow has said nothing about Israel cutting off water to Gaza or the dire lack of clean drinking water there. Nor has she said anything about the more than 100 UN workers killed or the 60 journalists murdered.
Concurrently, Barlow has criticized the Syrian government half a dozen times. Over the past two months she’s reposted multiple complaints that the attention focussed on Israel’s onslaught in Gaza is taking attention away from violence committed in Syria by the government, Iran or Russia. “While the Gaza-Israel war has dominated the world headlines, Russia and the Assad regime have increased their attacks in Syria by at least 35 times”, claimed one post.
But Barlow is not really concerned about Syrians. She has ignored Israel’s weekly bombing in Syria, including multiple strikes that have closed the Damascus airport for nearly two months. Nor has Barlow mentioned that US troops occupy almost a third of Syrian territory in violation of international law.
Barlow explicitly supports the US empire. She recently reposted neoconservative Max Boot noting, “If Trump regains the White House, he would be likely to abandon both NATO and Ukraine. U.S. allies in East Asia which depend on U.S. troop deployments — notably South Korea and Japan — would also be at risk of abandonment.” Barlow also recently quoted George W Bush’s Iraq war speechwriter David Frum noting, “US is today warning Venezuela not to invade Guyana, starting a war of imperial aggression in this hemisphere. One indispensable way to enhance the credibility of the US warning: don't abandon Ukraine.”
Over the past two months Barlow has posted dozens of times in support of the NATO proxy war in Ukraine. She re-posted a call for the University of Manitoba to oust Professor Radhika Desai for her position towards Russia and quoted the head of the US military’s position on Ukraine. She recently retweeted Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya noting: “Dictatorship is like cancer — it will keep spreading unless stopped. The pressing question is: who will be next? That's why supporting Ukrainians & Belarusians in the fight for freedom is an obligation for every democratic country.”
Barlow’s support for the NATO proxy war bleeds into her Middle East outlook. She’s relayed multiple messages blaming Russia for "instigating war in the Middle East” or demanding that Russia and Iran’s “allies and proxies must also be viewed as your enemies.” Another repost declared, “Russia is arming, financing, planning and sharing intelligence with ANY regime or terror group that is willing to wage war on the west. And Putin could be totally stopped by merely arming Ukrainians that are willing to do ALL the heavy lifting. Western weakness is incredible.” Donating $100 billion in arms and a similar amount in other forms of assistance to Ukraine is “weakness”. Maybe Barlow believes that threatening nuclear war would signify “strength”.
Barlow’s international positions are extreme for someone identifying as on the left. But not a total outlier, as this author detailed in Left, Right: Marching to the Beat of Imperial Canada.
That’s why the popular revolt we’ve seen over the past two months, against Canada’s complicity in Israel’s genocide, is remarkable. It’s been organized with little institutional backing and has successfully exposed the decrepit nature of Canadian foreign policy, whatever Maude Barlow may claim.
Sad to say, in an effort to maintain mainstream approval as an “acceptable” left some are unwilling to challenge imperialism.
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Yves Engler is the author of 12 books. His latest book, available now, is "Stand on Guard For Whom? -- A People's History of the Canadian Military”.
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