Canadian Intelligence Eh
Everywhere you look these days terrorism and violent extremism dominate the headlines. Whether you follow what is happening in Afghanistan or Iraq, or in the West writ large, we are inundated with news of attacks by groups and individuals fighting for a 'cause'.In a world of multiple voices and opinions it can be very hard to know where to turn. One choice is to look to those who actually worked in counterterrorism in the national security world. In these half-hour podcasts 30-year Canadian intelligence veteran Phil Gurski is joined by a fascinating array of individuals with something meaningful to say about these issues as they provide insight into what they mean and what we need to do about them.
Canadian Intelligence Eh
Episode 298 - Have we entered the era of 'violent populism'?
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Phil Gurski
When it comes to language there are lots of opposites: black and white, up and down, in and out, right and left. The latter terms are often thrown around when talking about political movements (and this usage apparently dates back to the French revolution!), although the borders between them are murky. There is no question that causes on both sides can escalate to the use of violence and Western terrorist history has ample examples of right-wing and left-wing groups. Normally, one or the other dominates, but are we seeing a rise in both at the same time? I talk with a US political scientist on this issue.