🧵 Foreign Interference is NOT Treason

I strongly disagree with folks positioning foreign interference as "treason"

That’s not because Hogue Commission said so, but that is literally missing the crucial feature behind the sophisticated design of foreign principals’ to influence & interfere transnationally (like the United Front)

Foreign principals’ influence and interference are built on a combination of soft and hard power. To unpack:

• Soft Power: interpersonal relationships, cultural events, wine&dine & all-expensed paid exchange trips
• Hard Power: financial agreements, like research & data sharing agreements, trade

The United Front or any skilled FI actors are here to build collaborative relationships w influential Canadians.

Biz leaders, political stars, policymakers, civil society, journalists, lawyers, lobbyists.

Most people aren’t wanting to overthrow their own country (aka treason)

Instead, foreign principals offer a deal they can’t say no to, a feel-good emotional boost, or whatever the fuck these targets need to deal with in therapy…

FI is the facilitation of this relationship that move foreign principals to meeting their own political & strategical goals

Some of these influential figures are intelligent enough to play dumb but they know these relationships are in the grey area of foreign influence/interference 👀

There are also useful idiots, who truly believe they are doing this for the good of BOTH countries, aka political cannon fodders

Most people enter into an agreement/deal/partnership because there is a beneficial result for themselves. This is exactly how FI actors initiate contact. Again- I’m talking to the non-diasporic & white Canadians in the room

For diaspora communities, FI is interlocked with transnational repression.

FI x TNR is an added layer of power dynamics - relationships w FI actors are always paired with a threat

Diaspora-serving NGOs, media, social services are often over subscribed but underfunded. FI actors mobilize a mix of $/sponsorships, lateral violence to control the diasporic communities