What right? Except the right given by the UN Charter? How about this?:

A complete renunciation of international law (among other "international niceties") by the White House. The only laws mentioned are the "iron laws" of strength, force and power - in other words back to the beginning of time when there were no laws and life was nasty, brutish and short. #cdnpoli

Prompting this response: www.cbsnews.com/news/denmark...

Jan 3, 2026 has been a dark day. Instead of celebrating a rules-based international order I am forced to witness, once again, the exercise of raw power: Ukraine, Gaza, Venezuela. My grain of sand is insignificant when raw power is everything, law is nothing and my government is spineless. #cdnpoli

Methinks it's time for a fiscal update from Alberta's Minister of Finance Nate Horner. But my guess is that we'll have to wait until after the early election call, which, as of this morning, just became a lot more likely ... "To respond to the external crisis" (or similar). #abpoli #ableg

WB Yeats, The 2d Coming - seems apt for Jan 3 Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.

@anitaoakvilleeast.bsky.social Your statement should have been this clear.

"Trump’s new world order is now very much a reality. It has no obvious rules, no real allies, celebrates the jungle and is almost always about money. There is a lot of wealth under Venezuela’s soil. Trump is now committed to extracting it." My column. Free to read. as.ft.com/r/08b22b7a-4...

The Alberta petro-state is safe from forcible regime change at the moment since the current government is doing everything that it can to facilitate separation. But Venezuela oil flowing to the Gulf will surely back-out Alberta heavy oil & increase the price differential. #ableg #abpoli #cdnpoli

In the Maduro capture operation, the Trump administration relies on Bill Barr’s (discredited) 1989 memo claiming a President can disregard the UN Charter (CNN report). That is a loaded gun. The legal analysis is utterly flawed. My assessment just published: www.justsecurity.org/127962/madur...

The rules-based order is over. International law is dead. The institutions set up to keep the peace after WWII are powerless. The US is now a global threat. The President has said it’s in the business of taking over any country it sees fit.

I have been thinking that the major divide in Canadian politics now is really wrestling with Trump’s US or wholly embracing it, and now Pierre Poilievre and Melissa Lantsman are praising Trump’s illegal attack on Venezuela while Danielle Smith pushes separation. It’s a really dangerous time.

Canada finally reacts, through our foreign affairs minister (not our prime minister). Really, embarrassingly timid statement when you consider what just happened.

Abysmal statement from Canada on the illegal US action in Venezuela. It doesn’t matter how much you dislike Maduro, that doesn’t justify a violation of international law and the UN Charter. You can’t call on “all parties” to respect international law and not call out US lawlessness.

French Foreign Ministry: “The removal of Maduro from power and the violation of sovereignty constitute a serious act of aggression against the dignity of the Venezuelan people and their right to determine their own future.

Dominican Republic 1961, 1965 Grenada 1983 Venezuela 2002, 2019 Brazil 1964 Peru 1963, 1990, 1992 Bolivia 2019 Chile 1964, 1973 Paraguay 1954, 1989 Uruguay 1973 Argentina 1976 @cartographying"

Alt description: This image is a red-and-white map of Latin America highlighting: “US Intervention in Latin America* LATIN AMERICA, 1945– *since WW2 Guatemala 1954 Honduras 1988, 2009 El Salvador 1979 Costa Rica 1980s Nicaragua 1979, 1981 Panama 1989 Cuba 1953, 1959, 1961 Haiti 1991, 1994 +

“It will be hard to kill the congestion fee now because it’s been a striking success. Traffic speeds are up. Pollution is down. The fee is generating high revenue for the city’s transit system. And predictions that it would be bad for business have proved completely wrong.” Via @pkrugman.bsky.social

When might claims to be right we are all vulnerable. Solidarity with Ukraine, Palestine and Venezuela. #cdnpoli

Trump’s America is a rogue state. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c5...

Would like to see some JAG officers on the news talking about whether these military strikes are technically legal and, if not, what sort of liability commanders have incurred by carrying them out.

Looks like Trump, Rubio’s so-called “peace president,” has just started bombing Venezuela. www.bbc.com/news/live/c5... Like Putin, Trump needs a war to distract from problems at home. Disgraceful and illegal.

Bill 14 may have ended the statute-based action of the Chief Electoral Officer under the Citizen Initiative Act but it cannot prevent this action by a First Nation based on general constitutional obligations. #ableg #abpoli #cdnpoli

BREAKING!!!! In response to the separatist petition… Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation is suing the Alberta, The Chief Electoral Officer & Canada for failing to implement Treaty 8 & breaching it! They are also seeking an injunction to halt the petition! #abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli

I point a finger at the 'no more taxes' politicians and citizens alike who decided that maintenance could be put off to another day. Well, that other day has arrived.

Entirely predictable that Ms Smith, ever the adversarial/divisive politician, wd pick on Nenshi's tenure in office in the 50 year life of the line as the one to blame As for the Q of supervision, maybe it does make sense for the Alberta Utilities Commission (not Smith) to have a larger role #abpoli

For the record, the category of "advanced project" became irrelevant on January 16 when Minister Jean lifted the coal regulatory moratorium by Directive to the AER. And Northback itself withdrew its project on December 8. iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluati... It's a dead project not an advanced project.

It is to Canada's shame we have not spoken out or supported a Canadian judge being sanctioned by the US Her life is frozen. She cannot use credit cards, travel, move money, or access email. This is not sustainable www.irishtimes.com/world/us/202...

“I believe she (premier) will do everything in her power, or what she perceives is her power, to do everything for her advantage and the UCP’s advantage and the separatists’ advantage.” #ForeverCanadian #ableg #cdnpoli www.thealbertan.com/innisfail-ne...

For Albertans who want to continue to engage on @corblund.bsky.social's coal petition you can follow @coalpetition.bsky.social and sign up on the website at: www.coalpetition.ca

David C sums up Ms Schulz's tenure as Min of Envt accurately: "After being given the environment portfolio in 2023, she acted more like an alternative minister of energy than the minister responsible for the environment & protected areas like the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains" #ableg #abpoli

If hamas disarm, it will leave the civilians totally exposed to the israeli supported clan gangs that the IDF has supported throughout the genocide.

In all seriousness it is something special to know that the mayor of the largest city in the country is a Muslim Indian who is the son of one of the most esteemed de-colonial scholars on the planet, and who is steadfast with Palestine; and who is visibly proud of his identity and his politics.

Beyond his famous quote, #GrantHunter was a Wildrose MLA who hosted Free Alberta Strategy town halls. Listed by Alberta Republican website for supporting independence and supported the Coutts blockade, he’s the perfect fit for Environment Minister in this UCP cabinet. #ABleg #ABpoli #CdnPoli

I am wondering if former mayor Gondek will be given credit for the fact that the city is better prepared to act this time. By the way, the City of Calgary website on the water main break is excellent - clear and detailed facts, maps, easily accessible from the city's main page, etc.

This year's @ablawg.bsky.social year in review post has lots to say about the state of democracy in Alberta and elsewhere, a major theme on the blog this year. Wishing all our readers a 2026 in which state actors are held to the highest standards of democratic accountability and justice.

Here's ABLawg’s 2025 year in review. I retired several yrs ago but am still an active contributor to the Faculty’s blog on developments on law and policy in Alberta. ABlawg is an imp bridge betwn the academic and legal practice communities & an important source for media. #abpoli #ableg #cdnpoli

Thanks for this. I support it. It describes me. But it's clearly not the essence of the current UCP under the libertarian leadership of Smith.

I wonder who the neocons will blame this time. #abpoli

Another signing event today (December 30) for #RecallMickey! 5:30-8:00 pm, Village Square Leisure Centre common area. Canvasser will have a Recall Mickey sticker on their laptop, and he will also have the Alberta Funds Public Schools petition with him. #yyc #ableg #abpoli #OperationTotalRecall

What could go wrong with the common sense of the UCP in environmental protection? #abpoli www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

If you still have a Breathe Outdoors (formerly Campers Village) gift card, you have till Dec 31 to exchange them at MEC for one of their gift cards. Breathe closed down earlier this year. #Calgary #Alberta

Independent journalist and Palestine solidarity activist Adele Shoko was abducted by Israeli occupation forces near the Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarem, in the occupied West Bank.

The unjust society. Alberta conservatives are fundamentally selfish - both in terms of intra-generational equity & inter-generational equity. Intra-generational equity - they fail to meet the needs of the most vulnerable in society or to properly fund public health & education. #abpoli #ableg 1/2

We may be a few weeks away from a South Yemeni independence declaration, and Israel would definitely recognize that eventually Y'all see a pattern?

Just like the President of the USA wants to see Canada succeed. The master of double-speak. #cdnpoli

David is right. When a government magics up new legislation (Bill 14) to sidestep the courts and enable the separatists' (un)constitutional citizen initiative, there is only one conclusion. Smith, the UCP & their fellow travellers are separatists. Govern yourself accordingly. #ableg #aboli #cdnpoli

Enjoying Amartya Sen's memoir, Home in the World, this holiday period. Part autobiography, part 20th C history of India incl the Raj & partition, part intellectual history of India over the millenia And, 250 pages in, have yet to get to his own contributions! Great antidote to Premier Smith #cdnpoli