A Letter to the Prime Minister’s Office

I woke up to read the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs on the latest foreign attack on Iran. My response is below the fold.

Hello,

I am deeply disappointed by the Prime Minister’s statement on the latest American attack on Iran published on https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/statements/2026/02/28/statement-prime-minister-carney-and-minister-anand-situation-middle-east. It is cowardly and removes any chance that Canada could help negotiate between the two sides.

I have visited Iran, had roommates from Iran, Egypt, and Afghanistan, and completed a PhD in ancient Iranian studies. Hostility between the US and Iranian governments goes back to the Islamic Revolution, and both sides have done terrible things. In the past Canada has usually been wise enough to keep its distance.

The US, Israel, Iran, and Pakistan all have shares of blame for “instability and terror throughout the Middle East.” All have lawless, violent regimes with democratic fronts. To call any one country “the principal source of instability and terror” is the stuff of partisan rhetoric not reasoned analysis.

Endorsing the US’s attack and its pretext that Iran seeks to obtain a nuclear weapon aligns us with the aggressor and against the attempts to bind warmaking with laws. This is very dangerous because the only power which threatens Canada’s existence is the United States. I struggle to imagine a scenario where any good comes from this assault. Bombing countries is not a good way to prevent them from developing weapons, or to encourage nonviolent resistance to a brutal government. Canada should stand for human rights and the rule of law but not support either side in this conflict.

sincerely,

Sean Manning

I note without further comment that the US three-letter agencies seem to want Reza Pahlavi to sit on his father’s throne, and that it is not hard to guess what such a regime would look like. And that the two countries attacking Iran both have nuclear weapons, one of which developed them illegally.

(scheduled 27 February 2026)

New in #OpenLetters, from #AnneApplebaum

The Biggest Tent
To defeat autocracy in America, we need as many different people campaigning in as many different places as possible #usa
https://anneapplebaum.substack.com/p/the-biggest-tent

If you want people to sign your #petitions or #OpenLetters:

Please, now, finally, really, absolutely understand that #captchas do not even achieve what you think they will, they just make your petition less accessible. Avoid these participation killers, they are nothing but harmful to your good cause.

I just gave up on yet another petition, after #Google #reCaptcha prompted me for the fourth time to click on this, click on that.

Don't shoot yourself in the foot.

If you agree, please boost.

people writing open letters should also know that the intended recipients don't actually care and won't bother reading them.
the letters themselves do draw a lot of attention, though.

#OpenLetters

House Republicans Descend Into a Flame War of Open Letters and Obscene Tweets

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/10/house-republicans-descend-into-a-flame-war-of-open-letters-and-obscene-tweets/?utm_source=flipboard

#HouseRepublicansFlameWar #OpenLetters #ObsceneTweets #PoliticalConflict #SocialMediaBattle #PartisanRift #Politics #News

Big thank you to everyone who helped draft or support this letter to the New York Times about its absolutely terrible coverage of trans people (and similar failures of the past).

https://nytletter.com/

#TransRights #Prejudice #NewYorkTimes #Journalists #Ethics #OpenLetters #Bigotry

Announcing "Tales from Winnemac: A Cities: Skylines Storytelling Project."

https://write.as/jasonpettus/announcing-tales-from-winnemac-a-cities-skylines-storytelling-project