Dear Readers,
First, a thank you for reading. I started this newsletter last October with no real plan, and no idea about what kind of interest it might generate (beyond my press-ganged family). I am decidedly not a social media person (good luck finding me on Twitter, Face time and the like, or as the author of the Slow Horse spy novels, Mick Herron, calls them, “Twatter” and “Face Plant”).
I have been astonished by two things. First, how much fun it is to write these pieces. Second, and more importantly, how many people read them from walks of life well beyond the narrow circle of national security and intelligence professionals.
This encourages me to continue. But there is one slight cloud.
I have left the comment channel open and have no desire to shut it down. I don’t plan to respond to comments but will always value factual corrections (sorry about mis-stating Jenny Kwan’s party affiliation and thank you for bringing it to my attention). There is no editor, so you will have to forgive occasional grammatical flops, though I pride myself on my writing. If there was an editor I would have to charge you!
This is not a partisan newsletter. I am not rooting for any political side and will be equal opportunity critical as I see fit. The newsletter is meant to draw from a life-time of academic study and teaching of national security and intelligence issues, with policy engagement with governments of both Conservative and Liberal stripe over the past two plus decades, with report writing, and many, many appearances before Parliamentary committees. That doesn’t make me right, of course, on the issues, but I do count myself an expert. (Though I hope to stay humble).
Should the comment channel degenerate into unhelpful, uninformed partisanship and political slanging then I will shut it down, with regret. It may even force me to rethink the value of writing this newsletter (but I hope not).
Please keep reading and commenting in the best Canadian manner!
I value your point of view and consider your articles as sufficiently non partisan to offer intelligent objective analysis in an exceptionally well written format. Kudos to you! As long as you keep posting I will definitely keep reading.
I appreciate open platforms like this that allow writers to blend their expertise with the on the ground news.
Mr. Wark has seen the other side of the intelligence wall and knows of what he speaks. I have found his critiques of the coverage at Global News and the G + M to be a welcomed counterpoint that goes beyond what other news outlets are able to provide. There is nothing partisan about that either.
Taking partisan shots at Mr. Wark ruins a good thing that we have going here. Courtesy never goes out of style.