Serving Narrow Interests

The newly formed Canadian International Council (CIC) heralded by it's Chair, Jim Balsille, as offering Canadians and their children "better lives" bears closer examination. Should Canadian's "look behind the headlines" as Balsille's new organization purports to do, they will find the new organization, just another conservative think tank dominated by the corporate scions of the nation --you name 'em the're there-- while seeking moral authentication through its nominal public membership.
The CIC is a privately funded arm of our corporate state, although any Canadian may become a fellow for $100,000. Benefactor status will require a cool million. Mr. Balsille declares that the CIC is "unrestrained by the competing ideological framework of our political parties". While objective on the surface, in a democracy that may be a dangerous thing.
In an ironic side note the CIC was formed through an assimilation of the Canadian Intstitute of International Affairs and the Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies. Both of these organizations were formed originally in the hope that public rather than strictly government, not to mention corporate, input were essential for wise foreign policy.
Should Canadians depend upon the CIC to provide an independant and objective view of foreign policy they will be ill served. Authentic objectivity can only provided by truly independent Canadian scholars.