John Ibbitson ($) on the war on terror, and Canada’s role in the Anglosphere:

Our advantage over them lies in our unity. The various Muslim terrorist organizations would probably be fighting each other if they weren’t fighting us. But Western nations see things the same way. We share our intelligence. We jointly preserve our liberties despite tough anti-terrorism legislation, and keep our borders open to each other despite all the new security measures.

That is why those who accuse the Prime Minister of tying Canada too closely to the United States are so dangerously deluded. Winning the war on terror depends on solidarity among the allies. It depends on those morning security briefings being as comprehensive as possible, based on mutual trust.

The worst thing we could do would be to distance ourselves, to search for a more “nuanced” stand. It would erode the trust of those whose trust we need, while doing nothing to protect us from attack.

Chronic wars last a very long time. But they do end. Twenty years ago, no one would have predicted the end of the Cold War, the end of apartheid, an end to the Troubles. But they’re in the past, and the good guys won. The good guys will win this one, too, as long as we keep our heads and stick together, like we always have before.

Somedays I think about giving up on the Globe entirely. Not today, though.