When former NDP MP Charlie Angus launched his Midas Canada Network and hit the road on a self-declared “Resistance Tour,” the rhetoric was bold. Angus promised to rally Canadians against fascism and authoritarianism, framing himself as a frontline resister.
But on his Canadian Foreign Policy Hour, Yves Engler cut through the false branding. He argued that Angus’ version of “resistance” is not about challenging empire or militarism—it is about legitimizing NATO, increased arms spending, and Canada’s subservience to Washington.
The Myth of “Resistance”
Yves Engler, who is currently running for NDP leadership was blunt: “Charlie Angus totally accepts all the premises around Ukraine. Really a staunch advocate. Watching this, I cringe.”
For Engler, Angus’ fiery style hides a dangerous shallowness. Instead of grappling with Canada’s role in stoking conflicts, Angus presents a morality play of heroes and villains. That, Engler argues, isn’t resistance—it’s propaganda dressed up as defiance.
Charlie Angus, speaking at a rally outside the Russian Embassy in Ottawa, declared: “What they’ve done to Ukraine is a crime against humanity, a crime against international law, and a crime against everything that Canadians and the West stand and hold dear. We will stand with Ukraine and we will defend our borders.”
For Engler, this proves the point. Angus repeats the official script without a hint of deeper analysis.
NATO’s Proxy War and Latvia
Engler identified Angus as one of the loudest cheerleaders for NATO deployments. “Not just passively accepting of the NATO proxy war, but really a staunch advocate,” he said. “The whole geopolitical context is erased. Canada’s role in extending NATO eastward, in destabilizing Ukraine, in Operation Unifier—that’s just not part of his discourse.”
By contrast, Angus has applauded Canada extending its mission in Latvia and praised Mark Carney’s visit to Kyiv as a proud moment for the country. In Engler’s view, this isn’t resistance to authoritarianism—it’s alignment with a dangerous militarist project.
Billions in Arms and the Militarist Turn
Engler warned that Angus is helping to normalize runaway military spending. “Even while saying he’s against the Golden Dome, he is basically legitimizing the massive increase in Canadian military spending. It is absolutely remarkable that in 2025, at this point, he’s still narrowing the debate to ‘Russia bad, West good’ while ignoring the evidence that Canada helped provoke the war.”
Meanwhile, Angus has celebrated Canada’s $2 billion in arms shipments to Ukraine and linked them to defending democracy itself. This, Engler argues, is how militarist budgets get smuggled in under progressive slogans.
Resistance on Whose Terms?
For Engler, the most galling part is Angus’ attempt to monopolize the language of “resistance.” “That narrowness, that tunnel vision, is absolutely remarkable. He is legitimating this huge increase in military spending that he would himself at least I think sort of say he’s against.”
Angus tells his audiences: “There’s no such thing as a bystander in the age of gangster fascism. You’re an enabler or a resistor.” But to Engler, Angus has already chosen sides—and not the one he claims.
A Call for Debate
Engler doesn’t just dismiss Angus; he wants to confront him. “I want to have a debate with him,” he said. “Because this tunnel vision is legitimizing militarism at a moment when we need to challenge it head-on.”
For Engler, the stakes are clear: a genuine resistance must target the root causes of militarism and empire. Angus, meanwhile, is helping to disguise those same forces under a populist banner.
Conclusion: Resistance or Cheerleading?
Charlie Angus rallies crowds with chants of “Slava Ukraini!” and denunciations of Putin and Trump. But Yves Engler has exposed the contradiction: Angus’ so-called resistance dovetails neatly with NATO deployments, weapons budgets, and the very militarism that progressive Canadians should be fighting.
At stake is not just rhetoric, but the soul of Canadian politics. True resistance means opposing empire—not selling it back to the public in a new hat and calling it rebellion.
