Strengthening the Canadian Armed Forces through Diversity and Inclusion by Alistair Edgar, Rupinder Mangat, and Bessma Momani (eds)

Date01 June 2020
AuthorVictoria Tait
Published date01 June 2020
DOI10.1177/0020702020932190
Subject MatterBook Reviews
off‌icials (e.g., that the United States Central Intelligence Agency “had f‌illed the
plane with corpses and sent it over Ukraine to provoke Russia”) (p. 181). To
Snyder, these were lies not meant to be believed, but designed as “implausible
deniability” (p. 163)—to so muddle the story as to destroy any semblance of truth.
The f‌light may, as Snyder implies, have been shot down on Moscow’s orders so
as to blame Ukrainians for an atrocity. But the plethora of mutually contradictory
lies could support an alternative explanation: what if the shooting was a cata-
strophic mistake by ill-disciplined irregular troops—an incident that caught prop-
agandists f‌lat-footed, leading to wild improvisation to deny Russian responsibility?
Snyder’s account also covers cyberwar against the EU, Brexit, and the rise of
Donald Trump. Unfortunately, not all of these can be scrutinized within the word
limits of a short review. Arguably the Russians, and Putin personally, played a
negative role throughout. But to understand how and why they so often succeeded
one must interrogate their actions within a wider context. Putin is a practitioner of
judo, a sport that teaches players to manipulate adversaries’ strengths as well as
their weakness against them. Without evaluating those strengths and weaknesses,
we cannot begin to understand the outcomes. Snyder’s provocative book leaves
too many questions unasked or unanswered.
Alistair Edgar, Rupinder Mangat, and Bessma Momani (eds)
Strengthening the Canadian Armed Forces through Diversity and Inclusion
Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2020. 209 pp. $22.17 (paper)
ISBN: 978-1-4875-2273-8
Reviewed by: Victoria Tait (victoria.tait@carleton.ca), Carleton University
The demographic diversity for which Canadian society has become known is not
mirrored in the Canadian military; this has become an obstinate problem for the
organization, its personnel, and scholars concerned with the relationship between
civilian society and military culture. Despite numerous government mandates to
take measures to enhance the representation of designated group members, the
Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) remains startlingly homogeneous.
1
As of 2018, the
CAF was 84.3% male, and only 8.9% of its members self-identif‌ied as a member of
a so-called visible minority. This challenge highlights a core debate in civil–military
relations. Should the military ref‌lect the diversity of the society in which it is
embedded?
2
Or, should the CAF be permitted a degree of cultural and political
autonomy from the priorities of civilians and elected politicians?
3
Therein lies the
1. Designated group members refer to women, aboriginal peoples, visible minorities, and persons with
disabilities for the purposes of the Canadian Employment Equity Act. The author recognizes that
this term is problematic; however, this is the nomenclature that the Department of National
Defence and Canadian Armed Forces are required to use for departmental reporting.
2. For an abridged review of this debate, see. Peter D. Feaver and Richard H. Kohn, “The gap:
Soldiers, civilians and their mutual misunderstanding,” The National Interest 61, (2000): 29–37. For
the Canadian context, refer to Franklin C. Pinch, Perspectives on Organizational Change in the
Canadian Forces (Alexandria, VA: US Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social
Sciences, 1994); Alan C. Okros, Sarah Hill and Franklin Pinch, “Between 9/11 and
Book Reviews 279

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT