Weekly Quiz: Calculated Complicity, Colonial Coats, and Continental Deterrence

1

2

const title = "Calculated Complicity, Colonial Coats, and Continental Deterrence"; const date = "March 07, 2026"; const data = [ { image: "https://walrus-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/img/Ghamari-Iran-1800-1536x1024.jpg", title: "I Was a Prisoner in Iran. I’ve Seen the US Meddle in the Region for Decades", url: "https://thewalrus.ca/i-was-a-prisoner-in-iran-ive-seen-the-us-meddle-in-the-region-for-decades/", question: "Western powers saw Saddam Hussein’s aggression as a strategic opportunity during the Iran–Iraq War, with Germany, France, and the US each playing distinct roles in supporting Iraq’s military campaign. How did German companies help sustain Hussein’s efforts?", options: [ "They provided satellite intelligence to Iraqi generals", "They transferred materials used to produce chemical weapons", "They built communications infrastructure for Iraqi command centres", "They supplied armoured vehicle components to Iraqi defence contractors", ], answer: "They transferred materials used to produce chemical weapons", correct: "Although the Cold War was still at its height, the United States and other NATO members saw in the Iraqi aggression an opportunity to contain the Iranian revolution and a chance for lucrative arms deals. The French offered Saddam Hussein their Mirage-F1 fighter jets to combat Iranian F-14 Tomcats. German companies transferred tons of material for use in chemical weapons that Saddam deployed against civilians using American-made Bell helicopters. In addition to intelligence sharing, the Ronald Reagan administration provided the Iraqi regime with billions of dollars of economic aid, preventing the total collapse of their economy.", incorrect: "Although the Cold War was still at its height, the United States and other NATO members saw in the Iraqi aggression an opportunity to contain the Iranian revolution and a chance for lucrative arms deals. The French offered Saddam Hussein their Mirage-F1 fighter jets to combat Iranian F-14 Tomcats. German companies transferred tons of material for use in chemical weapons that Saddam deployed against civilians using American-made Bell helicopters. In addition to intelligence sharing, the Ronald Reagan administration provided the Iraqi regime with billions of dollars of economic aid, preventing the total collapse of their economy.", }, { title: "Is It Offensive to Wear the Hudson’s Bay Point Coat?", url: "https://thewalrus.ca/is-it-offensive-to-wear-the-hudsons-bay-point-coat/", question: "After the collapse of the Hudson’s Bay Company, Canadian Tire stepped in to acquire its intellectual property, including the rights to the iconic—but controversial—striped point blanket coat. What commitment did Canadian Tire make regarding future point blanket sales?", options: [ "To produce point blankets exclusively through Indigenous-owned manufacturing partners", "To include educational inserts in all point blanket packaging explaining its historical origins", "To donate all net proceeds, and at least $1 million a year, to an Indigenous grant program", "To permanently retire the point blanket pattern after offloading existing inventory ", ], answer: "To donate all net proceeds, and at least $1 million a year, to an Indigenous grant program", correct: "Canadian Tire announced its acquisition of HBC’s intellectual property in May 2025. They promised to sell point blankets in their stores while giving all net proceeds and at least $1 million a year to the Blanket Fund, a grant program that \"provides support for Indigenous cultural, artistic, and educational activities\" that advance reconciliation. It’s a gesture that also stands as a tacit acknowledgement that any future revenue earned from selling the point blanket pattern remains somewhat tainted by the past.", incorrect: "Canadian Tire announced its acquisition of HBC’s intellectual property in May 2025. They promised to sell point blankets in their stores while giving all net proceeds and at least $1 million a year to the Blanket Fund, a grant program that \"provides support for Indigenous cultural, artistic, and educational activities\" that advance reconciliation. It’s a gesture that also stands as a tacit acknowledgement that any future revenue earned from selling the point blanket pattern remains somewhat tainted by the past.", }, { image: " https://walrus-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/img/Jones-Nuclear-1800-1536x1024.jpg", title: "Canada Once Had Nukes. We Might Need to Bring Them Back", url: "https://thewalrus.ca/he-was-a-legendary-newsroom-colleague-turned-out-he-had-a-secret-past/", question: "With old doubts about the American nuclear guarantee resurfacing, European leaders have begun discussing alternatives. One proposal involves building a European nuclear deterrent centred on the continent’s existing nuclear powers. Which two countries currently possess the arsenals that could form the basis of said deterrent?", options: [ "Germany and Poland", "Italy and Spain", "Sweden and Norway", "France and the United Kingdom", ], answer: "France and the United Kingdom", correct: "France and the United Kingdom are the only two European countries that currently possess nuclear weapons. A European nuclear force would require France extending its deterrent—also known as the force de frappe—to neighbouring states. Britain might also take part, but its nuclear force is more dependent on the US than France’s—reliant on US-supplied Trident missiles with shared maintenance and infrastructure. If London were to contribute to a continental nuclear force, it would need warheads and a delivery system entirely under its command. Some in the UK believe that it may be forced down that path should the US ever withdraw support for Britain’s deterrent or demand too high a price in political loyalty.", incorrect: "France and the United Kingdom are the only two European countries that currently possess nuclear weapons. A European nuclear force would require France extending its deterrent—also known as the force de frappe—to neighbouring states. Britain might also take part, but its nuclear force is more dependent on the US than France’s—reliant on US-supplied Trident missiles with shared maintenance and infrastructure. If London were to contribute to a continental nuclear force, it would need warheads and a delivery system entirely under its command. Some in the UK believe that it may be forced down that path should the US ever withdraw support for Britain’s deterrent or demand too high a price in political loyalty.", }, { title: "Canada Is Already at War with the US—We Just Don’t Know It Yet", url: "https://thewalrus.ca/canada-is-already-at-war-with-the-us-we-just-dont-know-it-yet/", question: "Reports of meetings between the Trump administration and a Canadian separatist movement are raising alarms about the potential for US involvement in domestic political disputes. Which group participated in those discussions?", options: [ "Western Independence Party", "Alberta Prosperity Project", "The Maverick Party", "Prairie Freedom Movement", ], answer: "Alberta Prosperity Project", correct: "The Trump administration has engaged in discussions with members of the Alberta Prosperity Project in an ongoing effort to coordinate the breakup of Confederation. Multiple meetings over a period of months between the leaders of the APP and members of the Trump administration have raised concerns about dangerous parallels between American efforts to embolden and empower Alberta separatism and the Russian plot to lever a separatist movement in the Donbas into an invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainians were completely taken aback by how quickly and aggressively their neighbour turned on them and how effectively they turned a loose thread of a fringe secessionist movement into territorial acquisition.", incorrect: "The Trump administration has engaged in discussions with members of the Alberta Prosperity Project in an ongoing effort to coordinate the breakup of Confederation. Multiple meetings over a period of months between the leaders of the APP and members of the Trump administration have raised concerns about dangerous parallels between American efforts to embolden and empower Alberta separatism and the Russian plot to lever a separatist movement in the Donbas into an invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainians were completely taken aback by how quickly and aggressively their neighbour turned on them and how effectively they turned a loose thread of a fringe secessionist movement into territorial acquisition.", }, ];