Iraq War lessons from 2003 are back on the table tonight, and the conversation does not land softly. This week marks the anniversary of the invasion. Listeners are texting in to say George W. Bush looks reasonable by comparison to what is happening now. That is where the bar sits.

The 2003 coalition was the UK, Australia, and Poland. The weapons of mass destruction did not exist. The vacuum that war left became ISIS, Syria, and years of consequence. The US went in without broad international backing then. The pattern with Iran today is the same shape. Peggy Mason, president of the Rideau Institute and former Canadian Ambassador, is the person to have this conversation with.

Twenty years is supposed to be enough time to learn something. Whether it was is the question the conversation sits inside.

Topics: Iraq War 2003 anniversary, Peggy Mason Rideau Institute, US Iran coalition, Canadian foreign policy, war vacuum ISIS

GUEST: Peggy Mason | Rideau Institute

Originally aired on 2026-03-19

Iraq War lessons from 2003 are back on the table tonight, and the conversation does not land softly. This week marks the anniversary of the invasion. Listeners are texting in to say George W. Bush looks reasonable by comparison to what is happening now. That is where the bar sits.
The 2003 coalition was the UK, Australia, and Poland. The weapons of mass destruction did not exist. The vacuum that war left became ISIS, Syria, and years of consequence. The US went in without broad international backing then. The pattern with Iran today is the same shape. Peggy Mason, president of the Rideau Institute and former Canadian Ambassador, is the person to have this conversation with.
Twenty years is supposed to be enough time to learn something. Whether it was is the question the conversation sits inside.
Topics: Iraq War 2003 anniversary, Peggy Mason Rideau Institute, US Iran coalition, Canadian foreign policy, war vacuum ISIS
GUEST: Peggy Mason | Rideau Institute
Originally aired on&nbsp;2026-03-19

Shane Hewitt & The Nightshift is your late-night companion for real talk, bold ideas, and unfiltered conversations that matter. Hosted by Canadian radio veteran Shane Hewitt, each episode dives into the headlines, human stories, and hidden truths shaping our world—always with curiosity, compassion, and a sharp edge.

From politics and pop culture to mental health, technology, and everyday life, this podcast is where night owls, deep thinkers, and curious minds come to connect. Featuring expert guests, passionate callers, and Shane’s signature style—thoughtful, fearless, and refreshingly real.

If you crave meaningful dialogue, smart perspectives, and late-night radio energy in podcast form, subscribe now and join The Nightshift.

Shane Hewitt &amp; The Nightshift is your late-night companion for real talk, bold ideas, and unfiltered conversations that matter. Hosted by Canadian radio veteran Shane Hewitt, each episode dives into the headlines, human stories, and hidden truths shaping our world&mdash;always with curiosity, compassion, and a sharp edge.
From politics and pop culture to mental health, technology, and everyday life, this podcast is where night owls, deep thinkers, and curious minds come to connect. Featuring expert guests, passionate callers, and Shane&rsquo;s signature style&mdash;thoughtful, fearless, and refreshingly real.
If you crave meaningful dialogue, smart perspectives, and late-night radio energy in podcast form, subscribe now and join The Nightshift.

Shane Hewitt and The Nightshift

Shane Hewitt is known for his engaging and relatable on-air personality, which captivates listeners. His ability to blend insightful commentary with humour and empathy creates a genuine connection with listeners.  Shane Hewitt and the Night Shift provides relatable content, informative discussions and expert insights – along with a balance of anecdotes and entertainment.

Shane Hewitt is known for his engaging and relatable on-air personality, which captivates listeners. His ability to blend insightful commentary with humour and empathy creates a genuine connection with listeners.  Shane Hewitt and the Night Shift provides relatable content, informative discussions and expert insights – along with a balance of anecdotes and entertainment.

Shiftheads - Twenty Three Years Later and the Pattern Is Running Again

MAID Alberta restrictions are moving while the federal government is still working out what to do. Alberta is blocking mental illness as a qualifying condition and shifting the onus so doctors cannot be the ones to raise it. Two governments, one issue, no alignment yet.

The question Rob Breakenridge keeps returning to is whether the healthcare system is making MAID more attractive by failing to deliver treatment in time. Palliative care underfunded. Timelines too long. The Supreme Court decision that legalized medical assistance in dying was never designed to be a substitute for a functional system. That gap is what Alberta is trying to respond to, at least in part.

Pierre Poilievre is going on Joe Rogan. Gas in Calgary is $1.66. Pipelines are still years away. Some problems have faster solutions than others.

Topics: MAID Alberta restrictions, mental illness MAID federal provincial, Poilievre Joe Rogan Canada free trade, Canadian healthcare system, gas prices pipelines energy

GUEST: Rob Breakenridge | robbreakenridge.ca

Originally aired on 2026-03-19

MAID Alberta restrictions are moving while the federal government is still working out what to do. Alberta is blocking mental illness as a qualifying condition and shifting the onus so doctors cannot be the ones to raise it. Two governments, one issue, no alignment yet.
The question Rob Breakenridge keeps returning to is whether the healthcare system is making MAID more attractive by failing to deliver treatment in time. Palliative care underfunded. Timelines too long. The Supreme Court decision that legalized medical assistance in dying was never designed to be a substitute for a functional system. That gap is what Alberta is trying to respond to, at least in part.
Pierre Poilievre is going on Joe Rogan. Gas in Calgary is $1.66. Pipelines are still years away. Some problems have faster solutions than others.
Topics: MAID Alberta restrictions, mental illness MAID federal provincial, Poilievre Joe Rogan Canada free trade, Canadian healthcare system, gas prices pipelines energy
GUEST: Rob Breakenridge | robbreakenridge.ca
Originally aired on&nbsp;2026-03-19

NEW - Fish Where the Fish Are: Poilievre, Rogan, and the Case for Canada

NHL player social media is now a 24-hour surveillance operation and the results are exactly what you would expect. NHL Follow Tracker monitors over 700 players' personal Instagram accounts daily, logging every follow and unfollow. Olin Zellweger unfollowed Austin Matthews, Clayton Keller, and Jack Eichel one day after the US men's team won gold. Evgeny Malkin unfollowed Humans Choose Kindness and is now in his villain arc according to most of the internet.

Nazem Kadri recently started following Megan Fox. The question of why any of this is anyone's business goes unanswered. The follow-up question of why these players don't just have fake accounts is also worth sitting with.

Also: a cat named Louis from Surrey, BC crosses the US/Canada border regularly past guards, SUVs, helicopters, and cameras. Born July 1st. You cannot bring an avocado. Louis brings mice.

Topics: NHL Follow Tracker Instagram, Olin Zellweger unfollow, Evgeny Malkin social media, NHL players personal accounts, border crossing cat Surrey BC

Originally aired on 2026-03-18

NHL player social media is now a 24-hour surveillance operation and the results are exactly what you would expect. NHL Follow Tracker monitors over 700 players' personal Instagram accounts daily, logging every follow and unfollow. Olin Zellweger unfollowed Austin Matthews, Clayton Keller, and Jack Eichel one day after the US men's team won gold. Evgeny Malkin unfollowed Humans Choose Kindness and is now in his villain arc according to most of the internet.
Nazem Kadri recently started following Megan Fox. The question of why any of this is anyone's business goes unanswered. The follow-up question of why these players don't just have fake accounts is also worth sitting with.
Also: a cat named Louis from Surrey, BC crosses the US/Canada border regularly past guards, SUVs, helicopters, and cameras. Born July 1st. You cannot bring an avocado. Louis brings mice.
Topics: NHL Follow Tracker Instagram, Olin Zellweger unfollow, Evgeny Malkin social media, NHL players personal accounts, border crossing cat Surrey BC
Originally aired on&nbsp;2026-03-18

ICYMI - Inside Copy: Someone Is Watching Every NHL Player's Instagram Follows. All 700 of Them

Anti-war apathy is the thing historians notice first. In 2003 the marches started before the bombs did. Main streets shut down. Embassies closed. This anniversary lands with a conflict being called potentially more dangerous, and almost no one in the street.

The Oscars came and went this year without a single reference to war. In 2003 Michael Moore won an award and got booed for bringing it up on stage. That difference is not just cultural drift. The monoculture that made Iraq impossible to ignore is gone, replaced by pocket universes on phones where AI-generated footage sits next to real footage and the two are getting harder to separate.

This conflict is already being called the first major one where AI propaganda is playing a significant psychological role. That is not a small thing to absorb, and the Epstein files have not even come out yet.

Topics: anti-war apathy, Iraq War 2003 comparison, AI war propaganda, media fragmentation, protest culture decline, twenty-year cultural reset

GUEST: Ed Conroy | retroontario.com | @‌retrontario

Originally aired on 2026-03-19

Anti-war apathy is the thing historians notice first. In 2003 the marches started before the bombs did. Main streets shut down. Embassies closed. This anniversary lands with a conflict being called potentially more dangerous, and almost no one in the street.
The Oscars came and went this year without a single reference to war. In 2003 Michael Moore won an award and got booed for bringing it up on stage. That difference is not just cultural drift. The monoculture that made Iraq impossible to ignore is gone, replaced by pocket universes on phones where AI-generated footage sits next to real footage and the two are getting harder to separate.
This conflict is already being called the first major one where AI propaganda is playing a significant psychological role. That is not a small thing to absorb, and the Epstein files have not even come out yet.
Topics: anti-war apathy, Iraq War 2003 comparison, AI war propaganda, media fragmentation, protest culture decline, twenty-year cultural reset
GUEST: Ed Conroy |<a href="http://retroontario.com"> retroontario.com</a> | @&zwnj;retrontario
Originally aired on&nbsp;2026-03-19

Shiftheads - Twenty Three Years Later and the Pattern Is Running Again

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