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

2003 nostalgia is running at full speed, and not just the fun parts. Every high school kid outside a Starbucks is wearing Ed Hardy. Limp Bizkit is huge with teenagers who weren't alive for it. Disposable cameras are showing up at weddings. The aesthetic is back, right down to the tight branding and the boot-cut denim.

But 2003 was also the week America invaded Iraq on weapons of mass destruction that did not exist. The protests were loud then. Nobody's in the street now. Shane points out that the vacuum left by 2003 became ISIS, Syria, and the years of fallout that followed. The same geography is active again. The same cultural signals are cycling back. The twenty-year window is open.

What do cycles actually teach us? The clothes return. The music returns. Whether the lessons do is a different question, and Throwback Thursday 2003 sits right in the middle of it.

Topics: 2003 nostalgia throwback, Ed Hardy comeback, Iraq War anniversary, early 2000s fashion, twenty year trend cycle

Originally aired on 2026-03-19

2003 nostalgia is running at full speed, and not just the fun parts. Every high school kid outside a Starbucks is wearing Ed Hardy. Limp Bizkit is huge with teenagers who weren't alive for it. Disposable cameras are showing up at weddings. The aesthetic is back, right down to the tight branding and the boot-cut denim.
But 2003 was also the week America invaded Iraq on weapons of mass destruction that did not exist. The protests were loud then. Nobody's in the street now. Shane points out that the vacuum left by 2003 became ISIS, Syria, and the years of fallout that followed. The same geography is active again. The same cultural signals are cycling back. The twenty-year window is open.
What do cycles actually teach us? The clothes return. The music returns. Whether the lessons do is a different question, and Throwback Thursday 2003 sits right in the middle of it.
Topics: 2003 nostalgia throwback, Ed Hardy comeback, Iraq War anniversary, early 2000s fashion, twenty year trend cycle
Originally aired on&nbsp;2026-03-19

Ed Hardy Is Back. So Is Everything Else from 2003

Throwback Thursday 2003 hits on the actual date: March 19th, when America announced the Iraq invasion. Gas was 80 cents a litre. A Toronto house cost $293,000. Two presidential audio clips play back to back tonight, and the one from 2003 is the one that wins the room.

SARS was weeks from placing Toronto on the WHO advisory list that spring. The Iraq coalition was the UK, Australia, and Poland. The weapons of mass destruction did not exist. A diesel truck on Vancouver Island cost $400 to fill this week. A crane truck in Ottawa ran $600.

Eighty cents a litre. $293,000 for a Toronto house. Twenty years is supposed to be long enough to learn something from.

Topics: Throwback Thursday 2003, Iraq War anniversary March 19, gas prices 2003 vs today, housing prices Canada, SARS Toronto

Originally aired on 2026-03-19

Throwback Thursday 2003 hits on the actual date: March 19th, when America announced the Iraq invasion. Gas was 80 cents a litre. A Toronto house cost $293,000. Two presidential audio clips play back to back tonight, and the one from 2003 is the one that wins the room.
SARS was weeks from placing Toronto on the WHO advisory list that spring. The Iraq coalition was the UK, Australia, and Poland. The weapons of mass destruction did not exist. A diesel truck on Vancouver Island cost $400 to fill this week. A crane truck in Ottawa ran $600.
Eighty cents a litre. $293,000 for a Toronto house. Twenty years is supposed to be long enough to learn something from.
Topics: Throwback Thursday 2003, Iraq War anniversary March 19, gas prices 2003 vs today, housing prices Canada, SARS Toronto
Originally aired on&nbsp;2026-03-19

NEW - Gas Was 80 Cents. Toronto Houses Were $293,000. That Was Twenty Three Years Ago Tonight

Diesel prices in Canada are up 11 cents by Saturday morning alone. Six cents Friday, five Saturday, four to five more Sunday. April 15 adds another ten cents for the gasoline switchover. Iran tensions add ten to fifteen on top of that. Dan McTeague says we are back to 2022 levels and the clock is already running.

The oil story is the one everyone is watching. The natural gas story is the one McTeague says is a growing emergency. Iran hit South Pars, the largest natural gas field in the country, and targeted liquefaction plants. Those plants feed urea, fertilizers, and nitrogen. They take months to repair. Food shortages this summer are McTeague's direct call from that strike.

Iran wants oil at 200 dollars a barrel. Trump needs it under five dollars a gallon to protect his midterms. Neither of those goals is compatible with where prices are going.

Topics: diesel prices Canada, Iran natural gas attack, fuel costs April 2025, fertilizer supply shortage, energy food inflation

GUEST: Dan McTeague | affordableenergy.ca

Originally aired on 2026-03-19

Diesel prices in Canada are up 11 cents by Saturday morning alone. Six cents Friday, five Saturday, four to five more Sunday. April 15 adds another ten cents for the gasoline switchover. Iran tensions add ten to fifteen on top of that. Dan McTeague says we are back to 2022 levels and the clock is already running.
The oil story is the one everyone is watching. The natural gas story is the one McTeague says is a growing emergency. Iran hit South Pars, the largest natural gas field in the country, and targeted liquefaction plants. Those plants feed urea, fertilizers, and nitrogen. They take months to repair. Food shortages this summer are McTeague's direct call from that strike.
Iran wants oil at 200 dollars a barrel. Trump needs it under five dollars a gallon to protect his midterms. Neither of those goals is compatible with where prices are going.
Topics: diesel prices Canada, Iran natural gas attack, fuel costs April 2025, fertilizer supply shortage, energy food inflation
GUEST: Dan McTeague | affordableenergy.ca
Originally aired on&nbsp;2026-03-19

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

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