Of course Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race. It was the best thing for the nation he loves, and he’s been serving his nation for over 50 years. He goes out on a high and that’s the only way to go. Men find it very hard to give
Continue readingAuthor: Bill Longstaff
Views from the Beltline: Trump—an aggrieved leader for an aggrieved people
Why, one wonders, would so many Americans be prepared to elect a president with such contempt for democracy, one of the country’s cardinal values. A partial answer is that many Americans simply don’t care for democracy. Not everyone does. A study by Matthew MacWilliams, a research associate at the University
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Trump and inciting violence
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has responded to the Trump shooting by asking progressives to “dial down” the way they characterize conservative politicians, blaming them for the toxic culture in the U.S. “I think we have to be very mindful that we can have a disagreement in politics, but we have
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Scoring Canada environmentally
There is no issue of more importance than the environment. If we can’t learn to live sustainably on this unique and wonderful planet, civilization as we know it will collapse. We may even follow the billions of other species into extinction. It is, therefore, essential that we monitor our progress
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Never enuf nukes
The Dr. Strangelove’s are at it again. As if there wasn’t enough to worry about with the possibility of Donald Trump resuming the presidency of the U.S., some of his former allies are proposing that, should he be elected, the United States restart the underground testing of nuclear weapons. Robert
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Progressives’ weekend trifecta
It was a good weekend for progressives. First was the massive win for Labour in Britain, then the quite surprising emergence of a left-wing alliance as the leading party in France, and finally the reformist Masoud Pezeshkian defeating his hard-line right-wing rival in Iran. I have posted previously about the
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Alberta phases out fossil fuel
You read that right. Alberta has phased out a fossil fuel. Not, unfortunately the tar sands. That would be way too much to hope for, but this is an important success nonetheless. The province’s electricity grid is operating coal free with zero coal anticipated in the short or long term.
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Labour’s undeserved landslide
I was pleased with the Labour Party’s big win in the British election this week for a couple of reasons: Labour’s philosophy is closer to mine and the 14 years of Conservative rule were largely chaos and mismanagement. Looking superficially at the election results, one might get the impression that
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Rodeo time in cowtown
It’s Stampede time in Calgary and that means another round of debate about rodeo. I’ve never been a fan myself; I’ve just never found the tormenting of other animals in any way entertaining. And that’s what rodeo looks like to me. Goading a horse to buck or a calf to
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: When the president does it, it’s legal
After resigning in disgrace over the infamous Watergate affair, President Richard Nixon told an interviewer, “When the president does it that means that it is not illegal,” and everybody had a good laugh. Well, nobody is laughing now. Except perhaps Donald Trump. The U.S. is not the country it was
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: A carbon tax on cows?
Consumer carbon taxes seem to cause something akin to hysteria among Canadian conservatives. The federal leader of the Conservative party endlessly repeats his slogan “axe the tax,” meaning of course the federal carbon tax. Saskatchewan premier Scott Moe has said he won’t collect it, and Premier Danielle Smith of Alberta
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Would dumping Justin help or hinder?
In response to the Liberals’ loss, real and symbolic, of the allegedly safe seat of Toronto-St. Paul’s, the cries for their leader to step down grow louder. However, a recent Angus Reid poll suggests that may not be as helpful to the party as one might think, and may even
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Pathways pulls propaganda
What does the Alberta government and its oil industry mentors have against the truth? There must be some kind of problem or they wouldn’t be so hysterically opposed to Bill C-59. The Bill, currently awaiting royal assent, contains a modest amendment to the Competition Act that will require companies to provide
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Capital gains taxes—a buck is still a buck
A rather modest tax reform has much of the business community and its attendant economists in a bit of a dither. Corporations and trusts will now pay taxes on two-thirds of their capital gains rather than just on half. This also applies to individuals for capital gains over $250,000. Gains
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Some countries we like, others … not so much
A recent survey of Canadian attitudes toward various countries by the Angus Reid Institute produced some interesting results. The survey covered nine countries that have been much in the news lately: the UK, France, Mexico, the U.S., India, Israel, China, Russia and Iran . Our favourite nation, not surprisingly, was
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Alberta NDP—who will lead?
Yesterday I cast my online ballot for a new leader of Alberta’s NDP, our current quite exceptional incumbent deciding to move on to other pursuits. In keeping with the preferential ballot, I selected the former mayor of our fine city, Naheed Nenshi, as number one. He is a newcomer to
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Time for trickle up?
When, in the 1980s, we embarked on our binge of free trade agreements, we were assured by their political and business promoters that they would benefit all of us. By making things good for global corporations, they would prosper and their prosperity would trickle down to the rest of us.
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Good news from India
Having just posted bad news about democracy, specifically the loss of Hong Kong to Xi Jinping’s autocracy, I read some good news. In India’s recent election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hlndu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), expected to increase their majority in India’s Parliament, were instead reduced to a
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: The Hong Kong tragedy
At a time when democracy seems to be losing ground around the globe, even in the United States, one of the saddest losses is Hong Kong. The former British colony became a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China in 1997. China guaranteed that it could maintain its
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Oilman challenges Poilievre
“We’ve talked for 40 years about climate change … and we’ve done very, very little about it.” That isn’t an environmentalist talking. Or a scientist. It’s Derek Evans, executive chair of the Pathways Alliance, a consortium of Canada’s largest tar sands producers. The Pathways’ goal is achieving net-zero emissions in
Continue reading