In the late ’30s and early ’40s Alberta’s premier was the colourful William Aberhart, known as “Bible Bill” for his bible studies classes and radio sermons. Founder of the Social Credit Party, Bible Bill introduced a variety of legislation during his term, some good, some not so much. An example
Continue readingAuthor: Bill Longstaff
Notes on Democracy: Inhabiting the Radical Middle
While I take an active interest in politics, and have always been a member of a political party (sometimes two), I no longer get directly involved in election campaigns. My reason is one that many people share—politics just seems to bring out the worst in people. Enter the world of
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Ed Whittingham seeks energy/environment middle ground
Alberta lives with two conflicting facts: first, humanity is faced with its greatest crisis ever—global warming—caused primarily by the burning of fossil fuels; and second, humanity will have to rely on fossil fuels for the indefinite future and production of fossil fuels just happens to be Alberta’s major industry. The
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Are U.S. capitalists going soft?
The aristocracy of American capitalism can be found on the membership list of the Business Roundtable. The Roundtable, one of Washington’s top lobbyists, includes among its 193 members the chief executives of the cream of the country’s corporations, including Amazon, Apple, Fox, Coca-Cola, General Motors, Goldman Sachs and dozens of
Continue readingNotes on Democracy: I Vote CBC
Well informed citizens are essential to a healthy democracy. In ancient Athens, usually considered the first democracy, citizens who wanted to hear the latest news and views went down to the public square or Agora. The Agora, also known as the Forum of Athens, was the place for doing business
Continue readingNotes on Democracy: Too Big to Fail—A Sound Idea?
So the Ethics Commissioner has slapped the Prime Minister’s wrist, stating in his report I found that Mr. Trudeau used his position of authority over Ms. Wilson‑Raybould to seek to influence, both directly and indirectly, her decision on whether she should overrule the Director of Public Prosecutions’ decision not to
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Trump/Netanyahu vs. Omar/Tlaib
Why are these two so frightening to these two?
Continue readingNotes on Democracy: Please, No Excuses for Maduro
In the early days after the Russian revolution, leftists would visit the country in order to view this experiment in collectivist society. They would be welcomed, given the grand tour of appropriate Potemkin displays, be suitably impressed, and return exclaiming they had seen the future. They had seen a future
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Waeza Shamsia Afzal, U.S. Evangelicals, and the corruption of dogma
Reading about the courageous young Canadian woman Waeza Shamsia Afzal carried my thoughts to American evangelical Christians and their worship of Donald Trump. The connection is religion. Ms. Afzal is an observant Muslim who has decided to boycott the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. Her reason: “The hajj is governed by
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: The state, not the private sector, invented the modern economy
I read an article in The Economist a while ago that insisted the state should constrain itself to providing basic services and otherwise stay out of the economy. That is, of course, a common belief on the right. The Economist, however, ought to know better. Let us assume that governments
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: The surreallity of life in Alberta
Living in Alberta, I sometimes get the feeling I live in a place shifted a few degrees off centre from reality. For example, in the real world we are faced with the overarching threat of global warming, a crisis we have brought down upon ourselves. But, despite near unanimous agreement
Continue readingNotes on Democracy: Trump is no Substitute for Unions
The major reason Donald Trump was elected to the job he is manifestly unfit for was his appeal to electors in the Rust Belt states. These states had seen a collapse of manufacturing jobs, i.e. union jobs, and millions of people were thrown from the middle class into the precariat.
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Is Andrew Scheer in the closet about Quebec sovereignty?
Not being a conservative, I disagree with most of Andrew Scheer’s pronouncements, but they rarely surprise me. One, however, surprised me very much. Indeed, I was surprised that any Anglophone Canadian politician would express such an opinion. I refer to his extraordinary admission that he supports Brexit. He said his
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Environmental destruction—more than a war crime?
The UN’s International Law Commission currently has on its agenda an item concerned with protecting the environment in times of war. The commission has drawn up 28 draft principles, the purpose of which is, according to Principle 2, “enhancing the protection of the environment in relation to armed conflict, including
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Calgary and the hockey barons
On November 18th of last year, Calgary held a plebiscite which attracted an impressive 305,000 voters. The question on the ballot was whether or not the city would host the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. The answer was a decisive no, despite the Olympic opponents having far less money at their
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: A tar sands story
Canadian Natural Resources, Canada’s largest oil and gas producer, has set an ambitious goal regarding greenhouse gas emissions. It has announced that by applying advanced technology, including carbon capture and storage, it will attempt to reduce the emissions from its tar sands operations to effectively zero. A laudable goal. This
Continue readingNotes on Democracy: Religious Tolerance on the Decline
Quebec’s Bill 21 which bans public teachers, police officers, government lawyers and other authority figures from wearing religious symbols at work has met vigorous criticism. Its critics claim it violates religious freedom and discriminates against specific religions. Given that it seems aimed particularly at Muslim women who wear the hijab,
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Britain has bullied Iran for centuries
Britain’s imperial designs on Iran go back at least to the Great Game with Russia over control of trade routes through central Asia in the 19th century. Indeed, Iran’s southern and eastern boundaries were set by the British during the Anglo-Persian War (1856-7). By the end of the century, Britain
Continue readingNotes on Democracy: Democracy Needs Gatekeepers
When the Internet arrived and then computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee unleashed the world wide web, a paradise of communication loomed. Now everyone could have access to all the world’s knowledge. We would all know everything we wanted or needed to know to make us ideal citizens. We would make wise
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: The ungrateful species
I consider myself fortunate beyond words for my opportunity to experience life on this planet. I am here for a mere moment in the vast expanse of both time and space, but what a moment. Not only to experience the universe but more particularly the pleasure of appreciating the infinite
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