It might strike some as surprising, but it shouldn’t. A study by academics from seven countries suggests that children from religious families are less kind and more punitive than those from non-religious families. According to the researchers, “Overall, our findings … contradict the common-sense and popular assumption that children from
Continue readingAuthor: Bill Longstaff
A fine, feminine cabinet
Good to see that Prime Minister Trudeau (haven’t said that for a while) has kept an important promise and formed a gender-balanced cabinet. He said his cabinet would reflect Canada and a 50-50 male/female cabinet does just that. Not surprisingly, some detractors insist that cabinet appointments should be made strictly
Continue readingPR—an essential first step
Our brand spanking new Liberal government has promised us electoral reform. Specifically, it is “committed to ensuring that 2015 will be the last federal election conducted under the first-past-the-post voting system.” Assuming the new system will provide proportional representation, this would be an essential first step in ensuring that all
Continue readingPR—an essential first step
Our brand spanking new Liberal government has promised us electoral reform. Specifically, it is “committed to ensuring that 2015 will be the last federal election conducted under the first-past-the-post voting system.” Assuming the new system will provide proportional representation, this would be an essential first step in ensuring that all
Continue readingThe NDP—back to social democracy
Rather like the British Labour Party under Tony Blair, the NDP made a play for the political centre. The Liberals, led by the dangerous to underestimate Justin Trudeau, have now writ fini to that ambition.The thing for the NDP to do now, in the heart and mind of this member
Continue readingSunny ways and other thoughts on the election
The Dark Age is over. The wicked witch of Calgary is gone. And Justin Trudeau has promised he will lead according to Sir Wilfred Laurier’s “sunny way.” Guided by the PM-elect’s “positive, optimistic, hopeful vision” rather than by Harper’s paranoia, the country will be a much happier place to inhabit.
Continue readingWe’re on the international stage—for our bigotry
The latest issue of Press Progress includes an article commenting on the attention the Prime Minister’s divisive anti-Muslim politicking is getting around the globe. For instance, The Economist carries the headline “Muslim-bashing is an effective campaign tactic” and goes on to say, “The fuss is a godsend for Stephen Harper,
Continue readingA minority progressive government would be the best result of the election
I wouldn’t dare to be so bold as to play the prophet and predict the shape of the government that will result from Monday’s federal election. Polls and electorates are much too fickle. I can only observe that if the polls are accurate and the electorate doesn’t suddenly change its
Continue readingAmericans support Keystone, Canadians not so much
A recent survey by the Pew Research Center regarding the Keystone XL Pipeline revealed some intriguing, and perhaps counterintuitive, results. According to the survey a majority of Americans solidly support Keystone, with almost twice as many supporting as opposing, while a majority of Canadians are against it. Only 42 per
Continue readingWhat are Canadian values, of what value are they, and who decides?
Prime Minister Harper, the “old stock” Canadian, recently made the odd remark, “I will never tell my young daughter that a woman should cover her face because she is a woman. That’s not our Canada.” Why such a notion should ever present itself to Mr. Harper is a mystery, but
Continue readingAlbertans support stronger climate change policies
A recent survey by EKOS Research Associates commissioned by the Pembina Institute reveals that Albertans’ attitudes about energy and climate change are more progressive than many think. For example, 50 per cent of Albertans support a carbon tax that applies to all polluters, both companies and individuals (38 per cent
Continue readingNiqab nonsense—much ado about nothing
I am no fan of the niqab. Hell, I’m no fan of religion. But if a Moslem woman wants to wear a niqab at a citizenship ceremony for religious reasons, I can’t think of a single reason why I, or the state on my behalf, should prevent her. As long,
Continue readingStephen Harper’s sad little world of fear
I have tended to think of Stephen Harper’s efforts to instill fear in Canadians as largely demagoguery. Governments creating a climate of fear to rally their people around them when they are in trouble is one of the oldest political gimmicks in the book. However, the more I observe Harper,
Continue readingNDP attacks Trudeau—Harper grins
As I was about to mail another donation to the NDP earlier this week, I encountered the following headline on the CBC website: “NDP sets sights on Trudeau in bid to recapture momentum.” No doubt the headline put a large grin on Stephen Harper’s face. It put a large frown
Continue readingEnough of this low tax nonsense
If conservatives believe in low taxes in order to keep government small, so be it, but when they insist that low taxes are necessary for a healthy economy, they are talking rot, parroting a mantra that has been utterly disproved. The low tax theory can in fact be refuted with
Continue readingWhy this Dipper is voting Liberal in Calgary Centre
Liberals have been screwing Calgary for a long time. When one hears this, one’s thoughts immediately turn to Trudeau senior and his National Energy Program. But it started long before that. Back in the beginning in fact. When Alberta became a province in 1905, Frank Oliver, Edmonton newspaper publisher and
Continue readingSaints and slackers on the refugee front
The Canadian government has come under considerable criticism for its sluggish reaction to the Syrian refugee crisis, and deservedly so. As I pointed out in a previous post, this is in sharp contrast to our response to other similar crises. A number of countries are doing much better than us,
Continue readingVote CBC
The CBC, our national broadcaster, is usually justified on the basis of two fundamentally important services it provides: it serves as stage for Canadian culture and it unites a broad, diverse country. I suggest it serves us in yet another way that is equally important: it is the only national
Continue readingHow many refugees should we accept?
Joseph Stalin once said that if you kill one person it’s murder, if you kill a million it’s a statistic. The old psychopath, who knew a lot about killing one person and about killing a million, put his finger on a key element of human sensibility. We have difficulty connecting
Continue readingMs. Harper supports the NDP position on marijuana
Speaking at a Conservative campaign office last week, Laureen Harper, the prime minister’s better half, declared that when it comes to marijuana possession, “You don’t put people in jail.” On the other hand, she also said marijuana use was worse than smoking or alcohol and she opposes full legalization. Nonetheless,
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