Americans long had a reputation for being the world’s greatest flag wavers. According to a recent cross-border study by the Angus Reid Institute, that may no longer be the case. At least not relative to Canadians. Judging by a number of criteria, Canadians are a lot happier with their country
Continue readingAuthor: Bill Longstaff
Views from the Beltline: America may be broken, Canada not so much
Americans long had a reputation for being the world’s greatest flag wavers. According to a recent cross-border study by the Angus Reid Institute, that may no longer be the case. At least not relative to Canadians. Judging by a number of criteria, Canadians are a lot happier with their country
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Some encouraging support for net zero
Below is an open letter that appeared as an ad in the National Post and The Hill Times. The letter recognizes that our “major trading partners have already moved aggressively and swiftly” toward a sustainable economy and strongly recommends we do the same. I was so impressed that these signatories—leading
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Some encouraging support for net zero
Below is an open letter that appeared as an ad in the National Post and The Hill Times. The letter recognizes that our “major trading partners have already moved aggressively and swiftly” toward a sustainable economy and strongly recommends we do the same. I was so impressed that these signatories—leading
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Africa’s anti-gay madness—the Christian connection
Uganda recently passed an anti-gay law described by United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk as “probably among the worst of its kind in the world.” Anyone engaging in gay sex can be imprisoned for life. Even attempting to have gay sex can earn seven years behind bars. Homosexual acts
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Africa’s anti-gay madness—the Christian connection
Uganda recently passed an anti-gay law described by United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk as “probably among the worst of its kind in the world.” Anyone engaging in gay sex can be imprisoned for life. Even attempting to have gay sex can earn seven years behind bars. Homosexual acts
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: The IPCC and the Alberta perspective
On March 20 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the final instalment of its Sixth Assessment Report. The report resulted from the work of 234 scientists on the physical science, 270 scientists on impacts, adaptation and vulnerabilities, and 278 scientists on mitigation. This is the bible on climate change. It isn’t
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: The IPCC and the Alberta perspective
On March 20 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the final instalment of its Sixth Assessment Report. The report resulted from the work of 234 scientists on the physical science, 270 scientists on impacts, adaptation and vulnerabilities, and 278 scientists on mitigation. This is the bible on climate change. It isn’t
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: A warrant for the world’s “most brazen mobster”
If there has been a knock on the International Criminal Court (ICC) it’s that it has focussed excessively on developing countries. Of the over 50 individuals the court has indicted, the majority are from Africa. The court has now issued a warrant for a European and they couldn’t have made
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: A warrant for the world’s “most brazen mobster”
If there has been a knock on the International Criminal Court (ICC) it’s that it has focussed excessively on developing countries. Of the over 50 individuals the court has indicted, the majority are from Africa. The court has now issued a warrant for a European and they couldn’t have made
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: About eating meat
The Colorado River and those who depend on it are in trouble. A once-in-a-millennium drought now entering its third decade is shrinking water levels to disturbing numbers. The seven states and Mexico that rely on the Colorado are worried. As we should be. Two of the states, California and Arizona,
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: About eating meat
The Colorado River and those who depend on it are in trouble. A once-in-a-millennium drought now entering its third decade is shrinking water levels to disturbing numbers. The seven states and Mexico that rely on the Colorado are worried. As we should be. Two of the states, California and Arizona,
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Iran and Saudi Arabia make nice
The Middle East has been an ugly place for some time. It has become humanity’s favourite region for killing each other although Vladimir Putin is attempting to return that honour to Europe. It was good news therefore to hear that two of the region’s major belligerents have decided to kiss
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Iran and Saudi Arabia make nice
The Middle East has been an ugly place for some time. It has become humanity’s favourite region for killing each other although Vladimir Putin is attempting to return that honour to Europe. It was good news therefore to hear that two of the region’s major belligerents have decided to kiss
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Joltin’ Judge Brown lasts one round
There was a mystery haunting our Supreme Court throughout February. Justice Russell Brown wasn’t showing up for work. Last week the mystery was solved. The judge has been suspended with pay for getting into a fracas in Scottsdale, Arizona. The judge was in Scottsdale to speak at a ceremony honouring
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: BIG step toward saving the oceans
Along with our other environmental sins, we are fishing the oceans dry. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, over a third of global fisheries have been fished beyond sustainable limits and almost two-thirds are being fished to their limits. Sharks and rays have declined by over 70 percent.
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Conservatives and the CBC
Pierre Poilievre has trotted out a recurrent theme in Conservative election platforms—he will “defund” the CBC. (Is “defund” a steal from woke-speak?) This is hardly surprising. The CBC is the only national mass medium that isn’t owned by the corporate sector, a generally conservative and excessively influential entity. Here in
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: We are so very rich
The money just rolls in—$892 per second. We are wallowing in it. Alberta’s non-renewable resource revenue for the 2022/23 fiscal year is the highest in history, by far—40 percent higher than the previous high in 2005/05. Twenty-eight billion dollars. The windfall results from high oil prices, record production and higher
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Dismissing the low taxes myth with a word
If there’s a common refrain in Conservative election platforms it’s lower taxes. No matter the current tax level, Conservatives believe it must be lower. If this is simply a belief that more money should be spent individually and less collectively, so be it. A reasonable sentiment. But we also constantly
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Putin and Peter—What’s NATO got to do with it?
NATO is frequently brought up in the discussion of the Russian aggression against Ukraine. Some pundits suggest it is a cause, even to some a justification. I would suggest NATO has little to do with it except as an excuse for Putin’s imperialism. Putin was a child of the Soviet
Continue reading