Author: brian gibb

Calling a general election during the summer months in order to avoid the anticipated turmoil of a government commission mandated to investigate corruption in the construction industry and dragging out the student strike so to make it a campaign issue didn’t go very well for the former Premier of Quebec,

Before I start my rant, it should be known that I have been a candidate for political parties that wanted to change the voting system on four occasions.  I have also been a militant for civic organizations that shared the same aim.  I have even gone as far as to organize

It’s a funny thing living in the second decade of the twenty-first century.  There’s such a wide gap between our technological reach and our social institutions. On the same day, I can view the latest images beamed back from the planet Mars and learn that the young women from the

Politics is all about who decides on whose behalf. Inevitably, political decisions entail winners and losers.  In an ideal world, political decisions would be made by inclusive institutions that allow for a thorough analysis of the substantive issues in which the will of the majority prevails. Sadly, this is not

Slowly but surely democracy is spreading and finding roots around the world. The latest countries to begin their path towards democratic governance are Tunisia and Libya. In both countries, democratic elections were held to fill the void left by the toppling of a tyrannical dictator. Looking at a map of

When I was a kid growing up, I thought Canada was cool. Canada’s centennial celebrations made me believe that as a young country we were just coming into our own. A few years later, Paul Henderson scored the winning goal to beat the Soviets, which proved we were the best

Years ago, in his book, The Revolt of the Elites and the Betrayal of Democracy, Christopher Lasch foresaw the diverging interests of the corporate executive class and the shareholders they serve with the rest of America. In short, the rise of Information and Communications Technology made it possible to increase

Well America, taking a look at the recent stats concerning wage growth or the lack thereof and the stunning drop in the net worth of the vast majority of Americans, I think that it goes without saying that you have been screwed royally. Between 2005 and 2010, the median wage

Democratically speaking, Canada is a third world country. Case in point, the upcoming general election in Quebec and my fairy tale constitutional right to effective representation and meaningful participation in the electoral process. In our crown-in-parliament political system, elections must be held before the end of a five-year term. It

The hallowed halls of learning are no longer the place they used to be, exclusive enclaves of learning that allowed those fortunate enough to attend to gain the skill sets and make the social contacts to climb the social hierarchy. In short, maintaining bricks and mortar institutions, tenured faculty, and

Yesterday saw the convergence of two events: the 100th day of the student strike marked by a demonstration of more than 150,000 people in the streets of Montreal and the opening of public inquiry into the corruption of the construction industry and its links to the financing of political parties.

To the one who wears the Crown goes the right to do what one wants when one sees fit.  In the case when the Crown resides in Parliament, this right is transferred to the Monarch’s representative, the Prime Minister.  Although the Prime Minister must abide by the laws of Parliament,

As the Quebec Spring unfolds and the students continue their protests in the streets, it has become apparent that there is a big disconnect between the generations with regard to how they use the mediums of communication. Government dominates the airwaves.  Press conferences are convened; interviews are given; one to many

Electoral results last week in Europe indicate that the idea the free market capitalism and its close cousin, liberal democracy, have yet to conquer the world, leaving humanity in an omega state in which we just work out the details. Related Posts Trickle Up Economics and the Perversity of Cuts

Fundamentally, democracy implies being ruled and participating in the ruling process.  Benjamin Barber makes this point eloquently when he compares the instances of “strong” and “weak” democracies.  A strong democracy is one in which the citizens participate actively in self-government before, during, and after elections, whereas in a weak democracy,

Students in Quebec have been boycotting classes for more than eighty days in protest of the provincial government’s decision to raise university tuition fees 75% over the next five years. Images from the sometime violent demonstrations have been picked up by media sources around the world. In the latest round,

Everybody knows that the dice are loadedEverybody rolls with their fingers crossedEverybody knows that the war is overEverybody knows the good guys lostEverybody knows the fight was fixedThe poor stay poor, the rich get richThat’s how it goesEverybody knows