The article by Frank Buckley, Brian Lee Crowley (Read more…) Sean Speer in today’s Globe & Mail is by far the best analysis of the driving forces behind the new American government that I have read. The article (headed Canada must recognize that the game is changing) is a clear,
Continue readingAuthor: CuriosityCat
CuriosityCat: Trudeau’s Government is screwing up the Trump Steel Tariff issue
And why is this happening? Because the Canadian government has not done its homework. It has been obvious for more than 18 months that a Trump presidency would pose special problems for the small Canadian economy, but you would never have guessed this from the activities and statements of the
Continue readingCuriosityCat: The Pope: The one man who can save Spain.
Spain’s problem can be solved by one man: the Pope. How? Simple. The Pope invites (commands?) the two leaders of Spain and Catalonia to meet with him and his advisors, in the Vatican. As part of the public invitation, the Pope sets out a few topics that he will raise
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Good news coming on electoral reform says Andrew Coyne
In a thoughtful article Coyne ranges over the positive news springing up at levels below the federal level, regarding changes to our undemocratic first past the post electoral system (the one that PM Trudeau favours, given his decision to walk away from his campaign promise to end it). Ontario is
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Brexit: How’s this for framing?
Ouch! This is going to hurt PM May’s government, and the opposition framing of the issue is brilliant: Davis himself struck an emollient tone on Thursday, seeking to reassure MPs about the scope of the so-called Henry VIII powers, which will allow ministers to make changes to any laws necessary
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Trump: The asymmetric revolutionary warrior
Asymmetric Beaver Why are Americans reeling in dismay over the state of politics? Why is the American media locked into total disbelief every day? What has happened? A revolution. Donald Trump is President, the result of a campaign that was totally different from any other; and is governing in a
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Why UK’s PM May won’t last 3 months
The UK election was a disaster for Theresa May. She wanted a strong majority (40+ seats) to allow her to cope with a handful or more of dissenting Tory MPs in the House, and secondarily (and a far less important reason) to send a message to the EU that the
Continue readingCuriosityCat: UK Election 2017 Who Won What and Where
This site is a good analysis of the results. One key factor for me is that Labour increased the percentage of younger voters from less than 40% in the last election to 70% this time. If this holds, the Tories are in trouble!
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Is this why Trump won?
Here’s one analysis of why Trump won and the Clinton Democrats lost: Why? Because Trump’s brand of populism — and more importantly, that of working-class whites — differs in important ways from the populism of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. While the populism espoused by Sanders and Warren is economic,
Continue readingCuriosityCat: UK Election – my forecast? A new government lead by Labour’s Corbyn as MP
Now’s a good time to stick my neck out and forecast that come June 8, PM May will be booted out of power and replaced shortly thereafter by a new Labour government, with Corbyn as Prime Minister. Here’s the latest Yougov forecast, which shows May’s Tories at 310 votes (16
Continue readingCuriosityCat: UK June 8 Election and How Framing might destroy PM May
Remember Don’t think of an elephant? Does the name George Lakoff ring a bell? Does the concept of framing a debate in political discourse remind you of something? If your answer is Yes, step this way and consider the article I quote below. If your answer is No, then step
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Upset for PM May in UK June 8 election?
Prime Minister May might find her apple cart upturned next week when voters send in a hung Parliament, if a new opinion-polling method by YouGov actually works, as this article explains: Robert Barnes, the U.S. lawyer who made hundreds of thousands of dollars betting on Brexit and Donald Trump’s victory,
Continue readingCuriosityCat: How Globalization hammers France
Worth reading is this article: Guilluy doubts that any place exists in France’s new economy for working people as we’ve previously understood them. Paris offers the most striking case. As it has prospered, the City of Light has stratified, resembling, in this regard, London or American cities such as New
Continue readingCuriosityCat: How Nathan Cullen can bring about electoral reform within months
Our Prime Minister clearly has limited knowledge of electoral reform, both the theories and the practice. This article rebuts his extraordinarily inaccurate claims about the dangers to Canada of electoral reform: The prime minister keeps making the bizarre argument that a partly proportional electoral system would allow anti-immigration Conservative Kellie
Continue readingCuriosityCat: How Nathan Cullen can bring about electoral reform within months
Our Prime Minister clearly has limited knowledge of electoral reform, both the theories and the practice. This article rebuts his extraordinarily inaccurate claims about the dangers to Canada of electoral reform: The prime minister keeps making the bizarre argument that a partly proportional electoral system would allow anti-immigration Conservative Kellie
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Has PM Justin Trudeau done his homework on electoral reform?
The Twaddle Prime Minister It does not appear that Canada’s Prime Minister knows enough about electoral systems throughout the developed world. As a result, he seems to have made a decision to break a campaign promise that won his party a majority of seats, and to walk away from remedying
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Has PM Justin Trudeau done his homework on electoral reform?
The Twaddle Prime Minister It does not appear that Canada’s Prime Minister knows enough about electoral systems throughout the developed world. As a result, he seems to have made a decision to break a campaign promise that won his party a majority of seats, and to walk away from remedying
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Collateral damage of Justin Trudeau’s broken electoral reform promise
There are immediate casualties resulting from Trudeau’s broken promise: It was Trudeau’s oft-stated promise way back when he was leader of the third party that, if elected PM, the 2015 federal election that ultimately gave his Liberals their majority would be the last ever conducted via the first-past-the-post voting system
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Collateral damage of Justin Trudeau’s broken electoral reform promise
There are immediate casualties resulting from Trudeau’s broken promise: It was Trudeau’s oft-stated promise way back when he was leader of the third party that, if elected PM, the 2015 federal election that ultimately gave his Liberals their majority would be the last ever conducted via the first-past-the-post voting system
Continue readingCuriosityCat: Electoral reform: Good for the NDP in our Parliament!
The NDP is giving voice to the outrage of hundreds of thousands of Canadians by tabling a censure motion in the House: The New Democrats have officially served notice that they’re prepared to devote their upcoming opposition day to a motion that would, if passed, have the House formally conclude
Continue reading