Given that he is never seen publicly anymore, I am beginning to wonder if Galen Weston Jr, the president of Loblaw Companies Ltd., is in witness protection. If not, given the extortionate prices he has presided over in recent years, it might not be a bad idea. Not content with
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Politics and its Discontents: Stupidity: The Antidote
Owing to a rather sensitive gag reflex, I only watched about two minutes of Senator Katie Britt’s ‘response’ to Joe Biden’s State of The Union address in which I gather, she blamed the president for all the ills besetting America. (Sound familiar?) The conceit: that it actually was a response,
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Stupidity: The Followup
And continuing with the theme of stupidity, here is an AI-generated video that speaks much truth. WARNING: Do not watch if you are offended by crude language. If you want more stupid, how about this? In closing, here’s a joke a friend of mine sent me, perhaps reflecting a unified
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Stupidity: The Epidemic
For those who are congenitally stupid, I have much sympathy. For those who are stupid yet think they are the smartest person in the room, I have only disdain. And it is the latter that this post seeks to address. Although I have written on this topic before, stupidity’s
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Dare I ‘Blaspheme’?
I dare. Given the hagiography that has unfolded since the passing of Brian Mulroney, I now take a step into waters that his enthusiasts might deem sacrilegious, even blasphemous. Despite his achievements (which largely look good in contrast to those of today’s ‘leaders’), the late prime minister, in my view,
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Take My Money. Please!
With even Britain’s Labour Party avowing no new taxes on the wealthy, it is refreshing when one reads about people of means asking to be taxed more. In the United States, it is the billionaire Warren Buffett who clamours for fair taxation. His Buffett Rule came to prominence when he publicly
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: A Lack Of Appetite: The Canadian Government, The CRA, And Tax Avoidance
While I have written extensively in the past about tax evasion and avoidance in light of the revelations of both the Panama and Paradise Papers, I felt it was time to do an update. To summarize what I wrote previously, there has been a striking reluctance on the part
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Language Of Genocide
“Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind. ” ― George Orwell It is very easy, in the majority of cases, to become quickly inured to the world’s suffering. Whether it be earthquakes and crime in
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Two Strong Black Women And A Racist Meet At The Bar
Two strong Black women, Fanni Willis in Georgia and Latitia James in New York, have proven relentless in their pursuit of justice. As proven last week, despite efforts to disqualify her from prosecuting Trump, Willis is defiant, indeed, contemptuous, of the efforts to stop her. You can watch her full
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Not To Put Too Fine A Point On It
….. but H/t Theo Moudakis Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Egregious Incompetence Or Egregious Indifference?
I realize that progressives are largely loathe to criticize the Trudeau government. Given the simplistic, either-or, black-and-white thinking of much of the electorate, such criticism is fraught with peril. For that significant segment of shallow voters, the reasoning seems to be that if the current government is found wanting, the
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Political Pandering Of The Worst Kind
In the ongoing debasement of democracy, Ontario’s Doug Ford is certainly playing his part. With his populist deck fully stacked, his latest effort to pander to the lowest common denominator has been dealt: no more driver’s licence plate renewals! This is wrong on a number of levels, but worst of
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Continuing with A Theme….
H/t Theo Moudakis Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Art Of Misdirection
Well-played, Danielle. H/t Graeme Mackay Given that only 0.0037 of Albertans over 15 identify as transgender or non-binary, that is quite the feat! Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: History: An Update
As one who taught high school for 30 years, I have always believed in the power of education. It is the best and perhaps the only way to narrow the disparities that exist in society. In my experience, the truly. educated are rarely the ranters who seem to dominate media
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: History And Pride
For the past couple of years I have been reading about the antebellum South, the Civil War, and the so-called Reconstruction era that followed. My reading has uncovered a number of things that I was either unaware of or knew only in a vague, general sense. History is a great
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Stupidity Is The Real Threat
There is an article in today’s Star about the threat to Canadian democracy posed by artificial intelligence. But I can’t help but wonder if the real threat is human stupidity. Raisa Patel writes: Whether it’s manipulated video, voices or text, Canada is at risk of seriously endangering its democratic institutions if
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: For A Few Dollars More
That’s all it will take (actually, $12 million more) according to Police Chief Myron Demkiw to keep chaos and blood from running in the streets of Toronto. Reeling from the effort of city council to trim $12 million from what some might say is an already bloated ask of $25
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Good News For Staples
Not sure it is the best for Ontario taxpayers, though. If you have been following the news here in Ontario, you will know that the government, in its deep wisdom, is relocating some privately-owned Service Ontario sites to Staples. Now, not only will you be able to renew your OHIP
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Endless Cycle
Recently, I finished reading a book called The Failed Promise: Reconstruction, Frederick Douglass, and the Impeachment of Andrew Johnson, by Robert Levine. The American Civil War and its aftermath are topics I find of great interest, not just because of their long-lasting impact on American society, but also because those
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