The question of personal integrity is one that is very near and dear to my heart. Since literature at its best is a reflection of some of the deepest truths about human nature, during my teaching career, it was a topic I explored with relish every time the curriculum permitted
Continue readingAuthor: Lorne
Politics and its Discontents: Outsource Canada
I’m not sure who is actually responsible for breaking down these outsourcing statistics according to province and company, but we certainly owe him or her a real debt of gratitude. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Speaking of Political Integrity …
See if you can detect even a modicum of it in Kellie Leitch, who starts talking at about the 9-minute mark of this video dealing with the massive abuses in the Temporary Foreign Workers Program: Somehow, I don’t think this is what Judith Timson meant when she talked about authenticity.
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: More Reflections on Leadership
The other day, in my post on political leadership, I chose Toronto Mayor Rob Ford as the figure to contrast what I consider to be the much more mature and thoughtful approach of Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne. My exclusion of the more obvious figure of comparison, Progressive Conservative Leader Tim
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: More Corporate Arrogance From Porter Air
I recently wrote a post on Porter Air and its shameful treatment of its fuel handlers, most of whom start that crucial position at about $12 per hour and are currently on strike while the airline uses scabs in their stead. Its corporate arrogance was once again on full display
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: More On RBC’s Outsourcing From Star Readers
I have a busy morning ahead, so for now I take the liberty of reproducing two letters from this morning’s Star that make some excellent points as to how to apportion blame for the outrageous corporate practice of outsourcing Canadian jobs, most apparent in the current RBC imbroglio. As well,
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Bad Corporate Behaviour Abounds
As fellow blogger LeDaro pointed out to me the other day in a comment on my post about the Royal Bank’s outsourcing of jobs, such practices are common among all of our banks. Further research by the CBC has come up with ample evidence to verify LeDaro’s observation. You can
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: A Rogue’s Gallery
Just two pictures, so perhaps not a real gallery, but I think the descriptor is accurate. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Reflections on Political Leadership
Inveterate cynic that I am, I have long believed that most politicians see us, to borrow a phrase that I think originated in The Depression, as ‘easy marks,’ people who are especially susceptible to manipulation and victimization. The fact is that as a species we are a mass of contradictions,
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Royal Bank Responds With An Attempt At Damage Control
Somehow, I don’t think George Orwell would be too impressed by the RBC response to its public relations nightmare over the outsourcing of Canadian jobs: Said Zabeen Hirji, RBC’s chief human resources officer: “We recognize the impact of this situation on our employees and we continue to remain focused on
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: More On Wealthy Tax Cheats
As noted in a previous post, many of our more prosperous citizens feel no obligation to the country that made their great wealth possible. Rather, they are quite happy to hide it in offshore financial institutions, which, while being ethically questionable, is not illegal. However, many of them are also
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Now It All Makes Sense
RBC CEO Gord Nixon I just knew there had to be a logical explanation. This explains that. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Empirical Evidence Versus Bluster
Although this is just a brief clip, it does, I think, show why the ‘right’ prefers ideology and ‘talking points’ to empirical evidence: Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Royal Bank’s Abasement of Its Employees
It may be helpful to remember the following video the next time you see an RBC ad portraying the bank as the solution to everyone’s problems. Forty-five soon-to-be-former employees (after they have trained their replacements) would beg to differ with the characterization. I suspect if I had an account with
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: More Praise for Kevin Page
Readers of this blog will know that I have a deep and abiding respect for people of real integrity, those capable of moving beyond narrow self-interest to embrace ethics and principles in the conduct of their lives. Kevin Page, of whom I have written several times, is one such individual
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Just Trust Us
We all remember the abortive attempts by Kevin Page, Parliamentary Budget Officer, to find out specifically how federal budget cuts were going to affect programs. The Harper regime was of the view that such detailed information wasn’t to be shared, despite the pesky expectations that a putative open democracy tends
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Scourge of Wealth
I often think of the famous line from the New Testament in which Jesus says “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Some say the reference is to a gate in
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Internet Interruptus
Today is the second day I have been without direct internet access owing to some sort of problem on the Bell network. Yesterday I was in the midst of writing my daily post when it went out, and I later went down to my local library to upload it. Similarly,
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Pondering Pandeering Political Parties
I am long past the age where I expect very much from politicians of any stripe. While it is easy to target (and I frequently do!) the Harper-led Conservative Party as the party of the corporate agenda, it is also sadly true that both the Liberal Party and the NDP
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Some Misplaced Right-Wing Anger
The ‘lady’ in this video, so agitated by the number of Americans on food stamps, is right to be angry, but for the wrong reasons: H/t Eric Dolan Recommend this Post
Continue reading