I have purposely stayed out of the blogosphere discussion of the latest atrocities between Israel and Gaza, atrocities that both sides must bear responsibility for. I have done so simply because I don’t feel I have anything new or startling to add to t…
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Politics and its Discontents: Worried About That Burgeoning Waistline?
If you are an American, empress of empathy Andrea Tantaros, a Fox presenter, has the answer. H/t norwindRecommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Resistance Is NOT Futile
In the various incarnations that the series Star Trek has enjoyed, The Next Generation was my favorite. Starring the well-known Shakespearean actor Patrick Stewart, whose regal commands propelled The Enterprise into inter-stellar adventures each week, …
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Sensible Taxation
If we lived in Dr. Pangloss’s “best of all possible worlds,” I suspect that I would be a fairly conservative fellow. After all, in such a world those who worked hard would always get ahead; poverty, other than the self-induced kind, would be non-exis…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: A Progressive Voice In The Mainstream Media
Although her views are not radically different from those found at alternative news sites such as The Raw Story, Truthdig or Alternet, jounalist Linda McQuaig is always a treat to read, if for no other reason than the fact that her views make it into…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Some Questions Leadership Aspirants Need To Answer
I have recently written some posts bemoaning the paucity of policy undergirding the campaigns of those who would become the next leader of the Liberal Party, both on the provincial (Ontario) and federal level. Substituting for substance are tired br…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Nothing New Here
In a valiant effort to not be forgotten by a fickle public, Tim Hudak is at it again, advocating a policy that is guaranteed to find favour with the public: going after the pension plans of civil servants. Unfortunately for young Tim, this repetition …
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: From Platitude Central – Part 3
Well, it would be nice to report that things are progressing well in terms of specific policy announcements in both the Ontario and federal Liberal leadership campaigns, but sadly, that is not the case. As has been previously reported the great parade …
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: A New Warning About CETA
While much has already been written about the economic threats to Canada inherent in the Canada-European Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement currently being negotiated in secret by the Harper regime, a new development in those negotiations ha…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Why Do Those With So Little Prize Democracy So Much?
As I am sure is the case with most passionate political observers, our increasingly dismal turnout at electoral polls is a source of great personal dismay. While our political ‘leaders’ are busy taking us down an increasingly dark path that promotes …
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: From Platitude Central – Part 2
“This country has entered some very choppy waters. If elected leader, I will provide a firm hand at the helm to bring the economy safely back to shore.” “Canada has a greatness that has barely been tapped. I am confident that I have the vision…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: A Harper Message To The Citizens Of Canada
Citizens, pay no attention to those who would tear down the environmental accomplishments of your government.* *This message paid for by the generous taxpayers of Canada ($9 million and rising) Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Foreign Investment Rights Versus Canadian Provinces
That the corporate world is ruled by only one imperative, to maximize profits, is self-evident. That it almost always gets its way, no matter what the environmental and social costs, is another truth that our current right-wing political ‘leaders’ wo…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: From Platitude Central
Kim Campbell once famously said that “an election is no time to discuss serious issues.” Given the paucity of substance emerging thus far from declared candidates in both the Ontario and federal Liberal leadership races, I suspect that same ‘wisdom…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Whither Goest Democracy?
This thoughtful Star reader provides his answer: As I attended the Remembrance Day ceremony on Sunday, I thought of all those who died and suffered for our democracy. It made me very sad, sadder than in past years, to think of the current state of d…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: This Just In
I’ve got a bit of a busy morning ahead, so just a brief post for now. In a study reported in this morning’s Star, geneticist Dr. Gerald Crabtree offers his view … that human intelligence peaked at the time of hunter-gatherers and has since declin…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: More Hypocrisy from the Far Right
To say that the extreme right is often hypocritical is tantamount to saying that when the sky is clear, it is blue. Nonetheless, I can’t help but feel more than my usual disdain when that hypocrisy is especially overt and egregious. This morning, w…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Another Insight From A Star Reader
Whenever I fall into the trap of thinking that the Canadian public is indifferent to the things that are going on both within our own country and abroad, I turn to the letters section of The Toronto Star. Admittedly, the majority of the sentiments expr…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: A Glimmer of Hope?
Perhaps the Canadian electorate is salvageable, after all.Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Failures of Our Political Representatives
The other day over at Trapped in a Whirlpool, blogger Kev wrote a post entitled Irrelevant by Choice. In it, he lamented the failure ofParliamentary-backbenchers to do the job they were entrusted with, the representation of their constituents. He wro…
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