Thanks to Dr. Dawg for this link and this link to help us fight Bill C-38. Recommend this Post
Continue readingAuthor: Lorne
Politics and its Discontents: Apparently, Talk Of Charter Rights Is Just Nonsense
“Guys are talking nonsense and he got nonsense back.” – Sgt. Mark Charlebois in defense of his denial of Paul Figueiras’s Charter Rights during Toronto 2010 G20 Summit. Unfortunately, Sgt. Charlebois is not the only one who feels that our Charter Rights are a risible matter. As reported in today’s
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Sins Of The Father?
But then again, perhaps Peter MacKay is only modelling his behaviour after his elders. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Peter MacKay Does Enjoy The Largess of The Public Purse, Doesn’t He?
WHEN I GROW UP, I WANNA FLY A BIG JET! It seems that Peter MacKay, the Defence Minister for our self- and inaccurately-proclaimed fiscal stewards, the Conservatives, does enjoy the generosity of Canadian taxpayers, but at least he is versatile in exploiting that resource. Not content to use it only
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Liz Witmer’s Political Karma
As a survivor of the Mike Harris years in Ontario, I have very vivid memories of what was undoubtedly the most mean-spirited and incompetent of provincial regimes I have ever lived through. Their economic ‘strategy’ of slashing and burning, selling key assets such as the 407 to foreign consortia to
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Harper Down On Democracy?
Well, this can’t be much of a surprise, can it? Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Haunting Threats To Democracy
Being a rather fitful sleeper at the best of times, I often awake throughout the night, the sole advantage of this affliction being the ability to recall a large number of my dreams. Last night was one such night. In the dream, while I lived in an apparently normal environment,
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Protesting The Harper Omnibus Budget Bill
I wrote a post the other day about a Leadnow.ca campaign promoting nation-wide demonstrations at the constituency offices of Conservative M.P.s to protest Bill C-38, the Harper government’s omnibus budget bill that changes over 70 laws, eroding further our democracy, our labour laws, and our environmental safeguards, to name but
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Why Is Harper Inc. Targeting Only Environmental Charities?
Thanks to Dr. Dawg for the link to this petition to stop Harper attacks on charities who challenge his agenda. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Economy And The People
Several years ago, while he was still writing for Canada’s self-proclaimed ‘newspaper of record,’ Rick Salutin wrote a column entitled something like, The economy is doing fine, the people not so much. In it, he made some trenchant observations about how, over time, the well-being of the economy and the
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Police Deserve Our Respect – When They Don’t Abuse It
Contrary to what one might believe reading my various entries on the police, I recognize the difficult job that they have, and I realize that they are often capable of feats of great heroism when they put themselves at peril to protect the public. As a retired teacher, I also
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Erosion Of Educational Integrity
I rarely write directly about education these days, now that I am several years into retirement and believe that dwelling upon the past can be unhealthy. Every so often, however, a story comes along that causes me to relive some of the sleazy politicization that continues to erode educational integrity
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: When The Left Is Right
Although one wouldn’t know it by listening to the predictable, hysterical, and politically-motivated campaign Harper Inc. is mounting against Thomas Mulcair for his ‘Dutch disease’ comments, there is a growing view amongst analysts and think tanks that the NDP leader is correct to an extent in his assessments of the
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Andrew Coyne On The Decline Of Parliament Under Harper
Despite his right-wing orientation, there has been unmistakable evidence in the work of Andrew Coyne this past year or so that conveys a clear disenchantment with the Harper regime. Using the sad spectacle of David Wilk’s public humiliation, today in the National Post Coyne offers the re-education of the Kootenay-Columbia
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: An Opportunity To Send Harper Inc. A Message
I received the following email message last evening from Leadnow.ca: Since the Harper Conservatives announced their Omnibus Budget, more and more Canadians are rallying against a bill that would put a black mark on our democracy. Now, we’re writing to invite you to join a national day of action at
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: A Journalist Writes About A Pattern
The other day I wrote a post about detecting patterns in political behaviour, opining that most media spend a disproportionate amount of their considerable resources covering trivia like celebrity gossip and acting as shallow and lazy supporters of government propaganda. The Toronto Star, I asserted, is one of the few
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Please Read This
It is a very eloquent and heart-felt rebuttal to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty’s observation that there are “no bad jobs.” Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Thomas Mulcair: Wastrel or Canny Investor?
Given the widespread support that the the NDP Leader of the The Official Opposition is enjoying these days, it is hardly surprising to see a public campaign to erode that support getting underway. The latest, of course, is the non-story of Thomas Mulcair remortgaging his house 11 times; as the
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: A Victim of Bullying Speaks Out
I have a confession to make: I’m a survivor of bullying. Educated in the Catholic elementary and secondary high school system, it was common for me to be the target of verbal harassment that questioned my worth as a human being and physical abuse in the form of sudden and
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Lisa Raitt Promises To Get The Trains Running
And will she promise to get them running on time? Recommend this Post
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