Every once and a while, there is a win for the good guys and gals. I don’t know about you, but it is enough to keep me going. Meanwhile, the predictable response from young Tim Hudak, who once more amply demonstrates that he just isn’t ready for prime time politics.
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Politics and its Discontents: A Short But Not So Sweet Letter
Here is a copy of the letter that I just fired off to my Conservative Member of Parliament, David Sweet: Dear Mr. Sweet, Although I am sure you are only too aware of the hypocrisy involved, it seems more than passing strange that your government should suddenly cancel the Katimavik
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Tempering My ‘Enthusiasm’
Despite postings I have made on both critical thinking and avoiding fallacies of reasoning, I am well-aware that my own thinking and writing sometimes fall far short of the standards they demand. In my deep and abiding contempt for the neoconservative agenda and the simplistic, uni-dimensional thinking of its adherents,
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Facing Death With Grace
I have a good friend who suffers from a chronic health condition for which he receives treatments that mitigate the symptoms. He faces very real limitations in his daily life as a result of his illness. I had a brother-in-law who died about three-and-a-half years ago from brain cancer. I
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Sunday Reading Recommendation
For an insightful analysis of the choices facing both Andrea Horwath and Dalton McGuinty as they negotiate over changes to the Ontario budget that will win the support of the NDP, check out Martin Regg Cohn’s piece in today’s Star. As he points out, there is considerable risk for both,
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Some Blather From Gerry Nichols: Your Mother Wears Army Boots
Earlier this week, Gerry Nichols, self-described on his website as One of Canada’s Top Five Political Minds, wrote an opinion piece in The Start entitled, In praise of negative political ads. In it, the former head of the National Citizens Coalition asserts that positive political ads are a far greater
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Margaret Wente Scores Another Win For Superficial Thinking
I suspect that with the exception of her employer, few believe The Globe’s Margaret Wente is a subtle thinker who deserves a forum in the self-proclaimed ‘newspaper of record.’ Her capacity for cartoonish characterization is especially apparent in her latest column where, borrowing liberally from a secondary source, as is
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Progressive Taxation Is Not An Obscentity
I have expressed many times on this blog my concern that the notion of progressive taxation has been almost relegated to the status of a historical curiosity. Acceptance of the current myth that taxation is bad, that lowering taxes is the only way to promote economic growth and well-being, is
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: PROOF of Tory Election Fraud
Today I received an email from The Council of Canadians which includes a link to a sworn affidavit by Annette Desagne, a former employee of Responsive Marketing Group, attesting to election fraud through the misdirection of voters to the wrong polling stations. When you read the actual affidavit, you will
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Uphill Battle to Save Democracy in Canada
At the risk of appearing tiresomely repetitive, I am posting once again on the problem of political disengagement. The fact that only about 30% of Canadians bother to follow politics, as if it is a sphere of activity totally separate from the lives they live, is troubling, and one that
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: No Surprise Here: Rob Ford Fails in His Civic Responsibility Again
Not that I expected any better of the brazen buffoon wearing the chain of office in Toronto, but Rob Ford once more amply demonstrates that he is not the mayor of everyone in his once-proud city. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: How To Vent Your Frustration with Stephen Harper
Ever felt like knocking a little sense into our contemptible Prime Minister? Visit this website for an unusual and cathartic opportunity. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Unbearable Pain of Being
For those who have never been quite certain of the true meaning of existential angst, may I recommend the following? And for your further discernment, Henri 2 Paw de Deux: Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Foolish Humans, Kneel Before Me!
Perhaps my sense of human is on the wane, but if you really think about it, the implications of this story are deeply disturbing. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Cost of Political Disengagement
Thanks to LeDaro’s link, I was able to catch up on the At Issues panel that I missed on Thursday night. While the discussion revolved largely around the F-35 debacle, the point I found most discouraging was the statistic that only 30-35% of Canadians follow politics at all. It is
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Government’s Three Wise Men?
I thought you might enjoy this editorial cartoon courtesy of The Hamilton Spectator: Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Thomas Walkom on Fair Taxation
Long a taboo subject, increasing tax rates for the wealthy is back on the agenda, in no small part due to the Occupy Movement and, more recently, Andrea Horwath. In today’s Star, Thomas Walkom presents an interesting perspective on the issue. You can click here to read it. Recommend this
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Administration of Justice In Disrepute
While I have nothing especially insightful or profound to say about Rick Vaive’s acquittal on drunk driving charges, I must confess to a certain perplexity pertaining to the following: All considered, [Justice] Hourigan said she believed Vaive when he said he was exhausted, not drunk, the night of July 14,
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Politics of Education
After I retired from teaching, my first blog was devoted to matters of education, including the institutional politics that frequently deform it. Now, more than five years into retirement, I spend most of my writing energies on this blog. However, today I would like to write a post in which
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: And For Those Who Still Have Faith In Barack Obama…
Read this and, as they say, weep. Recommend this Post
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