As someone who is a regular visitor to Cuba and has seen both the good and bad of its society through friends that we visit there, I know that it has very real problems, but also very real benefits, under its dictatorial communist system. However, I can’t help but wonder
Continue readingAuthor: Lorne
Politics and its Discontents: Linda McQuaig on Harper Austerity
In case you missed it, today’s Star has Linda McQuaig’s latest column in which she opines on the Harper austerity program, juxtaposing the P.M.’s insistence that we live in challenging fiscal times and thus must cut spending with his government’s apparently cavalier attitude about the extra $10 billion that they
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: An Inconvenient Truth For The Right Wing To Digest
Over the past several years, most notably since the ascension to power of the Harper regime, taxation, especially the concept of progressive taxation, has fallen into bad odour, Thanks to the ethos espoused by the right, we have been consistently bombarded with messages that we are unfairly burdened with oppressive
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Conservative Mind Equated With ‘Low-Effort’ Thinking’
Following up from an earlier report establishing a relationship between low intelligence and racism, prejudice and conservatism, The Huffington Post reports on a new study equating conservative politics with ‘low-effort’ thinking. For those of us who have been following closely the antics of the Harper Conservatives and their supporters, there
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Remaking of Canada in the Neo-Conservative Image
In the world of unfettered capitalism, everything has a price and nothing is sacred. To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, the neocon knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing. I was reminded of that this morning as I read Christopher Hume’s latest column in the Star entitled The great
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: More Fabrications from MacKay
The Indefensible Defense Minister, Peter MacKay, continues to insult the intelligence of all thinking Canadians. As one who has followed the F-35 jet issue somewhat closely for the past year, I am astounded by his latest contemptible ‘explanation‘ that he says proves there was no intention on the part of
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Where Do Justice and Morality Reside?
On this Easter Sunday, when many turn their thoughts from the secular to the sacred, it is perhaps a propitious time to remember that the elusive goals of justice and morality, so often seemingly absent from the world, can and must be pursued, however imperfectly, only by those living in
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: And Because I Hold Harper In Such Contempt ….
I thought I would share today’s Star editorial cartoon. Enjoy: Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Canada’s Interest In Burma Explained
Those of us who think within a certain political context were probably struck with the irony, if not the outright hypocrisy, of John Baird’s visit to Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma last month. After all, here was the Foreign Affairs Minister for what is probably Canada’s least
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: CBC Truculence: Too Little, Too Late
About a year ago, I lamented the fact that the CBC, through Peter Mansbridge, seemed to be following a policy of appeasement toward the Harper government, probably in the forlorn hope of avoiding further decimation of its funding. Quite predictably, as we learned last week, that policy has proven to
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The World We Are Willfully Destroying
Last year, I wrote a post on the power of the documentary. In it, I discussed how a good nature documentary can very powerfully help us to see both the wonders of the world and how we are destroying that world. Last night I watched the show Nature on PBS.
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Andrea Horwath’s Dance With Dalton
While I continue to remain dubious of what will happen when the Ontario Legislature votes on Dalton McGuinty’s budget, I give the leader of the Ontario NDP, Andrea Horwath, top marks for what she says are her demands for NDP support. It is, however, interesting to note how her plan,
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The F-35 Debacle: Will There Be Fallout?
Not counting this post, in the past year I have written nine times on the F-35 jet controversy. I point this out, not to claim any particular perspicacity on the subject, (many others have written much more and in much greater detail than I have) but only to demonstrate how
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Socialism and Happiness – A Coincidence?
I don’t know what the extreme right-wing will make of this, but the fact that the top five countries on the Happiness Index either have socialism at their core or sufficient elements to ensure the general well-being of their populations should give the rabid advocates of unfettered capitalism some pause.
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Gwynne Dyer on Our Future
I have been writing lately about environmental degradation and the bleak future that seems to await us. On that theme, (and because I have a busy morning ahead of me) I am providing a link to an article by Gwynne Dyer, who argues that because of our huge global population
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Vic Toews In Hospital
This just in from The Star: Public Safety Minister Vic Toews was rushed to hospital by ambulance Monday morning. A spokesperson for the minister’s office, Mike Patton, told the Star the minister has been battling a seasonal flu for the past number of weeks, and was take to hospital for
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: We are All Complicit in Environmental Degradation
Recently I wrote a post about the chilling effect that the federal budget will have on charities, especially those devoted to environmental activism. Unfortunately, I chose to ignore another reality that is equally grim – the fact that all of us (forgive the sweeping generalization) are to blame both for
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Departure of Mike Harris
Mike Harris, for whom I have everlasting contempt thanks to his divisive and disastrous time as Ontario’s Premier, is leaving his directorship of Magna International under a cloud. I couldn’t be happier. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Star Readers’ Reactions To OAS Changes
In an earlier post I expressed both my bewilderment and disappointment at the muted ‘person-in-the-street’ reactions to the the Harper regime’s change to Old Age Security that will require people currently under the age of 54 to wait until age 67 to begin receiving their benefits. That I may have
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Harper Budget’s Attack On Charities
Although hardly surprising, given both the ideological bent of the Harper regime and earlier warnings from Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver, there is little doubt that the provisions of the new federal budget authorizing an $8-million special audit by Canada Revenue Agency to see if charities are adhering to the
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