For all who adhere to the mindless mantra that tax increases are job-killers, I highly recommend a New York Times essay penned by Warren Buffet, one of the world’s richest men, in which he advocates tax increases for the mega-wealthy. As the old saying…
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Politics and its Discontents: More Police Brutality
For anyone concerned about police brutality and abuse of power, I urge you to check out the latest posting on Dawg’s Blog, which details how Ottawa police beat a sleeping homeless person.Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Asbestos Wars – My Respone To The Position Of My Conservative MP
Given Canada’s unconscionable ongoing export of death (i.e., asbestos) and given that it is back in the media spotlight thanks to the brave efforts of Michaela Keyserlingk, about whom I wrote a brief posting yesterday, now seems a propitious moment to …
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Asbestos – Part 2
I suspect you have to be of a certain age to appreciate the allusive wit of Graeme McKay’s editorial cartoon in today’s Spectator. Enjoy!Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Curse of Canada’s Asbestos Exports
While I have written previously about Canada’s ongoing indefensible export of death, also known as asbestos, a story in today’s Star puts this abominable practice back into the public consciousness.Entitled Tories tussle with asbestos widow over use of…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Michael Coren Violates CRTC Rules On Sun TV With Racist Remark
I was just reading a comment on Dr. Dawg’s Blog that makes reference to a recent appearance by Michael Coren on Brian Lilley’s show, Byline. In an interview about the London riots, Coren makes a racist comment that violates both Canadian Broadcast Stan…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Toronto Police: True Blue To The End
Anyone who might be concerned that recent events have put a strain on police solidarity can rest easy. In an article in The Star entitled Retiring deputy chief calls G20 reaction overblown, Tony Warr, who is set to retire at month’s end, has nothing bu…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Hamilton Libraries: Something To Answer For
The other day I wrote a post called Hamilton’s Vindication, with a link to a story detailing Hamilton Mayor Bob Bratina’s invitation to author Margaret Atwood to tour the Central Library facilities. I suggested that Hamilton was enjoying a burgeoning …
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Vindication For Those Abused By G20 Police Forces
The vast majority of the 1100 people abused, assaulted and arrested as a result of the thuggish actions of the G20 police forces, apparently intent on suppressing Canadians’ Charter Rights last June in Toronto, must be feeling a deep measure of vindica…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Ongoing Devolution of Toronto
Perhaps it stems from a sense of inadequacy, a measure of paranoia, or a recognition that when all is said or done, they are just not up to the job, but when those of the far right-wing take power, we are frequently witness to a type of unbridled glee…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Hamilton’s Vindication?
While long regarded as something of a provincial backwater vis-a-vis its ‘world-class’ cousin 70 kilometres down the highway, the City of Hamilton is surely feeling a measure of cultural vindication now that the barbarians have breached the gates of To…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Christopher Hume’s Modest Proposal To The Ford Brothers
Although my right-wing friends seem to have neither an understanding nor an appreciation of irony (I’m lying – I don’t have any right-wing friends), more centered people will enjoy The Star’s Christopher Hume who, in today’s paper, has a modest proposa…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Elizabeth May’s Current Projects
Although I detect a subtext of sarcasm running through the article, Jane Taber’s recent piece on Elizabeth May is well-worth a read, as it illustrates a woman involved in a worthwhile battle to encourage political engagement on the part of young people…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Shaking Up The Complacent
If anything will defeat us as a progressive nation, it is the complacency and defeatism of the electorate. Feeling powerless, something I am convinced the extreme right wants us to feel, contributes to low civic and political engagement and, of course…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: More Nonsense Out Of Toronto Thanks To Ford And His Minions
The lack of critical thinking skills in the public arena is a painful thing to watch. In a story from yesterday’s Toronto Star entitled Despite warning, fire chief refuses to suggest cuts, the Toronto fire chief, Bill Stewart, opposes any cuts to his…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Injury, Death, and Concealment: A Tale of Two Police Forces
I have written previously about the botched drug raid by the Hamilton Police resulting in serious injury to Burmese immigrant Po La Hay, who suffered facial lacerations, three broken ribs and a fractured vertebra at the hands of police. While the co…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Michael Moore and Dead Peasant Insurance
Long overdue, I finally got around to watching Michael Moore’s latest documentary Capitalism: A Love Story last evening, having borrowed the disc from my local library. (Happily, not being a resident of Toronto, I don’t at present have to worry about…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: G20 Police Abuse Reaches The Stage
Like so many other innocent people who fell victim to the madness that engulfed the police during last year’s G20 Summit in Toronto, Tommy Taylor experienced an unwarranted arrest and almost 24 hours of incarceration. His crime? Exercising his Charter…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: An Incisive Analysis Of Broken U.S. Tax Policy
Although readily dismissed as a socialist by the right-wing, Linda McQuiag offers a fine analysis of the failings of U.S. tax policy in an article entitled Tycoons Laughing All the Way to the Bank. In it, she gives the example of hedge fund managers, t…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Failure of Political Leadership – Part 2
The other day I wrote a brief post called The Failure of Political Leadership, inspired by what is quickly becoming a national embarrassment for the City of Toronto in its choice of Rob Ford as mayor. Now quite openly betraying his promise not to gut …
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