In the Byzantine land of Texas Law, it seems that an arcane piece of legislation passed in the 1980s is being used to usurp the wishes of a woman who died of a pulmonary embolism. The diagnosis was crushing and irrevocable. At 33, Marlise Munoz was brain dead after collapsing on
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The Cracked Crystal Ball II: Harper Is A Boy In Short Pants On Foreign Policy
When it comes to matters of Foreign Policy, Harper is neither subtle or particularly smart. As with all things in Harper’s world, it’s all about partisan position and absolutes. Yesterday’s announcement of Vivian Bercovici’s appointment as Canada’s new ambassador to Israel fits that pattern exactly. Ms. Bercovici is one of
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: Papers, Citizen!
As if it couldn’t get any worse, the ridiculous paranoia of the Harper regime has surfaced once more in the wake of a sneaky, but peaceful protest in BC. Senator Runciman wants a law so that protests like this can’t happen again. “People who sneak into these kinds of events,
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: It’s Only A Security Breach If You’re An Authoritarian
We all know that Harper does his level best to stage-manage every aspect of a public appearance. Civil protest – like this – is not a “security breach” – it is a protest. Only authoritarians are going to call it a “security breach”. Think about it … what is Harper
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: He’s Back …
It’s been quite a while since we saw anything about Craig Chandler in the political sphere in Alberta. It’s not that he’s gone away – his twitter feed has been fairly active, and he publishes the occasional column in “The Calgary Beacon“. However, a thread of discussion on Facebook caught my
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: Andrew Coyne Is Mystified
Apparently, when you live in the Harper bubble, it becomes an absolute mystery as to why support for the wannabe dictator is falling through the floor. The paradox remains: How could a government presiding over such a strong economy be so unpopular? It is unusual enough for a governing party
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: No, Yaakov Roth, The Supreme Court of Canada Is Not Overstepping Its Boundaries
I see the Harper PMO must have found another muppet to write opinion pieces for them. In the National Post, we find Yaakov Roth expounding on the “problems” he has with the way the Supreme Court of Canada has been ruling on such matters as safe injection sites and prostitution.
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: Corporate Logic
The Globe and Mail had an article yesterday that appalled me to no end. Titled “In The Search For Savings, The Workplace Gets An Overhaul“, it describes Manulife’s move into so-called “open concept” workspaces. Lurking in the midst of a bunch of vacuous platitudes about “collaboration” and “mobile workforces” is
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: Privatizing Everything In Sight
There is a belief commonly held that the private sector will always be “more efficient” than the public sector. Outside of the United States, nowhere is that more prevalent than in Alberta. Alberta has moved regulatory oversight of the Oil Industry to an “arms-length” regulator … which is funded by
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: Deflect, Spin, Misdirect: Preston Manning and the PMO
Apparently, Preston Manning must have received new orders from the PMO. In yesterday’s Globe and Mail, we found Mr. Manning opining on the supposed issue of ethics in the Parliamentary Press Gallery. The upshot of Manning’s arguments is that the whole Duffy affair wouldn’t have happened if the Parliamentary Press
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: There’s This Thing Called "Due Process"
Just a few days ago, I wrote about how we are experiencing an emerging police state. Today, we find Edmonton’s Chief of Police demanding additional powers to seize vehicles that are being “driven excessively fast”. The police chief in Alberta’s capital is renewing a push for the provincial government
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: Of Just Societies and Aboriginal Affairs
Many years ago, when I was but a small child, Pierre Trudeau spoke of a “Just Society”. It is a noble, if somewhat lofty and abstract goal. The Just Society will be one in which the rights of minorities will be safe from the whims of intolerant majorities. The Just
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: Of "Porn Filters" and Agendas
Remember July this year, when Joy Smith stood up in Canada’s Parliament and suggested we should follow the UK’s example and implement a “porn filter”? Well, Cameron’s filter is about to go live, and as one might have expected, it’s blocking a heck of a lot more than just “adult
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: Standby On The Fainting Couches …
This morning, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down our countries archaic laws on prostitution. Predictably, the Con$ who report to PMSH are wagging their fingers at the Supreme Court: Justice Minister Peter MacKay said the government was “concerned” by the ruling, and is “exploring all possible options to ensure
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: 2013 – The Beginning Of The End For Harper?
Huffington Post has posted an article speculating on whether 2013 is the beginning of Harper’s demise. Long time readers of this space will know that my own personal reaction is very much “we can only hope …”. To be sure, Harper has taken a few good solid body blows this
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: An Emerging Police State
For the last several years, I have been increasingly concerned that our governments at both the Federal and Provincial levels have been enabling an environment that is fundamentally hostile to civil society and individual freedoms. In the wake of 9/11, we found the Canadian Federal Government using an obscure, and
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: Technology Is Opening A New Era Of Ethics
Whether it is the accumulation of data about your life on Facebook, your online professional profile on LinkedIn, or the location tracking features of your cellphone, there has never been more data about you available. Some of it is “public”, some of it is definitely not. The people that operate
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: Mr. Coyne’s Flaccid Critique
Andrew Coyne’s latest column starts off with a clear enough statement of how the Harper Government has engaged in tactics which prevent the engines of parliament from holding those in power accountable. Not only was the House of Commons conveniently shuttered, but neither the minister responsible, Lisa Raitt, nor any Canada
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: But…But…The Libruls!
Expect to hear a lot more of that refrain in the coming months now that the RCMP has decided to lay charges a decade after the Gomery Inquiry ended. I find the timing of this a little suspicious. These charges come as Harper starts gearing up for an election anticipated
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: The Assault On Organized Labour In Canada
In Alberta, the Redford Government just passed one of the most offensive and blatant attacks on labour that we have ever seen. It is uniquely focused on the civil service unions in the province, but that does little to ameliorate the degree of wrong that Bills 45 and 46 represent
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