Road to dictatorship
According to a democracy research project based at Sweden's University of Gothenburg, 27 countries have transitioned from democracies to autocracies since 2005. Nations controlled by strongmen now outnumber those where…
Norman Farrell
Small item, large consequence
Stewart Hicks is Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He described how a simple connecting device for roof trusses helped revolutionize the home-building industry. It…
Why do they lie?
I wonder. Do politicians lie because they think Canadians are collectively stupid, or do they lie because we are?
Game changer
The global battery market is now valued at around C$220 billion. That number is expected to be near half a trillion dollars in five years. Even that estimate may be…
Ever-Trumper time
I recently referred to Pierre Poilievre saying that he told Alberta Conservative Danielle Smith to, "Be ready, when I win, we need your help." Canadians had better be ready for…
Gray Lady up
I cancelled my subscription to the New York Times when the newspaper seemed to easily accept the horrors inflicted on two million residents of Gaza. Of course, that was not…
Canada as “totalitarian hell hole”
A familiar axiom that says, "People can be judged by the company they keep." Crime family movies use the phrase, "Any friend of yours is a friend of mine." I…
Priorities
A couple of election promises caught my attention. Perhaps these define different priorities established by politicians who aim to lead Canada's federal government for the years ahead. Maybe some of…
Points to ponder
There has not been much new material here at IN-SIGHTS because I've been working with a group of people to launch CANADA WEST FORUM. Busy days are further complicated by…
AI roasts Norm
With three school teachers in the immediate family, I usually stay away from artificial intelligence platforms. However, I learned that Chat GPT can use AI to describe individuals who have…
Defending democracy
Ordinary people must choose between authoritarianism and democracy. Our ancestors struggled to gain the vote; we must protect these rights. Are we willing to do that? Do we even understand…
Now is not the moment to remain silent
Facebook has plenty of flaws, but as a stopped clock does twice a day, it can provide useful information. It was on Facebook that I saw a quote by American…
An exciting new organization
I am proud to be associated with a newly incorporated non-profit with ambitious goals. All readers of IN-SIGHTS are invited to participate. The following is from the Canada West Forum…
Record growth in European solar photovoltaic, but not in B.C.
The cost of electricity produced with solar and wind technologies has been declining for 15 years. Because of corporate inertia, BC Hydro has been paying little attention. The company has…
Forest gardens deliberately planted by Indigenous people
Andrew Currey wrote in SCIENCE about forest gardens that were not recognized as human-created because they did not fit the modern image of agriculture. The journal described work by Simon…
Is Canada broken? It depends…
Mark Bourrie is a Canadian journalist with an impressive resume. After he earned a BA in history, Ontario universities awarded Bourrie a diploma in public policy and administration, a master's…
A war machine’s existence is threatened by peace
President Trump and several members of his administration denied that classified material was shared with The Atlantic’s editor-in-chief. Clearly, journalist Jeffrey Goldberg has more regard for truth and national security…
Rule by a dangerous narcissist
A fundraising group led by Republican Kevin Grantham commissioned a portrait of Donald Trump by Sarah Boardman. The painting was unveiled in August 2019 and hung in Arizona's rotunda gallery…
Norway’s oil and gas fund
Our governments believe that resources belong to those who exploit them today and that future generations have no right to a share of the province's asset values.
Rule of chaos, not the rule of law
Conservative J. Michael Luttig, a former U.S. Appeals Court Judge appointed by Republican George H.W. Bush Luttig, wrote in the NY Times about Trump's "stunning frontal assault" on the rule…