Bernie Sanders’ revolution has had a profound effect on the Democratic Party. Once upon a time, that party didn’t cower to Wall Street. Linda McQuaig writes:In the midst of the 1930s Depression, Democratic President Franklin Roosevelt showed bac…
Continue readingAuthor: Owen Gray
Northern Reflections: Into The Halls Of Mythology
The Chilcot Report has been made public. Yet Tony Blair And George W. — who claimed to stand for truth, justice and the American Way — are enjoying their retirements. Gerry Caplan writes:The invasion of Iraq never was about Saddam or his fictional w…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Pierre Would Be Appalled
Sometimes silence isn’t golden. June 21st marked the anniversary of the passage of Bill C-51. When Justin Trudeau’s party voted to pass the bill, they did so saying they would change it substantially once they were elected. Michael Harris writes:C-51 h…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: It’s Not Easy Being Hillary
The action shifts to Philadelphia this week. And Hillary Clinton will be its epicenter. Doubts follow her there. Why? Tom Walkom writes:The Clintons’ time in the White House was marked by a series of so-called scandals with names like Whitewater and…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: It Hasn’t
Conrad Black lives on another planet than the rest of us. He is untroubled by the anxieties of those of us who are mere mortals. That’s why he believes that we’ve misunderstood Donald Trump. In Friday’s National Post he opined:Even in the week that he …
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Lessons From Weimar
In the wake of the Republican Convention, Charles Dermer writes that there are three lessons progressives should remember about the failure of Weimar Germany:First, the German Left splintered and failed to create strong coalitions. The Social Democrat…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Leadership and Ideals
Rick Salutin speculates this morning that we may be living in a non-leadership moment. Consider what has happened in the United States:It’s tempting to say Donald Trump is all leader and no ship: no party inclinations in any recognizable forms, nor …
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Republican Death Notice
Brent Rathgeber writes that the Republican Party is dead. It’s been replaced by The Donald Trump Show:This is no longer the Republican Party; it’s becoming the Trump Party — bombastic, obnoxious and playing deliriously on the fears of white …
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Blind Stupidity
Andrew Nikiforuk writes that we falsely assume we can clean up oil spills — because we believe we have the technology to do it:In many respects, society’s theatrical response to catastrophic oil spills resembles the way medical professionals r…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: "Great" Means "White"
As the Republican Convention unfolds, certain Republican loudmouths are given the stage. One of them is Steve King, a member of the House of Representatives from Iowa. Consider the following story from the New York Daily News:One Iowa congressman may n…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Leaders In Search Of Scapegoats
Where have all the leaders gone? That’s the question Michael Harris asks over at ipolitics. The newly anointed and the wish to be anointed don’t inspire a lot of confidence:As the apocalypse beckons, the need for real political wisdom has never been g…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Historians On Trump
As Donald Trump — and now Mike Pence — head for Cleveland, a group of prominent American historians have decided to launch a full scale assault on Trump. With the help of filmmaker Ken Burns, they have set up a Facebook page that has been garne…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: They Never Were
Tony Clement wants to be leader of the Conservative Party. Perhaps he believes that the third time will be the charm. But, Bob Hepburn writes, there are five reasons Clement should reconsider his bid:First, Clement deservedly earned the title of “The…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Bring On The Independents
Patrick Bazeau walked back into the Senate yesterday, the charges he faced having been dropped. What does that say about the government and the man that brought the charges? It’s pretty clear that the Harper government was a smear machine. And, in the …
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Another Betrayal
Stephen Harper’s public career has been filled with betrayals. He added another one last week. Brent Rathgeber writes:Wildrose Leader Brian Jean was in the crowd for this year’s riding association BBQ — feeling less than festive, no doubt. Patrons…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Appreciating Good Fortune
Britain is in crisis. The United States is roiling. But, in Canada, we’re pretty sanguine. Lawrence Martin writes:In Canada, it’s the 1960s in an entirely different optic. None of the rage and tumult. Rather, a new harmony. As we hit 150 yea…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Dallas In Context
Chris Hedges puts the recent violence in the United States into a larger context. It’s what happens, he writes, when the corporate state has become firmly entrenched:Globalization has created a serious problem of “surplus” or “redundant” labor …
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Sometimes, A Blessing Is A Curse
Jason Kenny has headed back to the Calgary Stampede, proudly waving to the crowds. But, Michael Harris writes, it’s easy to spot the phonies:Jason Kenney is taking part in a parade — riding in the back of a 1958 Ford Fairlane, with an army tank…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: The Last Of His Generation
It’s been a week since Elie Wiesel’s death. Avi Benolo writes that he was the last of his generation:His generation was the generation of the 20th century that struggled to put a broken world back together. His generation was the generation of …
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Plenty Of Blame To Go Around
There is a long history of race hatred in the United States. Last week added a particularly horrific chapter to that history. Most tragically, the party which was born out of opposition to that history has become its modern home. Paul Krugman writes:To…
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