Everywhere in the English speaking world, Lawrence Martin writes, conservatism is in trouble:In Britain, party hardliners pushed David Cameron into calling a referendum on the European Union. With the Brexit result, they are now in control. The conse…
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Northern Reflections: Remaking The World
The ripples from Britain’s decision to leave the EU keep spreading. The most immediate shocks, of course, are being felt in the UK. Michael Harris writes:David Cameron and his government, gone; Britain’s senior EU official, Jonathon Hill, gone. Afl…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Lessons Learned
We don’t know what the long term consequences of Britain’s decision to leave the EU will be. But, Tom Walkom writes, there are already lessons to be learned:First, democracy and advanced capitalism aren’t always compatible. Britain’s voters were a…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Brain Damaged
The Harperites have never liked the courts or judges. Michael Harris writes:Remember Stephen Harper’s attack on Supreme Court Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin — the one that had her squirmin’ in her ermine? And then there was Dean De…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: For Good Or Ill
Britain is out. Yesterday was momentous and there is no telling what the consequences will be. But, Andrew Nikiforuk writes, yesterday had everything to do with what he calls, “the misery of bigness:”Years ago, the great Austrian economist Leopold Kohr…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Restoring Faith In Environmental Assessments
By the time Stephen Harper left office, no one believed a word of any environmental assessment issued by the federal government. Jason MacLean writes: In 2012 the Harper government gutted the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, the National …
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Now For The Tough Stuff
It’s interesting that one of the loudest voices from the Right is giving the Trudeau government a thumbs up. Michael den Tandt writes:There was good, bad and more than a bit of ugly in the first sitting of Canada’s 42nd parliament. On balance, howev…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Isn’t That How Democracy Works?
Despite howling from the Conservatives and the Fraser Institute, Ottawa and the provinces have reached a deal to expand the Canada Pension Plan. A short time ago, such an outcome seemed impossible. However, Canadian Press reports:Following weeks of tal…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: A Pretty Accurate Assessment
Now that the House has risen, Michael Harris has given Justin Trudeau his report card. He has given Trudeau quite a few A’s (or dimes, which we used to get with good marks):Trudeau gets another dime for keeping the promise to pass legislation on medic…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Making Three Point Shots
Justin Trudeau is changing the rules about how to do politics. Evan Solomon writes:“We were perhaps behaving in a way that was resembling more the previous government,” Trudeau told stunned reporters as he explained that he would cede to opposit…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Until It Has Had Its Say
Chantal Hebert writes this morning that the battle over Bill C-14 signals a new source of opposition for any Canadian government — the Senate:The legislative discussion over bill C-14 is over but the debate over the role of a more independent Senate i…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: When Politics Becomes Reality TV
Kevin O’Leary wants to lead the Conservative Party of Canada. But, before they hand him the keys to the kingdom, the Conservatives would do well to examine the fate of another star of reality television — who is spontaneously combusting. Micheal Harri…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: No Referendum
There is a lot of chatter — particularly from the Conservatives — about holding a referendum on electoral reform. Gerry Caplan doesn’t think a referendum is a good idea. He writes:To raise issues related to democracy is to raise the question of refe…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Getting To The Bottom Of The Afghan Prisoners Debacle
In May of 2007, The Toronto Star ran a story about how Afghan soldiers — who had been captured by Canadians — were being abused in prison. Michael Byers and William Schabas write:As one detainee told reporter Rosie DiManno, “They whipped me…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Envy Is A Very Unattractive Quality
Canadians are supposed to have a reputation for being polite. But, Robin Sears writes, that stereotype doesn’t apply to the Canadian press corps. They are pretty good at stoking class envy:Rarely a month goes by without some lazy reporter, certain of a…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: It’s Later Than We Think
The real battle in the United States won’t be between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Chris Hedges writes that the real battle is between corporate power and ordinary citizens. And, if ordinary citizens are to win the battle, they must understand the…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Those Who Could Stop It Remain Silent
In Israel, the voices arrayed against the Netanyahu government are becoming louder. Murray Dobbins writes:In the space of two days, new critics emerged from within the highest positions of Israel state power. Moshe Ya’alon — until recently the Israe…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Different Folks, Different Rules
The Isle of Man tax avoidance scheme is nothing new. Linda McQuaig reminds her readers that Brian Mulroney cut the same kind of deal with the CRA:The riveting image of the former prime minister accepting wads of cash from a notorious lobbyist
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Conservative Hypocrisy
On Sunday, when NDP MP Nikki Ashton tweeted that she was heading south to stump for Bernie Sanders, Conservative commentators were up in arms. Michael Harris writes:But what (Conservative supporters wanted to know) was a Canadian MP doing knocking on …
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Put It Out Of Its Misery
Tom Friedman believes that the Republican Party is morally bankrupt. He wrote this week in the New York Times, that it should be blown up and reconstructed from scratch:Today’s G.O.P. is to governing what Trump University is to education — an ethi…
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