Lawrence Martin weighs in this morning on the subject of Bob Dechert and the company he keeps. John Baird’s parliamentary secretary, writes Martin,showed such poor judgment in entering into that kind of relationship [with an agent of the Xinhua News Ag…
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Northern Reflections: And So It Begins
As The House of Commons opens its doors after the summer recess, John Ibbitson writes in this morning’s Globe and Mail that:Nothing on the fall agenda should surprise anyone. Most of the bills have been introduced before, only to be beaten back b…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: The Stupid Party
The late Irving Kristol — the godfather of Neo Conservatism — once referred to the Republican Party as “The Stupid Party.” In today’s New York Times, Maureen Dowd uses the same epithet to describe a party which has been thoroughly Kristolized.The pre…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Top Down
The central tenet of trickle down economics is that the benefits of strong support for those at the top of the system will eventually drip down to those at the bottom. The late John Kenneth Galbraith, who grew up on a farm on the northern shore of Lake…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: The Death Of "Compassionate Conservatism"
When George W. Bush was elected president in 2000, he proclaimed that he was a “compassionate conservative.” This week, during the second Republican candidates debate, it became clear that the party — post Bush — has rejected that moniker. When…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: The Cost of Everything and the Value of Nothing
What is truly remarkable about the politics of the early 21st century is how the difference between a cost and an investment has been undermined. This week, the Institute on Research for Public Policy released a report which estimated that it would tak…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: How Long?
In the wake of this past weekend’s 911 memorials, Lawrence Martin asks a question which some might consider heresy:How long is America going to be held hostage to what happened that day? How long, owing to our modern dial-a-threat form of so-called war…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: This Is An Economist?
Like Stephen Harper, Tim Hudak has as Master’s degree in economics. But, as Jim Stanford points out in his latest publication from The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Hudak’s economics don’t pass the sniff test:This detailed statistical review…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Them!
The paranoia of the 1950’s is perhaps best captured in the 1954 film, Them!, a ninety-four minute saga which turned on two common themes of the day — nuclear Holocaust and Communist subversion. In the film, a species of gigantic irradiated ants threat…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Ten Years Later
This weekend, as we remember what happened ten years ago, our first thoughts should — of course — be for those who died at the World Trade Center. Many met horrible deaths. Those whose careful planning caused those deaths illustrate humanity at its m…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Obama On Jobs
This morning,Paul Krugman finally has some words of praise for President Obama :I was favorably surprised by the new Obama jobs plan, which is significantly bolder and better than I expected. It’s not nearly as bold as the plan I’d want in an ideal…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: The Emerging Poilce State
When the House returns later this month, there should be lots of sound and fury. Even though the Conservatives promised a laser like focus on the economy — and exit polls showed that Canadians expected them to do just that — the government intends to…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: The Battle for the Middle Class
In today’s Toronto Star, Tom Walkom writes that the winner of the Ontario election will be the party which best calms the fears of the middle class: “The battleground in this Ontario election,” he writes, “is a middle class unnerved by the recession.”T…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Mulcair’s Moment
Lawrence Martin’s analysis is usually pretty solid, although his suggestions for party leadership posts have not met with overwhelming approval. His proclamation earlier this year that Justin Trudeau should become the new permanent leader of the Libera…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Math Matters
If there has been one consistent criticism of Tim Hudak — from both the left and the right — it is that his numbers don’t add up. He’s not the first politician to face that criticism. But, after three decades of neo conservative policies …
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Political Hostage Taking
In this morning’s New York Times, Paul Krugman again has the modern Republican Party in his sights. I say “modern” because, traditionally, Republicans have been noted for sober common sense. But, because a Republican majority rests on Tea Party support…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Harper and Quebec
The most telling detail about Stephen Harper’s appointment of Angelo Perischilli as his new Communications Director is that Perischilli doesn’t speak French. He may, indeed, be able to reach out to other linguistic communities. He has been, afte…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: A Crossroad
Dan Gardner, in today’s The Ottawa Citizen, writes that “what we saw last week was much more profound than politics:”Jack Layton was energetic and engaged. He was fully alive. Even his opponents had to grant that. We saw him bounce back fro…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Canada’s Rumsfeld
When Sheila Fraser uncovered the Sponsorship Scandal, Paul Martin appointed John Gomery to look into the matter. When Ms. Fraser uncovered the Muskoka Slush Fund, Stephen Harper promoted Tony Clement. Lawrence Martin writes in today’s Globe that:As the…
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: The Alternative
No one delivers a speech the way Stephen Lewis does. His diction is crisp and clear and his passion is absolutely authentic. But a Lewis speech is more than just a performance. It always clarifies a situation. And, most of the time, it places alternati…
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