There seems to be a difference of opinion between French President Emmanuel Macron and prime minister Justin Trudeau of Canada. Macron says that the 70-year old North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is suffering brain death, while Canada’s PM thinks it is doing ‘just fine, thank you.’ Trudeau insists that NATO
Continue readingAuthor: Peter Lowry
Babel-on-the-Bay: The new Charlemagne: Emmanuel Macron?
Until the last four years, the view of Europe has been as an economic union. That is now changing and we can start to think of Europe as a political union. And as a political union, it joins China and the United States of America as one of the three
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Canada’s elitist senate studies itself.
An argument in Canada’s senate recently was whether an independent member could spend public money to study the public attitude about the senate. While we are not entirely clear on why, it seems that independent senator Donna Dasko spent $15,000 of public money and expected it to be paid from
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: “Regrets, I’ve had a few…
That is not contrition. When Frank Sinatra sang Paul Anka’s song My Way, he said those regrets were too few to mention. The listener is left wondering what is left untold that he does not mention. It is the same as Ontario premier Doug Ford’s crushing changes to the province’s
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: ‘Goddamn the CPR.’
Can you imagine two more Canadian icons than journalist Allan Fotheringham and the Canadian Pacific Railway? It came as a pleasant surprise recently to see a television interview with ‘Doc Foth.’ He was as sardonic as ever. I have always admired Fotheringham for his writing skills and his humour. In
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: It comes down to sidewalks.
Do we trust our governments to spend our tax money wisely? What kind of democracy is this when our municipal politicians hew to the right or left of the political divide? In Toronto, that supposed haven of liberalism, the debate rages at city council about the costs of mechanically clearing
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: A failure in leadership.
If conservative leader Andrew Scheer is looking for compassion, he is looking in the wrong places. There is no succor for losers in Toronto’s Albany club. Long the King Street hangout of the rich and famous of Canadian conservatism, there is no compassion there for someone rejected by the voters
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Democracy costs $500?
For the past 60 years, we have watched Canadian politics spiral into a quagmire of failed ideologies and failed leadership. We continue the pattern by choosing leaders by old methods that are easily corrupted, that fail the voting public and fail our political parties. The planned contest for the leadership
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: A “Values Test” for Quebecers.
The Quebec National Assembly seems to be constantly against immigration. Combined with the ill-disguised bigotry behind the Bill 21 restrictions on the wearing of religious symbols, it is sending a message to many potential immigrants that they are not wanted. The entire charade holds economic consequences that are little needed
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: A surfeit of opinions.
For the first time, it seemed that there really were more than enough opinions on this election. Not only did we have the political blogs and usual social media postings but those handy newsletters from major media are now routine. The first to sign off was Kady O’Malley of iPolitics
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Justin Trudeau doesn’t do humble.
The media seemed to see Justin Trudeau’s speech on Wednesday as contrition. It was not. Not in the minds of many liberals who worked to give him this second chance. And that is what it was on Monday night. It is a second chance to get it right. It is
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Nobody hates Albertans.
It has never been personal. A close friend of mine in the oil business always used to greet me with the comment. “Damn, you haven’t frozen in the dark yet!” Back when they lived in Denver, Colorado, the wife and I would drop off our kids with him and his
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Really, Ms. May?
There was a last shot fired in the federal election on Sunday that really disappointed me. I thought more highly of Elizabeth May of the green party. After all, where have you heard this line before? “Elect (this party) and this will be the last federal government in Canada chosen
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Go angry into the night.
Canada went to bed angry last night; a failed decision behind us. We had bought into distrust and grievance and discord. We set aside our normal fairness and caring. Greed seemed to be the only compromise. It was a failure in leadership and trust. The next election is not in
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: “Mommy, It’s over!”
The sign-off for the Just for Laughs television show seems quite appropriate for this election. Though it was hardly just for laughs. There are still a lot of tears to be shed over this 43rd Canadian General Election. Having a green monster wailing to his mommy seems the right tone
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Thoughts on a dystopian election.
It was not been pretty. These fixed elections absorb the politicos and the media for almost ten months. Before it can officially be called an election, we are tired of it. They are more about what could have been than what should have been. I felt like a lone voice
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Banking on the Bigotry of the Bloc?
When does la laïcité (the separation of church and state) become the political war cry in Quebec during a federal election? And why does it front as a cover-up for the institutionalized bigotry that exists in la belle province? Since the time of the ‘Padlock Law’ of the Maurice Duplessis
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Pot foils police and politicos.
After a full year of government legalized and regulated marijuana sales, nobody is making money other than the criminal element that has been in the business all along. These people know their market, look after their market and have no problem with undercutting government pricing. What the police and politicos,
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Taking the road to totalitarianism.
It is in Fortress Alberta that Jason Kenney did declare that his propaganda machine will be removed from all controls. What started as a so-called war room will now be known as the Alberta Energy Communications Centre and based in Calgary. Nobody has said whether this new entity will replace
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Watch out for the mathematics!
It was mentioned the other day that it is impossible to selectively elect a minority government. Before you think you are voting for a minority, you need to check your mathematics and your logic. I would suggest to you that if most people across Canada voted for a second-tier party
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