“He knows what he wants,” was the message by Conrad Black to a parliamentary committee examining the current situation on trade relations with the United States. The former Canadian and now an ex-convict and Lord Cross-the-Pond or some such title, was telling the committee about his friend Donald Trump who
Continue readingAuthor: Peter Lowry
Babel-on-the-Bay: Cole bites the hand feeding his activism.
Just who is the racist here? Do Torontonians need black activists stirring imaginary pots in our polyglot society? What is it Desmond Cole is peddling? If he has a case, why is nobody speaking out for Toronto’s Asian Canadians? Are they not also feeling the pinch of racism? It has
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The myth of America’s FBI.
There is a very bad television show on television these days called Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders. A weak spinoff from the highly successful Criminal Minds show that is now ending its twelfth season on CBS, the Beyond Borders version tries to replace strong characterizations with travelogues and requires that the
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: A rookie mistake in Don Valley North.
In October last year we wrote some personal comments about the area of Don Valley North electoral district in Toronto. The wife and I had our home there in that part of North York for more than 20 years. It was just down the street and around the corner from
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Creating conflict for city and province.
They really cannot be doing it to ‘sell’ newspapers in this day and age. The Toronto Star has been busy building a supposed conflict between Mayor John Tory of Toronto and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne. It is based on the recent Ontario budget that did not mention more funds for
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: In the Senate: “Some are more equal.”
In George Orwell’s Animal Farm we were told that some animals are more equal than others. This makes it an appropriate analogy for the institution in Canada known as the senate. The senate was created 150 years ago as a chamber of sober second thought to rein in any excesses
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Speechwriters and old soldiers never die.
This writer would have serious doubts taking on writing speeches for an old soldier such as Canada’s defence minister Harjit Sajjan. There are a series of problems involved, not the least of them being the mistake of trying to present an apolitical Sikh in the guise of a politician. There
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Plan B: Tell Trump to Get Stuffed.
Watching a Canadian cabinet minister being interviewed on the weekend was almost painful. Despite the goading of the interviewer, he refused to say exactly what he thought of the stance by American President Trump on North American trade. Like most Canadians, he would probably like to have the opportunity to
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: A hundred days in America.
Marking his first 100 days in office, U,S. President Donald Trump told the media that he thought the job as president was easier. It is an admission that he has neither the training, nor experience nor temperament to handle the position. He has proved to the world that he is
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The piecemeal processes of Premier Wynne.
“Ladies and gentlemen and children of all ages: Let me draw your attention to the left ring of our three-ring circus. Here for your entertainment and edification is our finance minister who has just passed the miracle of a balanced budget. Charles Sousa will now amaze you further by proposing
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: On being bullish on Brown.
There is lots of laughter at the current argument among Ontario Conservatives about whether their leader Patrick Brown has policies. Some Conservatives think it would be nice if they knew where their party is headed. Others think policies should be kept secret so that the opposition does not belittle them.
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Kevin O’Leary was never in.
When TV personality Kevin O’Leary declared himself out of the federal Conservative leadership race the other day, it was a race he had never really been in. He came late to the party and left early. He brought nothing to it, he learned nothing from it and he left nothing
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Donald Trump has a plan?
Heard any good conspiracy theories today? It is amazing how many pundits are writing about Trump’s real plans for world-wide dictatorship. They see Trump’s actions in the White House as part of a scheme. They think it is designed to keep outsiders confused. But it should be obvious to everybody
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Buck Booking’s Blues.
Some wonder how the time of the British Royals to visit the colonies is allocated across the British Commonwealth of Nations and other friendly countries. What if this was all funneled through a call centre at Buckingham Palace in London, England? Imagine a recently recorded call at the North American
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The myth of being Liberal.
One of our respected progressive bloggers from British Columbia wrote recently something less than a paean (song of praise) about the Liberals in that province. His thesis is that B.C. Liberals are just Conservatives in sheep’s clothing and now the federal sheep have joined them. He insists that the Liberal
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Something borrowed, something blue.
Watching the news conference events last week at Toronto’s Liberty Village, you could not help but note what a modern setting it would be for a wedding. This must have been just a rehearsal though as Premier Kathleen Wynne and Finance Minister Charles Sousa delivered their promises. They even had
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Is Justin the adult in the school yard?
Has Prime Minister Trudeau been getting advice from psychologists on how to handle a bully? It is certainly to his credit that he is keeping his cool. Donald Trump continues to lob his ignorant taunts over the longest undefended border in the world and Canada’s prime minister just says, “We
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: In the politics of vitriol.
The emerging right-wing politics of Europe is spreading like a disease. First we had the self destructive BREXIT from the United Kingdom and now the threatening right in key countries such as France and Germany and even a smaller and usually cooperative Netherlands. Europe still has a way to go
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: You can call it a ‘Wynne Win.’
Ontario’s political pundits are all running with scissors these days forecasting the resignation of Premier Kathleen Wynne. Quite properly, she is scoffing at these rumours and promising to carry on. It could be the death knell of the Liberal’s dynasty of the last 14 years. But is it? In a
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Trump’s ‘Milk of Human Kindness.’
“Once again unto the breach” (sorry Mr. Shakespeare) President Trump jumps into a situation of which he has absolutely no understanding. He is making a habit of it and this time he is trying to skewer the Canadians. He has pitted the free market, unfettered Wisconsin dairy farmers against what
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