Antonia Zerbisias is keeping a list. She’s counting the things that Doug Ford is doing to make the lives of “the people” more miserable: Here’s the list thus far. Thanks to Debra Gallant, Antonia Zerbisias and Kev Holman for it’s beginnings. This is what Doug Ford has done since July,
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Democracy Under Fire: Lies & Spin (repost)
“In a political landscape where lies and spin is the norm we must thank and support those individuals who do not fall prey to this insidious trend, and condemn and publicly identify those who do.” The above quote from the following 2010 article is just as relevant today as it
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Threats to Democracy (repost)
“An obstacle to democracy is that the value of its name often exceeds the principles of its practice.” From an old speech by former MP David Kilgore – In his speech, of which this is but a few small extracts, he was talking about democracy across the world but it
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Democracy Defined
This blog was started about a decade ago to highlight the lack of respect for our democratic conventions by the then second term Harper Regime and to highlight efforts to protect and enhance our system of governance. The change of federal leadership in 2015 gave me hope that the years
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: I beg to disagree..
Premier Doug Ford says mainstream journalists have become irrelevant because social media allows him to speak directly to Ontarians. No Mr Fraud, we now need the MSM more than ever with our so called leaders flooding the ‘social media’ with unsubstantiated spin and highly partisan rhetoric. Ford said the spin
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Social Media, Good or Bad?
Recent events have brought the effect that ‘social media’ has upon our society, perhaps it is a good thing that a sick individual has shown that it is possible to spread their sick views and actions world wide in seconds and is a wakeup call for society. The ease and
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: A Broken System?
Recent events and reports have made it clear that our system of governance has some major flaws in it as it currently operates, whist efforts to improve the way we elect our representatives have failed it is becoming increasing obvious that those we do elect have very little power to
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Much ado about nothing?
Does anyone believe that most, if not all, large national and international companys seeking to do business with overseas entities such as Saudi Arabia do not provide ‘incentives’ to the principals involved? Does anyone believe that without such ‘incentives’ said companys would not receive the contracts but would be passed
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: The Echo Chamber….
Is ‘Social Media an asset or an intrusive addiction? Is the ability to instantly access this stream of unfiltered information an asset or simply spreading misinformation? As someone who could be said to be addicted to the internet but is not ‘on’ any ‘social media’ I have mixed feelings about
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: A Green Revolution?
In a recent interview on CTV Question Period Elizabeth May, the Green Party federal leadersaid that they had been getting an increased interest,and donations, in the party. Hardly a surprise as the choices otherwise are becoming increasingly hard to endorse, the Cons are IMHO so far off the wall both
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Ontario’s Downward Spiral
A not so slow downward spiral from our hard won support services here in Ontario is happening under the Ford regime, almost daily we see reports of this or that being cut or ‘reviewed’ (Ford speak for I’ve already made the decision but will let the public let of steam
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Leadership, Democracy & Twitter
Recently I read an opinion piece in The Hill Times decrying the ‘Lack of Leadership’ in both the U.S. and GB given the current Cluster Fk in both countries. It goes on to say ‘The answer is fairly simply: lack of leadership.’ and that ‘Unbridled populism fails unless it is
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Our Fragile Democracy.
A new index released this week offers a sobering look at how democracy is faring in the United States. According to the 2018 edition of The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Democracy Index, the U.S. doesn’t even make the list of top 20—its demonstrably “flawed democracy” notching it the 25th spot. The
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Orwellian Musings
As we end the year that could perhaps be called ‘annus horribilis’ to use the Queens description of 1992 I find it hard to be optimistic about our future here across the other side of the ocean, or indeed for the rest of the world. I cannot find the words
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Ho, Ho bloody Ho
This time of year is not my favorite season, yes its nice to visit family and catch up with both their recent activities and their plans for the future but the whole clamor of what is now largely a retail opportunity leave me less than enthusiastic. For far too many
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Democracy in decline?
As my small cadre of regular readers will know I have been writing about our Canadian democracy for nearly 10 years much of that time spent documenting the Harper Regimes disdain for the democratic process. Although I now have less inclination to write the need to continue to keep those
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Backbenchers just decoration?
In this era of hyper-partisanship, can backbenchers have an effective voice, or have they been relegated to the role of a modern Greek chorus, anonymous figures advancing a pre-determined story? This is the question Hershell Ezrin asks in a short article in Ontario News Watch “In defence of hyper partisanship,
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Who is running Ontario?
Dean French was Mr. Ford’s campaign chair. The day after the PCs won power in June, Mr. Ford named him his chief of staff. Since then, he has emerged as something even that job title can’t fully capture: an omnipresent force seen by some of the new government’s members as
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Amalgamation raises it ugly head again?
‘Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark sent a correspondence to Association of Municipalities Ontario members communicating the province is undergoing a regional review to take a broad look at the current model of municipal governance.’ The above little clip appeared in a short article in a recent Bayshore News
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Enough said…
In a longish op-ed published in iPolitics Michael Harris says the next election is Trudeau’s to loose, I cannot help but agree for the other choices are bleak. “By insisting on making war on the carbon tax his call to political arms, Scheer couldn’t say more clearly that he is
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