Is Canada’s federal government losing its ties with the Canadian people? Are Canadians become estranged from those who govern them? Two reports from December, one by Environics, the other from Samara Canada, suggest that Harper no longer governs but merely rules an increasingly unruly and disdainful populace. “Not only is
Continue readingAuthor: The Mound of Sound
The Disaffected Lib: Fifth Generation, Maybe, But It’s Still Gen 5.0
Harper DefMin, Peter MacKay, like a trained seal smacking its flippers, constantly barks about the Lockheed F-35 being a “Fifth Generation” fighter and, hence, oh so much superior to all the Gen 4.5-fighters on today’s market. As The Fifth Estate noted in its expose on the stealth light bomber, the
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Chris Christie Bares His Fangs at Boehner and Congressional Republicans
New Jersey’s popular Republican governor, Chris Christie, has turned on the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and House majority leader John Boehner is reeling. “Americans are tired of the palace intrigue and political partisanship of this Congress, which places one-upmanship ahead of the lives of the citizens who sent these people
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: The Right Just Doesn’t Get It
Two prominent Rightwing bobble heads, PostMedia’s John Ivison and the Ottawa Citizen’s Terry Glavin have both written dismissive op-eds dismissing the Idle No More movement as frivolous, simplistic and disingenuous. Their columns reveal more about the state of rightwing minds than the Idle No More movement itself. To them, the
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Learned Hand on Liberty
One of America’s greatest judicial philosophers was Judge Learned Hand. Among his legendary achievements he is remembered for his discussion of liberty given in Central Park, New York, on May 21st, 1944. Here are some of his remarks: What do we mean when we say that first of all we
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: De Touqueville’s Insights on War and Democracy
For your contemplation, a few observations of Alexis De Touqueville (1805-1859) on war and the democratic state. “There are two things that a democratic people will always find very difficult, to begin a war and to end it.” “No protracted war can fail to endanger the freedom of a democratic
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: America’s Drones – a Cautionary Tale for F-35 Customers
American drones have an enormous vulnerability, their absolute dependence on computer code that can be easily hacked. This is suspected to have resulted in Iran’s capture of a Lockheed RQ-170 stealth drone in December, 2011. Something even more code dependent is the F-35. It requires no less than 9-million lines
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: What Do British Columbians Know that the Rest of Canada Doesn’t – Yet?
What we know is that the RCMP is rotten, from the top down. The good news is that an increasing percentage of Canadians across the rest of the country is figuring out the same thing. Perhaps British Columbians know the RCMP better because we have to put up with a
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Russia’s Sanctuary for Deposed Leaders
You’ve probably never heard of Barvikha, Russia. It’s a posh little village on the A105 out of Moscow. And it might soon be the new home of Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad. The village hosts a luxury sanitarium popular with Russian presidents and top drawer nobs. It also serves as a
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Monbiot, 2012 – The Year of the Great Polishing
To The Guardian’s enviro-scribe, George Monbiot, 2012 was the year we did our best to abandon the natural world. In 2012 governments turned their backs on the living planet, demonstrating that no chronic problem, however grave, will take priority over an immediate concern, however trivial. I believe there has been no worse
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Happy New Year
And may 2013 exceed your highest expectations. This, from Neil Young. And just a bit of vintage John Hiatt. And here, because there really is only one way forward. And, on a brighter note, here’s my New Year’s Day
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: The Case for Fossil Fuel Divestment
Major investors are beginning to sense danger from the fossil fuel bubble we’re in and are demanding corporations divest their fossil fuel investments. This spells trouble ahead, particularly for the most carbon-intensive fossil fuels and, yes, I mean the Athabasca Tar Sands. The president of the business advocacy, Ceres, Mindy
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: The Cheque Is In the Mail, Yeah Sure.
What if you got that old lie – from your insurance company? Relax, that’s almost sure not to happen but you might as well expect potentially big changes in your insurance dealings in the coming years. Coverage is going to become more expensive and the range of risks covered is
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Tell Them All – We Want Our Canada Back
As the year draws to a close I fear for the future of our country. Our degeneration into a petro-state has exacted a heavy price on Canada and our people and what we can hope to be in the difficult years that lie ahead. It is as though we can
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Ralph Goodale’s Plaintive Plea
When I read it my gut reaction was “So?” “It” was an e-mail from Ralph Goodale warning that the New Democrats are on the verge of a first, out fundraising the Liberals for an entire year. The Libs apparently need $100,000 to close the gap on the NDP, assuming there
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Last Time They Sent Panzers, Now It’s Wheelchairs
This time Germany is lobbing geriatrics into foreign lands. Growing numbers of elderly and sick Germans are being sent overseas for long-term care in retirement and rehabilitation centres because of rising costs and falling standards in Germany. The move, which has seen thousands of retired Germans rehoused in homes in
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Merry Christmas to All
The turkey is brining, preparing for the pan. The pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce are next. (Hint – if you want to tweak your cranberry sauce try substituting orange juice for the water and, as it cools, adding the zest of one navel orange.) Christmas will be much different this
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: A Look Into the Cardboard Soul of Steve Harper
I think I understand Steve Harper’s failure as a prime minister after reading parts of the transcript of his year-end interview with Global TV anchor, Dawna Friesen. Harper stated the obvious, that his priority is the Canadian economy although he didn’t quite say, “at the expense of anything and everything
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: The Dream of a Global Deal is Over
Top German climate change scientists and advocates think it’s pointless to continue the United Nation’s annual climate change summits. Several leading experts at internationally renowned institutes in Germany are demanding an end to the climate summit charade. It is time to begin confronting the reality of a warmer future rather
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: British Columbia’
The present mountain pine beetle infestation in forests in British Columbia ranks among the largest ecological disturbances recorded in Canada so far. These recent outbreaks are thought to have been favoured by large-scale climatic shifts, and may foreshadow outbreaks of a similar magnitude in North American forests over the coming
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