This and that for your Thursday reading. – Michael Hiltzik points out new research showing that business-focused policies do nothing at all to encourage any positive economic outcomes: in fact, a higher rating from ALEC for low-tax, low-regulation government correlates to less economic growth. But Kevin Drum highlights what the
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Accidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Stewart Prest writes about the Cons’ war against experts: (I)n modern democratic states one of the most important sources for non-partisan information and expertise is the government itself. Government bureaucracies are the only institutions in the world today with the access, the resources,
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: What The US Government Shutdown Really Shows
Last night, the US Government shut down all ‘non-essential’ services. The reason? Because a group of Republicans in the House of Representatives had a hissy fit over funding health care and tried to slam riders onto the budget legislation which would defund it, and the Senate refused to pass the amended
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – It shouldn’t be a surprise that more people are pointing out the importance of effective regulation in preventing disasters like the Lac-Mégantic explosion. But it may be somewhat unexpected to see that message from a CEO in the industry which stands to be
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Advice for those awaiting ‘the Big One’ from the CFIB later today… have grain of salt at hand
A Canadian Federation of Independent Business technician puts the finishing touches on today’s “report” on retirement savings. (Photo grabbed from AstroTurf.com) Actual CFIB operatives may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: One of them, Dan Kelly. There really is a pension crisis in Canada, but it’s not the one the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Richard Seymour rightly calls out right-wing lobby groups in the UK for distorting the facts in order to attack social programs: The report calls for benefits to fall in real terms, and refers to “the regrettable 5.2% blanket benefit increase put through in
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Stephen Hume rightly mocks the Fraser Institute for using its tax-exempt status to whine about individuals who don’t earn enough to pay income taxes. But I’ll take the opportunity to reiterate a point I’ve made before: progressive governments in particular will do far
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Yves Engler highlights the two-tiered justice system exacerbated by the Harper Cons, as anybody with a sufficient level of privilege avoids any punishment for wrongdoing: One law for the rulers and another for the rest of us — wasn’t that supposed to
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Minuscule Canadian Taxpayers Federation in running for ‘Turfy Award’
Former Canadian Taxpayers Federation Alberta Director Scott Hennig, now the group’s Communications VP, in a nice AstroTurf-coloured sweater at last weekend’s Ottawa conference of the Manning Centre for Undermining Democracy. Below: CTF President Troy Lanigan; CTF member … rrrrrrr … supporter, Riley Climenhaga; CTF Operations VP Shannon Morrison. When it
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Emily Dee takes a first look at what may be a highly important story about the Cons’ use of the notorious right-wing push-poller Responsive Media Group: I had been conducting some research into the last federal election campaign, which was probably the
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Astroturf #nlpoli
Sometimes the people using fake names online screw up their little game. This little gem came from the Telegram last week and a letter to the editor in favour of free tuition at Memorial University. Janice and Babs should have talked to herself…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading.- David Climenhaga responds to the Cons’ union-bashing in the guise of accountability by pointing out who actually exerts disproportionate influence under a cloak of secrecy:(M)aybe the bright light of a freshly c…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your weekend reading.- As I’d suspected, the Cons are making clear that the kind of behaviour that would get any mere civil servant fired on the spot will be treated as entirely unobjectionable in a parliamentary secretary like Bob De…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading.
– Canada’s Prime Minister is openly advocating for the use of soldiers over mere books or arguments as a means of persuasion. Which of course means it’s time to start making jokes about Thomas Mulcair.
– Sp…
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