They buried little Alan Kurdi, next to his brother and his mother yesterday, in the shattered Syrian town of Kobani. Just a week ago he was apparently jumping up and down with excitement at the thought of going to Europe, in a boat.But as we know, like so many other Syrian refugees,
Continue readingTag: bigotry
Montreal Simon: Is That Angry Old Con Also a Hideous Racist?
We've seen that angry old Con in action. We've seen the disgusting way he went after after two female reporters.We've heard his foul language and the deranged way he smeared them.Now the Toronto Star says it knows his name. And the question that remains to be determined is whether that ghastly Con
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – PressProgress makes the case that we can’t afford to risk another term of government neglect by the Harper Cons. Jeremy Nuttall discusses how the Cons’ fixed election date and anti-social economic policies each figure to cause direct damage to Canada’s economy in the
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Donald Trump, Stephen Harper, and the Bigots That Flock Together
Golly. I never thought I'd be happy to see the grotesque billionaire bigot Donald Trump doing well at anything.But I must say this is very encouraging. "Trump's really caught fire with voters on the far right — 66% of 'very conservative' voters see him favorably to only 24% with a negative view
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Emmanuel Saez examines the U.S.’ latest income inequality numbers and finds that the gap between the wealthy few and everybody else is still growing. The Equality Trust finds that the UK’s tax system is already conspicuously regressive even as the Cameron Cons plan
Continue readingwmtc: some thoughts on the u.s. moving a bit closer to equality (#lovewins)
At last, it has happened. With Obergefell v. Hodges, same-sex marriage has been declared legal and constitutional in the United States. Same-sex couples can legally marry, just as opposite-sex couples have always had the right to do. Most importantly, laws prohibiting same-sex marriage are now unconstitutional.* For some years on
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Stephen Harper and the Hidden Story of the Anti-Gay Judge
For weeks I've been trying to warn everyone I know that Stephen Harper is now so desperate that he is planning to make bigotry his secret weapon in his election campaign.His sinister silence after the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report spoke volumes. Even as a torrent of hatred
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Jason Kenney Makes a Fool Out of Himself on Twitter. Again
Among his many dubious achievements, Jason Kenney is also known as the Con's most aggressive Twitter warrior.A man who blasts tweets out of every orifice without stopping to think what he's saying.And today he made a fool out of himself. Again.By invoking Sharia law rather than Canadian law in the debate
Continue readingwmtc: my feminism includes trans people. all women need to listen to each other.
The continuing liberation of transgender people is a marvel to behold. We are witnessing history, as trans people and their issues become part of the mainstream. From Chelsea Manning to “Transparent” to Laverne Cox, and of course Caitlyn Jenner, transgender people and issues have never been so front and centre.
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Stephen Harper and the Great Turkey Budget
Gosh. What a difference a day makes. The other day I was lamenting that an Abacus poll seemed to suggest that enough Canadians had liked the Con's porky budget so much they had given given Stephen Harper a big boost.But now an EKOS poll suggests that while nobody is complaining
Continue readingA. Picazo: Freedom Of Religion vs. License To Discriminate
This op-ed appeared in The Ottawa Citizen on April 8, 2015. There’s a fundamental misunderstanding, or perhaps, a deliberate mischaracterization, of what constitutes religious freedom in a pluralistic society; of the role governments should play in protecting religious liberties, the extent to which citizens are obligated to facilitate the customs of another, and what
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Kevin Carson discusses David Graeber’s insight into how privatization and deregulation in their present form represent the ultimate use of state power to serve special interests at the expense of the public: What mainstream American political discourse calls “deregulation” is nothing of
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Ghastly Record and Imaginary Trial of Stephen Harper
I was thinking today about Mike Duffy's trial, which is now only nine days away, and how it may last at least two months, because of all the evidence the Crown has collected.And all the PMO witnesses they are going to have to grill.And it gave me a really warm feeling.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Identifying the adversary
Not surprisingly, Charles Taylor’s keynote address and discussion on political inclusion has neatly highlighted both the importance of finding commonalities at the personal level, and the dangers of government fomenting prejudice toward minority groups. But I’d think it’s worth drawing a distinction between the problems being addressed at the personal
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Robert Fisk: If Harper is Serious About Cultural Barbarism He Should Arrest Himself
I grabbed this shot with my mobile this afternoon of a debate that was going on in the House of Commons.Because the title jumped out at me, and made me wonder again what country I am living in.And then I remembered that the Con in the picture is Wladyslaw Lizon,
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Stephen Harper and Benjamin Netanyahu’s Phony Phone Call
Lordy. If I didn't know Stephen Harper and Benjamin Netanyahu so well I'd swear their legendary love affair is heading for the International Divorce Court. Instead of the International Criminal Court. At least judging by what Harper says he told Netanyahu on the phone today. Read more »
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Dana Nuccitelli discusses new research into the real costs of fossil fuels which aren’t reflected in the sticker price for a dirty energy economy: A new paper published in Climatic Change estimates that when we account for the pollution costs associated with our
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Homophobe and the Homeless
You might think that a church might be a safe place for homeless people to sleep. Considering how hard their lives are, and how little they have, and everything Jesus said about that.But not at this church in San Francisco. Read more »
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Stephen Harper and the Night of the Living Dead
As you probably remember, when I saw that Stephen Harper had poured gasoline on the flames of bigotry in Quebec, and I saw how his words had galvanized the Bloc Québécois.I portrayed him as the man who had helped bring the Bloc back from the dead.And I knew that it
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Benjamin Netanyahu and Stephen Harper’s Netanyahu Moment
Benjamin Netanyahu is as any decent person knows, a brutish right-wing demagogue, a racist, and a war criminal.And his victory in yesterday's Israeli election couldn't be more tragic. Or have left the Middle East and his own country more deeply wounded. Read more »
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