Following up on this post, let’s look in a bit more detail as to how the Cons might try to make excuses for a delay in this fall’s expected federal election – and why they might be happy to use the more questionable means to do so. As noted in
Continue readingTag: canada 2015
Accidental Deliberations: Saturday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Edward Keenan weighs in on the role a basic income could play in a job market marked by increasingly precarious work: I am an enthusiastic supporter of better workplace protections and wages. I have a good, unionized, stable job. I like it. But
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On fragile fixes
Some high-profile commentators seem to be accepting a highly dubious conclusion about the federal election date expected this fall. So let’s take a quick look at what a “fixed” election date actually means for a government which has no qualms about breaking the rules – and why the fact that
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Thomas Edsall discusses how increased atomization is making it more difficult for people to join together in seeking change, no matter how obvious it is that there’s a need to counter the concentrated power and wealth of the privileged few: The cultural
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Flailbait
Susan Delacourt’s point that Canadian politics have seen a shift toward a permanent campaign is generally well taken. But it’s worth keeping in mind what it means when parties have the opportunity to plan for years in advance of a fixed election date: Political advertising, once only a feature of
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Guy Standing discusses the political and social importance of Canada’s growing precariat, as well as the broader definition of inequality needed to address its needs: The assets most unequally distributed are fourfold. First, socio-economic security is more unequally distributed than income. If
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Michael Hiltzig examines the evidence showing that austerity serves as a major obstacle to economic growth. And Ian Hussey argues that Alberta (like other jurisdictions) is out of budgetary balance due to a lack of income rather than any need to cut
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – The Ottawa Citizen rightly slams Stephen Harper for failing to take climate change and energy policy seriously, while Mel Hurting points out Harper’s general economic failures in relying on dirty resource extraction rather than trying to build a cleaner and stronger economy. And
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On damaging positions
I haven’t commented yet on the latest wave of federal polls primarily because I don’t see them radically changing my existing take on Canada’s impending election. But I’ll briefly address what looks like an overreaction to the latest numbers by Michael Harris. By way of context, here’s my previous analysis
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Apparently they’ll let anybody blather away on the intertoobz
Here, for instance, is me chatting with Paul Dechene. (And to correct myself, the impending provincial election is the second under fixed election dates – though the first where it’s lining up with an associated federal election.)
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On cooperative priorities
As part of their new “Hope and Wild Flailing” campaign theme, plenty of Libs are looking for any pretext – however lacking in reality – to attack Tom Mulcair. And Mulcair’s latest comments on a coalition offer the latest flimsy excuse. So let’s look at how there’s still a huge
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Dylan Matthews reports on Joseph Stiglitz’ work in studying what kinds of systemic changes (in addition to more redistribution of wealth) are needed to ensure a fair and prosperous economy. And Martin O’Neill discusses James Meade’s prescient take on the importance of social
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Citizens for Public Justice provides a useful set of fact sheets on the importance of tax revenues in funding a civilized society. And Daphne Bramham follows up with a look at what we’ve lost from tax cuts – and the public demand for
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Staying the flawed course
John Ivison is right to note that the Cons’ latest ad reflects the Harper braintrust sticking to what seems to have been a long-established plan. But it’s worth highlighting how that plan has been overtaken by events – and how even the Libs may be able to use the message
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
Assorted content for your Sunday reading. – Heather Boushey writes about the Great Gatsby Curve showing a direct correlation between equality and social mobility – and conversely, that high inequality severely limits opportunity for large numbers of people. And Vikas Bajaj discusses how high inequality also harms overall economic development.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Evening Links
This and that for your Saturday reading. – Keith Banting and John Myles note that income inequality should be a major theme in Canada’s federal election. And Karl Nerenberg points out that voters will have every reason to vote for their values, rather than having any reason to buy failed
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, expanding on this post about the new challenges the Cons are facing heading into this fall’s election. For further reading…– Geoffrey Stevens offers his own take on the Cons’ weaknesses. – Meanwhile, Nik Nanos (as reported by Theophilos Argitis) focuses on the possibility of vote splitting working to the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your Monday reading. – Frances Woolley reminds us of some of the hidden advantages of the rich, and suggests that they point toward the fairness of taxing wealth in addition to consumption: The greatest freedom money offers is the freedom to walk away. Your bank doesn’t offer
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Afternoon Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Brad Delong discusses the two strains of neoliberalism which dominate far too much political discussion – and the reason why the left-oriented version doesn’t offer any plausible analysis of where we stand: (Bill) Clintonian left-neoliberalism makes two twin arguments. The first is
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On complexities
Bruce Anderson writes that as some of us have long suspected, a true three-party federal race is developing which will create some new complications for the Cons and Libs alike. But it’s worth pointing out one area where the Cons are in much worse shape than they’ve ever been. Before
Continue reading