This and that for your Sunday reading. – Andrew Niikiforuk discusses why we shouldn’t count on a COVID-19 vaccine to emerge at all – nor to fully resolve the dangers of the coronavirus even if it is eventually developed. – David Suzuki argues that a mere return to normal isn’t
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Accidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Andrew Nikiforuk writes about the need to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis into a new normal, rather than trying to return to the distorted society that existed before. – Sophie Ikura and Joshua Tapper discuss the other curves of ill health beyond
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On incentive structures
Sure, this is one possible interpretation of the choices facing low-income parents whose school and child care have been taken away: This is heartbreaking: One family decided to voluntarily put their two children into a foster home so they could be cared for. https://t.co/jpCxKVDzik — Natascia Lypny (@wordpuddle) May 2,
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Jane McDonald writes about the lessons we should learn for future crisis management from the coronavirus pandemic. And Jim Stanford discusses both the importance of social trust in response to an emergency situation, and the reason for optimism that Canadians can count on
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Afternoon Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Anton Jager and Steven Klein discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a particularly strong clash in rhetoric between people advocating for human lives and capital interests, while Siva Vaidhyanathan notes that the choice is a false one in any event
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Todd Gordon and Geoffrey McCormack write about Canada’s crisis of capitalism – which is only being laid bare by a coronavirus pandemic exposing the fragility of a system built on precarity and debt. – Kim Kelly discusses how service workers will face the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Jeff Spross calls out the absurdity of gutting protections for health and safety in the name of “regulatory certainty” – particularly when that really only means businesses know they can get away with as much damage on the public as they can inflict.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Joseph Stiglitz points out that a few gross numbers based on top-end wealth can’t change the reality that Donald Trump’s economy has only squeezed the working class. Jim Stanford highlights Australia’s “retail apocalypse” resulting in massive job losses and disruption, while Josh
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Ten things to know about poverty measurement in Canada
I’ve written a blog post providing an overview of poverty measurement in Canada. Points raised in the post include the following: -One’s choice of poverty measure has a major impact on whether poverty is seen to be increasing or decreasing over time. -Canada’s federal government recently chose the make the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Osita Nwanevu describes the higher-brow forms of bigotry and wilful ignorance being pushed by U.S. Republicans for upper-class audiences. And Kate Aronoff discusses the racial undertones of yet another wave of red-baiting. – Meanwhile, David Climenhaga highlights how Canadian right-wing governments are
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Ten things to know about this year’s Alberta Alternative Budget
The Alberta Alternative Budget (AAB) is an annual exercise whose working group consists of researchers, economists, and members of civil society (full disclosure: I’m the Editor). Our general mandate is to create a progressive vision for Alberta to boost economic growth and reduce income inequality. This year’s document was released
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: MEDIA RELEASE: Alberta should increase social spending; cuts are not the way to go
(June 24, 2019-Calgary) With Alberta’s economy still facing challenges and vulnerabilities, the Alberta government should not be doling out tax cuts or cutting social spending, according to the Alberta Alternative Budget (AAB) released today. “Alberta still has, by far, the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio of any province,” says Nick Falvo, editor
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Jo Davies points out the widespread recognition that Canadian corporations need to pay their fair share for a functional society. And Eric Levitz notes that Donald Trump and other right-wing pseudo-populists are ensuring the opposite, as the IRS has stopped any meaningful
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – The Star’s editorial board rightly criticizes Doug Ford for his propensity to announce massive cuts first, then begrudgingly acknowledge their unconscionable consequences later. Linda White, Elizabeth Dhuey, Michal Perlman and Petr Varmuza note that Ford’s cuts to child care will be particularly
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – The Guardian offers a few expert perspectives on how to fix the U.S.’ broken economic system. And Hassan Yussuff writes that the centennial of the Winnipeg General Strike should remind us of the importance and power of mass political action. – Randy
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Rick Smith and Ken Neumann write about the importance of developing a Green New Deal that includes participation from (and protection for) the workers affected by an economic transition. – Meanwhile, Aditya Chakrabortty notes that the oil-backed right’s personal attacks on Greta
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: What Impact will the 2019 Federal Budget have on Canada’s Housing Market?
I’ve written a blog post about what the recent federal budget means for Canada’s housing market. Points I make in the blog post include the following: -The budget contains several initiatives designed to make it easier for households of modest means to become homeowners. -Such initiatives are often framed as
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Low taxes are nothing to brag about
I’ve written an opinion piece that appears in today’s Regina Leader-Post. The piece argues that the Saskatchewan government shouldn’t brag about the province’s low-tax climate (which it recently did). Rather, I argue that taxes serve important functions. The link to the opinion piece is here.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on how the federal Liberals and provincial Saskatchewan Party are both unduly concerned with optics around “balance” rather than budgeting for the good of their constituents. For further reading…– Pamela Palmater writes that the Libs’ budget continues to neglect Indigenous women and children. Katherine Scott points out the absence
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Katrina vanden Heuvel discusses the importance of pushing toward universal child care in order to relieve avoidable stress on families. – Allison Jones reports that the Ford PCs are only making matters worse by ordering school boards not to hire to fill developing
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