Harry Smith is a man on a mission, one that should put disengaged Canadians to shame. The 92-year-old long-time activist, who splits his time between Canada and England, is ashamed of what has happened under the rule of Stephen Harper, and plans to make a difference as soon as he
Continue readingTag: corporate agenda
Politics and its Discontents: The Canadian Wealth Gap – Far Worse Than Most Think
We hear a great deal about the giants who walk among us – the Canadian masters and mistresses of the universe, all those ‘self-made’ men and women who accomplished their feats thanks to daring, sheer hard work, and exclusive reliance on their own resources. They didn’t ask for any ‘handouts.’
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: What If?
Last evening, I was watching the 6:00 o’clock news, distracted and perturbed by the howling winds (up to 100 kms. per hour) buffeting our windows. Here in Southern Ontario, about 100 kilometres from the snowstorm that has devasted Buffalo, I can perhaps be forgiven for feeling especially sensitive to increasingly
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Power of Imagination
I can imagine that giant ball being put to a better use, like capturing the hot air that the oil industry is so adept at spewing out, much more of which seems in the offing. As reported in today’s Star, TransCanada Corp. plans to browbeat detractors of its ambitious Energy
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Kinder Morgan: Message From Ralphie
This is my mad face: Kinder Morgan wants him charged with assault. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: A Pity They Don’t Practice Such Restraint Domestically
Those paragons of virtue and restraint, the business elite, have given us direction for successful relations with China. Guy Nelson, who makes amusement park rides and was tapped as one of the businessmen to accompany Dear Leader to the Orient, is also freelancing as the Harper regime’s foreign policy adviser.
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Beware The ‘Great Men’ In Our Midst
Were he perceived throughout the country as the legendary Canadian he is in his own mind, I’m sure that former New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna would be lauded far and wide for his insights and advice. Yet the current Deputy Chairman of The Toronto Dominion Bank, board member of Canadian
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Globe And Mail: Same Old, Same Old
We are currently receiving a three-month free subscription to The Globe and Mail, a paper I supported for many years until it returned to its largely right-wing nature after vanquishing its putative competition, The National Post, and jettisoning many of its finer writers. At least getting it free for this
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: About That Fifth Columnist In Ottawa….
Star readers have much to say: Harper downplays concerns about trade deal, Sept. 27 It’s a dangerous world but Big Oil, multinationals, banks, the wealthy and his party’s masters can rest easy in the knowledge that Secret Agent Stephen Harper has their collective backs. He knows how to keep a
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Stephen Harper’s Advice: ‘Don’t Believe What You Sometimes Read’
That little gem was delivered by Dear Leader at a gathering of true believers outside of Hamilton the other day as he offered this confabulation: “There are more people going to good-paying jobs today than in any other time in our history.” About the deplorable sellout he engineered in his
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Real Face Of Stephen Harper
As we embark upon a year-long election campaign, we will increasingly be exposed to propaganda from all parties vying for our vote. But the propaganda emanating from the Harper government will deserve special scrutiny. To be sure, we are constantly told how much better off we are under the compassionate
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: More Harper Acquiescence To The Corporate Agenda
As much as it is said that the Harper regime is planning to buy votes for the 2015 election by giving income-splitting to families, the reality is that Canadians are increasingly being called upon to aid and abet its agenda of ‘starving the beast‘ while at the same time subsidizing
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: On Harper’s True Loyalties
In response to yesterday’s post about Stephen Harper’s boycott of a major climate change summit hosted by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in New York on September 23, Anon wrote the following, and offered this video which, I think you will agree, is a most appropriate choice: Harper, early on,
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: This Just In
According to a CBC report, EU lawmakers are threatening to block a multi-billion dollar trade pact between Canada and the European Union — a blueprint for a much bigger EU-U.S. deal — because it would allow firms to sue governments if they breach the treaty. The agreement with Canada, a
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Giving Credit Where It Is Due
Over the years on this blog, I have been deeply and justifiably critical of the excesses of unfettered capitalism. Degradation of the environment, activities contributing to widescale climate change, and exploitation of labour have been some common targets. Yet every so often, something comes along to show that not all
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Note To Tim Hortons Head Office: Please Respect Your Workers
On Sunday, I wrote about The Toronto Star reporting that a Tim Hortons franchisee is eliminating paid breaks for his/her employees as retaliation against the June 1 increase of the minimum wage in Ontario to $11 per hour. Yesterday, I sent off a letter to the head office of the
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Political Ambition And Public Outrage
The interesting thing about political ambition and public outrage is that sometimes they work synergistically to produce positive results. Jason Kenney, whose ambition to become the Conservative Party’s next leader have been widely rumoured, announced yesterday that fast food restaurants are being suspended from participation in the Temporary Foreign Workers
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Of Course We Could Ignore This
But are we willing to pay the ultimate price? Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: A Timely Reminder About Taxation
Responding to a column the other day by the Star’s Thomas Walkom, letter-writer Bruna Nota of Toronto offers us some timely reminders: Re: Tax a dirty word in these Thatcherite political times, March 15 Yes, most unfortunately, the culture has developed in Canada, fully supported by all big media to
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: A Leading Exemplar of The CBC’s Policy Of Conservative Appeasement
Thanks to Montreal Simon, DESMOG CANADA, Press Progress and others for alerting us to the true extent of Rex Murphy’s egregious conflict of interest in his role as CBC commentator. Murphy is yet another sad but solid indication of the policy of appeasement the Corporation has adopted toward the Harper
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