Consider some political problem we wish to solve. Is there an a priori preferred jurisdiction to solve it in? As in, should we care whether it is solved at an international, federal, state/provincial, or municipal level? The realpolitik of our political society is that many problems lie, for a range
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Politics, Re-Spun: Historical Revisionism: A Balkan Cottage Industry?*
*My apologies to the good hard-working people of the global cottage and cottage cheese industries and the good people of the Balkans for once again being sullied by Western analyst-cum-charlatans. Followers of the Politics, Re-Spun Facebook page may have been keeping up with my recent debate(s) with one Charles Crawford, who “served
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: England Threatens to Risk War With Latin America to Please United States!
I wish my title was embellished, but it’s been a crazy 24 hours. The background to this story is that Wikileaks‘ editor Julian Assange is holed up in Ecuador’s embassy in London, waiting for the Ecuadorian President Correa to rule on his asylum bid. It’s expected that asylum will be
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Suppressing Dissent #nlpoli
One of the hallmarks of the Conservative political method since 2003 has been the suppression of public dissent. Anyone who wants to raise a problem for public discussion is attacked for being “negative.” It is part of the aggressive campaign the Tories have waged to eliminate political opposition and stifle
Continue readingPaul S. Graham: My Stop Harper Video Collection
There is no shortage of Stop Harper videos on YouTube. A recent YouTube search yielded 3,740 hits, and I’m sure one could find more with a more refined search. Ever since Brigette DePape interrupted the Speech from the Throne with her iconic stop sign, activists have been inspired to amplify
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: ConCalls: Defending Election Fraud is the Right Thing to Do #RoboCon
I’m giving you the following because you too deserve to be irritated by “The Incurious”. Among them is a supposed journalist who should know it’s not very Canadian to call people speaking out against election fraud schemes “liars”. (http://www.danieldickin.ca/2012/08/crucial-robocall-claimant-revealed-to.html) Saskboy said… Considering the evidence made public thus far, you’ve identified
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: ConCalls: “Categorically False” #RoboCon
Andrew Langhorne, COO of RMG has claimed in court documents that his business did not do what was stated in another affidavit made by a former employee of his company. A Twitter account that appears to be his, has only three tweets, all re-tweets of people saying RMG didn’t participate
Continue readingUnderlooked Stephen Harper quotes P4: Harper is an eloquent polemic.
Part 4 of underlooked Stephen Harper quotes. Part one, two and three here. One party dictatorship and our fleeting Parliamentary democracy There’s a semi-famous paper written by Stephen Harper and Tom Flanagan when they were younger floating around the progressive pointing out, quite eloquently and accurately describing one of the biggest
Continue readingDrive-by Planet: Avraham Burg and the hard truth about ‘Israel’s Fading Democracy’
Avraham Burg has an opinion piece in the New York Times this week titled “Israel’s Fading Democracy.” It’s well worth the read. Burg doesn’t shy away from addressing hard truths about the Israel of Binyamin Netanyahu – a society that has becomes more radicalized, in some respects more extremist.
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Sounds from the Diaspora: Asia Indie Music in Canada
Youtube has propelled Asian talents like Kina Grannis, Andrew Garcia, and Clara C to the forefront of DIY music fame. These Californian artists have garnered an overwhelming share of social media attention and it begs the question: do Canada’s indie industries compare? Are we capable of producing our own indie, Asian music
Continue readingFrom an Anglo to the Anglophones in Quebec
It is odd being an Anglo in Quebec. But not because I feel apart from the Francophones. Indeed, it is Anglo community that I feel estranged from. I live in small village and there are maybe 3 other people who speak English. I moved to Quebec 5 years ago and
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: ConCalls: Show The Cards Elections Canada #RoboCon
A lawyer is trying to compel Elections Canada to release more public details of its super slow investigation into the election fraud from May 2011. Apparently the next date we’ll have any news from the Federal Court is August 8th. In the meantime, the greatest crime against this country in
Continue readingQuebec election: the faux choix of the first two days
As everyone knows by now, Quebec is headed into a summer election. The Liberal party is trying to define the election as a choice between democracy or protest. As someone who has studied and taught political science at the highest levels this strikes me as a bizarre if not ignorant
Continue readingCanadian Progressive World: What We Missed: OWS Declaration of the Occupation of New York City
This document was accepted by the NYC General Assembly on September 29, 2011, with minor updates made on October 1, 2011. It is the first official, collective statement of the protesters in Zuccotti Park. As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Rick Salutin discusses the link between parity of wealth and democratic participation, while pointing out why there’s reason for people to engage much more in the latter (W)hy didn’t the majority ever vote to expropriate the rich and take all their stuff? Perhaps
Continue readingCanadian Progressive World: Activist Communique: The Slackers Guide to Activism—Superhero Style
Submitted by JEN MESZAROS My name is Jen, and I’m creating an activist group in vancouver to increase the community’s participation in world issues–such as exposing Monsanto, Arctic drilling by Shell, the impact of Stephen Harper on Canada and the proposed pipelines. Our group plans to bring attention to issues
Continue readingCanadian Trends: UPDATE-1: Chinada
China’s state oil company is offering $15 billion for Calgary’s Nexen. At this point I’ve really lost count of how many Chinese acquisitions have been made in the last few years. The sale will probably be allowed as the looting of Canadian assets continues unabated. Welcome to Chinada, please temporarily
Continue readingSong of the Watermelon: Referendums: The Perils and the Possibilities
Direct democracy is to representative democracy what extra-virgin olive oil is to refined olive oil. The latter is more cost effective and, perhaps according to some, just as good. But to the connoisseur, there is no substitute for the real stuff. In the fourth article of his ongoing series on
Continue readingcenterandleft: A Defence of Regularized Public Policy Referendum
I think Governments should consult with the people. The amount of public involvement with our federal democracy is essentially voting in a general election once every four years. We call our political system “free and democratic”, a rule by and for the people. For me, electing over three hundred people
Continue readingCANADIAN PROGRESSIVE WORLD: Harper Conservatives Lose Robocalls Fraud Court Challenge
The Federal Court has nuked the Conservatives effort to stop the courts from hearing a legal challenge to some of the results of the 2011 federal election. With the support of The Council of Canadians, individuals in seven of the more than 40 affected ridings legally challenged the results under
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