Leaving all policy discussion aside, one of the most disheartening aspects of the last five years of minority government under Harper has been a consistent erosion of the adversarial process in our democracy. The list is long but includes: centralizi…
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Politics, Re-Spun: PoliticsRespun.org Election Night Liveblog, maybe
Tonight’s the night many of us have been waiting for – whether it be because we trudged to a poll today, stood in line with credit card bills, drivers licenses, and other sundry pieces of identification, were handed a ballot, and promptly marked a little “x” next to the least offensive candidate, and now the […]
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Masturgate: The Little Scandal That Couldn’t
It’s election time and everyone is abuzz with the ostensibly shocking allegation that Jack Layton might have, possibly, received a happy ending at a rub-and-tug 15 years ago. Let’s let that sink in for a moment: The man might have, possibly, received a handy J from someone other than his wife a decade and a […]
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Egypt’s Shifting Geopolitical Policies: A Consequence of Democracy
The recent democratization of Egypt has resulted in a series of distinct policy changes with regards to Israel, Palestine and Iran. These changes ultimately represent a shift in Egyptian policy towards the popular opinion of many Egyptians that are bec…
Continue readingMeasuring democracy
It wouldn’t surprise anyone if they were told that the rich have more influence on government than the rest of us. Some scholars in the U.S. have gone further than assume this, they have actually measured it, and the results are intriguing.
Professor …
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: A Compendium of My Prime Minister Layton Posts
I’ve enjoyed writing four pieces about the Prime Minster Layton concept in the last 2.5 years. Originally, it was a wishful thinking hyper long-shot in a prorogation crisis at a time when the Liberals had no firm leader. Then in June 2010 it was a curiosity when polling indicated a Jack Layton-led coalition with the […]
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Stephen Harper’s Economic Record: Best in show?
According to the polls, Stephen Harper gets the highest score on handling the economy, though he only gets the nod from 38 per cent of Canadians. As the incumbent, he’s got the advantage on all other candidates. What the others have done and might do is a topic for another blogpost. This short summary of […]
Continue reading264MHz: Socialist Party of Ontario resolution: Internet Democracy
This is a resolution for the proposed Socialist Party of Ontario. It is based on one I submitted to the federal NDP in 2003. Whereas the Internet allows a much greater degree of participatory democracy then was possible before, because everyone can equally and easily contribute to the debate and it makes the logistics of […]
Continue readingthe disgruntled democrat: Canada’s Progressives Are About to Get Screwed by a Corrupt Electoral System
The sudden rise of the NDP in the polls gives reason to hope that the political landscape is about to change fundamentally.Don’t bet the farm on it.What the pundits don’t say is that the NDP is far from playing on an even playing field. As anybody who…
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: The NDP surge and its consequences
The largest political story of the week has nothing to do about policies, it is about the fact that after months of poll numbers that stubbornly refused to budge the NDP has actually experienced a considerable surge in popularity confirmed by a half do…
Continue readingLarry Hubich's Blog: Stand Up for our Human Rights – SFL Labour Reporter
The following is the lead article from the May 2011 issue of the SFL Labour Reporter – the issue is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights, in Saskatchewan, Canada and abroad.
You can download the complete issue here…
Stand up for our human…
Continue readingMurdoch’s mischief … the excesses of freedom
If you were to suggest that the most powerful man in British political politics today was Prime Minister David Cameron, I would respectfully disagree. I would suggest it is Britain’s most powerful press lord, Rupert Murdoch. Murdoch’s News Internationa…
Continue readingRandom Ranting Raving and Ratings: "Wasted Vote" by Shane Koyczan
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Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Electile Dysfunction
Evidence suggests that we all like it long. Mayors of Canada like it long. It helps them prioritize the next transit or water main development. Police like it long. It helps them decide how to recruit, to reflect the changing communities they serve. Medical researchers like it long. It helps them see patterns of disease, […]
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: How I Expect Journalists to Behave During #Elxn41
The short answer is: just as they are. I think they’re doing a great job, especially with the kind of contempt Harper has shown them for years. By the way, #Elxn41 is the Twitter hashtag for Canada’s 41st general election. It is an exciting time as Twitter is redefining the relationships between estates. Candidates, citizens […]
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: The Polls and the Proles
The polls are suggesting a Harper majority may be in the cards, but they may be counting out the wild card in this deck: young people. How do polls work? Pollsters call people. On land lines. Who answers land lines? Not many young people anymore. They’re constantly connected through their cells, mostly through texts. But […]
Continue readingLarry Hubich's Blog: Stephen Harper is an Evil Astronaut – ShitHarperDid.com
ShitHarperDid.com
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: How we can change the political capital formula
It is a tautology that a successful politician is one who is capable of attracting votes. However the way successful politicians can attract votes is divided into largely two overlapping categories. They can enact and advocate for policies and politi…
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