For years, we’ve been told the dictates of globalization, and the intrusive and prescriptive terms of free trade agreements in particular, are immutable, natural, and unquestionable. (Read more…)When workers were displaced by the migration of multinational capital toward more profitable jurisdictions, we were told there’s nothing we can do about
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Accidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Sean McElwee offers his take on the crucial failings which have led the U.S. Democrats to their current nadir in which principles and values have been discarded in the pursuit of power they’ve failed to secure. – Mike Konczal and Marshall Steinbaum highlight
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Tainted Presidency and the Magnificent Meryl Streep
As we all know, Donald Trump wants us to move on, and forget that his friend Vladimir Putin stands accused of deploying his cyber army to help him win the election.But it's just not going to work. You can't just wish away something like that, or try to shift the blame…
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Keith Olbermann’s Message to Donald Trump’s Supporters
It would be almost unbelievable, if it wasn't happening in Trumpland where madness has replaced reason.U.S. intelligence officials have informed Donald Trump that Russia meddled in the U.S. election to help him win, but he's just shrugging it off. Or blaming the Democrats. And to make matters even worse, many
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Even some farm leaders admit the Alberta NDP’s notorious Bill 6 is an improvement
PHOTOS: Agriculture Minister Oneil Carlier as he walked through an anti-NDP demonstration in front of the Alberta Legislature shortly before the passage of Bill 6 in December 2015. Below: NDP Labour Minister Christina Gray, Alberta Federation of Agriculture President Lynn Jacobson and Wildrose Agriculture Critic Dave Schneider. The New Democratic
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Obama, The Liberal Redneck, And The Trumpanzees
In one of my last posts I thanked Barack Obama for being the best U.S. president I have ever known.And listed some of his remarkable achievements.But somehow I forgot to mention one of his most outstanding qualities.His unique ability to drive Donald Trump and his Trumpanzees absolutely wild.Read more »
Continue readingIn This Corner: The Return of Stuff Happens, week 1: The taxman cometh
Here in the Glorious People’s Republic of Alberta, we have begun the process of saving the Earth, 4.5 cents a litre at a time. The NDP government introduced its Climate Change Plan Jan. 1 , slapping taxes on the stuff that we use to drive our vehicles and heat our
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – James Wilt writes that the PR campaign pushing pipelines is based largely on the false claim that the only other choice is to allow even more dangerous means of facilitating the burning of fossil fuels. And David Suzuki argues that the cost
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Why Trump Will Not Be Able to Erase Obama’s Legacy
From the moment Barack Obama became president Donald Trump tried to delegitimize and humiliate him.Claiming he wasn't an American citizen, and had faked his birth certificate, and doing all he could to degrade his country's first black president.And in thirteen days, on his first day in office, Trump is vowing to repeal every
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The adults are leaving the White House.
We were never as concerned with George W. Bush as President of the United States. Everyone seemed to understand that ‘W’ is as dumb as a Texas hitching post, but we were probably wrong to assume there were some checks and balances on him. People thought they had more reason
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Podcast recommendations to start off 2017
Back in October 2015, I shared a list of podcasts that were on my regular listening feed. Each year I purposely look for new podcasts to listen to. This means removing some of my older regular listens and keeping some… Continue Reading →
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Jared Bernstein highlights how a generation of public policy has systematically transferred risk from the wealthy who claim to bear it, to the general public which can’t afford to do so: Back in the late 2000s, two authors — the economics journalist Peter
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your Monday reading. – Paul Krugman offers a warning about Donald Trump’s immediate moves to normalize corruption and cronyism as the foundation of his administration. And the New York Times’ editorial board points out that corporations are enabling Trump’s false claims with the expectation that they’ll be
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: The 2017 List
Last year Ms Soapbox made a list of New Year’s resolutions for Rachel Notley. Happily, Ms Notley delivered on the list, with the exception of resolution #4 (Ms Soapbox failed to anticipate the arrival of Jason Kenney on the political scene). Rather than rewrite the whole thing Mr Soapbox decided
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that to start your 2017. – Ideas examines how the assumptions underlying far too much economic theory have produced disastrous real-world results. And Harold Meyerson writes that research is proving that skeptics of corporate-driven free trade have been right all along. – Gary Younge writes that the rise
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The Roman God Janus is smiling.
Looking both back and forward is a trick of a God such as Janus. Humans find it easiest to look ahead as we enter a new year. We have already written off the year behind us as a bad dream. And we have much excitement to look forward to in
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Happy New Year! AlbertaPolitics.ca’s Top Ten political predictions for 2017
PHOTOS: Your blogger, in hat, contemplates the difference between the renamed Conservative Party of Alberta and the renamed Conservative Party of Alberta. That’s not a typo. See Prediction No. 9 below for an explanation. Actual Alberta political commentators may not appear exactly as illustrated in this screenshot. Below (with predictions):
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Day Trump’s Bromance With Putin Overheated
You might think Donald Trump would want to keep his passionate bromance with Vladimir Putin under wraps, or at least under control.Especially after the Obama administration just punished his friend for allegedly trying to help Trump win the election.But yesterday when Putin refused to retaliate.In a head-spinning turn of events
Continue readingAlberta Politics: A Happy New Year to all – seriously, to all of you – as AlbertaPolitics.ca begins its 10th year of publication
PHOTOS: Some of the high points … This one was taken about the time I broke the story that Danielle Smith would be running for the leadership of the “upstart” Wildrose Party. Below: chats, and photos, with Ed Stelmach, Alison Redford, Jim Prentice and Rachel Notley. Dear Readers, On this
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Deep irony in the deep state: Some thoughts about those post-Christmas American ‘spy’ expulsions
PHOTOS: A couple of Russian “intelligence operatives” pensively contemplate the news they’re about to be kicked out of the United States for acting like journalists. Actual GRU deep cover agents may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Russian President Vladimir Putin disguised as well-known journalist Clark Kent; U.S. President-elect Donald
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