Towards the end of last week, news emerged that the Harper Government was taking the position that thousands of same sex marriages in Canada may have never taken place because the institution was not valid in the home countries of the couples who took out marriage licenses here. Therefore, a
Continue readingTag: ethics
Northern Insights / Perceptivity: "Ethical Oil" – an argument that make no sense
The Devil in the Tar Sands, Jody Williams and Desmond Tutu, Project Syndicate, 2011 CAPE TOWN – …”Oil from the tar sands of Alberta is the dirtiest in the world, and its extraction is already causing problems… “Opposition to the [Keystone XL] pipeline throughout the US is growing in intensity…
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Perry doesn’t know how to shut his big mouth
Less than a week to go before the Iowa caucuses. And Gov. Rick Perry (R-TX) has chosen to fan the flames. First, by associating with the most unscrupulous of televangelists (which I wrote about a few months back). Now he has come out (pardon the expression) against an
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: Never in Canada, right?
Abramoff Regrets Paying Writers For “Placed” Columns, by Joe Strupp, Media Matters, Dec. 8, 2011 “…During a recent interview with Media Matters while promoting his new book, Capitol Punishment: The Hard Truth About Washington Corruption From America’s Most Notorious Lobbyist (WND Books 2011), Abramoff said in the past he would find
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: Few shadows cast in North America
A Moral Giant among Pygmies, By Erich Follath, Spiegel Online International “Since last Sunday, the world has been mourning the death of Vaclav Havel. The Czech leader led a rollercoaster life that saw him go from prison cells to palaces, from poetry to politics. In this personal remembrance from a
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: Help for the CBC on conflicts of interest
Regular readers will be aware that I filed a complaint with CBC Ombudsman Kirk Lapointe over the conflict involving Legislative Bureau Chief Stephen Smart, husband of Rebecca Scott who holds the position of Communications Officer and Deputy Press Secretary for Premier Clark, a relatively senior OIC political appointment. Lapointe referred
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Bradley Manning – A lesson in Ethics
Ethics are what make people stand against tyranny. Saying “no” to the crowd is one of the most difficult challenges we face as social animals. Bradley Manning had the courage to make an ethical stand, we all possess similar characteristics, we just choose to dismiss these ethical impulses. When
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree (Justin edition)
I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. And it did yesterday when Justin Trudeau, son of Pierre, called Environment Minister Peter Kent “you piece of shit.” At least Justin apologized. Of course there was no excuse for it — but entirely understandable given that Kent was giving
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Kyoto backlash
It’s been over a week since my last post. Too much has been going on but I did want to talk about Peter Kent announcing Canada is pulling out of the Kyoto Protocol, or rather forcing the world to pull out of Canada so we don’t get fucked with $14
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: A reader’s comment CBC wouldn’t publish
CBC is claiming credit for breaking a story that appeared here three days before they first touched the issue, without even a hint of acknowledgement of Northern Insights. I left a comment suggesting a source credit but the CBC moderator refused to post the comment. CBC first reported about Art
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: What will you tell us next?
More sleaze reports: Is the SEC Covering Up Wall Street Crimes? Federal Judge Pimp-Slaps the SEC Over Citigroup Settlement Congressional perks: Lawmakers’ most surprising benefits Super-PACs and Dark Money: ProPublica’s Guide to the New World of Campaign Finance More Money Can Beat Big Money
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: Net-zero mandate, not for all
Net-zero is OK for teachers, regular healthcare providers and the remaining public sector workers but not for important friends who do favours for Premier Photo Op. For example, and this is but one of course, check out Howard Waldner’s tough road. This guy decided that after the position of in-house
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: A reply to my tar sands entries
In response to some of my recent posts about the tar sands, I got an e-mail the other day in reply that was quite compelling enough that I asked the writer if I could use it here. He agreed provided I not use his last name. I am okay with
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: How will DSK beat off this one? … pardon the expression
No sooner did Dominique Strauss Kahn manage to stave off sexual assault charges in Manhattan than he now faces allegations he has ties to … a call girl. In northern France. For €500 to 1500 — a night. (The French newspaper L’Express has much much more in their article published
Continue readingNorthern Insights / Perceptivity: Where the morally obtuse can hide
H/T to CathiefromCanada, a great read: The Brutal Truth About Penn State, Charles P. Pierce, Grantland, November 14, 2011
“There is always something a little nauseating in large spectacles of conspicuous public piety, but watching everyone on the fi…
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: Qualia Soup – Of Objectivity and Oughtness
Do you still think there are absolute morals? QS may persuade you otherwise as he tackles the arguments for god based on the existence of morality. As a side benefit he also does a wonderful job of explaining the is/ought problem. Grab a coffee as this vid weights in at 17 minutes, but I assure […]
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