On May 27th, Europe awakened to what seemed to be like a new stage in the resurgence of the populist right and reactionary forces, and a major retreat for the radical left in the elections to the European parliament. In Italy, the growing political hegemony of Matteo Salvini’s project was
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Canadian Dimension: The ‘Russia connection’ that unites the European right
Photo by Book Catalog It’s not the rejection of immigration, the defense of a notion of national identity or the impulse to say no to the dictates from Brussels. If there’s something Europe’s new right-wing parties have in common, it’s not their slogans or electoral programs, but rather their geopolitical
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: NATO: 70 Years Too Many
Photo by U.S. Department of Defense As we head for NATO’s 70th birthday, it’s time to assess the nuclear-armed military alliance that came into being to ensure western military superiority during the Cold War. Most strikingly, during its first 40 years of existence – namely the Cold War, NATO embarked
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: Right Now, It’s a Spectator Sport. Before Long It Could Become a Blood Sport.
Trump has people in Canada, Mexico, Japan and Europe a bit worried about how we’ll fare in a trade war with the United States. We’re told we could be heading toward a recession, a drop in GDP of perhaps 2 per cent. Trump’s abuse of America’s traditional allies is small
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Cherise Seucharan interviews Andrew MacLeod about his new book on the health benefits of investing in income, housing and education. And Kyle Edwards discusses the unconscionable number of Indigenous children being put in foster care. – Ben Smee reports on the UK’s parliamentary
Continue readingThings Are Good: GDPR Might Make the Internet Better by Eliminating Shady Businesses
Now that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is in effect companies are reacting. You may have noticed new messages on websites outlining that they are collecting information on you, or maybe you’ve received emails updating you on new privacy policies. Those notices are a result of the GDPR’s rules
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Mass Hysteria Grips the United Nations Security Council
Cartoon from Public Domain The deadly recurrence of Russophobia bears comparison to the psychosis of the Salem witch trials, several centuries ago, and with the pathology of McCarthyism in the USA in the 1950’s. In 1692 the Massachusetts Bay Colony executed fourteen women, five men, and two dogs for witchcraft.
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: The anti-Semitism offensive orchestrated against Jeremy Corbyn
Britain’s opposition leader should have plenty on his plate at the moment, but Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is spending much of his time instead putting out fires as he is attacked from within and without his party for failing to get to grips with a supposed “anti-semitism crisis” besetting Labour.
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Neither Washington nor Moscow: 5 reasons progressives must be wary of playing Putin’s game
Imagine a far-right government came to power in the UK and immediately set upon arresting or killing anyone that opposed it. The UK immediately moves to bolster its ideological friends across the continent, ordering City banks to grant financing to people like the French far-right leader Marine Le Pen. As
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: The Very Best Day
Photo by the Kremlin On March 3rd, 2018, the main pre-election rally for Vladimir Putin took place at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. Tens of thousands of public sector workers were brought in from various regions of the country and were expected to listen to the President’s speech as well
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Putin, Skripal and the powerful ideological force of Russophobia
Illustration by Abode of Chaos The attempted murder of Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury, England – a story befitting the top shelf of espionage literature – has provoked both furious condemnation, and very carefully worded propaganda, from every corner of the international community. The British government,
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: No evidence Vladimir Putin was behind U.K. assassination
Photo by the Kremlin The careful use of the words “likely” and “plausible” by world leaders reflects the fact that, to date, there is no hard evidence on who was behind the attack. Did Vladimir Putin order the nerve agent attack in Britain that seriously injured three? Perhaps he did.
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Inequality-redistribution in Canada update
Two years ago I posted my first guest blog focused on income inequality, specifically how changes in Canada’s redistribution over the last three decades have increased after-tax income inequality, and how these changes compared to OECD trends. The figures and analysis in this post update the earlier blog, based on
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: I’ve Got an Idea to Rescue Justin From His Slump
Unfair or not, Justin Trudeau has taken a hit in the public’s mind over his pretty clumsy trip to India. With JT et famille sporting an elaborate wardrobe of Bollywood’s best fashions, the Indian press took the piss out of him pretty relentlessly. The local scribblers piled on. Now Trudeau’s
Continue readingThings Are Good: To Decrease Emissions Germany to Offer Free Public Transit
Germans have reputation of loving to drive so it might seem a little shocking to see the nation explore free public transit. The push for free travel comes from the need to reduce the country’s emissions – and soon. EU countries that don’t meet emissions targets in the next few
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Understanding Russia, Un-Demonizing Putin
Photo by the Kremlin Russian President Vladimir Putin obviously has his faults and has made his share of mistakes. Yet, my experiences with him, as well as what I have heard over the years from people I trust –– including U.S. officials who have with him worked closely –– indicate
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Jeremy Corbyn is about to transform the Labour party – again
Photo by Garry Knight Not many people will have noticed the news, reported on Monday morning just as Theresa May’s ill-fated reshuffle began, that Jeremy Corbyn has set up a “community campaign unit”, a small but growing department in his office that will focus on organising with communities and groups
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Communiqué on the Situation in Catalonia
Photo by Jordi Thijsman Following the Catalan Parliament’s declaration of independence on October 27, Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias tweeted: “We are against repression and for a negotiated referendum [which the Madrid government refused to Catalonia] but the declaration of independence is illegitimate and favours the strategy of the PP [People’s
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: Catalonia’s Paradox
Photo by Adam Jones October 1 has passed, closing a period of the shared history between Catalonia and the Spanish state and beginning an uncertain future. It was a day when all the tension building over the five-year independence process came to a head. The numbers speak volumes. 2,262,424 votes
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Stephen Clarkson: An Introduction to a special blog series
Stephen Clarkson: Political Economist with a Global Vision (1937 – 2016) Marjorie Griffin Cohen and Daniel Drache Stephen Clarkson died early in 2016 in Freiburg, Germany and Canada lost someone very special. Stephen was a Professor in Political Science at the University of Toronto and engaged in teaching, research and
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