A note to those on the right: Universal public health care is considered a basic human right in Canada, the UK, Europe, and every civilized country. It aslo happens to cost less than the private profit-driven US system – a lot less. So let’s not be too dogmatic. The
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wmtc: what i’m reading: the body keeps the score by bessel van der kolk
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma is a famous among trauma survivors and the professionals who treat them. I can say without hyperbole or exaggeration that it’s one of the most fascinating and meaningful books I’ve ever read. The Body Keeps the
Continue readingwmtc: 10 things on my mind about covid-19
1. Wealthy urbanites are fleeing to their second homes — buying out grocery stores, expecting personal shoppers and home delivery, swelling vacation towns’ size to summer proportions. This is the epitome of the egocentric, classist arrogance that often pervades the United States. 2. In India, a planned lockdown of more
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Afternoon Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Brendan Kennedy reports on the massive job losses being caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Andrew Jackson offers his suggestions to provide immediate help to workers facing that urgent crisis today, while also laying the groundwork for a transition to a clean economy once
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Afternoon Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Frances Woolley points out how the coronavirus pandemic is exposing the effects of decades of austerity on Canada’s health care system. Martin Regg Cohn discusses how the spread of the coronavirus is requiring us to seriously rethink how much of our society
Continue readingwmtc: coronavirus exposes, part 2: there is a bright side, and it’s socialism in action
A reader pointed out that my previous post is very negative, and doesn’t mention any of the very positive responses to the pandemic that are being rolled out. So: A prohibition on evictions. Water and electricity not being cut off for nonpayment. Student loan forgiveness. A relaxation of rules for
Continue readingwmtc: coronavirus exposes the darkest sides of unchecked capitalism and the gaping holes in our society
We’re all struggling to take in the magnitude of coping with a global pandemic. Personally I’ve had to cancel a long-awaited vacation to vist family, and with libraries closed, I may soon be applying for EI. The shelves at our local supermarket are empty; we’re hoping folks who did the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Emmanuez Saez and Gabriel Zucman call for (PDF) governments to act as buyers of last resort to minimize the economic fallout from the coronavirus. Andrew Jackson offers his take on the appropriate public policy response to ensure that workers’ incomes aren’t decimated at
Continue readingwmtc: in which covid-19 accomplishes what revolution, unexplained plane crashes, and terrorism could not
I’ve never cancelled a trip because of external circumstances. Until now. In 1994 we were heading to Mexico — to travel through the country, not to stay in a resort — when revolution broke out in the state of Chiapas. We went anyway. In 2001 we were booked on a
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Amy Goodman and Denis Moynihan write about the U.S.’ choice between health care for all, or the spread of disease as people can’t afford to seek medical treatment. – David Dayen highlights how the coronavirus is likely to expose the weaknesses of
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: the 2020-21 Alberta budget
I’ve written a ‘top 10’ overview of the 2020-21 Alberta budget, tabled on February 27. The link to the overview is here.
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Coronavirus discovered in Alberta just as politics trumps science in supervised drug clinic report
COVID-19 has arrived in Alberta. But first, we need to talk about how the United Conservative Party Government has found a nearly perfect formula for dealing with science when it reaches inconvenient conclusions running counter either to the ruling party’s ideology or its political calculations. Jason Luan, junior minister of
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Cost savings associated with Housing First
I’ve written a summary of a recent study I co-authored on savings to the health and justice sectors associated with Housing First (i.e., the immediate provision of subsidized housing, along with social work support, to persons experiencing long-term homelessness). The study, based on a large sample size from Calgary, finds
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Anand Giridharadas writes that with Bernie Sanders in position to win the Democratic nomination for president, the U.S.’ election will answer the question of whether the country belongs to billionaires or to everybody else. – Emily Bazelon discusses how the Trump administration’s choice
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Eric Holthaus calls out any attempt by the uber-wealthy to paper over their profits from climate destruction with “philanthropic” donations. And David Wallace-Wells notes that while a response to our climate crisis is possible using the resources of society as a whole,
Continue readingAlberta Politics: UCP launches blitzkrieg on physicians as health care in Alberta returns to its normal state of chaos
If you’ve been operating under the misapprehension the United Conservative Party is just the latest version of the Progressive Conservative Party that ran Alberta from 1971 to 2015, yesterday’s blitzkrieg attack on the province’s 11,000 physicians should disabuse you of that notion. No, this crowd is unique in the history
Continue readingwmtc: help nominate tommy douglas as the face of the next $5 bill
There’s a movement to put the face of Tommy Douglas on the next Canadian $5 bill. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? And wouldn’t it be a kick in the pants to those who seek to privatize our health care system? Go here to nominate Tommy Douglas.
Continue readingwmtc: help nominate tommy douglas as the face of the next $5 bill
There’s a movement to put the face of Tommy Douglas on the next Canadian $5 bill. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? And wouldn’t it be a kick in the pants to those who seek to privatize our health care system? Go here to nominate Tommy Douglas.
Continue readingwmtc: help nominate tommy douglas as the face of the next $5 bill
There’s a movement to put the face of Tommy Douglas on the next Canadian $5 bill. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? And wouldn’t it be a kick in the pants to those who seek to privatize our health care system? Go here to nominate Tommy Douglas.
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