by Sebastian Rotella | ProPublica In May 1985, a Guatemalan Army lieutenant named Jorge Vinicio Sosa Orantes deserted, flew to San Francisco and requested political asylum, asserting that leftist guerrillas in his war-torn homeland were gunning for him. The 27-year-old officer described his combat exploits in his application for asylum. He said he
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Canadian ProgressiveCanadian Progressive: Canadians to Conservative MP Kelly Block: We Disagree With Racism
by Obert Madondo (@Obiemad) In Canada we hardly confront racism by political figures. As a consequence, Prime Minister Stephen Harper‘s government and Conservative MPs are having a field day practicing racism and creating resentment towards minority groups dominated by persons of color. Earlier this year, Harper’s immigrant-bashing minister of Immigration and Multiculturalism, Jason
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Annie Lowrey reports on the evidence showing that the perpetually-increasing inequality pitched by the right as an economic plan actually serves to damage economic development: The yawning gap between the haves and the have-nots — and the political questions that gap has
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Crawford Kilian talks to Ed Broadbent about the effect of increasing inequality and the prospect of changing course: On how quickly things could turn around: “I’d like to see a strategic plan. We can’t change overnight after 20 years. We could take
Continue readingEclectic Lip: Muslims in America and other hidden ethnic histories
Yves at Naked Capitalism cross-posted a wonderful Alternet piece by Lynn Parramore, eviscerating the idea that Islam is new or alien to America. In truth, the Muslim faith has had a long (if lightly-populated) history in the United States. Islam arrived in America so early, the Puritans hadn’t even burnt
Continue readingArt Threat: Hacking the border to pieces: technology, poetics, and protest at the speed of dreams – An encounter with Ricardo Dominguez
Ricardo Dominguez (center), with Electronic Disturbance Theater 2.0. (Photo by Kinsee Morlan.) It’s a staging that feels, if not inappropriate, then at least a little unconventional: I’m seated in front of my laptop in the living room of my East Vancouver home, trying (and mostly failing) to ward off the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On contrasting treatment
BigCityLib comments on the Cons’ hasty backtracking over Helen MacMurchy. But I find it particularly interesting to note the contrast between their treatment of MacMurchy and their handling of John A. MacDonald. Remember that MacDonald’s fervent commitment to an “Aryan Canada” and racial purity was publicly noted just as the
Continue readingCanadian ProgressiveCanadian Progressive: Justin Trudeau: Full Text Of Montreal Leadership Address
In Montreal Tuesday, Papineau MP Justin Trudeau announced his bid to lead the Liberal Party of Canada. Here’s the full text of his address: “Make no small dreams, they have not the power to move the soul” – Goethe Now that’ll take courage, but more than that, it’ll take hard,
Continue readingCanadian ProgressiveCanadian Progressive: Justin Trudeau Announces Liberal Party Leadership Bid
After months of speculation, it’s official! Justin Trudeau is running for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada. And he’s already dreaming big: he wants to replace Stephen Harper as Canada’s next prime minister. Announcing his leadership bid in Montreal Tuesday, the Papineau MP delivered a speech unequivocally pointing in that direction. The
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On likely stories
Yes, last week’s attempt to call anti-immigrant bigots to testify before the Standing Committee on Immigration turned into a debacle for the Cons (thanks in no small part to a quick opposition response). But there’s reason to doubt any claim that it was merely an innocent mistake. After all, one
Continue readingCanadian ProgressiveCanadian Progressive: Canada’s White Supremacist Views Barred From Parliamentary Committee
Meet Madi Lussier, one of the two witnesses from the Canadian Immigration Report or CIReport.ca, barred from speaking before the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration earlier this week. Lussier and her fellow witness were invited to speak before the committee. Then they traveled all the way from Toronto to Ottawa to make the
Continue readingFive of Five: Karaoke Nationalism
Lips Karaoke Calgary, on 10th St SW made the news by putting up a sign which translates as: “Diaoyu Island belongs to China. Japanese are not welcome.” I’ve been there a couple of times. What they probably don’t realize is that the average Calgarian won’t want to go there if
Continue readingFive of Five: Karaoke Nationalism
Lips Karaoke Calgary, on 10th St SW made the news by putting up a sign which translates as:
"Diaoyu Island belongs to China. Japanese are not welcome."
I’ve been there a couple of times. What they probably don’t realize is that the average Calgarian won’t want to go there if they are displaying this kind of hostility to their fellow Canadians. It’s really a bad business move.
The thing
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your Monday reading. – The Economist adds a noteworthy voice to the chorus calling for greater tax enforcement to ensure the corporate elite pays its fair share: Characterising this steady financing as short-term lending is “the ultimate example of form over substance” and undermines a fundamental tenet
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Ish Theilheimer highlights why the corporate right is so eager to snuff out organized labour – and why progressives need to fight back: Since the 1980s under Reagan, US Republicans have worked to “de-fund the Left,” going after advocacy groups, university student
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Pat Atkinson discusses the importance of unions in ensuring a fair deal for all workers: It’s because of unions and their tenacious advocacy on behalf of their members that workers not only in this province but also in other jurisdictions enjoy legislated workplace
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Move along, nothing to see here
And certainly no reason for worry about this afterthought as the Cons decide which immigrants they’d like to throw out of Canada on their respective ears (or prevent from arriving): And there are another 2,500 people who, for various reasons, have prompted the concern of the government. Mr. Kenney said
Continue readingImpolitical: Jason Kenney’s week
From a Toronto Star editorial on refugee health care cuts on Wednesday: Daniel Garcia Rodriguez has experienced some of the best, and worst, that Canada can offer. The best includes St. Michael’s Hospital eye surgeon Dr. David Wong, who saved this Columbian refugee claimant’s vision in an operation largely funded
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: The Right Response to “No Job Is A Bad Job”
Last May federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said there was no such thing as a bad job. The Law Commission of Ontario may disagree. This week it put out a report about the rise in vulnerable workers and precarious jobs. Now that he’s heard from executives who think Canadians are
Continue readingTattered Sleeve: The Cross is Boss: Marois 1, Frontwoodsers 0
As a proud fifth-generation anglo Québecker de souche, properly baptised by the Plymouth Trinity United Church of Sherbrooke, I must take a moment here to salute Parti-Québecois leader Pauline Marois for her bold statement pledging to keep my belle province the rightful Backwoods capital of North America. Because here in
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