Star readers weigh in with their usual perspicacity as they reflect on the message of Michael Harris’ new book, Party of One: Stephen Harper and Canada’s Radical Makeover, discussed previously in this blog: Is there a despot in the House? Insight Oct. 19 As journalist Michael Harris’ book points out,
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Politics and its Discontents: On Encouraging Political Participation
The other day I wrote a post on John Cruickshank’s TED Talk about the low level of political participation among young citizens. His thesis was that as a society, we are losing our news-reading and news-watching habits thanks to the myriad options offered by our current technologies. Asserting that news
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Some Critical Thinking About The War Against ISIS
Contrary to what governments want their citizens to do, that is precisely what the following Star letter-writers are engaging in as they ask the right questions and point out what should be obvious about the war on ISIS terrorism: Chantal Hébert overlooked the sanest voice in Parliament when she analyzed
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Harper Regime: 90 Pound Weaklings When It Comes To Heavy Lifting
As I indicated in yesterday’s post, the Harper Conservatives seem very selective in ‘standing up for the vulnerable’; they just don’t seem to have what it takes to do the real heavy lifting that is required in our troubled world, preferring instead to utter bellicose rhetoric and put our young
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: About That Fifth Columnist In Ottawa….
Star readers have much to say: Harper downplays concerns about trade deal, Sept. 27 It’s a dangerous world but Big Oil, multinationals, banks, the wealthy and his party’s masters can rest easy in the knowledge that Secret Agent Stephen Harper has their collective backs. He knows how to keep a
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: About That War Thing
I am dismayed over the general collective amnesia that has once more taken hold of political leaders and the public over the latest so-called world threat. In the solution being embraced, few seem to remember the abject failure of past incursions in the Middle East, incursions that only gravely exacerbated
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: This Is Not The Time For Absolutism
In the absolutist world of Stephen Harper, there are those who wear white hats and those who wear black. No berets (especially berets!) of middling colours are recognized. So when he declares that Canada will not stand on the sidelines on this possibly endless battle against ISIS, King Stephen is
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Star Readers Respond To Health Canada’s Fecklessness
While “Let them swallow tainted pharmaceuticals” seems to be the motto of both Health Minister Rona Ambrose and Health Canada, always-vigilant Star readers take issue with such deference to the corporate agenda. Here is just a small sampling of their reactions: Good thing we have the FDA and the Star
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Star Readers And Mandatory Voting
In response to a recent column by Susan Delacourt discussing mandatory voting, Star readers weigh in with their usual perspicacious observations, the majority in favour of a less radical solution to the problem of low voter turnout. Here is a small sampling of the responses: Re: It’s time for mandatory
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: A Prime Minister Hath No Honour In His Own Country
That paraphrase of a famous line from the Bible perhaps sums up the pitiable plight of Stephen Harper, gallant man of the world and fearless foe of evil on the world stage. Despite his indefatigable efforts to denounce the Teutonic tendencies of Vladimir Putin in the Ukraine or stand unreservedly
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: A New Season Beckons, But Nothing Changes
Many people think of September as the real beginning of the new year: kids go off to school, summer transitions to fall, fall fashions appear in the stores, and new careers are embarked upon. Sadly, our political culture seems resistant to change. True, this year there are municipal elections pending
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Well-Said
Those Star letter-writers nail it yet again: Under Ottawa’s microscope, Insight Aug. 23 If it is not OK for charities to use the money sent to them for the intended purpose of trying to change government policies that threaten the well-being of Canadians and the future of the world, why
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Pros and Cons
Following up on Rona Ambrose’s stout denial that the government’s planned anti-marijuana campaign has anything to do with trying to undermine Justin Trudeau, along with Canadian doctors refusing to be part of a campaign that has become, as they describe it, political messaging, here are the perspectives of two National
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: About Those Taxes…
Responding to the latest propaganda piece about taxation levels from The Fraser Institute, Star readers weigh in with their own perspectives, one of which includes taking the paper to task for publishing news of the report with no critical comment: Re: Families pay more for taxes than basics, Aug. 13
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Part 2- "They Didn’t Get Back To Me"
Yesterday I wrote about the plight of Salma Abuelaish, the eight-year-old girl whose family moved to Canada from Gaza and became Canadian citizens five years ago. Having accompanied her father, a physician, back to Gaza this summer so he could render medical assistance and she could visit with her cousins
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Harper’s Reign Of Terror: Star Readers Respond
Stephen Harper’s attack on those charities that refuse to hew to the regime’s dogma and ideology is becoming increasingly recognized for what it is: the wanton, immoral, unethical and likely illegal actions of a martinet who will brook no opposing views. Lacking even a modicum of subtlety, his purpose is
Continue readingSong of the Watermelon: Globe and Mail Letter
Please, dear readers, take a gander at today’s Globe and Mail for a letter I wrote urging the establishment of recall at the municipal level of government. For the record, I also favour such a mechanism at the provincial and federal levels, but in this particular case, I was responding
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: On Harper’s Reign of Terror
Last week, Owen wrote a post he entitled Corrupting Civil Society, a reflection on the Harper war on non-profits that stand in opposition to any of his regime’s agenda. I recommend reading it for a good overview of the situation. In yesterday’s Star, three letters articulated three excellent perspectives on
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Holding Our ‘Leaders’ To Account
It is almost impossible, I think, to feel anything but a dark impotence when it comes to world events today. Wherever we look, be it the Ukraine, Africa, the Middle East or our own backyards, death, despoliation and injustice prevail. At times, it seems assuming the fetal position is the
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Oh, And One More Thing
It seems I, Martin Regg Cohn and Cheri DiNovo aren’t the only ones to take issue with Andrea horwath’s leadership these days: Re:Horwath admits ‘bittersweet’ election result, July 9 I wonder what Robin Sears has to say about Cheri DiNovo. The day Andrea Horwath walked away from the Liberal budget
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