Others have duly criticized the Star’s editorial on electoral reform. But I’ll argue that it can be brought in line with reasonable expectations with one important change.Simply put, it’s not a problem to insist upon “broad consensus” on a new electora…
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Accidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week.- John O’Farrell argues that a basic income provides a needed starting point for innovation and entrepreneurship by people who don’t enjoy the advantage of inherited wealth:But in fact it is the current situation that …
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On common values
There’s reason to be wary about the Libs’ handling of the Senate, as Thomas Walkom writes in his latest column. But it’s also worth noting that contrary to Walkom’s conflation of the two, there are important differences between selecting prospective Se…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading.- Justin Fox explores why it took the economic field in general (with some noteworthy exceptions) decades to start dealing with burgeoning inequality. And Bryce Covert discusses the latest study showing that in l…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.- Mariana Mazzucato comments on the need for the public sector to play a significant and direct role in sustainable economic development:The debate about the relative roles of the state and the market in…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your Sunday reading.- Ian Welsh summarizes why inequality is intrinsically problematic:Even where people’s needs are met, the more unequal a society the more unhealthy everyone is and the more unhappy they are.Those who feel lowe…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading.- Paul Krugman discusses the connection between concentrated wealth and extreme anti-social political behaviour:Wealth can be bad for your soul. That’s not just a hoary piece of folk wisdom; it’s a conclusi…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Afternoon Links
Assorted content to start your new year.- Paul Krugman points out that as tends to be the case, the U.S.’ modest increase in high-end tax rates in 2013 managed to produce both more fair taxation and strong economic growth.- But Michael Hudson notes tha…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading.- Matthew Yglesias writes that The Big Short and other stories focused on the financial aspects of the 2008 economic meltdown miss by far the most important part of the picture in the real economic destruction wro…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Afternoon Links
Miscellaneous material for your Monday reading.- Jordon Cooper offers his take on the many social issues we should be addressing alongside our work to welcome Syrian refugees:All levels of government have passed resolutions to end child poverty in Can…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On failed diversions
Not surprisingly given my previous comments on the Libs’ electoral reform promise, it’s a plus that they’re sticking with it rather than giving in to any demand for a referendum. And hopefully the temporary diversion raised by the Cons will lead the pa…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week.- John Quiggin examines – and refutes – a few key complaints about fairer taxes on the wealthy. But Kathryn May reports that the Cons are eager to use public resources to investigate and punish public servants …
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading.- Alan Freeman notes that the Libs’ aversion to raising public revenue may lock in some of the Cons’ most damaging actions:With the new Liberal government facing fierce economic headwinds — plus a billion-dollar…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading.- Charlie Cooper reports on the UK’s increasing wealth inequality, with the richest 10% now owning half of all wealth. And Facundo Alvaredo, Anthony Atkinson and Salvatore Morelli highlight (PDF) how even the b…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, expanding on these posts as to what might come next as Canada’s political parties map out their strategies on electoral reform.For further reading…- Chantal Hebert wonders whether Justin Trudeau will face internal pressure to renege on his prom…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.- Karl Nerenberg weighs in on the Libs’ choice to direct billions of dollars toward higher-income individuals, rather than working to help Canadians who need it:The Liberals are now in power, and have ju…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On blockages
Yes, Bill Tieleman, you’ve left no doubt that people who are opposed to electoral reform generally are also in favour of a needless and convoluted referendum process to try to block it.But for the many of us who don’t see “no change” as the desired end…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading.- Lana Payne discusses Jordan Brennan’s research showing that corporate tax cuts have done nothing to help economic growth (but all too much to exacerbate inequality). And Andrew Jackson sets out the main fisca…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading.- Dani Rodrik discusses the evolution of work, and notes that future development and sharing of wealth may need to follow a different model than the one that’s applied in the past:(T)he post-industrial economy o…
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On managing the system
Following up on this post, there doesn’t seem to be much prospect of the Cons making any effort to pursue proportional representation as an alternative to a ranked ballot if Tasha Kheiriddin’s latest reflects their’ thinking. But I’ll point out that th…
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