If we can have a ‘do not call’ list, why can we not have a do-not-mail list? It does no good to put a ‘no-junk mail’ admonition on your mailbox but even if Canada Post is not very automated, surely it can handle a ‘Do not mail’ list. All we
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Babel-on-the-Bay: Conservatives inciting to hatred.
Those Harper Conservatives really know how to turn up the rhetoric! First of all some dimwit thought it would be appropriate to have a rally in support of Israel on the lawn at Queen’s Park. The participants would have been smarter to stay in their comfortable rocket-free homes in Toronto
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The real Tragedy in the Commons are the MPs.
By the time you finish reading Alison Loat’s book for the Samara Institute Tragedy in the Commons you are in a state of despair. You wonder why collectively these former Members of Parliament who were interviewed for the book ever ran for office. Eager or reluctant, they chose their own
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Are these Luddites stupid or ignorant?
‘Stupid’ is a derogatory term for a person who appears slow-witted and might not be able to grasp simple concepts. ‘Ignorant’ refers to a person who just seems uninformed. ‘Luddites’ are people who, during the industrial revolution in England, sought to destroy the machines that they perceived as threatening their
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The ambition of Ontario Lottery and Gaming.
In July 2010 the Ontario government gave Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) new direction. It pointed to a new future. It was a future where OLG would be more market-driven and responsive to consumers. It was to involve the private sector and advanced technologies in its growth. And a new
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Conservatives are covering their causes.
There must be an election due in the next year. Why else would the Harper government minions be running around in the heat of the summer pandering to Conservative interest groups? Take the inappropriately labelled Public “Safety” Minister Steven Blaney, for example. He showed up at a Northern Ontario gun
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The Bully Pulpit of the Paul’s.
This is not the Apostle Saint Paul under discussion here. Libertarian extremists Ron Paul and his son Randal Paul are something else. The senior Paul is still the cantankerous fanatic who took his pre-Tea Party Libertarian followers to seek the American Presidency in 1988 and tried in both 2008 and
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Political parties never die. They merge.
Some of our kindly readers have send notes asking what happened to Babel-on-the-Bay’s forecast in May of the immanent demise of the Ontario New Democrats. Yes, there were some brazen forecasts of such departure and logically we could show you where we were right and where we might have been
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Yes, charities can harangue governments.
There is nothing new about charity chill. No party in power wants to be harangued about what they are doing wrong. Mind you the Conservative government has definitely gone overboard in forcing Canada Revenue Agency to conduct expensive audits of charitable organizations that annoy the government. Over thirty years ago,
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Are bloggers lower than politicians?
There is an interesting facial reaction when you tell people you write a blog. Maybe the thing around the eyes is pity, at first. They then ask what you blog about. When you say politics, the nose definitely tilts up a bit and the forehead crinkles into a frown. They
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: And you think this is voter apathy?
There has been a flurry of concern lately about what people see as voter apathy. And when voter turnout in federal and provincial elections heads toward the 50 per cent levels, we should be worried. What is wrong is not that the first-past-the-post voting is wrong or that attack advertising
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Finding the facts on prostitution.
Taking a poll on prostitution is probably the least helpful exercise by the government in assisting themselves and others to understand the issues. Top of mind response to polls can trivialize the topic. And that is what you get to telephone surveys. It is also why you get very different
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: There are liars and damn liars.
The Woodrow Wilson Institute based at the Smithsonian in Washington is an honoured institution recognizing the only American President to have earned a PhD. It seems a shame that its name is being besmirched by the cant of the tar sands exploiters and the sham of Prime Minister Harper’s energy
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Bells toll for the Common Sense Revolution.
One of the most frightening think pieces during the recent provincial election was the piece by Bob Hepburn of the Toronto Star entitled Last gasp for Harris-era dream platform? It ran on the day when voters were going to the polls on June 12. It was a fitting time for
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: The best attack is self inflicted.
The Conservatives have been wasting a great deal of money on their attack advertising against the Liberal’s Justin Trudeau. What is missing in their strategy is that kernel of truth that is needed to make the attacks plausible. Being young is hardly a negative. Nor is brashness a bad trait.
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Reprising Sousa’s budget triumph.
Hey it won an election for the Liberals did it not? It shows how rarely we hear a good budget read in this country. It also shows how ignorant those people are who go on and on about the deficit. Finance Minister Charles Sousa’s Ontario budget of May 1 and
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Prohibiting political parties!
People should be careful of what they wish. Now they want to abolish political parties. They make very serious complaints about them. Some of the complaints are quite valid. Some are just smoke. The only problem is that they need to think long and hard about what replaces them before
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Political polls past their prime.
Seen any political polls that you believe lately? If not, just wait, one to meet your bias will be along shortly. The only problem is that you have no trust in the sample, the methodology or the laughable chance that it might be right 19-out-of-20 times. It is not just
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: A choice for Babel Conservatives.
The Babel Conservatives thought they had everything organized. When the Barrie riding was split, the south half of the city had lots of reliable conservative country voters from south of the city added. It was the same for Barrie’s north half. The new riding of Barrie, Springwater, Oro Medonte comes
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: In the ignominy of ignorance.
Can you imagine? At a time when a young man’s fancy is to indulge in a summer hockey camp, our Babel MP has spent the past week talking about prostitution. Not that he has necessarily found it a learning experience. He is likely to be as ignorant on the subject
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