This and that for your Thursday reading. – Jovanka Beckles writes that the housing crisis in California – like those elsewhere – needs to be addressed through public investment in social housing rather than giveaways to private developers. – Sharon Riley discusses Alberta’s gigantic problem with unfunded oil production liabilities.
Continue readingTag: party politics
Accidental Deliberations: On strategic implications
One of the most worrisome aspects of first-past-the-post politics is the reality that a party can take what amounts to unaccountable power for an election cycle based on frivolous and/or misleading messages which just barely nudge public opinion against another option around election day. And parties which don’t have any
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Gary Younge discusses how regardless of the outcome of the U.S.’ midterm elections, democracy is on the defensive against a Republican attack on voting rights. Janet Reitman goes into detail about the consequences of the U.S.’ law enforcement system failing to do
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Eric Levitz discusses the glaring gap between Americans’ policy preferences, and the outcomes from a political system which falls far short of representing most people in the face of the influence of the ultra-rich. And Matthew Yglesias comments on the hack gap
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This and that for your Sunday reading. – Jennifer Pagliaro and David Rider report on Toronto’s longstanding internal knowledge of the costs of austerity. And Ed Conway highlights a new budget showing the austerity gap in the UK – though as the Equality Trust points out, that could be made
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Tiffany Crawford interviews Kirsten Zickfeld about the contradiction between new fossil fuel infrastructure and any serious attempt to reverse our climate breakdown. Murray Mandryk offers a reminder of the local costs of climate change. Fatima Syed highlights how Doug Ford’s supposed climate plan
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Michael Harris writes that we shouldn’t expect politicians to lead the way toward the action we need to combat climate change. Katie Dangerfield reports on new research showing that the economic effects of carbon pricing are modest, while ignoring climate change will have
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Oliver Milman reports on new indications that we’re far beyond any reasonable pace in trying to rein in climate change. – The Star’s editorial board discusses why lower-income Ontarians are right to feel like they’re under attack from Doug Ford’s government. And Noah
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Somini Sengupta writes that the extreme heat experienced so far in 2018 shows how ill-prepared humanity is for the climate change it’s causing. And the Economist offers a warning that the oil industry can’t realistically expect past prices to continue to apply
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Lee Drutman points out that Donald Trump’s presidency represents an entirely foreseeable result of a two-party, first-past-the-post electoral system: (C)ontrary to claims that American political parties have to appeal broadly to win, they only need to win a quarter of the voting-age population
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Nathaniel Lewis laments the state of the U.S.’ woefully insufficient social supports, while emphasizing the importance of public social spending in particular: (P)rivate “social spending” is, for the most part, regressive and narrowly distributed. Households are bearing the cost directly for the goods
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Spencer Piston argues that it’s unreasonable to blame people living in poverty for not participating in political structures designed to exclude them – while noting that many Americans want to see a far more progressive tax system which politicians have made no
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Thomas Edsall discusses the difficulties in trying to address wealth inequality through a money-infused electoral system: Five years ago, for example, Adam Bonica, a political scientist at Stanford, published “Why Hasn’t Democracy Slowed Rising Inequality?” Economic theory, he wrote, holds that “inequality should
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – David McGrane writes about Jack Layton’s five great fights – and how they continue to provide an essential framework for social democrats. – Rupert Neate reports on London’s “ghost towers”, which include tens of thousands of high-end homes sitting empty in a city
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Gwynn Guilford discusses how dependence on coal and other resources has left the U.S.’ Appalachian region both poor and ill-equipped for the future after enriching a few corporate owners. And David Dayen notes that a national tax giveaway to the rich is leading
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Richard Partington writes that the poorest Britons stand to bear the brunt of the next wave of technological change through further diminished employment prospects. But Peter Goodman points out that a stronger social safety net in Sweden (among other countries) tends to ensure
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on how Donald Trump is just one of far too many politicians trying to undercut needed counterbalances in the media, political systems and civil society. For further reading…– Rem Reider’s story offers a few examples of Trump’s attacks on the press.– Althia Raj reported on Bill Morneau’s complaints about
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Wanda Wyporska writes that increasing inequality is the main factor behind public distrust and discontent with our politics: Rising inequality is not inevitable, it is largely a result of the political and economic decisions taken by governments. This is clear from the
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Municipal politics: If you choose to run with a slate, don’t complain when you’re asked about other members’ views
PHOTOS: St. Albert’s iconic city hall, site of the growing community’s only public library. Image grabbed from Councillor Wes Brodhead’s website. Below: Mayoral candidates Cathy Heron and Cam MacKay (photos grabbed from their campaign materials), and one side of the anti-branch-library leaflet published by a group of six candidates for
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Leadership 2017 Links
The latest from the NDP’s federal leadership campaign following Jagmeet Singh’s impressive first-ballot victory. – Paul Wells discusses how Singh’s youth and optimism fit with the NDP’s history and self-image. Jeremy Nuttall interviews Brian Topp about some lessons Singh can take from Jack Layton – including his apparent plan to
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