I have never been much of a joiner. I never really participated in team sports, committees (unless I had no choice), or group endeavours. There is something about the passionate intensity of such pursuits that has always left me cold. And, of course, history teaches us a great deal
Continue readingTag: Political Parties
THE FIFTH COLUMN: Is It Time For The NDP To Rebirth Itself
The North American right wing has been overtaken by a vile hateful Donald Trump inspired populist MAGA movement that has spawned the Freedumb Convoy types and infected the Canadian Conservative Party and what was once a principled conservative tradition in Canada, although you have to go back awhile to the
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Americans want more parties (political, that is)
A growing number of Americans are unhappy with their current political choices. According to a Pew Research Center survey, four in ten say they want more parties than just the Democrats and Republicans. Among younger voters, over half say there are usually no candidates that represent their views well. This
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Can Proportional Representation Save Our Parliamentary Democracy
Parliament – Etymology The English term is derived from Anglo-Norman and dates to the 14th century, coming from the 11th century Old French parlement, “discussion, discourse”, from parler, meaning “to talk”.[2] The meaning evolved over time, originally referring to any discussion, conversation, or negotiation through various kinds of deliberative
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Another Way of Looking at Political Parties in Canada
With Pierre Poilievre as the Tory leadership front runner I anticipate the Conservative and People’s parties fighting for the right wing fringe vote and collectively becoming the Party of the Deplorables. Wishful thinking sees the New Democratic Party returning to it’s ideological roots as a party of principles fighting for
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: Ban Campaign Promises and other Electoral Rants
Campaign promises. What are they good for. Absolutely nothing. I wish we could get rid of campaign promises. If you are in government then a campaign promise is just something you think you should have done that you did not do. Maybe it is best not to remind the voters
Continue readingWritings of J. Todd Ring: If You Are Going To Vote, Read This
Things are changing rapidly in the world, but as of this moment, we can say a few things about the major political parties of the Western world, with reasonable certainty. It is now undeniable, that by their actions, the major parties of the Western world, including the Democratic party of
Continue readingDefending the Indefensible Left and Right
People of the left and, one would hope, also many on the right, look on with horror as Republican politicians unconditionally support their degenerate president. Trump once boasted “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose any voters,” and it appears that
Continue readingPR Isn’t Enough
Advocates of proportional representation (PR) make a powerful case. They claim that our current electoral system, first-past-the-post (FPTP), is not democratic. They are right. More often than not a political party that gains less than half the popular vote wins the election. In 2015, for example the Liberals, with under
Continue readingTHE FIFTH COLUMN: THE FIFTH COLUMN 2018-10-13 19:17:00
On Democracy What a better way to restart The Fifth Column than by a treatise on how to make our democracy actually democratic. Hopefully this will be the first posting in a newly regenerated Fifth Column. I write this at a time when there are so many examples of democracy
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Not fit for it, indeed #nlpoli
Once upon a time not so long ago, you would think politics in this province was a mash up of Nineteen eighty-four and Animal Farm.These days, the Orwellian times in which Danny Williams thrived seem a kindergarten compared to the Franz Kafk…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Tyranny Of Conformity
Yesterday, KirbyCairo wrote another of his thought-provoking posts, this one on the current plight of the federal NDP and its search for renewal. That prospect is dim, Kirby says, unless the party can break free from what he calls the top-down party st…
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: The possible shift #nlpoli
If the polls are right, we could be looking at an unprecedented shift in politics in Newfoundland and Labrador. We could be looking at lots of things but it’s a useful exercise to put a bunch of ideas on the table. That’s about the only way you can tease out
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Free-market era in Sweden swept away as feminists and greens plot new path | World news | The Observer
Free-market era in Sweden swept away as feminists and greens plot new path | World news | The Observer. For a man who is a near-certainty to become Sweden‘s prime minister after today’s general election, Stefan Löfven has had a miserable campaign. In his latest misstep, Löfven, a burly union
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Upstart party Podemos emerging as third political power, says new poll | In English | EL PAÍS
Upstart party Podemos emerging as third political power, says new poll | In English | EL PAÍS. New party Podemos has taken a further step toward becoming the third power on the Spanish political scene, according to the latest opinion poll from the Center for Sociological Research (CIS). The group
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Can BC restore sovereignty and regain control of its destiny through democratic reforms
Mid Summer Musings Can BC restore sovereignty and regain control of its destiny through democratic reforms that make our public institutions accountable to the people they purport to represent? Kevin Logan – Cowichan Conversations Contributor By Kevin Logan In BC conflating Environmentalism and Politics is a mainstay. Is it possible
Continue readingthe disgruntled democrat: Parasites Have Infected And Taken Over Quebec’s Body Politic
In nature, there are parasites that invade a host, take control of its movements for their own benefit, often leading to the host’s demise.n My favorite example of this life process is the Lancet liver fluke (Dicrocoelium dendriticum). In short, as an adult the Lancet liver fluke spends its time in
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Afternoon Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Chris Hall notes that Brad Butt’s admitted fabrications can only hurt the Cons’ already-lacking credibility when it comes to forcing through their unfair elections legislation. And Ed Broadbent sums up what’s at stake as the Cons try to rewrite the rules to
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: Norwegian voting patterns are a warning to leftwing parties elsewhere
Henning Finseraas and Kåre Vernby Low levels of citizen participation in politics have long been seen as a serious democratic problem, and a possible relationship between turnout and election outcomes is a prominent topic of discussion in political science. The most frequent claim is that left-of-centre parties benefit from higher levels of
Continue readingcalgaryliberal.com: Ten phrases that need to die in 2014.
All lists start with a bottle of scotch, a dash of politics, and a bit of pent up frustration. This is one of those lists. 1). “____ should resign.” Be it Ford, Harper, Dave Hancock, or others, we’ve had calls for politicians to resign from across the country (at a
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