Miscellaneous material for your Remembrance Day reading. – Roderick Benns interviews Robin Boadway about the results of past basic income studies which have shown that economic security helps rather than hinders individual participation in the workforce: Benns: What about a basic income guarantee makes it a social justice issue? Boadway: To
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Accidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Dennis Howlett reminds us that we can raise enough money to strengthen our social safety net merely by ensuring that a relatively small group of privileged people pays its fair share. And Seth Stephens-Davidowitz examines the glaring nepotism which festers in the absence
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Toward Democratic Renewal
I’m sure that all progressive bloggers are disheartened and bedeviled by the devolution of democracy in Canada. Not only has it been under consistent and sustained attack by the Harper regime, but it has also (perhaps as a result of those attacks) seen a substantial rise in the number of
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Tragedy In The Commons
I know that I am hardly alone in sometimes thinking that the insights and observations of progressives have a Cassandra-like quality to them; we think we can see patterns auguring ill for our country and our democracy, but warnings are largely ignored by a quiescent or alienated proportion of the
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: An Issue So Many Of Us Grapple With
This letter to the editor reflects an issue I think most of us in the progressive blogosphere struggle with, as do the folks at samara: Voter turnout is the key to federal change Eroding the fabric of the Canada we loveThe only way that we are going to get rid
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on how the Cons’ abuse of supporters’ donations can only stoke cynicism about the value of participating in politics – but how the limited number of people currently involved in politics creates a huge opportunity to change the system. For further reading…– Samara’s poll and analysis on public participation
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: The unengaged majority
Samara has released a study on the sadly limited level of public participation in Canadian politics and community activities. And Susan Delacourt and Misty Harris both follow up – with Harris catching what looks to me like the most important point: Sixty per cent of Canadians say they haven’t discussed
Continue readingThe Liberal Scarf: "Political parties aren’t perfect, but that’s why I belong to one"
Giving some dap to an article written by Hillary Buchan-Terrell for Samara about her experiences in politics, and why political parties matter.
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Peter Penashue: Harper’s “strong voice” rarely heard in the House
By: Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive: A new analysis by democracy advocacy group, Samara, suggests that the Conservatives’ characterization of Peter Penashue as a “strong voice” for Labrador in the House of Commons is a grotesque political exaggeration. In fact, the Conservatives insulted our collective intelligence when they warned that “if Newfoundland and Labrador want
Continue readingThe Equivocator: Sasha Issenberg (author of “The Victory Lab: The secret science of winning campaigns”) speaks to the Samara Institute.
I have been a fan of Sasha Issenberg for a while now, reading his articles on Slate.com, enjoying him on the Slate Political Gabfest podcast and then devouring his fantastic book “The Victory Lab: The secret science of winning campaigns.” So when I heard that he was going to speak
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Harper Strategy Succeeding
Here’s the proof. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Uphill Battle to Save Democracy in Canada
At the risk of appearing tiresomely repetitive, I am posting once again on the problem of political disengagement. The fact that only about 30% of Canadians bother to follow politics, as if it is a sphere of activity totally separate from the lives they live, is troubling, and one that
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