The Toronto Star used to have its own production facilities, but as a cost-cutting measure, last year it outsourced that responsibility. Since then there have been numerous problems with the paper, including sections left out, sections appearing in the midst of other sections, and, one day recently, no paper at
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Politics and its Discontents: Setting The Record Straight
Every so often I receive forwarded emails apparently designed to expose some unpalatable truths about how Canadians are being treated inequitably by their government vis-à-vis the financial support it metes out to ‘the other.’ The Star’s public editor…
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: About The "Harper Gestapo Act" And Other Prime Ministerial Fear Mongering
I would feel much more hopeful about October’s election if I believed this kind of critical thinking were common among our fellow citizens: Re: Tory rhetoric defies belief, Editorial March 12Re: Terror a diversionary tactic, Letter March 12 As a Canadian-born Jew I am offended at Public Safety Minister Steven
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Philip Junop Has An Important Message
If we truly love our country, it is one we all should heed: Life in Canada has been good to me as I approach my 60th birthday. A loving and carefree childhood in scenic, small town Ontario, a good education that led to a steady, decent paying job and a
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: What, Me Worry?
H/t The Toronto Star According to Star readers, there is plenty that could go wrong. Here is but a sampling of their concerns: In his anti-terrorism speech, Stephen Harper said: “Over the last few years a great evil has been descending upon our world … Canadians are targeted by these
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Health Canada Fails Us Yet Again
On this blog I have frequently extolled the fine investigative journalism practised by The Toronto Star. Whether on issues of municipal, provincial, or federal significance, The Star, as it frequently proclaims, “gets action.” From the standpoint of average Canadians, probably one of its most important investigations in recent times has
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Real Journalism: Holding Harper To Account
Unlike the kind of faux journalism that the CBC’s most reverent chief correspondent, Peter Mansbridge, has perfected, real journalism requires critical thinking and hard-hitting questions. In that, The Toronto Star holds to consistently high standards. To appreciate this fact, consider first the following exchange during the year-end interview the Prime
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: It’s Why I Subscribe
To borrow a line from one of my favourite Shakespearean plays, Macbeth, “So fair and foul a day I have not seen.” It is fair because the newspaper I subscribe to and heartily endorse, The Toronto Star, has achieved a victory whose significance cannot be overestimated. Thanks to its investigative
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Word On The Street – Chantal Hebert and Tim Harper
Although it started out quite ominously with heavy downpours, yesterday turned out to be a good day. As the clouds cleared, we hopped on the GO bus to attend Toronto’s Word on the Street, an annual celebration of literacy. I always take heart when I see a strong cross-generational presence
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Explaining Justin Trudeau
No matter what the Liberal leader says or does, his popularity ranks at a consistently high level. While part of the explanation for his standings in the polls surely lies in the Canadian people’s weariness with the Harper regime, a regime that has shown itself, through its practices of division,
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Harper’s Reign Of Terror: Targeted Charities Begin To Fight Back
It was with a certain pleasure that I read in Monday’s Star that some international aid charities are banding together to challenge the Harper-directed CRA witch hunt into charities that promote views counter to government policy: A dozen such groups conferred last week about a joint strategy to present to
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Well Said!
The other day I wrote a post critical of the ‘blame game’ being played by the NDP’s Andrea Horwath to excuse her lack of progress during the recent Ontario provincial election. In a similar vein, Star letter-writer Michael Foley of Toronto offers his excoriating assessment of her rationalization: Re: Liberal
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Sad Record Of Our Last Parliamentary Session
Star reader David Buckna, of Kelowna, B.C., offers a searing and accurate assessment of our latest session of Parliament: Federal MPs are back in their ridings for the summer, and will be out hitting the barbecue circuit. When I think back to the second session of the 41st Parliament (January
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Thomas Walkom Misses The Mark
One of the reasons I subscribe to The Toronto Star is the quality of its columnists. Tim Harper, Martin Regg Cohn, Thomas Walkom, Heather Mallick, etc. rarely disappoint. However, no one is perfect, and today’s column by Walkom is not up to his usual critical standards. Entitled Conservatives’ downfall could
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: A Reading Recommendation.
I have a deep respect for Alex Himelfarb, the director of the Glendon School of International and Public Affairs and tireless proponent of responsible, progressive taxation. The latter, as one can well-imagine, likely makes him persona non grata in many circles, but those are likely the same circles that close
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Two Sentiments That Will Resonate With Many
Today’s Star brings two letters, one on despotic rule and the other on electoral reform, that many would find hard to argue against: Harper’s on a lonely road to political isolation, April 15 Aristotle once remarked that all forms of government — democracy, oligarchy, monarchy, tyranny — are inherently unstable,
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Sometimes, Clicking Your Heels Does Not Send You To Kansas
This thoughtful letter explains why: Re: Tory MP takes aim at elections watchdog, April 9 When it comes to fairness and objectivity, I have more faith in the former auditor general of Canada, Sheila Fraser, and in the current chief electoral officer, Marc Mayrand, than in Pierre Poilievre, the arrogant
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Toronto Police Are At It Again
This is what happens when you have a ‘blue wall’ culture, facilitated by a police chief who often seems more politician than top cop. Sure, it is unfair and inaccurate to portray all police as abusers of their authority, but when it happens again and again, with little consequence, people
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: C’Mon, We’ve All Been Thinking It
And now, thanks to Michael de Adder, we’ve got a picture to go along with those thoughts: Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Another Informed Star Reader
Christine Penner Polle of Red Lake offers some observations that I suspect few but the most ardent ideologues would dispute: Re: Ottawa plans cuts to climate programs, March 12 Have we Canadians fallen down the rabbit hole? We are living in a Mad Hatter world where our federal government is
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