When it is proclaimed by Chris Spence, the disgraced former Director of the Toronto District School Board who lost his job earlier this year for extensive plagiarism. In what the Toronto Star describes as a ‘far reaching interview,’ Spence says “there are no excuses for what I did; I didn’t
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Politics and its Discontents: Our Hands Are Not Entirely Clean Either
Last evening I wrote a very brief post with a link to pictures depicting the violence that ensued in St. Petersburg, Russia recently at a small gay pride gathering. I opined that one might want to carefully consider whether to spend one’s tourist dollars in a country where hatred and
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Separated At Birth?
Both Richard Nixon and Stephen Harper certainly seem to have been raised with the same bedtime story, and to have taken it at face value. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Star Readers Opine On Harper’s Self-Reported Ignorance (I Didn’t Do It) And Mike Duffy’s Avarice
Some days, all I have to do is open my newspaper for my blog post. Today is one of those days. Enjoy. Harper kept public in dark, July 6 When the stuff hits the fan, “plausible deniability” allows politicians to say, “I didn’t know; no-one told me.” This is what
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: “We Are Sleepwalking To Disaster . . " *
Many in the blogosphere are doing a stellar job covering the climate-change beat, including The Disaffected Lib, who has had several recent thought-provoking posts on the subject. So I really have nothing new or insightful to add, other than to draw your attention to a story covered in today’s Star,
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Linda McQuaig: Alberta And Climate Change
For me, one of the most disappointing aspects of the media coverage of the Alberta floods has been the relative dearth of commentary linking this monumental environmental disaster to climate change. To be sure, some prominent people have made that linkage, but by and large it has been omitted from
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: On Corporate Welfare
David Lewis, the one-time head of the federal NDP and father of Stephen Lewis, used the phrase corporate welfare bums in his 1972 federal election campaign to describe the various subsidies handed out to the corporate world. It was a withering jab at the world of business, so proud to
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Are Canadians Experiencing Buyers’ Remorse?
Many of us who blog, tweet, or post political views on Facebook cannot, I suspect, avoid the periodic and unsettling notion that we are simply ‘preaching to the converted’ instead of reaching a larger audience with our perspectives and commentaries. Yet we persevere, both as a catharsis for our own
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: On Insincere Apologies
I’ll probably have more to write later, but for now, here are some always reliable insights by Star readers on the ‘apology’ from RBC CEO Gord Nixon: Royal Bank chief executive makes public apology, April 11 An open letter to RBC President and CEO Gord Nixon: Don’t outsource jobs at
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: More On RBC’s Outsourcing From Star Readers
I have a busy morning ahead, so for now I take the liberty of reproducing two letters from this morning’s Star that make some excellent points as to how to apportion blame for the outrageous corporate practice of outsourcing Canadian jobs, most apparent in the current RBC imbroglio. As well,
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: More On Wealthy Tax Cheats
As noted in a previous post, many of our more prosperous citizens feel no obligation to the country that made their great wealth possible. Rather, they are quite happy to hide it in offshore financial institutions, which, while being ethically questionable, is not illegal. However, many of them are also
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Just Another Pretty Face
Those of a certain age will remember the much beloved 1970’s sitcom, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Set in a television newsroom in Minneapolis, the series chronicled life both inside and outside the studio of its many and varied employees, who ranged from the gruff but ultimately lovable Lou Grant,
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Some Thoughts on ‘Tea Party Tim’
I wish I could take credit for the title sobriquet describing Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak, but that distinction lies with Val Patrick of Hamilton whose letter, along with several others that appear in today’s Star, I am taking the liberty of reproducing below. Enjoy! Tea Party Tim Hudak
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Ongoing Outrage
The host of letters appearing in today’s Star attests to the ongoing public outrage over the Senate porkbarrellers. Although in many ways a mere sideshow to the endemic and systemic problems that face our governance, it nonetheless illustrates that Canadian anger, when it can be aroused, can be formidable. I
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Free Trade – Part 2
Continuing with the theme of yesterday’s post, I am taking the liberty of reproducing some letters that appear in today’s Star on free trade. They nicely puncture the myth, propagated and perpetuated by the right, of its unalloyed benefits to Canada: Brian Mulroney and the harsh reality of Canada-U.S. free
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Synchronous Decline of Peter Mansbridge and The CBC
I admit that I stopped being a regular viewer of the CBC years ago; I think the catalyst for my disaffection was its transparent policy of appeasement (under the pretext of balanced reporting) of the Harper regime which, of course, holds its funding strings. Especially evident in its flagship news
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: "His Most Preposterous Policy Statement Yet"
As noted here the other day, young Tim Hudak, in another move that shows the caliber of his leadership of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, announced that student loans should be tied to student marks. This morning’s Star describes his proposal as silly and his most preposterous policy statement yet
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Scourge of the Undead
While there was much talk in the House of Commons yesterday about how to prevent a ‘zombie apocalypse,’ in Canada, Bob Hepburn has his own solution on how to deal with the scourge of the undead: hold a referendum on abolishing the Senate. Noting that it costs well over $100
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: A Timely Reminder From Linda McQuaig
Fanned by a corporate-dominated media, it is hardly a surprise that anti-union sentiment seems to be rampant today. Everywhere we look, there are articles decrying the ‘unchecked power’ of union ‘bosses’ and strident rallying for more ‘workplace democracy’ and ‘right-to-work legislation,’ thinly veiled euphemisms for the ultimate dismantling of unions,
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: S.E.C.R.E.T: Canada’s Answer to Fifty Shades of Grey
by Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive, Feb. 6, 2013: Last year, a still-unpublished erotic Canadian novel created quite a stir at the prestigious Frankfurt Book Fair. The Toronto Star speculated that the novel, written under the pseudonym L. Marie Adeline, was Canada’s answer to British author E.L James’ blockbuster Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. That the writer was
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