A few months ago, when we were seeing mid-summer temperatures during early spring, I remember Tom Brown, the CTV weatherman, looking grim and saying words to the effect that “This is something we all need to be concerned about.” It was, I assume, a brave but oblique allusion to climate
Continue readingTag: the toronto star
Politics and its Discontents: The Harper Attack On Canadian Values
As I have written elsewhere in this blog, for various reasons I have never believed that democratically elected governments are necessarily a reflection of the values or the will of the electorate. I have also written of my strong belief that governments do, however, have a potentially huge impact on
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Critical Thinking From Star Readers
That I am a faithful subscriber to the Toronto Star is in large measure due to its strong cadre of journalists and the capacity of its letter-writers for critical thinking. Rarely the reactionary, carping and simplistic fare to be found in many newspapers, Star letters reflect a readership that is
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Rick Salutin on Proportional Representation
The problem with parties is they don’t exist to represent the views of the public, or even sections of it, or even their own members. Maybe they once did, or maybe not. But now they exist to win elections. They’re “election-day organizations,” to quote political scientist Donald Savoie. They take
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Oops, We Didn’t Mean It
The reversal of the Rosseau Muskoka’s decision to extort take 50% of its masseuses’ tips, owing to the backlash sparked by The Star’s earlier report, is but one of many reasons I am a proud subscriber to Canada’s most widely-read newspaper. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Digital Exercise
With all of the finger-pointing ensuing from the Star’s latest installment on the Toronto District School Board’s questionable relationship with Jimmy Hazel and his Maintenance and Construction Skilled Trades Council, I think it is safe to infer that all involved parties have truly entered the digital age. Recommend this Post
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Star Continues Its Investigation
Unless the Toronto District School Board is staffed by a raft of incompetents, it has to have known what is going on. As I wrote in my blog post yesterday, an investigation by The Toronto Star has revealed theft on a massive scale in the form of grossly inflated charges
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Another Post Praising The Star
Most days, there is no dearth of topics upon which I could comment, but because I don’t spend the entire day at the computer, I try to be selective. And although I have written many posts that involve praise for the Toronto Star, here goes another one. Unlike any other
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Patterns
Something that occurs just once is mere happenstance; twice is a coincidence, and three or more times is part of a pattern. – Anonymous Being able to detect patterns, whether in the lab or in the crucible of political behaviour, requires time, intelligence, and access to extensive sources of information.
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Star’s Reader Reaction to Bill C-309
As promised in my previous post, I am reproducing letters from yesterday’s Star in which readers offer their own trenchant insights on the implications of the abhorrent Bill C-309: Re: Government backs bill aimed at masked protesters, May 7 This week the Harper government party threw its support behind Bill
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Are Workers Paying For The Globe and Mail’s Sins?
I have to say that my heart rejoiced yesterday when I saw the news that Torstar, the parent company of The Toronto Star, has increased its quarterly earnings over the year by about 100%, an unequivocal confirmation that quality, in-depth journalism for the social good can still very much be
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Sad Saga Of Our Declining Democracy Continues
During the past year I have written many posts on the sad spectacle of a Canadian democracy in decline, citizen cynicism and apathy rather than vigorous engagement becoming the default position of more and more Canadians. I have also offered the opinion that this is in large part the result
Continue readingLeDaro: Rob Ford can be a moneymaking machine for Toronto
Torontonians should put this baboon in a cage and put him in the Toronto Zoo. Surely people will come from all over the world to see this baboon. Children will love to feed him bananas and peanuts. His latest antic was that he gave a speech on Freedom of the
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Rob Ford Issues Fatwa Against Star Reporter Daniel Dale
Now this is reaching absurdist proportions, even for the political circus that Toronto has become under its buffoon/mayor, Rob Ford. Recommend this Post
Continue readingChris Tindal: Rob Ford’s behavior does matter, and it diminishes us all
When Rob Ford was accused of being drunk and belligerent at a Leafs game and asking a stranger if he wanted his wife to “get raped and shot,” he lied and said he wasn’t even at the game. When he was asked by the Toronto Sun if U.S. police had
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Irony Of Police ‘Sensitivity’
Given the brutal manner in which some police officers discharge their authority, it always strikes me as just a tad ‘precious’ when they complain about how unjustly they are being treated whenever the press offers some criticism of their practices. In responding to The Toronto Star’s series, Police Who Lie,
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Another Victory For The Star
As a direct result of their investigative series, Police Who Lie, The Toronto Star is once more contributing to the social good. The following is reported today’s edition: Ontario’s chief prosecutor will probe the issue of police officers who are found by judges to have lied in court. Attorney General
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Star Continues To Shine A Light On Some Very Dark Places
A taser to the scrotum 10-15 times. A ‘rear naked choke hold’ (an arm around the throat, another behind the head and a knee in the back). A beating in a ditch. The suspect’s ‘crime’? Leaning out his window and shouting “Hey, baby!” to several Niagara Regional Police officers. Thus
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Police Who Lie Under Oath – Part 2
Part 2 of The Star series on the problem of police lying under oath is available on its website. Today’s coverage examines the lack consequences for such behaviour, many departments seeming to prefer a see-no-evil, hear-no-evil kind of approach. And as per his function, the always pugnacious Mark Pugash, Toronto
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: The Art of the Possible
People have to give Andrea Horwath full marks for putting into practice the famous quote by Otto von Bismarck: Politics is the art of the possible. Through her willingness to compromise during negotiations with the McGuinty government, not only has she avoided an election that few wanted, but she has
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