Richard Hughes- Political Blogger Tommy Douglas remains one of Canada’s most inspirational political figures. He was recognized as ‘The Greatest Canadian 2004. We are at a cross roads in Canada today. The Alberta NDP Read more…
Continue readingTag: Tommy Douglas
Cowichan Conversations: Tommy Douglas Defines Fascism
“Once more let me remind you what fascism is. It need not wear a brown shirt or a green shirt — it may even wear a dress shirt. Fascism begins the moment a ruling class, fearing the people may use their political democracy to gain economic democracy, begins to
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On extended intrusions
There’s been plenty of discussion as to the similarities between the Cons’ terror bill and Pierre Trudeau’s 1970 invocation of the War Measures Act. And it’s certainly worth reminding ourselves that even in the face of an identifiable security concern, the impulse to attack civil rights tends to prove wrong
Continue readingThe Sir Robert Bond Papers: Rational. Disciplined. Principled. #nlpoli
Back at the start of the current Conservative administration in 2003, they were very sharply aware of the problem with using one-time revenues for day-to-day spending. They were so concerned about using that one-time money that they tried to get the federal government to do the impossible, namely give the
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Canada’s Diminished Democracy Should Look Back To Our Past To Build Canada of the Future
Richard Hughes-Political Blogger The outrageous assault on Canada, on what used to be Canadian values, of our decency as a once respected nation, on our very democracy fuelled a fiery address from an old socialist warrior Stephen Lewis. (see post above) At 77 he still has fire in his belly and
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Mouseland (why do people vote against their self-interest?)
“All the laws were good laws. For cats.”—Tommy Douglas The other day I called Telus to cancel my campaign phones and internet service. Groan. After listening to canned music for 17 minutes I was transferred to a customer service rep. He took my information, argued with me when I
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: Will Gordon Dirks become the latest inter-provincial political jumper?
TweetThe controversial appointment of unelected Gordon Dirks as Education minister caught many Albertans by surprised this week. As the former chairman of the Calgary Board of Education, he is well-known to educators in that city, but not to the rest of Alberta. Before moving to Calgary, he served as a Progressive Conservative
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Dear Scotland: Do whatever you think is best … but remember, the Globe and Mail never has your interests at heart
A typical Western Canadian scene: snapped in Edmonton, Alberta, in 2014. The Scotch, as we used to say when I was growing up in B.C., pretty much built Western Canada, leastways the European superstructure of buildings, roads and railways that lies atop the land of the first inhabitants. You need
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On greatness
Plenty of commentators have pointed to Dean Beeby’s report on public consultations about Canada’s most inspiring people as evidence that Stephen Harper and his Cons couldn’t be much further from the mark. And that point is fair enough on its own. But it’s worth noting something else as well: respondents
Continue readingPushed to the Left and Loving It: Clearly Liberalism is Not Dead Though Conservatism May be On Life Support
When Stephen Harper was with the Reformers, promoting an American style conservative movement, he mocked Canada’s historic Conservative Party, because they boasted to be descended from Sir John A. MacDonald. “So what!” he said. Recently the Harper government conducted a poll to determine the top ten Canadians who inspired us.
Continue readingNorthern Reflections: Where Are The Big Ideas?
Murray Dobbins writes that none of our political parties are adopting big ideas. It’s not that they’re not out there. He points to the Alternative Budget which the Canadian Centre For Policy Alternatives has released in response to Jim Flaherty’s do nothing document: The CCPA’s alternative budget replaces most of
Continue readingBigCityLib Strikes Back: Tommy Douglas…Commie?
Probably not, but according to Dennis Gruending the RCMP spied on the guy for decades without coming to any firm conclusion. Didn’t they have some kind of test? Like tie Tommy Douglas up with rope and throw him in the river and if he sinks he’s innocent?
Continue readingdaveberta.ca - Alberta politics: J’accuse! Thomas Mulcair’s treason and the Keystone XL Pipeline.
TweetThe rhetoric is running high this week with President Barack Obama expected to soon decide the fate of the controversial TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline. In Washington D.C. last week, federal NDP leader Thomas Mulcair criticized the pipeline that would ship bitumen from Alberta’s oilsands to refineries in Texas. Mr. Mulcair also
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Several South American Countries Are Showing Us The Way Back To Democracy!
Richard Hughes-Political Blogger Do you remember when Canada was seen as a friendly, socially progressive country? Well, perhaps not, but I will bet that your parents do. We have lost ground and are now a reactionary anti-science- pro military, right wing led and controlled country. We are going backward
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Postponing the Day of Reckoning, Alberta-style
Alberta Premier Alison Redford beseeches the Almighty for higher petroleum prices as Wildrose Finance Critic Rob Anderson looks on. Actual Alberta politicians may not be exactly as illustrated. Below: Social democratic men of God J.S. Woodsworth (Methodist), Tommy Douglas (Baptist) and Stanley Knowles (United). So what’s with the Redford Government’s
Continue readingEclectic Lip: Douglas, Deng and Diocletian
(originally written May 21, 2012. Part of Great Upload of 2013.) Tommy Douglas I read a bio of Tommy Douglas recently, figuring as a guy with sinister leanings (sinister in the original Latin sense of “left”, that is 🙂 ) I might as well brush up on the father of
Continue readingEclectic Lip: From housing to plumbing
(originally written Mar 4, 2012. Part of Great Upload of 2013.) Readers (regular and irregular both) may know that about six years ago, I was quoted in MacLean’s saying Canadian housing was in a bubble. So after six long years of looking very wrong, I was delighted to see the
Continue readingEclectic Lip: Newsflash: Canadian PM’s American Idol supports Stephane Dion-esque carbon tax shift
Note: for non-Canadian readers (or, indeed for Canadian readers who don’t follow politics) Stephane Dion was the milquetoast who led the Liberal Party of Canada to its then-worst-ever federal election result in 2008. He ran on a campaign of a carbon tax shift (“The Green Shift“), for which the Conservative Party mocked and savaged him. We’ll […]
Continue readingCanadian Progressive World: Harper Determined to Erase Pierre Trudeau From Public Consciousness
No doubt, Stephen Harper and the Conservatives are determined to create a Canadian nationalism that is both socially conservative and loyal to the British Empire. Their key strategy is to radically revise history and suppress certain moments that do not identify with past Conservative leaders. This penchant for naked revisionism
Continue readingCANADIAN PROGRESSIVE WORLD: Council of Canadians: Today We Celebrate Canada
Below is a brief message to Canadians and other progressives around the world from Canada’s biggest progressive citizen’s organization. Founded in 1985, the Council of Canadians has members and chapters across Canada. It works “to protect Canadian independence by promoting progressive policies on fair trade, clean water, energy security, public
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