Where’s Jason Kenney’s Alberta Energy War Room when you need it? Jason Kenney, the United Conservative Party premier who invented the Alberta Energy War Room (Photo: David J. Climenhaga). I’m talking about Donald J. Trump’s Super Tuesday victory speech, wherein he “conjures a dark vision” (The New York Times) and
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Accidental Deliberations: Wednesday Afternoon Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Jon Henley reports on new research showing that adopting right-wing policies does nothing to help left-of-centre parties win votes (while producing disastrous effects in shifting the spectrum of political options). – Laura Weiss discusses why U.S. Democrats need to acknowledge and present a
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Engaged citizens need to take it seriously when UCP leaders start talking about mass purges in health care and education
On December 30, Edmonton Sun commentator Rick Bell published a column suggesting Premier Danielle Smith plans a purge of Alberta Health Services that will reach deep into the middle ranks of the province-wide public health care agency’s management. Calgary Sun political columnist Rick Bell (Photo: David J. Climenhaga). “Layers and
Continue readingAlberta Politics: H * l y S h * t! Who could possibly have known why China picked on those Two Michaels back in 2020?
A few days less than three years ago, I asked in this space: “Why did China’s government pluck the Two Michaels from among 300,000 Canadians in China?” Michael Kovrig (Photo: Twitter/Michael Kovrig). The answer, I suggested then, was that both Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor had “the kind of backgrounds,
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your long weekend reading. – Umair Haque theorizes that the relatively benign outcome of the U.S.’ recent election reflects a public that’s finally rejecting Trumpism. But Krystal Ball notes that some of the most important Democratic success stories (notably including John Fetterman) included a message based on
Continue readingAlberta Politics: So, some things seem to have changed in the past couple of days: We’ll have something to say about that!
NEW YORK It’s been a few days since I’ve been able to file any commentary on this blog. Times Square at supper time tonight (Photo: David J. Climenhaga). While I was taking the opportunity to hear the inspiring stories of young people who have successfully organized unions at places like
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Carolyn Johnson discusses how one’s initial development of an immune response to COVID may affect the impact of future vaccinations. Kim Constantino reports on a finding from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that long COVID is responsible for a third of the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Fiona Small writes about the hope that one of the responses to COVID-19 will be a shift toward inhaled vaccines. But for those expecting that efforts will be made to address an ongoing pandemic, Melody Schrieber reports on new research showing the U.S.’s
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Putting the performance back in petroleum politics, Mr. Kenney goes to Washington
Everybody in the room yesterday at the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing in Washington, D.C., knew perfectly well the United States is never going to stop buying Saudi Arabian “dictator oil,” and why. Three amigos: Democrat in Name Only Joe Manchin, at left, cuddles up with his
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Danny Halpin reports on new research showing that people who have suffered from long COVID are at far greater risk of blood clots, while Mary van Beusekom discusses how COVID-19 and other severe respiratory infections can lead to psychiatric disorders. And Johanna
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Enjoy the reflected glow, Premier Kenney, visiting U.S. Senator Joe Manchin likely has a short shelf life remaining
Alberta Conservatives should enjoy basking in the glow cast by Joe Manchin while they can – the visiting U.S. Senator likely has a short shelf life remaining as “the key swing vote in the U.S. Senate,” as Premier Jason Kenney put it at a news conference in Calgary yesterday. Not
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Economic shock of border blockade grows; Canadian Conservatives change their tune … a little
The economic attack on Canada by the operators of trucks now blockading three major border crossings to the United States and occupying Ottawa is certainly causing more damage to the national economy than the sporadic land-defender rail blockades in 2020. Things have gotten so far out of hand that the
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Very fine people on both sides? Jason Kenney defends convoy participants; says NDP welcomes ‘eco-terrorists’ to protests
Yesterday, the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons warned Members of Parliament that individuals associated with the anti-vaccine-mandate truck convoy nearing the nation’s capital have been trying to suss out the location of their Ottawa residences. House of Commons Sergeant-at-Arms Patrick McDonell (Photo: Creator not identified). Also yesterday, Jason Kenney
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Katharine Wu writes that contrary to the continued attempt by right-wing talking heads to equate mass viral transmission with immunity, we can’t assume that the spread of the Omicron COVID strain will offer substantial protection from future infection. Kayla Rosen reports on new
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Umair Haque reminds us that the COVID pandemic is far from over, while Julie Bosman, Amy Harmon and Albert Sun discuss the escalating U.S. death toll which now includes one of every hundred Americans over 65. Will Stone, Jesse Bloom and Sarah Cobey, and Carl
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Afternoon Links
Assorted content to start your week. – Josh Taylor reports on contact tracing which has revealed that “fleeting contact” can be enough to result in the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant. And Chris MacIntyre reports on some of the Yukon’s largest outbreaks yet even in the face of widespread
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Keystone XL, the pipeline that just keeps dying, officially pronounced dead
Keystone XL, the pipeline that just keeps dying over and over again, was officially pronounced dead yesterday. After TC Energy Corp. issued a statement saying it was walking away for good from the project that has obviously been doomed for months, the U.S. business press declared the pipedream of successive
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: But How Do They Feel About Eating Crow?
I love it when there is even an iota of accountability at Fox. If you would like to read further about this political madness, check out Edward Keenan, who also sets the record straight: Joe Biden is not cancelling burgers. Or any other kind of meat. Despite what you may have
Continue readingAlberta Politics: UCP gobsmacked by widely anticipated Supreme Court ruling – Jason Kenney: No Plan, No Way!
According to Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, he was so sure his government would win its challenge of the federal government’s carbon-mitigation law that he never gave it a second thought, let alone plan what to do if the Supreme Court of Canada thought otherwise. Gee, it just seemed like a
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Canada has only a few hours to play the only decent card it holds to free the Two Michaels – but that would take courage
News media reported yesterday China has announced the espionage trials of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor will go ahead swiftly this week and next leaving official Canada with only a few hours to play the only decent card it holds to free the unfortunate pair. Unhappily for the Two Michaels,
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