PHOTOS: South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham dropped out of the race to become the Republican Party’s presidential candidate this morning. Well-informed sources point to Environment Minister Shannon Phillips and the rest of Alberta’s NDP governmen…
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Politics and its Discontents: And Speaking Of Perspective
…along with xenophobia, bigotry and demagoguery, the folks at Fox News would seem to be quite ignorant about their country’s own history.Here is a timely festive reminder of that history for those soon to be celebrating American Thanksgiving:Thanksgi…
Continue readingAlberta Politics: It’s official: the Harper Government’s approach to petro-diplomacy was a spectacular flop
PHOTOS: The White House, home of the Most Powerful Person, etc. Below: Stephen Harper, one of the architects of Canada’s Bitumen bullying export policy, the fruits of which are now apparent; Barack Obama, President of the United States. The office of the President of the United States may not be
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Les Leopold takes a look at the underpinnings of Bernie Sanders’ unexpectedly strong run for the Democratic presidential nomination. And Sean McElwee discusses the type of politics U.S. voters are rightly motivated to change, as big donors have been successful in dictating
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Meanwhile, Beyond Our Borders
The world of U.S. politics is proving to be consistent in its insanity. Watch the following video in which Republican hopeful Ben Carson says, at about the 3:20 mark, what he would use the Department of Education for: Can a holographic resurrection of Joseph McCarthy be far behind? Recommend this
Continue readingIn This Corner: Stuff Happens, week 38: Too close to call; ‘stuff happens’ in Oregon; what was the Pope thinking?
The finish line of the federal election is in sight, but we’re no closer to seeing a winner than we were weeks ago. The latest polls indicate that support for the NDP is beginning to fall — turning their famous Quebec ‘orange crush’ into an ‘orange crash’ — while support
Continue readingIn This Corner: Stuff Happens, week 38: Too close to call; ‘stuff happens’ in Oregon; what was the Pope thinking?
The finish line of the federal election is in sight, but we’re no closer to seeing a winner than we were weeks ago. The latest polls indicate that support for the NDP is beginning to fall — turning their famous Quebec ‘orange crush’ into an ‘orange crash’ — while support
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Public health care: We have it, Americans still don’t, they wish they did – there’s a lesson in that
PHOTO: Sorry, no relevant photos tonight. Just this shot of a typical American public servant crossing the rotunda of the New Mexico State Capitol in Santa Fe, deep in thought. She is doubtless wishing the United States had Canada’s system of health care. SANTA FE, N.M. The economy, Harper Fatigue
Continue readingIn This Corner: Stuff Happens, week 34: One little boy changes everything.
The Syrian refugee crisis has convulsed Europe for weeks now, while making only the tiniest dent in the North American conscience. But that all changed this weeks thanks to one little boy, and one gut-wrenching photograph. All this year, thousands of desperate Syrian refugees have been pouring into Europe in
Continue readingIn This Corner: Stuff Happens, week 34: One little boy changes everything.
The Syrian refugee crisis has convulsed Europe for weeks now, while making only the tiniest dent in the North American conscience. But that all changed this weeks thanks to one little boy, and one gut-wrenching photograph. All this year, thousands of desperate Syrian refugees have been pouring into Europe in
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Greg Keenan exposes how corporations are demanding perpetually more from municipalities while refusing to contribute their fair share of taxes to fund the services needed by any community. And Sean McElwee points out how big-money donations are translating into a warped U.S.
Continue readingIn This Corner: Stuff Happens, week 28: Your bribe is in the mail; Republicans are Trumped
So, have you received your bribe yet? Stephen Harper’s utterly shameless federal Conservatives are in the process of giving away $3 billion in tax dollars to “hard working Canadian families” (is there any other kind of Canadian family?) in the form of monthly cheques for families with kids. The benefit cheques
Continue readingIn This Corner: Stuff Happens, week 24: McMania; a flag flap; PACing it in
Connor McDavid, wearing the surprisingly bold Edmonton Oiler travelling suit. OMG! OMG! OMG! Connor McDavid is an Oiler! Connor McDavid is an Oiler! Connor McDavid is an Oiler! Sigh. Poor Connor. The hopes of an entire city are apparently resting on his muscled shoulders. This city’s infatuation with the Edmonton
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Afternoon Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Elias Isquith talks to David Madland about the connection between increasing inequality and the breakdown of trust in the U.S. political system. CBC and Larry Elliott follow up on the IMF’s findings about the economic damage done by income and wealth disparities. And
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: The mystery advantage
Shorter Brad Wall:
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Bill McKibben argues that Bernie Sanders’ run for the presidency should have massive positive impacts extending far beyond both Sanders’ central theme of inequality, and international borders to boot. And Salon interviews Joseph Stiglitz as to how inequality and the economy will affect
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: The definition of privilege
Connor Kilpatrick is right to observe that while we should be willing to take note of privilege in many forms, we should be especially concerned with organizing to counter the grossly outsized influence of the very few at the top whose whims are typically allowed to override the common good.
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Lydia DePillis and Jim Tankersley write that U.S. Democrats are recognizing the need for concerted pushback against the Republican’s attacks on organized labour – and rightly framing the role of unions in terms of reducing the inequality the right is so keen
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Robert Reich discusses how outsized corporate influence in the U.S. has kept the general public from sharing in any nominal economic improvements: The U.S. economy is picking up steam but most Americans aren’t feeling it. By contrast, most European economies are still in
Continue reading350 or bust: Exposed!
Science Historian Naomi Oreskes writes: When I wrote the book Merchants of Doubt in 2010, I only wanted one thing: to uncover the truth about who was behind the widespread, and sadly effective, campaigns to undermine the established science of climate change, and why they were doing what they were doing.
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