It doesn’t seem to have attracted the attention it deserves but 2023 is the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Declaration “is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world,
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Views from the Beltline: Canada will be back … eventually
Way back in 2015, flush with election victory, newly minted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced “Many of you have worried that Canada has lost its compassionate and constructive voice in the world over the past 10 years. Well, I have a simple message for you: on behalf of 35 million
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Climate shirkers gear up for COP26
The 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) is scheduled for 31 October to 12 November in Glasgow. This is the 26th of the annual conferences and is special in that parties will be expected to ratchet up their climate goals over their pledges made when the Paris Agreement was signed
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Was Trump right about the WHO?
Former U.S. President Trump (how pleasing to say “former”) was not a fan of the World Health Organization (WHO). In fact, he had withdrawn his country from the organization effective this coming July. President Biden has since cancelled the withdrawal. But was Trump onto something? He questioned the WHO’s uncritical
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Lies In A Time Of Plaque
‘Everybody knows that pestilences have a way of recurring in the world; yet somehow we find it hard to believe in ones that crash down on our heads from a blue sky.” That’s from Read more…
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Why Would the UN General Assembly Elect Canada to the Security Council?
Prime Minister Trudeau has been hustling around the world, attempting to round up votes for Canada when the UN General Assembly elects members of the Security Council in June. Two seats are available for the Western European and Others Group, and three countries are in the running: Norway, Ireland and
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Savage attack: There’s nothing like the United Nations putting its oar in to make the locals go loco in Alberta!
If we ever do form the Western Wepublic of Wexit out here in Wild Rose Country, I guess we won’t be able to join the United Nations. Too triggering. There’s just something about the UN putting its oar into our affairs that sends Alberta politicians over the edge. Guilty conscience?
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Kudos to Carney (and Good Luck!)
Mark Carney is a banker par excellence, a Canadian boy who made the big time. He served as Governor of the Bank of Canada from 2008 to 2013 and is credited with helping the country weather the recession. He then went on to become Governor of the Bank of England,
Continue readingAlberta Politics: ‘Wexit’ isn’t likely, but that doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous
“Wexit” is dangerous, but not because it’s ever likely to come to pass. The economic case for Prairie separatism is so obviously lame — because of what’s happened to the world market for fossil fuels and because people who actually live where there’s tidewater aren’t interested and never will be
Continue readingsomecanuckchick dot com: “How dare you!”
“This is all wrong. I shouldn’t be standing here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to me for hope? How dare you! You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. And yet I’m one of
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Winding up the gun nuts: Liberals respond to Trudeau’s self-inflicted brownface crisis with a classic counterattack
Years ago, I worked with a union organizer who deployed an effective tactic when one of his unionization drives met resistance from an employer: Launch a diversionary attack from an unexpected quarter. This was the poor-man’s version of the doctrine of both the Prussian officer corps and the United States
Continue readingMontreal Simon: A Crazed Donald Trump Takes Aim At Canada. Again.
It had to be one of Donald Trump's most bizarre and deeply disturbing news conferences ever. It lasted for almost an hour and a half. Trump almost never stopped talking, jumping from one subject to another, and praising himself over and over again. When it was over I'm sure that millions of people
Continue readingPaul S. Graham: Israel Palestine International Law Symposium
Earlier this month I attended and recorded the proceedings of the Israel Palestine International Law Symposium, held in Winnipeg September 7 – 9. While I thought I was better informed than the average Canadian going into the symposium, by the time it was over I was overwhelmed by the amount of
Continue readingMontreal Simon: The Day the World Laughed at Donald Trump
It is said to be Donald Trump's greatest fear. The fear of being ridiculed or laughed at in public.So as you can see from the photo, as he waited to address the United Nations yesterday, he looked suitably solemn. And maybe even a little worried. Would world leaders recognize his greatness and
Continue readingdaveberta.ca – Alberta Politics: Fear of Soviet bombers a concern during the Trans Mountain Pipeline debate of 1952
The current debate around the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Pipeline centres around political posturing, provincial jurisdiction, investment priorities, climate change, coastal protection and consent by First Nations communities, but when the pipeline was originally being built in 1952, civil defence and the threat of war with the Soviet Union was
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Forget Postmedia’s paranoid propaganda: Becoming an environmental pariah won’t restore the ‘Alberta Advantage’
PHOTOS: An Alberta oilsands operation (Photo: Kris Krug, Creative Commons). Below: Calgary Herald political columnist Don Braid, Calgary Sun political columnist Rick Bell, and United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney. According to the United Conservative Party and its media echo chamber, there’s “a growing national push to suppress Alberta’s economy.”
Continue readingDead Wild Roses: United Nations Rejects US Unilateralism on Jerusalem.
The United Nations is a marginalized entity, like the League of Nations, it was formed with the idea that humanity, as a species can do better than just sit within our imaginary borders and fling poo (sometimes thermonuclear) at each other. It’s a noble and nice idea. And that’s about
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Quaking
I wonder if there have been any reports of unusual seismic activity in Canada today. If there have, they would likely be the consequence of the Trudeau government’s massive boot-quaking in the face of a bully. While 22 of the 28 EU countries, including the UK, France and Germany, voted
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: While We’re On the Subject of Jerusalem.
The Palestinians are once again on people’s minds (sort of, briefly) due to Donald Trump’s announcement that the US will recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. It sort of confirms the idea that if a nightmare drags on for decades, half a century is plenty, we forget what really
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Donald Trump’s Insane Day At The United Nations
Ever since General John Kelly took over as Donald Trump's chief of Staff, or Babysitter-in-Chief, he has been able to restrain him better than most.Marred only by the occasional temper tantrum or soiled diaper.But yesterday as we all know, Trump was able to escape Kelly's clutches for a couple of hours.And
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