We all know what a stable genius the President is, you really have to admire him coming up with quality solutions on the fly during a press conference. Medical doctors are going to try his ideas as soon as they find a volunteer and an unethical doctor to administer them.
Continue readingTag: United States
So Long Bernie, It’s Been Good to Know Ya
So Bernie Sanders has packed it in. As someone whose views commonly fall within the ambit of social democracy, I could have easily voted for Bernie—if I was a citizen of his formerly great nation. The U.S. is desperately in need of some of his views, especially on growing inequality
Continue readingAlberta Politics: The coronavirus pandemic: Not good news for anyone, but probably worse news for the West than China
The novel coronavirus hit China first. Today was the first day China reported no new local infections since the global pandemic officially began in Hubei province in the fall of 2019. No new local infections means that while there were 34 cases reported in China in the previous 24 hours,
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Bernie Won Iowa Popular Vote
Here’s Mayor Pete’s opinion on getting the most votes: “At risk of sounding a little simplistic, one thing I believe is that in an American Presidential election, the person who gets the most votes ought to be the person who wins.” #CNNTownHall #PeteforAmerica pic.twitter.com/L2KCeyqMDO — Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) March 11,
Continue readingIs the U.S. Returning to Its Imperial Roots?
In 1776, the United States declared its independence of Great Britain. The Americans had had their fill of aristocracy and monarchy. Once they had defeated the British, they wrote a constitution that would establish and constrain the federal government. The head of state, for example, now a president rather than
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: The World’s Most Dangerous Man
There are a lot of unpleasant people running countries these days. North Korea’s Kim Jong-un for example, surrounding himself with nuclear weapons while his people starve. Or China’s Xi Jinping, who has made himself emperor. Or the homicidal crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad bin Salman. Or Jair Bolsonaro of
Continue readingCitizens’ Assemblies Gaining Favour
Democracy has been producing some perverse results recently. A prime example is our neighbour to the south. In 2016, the American people elected Hillary Clinton, one of the most qualified candidates they have ever been offered for president, but they got Donald Trump, undoubtedly the least qualified candidate they have
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Holocaust in Australia—We Are All Guilty
Scott Morrison, Prime Minister of Australia, has been referred to as a blockhead, which is fair, and not because his large head is rather squarish. He was warned by his Department of Home Affairs that Australia faced more frequent and severe heatwaves and bush fires due to global warming. Twice
Continue readingDefending the Indefensible Left and Right
People of the left and, one would hope, also many on the right, look on with horror as Republican politicians unconditionally support their degenerate president. Trump once boasted “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose any voters,” and it appears that
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: The Most Consequential Decision of the Decade
This is the time when we commonly look back over the year, or decade, or century, and pronounce our choice of the most significant event or events. There are endless events to choose and a multitude of rationals for our different choices. So many in fact I weary of making
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: We Spend More Than Enough on Our Military
Once again the Americans are leaning on us to spend more on our military. The new U.S. national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, insists it is an “urgent priority” that American allies set their military budgets at two percent of their GDP. They spend 3.2 percent, we spend 1.3 percent, and
Continue readingThe Quality and the Rabble in American Government
The health of democracy, indeed government generally, often rests more with the quality of a country’s civil servants than with the quality of its politicians and their associates. Rarely have we seen as graphic a contrast between the two as we are seeing at the Trump impeachment hearings. On the
Continue readingEvangelicals and Their Populist Prophets
Christian evangelicals are having good innings in the political sphere these days. First, their man Donald Trump becomes president of the U.S.; then another of their populist heroes, Jair Bolsonaro, becomes president of Brazil; and now Bible-toting evangelical Jeanine Anez has assumed the presidency of Bolivia. Hallelujahs all around. Curiously,
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Alberta—the Old South in the Cold North
Reading the book All God’s Children, I encountered a section about the relationship of the American South to the Union just prior to the Civil War. As I read on, I realized it was remarkably similar to the relationship of Alberta to our federation today. Prior to the Civil War,
Continue readingTrump and Israel—So Much for Separation of Church and State
The Trump administration has taken yet another step in its radical support of Israel. Having recognized Jerusalem as the Israeli capital, recognized Israeli sovereignty in the Golan Heights, cut off aid to the Palestinians, and abandoned the Iran agreement, it has now declared that Israeli settlements on occupied Palestinian land
Continue readingPaul S. Graham: America’s enforcer in the Middle East
Stephen Gowans is an independent Canadian political analyst. His writings, which appear on his What’s Left blog have been reproduced widely in online and print media in many languages and had been cited in academic journals and other scholarly works. He’s the author of Washington’s Long War on Syria (2017),
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Perfidious America
Early in 2018, U.S. President Donald J. Trump withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear deal, a deal largely negotiated by and signed off on by his own country. Iran had been keeping its side of the bargain and the other five partners were happy with the results. Nonetheless,
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Scapegoating the oil industry
I always admired that great philosopher Pogo. I still remember the picture of he and a friend looking out over their polluted swamp as he uttered those immortal words, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” No scapegoating. It was their swamp and they had messed it up.
Continue readingPaul S. Graham: The US/Canadian attack on Cuba and Venezuela
Winnipeg, Oct. 3, 2019 – Arnold August, speaking at the University of Manitoba about US and Canadian foreign policy regarding Cuba and Venezuela. Photo: Paul S. Graham There is no doubt that Canadian foreign policy has taken a hard turn to the right, especially with regard to Latin America. Arnold
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Bye-den
The Democracts mostly don’t mind having a President going out of his mind after being boiled frogs thanks to Trump and Bush. Check out Biden’s rambling answer in a debate. #DeanScream2 ? If you’re not old enough, look into what happened to Howard Dean for the 2004 campaign. Record players
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