If the allegations about the British based bank Standard Chartered Bank PLC are true then a financial institution that has been at the forefront of a “corporate responsibility” campaign is guilty of an instance of money laundering that makes the Bank of Credit and Commerce International look like Romper Room
Continue readingTag: US politics
Blast Furnace Canada Blog: Romney should audition for Keystone Kops with his mouth
Remember four years ago and Barack Obama’s goodwill tour of Europe — well before the Democratic convention — and how it brought out people in the tens of thousands; including 200,000 at Victory Column in Berlin. No surprise there as he was spreading the word of reconciliation with the NATO
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Why Boy Scouts of America is allowed to discriminate: Comparing US and Canadian human rights laws
I recently expressed outrage over the Boy Scouts of America’s decision to continue banning members who were LGBT or atheists/agnostics. Ideally, groups like BSoA would be able to figure out for themselves that this homophobic and discriminatory policy is not acceptable. But there is also a legal question as to
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Obama should act more religious
If I could write Obama’s speeches so as to best influence the national conversation in a positive way, they would have simply no mention of religion. Our society is best served by candidates being chosen not by a religious litmus test but by a robust debate on the relevant political
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: A more realistic approach to limiting the influence of money in politics
Cenk Ugyur, host of the popular The Young Turks (a progressive, internet-based US politics show), frequently like to deride the pervasive and damaging influence of Big Money in US politics, especially in the post-Citizens United era. He is right to do so for this is, indeed, among the most corrupting
Continue readingPop The Stack: Health Care Dissent: Here’s What The Conservative Wing Wanted To Happen
I find the entire argument conservatives are making against healthcare here so bizarre.As if healthcare were one type of market just like any other, it isn’t. First, we are talking about insurance, so it really does hurt others when you don’t join and try to use the service later anyways.
Continue readingPop The Stack: Health Care Dissent: Here’s What The Conservative Wing Wanted To Happen
I find the entire argument conservatives are making against healthcare here so bizarre.As if healthcare were one type of market just like any other, it isn’t. First, we are talking about insurance, so it really does hurt others when you don’t join and try to use the service later anyways.
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: US Supremes — courage in upholding health care
Who would have thunk it? The Chief Justice of the United States, John G. Roberts — and not Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy — proved to be the swing vote in upholding most of Barack Obama’s health care initiative. (Text of decision in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, and
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Romney and the "M" word
CNN’s religion section notes today that W. Mitt Romney (W for Willard) still has a major hurdle to overcome on the road to the White House. His religion, Mormonism. Now personally I can’t understand why it should be such a big deal — who should honestly care what one’s belief
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Obama’s flip-flop for the good
I never thought I’d live to see the day, but finally a sitting US President — Barack Obama — has stated the obvious: Gays and lesbians should have the right to get married. While he is still a bit cautious about nationalizing the issue, saying it should also be an
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Blast Furnace Canada Blog 2012-05-07 14:48:00
Today, David Frum in a column for CNN said the obvious, what most of us in the progressive movement have been saying — that Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican challenger to incumbent US President and Democrat Barack Obama, has allowed himself to cave in to the extremist elements of the
Continue readingwmtc: i saw so much stupid, i got scared and ran away
I interrupt my Marxism 2011 notes to share with you a frightening vision. No, it wasn’t a vision. It was glimpse of horrifying reality. Last night I did a Twitter search for “Marxism”. But in addition to looking for #Marxism, I also searched on the word, without the hashtag. Big
Continue readingwmtc: marxism 2011 program notes: workers fight back: lessons from wisconsin
These are my notes from the 2011 Marxism conference in Toronto. The series starts here. * * * * How can we stop the right?Christine Beckermann, member of ISMay 29, 2011 With the emergence of the Tea Party in the US, Rob Ford’s election in Toronto, and now the Harper
Continue readingwmtc: marxism 2011 program notes: how can we stop the right?
These are my notes from the 2011 Marxism conference in Toronto. The series starts here. * * * * How can we stop the right?Christine Beckermann, member of ISMay 29, 2011 With the emergence of the Tea Party in the US, Rob Ford’s election in Toronto, and now the Harper
Continue readingwmtc: marxism 2011 program notes: how can we stop the right?
These are my notes from the 2011 Marxism conference in Toronto. The series starts here. * * * * How can we stop the right?Christine Beckermann, member of ISMay 29, 2011 With the emergence of the Tea Party in the US, Rob Ford’s election in Toronto, and now the Harper
Continue readingRed Tory v.3.0.3: Nerd Prom 2012 Speeches
Keynote speeches from this year’s White House Correspondents’ dinner by Jimmy Kimmel and President Obama:
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Wildrose defeat shows the limits of social conservatism in Canada
Alberta is Canada’s most right leaning province. The Wildrose party is a further right splitting of the long dominant right leaning party in Alberta. If there is anywhere that the most extreme socially conservative positions are going to be uttered, it is from the Wildrose party. However, if we look
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Connecticut abolishes death penalty
This is easily the good news story of the day. Last night, the state legislature in Connecticut abolished the death penalty. The number of states that have done away with the practice is now seventeen (the first was Michigan in 1846), along with Washington DC and Puetro Rico. As well,
Continue readingbastard.logic: Holiday Weekend Link Round-up (Or, Yes, I WAS too lazy to write something original. Deal.)
What you should be reading this holiday weekend, in lieu of spending quality time with your family/loved ones (like yrs truly will be a little later): – Open ass, insert head: Dave, Cathie, Dawg, pale_, and Orwell’s Bastard, on the latest iteration of ‘Progressive Bloggers [sic] journey to the centre of their
Continue readingThink It’s Okay to Feed The Homeless? Think Again!
New York City. Dallas. Houston.Las Vegas. Orlando. Philadelphia. All major US cities that have now BANNED distribution of food to the homeless in some form. Numerous reasons are sited such as; feedings lack both sanitary conditions and dignity( Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter), feeding “the indigent” (Las Vegas ordinance), stopping Christian groups from giving
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