Is America an Oligarchy? – The New Yorker. From the Dept. of Academics Confirming Something You Already Suspected comes a new study concluding that rich people and organizations representing business interests have a powerful grip on U.S. government policy. After examining differences in public opinion across income groups on
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wmtc: the courage and compassion of dr. willie parker, the last abortion doctor in mississippi
“The Pink House”, the last abortion clinic in Mississippi.The owner painted it pink so it would stand out, in defiance. I’ve thought a lot about heroes, that tremendously overused word, about who my heroes are and why I love them. Moral courage, as you may know, is my highest value.
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: The marriage equality war in the US is over. We won.
You know how on election night the TV news channels try to out do each other with ever more ridiculous graphics and sound to announce their big “Official Prediction” ages after everyone has already figured out who the winner is going to be? Well drum roll please, ladies and gentlemen
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Arkansas sees the light; who next?
Four states in the South (via the courts) have now recognized gay marriage: Virginia, Texas, Oklahoma … and now Arkansas. The latter three are actually quite conservative, which is one thing; but what makes the Arkansas ruling interesting is that the court didn’t use “strict scrutiny” to strike down the
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: US-NATO sponsored Kiev coalition government is responsible for the killings by Neo-Nazi Right Sector mobs
The deliberate and dangerous escalation of violence against eastern Ukrainians of Russian origin and loyalties is driven by NATO partners giving licence to thugs and neo Nazi’s who are doing their dirty work. It is ugly and is being ignored or reframed by most western media sources. Fortunately not all
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: How Obama Shocked Harper as Keystone’s Frustrator-in-Chief
Richard Hub Hughes-Political Blogger Here is a ‘Bloomberg Business News’ snapshot of todays strained US Canada relations. Our troubles are politically driven and stalled by the ups and downs of the Keystone pipeline controversy. US President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Harper are dissimilar in most if not all respects.
Continue readingScripturient: Blog & Commentary: Pseudo-patriotic madness
This is news, right from the CBC, not April Fool or The Onion: The Massachusetts House of Representatives has finally granted initial approval to a Bill naming the Fluffernutter the official state sandwich. The bill was filed in 2006 by then Representative Kathi-Anne Reinstein, in response to a motion by
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Ukraine, Through the US Looking Glass
Robert Parry-Consortium News by Robert Parry The acting president of the coup regime in Kiev announces that he is ordering an “anti-terrorist” operation against pro-Russian protesters in eastern Ukraine, while his national security chief says he has dispatched right-wing ultranationalist fighters who spearheaded the Feb. 22 coup that ousted elected
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Shawnigan’s Discovery Elementary School Drama May Be Nearing Resolution
Don Maroc-Cowichan Conversations Contributor Act one of the Discovery Elementary school drama of misguided, overzealous parents disrupting classroom decorum and taking advantage of school district authorities’ well-meaning efforts at accommodation has run its course. Let school district policy makers, whether elected school trustees or a province imposed single trustee, take
Continue readingwmtc: lessons from wisconsin and michigan: tim hudak’s threat to ontario workers is not over
Last September, when Tim Hudak announced that he intended to break Ontario’s unions, it came as no surprise to labour activists. The head of Ontario’s Progressive Conservative Party, cynically framing the issue as one of “choice,” talked about “right-to-work” – a familiar euphemism for union busting – and repealing the
Continue readingBlast Furnace Canada Blog: Finally, the Confederacy gets on board — well, one state does
In a decision that surprised me, a Southern federal judge overturned Virginia’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage. Judge Arenda L. Wright Allen also ruled that the state also had to start respecting the laws of 17 other states and Washington DC that permit the practice. This marks the first time
Continue readingProgressive Proselytizing: Does the Left have a corresponding great lie?
Yesterday, I gave a pretty harsh critique on the self contradicting core conservative talking point of cutting debt and taxes to create jobs. What I argued was that if your vision is a dramatic reduction in the size and scope of government, then be honest about it and run on
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Vindication for Snowden? Obama Panel Backs Major Curbs on NSA Surveillance, Phone Record Data Mining
Richard Hughes-Political Blogger Hardly a day goes by without learning about further intrusions into the privacy of citizens in both the US and Canada. Edward Snowden’s handling of the damning intrusions and once unthinkable surveillance has increased public recognition and appreciation for his efforts shining a light on the unprecedented
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Snowden Reveals Extent of Canada’s Spying on Behalf of NSA
More at The Real News
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: US Students Holding Howard Zinn Readings to Fight Censhorship
Richard Hughes-Political Blogger In spite of the advances of ultra conservative thoughts and deeds a breath of freedom and fresh air emerges from American colleges and universities. It really does show that many of the younger generations get it and are effectively challenging right wing forces of ignorance and control. Former
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Oh Canada! We Were Once Respected, But Now We Are Despised!
Richard Hughes-Political Blogger PM Stephen Harper set out to change Canada so that it would not be recognizable. He has succeeded in spades and at the same time as he is being damned , by association so are we all. He has diminished our sense of pride and replaced it with
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Ted Cruz is dangerous and he is a Republican Tea Party favourite!
Richard HughesPolitical Blogger Canadians cannot and should not avoid taking stock of what is taking place in our neighbouring country, the U.S.A. Most of us have heard about the fight over Obamacare. In comparison with our ‘Single Payer Universal’ health care, Obamacare is really just an introductory level of care that falls
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Elizabeth Warren Speaks Out Against the Bizarre Shutdown of the US Government
Give a listen to this speech by one of the classiest and most skilled politicians anywhere these days. Senator Elizabeth Warren nails it.
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