Earth scientist David Hughes has become well known in certain circles as the Cassandra of the oilpatch. Cassandra, as the classically educated will recall, was the priestess of Apollo cursed to foretell the truth and never persuade anyone. A figure of Greek myth, and a walk-on part with a few
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Alberta Politics: Alberta is Alberta again! The poor little rich kid of Confederation brings down a budget
Happy St. Crispin’s Day, Alberta! Appropriately enough, it’s time for those of us who live here in Wild Rose Country to cry, “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more!” Alberta is Alberta again! Yesterday’s vicious austerity budget proves it. Alberta’s once again the poor little rich kid 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 readingAlberta Politics: National Energy Board ruling on Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion leaves everyone deep in their message boxes
Common sense would suggest the recommendation of the National Energy Board yesterday that Ottawa approve the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project despite significant risks to the environment is a small but significant step toward eventual completion of the controversial multi-billion-dollar megaproject. But as was already evident in the immediate reaction
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: A Shakespearean Analysis of Jason Kenney
How many books and articles have we read about the rise of Donald Trump in America, Doug Ford in Ontario and Jason Kenney in Alberta? How many more historians, political scientists and armchair experts do we need to tell us how we got into this mess and how to get
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Your Weekend BS: The straight poop on profanity in politics and the state of public discourse in Alberta
PHOTOS: Alberta politicians Deron Bilous, Jason Kenney, Derek Fildebrandt and Thomas Lukaszuk, all from the author’s vast collection of snapshots. Trigger warning! This dispatch from the Annals of Political Discourse in Alberta contains words unsuitable for sensitive and young readers. For a more fulsome discussion of why they are included
Continue readingAlberta Politics: A Thought for Will Shakespeare on the 23rd of April, 2016
Four hundred years ago today, Old Will Did shuffle off his mortal coil; itself, The one young Hamlet noted with a chill, That can’t be sidestepped by collected wealth. The point’s established clearly, the last word Will not be left to you, no matte…
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Campaign Diary Volume 7: It’s Nomination Day … ‘In for a penny, in for a pound!’
That’s me, David Climenhaga, candidate for St. Albert City Council, handing over my nomination papers yesterday morning to city Chief Legislative Officer Chris Belke. Below: Checking my papers one last time; pausing at the entrance to the East Boardroom of St. Albert Place, where yesterday’s democratic action took place. “In
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