The deeper reasons for the “war on drugs”
There is a deeper reason for the war on drugs, which is the central reason for the policy, even outweighing profits from private prisons and seizure of property by law…
2013
Kevin Page at Journalism School and #UofR
Former Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page, now a professor at the UofO, was a guest at the UofR’s J-School, then CCPA sponsored lecture on Thursday night. I live-tweeted the events,…
Inquistr: TPP discussion to censor the Internet underway
We’ve won before by stopping legislation aimed at restricting Internet access – and as more and more people speak out against the ultra-secretive Trans-Pacific Partnership’s (TPP) Internet Censorship plan, we…
If Our Premiers Only Had the Courage of Our First Nations
Murray Dobbins weighs in on our prime minister’s obvious contempt for democracy. Investment is always portrayed as a good thing, period. It creates jobs, increases tax revenues, grows the economy.…
Oil Blights Louisiana’s Coast as Second Phase of BP Oil Spill Trial Begins
The toxic mess left in the wake of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil disaster continues to negatively impact Gulf Coast ecosystems as the second phase of the BP trial begins…
50 Years: Has Anything Changed?
I remember that day, in 1963. I was in high school. Penmanship class, after lunch. I think it was the last year for penmanship in Ontario high school, but even…
South Korea Pulls Lockheed’s Fat Out of The Fire, But What Does It Truly Say?
Some last-minute arm twisting persuaded the South Korea government to overturn the decision to buy modified Boeing F-15 Stealth Eagles in favour of Lockheed’s overdue, overpriced and under-performing F-35. But…
“Most young Canadians I talk to are going to spend most of their lives out of the country.”
Dear former Liberal comrades, there’s your problem. You’re so profoundly skewed that you anointed a guy like Count Michael Ignatieff your leader. A guy who travels in circles where ‘most…
Daily Digital Digest for Monday September 30, 2013
Here are your daily news links: Glenn Greenwald, Jeremy Scahill Working On New NSA Revelations (Huffington Post) Did anyone notice their offered plans simultaneously get worse AND more expensive this…
On Euroscepticism
One of the most influential books I’ve read in the past couple years was Steven Pinker’s Better Angels of our Nature. In it, he attempts first to build the case…
Calgary Sun Plays The Racist Card …
It’s never been a big secret that lurking just underneath the surface of Canada’s right wing politics is a religiously-inspired vein of racism. It reared its head back in the…
Where sentence to be imposed exceeds range suggested opportunity for further submissions appropriate
R. v. Stewart, 2013 ONCA 579: As to sentence, in our view, the trial judge made several errors in principle. She exceeded the sentence sought by the Crown by a…
Quebec Charter hurting secular efforts
Efforts to defend the separation of church and state in English Canada are already suffering as Quebec’s Charter of Secularism Values is used to argue that secularism is “exclusionary” or…
Continuous ConJob Growing Like a Weed….
$1.3B medical marijuana free market coming to Canada New system will use large indoor marijuana farms certified by RCMP The Canadian Press Posted: Sep 29, 2013 3:52 PM ET Last…
Political parties putting on the hard sell
Is it just me, or do politicians seem like televangelists these days? I’m starting to regret subscribing to the websites of various parties. Everyday my Inbox has more appeals for…
Harper government legalizing marijuana farms
That is something coming from the conservative government – especially Harper regime. The Conservative government is launching a $1.3-billion free market in medical marijuana this Tuesday, eventually providing an expected…
Sept. 30: no news but – oh – what a blooper…..
I’ll save the blooper for the end. It’s a real collector’s item. The only international news story is one from Kenya, “Last body in morgue identified after mall attack.” Now,…
Soil Benefits from Organic Farming
The benefits of organic farming keep revealing themselves – it turns out that the soil itself benefits from farmers growing organic crops. “Farmers interested in transitioning to organic production will…
Alan Cross notices the Hot Nasties!
And he finds us to be “real rough around the edges punk rock, bursting with angst, enthusiasm and youthful naiveté”! Sounds about right. His bit on us is here. Oh,…