He May Be Hard to Take But He Makes a Point
Russell Brand’s frenetic comedy can be off-putting but, every now and then, he proves he’s worth a listen.
2013
"Mission Accomplished" Mr. Harper
The greatest misconception the Canadian people have of Stephen Harper, the same misconception that delivered him a majority government, is that he’s a competent manager of the Canadian economy. Says…
When Good Data Goes Bad: The NHS2011
This piece was published today in the Globe and Mail’s Economy Lab. Two findings stand out in the National Household Survey (NHS) data released Wednesday, both critical in this post-recession…
The good, the bad, and the lawful
The fallout from Kerry’s accident has been very interesting to observe but lost in the black and white good and bad comparisons of historical Russian and U.S. action has been…
Washington Throws Chemical Safety Standards Out the Window, Are Fracking Chemicals Next?
As our elected officials in Washington attempt to sell us on the idea that we need to go to war against anyone who uses chemical weapons, they are working to…
Massive power bill increases due to Liberals’ failed IPP scheme
BC Energy Minister Bill Bennett (photo: CP) I told you so! My colleague Damien Gillis told you so! Independent economist Erik Andersen told you so! The Campbell/Clark government has taken…
Dead, non-dead, or walking dead? The global financial crisis and neo-liberalism
Dead, non-dead, or walking dead? The global financial crisis and neo-liberalism. Filed under: Uncategorized
Idi Amin, Pauline Marois and the Race Card. . . .
In 1972 Idi Amin said that he had a dream in which God told him to expel the Indian and Pakistani population of Uganda. It was a terrible act by…
Video: The incredible shrinking Kingston hospital
Following Monday’s demonstration outside the former Kingston psychiatric hospital, Providence Care is now telling staff that the job cuts and bed closures taking place are not about funding? Really? Even…
Where’s the Democracy in the Environmental Movement?
With tar sands, fracking and mining all on the rise, there’s never been a more important time for a strong environmental movement in Canada. Surveying the landscape of organizations, one…
Quiet streets, emboldened hearts
I’m standing with Francis Grenier in downtown Montreal, just blocks away from the spot where his life took a drastic turn. On March 7, 2012, Grenier, a 23-year-old visual arts…
Always be Batman
Filed under: art
Let’s Start the Revolution – in Richmond, California.
It’s called the doctrine of Eminent Domain. It basically amounts to the right of government to expropriate private property and it usually requires the government pay market value compensation. Now…
The right response to prejudice
Everyone is talking about Lakeridge Hospital’s brilliant response to the hateful Parti Quebecois “Charter.” The news stories – one of them is here – don’t tell you who came up…
Marshall Berman, 1940-2013
Reblogged from Corey Robin: Political theorist Marshall Berman, who was my colleague at the CUNY Graduate Center, died yesterday morning. When I heard the news last night, my first thought…
Family Photos: The Wonders of the Internet
This summer one of my cousins and I sat down for the first time in years and talked family. She’s started doing geneology and told me she’d come up with…
Take That Pauline
This whole Quebec Charter of Values is a bummer. It’s so bad it got me to resurrect a term from the 60s. Must lift spirits. I know, let’s see what…
Quebec Values? No, just politics of separatism
The Quebec government plans to forbid the wearing of religious garb in government facilities. There will be time limited exceptions for religious hospitals or schools that elect to opt out.…
The U.S. and Assad. America Has Been Down This Road Before.
Is the United States poised to repeat the same mistakes in Syria that it made in Iraq after 1991? Chatham House, Associate Fellow, Nadim Shehadi, warns that is exactly what…