My latest: amend the constitution, save the planet
Want to save the planet? Amend the Constitution. In the United States, such an amendment has been sought since 1996. Here’s what it says: “The natural resources of the nation…
2019
Still Stuck on 88
I can’t quite get past this idea of 88. When I read that a survey of Canadian voters found that 88 per cent had lost faith in their government, Parliament,…
Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Mark Rice-Oxley points out the observations of the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Health as to the stress and mental illness caused by…
We’ve Been Here Before
Tom Walkom writes that the fight over the carbon tax echoes the furor over the metrification of Canada: Nearly five decades ago, discontented Tories targeted another Trudeau government on another…
The Importance of Candidate Vetting
One of the most important parts of a well run party in the 21st century is a solid organizing team, one that is able to not only get members activate…
Does distaff determine Democratic destiny?
An unwieldy field of two-dozen potential candidates is vying for the Democratic nomination next year in the United States. Luckily, there have been surprises. The key surprise is that two…
Parades! Bands! Singers! Tanks! Some thoughts on Independence Day, Donald Trump, and the state of the neighbourhood this July 4
Today is Independence Day, the 4th of July, best known in Canada as the setting for the country gothic hit of the same name but, of course, also our cacophonous…
Alfred E. Nomore
Huge part of my youth, and my sick sense of humour. This fucking sucks.
Red Deer Horror: The Toxic Trudeau Haters Strike Again
I have never understood why the Cons and other toxic Trudeau haters get such a perverted pleasure going after our prime minister and his family.But I do know it's not…
Horgan’s Government OKs contaminated soil at Shawnigan to remain
Will Sonia Furstenau and her fellow Green MLA’s Adam Olsen and leader Andrew Weaver withdraw support of the BC NDP government over this slap in the face to those residents…
I Am a Democrat … and an Elitist
There is much talk about populism these days. The term has a variety of definitions, but the general idea is that society is separated into two groups at odds with…
Banking on a Solution
Canada is a massive country, a huge swath of land stretching to the eastern, western and northern extremes of the North American continent. Being such a geographically large country brings…
Wednesday Morning Links
This and that for your mid-week reading. – Rick Salutin discusses the needed rise of left-wing populism in the U.S.’ presidential campaign (and elsewhere). – Ed Finn highlights how policies…
Venezuela’s Guaido Investigated for Aid Embezzlement
Venezuelan authorities have opened a new criminal investigation against self-declared “Interim President” Juan Guaido for his role in the “humanitarian aid” corruption scandal unveiled over the weekend. Attorney General Tarek…
Corporate Mapping Project names top fossil-fuel emitters, enablers and legitimators, unlocks online database
“The fossil fuel industry … is the biggest obstacle to real action on climate change today,” says the co-director of the Corporate Mapping Project, which this morning published an eye-opening…
The Problem With Billionaires
We live in a culture that exults billionaires. But billionaires, George Monbiot writes, are a problem: All billionaires want the same thing – a world that works for them. For…
In the confessional of Québec.
When Alfred Hitchcock directed his 1953 film I Confess in Quebec City, he had problems getting cooperation from the Archdiocese of Québec, until he had the ending of the movie…
Privatizing public wealth
In July 2018, newly installed Premier Doug Ford announced that noted ex-con and former BC Premier Gordon Campbell would lead an “independent” inquiry into Ontario’s past spending and accounting practices.…
Donald Trump and the Madness of the Dictator
As we all know Donald Trump has a special attraction for dictators. He likes to hang out with them, and share intimate moments with them. And who can seriously doubt…
Tuesday Night Cat Blogging
Companion cats.