The New Politics?
In writing recently about the similarities of Pierre Poilievre and Donald Trump, I kept walking around the obvious. Putting a political label on either of them is difficult. The truth…
2022
Today’s News: Conspiracy Theories
Does anyone still remember that 1997 Mel Gibson – Julia Roberts movie Conspiracy Theory? It was supposed to be just a thriller – comedy. Turns out, it was also predicting…
Bright Lights, Small Cities: Alberta may be calling but it’s doubtful Toronto is listening
Is it just me, or is it kind of embarrassing to see lame-duck Alberta Premier Jason Kenney and a couple of little-known United Conservative Party MLAs from rural Alberta hanging…
Colombian president calls for an end to the war on drugs in historic UN address
Gustavo Petro addresses the UN General Assembly, September 20, 2022. Photo courtesy the UN. On the first day of the United Nations General Assembly, Colombian President Gustavo Petro made his…
A Call to Arms
A newly-formed group calling itself “Arms Around Collingwood” sent a questionnaire to candidates for this municipal election. And while I have never heard of them, they claim to have “a…
State of Monarchy in the Caribbean
Caribbean Realm Flags Not too long ago there was somecontroversy during the Cambridge’s tourof the Caribbean, although this was reallyabout some politicians and activists tryingto shake things up. Royal tourseverywhere…
Today’s News: "It’s still real. It’s still terrifying. It’s still hard"
Beautiful illustration from The Globe and Mail, by Chippewa/Potawatomi artist Chief Lady Bird ? ᐅᑮᒪᑫᐧᐱᓀᐢ Inquests were just announced into the massacre of Sept. 4: BREAKING: Sask. chief coroner announces…
Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Aria Bendix and Shannon Pettypiece report on the reality that due to a failure to contain it in its early stages, COVID-19 now…
NGOs push for Montréal-based firm to be added to UN database of businesses operating in illegal Israeli settlements
An Israeli police officer walks next to a Jerusalem light rail car, Jerusalem. Photo courtesy WhoProfits.org. On September 15, Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq and the Canadian not-for-profit group Just…
Legal Tweet of the Day: September 21, 2022
#LegalTweetoftheDay: Texas sheriff opens criminal probe into whether migrants were lured to Martha’s Vineyard #law #legal #lawtwitter via @CBCNews https://bit.ly/3xDNsoQ – Garry J. Wise, Toronto Visit our Toronto Law Office…
Personal Troubles and Public Issues
“People do not usually define the troubles they endure in terms of historical change and institutional contradiction.” Developing a sociological imagination is necessary so that, “By such means the personal…
The Flight From Knowledge
There is never a moment in my post-teaching life when I have regretted retiring. The paperwork was bad enough, but in the latter part of my career, the politics were…
In yesterday walks tomorrow
The people saying Putin won’t ever use nuclear weapons are the same people who said he wouldn’t ever invade Ukraine. — Warren Kinsella (@kinsellawarren) September 21, 2022
Open Source Tracking of Fossil Fuels Companies
Information is power, and the fossil fuel companies don’t want anyone but them to have power. They have lied to governments, manipulated political parties, and publicly deny their actions are…
Food Insecurity
Food Insecurity has become a major problem for millions of Canadians. Armine Yalnizyan writes: Almost six million people were food insecure last year in Canada. More than a third of…
Gustavo Petro’s environmental protection plans face pushback from extractive companies
Colombian President Gustavo Petro at his inauguration on August 7, 2022. Photo courtesy USAID/Flickr. The progressive Colombian government of Gustavo Petro is drafting legislation that, if enacted, will require mining…
Ford Forges On.
It really is amazing. How come so many smart people in Ontario can elect such a dumb-ass premier? He really is, you know. Doug Ford would have difficulty finding a…
Former justice minister Kaycee Madu declares fealty to UCP frontrunner Danielle Smith by hailing convoy blockaders
You’ve got to hand it to Kaycee Madu, the only United Conservative Party MLA in Edmonton and for a little while at least Alberta’s minister of labour, the man’s got…
Tuesday Night Cat Blogging
Outstretched cats.