Ukraine: the war that went wrong
“Everything Must Go.” Illustration by Mr. Fish. Empires in terminal decline leap from one military fiasco to the next. The war in Ukraine, another bungled attempt to reassert US global…
2023
Sunday Afternoon Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Melody Schrieber reports on new data showing that more Americans missed work due to illness in 2022 than in any other year…
So … The Social Woes Of Today Are The Fault of Whom?!
The political right wing's inability to understand things beyond simplistic bromides has always surprised me. I get that it makes for easy sound bite politicking, but seriously, the conclusions drawn…
The Problem Is Ford
The healthcare system in Ontario is under severe strain. Doug Ford says that the way to fix the problem is to move procedures from hospitals to private for-profit clinics. Linda…
State files confirm targeted RCMP violence in the aftermath of 1969 Sir George protest
Students during the 1969 Sir George Williams University student protest. Concordia released an official apology for its mishandling of race-based student complaints in October 2022. Photo courtesy Concordia University. When…
Fault Lines
I was honoured to chair the Council Of Canadian Academies panel on misinformation. Our report, Fault Lines, is available here. https://cca-reports.ca/reports/the-socioeconomic-impacts-of-health-and-science-misinformation/
Poilievre’s Poison.
It’s pocketbook economics. Poilievre has found that if you distort the scenario just enough, it serves various purposes. If you imply that the Bank of Canada is at the beck…
Today’s Great Stuff
Here are some of the funny tweets and stories I have seen over the last couple of weeks: I am so tired of living like it’s the 1600s. Can I…
The welfare state and the American dream
The American founding fathers had a vision of a roughly equal society. At least for white people—others didn’t count in either the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution. Equality was…
It’s a Social Problem, not a Medical Problem
Carol Dumaine wrote about the Davos safety measures, and how the rest of us are playing Covid roulette. It’s a solid read, but I got totally sidetracked by one of…
The 2024 Hybrid Corvette: A sign of the coming change
So anyone who knows me knows that I am not a car guy. However, one would have to be an ostrich to not see that there is a big change…
The king is dead
This is huge for me, us. In our little punk rock circle on the Canadian prairies, Marquee Moon was the summit – not punk rock, but with a punk sensibility…
Saturday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Kat Eschner interviews John Peters about the growing inequality in wealth, income and influence. And Scott Martin offers a reminder not to conflate…
Saturday Photo: An Afternoon in the Park…
Neighborhood park are great things, and we are lucky to have three nearby. They’re used by local daycares and schools too–and not just in the summer time. This group of…
They’re Taking The Books Out Of Classrooms
In Florida, they’re getting rid of lots of books. Marsha Lederman writes: Just when you thought things couldn’t get any weirder or more depressing on the U.S. book-ban front comes…
Protect nature, or face human extinction
It seems like a no-brainer that in protecting nature, we are protecting ourselves and working to ensure human survival. Yet the ruling classes believe they can insulate themselves from consequences…
Ford’s Innovation?
If the business of the province is to deliver healthcare to its citizens, then why is the federal government butting in? What if Doug Ford’s version of Medicare is different…
Challenge accepted: Premier throws down the gauntlet with defamation accusation; CBC picks it up
On Wednesday, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith threw down the gauntlet, accusing the CBC of defamation and demanding that the corporation retract and apologize for its Jan. 19 report someone on…
She Certainly Puts Them In Their Place
Recently I have seen some quite good videos posted by young people on Tik Tock (a platform I am not on) that were reposted on Twitter. It heartens me to…