Will the poppy ban sink Afghanistan’s economy?
“All compatriots are informed from the date of the issuance of this decree, poppy cultivation is absolutely prohibited in the whole country and no one can try to cultivate the…
Bill Longstaff
Alberta—the political province
Canada’s central and eastern provinces, with the exception of Quebec, are all governed by the same two parties that date from the time of Confederation—the Liberals and the Conservatives. The…
Americans and big lies
Watching “The Plan to Overturn the Election” on American public TV’s Frontline the other evening, I was once again amazed by how many people can believe a lie that is…
Another day, another carbon plan
Is there any issue that has had more plans and less action than global warming? Now the feds have presented us with another. And like its predecessors, it looks good…
Premier Kenney—conservative saviour?
The premier of Alberta has a mission, one that goes beyond leading the UCP and running the province. He must save his party from lunatics. At least according to a…
Does a U.S. Supreme Court justice advocate a military-backed coup?
Spouses are not their partners. They are unique individuals and deserve to be respected accordingly. But when a U.S. Supreme Court justice’s wife, his most intimate and important advisor, advocates…
The international macho fraternity
Macho men have throughout history dominated societies—kings, warlords, military leaders and assorted demagogues. Despite the advance of democracy in the past few centuries, modern societies still have their share. Three…
Majority government – who would have thought?
I was pleased indeed to read about the agreement between the Liberals and the NDP to create a stable government until 2025. This will be the first time in almost…
The GOP wanders right off the political spectrum
The polarization of political views now has many Americans rightly worried about the future of their democracy. At least those that care about democracy. Some almost seem to welcome its…
An unholy duo
Christianity has often sucked up to power. Even in these days of generally more enlightened religion, there are still Christian leaders who will kiss the king’s ring in order to…
A good read and MMT
Occasionally I will read a book and experience an epiphany. I now see the topic from a completely new perspective. Perhaps the most memorable of these was reading Richard Dawkins’…
A new look
If you were looking for Views from the Beltline and thought you’d come to the wrong place, fear not dear readers, you are exactly where you wanted to be. A…
Putin and NATO
A proposed explanation, if not a justification, for Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is that NATO pushed too far east and thus posed a threat. Actually it wasn’t so much…
The “racialized” fallacy … or how to (or not to) compare ethnic groups
Dealing with bigotry in its various forms is a major issue of our times. If the subject is to be discussed intelligently and sound policies established, it needs to be…
The Ukraine war—a boon for the Prairies
War mostly bings death, destruction and suffering, but it also brings profits for some. In the case of the current war in the Ukraine, much profit will be brought to…
How much more of our money will Kenney spend on his crusades?
Our belligerent premier, Mr. Kenney, rarely misses an opportunity to pick a fight with the feds. His latest foray is a court challenge of PM Trudeau’s invoking of the Emergencies…
Ukraine—a hard power lesson for Iran … and others
In December, 1991, as the Soviet Union crumbled into dust, Ukrainians voted overwhelmingly for independence. Thus was created something of a nuclear problem. The new country was the world’s third…
Putin’s apologists
Russia’s war-mongering president, Vladimir Putin, has many admirers in the West. Various notable European politicians have paid homage, including the leader of France’s far right National Rally party, Marine Le…
Another dazzling bust to boom for Alberta
Having lived in Alberta on and off for over 60 years, I’ve seen my share of boom and bust cycles, perhaps our most well known economic phenomenon. But this last…
The American retreat punishes the Afghan people
The Taliban are in a celebratory mood. Afghanistan has just defeated its third Western empire and they can take the credit. The Afghans humiliated the British in the 19th century,…