Trump and the definition of fascism
Is Donald Trump a fascist? He has been accused of being one, including by me in previous posts, but the left is inclined to label conservatives they particularly dislike as…
Bill Longstaff
Albertans support net-zero by 2050, but …
A recent survey by Janet Brown Opinion Research, commissioned by the Pembina Institute, showed some encouraging attitudes of Albertans toward climate change. For example, two-thirds of those surveyed support the…
Is Joe up to the challenge?
The strongest emotion many people felt in response to the election of Joe Biden as president of the U.S. was relief. Relief not because Biden is the new president but…
Another Albertan’s reaction to President Biden’s climate announcements
When I read about U.S. President Biden’s first steps down the climate change path he intends to follow, I was delighted, primarily because of his stated intention to rejoin the…
Democracy and mass delusion
I have always been intrigued by people’s tendency to believe what they want to believe rather than what the facts are telling them, to believe what their innate biases desire…
Has Trump revived fascism in the Republican Party?
I am surprised and disappointed at those Republicans who support Trump to the point of rejecting the will of the American people and even democracy itself. The recent effort to…
A tale of two presidents and the rule of law
We can draw an interesting comparison between two politicians currently concerned that the long arm of the law may catch up to them upon leaving the sanctuary of the presidency.…
Use the war room to educate Albertans?
In December 2019, the Alberta government launched the Canadian Energy Centre. The new UCP government had fulfilled its election promise of an energy “war room” that would “fight fake news…
Conservatives and the working class
During the 2019 provincial election UCP leader Jason Kenney rambled about Alberta in a big blue pickup truck for all the world like a toiler in the oil fields. The…
Parsing Alberta’s oil industry
One could divide Alberta up in various ways. First, as in most provinces and elsewhere, there is town and country, the old story of liberal cities and socially conservative hinterlands.…
Conservatives and the elites
New Conservative chief, Erin O’Toole, has recently been singing a popular populist tune. He is greatly concerned about the “elites.” “These elites have only one set of values centred on…
Denmark throws down the gauntlet
Denmark has taken another important step in its shift to a green economy. Earlier this month, the Danish parliament agreed to cancel licenses for oil and gas drilling and phase…
Murdoch challenged
The most powerful man in the Anglosphere is, I submit, Rupert Murdoch, the world’s most influential media mogul. Yes, even more powerful than the president of the United States. Presidents…
What I learned from Trump
Up until four years ago I assumed that democracy was not only strong, it was invincible. At least in the Anglosphere. Why wouldn’t I? During my lifetime, democracy had survived…
Working less—one answer to COVID economics
As the pandemic continues to batter the economy and unemployment increases, it’s time to take yet another look at an approach to work that will maintain high employment while improving…
East trumps West in COVID fight
The biggest problems we face in the modern world, including the biggest one of all, global warming, are human problems, i.e. problems we must face as a species rather than…
Singh writes a letter
Way back in 2004 the Liberals, led by Paul Martin, squeaked out an election win that resulted in a minority government. In order to remain in power, they needed the…
Donald Trump is now as American as apple pie
Donald Trump is for real. His victory in 2016 was no fluke. He got more votes this time, including more support from Republicans, the party he was predicted to shatter,…
O’Toole says some good stuff
Watching the vicious political battle taking place south of the border, it is refreshing to see signs of a more civilized political culture up here. Such signs were illustrated last…
Cancelling Tommy Douglas
If I had to choose my favourite Canadian, I would without hesitation choose Tommy Douglas, the man most responsible for Medicare, one of Canadians’ two most popular institutions. I’m not…