Paris—the blowback of imperialism
U.S. President Barack Obama has referred to the atrocities in Paris as attacks “on all of humanity.” He is wrong, of course. The attacks were specifically directed at France, an…
Bill Longstaff
Lest we forget—enough already
Lest we forget? How could we possibly? At this time of year we are overwhelmed with noise about not forgetting. Now the warrior worshipers are demanding that stores not put…
Would you pay the cost of a cup of coffee for democracy?
Canadian taxpayers are reasonably generous funders of democracy. Federally, we support political parties in two ways through our tax system. We subsidize political contributions up to $1,275 with an income…
Making Canada a leader in the world again
Canada has a distinguished record of contributing to the use of hard power in the world, as our performance in two world wars and Korea attests. As a third-rate power…
Religion is bad for kids
It might strike some as surprising, but it shouldn’t. A study by academics from seven countries suggests that children from religious families are less kind and more punitive than those…
A fine, feminine cabinet
Good to see that Prime Minister Trudeau (haven’t said that for a while) has kept an important promise and formed a gender-balanced cabinet. He said his cabinet would reflect Canada…
PR—an essential first step
Our brand spanking new Liberal government has promised us electoral reform. Specifically, it is “committed to ensuring that 2015 will be the last federal election conducted under the first-past-the-post voting…
PR—an essential first step
Our brand spanking new Liberal government has promised us electoral reform. Specifically, it is “committed to ensuring that 2015 will be the last federal election conducted under the first-past-the-post voting…
The NDP—back to social democracy
Rather like the British Labour Party under Tony Blair, the NDP made a play for the political centre. The Liberals, led by the dangerous to underestimate Justin Trudeau, have now…
Sunny ways and other thoughts on the election
The Dark Age is over. The wicked witch of Calgary is gone. And Justin Trudeau has promised he will lead according to Sir Wilfred Laurier’s “sunny way.” Guided by the…
We’re on the international stage—for our bigotry
The latest issue of Press Progress includes an article commenting on the attention the Prime Minister’s divisive anti-Muslim politicking is getting around the globe. For instance, The Economist carries the…
A minority progressive government would be the best result of the election
I wouldn’t dare to be so bold as to play the prophet and predict the shape of the government that will result from Monday’s federal election. Polls and electorates are…
Americans support Keystone, Canadians not so much
A recent survey by the Pew Research Center regarding the Keystone XL Pipeline revealed some intriguing, and perhaps counterintuitive, results. According to the survey a majority of Americans solidly support…
What are Canadian values, of what value are they, and who decides?
Prime Minister Harper, the “old stock” Canadian, recently made the odd remark, “I will never tell my young daughter that a woman should cover her face because she is a…
Albertans support stronger climate change policies
A recent survey by EKOS Research Associates commissioned by the Pembina Institute reveals that Albertans’ attitudes about energy and climate change are more progressive than many think. For example, 50…
Niqab nonsense—much ado about nothing
I am no fan of the niqab. Hell, I’m no fan of religion. But if a Moslem woman wants to wear a niqab at a citizenship ceremony for religious reasons,…
Stephen Harper’s sad little world of fear
I have tended to think of Stephen Harper’s efforts to instill fear in Canadians as largely demagoguery. Governments creating a climate of fear to rally their people around them when…
NDP attacks Trudeau—Harper grins
As I was about to mail another donation to the NDP earlier this week, I encountered the following headline on the CBC website: “NDP sets sights on Trudeau in bid…
Enough of this low tax nonsense
If conservatives believe in low taxes in order to keep government small, so be it, but when they insist that low taxes are necessary for a healthy economy, they are…
Why this Dipper is voting Liberal in Calgary Centre
Liberals have been screwing Calgary for a long time. When one hears this, one’s thoughts immediately turn to Trudeau senior and his National Energy Program. But it started long before…