Why a referendum on electoral reform would be a very bad idea
The need for electoral reform in Canada has never been more stark. We have just endured nine years of government by a political party that over sixty per cent of…
Bill Longstaff
Is Christ Christian? Reflections on the niqab debate.
Pondering the late unlamented election debate about the niqab, I took to wondering just what a religion is. Not the dictionary definition or what theologians say it is, but how…
Dandelions may save your life
I love dandelions. In early spring, when the landscape is still grey-brown, and the streets are filthy from the accumulated sand and salt laid down over the winter, that sunny…
Americans—a dangerously fearful people
For nine years we were led by a fearful prime minister, and during the last election he gave us broad hints about who we should fear the most. Not that…
Putin’s Christian crusader
After 9/11, the Americans declared war on terrorism. Now Russia has gone them one better. According to the Very Reverend Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, prominent spokesman for the Russian Orthodox Church,…
Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and their progeny
Neil Macdonald had an interesting article on the CBC website Monday morning about the options for dealing with ISIS. One of the comments—by “western island”—had a suggestion that in my…
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…