Bravo to Baird and Harper on the Cuba file
The United States has finally come to its senses and is normalizing relations with Cuba. It’s taken over half a century but—to borrow the old cliché—better late than never. And…
Bill Longstaff
Americans lovin’ their guns more than ever
Following the slaughter of twenty children in Newtown, Connecticut two years ago this month, many Americans hoped their countrymen and women would finally turn against the gun nuts and demand…
America and the torture chronicles
So the U.S. has finally and formally confessed its sins. Good for the Americans. All nations sin, the better ones own up. That the CIA ran a torture regime isn’t…
Human Rights 365
“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”…
Preston Manning—a real conservative?
As someone on the left I have occasionally wondered how we got lumbered with responsibility for defending the environment. Surely, I would muse, this is the province of conservatives. Conservative,…
A coalition of the willing for Syrian refugees?
The United States has resumed its war in Iraq, once again building a “coalition of the willing.” Our government has, unfortunately, decide to join this one. Our participation is unwise…
Pipelines in every direction
Our new premier, Jim Prentice, claims he is committed to making Alberta an environmental leader. That’s on Sundays, just after church. The rest of the week his commitments lie elsewhere.…
The Conservatives sabotage NAFTA
The road to the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) began under a Conservative government and has been championed by Conservatives ever since. Surprising then that they should treat it…
The legitimate anger of the jihadis
As the season of wallowing in warrior worship wanes, we might think upon those warriors we love to hate—the young Muslim men from around the globe migrating (or trying to…
Energy East—another reason why we need Quebec
Among the arguments that might be made to keep Quebec in Canada is simply that it’s our most progressive province. One can cite ample of evidence for this: it showed…
Oh my God! The Japanese make better whisky than the Scots!
A year of firsts for whiskey. For instance, it’s the first time in the 12-year history of the World Whisky Bible’s rankings that a Scottish malt has failed to make…
Naheed Nenshi—world’s best mayor?
Recently, Canada suffered through the pain and embarrassment of having the world’s worst mayor. Is it possible we can now rise above the humiliation with the world’s best mayor? Calgary’s…
Democracy inches along in Tunisia
The Arab spring, one of the most encouraging events from a democratic perspective in recent years, has unfortunately mostly failed. Egypt, the most important Arab country, and the country where…
MacKay makes the right noises
With all the feverish reaction from politicians and a good part of the media to the two recent “terrorist” incidents, it is encouraging to hear Justice Minister Peter McKay say…
About those Canadian values
The shooting spree by Michael Zehaf-Bibeau on Parliament Hill that resulted in the death of soldier Nathan Cirillo has resulted in a rush of rhetoric about a threat to Canadian…
Terrorist or misfit?
Canada doesn’t often capture the attention of the world’s media, but Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, with his murderous rampage on Parliament Hill Wednesday, has managed to put us on front pages around…
When Khomeini said no to nukes
When Iran claims it is not developing nuclear weapons because they are incompatible with Islam, the U.S. and its European allies suggest this is mere propaganda. According to an article…
Saudi Arabia—beheading capital of the world
Of all the atrocities committed by the Islamic State, the ones that got the most attention were the very public beheadings of two American journalists and a British aid worker.…