Will global civilization avoid collapse?
I consider myself a lucky man. I was born in the right place at the right time to enjoy what may well be the peak period of civilization. Never has…
Bill Longstaff
Americans and Western Europeans—different breeds
That Americans see the world differently from Europeans is not a surprise, but what may seem surprising to many is just how differently, and how similar Europeans’ views are to…
Office of Religious Freedom shows it bias
The federal government’s creation of what it terms an Office of Religious Freedom is not off to a good start. Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, mentor of the new office,…
Alberta values are not Western values
Globe and Mail columnist John Ibbitson recently gave a talk to a standing-room only crowd of Torontonians about how a set of Western values has captured the country. Ibbitson was,…
Talking to Iran
I am beginning to get the uneasy feeling that we are psyching ourselves up for war with Iran. With the Americans’ two Middle Eastern buddies, Israel and Saudi Arabia, egging…
Americans turn on the Tea Party
A recent Pew Research Center survey indicates that Americans, or at least those who have an opinion on the matter, are turning against the Tea Party. A year ago, as…
Elizabeth May, Tuvalu and honest representation
I was intrigued by Green Party Leader Elizabeth May’s attempt to join the Tuvalu delegation at the Durban Climate Change Conference. As she explained, “If my government, the Government of…
Lest we forget: today is The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, a United Nations sponsored event, has been observed every year on November 29th since 1977, 30 years to the day after…
South Africa on slippery slope?
Normally, I’m wary of slippery slope arguments but when an African government acts to limit freedom of speech, I suspect such an argument may be valid. Unfortunately, South Africa has…
Why 338 constituencies? Why not 150? Or 100?
The Liberals have suggested an approach to achieving fairer regional representation in the House of Commons, and they should be listened to. Their solution is certainly better than that of…
Ehud Barak sympathizes with Iran’s alleged nuclear aspirations
Whether or not Iran is developing nuclear weapons, it appears that Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak appreciates why they would. In an interview with PBS’s Charlie Rose, when he was…
Say goodbye to the frogs
Frogs are delightful little buggers. Look at this little rascal in the photo, a red-eyed tree frog. With his goofy expression and padded toes, you can’t help but love him…
APEC—Environment one, Keystone zero
Despite Stephen Harper's 25-minute walk in the garden with Barack Obama during the recent APEC forum, the president was not dissuaded from his decision to conduct a thorough review of…
Obama’s sartorial slip
"I was persuaded by our team to perhaps break tradition, and so we have not required you to wear your aloha shirts." Thus President Obama broke the 20-year tradition of…
Canada’s climate change policy—drinking the Kool-Aid
The warnings continue. And they are ominous. In its annual World Energy Outlook released November 9th, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reported that the world will lose the chance to…
Did former Israeli security chiefs rat out Netanyahu?
Meir Dagan, former head of Mossad, Israel's foreign intelligence service, is no admirer of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He has accused Netanyahu of being "irresponsible and reckless" and feels…
The UNESCO vote and the decline of American influence
Following the vote Monday to admit Palestine into UNESCO, Hamas official Ahmed Yousef said it "shows that Israel and America are not dictating politics to the world anymore." Hamas's view…
Congratulations to the Palestinians … and UNESCO
Allow me to add my cheer to those that went up at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) 36th General Conference after delegates approved Palestinian membership. The…
Six more MPs for Alberta—not good news for this Albertan
I admit to ambivalence about the government's announcement that under the proposed Fair Representation Act the country will gain 30 more MPs. It is a good thing, of course, to…
The "climate change caucus"—good news on two fronts
An initiative championed by Liberal MP Kirsty Duncan has borne fruit in the House of Commons. Dr. Duncan proposed a "climate change caucus" consisting of members of all parties, and…