Good news from India
Having just posted bad news about democracy, specifically the loss of Hong Kong to Xi Jinping’s autocracy, I read some good news. In India’s recent election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi…
Bill Longstaff
The Hong Kong tragedy
At a time when democracy seems to be losing ground around the globe, even in the United States, one of the saddest losses is Hong Kong. The former British colony…
Oilman challenges Poilievre
“We’ve talked for 40 years about climate change … and we’ve done very, very little about it.” That isn’t an environmentalist talking. Or a scientist. It’s Derek Evans, executive chair…
Politics can be civilized
A message that dropped into my in-basket this week provided one of those moments that buoys your hope for humanity. And it was a political message at that. As a…
Rich polluters pay for their sins
Amid the doom and gloom on the climate change front, we are occasionally treated to some good news. That was the case this week with the announcement by Environment Minister…
China—to trade or not to trade
It doesn’t seem that long ago that the U.S. and Canadian governments were assuring us that free trade would be the answer to everything from economic prosperity to world peace.…
Neoliberalism’s failure—Americans agree on something
If I should ask what the most prominent single feature of American politics is today, I suspect most would say it’s polarization, perhaps dangerous polarization. I would agree. It was…
The ICC warrants—no equivalence
The decision of Karim Khan, the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor, to seek arrest warrants for the leaders of Hamas and Israel has caused predictable outrage. Needless to say, Hamas…
Do we all love bad boys?
Joe Biden is my kind of leader—bright, compassionate, experienced and, of no small importance, he lead’s by consensus. I think he’s one of the better presidents the Americans have had.…
What’s a CEO worth?
Some French lawmakers are pursing a goal that needs to be more widespread. They are seeking to cap pay for corporate executives at 20 times the earnings of a company’s…
Danielle Smith’s power grab(s)
Shortly after becoming premier of Alberta, Danielle Smith expressed her intention to pardon violators of health restrictions. (She referred to the Covid unvaccinated as the most discriminated group she had…
Truth and Reconciliation in Quesnel
Much is heard these days about Canadian history and the truth, particularly regarding the fortunes, or misfortunes, of the Indigenous population. The narrative has been biased against them, we hear,…
Suppressing free enterprise in Florida
Meat. Steak and hamburgers. Who would have thought a diet staple would become such a controversial subject? Conservatives, as is their wont, have dragged the issue into the culture wars.…
Labour’s big Southern win
Employers in the American South have long had a thing about cheap labour. In fact, for the first 90 years of the country’s history they got it for free, and…
Budget ’24
Now about my tax dollars. Finance Minister Freeland tabled her 2024 budget Tuesday and, by and large, I approve. The signs are about right: the NDP non-committal and the Conservatives…
Conservatives, party of the poor?
That headline is one I thought I would never write. “Conservatives, the party of the poor”—you must be joking. But that, in fact, is what a recent survey by Angus…
The problem with democracy
Democracy, it seems, is going through a rough patch. According to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the world showed a “continuing democratic malaise” in 2023. The number of democratic countries…
Trump and Hitler: disturbing parallels
Many people think that Hitler was democratically elected chancellor of Germany. He wasn’t. In fact, some highly influential conservatives convinced President von Hindenburg to appoint him to the position. The…
What’s with our unhappy youth?
Why are old Canadians so happy and young Canadians so unhappy? That’s the story the World Happiness Report (WHR) tells us. Every year the report is issued by a partnership…
Happy birthday, NATO!
This month the North Atlantic Treaty Organization celebrates its 75th. And any individual would consider themselves fortunate it they were in as good shape. NATO first saw the light of…