No Tragic Hero
On Friday night, Conrad Black was stripped of his membership in the Order of Canada. Tim Harper writes: Black is now one of only six Order of Canada recipients stripped…
Owen Gray
Unrestrained Nastiness
Yesterday, former soldiers protested the closing of Veterans Affairs Offices across the country. They were told they could be better served on-line. And Julian Fantino, the Minister of Veterans Affairs,…
The Prime Directive: Do Nothing
When it comes to managing the Canadian economy, Tom Walkom writes, the Harper government’s prime directive is do nothing and let the American economy drag us along. The strategy is…
A Force To Be Reckoned With
Yesterday, Justin Trudeau gave Stephen Harper and Tom Mulcair migraines. Micheal den Tandt writes: In one bold, risky and unexpected gambit, Justin Trudeau has turned the national debate about the…
Too Close To The Sun
Once again, Chris Hedges has returned to the Pequod as a metaphor for North American society. The ship and crew in Melville’s Moby Dick are doomed because they have willingly…
Steve, Neil And The First Nations
Neil Young is now on Stephen Harper’s enemies list. Michael Harris writes: In the thug state Stephen Harper is busily constructing, Young has become Stephane Dion with a guitar, or…
The Perfect Ponzi Scheme
Last week, Thomas Perkins complained that governments were treating the very rich like Jews in Nazi Germany. Paul Krugman writes that such plutocratic paranoia is not an isolated instance: There…
Canada’s Herbert Hoover
Some people rejoiced last week, when Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz announced that interest rates would remain where they are. But Scott Clark and Peter Devries write: Reading between…
A Failed Economist
As Lorne over at Politics and Its Discontents noted yesterday, there has been much gnashing of teeth as the Canadian dollar has slid down to 90 cents (U.S.) But Tom…
Hot Air
Stephen Harper likes to crow about his government’s management of the economy. But the facts are out of synch with the hype. Two days ago, Alex Roberts tallied up the…
The Liberal Paradox
Tom Walkom writes this morning that the public celebration of Jean Chretien’s 80th birthday underscores the paradox which is the Liberal Party: The Liberals are a paradox. They build institutions…
Something To Think About
Stephen Harper has pledged unwavering support for Israel. That pledge sounds hollow coming from a man who has a long history of abandoning friends and allies when they become inconvenient.…
Ignorance Personified
Stephen Harper claims that criticizing Israel is a new form of Anti-Semitism. Of course, he defines Israel as the Netanyahu government. But, as Gerry Caplan writes, there is so much…
Fundamentally Wrong
Stephen Harper, we are told, has received a rock star welcome in Israel. Leaving aside for the moment the diversion it creates from scandal at home, one should be very…
A Candian Snow Job
While Neil Young was reminding Harper and Co. that they had obligations to Canada’s native peoples, John Baird was in Washington, trying to extract a promise from Barack Obama and…
An Information Holocaust
Andrew Nikiforuk has been documenting the closure of government libraries and the wholesale destruction of their contents. The process has been chaotic and blind: “The fact that many materials were…
Afraid Of People
The Conservatives have introduced a bill to “reform” the civil service. Lawrence Martin writes that, essentially, it is a directive that non conservatives need not apply: Call it the Loyalty…
The Hole We’re In Gets Deeper
Yesterday, the Supreme Court was put in the embarrassing position of deciding whether or not to approve one of its potential members. The reason was another of Stephen Harper’s attempts…
A Tale Of Two Countries
When it comes to oil, Mitchell Anderson writes, Canada and Norway have written two different narratives: A recent news item showed that Norway’s massive pot of petroleum of money, now…
Taking Goebbels’ Advice
The CBC reports this morning that the Harper government spent $2.5 million to promote its non existent jobs program: CBC News has also learned that that advertising cash came from…