A War On the Poor
As Republicans and Democrats argue about whether they should extend unemployment insurance to the long termed unemployed, Paul Krugman writes that the Republican argument is part of a war on…
Owen Gray
Here He Comes
So you thought the election was in 2015. And now, like Humphrey Bogart — who went to Casablanca for the waters — you discover that you have been misinformed. The…
Unadulterated Stupidity
In the wake of yesterday’s news that Canada lost 46,000 jobs in December, it’s instructive to consider what Henry Ford did one hundred years ago. He raised his worker’s wage…
A Reliable Stooge
One of the reforms Michael Chong wants to implement is open riding nominations, free from the interference of party leaders. That proposition is currently being tested in Calgary West, where…
Steve, Maggie and Ronnie
Stephen Harper has never been a big tent politician. But he has always been devoted to Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan. Jeffrey Simpson writes: In March, 1989, with the Progressive…
Insanity Drives The Bus
Stephen Harper insists he is all about strengthening the economy. Not so, writes Tom Walkom. He is abandoning it: The reasons are political. Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his finance…
When Corruption Trumps Economics
Going forward, Stephen Harper’s strategy appears to be ride out the scandals and crow about the economy. If he had any sense of history — even recent history — the…
The Triumph Of Mean
Michael den Tandt writes that, if you’re wondering why you keep getting those fund raising emails from political parties, blame Jean Chretien and Stephen Harper. Chretien brought in public financing…
A Country For The Old
Stephen Harper has always been up front about one of his political objectives — the destruction of the Liberal Party. Recent polls suggest that he hasn’t succeeded on that front.…
Thatcher’s Ugly Children
The longer a leader stays, the more his or her party takes on the leader’s personality. That’s certainly the case with Stephen Harper’s Conservatives. Andrew Coyne writes that, whatever good…
The Trust Deficit
Frank Graves’ latest poll confirms the conventional wisdom: Canadians are losing trust in their democratic institutions. Trust in Canadian democracy has been on the wane for thirty years; but it…
Fiscal Fever
Earlier this week, Paul Krugman wrote that — in the United States at least — the fiscal fever has broken: So the good news is that this fever, unlike the…
Revolt Down On The Farm
Chris Hedges has a suggestion for anyone searching for a New Year’s resolution: overthrow the speculators. His targets are the big banks, whose reach is global and who brought the…
Knowledge Is Their Enemy
Since they came to power, the Harperites have insisted that there are all kinds of things we can’t afford. Their latest claim is that six Department of Fisheries and Oceans…
Competence And Intelligence?
At this time last year, Michael den Tandt predicted that Stephen Harper would undertake a charm offensive. Perhaps he was simply hoping for the impossible. For a man who doesn’t…
Vengence Is Theirs
As part of their tough on crime agenda, the Harperites have instituted mandatory victim fines. They claim that the fines will ensure justice is done. But, Michael Spratt writes, the…
Crippling Government
Eugene Lang writes that, if you want to know what Stephen Harper has “accomplished,” all you need do is tally up his tax cuts: Over the past eight years, most…
Toxic To Civic Health
The conventional wisdom is that the price of political scandal can be measured in money and reputation. But Robin Sears — an old hand at getting out the vote —…
Our Politics And The Loss Of Community
The Tyee has dusted off a piece which Murray Dobbin wrote four years ago. It’s worth a read. Dobbin maintains that progressives have been infected by the same consumer culture…
Merry Christmas
It seems to me that Dickens had it right. We live in a bipolar world. Your life and the lives of your children depend on good fortune and the world…