Coming Apart at the Seams
It’s almost too grotesque to watch. The wheels are falling off the GOP wagon. Even with a unified government – control of the House, the Senate and the presidency –…
The Mound of Sound
Credit Where Credit Is Due – Kudos to Patti Hadju
It’s a cornerstone of progressive democracy, the balancing of the interests of labour versus capital. During the Harper years labour, especially organized labour, was treated like a disease. Abraham Lincoln…
Have We Become Human Foie Gras?
It’s considered a delicacy, goose or duck liver pate, a.k.a. foie gras. It’s made by force feeding grain to the birds in quantities that cause the liver to expand by…
Harry On Social Justice and Canada
Harry Leslie Smith first came to my attention from a Remembrance Day op-ed he penned for The Guardian in 2013, “This year, I will wear a poppy for the last…
Think of It as "Duck and Cover" for the 21st Century
Perhaps you’re already familiar with this but I wasn’t. In the UK there’s a programme called “Run, Hide, Tell” to prepare Brits for terrorist incidents while they’re on holiday. But…
Justin, Climate Change is Here and It’s Hurting. Now, Can You Stop Making It Worse?
On Friday, British Columbia logged no fewer than 140 new forest fires. That might be a record. Then again, climate change is bringing the world plenty of records. Worst ever…
Because Taking the Piss Out of Donald J. Trump Just Never Gets Old
Donald J. Trump, man/baby president of the United States, has set the Twittersphere howling with laughter over his claim that he and Putin have discussed forming “an impenetrable Cyber Security…
MayBot Cautioned Not to Jump Too Quickly Into Donald Trump’s Lap.
British prime minister Theresa May went to the G20 summit in Hamburg looking for a date. With the combined impacts of the Brexit fiasco, her disastrous performance in Britain’s last…
The Rand Corporation and America’s Simpleton in Chief
There may be nothing Donald Trump likes better than to bash America’s NATO partners as freeloaders who are feeding off the US economy, dragging America down. A study conducted by…
Joe Stiglitz on Trump’s Rogue State America
No one would have expected a progressive such as Joe Stiglitz to be a cheerleader for Donald Trump and he’s not. The Nobel laureate economist does, however, make a compelling…
Are Republicans "Victims"?
It sounds like a stretch, Republicans as victims of their health care reform aspirations. That, however, is the Brookings Institute’s Isabel Sawhill’s take. But are Senate Republicans evil people? Do…
The Operative Word is "Already"
310 million people living in low-lying coastal areas are already vulnerable to sea level rise compounded by severe weather events. Sea level rise has increased markedly in recent decades and…
This Should Make Your Day
The leader of the free world, Angela Merkel, reacts to a bit of mansplaining from Vlad Putin. Madam Chancellor seemed underwhelmed when Putin corrected her understanding of missile trajectories. More…
Book Review – "Arts of Living On a Damaged Planet."
Somebody was bound to get around to this sooner or later. It’s a legitimate question – what will it take to get by on the planet we have so extensively…
In Fairness, Vlad Was Pushing on an Open Door and an Empty Mind.
Russian president Vladimir Putin says Trump was “satisfied” with the Russian’s assurances that Moscow did not meddle in America’s 2016 elections. Well, that’s that then. Speaking at the end of…
There are Photo Ops and There are Photo Ops. This One Raises the Bar.
And the winner and new champion is, the president of France, Emmanuel Macron. To demonstrate his commitment to France’s nuclear deterrent force, Manny did a Jack Ryan/Red October and had…
America Versus the Civilized World
The G20 is now the G19 Plus One. The One, of course, is Trumpland. The 19 constitute the civilized world, the rest of the planet that understands that climate change…
Oh, Maxine. Did You Really Have to Use the "I" Word?
Maxine Waters, Democratic representative from California, has gone after Donnie “Little Hands” Trump for his endless attacks on America’s news media. This is gonna burn. Only a weak and impotent…
It’s Worked (So Far) for Tony. Maybe It’ll Work for Terry.
Say what you like about Britain’s beleaguered prime minister, Theresa May. No, seriously, say what you like. There must be something. Brexit was a good idea? No. Calling a snap…
Sinners and Saints
Two provinces, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and the Yukon territory have already met Canada’s climate change target emission cuts of of 30% below 2005 levels by 2030. It’s mainly…