Have You Heard the Latest?
Have you heard the latest about last month’s Malaysian Airlines MH-17 shootdown over Ukraine? No? Neither have I. When the Boeing 777 plunged to the ground killing everyone aboard, Western…
The Mound of Sound
That Shining Bunker on the Hill
What else is there for a genuine, honest to God-Fearin’, Warfare State? Once you’ve militarized your economy, militarized your foreign policy, militarized your society with M-16s under every other bed,…
Harper’s Whipping Boy Guilty in Robocall Case.
A whipping boy was a young boy assigned to a young prince who was designated to take a flogging when the prince misbehaved. Methinks Michael Sona is the Harper Conservatives’…
Is Missouri America’s New Mississippi?
Damn but this sounds like the south in the turbulent 50s and 60s. The governor of Missouri has ordered St. Louis County police out of the community of Ferguson, the…
The Tibetan Plateau – Asia’s Armageddon?
To Asia’s three nuclear powers, the Tibetan plateau represents life or death. China, India and Pakistan are all dependent on the headwaters of rivers that are fed by the glaciers…
The Chunder Down Under
Let’s get this unpleasantness out of the way. “Chunder” is an Australian colloquialism for vomit, puke. The latest chunder from Down Under comes to us via Tony Abbott’s chief business…
When Confidence Fails
Few who lived through the Cold War with its constant threat of nuclear annihilation realize the role confidence played in preventing an outbreak of apocalyptic hostilities. Even at times when…
Another Indictment of Neoliberalism, This Time from Monbiot
Neoliberalism, sometimes known as “market fundamentalism”, is the scourge of our age. It infests our federal politics. Stephen Harper is a disciple. Mulcair and Trudeau may be somewhat less neoliberal…
We Need New Ways of Pricing Natural Capital
A case in point. This summer’s B.C. spot prawn season got derailed – by Asia. Delicious local prawns that usually would go for 8-9 dollars a pound were suddenly demanding…
Severe Weather Events Linked to Some Guy Named Rossby
We owe a lot to Carl-Gustav Rossby, the Swedish-born American scientist who pioneered research into atmospheric thermodynamics at MIT and was instrumental in the university establishing America’s first department of…
Egypt’s Government – The One We Like – Mass Murderers?
A Human Rights Watch investigation into the deaths of more than 800-protesters by Egyptian security forces at last August’s Rabaa massacre finds the slaughter was both planned and politically motivated.…
The Anchor Around Our Necks – Neoliberalism
Modern neoliberalism, of the Hayek and Friedman schools, has been defined as “capitalism with the gloves off.” Today it’s a term associated with laissez-faire capitalism, deregulation and free trade. Neoliberalism…
Robin Williams, Dead
It seems depression finally claimed comedian/actor Robin Williams. Dead, suicide, age 63.
Israel & Palestine – It’s All a Game of Who Controls the Narrative
And it’s a game in which Israel and its collaborators abroad consistently win. The side with the loudest, most professional voice – Israel, of course – gets the all important…
It Really Is Time to Cull the Herd
My daughter called me during her lunch break today. She was at a trendy Vancouver grocery called Urban Fare, the sort of place that makes Whole Foods seems a bit…
China Moves to Nationalize Christianity
Yeah, I know, it sounds wacky but it’s true. China wants to nationalize as in “Sinicize” the Christian religion as it’s practiced in the Peoples Republic. “The construction of Chinese…
Hedges Invokes "God’s Covenant" on Gaza
Chris Hedges spoke at a rally and march in support of Gaza in New York on Saturday. A Harvard divinity school grad, he invoked God’s Covenant. Here are excerpts from…
The F-35 Also Comes Up Short in the Eyes of the US Navy
A few days ago it was the US Air Force Air Combat Command chief arguing that his air force needs to get working on a 6th-generation replacement before the 5th…
"This Changes Everything"
Naomi Klein’s new book, “This Changes Everything, Capitalism v. the Climate,” is due for release September 12. The theme of the book echoes what has been written here for years…
Hillary’s Neo-Con Tendencies Come Shining Through
The Empress strikes back and she’s coming on hard – right. Barack Obama’s ex-secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, bit the hand that once fed her with a drive-by attack on…