Arms Race Update – Asia Goes for Its Guns
Why Peter MacKay believes Asia needs a substantial and permanent Canadian military presence is tough to figure out. Does Elmer's backward boy think the Asians are somehow lacking in firepower…
The Mound of Sound
Trouble Sleeping? This Works for Me.
There are nights when the brain just doesn't seem to want to shut down. Just too damn many things racing around and you really can't put a finger on any…
It All Sounds Good Until They Shoot Back
It's no accident that our fondness for resorting to military violence is inversely proportional to the risk that our target might inflict the same violence on us. Put another way,…
Is the Pot Wall Crumbling
Voters in Washington and Colorado have passed measures to decriminalize possession of marijuana for recreational use. Now five other states are considering introducing similar legislation.Rhode Island, Vermont, Maine and Massachusetts…
Poor Mitt, Run Out on a Rail by Republicans
George w. Bush got the message when he left the White House - scram! Now it's Mitt's turn to endure the Republican instant cold shoulder. He may have just set…
The Climate Change Bill Comes Due
It's reported that if the steady decline in Mississippi water levels continues for just one more month, the river will be closed to most navigation. The Mississippi carries some 60%…
A Free Course in Climate Change
Germany's WBGU, climate change advisory group, is offering a 90-hour, 3-credit online course, "World in Transition." The course comprises 11-modules, each based on two or three lectures, plus assigned readings…
Britain Still Can’t Build a Decent Submarine
Canada got suckered into buying their previous disaster subs and wound up with them out of service from the get go and for years afterward. Now it's the Royal Navy's…
Another Window into Harper’s Sleazy Guest Worker Programme
Stephen Harper's "guest worker" programme is off to a predictable start and it has his government already running for cover.The idea was that energy companies could seek Canadian workers and,…
Louisiana Wants Out. Speaking of Morans.
The South will rise again - sort of. America's unhinged Right is breathless with excitement at a few thousand nutjobs in the slave states petitioning Washington for the right to…
Guest Workers – Just Another Greasy Subsidy to the Fossil Fuelers
I have been truly dismayed by the near total lack of outrage over the Harper government's policies to allow foreign energy companies to import cheap, foreign labour to extract Canadian…
We Need Another Charter
We need to go beyond our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Conditions on the ground have changed markedly since the Trudeau government formulated what Canadians today with genuine affection call…
Get Out. Now.
"We cannot pretend there is any more to do in Afghanistan."That brief observation underlies the argument of former British Liberal Dem leader, Lord Ashdown, that it's time to pull his…
It’s Time to Kickstart Occupy
I've been establishment all my life. I have served in the armed forces, I have had a pretty decent legal career, I've done just about everything from grave digging to…
The Province of Vancouver Island
There are more than a few VanIslanders wondering why we're not a province all unto ourselves. If Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island qualify as provinces, why not Vancouver Island?In area,…
Deposing the King
I don't meet a lot of people who like Stephen Harper. I meet a great many people who dislike Stephen Harper but nonetheless say he's doing a pretty good job…
The Terrible Reach of Citizens United
America's advance as a true corporatist state was given a huge boost by the USSC's decision in Citizens United. That decision launched the United States into its first $6-billion election.Money…
The Moral Fragmentation of the Liberal Class
Chris Hedges lambastes liberals for selling out America in last week's elections.The presidential election exposed the liberal class as a corpse. It fights for nothing. It stands for nothing. It…
Has Canada Fallen Victim to Political Compression Disorder?
A PostMedia column, "Obama's Election Victory Won't Hurt Harper," by Michael Den Tandt today struck an uncomfortable chord.NDP leader Mulcair has proven stubbornly resistant to Conservative attempts to paint him…
Cyprus, the European Union’s Dilemma
Cyprus, it seems, is the Cayman Islands of the Mediterranean. Russian oligarchs are said to use it to launder their money. And, for the European Union, the Cypriot-Russian connection complicates…