Marxism, Capitalism & Technology
Thoughts on Marxism & Technology Part I There is a joke about Marxist economists that goes something along the lines of “Marxists have predicted five of the last four recessions”.…
China
Ai Weiwei brings 1200 bicycles to Nuit Blanche Toronto
Chinese dissident and artist Ai Weiwei will create a new edition of his Forever Bicycles sculpture at this year’s Nuit Blanche festival in Toronto. The eighth annual event will take…
Corporate Canada Is Safe With Justin Trudeau
Richard Hughes-Political Blogger The state our Canada’s democracy is grim at all levels. Our PM Steve Harper is an overbearing, top down dictator. He has managed to BS too many…
New projects, new horizons
Hello, all you phenomenal followers of Polygonic, who’ve put up with both my obtuse rants and my long, long silences with absolute aplomb. Your stamina and support bends my actual…
New projects, new horizons
Hello, all you phenomenal followers of Polygonic, who’ve put up with both my obtuse rants and my long, long silences with absolute aplomb. Your stamina and support bends my actual…
10 MW Ocean Power Plant Planned for China
Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) uses the difference in temperature at different water depths to produce energy, similar to how geothermal works. A green resort in China is going to…
On distinctions
I’ve already pointed out the NDP’s opportunity to differentiate itself from the Libs as a truly progressive party. And the Libs’ corporatist votes against democratic decision-making and basic civil liberties…
Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week. – Paul Adams rightly points out that there’s no inherent value in centrism merely for the sake of centrism – especially when the spectrum…
Iceland Shills for Chinese Voice in Arctic Affairs
The timing must be entirely coincidental. Iceland just became the first European country to conclude a free trade agreement with China. The China-Iceland FTA covers trade in goods and services,…
Old Entish Soldier
Along the base of Emeishan in Sichuan Province, a network of forest trails connect temples, pavilions, and spots of tranquil contemplation (despite the heaving crowds!). This solitary figure continues to…
Why Australia Fears the United States
Since coming into existence in 1776, the United States has enjoyed just 21 “war free” years. The last four of those were under president Jimmy Carter who didn’t see much…
And How Did That Work Out For You?
It’s settled now that Iraq’s oil riches pretty much sealed Saddam Hussein’s fate. The Anglo-American conquest of Iraq was heavily an oil-driven decision. And wasn’t it nice of the Americans…
China Grabs Ecuadorean Amazon for Oil
A team of Ecuadorean politicians is in Beijing. They bring gifts – more than three million hectares of pristine Amazon rainforest that is to be auctioned off to Chinese oil…
Stephen Harper personally asked for the Chinese pandas, memo reveals
By: Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive: The two giant Chinese pandas, Da Mao, a four-year-old male, and Er Shun, a five-year-old female, jetted into Toronto today to much fanfare.…
Rising rhetoric of a new “yellow peril”
The 1921 “Ethnic Outreach” Campaign(Courtesy Past Tense Vancouver) The complaints are familiar – “Asian immigrants are taking our jobs,” “Asian immigrants are buying our property and keeping us out.” Instead…
Weiwei-isms: the Coles Notes of an infamous Chinese dissident
A magnitude 8.0 earthquake shook through Wenchuan County in Sichuan province of the People’s Republic of China on May 12, 2008. Official figures listed 69,197 dead, including 5,335 children, mostly…
Underestimating China
The Chinese keep taking the West by surprise with their technological advancement. We’re pretty sure a fair bit of their knowledge is purloined via the internet. Some, probably, but not…
When Pigs Float
Shanghai has a water problem. Somehow more than 2,800 dead pigs wound up floating in one of the main rivers that supplies drinking water to the mega-metropolis of 23-million. Local…