New and Improved Propaganda Machines
We carry propaganda machines in our pockets. Propaganda isn't just to misinform, but to distract us and exhaust the capacity for critical thinking. When you're struggling to decide between 25…
democracy
Democracy, taken for granted and less valued
While BC voters moved to the right in October, the voting pattern was not substantially different than in earlier times. The same cannot be said for the USA. More than…
The end of the republic?
Did the American people just vote, in a free and fair election, to terminate their... The post The end of the republic? first appeared on Views from the Beltline.
Was the 2024 US Presidential election irrelevant? Yes and no.
Was the 2024 US Presidential election irrelevant? Yes and no. If Trump and Kennedy do end the war in Ukraine, as promised, that will be a giant victory, because it…
Why I Dislike Ranked Ballot Voting & Why I Support It
After four years studying Political Science at Laurentian University and over thirty years working for the House of Commons I tended to approach electoral reform more as a political scientist…
It is crucial that Harris win but defeating Trump is not enough
It is crucial that Harris defeat Trump in today’s election. A Trump victory would be a disaster, a Harris victory a reprieve. Will Harris be able to build on and…
Is Trump intimidating the press?
Quite a list of American publications, including The New York Times, Boston Globe, Seattle Times,... The post Is Trump intimidating the press? first appeared on Views from the Beltline.
It Can’t Happen Here
About 90 years ago Sinclair Lewis wrote his novel, It Can’t Happen Here. It’s uncanny. In the novel “Buzz” Windrip, a senator, a showman, a demagogue, a conman wins the…
Post election comments
The NDP holds one more seat in the Legislature than the BC Conservatives. David Eby will continue as Premier by depending on support from Rob Botterall and Jeremy Valeriote, two…
The 3.5% Rule
One of the persistent reactions to Breaking Free of Neoliberalism has been doubt that big change – the kind of change the book clearly hopes for – is possible, in…
The Good Life: we have the vision – what’s lacking is the will
When the 2007-2008 financial crisis hit, a loud chorus of pundits and politicians, for what turned out to be the briefest moment, came to see that we had got it…
Electoral Victory Of Deplorables
I do believe Brittlestar has divined the mystery of why undesirables proliferate and prosper in public office:Recommend this Post
A Step Too Far
A Facebook post by Gordon F.D. Wilson, the BC Liberal leader who was pushed aside in 1993 by big business interests who wished to install the more submissive Gordon Campbell.…
Democracy is threatened
Elections in the next few months will alter governments in three Canadian provinces, as well as in Washington DC, and in all states of the USA. Justin Trudeau will call…
Rage farming
J.D. Blackburn is focused on Pierre Poilievre, but lies and demagoguery are part of the right-wing, conservative playbook. With less than ten weeks before BC's provincial election, expect to see…
How badly did Maduro lose?
Last Monday, Venezuela’s National Electoral Council announced that the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro, had comfortably... The post How badly did Maduro lose? first appeared on Views from the Beltline.
“You won’t have to vote anymore”
Dan Rather was a star of the news business for years before he left CBS. From the 1980s to the mid-2000s, Peter Jennings, Tom Brokaw, and Dan Rather were the…
Trump—an aggrieved leader for an aggrieved people
Why, one wonders, would so many Americans be prepared to elect a president with such... The post Trump—an aggrieved leader for an aggrieved people first appeared on Views from the…
Collapse of Social Cohesion and Crisis of Trust and Truth
Frank Graves says we live in an era which sees a crisis of both trust and truth... Disinformation is polarizing our society in ways that we have never seen... But…
Yes, Andrew, Democracy Is Under Attack In Canada
So, Andrew Coyne muses that Justin Trudeau should just step aside in the wake of a recent by-election defeat. His reasoning? Well - it's a bit of a jumble of…