New column day
Here, on how B.C.'s HST referendum and Wisconsin's state Senate recalls should rekindle our interest in setting up direct democratic mechanisms to hold governments accountable between elections. No followup links…
democracy
More Capitalism vs Democracy
I was reading this article in Foreign Policy - a "debate" between two highly respected international economists, Nouriel Roubini and Ian Bremmer when I came acros the two quotes below.…
Ford Nation planning to fill city boards with unqualified conservative cronies
Toronto News: Ford accused of stacking public appointments - thestar.comEarly this year, we saw Case Ootes appointed to completely replace the TCHC board, and then Gordon Chong (part of Rob…
Capitalism vs Democracy
This article in the Globe & Mail about the ongoing debt crisis in the USA and Europe caught my attention. Not because it offered any interesting or unique insight into…
Things North American Corporate Media Would be Sure To Suppress But Would Be Crazy Enough To Work
Not to mention, no doubt, things to drive American Homeland Security Batty and drive the McCarthyist Tea-bagger paranoid types off to the fainting couches. Norway’s response to the recent terror…
On small parties.
Short one today, as I'm trying to work through dissertation revisions. But I thought it was worth noting how few of Ontario's registered political parties have bothered to put together…
The next Alberta economic boom will be funded by faith
Good day to you Albertans. I haven’t written on this blog for quite awhile, in fact I wasn’t even sure if I was ever going to blog again. Things are…
The Only Democracy In The Middle East
It's a common retort used whenever Israel comes in for criticism. Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. That, somehow, seems to entitle the Israeli government to a…
TILMA by Stealth in Saskatchewan
The Saskatchewan Party had repeatedly promised not to sign TILMA. But it signed the New West Partnership Trade Agreement (NWPTA) last year. At the time, many commentators (including yours truly)…
We are “refusing to cross picket lines”: Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Student Union and the SFSS CUPE Lockout
This open letter was originally written by Chelsea Mackay and the Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Student Student, published originally here and republished on PoliticsRespun.org with permission. Dear SFSS Board…
NDP warns against Conservatives’ snooping law
NDP warns against Conservatives’ snooping law TIMMINS, ON – If the Conservatives get their way, police will be soon be able to track every e-mail sent, every website visited and…
A Canadian Republic (with a new anthem to boot)
It is worth remembering, every once in a while, that Canada remains a constitutional monarchy. Precisely because the monarchy has no de facto power, most of us - myself included…
Austerity Leads to Suicide Rate Increase
Friday’s Vancouver Sun had a short item that you might have missed, “Suicides up, road deaths down due to recession.” It’s in the bottom corner of page B5: Suicides rates…
Thoughts on a Filibuster
Can I get a “WOW”? Just look at all those women! I couldn’t stop grinning as woman after woman after woman rose and spoke. What happened to all the arrogant…
I, for one, would like an HST job – and it might sway my vote.
If you’re registered to vote in BC, and provided that Elections BC hasn’t completely screwed up your voter registration (I have, at times, received three voter information cards for variations…
Excuses! Excuses!
Apparently, voter apathy was not restricted to the young at the 41st election. Below are the numbers broken down of the wall of shame known as the non-voters: 18 to…
Democracy in action
Shorter Bob Bjornerud:Of course we couldn't possibly object to giving farmers a chance to vote on the future of the Canadian Wheat Board - just as long as it doesn't…