Never Again?
All this tariff talk is provoking a recession, which seems to be a feature, not a bug. As the economy falls, companies go bankrupt and are cheap to take over…
Economics
“Who’d ever thought the USA could make Canada mad”
Build-grow-sell stories are repeated endlessly. It's a result of our neighbour's economic imperialism but also the lack of confidence in this country held by our corporate rulers. Sure, Canada beat…
Is democracy doomed in North America?
With the Musk/Trump administration ripping huge holes in America's social safety net, it is frightening to observe how major media properties have sagged onto bended knees to pay homage to…
Insanity From The White House
American voters foolishly chose a fascist dictator for their President, and now everyone is going to suffer. The Orange Menace is attacking Canada, and others, so we’ll have to retaliate.…
Wood fibre insulation — performance-competitive, renewable, carbon-negative product
PBS show This Old House had a segment involving an idle paper mill on Maine's Kennebec River, a site now used to manufacture wood-based insulation. TimberHP is the first wood…
Everything Is Getting Dangerous
Here we are, on the eve of the US President economically attacking his country’s closest trading partner and ally with the world’s longest undefended border. The Orange Menace aims to…
Canada could be in stronger position than U.S. if trade war breaks out: economist Paul Krugman
Canada may find itself in a stronger position than the United States if a trade war breaks out between the two countries. Don’t take my word for that. That’s Paul…
Do The Math
I swore I was going to put politics aside in the run up to Christmas, but when the latest screed from Free Alberta Strategy dropped into my inbox, I had…
Cryptocurrency, and How To Maybe Get Rich
I don’t write about Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies very often, even though there are periods of my life where they are the majority of my leisure activity. I first became away…
Wading Through the Fetid Swamp
Charlie Angus is on a role. The NDP MP has a book excerpt in The Walrus explaining the rise of neoliberalism starting from Reaganomics. The rules of the neoliberal game…
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…
beware the common sense con
When politicians offer up “common sense” solutions beware. Politicians will often tell us that what they stand for is precisely what regular folk, “ordinary hard-working taxpayers” want and believe. As…
And the rich get richer
Statistics Canada recently reported that in at least one respect this country is moving in... The post And the rich get richer first appeared on Views from the Beltline.
Why there should never have been an oil sands industry
I believe in free markets, at least for most commerce. As do most Albertans. Partly... The post Why there should never have been an oil sands industry first appeared on…
Sacrificial Citizenship
A thug accosts Jack Benny. Thug: Now, come on—your money or your life. Thug: Look, bud. I said, “Your money or your life.” Jack Benny: I’m thinking it over! —The…
Alberta—no advantage for the low income
Everyone has heard of the Alberta Advantage. They must have, the province never stops promoting... The post Alberta—no advantage for the low income first appeared on Views from the Beltline.
Neoliberalism made Trump possible
Excerpt from Breaking Free of Neoliberalism: Canada’s Challenge A good deal of punditry has gone around in circles on the question of how someone like Donald Trump could become president…
Guest post by economist Erik Andersen
Economist Erik Andersen offers something to remember when voting next month and beyond…
Back to School in a Wave
This is the first September that I'm not going to school as a teacher OR a student since I was 4 years old (not counting maternity leaves for all my…
Quotations
A reader who communicates regularly sent several interesting quotations that are perhaps relevant in today's world. Some are repeated here...