The inevitable result of increased complexity and profit
Chinese fake parts ‘used in U.S. military equipment’ As real profit margins sink and the full effect of peak oil kicks in, these are the sorts of stories there will…
economy
The monster in motion is one we’ve all created
In Quebec 300+ have been arrested, fascist laws passed, and the anger builds. At the NATO summit journalists are again being attacked as hundreds of thousands protest the “war on…
The Real Culture of Dependency: In Defense of Atlantic Canada
This post is co-authored with Brian Foster “Is the EI system making it more attractive to not work?” That’s the (attempt at) thought-provoking (or fire-stoking) title of a recent National…
Saturday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your weekend reading. – Lana Payne tears into the Cons for being interested solely in developing a junk labour market where both work safety and income security…
To start a real revolution, learn from Iceland first
The people of Iceland forced their corrupt government to resign. They created a public assembly to rewrite the constitution. The banks were nationalized. The people decided not to pay the…
Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – No, there was never any doubt that any statement which could possibly be interpreted as insufficiently jingoistic in favour of the oil industry…
New column day
Here, on how the Cons’ imposition of an economic policy which benefits a few at the expense of people who get no say in the matter is just the latest…
Dutch Disease?
Canada certainly has some serious economic problems, but I don’t think dutch disease is one of them. Blaming the problems we’re experiencing on dutch disease is over-simplistic to a fault.…
Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Andrew Jackson raises an absolutely devastating point to refute anybody trying to use “it’s all about growth!!!” as an excuse for slashing social…
The Politics Behind Genocide Recognition
Every year as April 24th approaches, there is a feeling of anticipation, that the once inevitable recognition will finally be acknowledged. Presidents upon Presidents and the same speech after speech.…
University Sustainability Initiative Saves Climate And Its Bottom Line, While Canada’s Economy Suffers From Lack of Green Practices
New Jersey’s William Paterson University adopted a climate action plan in 2009 that puts the university on a path to becoming carbon neutral by 2065 – and to reducing their…
Historical ideologues in the new era
The other day I was asked a question on twitter which for the life of me I could not fit an answer in to 140 characters. The question was in…
FreedomWorks Creates Error-Filled Site To Accuse EPA Of "Killing Jobs"
EPA Kills Jobs Facebook Ad.jpg FreedomWorks, the sister organization to the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity (AFP), has launched a new website and advertising campaign to convince American voters that the…
No tough choice
Back here, I discussed how ridiculous the Cons’ “tough on crime” model would look if applied to any other area of policy – and used that comparison to question why…
Parliament in Review – April 4, 2012
After the Cons refused to listen to the opposition parties’ proposed amendments, Wednesday, April 4 saw a day of debate on the main budget motion in the second-last day before…
The Economy IS Important, but it operates Within the Environment
Most economists will agree that most economic troubles are the cause of human action, but there are some that are not. The environment can cause economic disruption when natural disasters…
Why work?
I was raised up believing I was somehow unique Like a snowflake distinct among snowflakes, unique in each way you can see And now after some thinking, I’d say I’d…
A quick primer: Inflation vs. Devaluation
Following a conversation I had tonight on twitter, I’d like to write a quick little guide on the difference between devaluation and inflation, as they do look quite similar. Let’s…
Extending Habitability
What does “extending habitability” mean? It explains “sustainability”. I prefer to sometimes call it “survivability”, because without the delicate balance our ecosystem and societies are teetering on, there’s no possible…