Month: April 2012

Canada, Media, political orientation, Politics, right wing extremistsLeave a comment

Polls That Count

Podritske

Albertans awakened to a dreary, overcast morning with rain showers on Tuesday following election day in the province. The incumbent Progressive Conservatives will form another majority government. (Emphasis added. The Progressive Movement emphasizes social reform with a heavy hand of government doing the reforming for you, i.e. by force.) Election day on the other hand was an unusually warm and optimistic spring day for this latitude. Good turnouts in both advance and election-day polling appeared to bode well for the fledgling Wildrose party, touted variously as real conservatives, right-wing extremists or libertarians, depending mainly on who was making the observation. … Continue reading Polls That Count

Foreign Policy, PoliticsLeave a comment

Rocket Redo

Podritske

On 25 March—from a position safely outside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) dividing North and South Korea—US President Barack Obama warned the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) against taking any “provocative” measures. It was a meaningless warning of empty rhetoric. For years this regime has drawn attention to itself in order to gain benefits, much as a horrid little child would by throwing a tantrum until mommy gives in and provides more treats. That is approximately the level of sophistication the US and other nations have demonstrated in dealing with North Korea, a socialist dictatorship featuring the usual famine and … Continue reading Rocket Redo

PoliticsLeave a comment

The Simple Summit

Podritske

The recent Summit of the Americas in Cartagena ended on a down note. There were two issues of contention: the simple possibility of decriminalizing the illicit drug trade—as suggested by Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Columbia—and Cuba’s  representation at the summit, advocated by the Latin American constituency. So contentious were these points that the usual closing statement could not be issued. The US and Canada, represented respectively by President Obama and Prime Minister Harper, were united in opposition, effectively exercising a North American “veto”. The position on Cuba is clear enough. Cuba has not been involved in the Organization of … Continue reading The Simple Summit

Foreign Policy1 Comment

Semi-Free Trade

Podritske

I applaud the efforts of Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to promote free trade. Over the course of many months we’ve heard about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) with the United States and several Asian-Pacific nations. Discussions are ongoing with specific countries or regions, including Europe, India, China and most recently, Japan. News reports suggest that free trade is a good thing for Canada and for Canadians.  It is indeed, if it is the simple concept of free trade they’re all talking about. Ordinary Canadians however, are distanced from the facts of the “negotiations” surrounding the multiple “free-trade agreements” currently being … Continue reading Semi-Free Trade