Tag: Canada

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“Mr. Dressup” Defeats “Howdy Doody” in a Decision

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As many expected, Justin Trudeau has defeated his main opponent in the Canadian Federal Election 2019, but with a minority of seats. Andrew Scheer, with his boyish face and steady grin reminded me of the puppet character from the old “Howdy Doody” television program from the 1950s and 1960s. His outlook was similar; everything will always be alright in the end. However, Scheer’s Conservatives were not able to gin up enough support from the voters in Ontario and Quebec—the only provinces where votes really count in a Federal Election—and so Liberals carried the day in left-leaning Canada once again. And, … Continue reading “Mr. Dressup” Defeats “Howdy Doody” in a Decision

Canada, Ethics1 Comment

Khadr the Canadian

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Republished in view of recent controversy over Canadian government appeasement of this young war criminal.  Omar Ahmed Khadr is about as Canadian as a Chiquita-brand banana. The unrepentant confessed murderer and terrorist would fit in like a tropical fruit tree planted in Tuktoyaktuk. Khadr was born 19 September 1986 in Toronto; that is the only relevant fact presented by those who advocate repatriation. All other supporting argument stems from this fact, including the prospect that Khadr may be able to successfully sue the Canadian government for damages, alleging its complicity in condemning him to the comfortable horror of Guantanamo Bay. … Continue reading Khadr the Canadian

Canada, News, PoliticsLeave a comment

The More Things Change

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There was a day when most university students would be out hustling for summer jobs at this time of year if they were not already working. In Montreal the perpetual student protesters mingled with the moneyed elite Thursday night in advance of the festival season. The event they tried to disrupt kicks off the Canadian Grand Prix race this weekend. The protesting Quebec university students evidently have a lot of free time at their disposal. Universities used to be places where you (or your benefactors) paid for a well-rounded liberal arts education; the only concession to training for a profession might … Continue reading The More Things Change

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What Is Not Wrong With Luka Magnotta?

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If Luka Magnotta is indeed the murderer in the bizarre case of an online “snuff” video and corpse dismemberment, let’s hope the bastard is killed in the process of trying to elude capture and arrest. Why? The elimination by whatever means of such an embodiment of evil will spare us the agonizingly protracted trial sure to follow. In such theatrical surroundings we would likely be treated to testimony supporting the notion that the criminal is not completely responsible for his actions. The witch doctors masquerading as psychologists and psychiatrists would unfavourably influence the process of criminal justice. The stage is … Continue reading What Is Not Wrong With Luka Magnotta?

Canada, Politics, Rights2 Comments

Felon Protests

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The 2012 Quebec Student Protests (for which an adequate informational summary may be obtained on Wikipedia) are in essence an event reminiscient of 1960s social unrest. There is no rational connection between the dominant activities of these “protestors” and the facts of reality. Consider the following: Quebec students pay the lowest levels of tuition in North America. the key issue in the protests is a tuition fee increase to be phased in over a period of time. like all welfare states, education costs in Quebec and the rest of Canada are subsidized in excess of 50 percent by taxpayers. the … Continue reading Felon Protests

Canada, Political Economy, PoliticsLeave a comment

Out Damned Euro!

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I would go a bit further than Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty in commenting that “maybe Europe should give up on the eurozone”. Europe should definitely give up on the eurozone, that collectivist-inspired effort at central control of disparate nations and disparate lives. The attempt to have a common currency—the Euro—among 17 different economies was always doomed to failure. It is just another essentially useless fiat currency. It is legal tender because central authorities say it is. The conduct of trade between 17 competitors using the same currency cannot work because no adjustment can be made in a member country … Continue reading Out Damned Euro!

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Forced Work

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“Conservative legislation restricting access to EI benefits risks forcing people into jobs they don’t want…” writes Bill Curry of The Globe and Mail. * (*EI is “employment insurance,” ostensibly a more positive denotation that Canada uses for its unemployment benefits program.) By “forced” labour Mr. Curry probably does not mean to imply that slavery or indentured servitude is proposed but what else does forcing people into jobs mean? No person is forced to work. An employee agrees to work for an employer under certain conditions. If the job is not something he wants to do then he can quit once he … Continue reading Forced Work

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

Polls That Count

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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

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The Simple Summit

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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

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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