Might Makes Right: The Reality of International Politics & Why States Cause Wars
“If you kill one person, you’re prosecuted. If you kill ten people, you’re a celebrity; if you kill a quarter-of-a-million people, you’re invited to a peace conference.” – Haris Silajdžić Patient readers will bear with me as I sink into the quagmire of Balkan and, specifically, post-Yugoslav politics to make a broader point about states [...]
Capitalists: The Flat-Earthers of the 21st Century
I’m not just talking about the old white guy with the mustache and top hat in Monopoly. I’m talking about all the folks who think the market will save us and that the economy must grow and that to be critical of all that is to be unpatriotic or a threat to social order. And [...]
The Thing About Israel
OK, here’s the thing about Israel, OK, one thing: there is no greater concentration of political spin in all of human history than around the issues relating to Israel. And the spin has the [likely intended] consequence of creating a chill factor to keep people from trying to reasonably discuss issues on any side of [...]
When Conservatives Question Corporate Motives
I am always pleased when conservatives question the social commitment of corporations. You don’t actually have to be a radical left winger to reasonably question whether corporations care about us, profits or the damage from oil in the Gulf. I know it is irresponsible for any sensible person to adopt the radical left wing stance [...]
Eco-Leaders Kerala, Sikkim and Montgomery County
In an era when effective global agreements on addressing climate breakdown are still elusive, it’s encouraging to see sub-national groups taking a lead. Kerala and Sikkim in India and Montgomery County in Maryland are working on organic farming and carbon taxes. The southern Indian state of Kerala has officially announced a new farming policy which [...]
Our Civil Demand: From Petty to Profound
In thinking about pettiness in the political arena, it’s easy to see it show up in the daily headlines. But what we really need are people who catalyze our culture to places of greatness and even just the expectation of greatness. CNN showed Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech from August 1963 on [...]
US Military Gearing Up for Peak Oil for 2012-2015
When the US military is talking peak oil in an imminent context, we should start paying attention. The US military has warned that surplus oil production capacity could disappear within two years and there could be serious shortages by 2015 with a significant economic and political impact. The energy crisis [is] outlined in a Joint [...]
Healthcare Before Olympics: Michael Moore-Style
We’re days away from the end of the $8 billion obscene Olympic party. Last year, BC’s health authorities were defunded by $360 million. Cut, cut, cut. Soon the 16-day bash will be over, the guests will leave and we’ll return the empties. Then we’ll walk around the house and tally up the damage. Holes kicked [...]
Healthcare as a Human Right for Americans?
Americans have had it rough, what with their rabidly individualistic, anti-communitarian history and social policy. From that, they have a hard time embracing things of the common good, like healthcare being a human right. The current debate, with the wingnut lunacy of greedy hyper-individualists wanting to keep poor people without healthcare that others would have [...]
Obama Is Not Anyone’s Economic Jesus
It’s time to get over ourselves with thinking of Obama being any kind of economic Jesus. Eric Margolis reflects many people’s hopes, but it is time to leave our naivety back in 2008 because its best before date has expired: “The axis of sleaze between Wall Street and Washington’s politicians has to be broken. Time [...]
Regrets? Super-Human Gordon Campbell Won’t Tell
If we have learned anything about new higher expectations of politicians in the 21st century, it’s that they have to acknowledge they aren’t perfect. Obama gets it, Bush and Campbell clearly don’t. It was astonishing to watch Campbell interviewed on the CBC tonight. When asked at the end if he could do anything over from his [...]
Memo to Harper: Bush Doesn’t Have Your Back Anymore
Someone should really tell the prime minister that George w.Caesar doesn’t have his back on angry imperialist rhetoric anymore. It’s one thing for Ignatieff to sit quietly, saying nothing, waiting for the economy to implode Harper’s government, but for Harper to show that he still thinks the Bush Doctrine rules the world means his crash [...]
Diplomatic Engagement 101
In case anyone wondered how actually one [like a president, some members of Congress or a Canadian prime minister] would go about practicing diplomacy on the international stage, here are two examples from today alone. I think this is why there used to be a red phone on a desk in the oval office: The [...]
Plumping the Municipal Election
There is no grand prevailing wisdom about how people should vote. It’s hard enough to get people to show up at the polls as it is–and for many good reasons. But once people show up, there are competing views about how we should cast our votes: in this case, to plump or not to plump. [...]
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