Globalized bigness...and why Santa Claus is no longer believable
When Santa Claus was delivering a few token Christmas gifts to a few houses in a few little villages in northern Europe, he seemed believable because his task was possible. But a globalized Santa, required to travel at searing speeds to distribute billions of gifts to billions of households, simply boggles belief. Despite the...
US-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council plans Orwellian transportation pact
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the second of three articles by Nelle Maxey examining the wide-ranging ramifications for the Canadian public, economy and environment of the new Canada-US Border Security Deal and its ancillary agreements. With my first article on this topic I set the background for Canada's new trade deal with the US...
Border security deal's ugly twin carries major energy and environmental implications for Canada
The Harper government officially announced in recent weeks a new Border Security deal with the US. However, little press space was given to the ugly twin of this deal - the Canada-United States Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC) and their "Joint Action Plan". The RCC was set up to "streamline" regulations in four economic...
COMMENT: Time to stand up for orderly marketing systems--our food security depends on it
There is a lot of spin from think tanks these days being spotlighted in the news suggesting that Canada needs to give up its orderly marketing tools such as our Supply Management (SM) system for dairy, poultry and eggs. A lot of effort is going into convincing us that these ‘oppressive- government-run-collective-marketing-systems’...
Xiao Zhang Case:BC courts GUILTY of contempt
If only BC courts showed the same respect for the courts and the legal system that they demand--or least hope--of us. But they don’t. BC judges and BC courts have often made a complete mockery of our laws, the justice system and the citizenry’s expectations to see justice done and be protected from the evil that dwell among...
OP/ED: Clark and Bond wrong on public, wrong on electoral finance reform
The BC Liberal government may have committed itself to transparency, new ideas and engaging with British Columbians in its October 3rd Throne speech, but according to IntegrityBC the memo doesn't seem to have quite reached every minister. The non-partisan organization was reacting to a letter it received from Attorney General...
It’s the economy, dippers
The NDP leadership race suddenly seems like a very long, drawn out affair. Initially, there was much outrage – especially from Thomas Mulcair – at the suggestion that the party go along with what Jack Layton seemed to want: an earlier leadership convention in January. But now many in the party, lead by Winnipeg MP Pat Martin...
Fox News North: Your national, pro-war TV network
You will no doubt recall the controversy surrounding the efforts of Quebec billionaire Pierre Peladeau to get a prized licence for his Sun News TV network. If he had succeeded, the cable companies would have been obliged to carry his extremist right wing news channel, dubbed by many as “Fox News North.” In the end, the CRTC...
SHADES OF GREEN: The Keystone XL protests and the Occupy Movement
The protest against the 2,763 km Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta's tar sands to America's Gulf States' oil refineries are driven by a deeper concern than risk to Nebraska's Sand Hills region and its underlying Ogallala aquifer. The same applies to The worldwide Occupy movement, too, is motivated by a deeper concern than...
My Rx for Occupy Vancouver success
I hope the REAL Occupy Vancouver movement does not fade away. For MOST of our sakes, it MUST not. Their message--that the rich must STOP getting richer at the expense of the rest of us--must not die, or be forgotten, or cease to be advocated. promoted and brought to success in our society. Readers of this blog will know how...
