Rabble.ca columnistMurray Dobbin hit's the nail on the head in his 'analytical' post on the NDP loss in BC. The answer doesn't lie in political tactics but in a creating a new kind of politics that goes back to the grassroots. After stunning NDP loss in B.C., it's time for a new kind of politics - is well worth the read.
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Leave it to writers to find the best descriptors for Stephen Harper. Author and documentary filmmaker, Michael Harrissays that Stephen Harper is a one-man show with a mean streak and it's time for change.
***Ralph Klein and Peter Kormos, NDP MPP from Welland died the same week. However, while the leaders of this country tripped over themselves with speeches on King Ralphy they virtually ignored Kormos. Great piece by Thomas Walkon in The Toronto Star explaining the how contrary to Klein, Kormos was the real deal.
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How coups, attempted and successful, influenced governments like Chavez. This is less about Chavez and more about how the imperialist powers interfere with the internal politics of countries when they see their profits threatened. Good piece from Gerald Caplan.
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FREE MARKETS? WHAT FREE MARKETS?
Capitalists will tell you that a free market system will solve all their problems, but it simply 'ain't true'. It goes against their interests. For a better understanding read Like unicorns, the 'free market' doesn't exist from the exceptional blog Climate & Capitalism.
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IS THIS STILL A DEMOCRACY?
Lawrence Martin writes a compelling piece for iPolitics about the Harper government, showing clearly that the Conservatives have every intention to muzzle dissention.
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STANFORD WRITES ON OIL EXPORTS
For Canadians to get greater benefit from our oil exports, writes Jim Stanford in The Globe and Mail, we need to end the glut of oil and leave the stuff in the ground longer.
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THE ITAC MONITORS PEACEFUL PROTESTS
Globe reporter Carys Mills writes an informative piece on the activities of the Integrated Terrorism Assessment Centre (ITAC). Tasked with monitoring international terrorist threats it also monitors peaceful protests like Occupy.
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It is reassuring to see journalists such as Jim Harris of Huffington Post Canada identify the Robo-calling scandal for what it is - election fraud. Harris is equally disturbed by mainstream media's consistently lame description as simply 'dirty tricks' from a mere rogue.
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JOHN DEVERELL SPEAKS OUT!
Deverell calls on all political parties to put aside their egos and take the necessary action to defeat Harper in 2015. Perhaps the NDP and Liberals are too comfortable in their own lives to care about everyday Canadians. John is an executive member of the Scarborough-Pickering Liberal Association and was a member of Catch 22 Harper Conservatives during the last election campaign.
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KARL NERENBERG'S
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THE ITAC MONITORS PEACEFUL PROTESTS
Globe reporter Carys Mills writes an informative piece on the activities of the Integrated Terrorism Assessment Centre (ITAC). Tasked with monitoring international terrorist threats it also monitors peaceful protests like Occupy.
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HARPER'S MUZZLING TACTICS
Interesting op-ed by Harron Siddiqui of Toronto Star.Harper versus the pinstripe brigade reveals the depth and breadth of Harper's need to control the foreign service. Siddiqui refers to Remey Beauregard and Rights & Democracy, a Harper scandal that has been forgotten.
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MOURNING MULCAIR'S WIN
In his March 28th post, Murray Dobbin laments the NDP's leadership convention. Dobbin found the NDP focus on simply electing a candidate that can win against Harper and it's decreasing emphasis on policy and philosophy disturbing. And Muclair, of all candidates!
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THE 1% CHEAT MORE THAN THE REST OF US? SAY IT AIN'T SO
Gerald Caplan's 'tongue-in-cheek' response to an academic report that answers the burning question "does being rich or poor influence ethical behaviour?" Are the upper crust really that bad? According to Caplan, maybe.. but they wouldn't take candy from a baby :). From the Globe & Mail.
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HARPER CONQUERS CANADA, ONE ROBOCALL at a TIMEIt is reassuring to see journalists such as Jim Harris of Huffington Post Canada identify the Robo-calling scandal for what it is - election fraud. Harris is equally disturbed by mainstream media's consistently lame description as simply 'dirty tricks' from a mere rogue.
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JOHN DEVERELL SPEAKS OUT!
Deverell calls on all political parties to put aside their egos and take the necessary action to defeat Harper in 2015. Perhaps the NDP and Liberals are too comfortable in their own lives to care about everyday Canadians. John is an executive member of the Scarborough-Pickering Liberal Association and was a member of Catch 22 Harper Conservatives during the last election campaign.
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THE WINNING ESSAY FROM THE MEDIA 'NEO-LIBERALISM CHALLENGE
Journalist and award winning author Joan Baxter talks about the neo-liberal policies of the Harper Government in her op-ed piece Canada under Conservatives not what it used to be - The Halifax Chronicle-Herald February 22, 2012. And of course Joan was the winner of my media challenge. Congratulations Joan - great piece of work!
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DELUSIONS OF THE CORPORATE STATE***
Tying his studies in medieval history to his work with the US government, Evaggelos Vallianatos in the political web journaltruthout.org makes the case that today's capitalism is degenerating into a modern version of feudalism run by a global business oligarchy. A wonderful quote:
In the very beginning of his "Politics," Aristotle said that a state has to provide its citizens more than military security or a place for living. A state must afford its citizens ample opportunities to be self-sufficient and have a good life.
Modern capitalism and their toady governments have completely lost sight of their duties and responsibilities to their citizens.
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DID THE TORIES THINK THAT NO ONE WOULD FIGURE IT OUT?
According to the Globe, there really is enough money in the coffers for the Old Age Pension. Of course it wasn't the mainstream journalists that figured it out, it was an outside adviser. But it still begs the question.. if there is enough $$ in the coffers why still go ahead with increasing the age of retirement.
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THE 'DAVOS' CLASS
An article from the Transnational Insitute by Susan George. In summary, I think Susan says it best: The Davos class run our major institutions, know exactly what they want, and are well organized, but they have weaknesses too. For they are wedded to an ideology that isn't working and they have virtually no ideas nor imagination to resolve this.
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WHAT IS GOING ON AT CIDA?
A wonderful piece of journalism by Elizabeth Payne of the Ottawa Citizen. Payne delves into how CIDA is used by the Harper government to subsidize Big Corporate Resource Exploration in developing nations. It's a whitewash - to once again protect the interests of big business and ignore the NGOs. One wonders why the NGOs aren't squawking louder!
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CLIMATE CHANGE:
OUR REAL BEQUEST TO FUTURE GENERATIONS
OUR REAL BEQUEST TO FUTURE GENERATIONS
Dean Baker, co-director of the U.S.-based Center for Economic and Research Policy has written an article in The Guardianon the importance of taking action on climate change. Unlike managing debt, which can be resolved, climate change if ignored will haunt and may possibly destroy future generations.
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REPORT ON FOREIGN FUNDING
by DOGWOOD initiative
So...most British Columbians are more worried about the amount of foreign investment in the oil companies than they are in environmental groups. Turns out that US investment in environmental groups is a fraction of what is invested in oil companies. No surprises here.
Great report from the DOGWOOD initiative.
***So...most British Columbians are more worried about the amount of foreign investment in the oil companies than they are in environmental groups. Turns out that US investment in environmental groups is a fraction of what is invested in oil companies. No surprises here.
Great report from the DOGWOOD initiative.
KARL NERENBERG'S
OTTAWA BLOG
2012 POLICY
AGENDA - PART II
AS POSTED ON RABBLE.CA
2012 POLICY
AGENDA - PART II
AS POSTED ON RABBLE.CA
Interesting insight into what's going on with the Conservative Party. One of Karl's great comments...
"The current Conservatives are very comfortable with the tactic of attacking people for who they are. it beats having to confront real evidence and engage in frank and honest policy debate"
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SUN MEDIA IN ALBERTA
GOES ON THE ATTACK
Blogger David Climenhaga discusses Sun Media's racist attack on Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi. Yet, another reason to boycott the Sun in Calgary.
***MEDIA LOVE-IN LET DOWN:
EVEN LAFLAMME FAILS TO IGNITE
Once again Howard Bernstein has a few good thoughts on the Media Love-In with the Prime Minister in the end of the year wrap-up interviews.
Read More...
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'ANONYMOUS' PLAYS
SANTA CLAUS GIVING
HACKED MONEY TO POOR
The
Occupy-allied group broke into a pro-military think tank, and took
credit card numbers of right-wing members and made donations to
charitable organizations. No one was injured. 'Security' firm seriously
embarrassed.
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OCCUPY MOVEMENT CREATES
GLOBAL BANKING DISCUSSION
Janet Eaton writes in her blog Beyond Collapse ...
... It is significant that the private banking system, as the dominant cause of the existing financial chaos, has been targeted by the Occupy Movement. Equally as important is that the Occupy Movement has triggered a global conversation that has led to large swaths of the population questioning the entire global economic system.
Janet’s post makes for an interesting read...
Janet’s post makes for an interesting read...
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SPECULATORS DESTROYING
WORLD’S ‘REAL ECONOMY’
The prices of rice, oil and even housing, etc., are grossly inflated for the general public because of the billions of dollars poured into market “gambling” instruments aimed at giving the already-rich a higher return on their so-called investments. In this mind-boggling article, Washington Post award-winning columnist Steven Pearlstein explains why, for instance, the price of oil is about $30 a barrel higher than it should be.
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BELL, ROGERS DEAL
SHOULD BE BLOCKED
From what I’ve seen and heard, none of the big media organizations have commented in what is wrong with the bullying giants Bell and Rogers buying all of Toronto’s big sports teams. I sent an alert out on Facebook, but no one picked up on it.
Blogger Howard Bernstein is the only person to get it right.
