Prime Rates and Prime Rib: dealing with consequences not causes

Jack Layton just announced that the NDP would cap credit card rates to 5% above the prime rates (presumably the commercial banks’ prime). All good and all although my credit card rates are around that. But what are the causes … Continue reading →

Shorter Conservatives

“Give us two consecutive majority mandates to govern and if our fantasy budget projections materialize we will give you a tax break in the first year of our second mandate.”** We think that once the budget is balanced, fixing this … Continue reading →

10 basic facts about our parliamentary system: Crib notes for conseratives

I appreciate this is a presentation of everything everybody already knows about our parliamentary system. Therefore treat the following as set of rapid fire FYI bullet points for those of you with conservative friends who seem clueless about parliamentary systems. … Continue reading →

Spring Greetings

This gallery contains 2 photos.

When I read the poem “Counterpoint” by Mahmoud Darwish, which was written for Edward Said, I thought how beautiful is the love between two friends who have chosen to be companions in struggle and who support each other in the … Continue reading →

Hopeful news

Paul Krugman is now debating the flank to the left of him with quasi seriousness and respect. Might not seem like much but actually in the context of the last 20 years of mainstream economic debate a fairly remarkable and … Continue reading →

Libya: The poverty of analyses

I am confused by the analyses of the anglo-phone left with regards to the social revolts in Libya. The only thing folks seem able to muster are a series of bifurcated abstractions. Thus certain metaphors in the analyses of Libya … Continue reading →

A communications strategy masquerading as a budget

The conservative budget is a series of half-truths that can be repeated and which requires a series of clarifications before the full truth of the matter can see the light of day. Outside of the pre-scheduled corporate tax cuts the … Continue reading →

Personhood, Romantic Love and the 3rd world.

By Elleni Centime Zeleke, My interlocutors seem angry and defensive about my claim that romantic love in north America is sinister. Let me respond to their anger with a few more points. So, we think of ourselves in the West … Continue reading →

NDP has nothing to fear from an election: let us go to the polls

Unlike the other two major federal parties the NDP (and Greens for that matter) have nothing to fear from an election. Indeed if the NDP understood that building its party was the key to future electoral gains it would welcome … Continue reading →