Category Politics

Welcome to Fantasyland

Americans are crazy. Kurt Andersen should know; he’s one of them, though he insists he is sane. Don’t all crazy people say that? Fantasyland, which is published today, is a voyage through American history, a look at how American society reached the point where someone like Donald Trump could be elected as President of the […]

The Dog and Trump Days of August

The Donald Trump show took on new highs, or lows, last month and I resisted commenting. At its height I was on vacation in the US, which gave a different perspective on the circus than I usually get at home. Now though I feel I have to weigh in, but probably not the way you […]

And In The News Today…

It is that time of year again. For two weeks I will be spending the majority of my time (weather permitting) sitting on the beach with a book. More than one book – I hope to get through at least ten in 14 days. In order to do that I need to concentrate, stay focused […]

President Trump! I’m Available!

I gather there is a vacancy at the White House. If not immediately, then perhaps in five or ten minutes, once the next person quits or is fired. I have resisted writing about the chaos that is American politics these days. International trade and security are begging for comment, but I am holding off. The […]

More Reflections on Omar

There has been continued discussion in Canada of the $10.5 million payment made by the federal government to former child soldier Omar Khadr. According to polling, 71% of Canadians are opposed to the deal. Of those who support the governing Liberals, 61% are opposed. Most of the reaction I’ve seen has been emotional, no matter […]

Canada Day Reflections – II

When my children were younger and complained about something I would tell them not to just complain but to offer a solution as well. It is a sound principle: be part of the answer, not just part of the problem.  Otherwise you are just a whiner. I have complained a couple of times about the […]

A Matter of Justice?

I had a post planned for today. I was just checking the spelling when the rumour became reality: The Government of Canada has apologized to Omar Khadr and is handing him a cheque for $10,500,000 for his suffering. I think it is fair to describe this as a cowardly act on the part of the […]

Into The Sunset

Yesterday’s post was a milestone, and I didn’t realize it at the time. It was my 1,000th post in this space. I just thought it was worth mentioning, given that today’s post is about another milestone. Today is my last day on Parliament Hill. After 10 years of working at the heart of our democracy, […]

Politically Correct/Historically Incorrect

The Governor General has apologized. I wish he hadn’t. David Johnston was in political hot water over a radio interview he gave, where he said (and I am paraphrasing) that all Canadians were immigrants; it was only a matter of when your ancestors came to this country. Even Canada’s First Nations, our aboriginal peoples, were […]

Random Thoughts While Watching The Convention

I was originally planning on attending last Saturday’s Conservative Leadership Convention, but a change of schedule meant I couldn’t make it to Toronto. So I watched on television. I jotted down some thoughts as the show progressed. Since I already had a number of posts scheduled, this is the first opportunity. There were, as I […]