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ThePolitic is a political weblog devoted to insight and original commentary on matters pertaining to politics, civil society, government and economics, and occasionally the world outside Canada's borders.
Recent Posts Tagged With 'General'
A Look Back at 2000-2009, and How It Set The Stage…
For a decade that cultural historians still don’t know how to define (the “2000’s” is the front-runner, but woefully inadequate), the decade we are about to leave certainly lived up to its reputation. It took almost four year...
Merry Christmas!
Having freed myself from the clutches of gifts, turkey, children, in-laws, out-laws, family and friends, and with the house finally quiet while everyone enjoys a serotonin-induced nap, I wish one and all a very merry Christmas. We trust this season...
What is a Moderate?
Roger Scrutton has published a provocative essay on political ideology. Writing against the backdrop of modern American politics, Scrutton recites the principles that, in his view, are thought to define conservatives and liberals, respectively. Cons...
The tax-man is evil
Unbelievable. Rachel Porcaro is a victim of evil parasitic tax collectors. But the agency insisted Rachel couldn’t prove she was supporting her children — she didn’t have enough receipts — so she had to stop claiming them as depend...
Are The Argos About To End Their Strained SkyDome Relationship?
It is and isn’t shocking to learn of an open letter to Argos fans from team President Bob Nicholson remarking on what so many CFL fans have been talking about ever since the SkyDome first opened its doors 20 years ago: the love-hate relationshi...
New Brunswick Tory’s Comment was Sexist
I missed the story when it first came out, but New Brunswick MLA Carl Urquhart got in trouble for a mildly offensive comment he wrote on Facebook. Responding to the governing Liberals’ new budget, Mr. Urquhart wrote, “[a]nother Liberal ...
Big Government vrs. The Virtue of Governing Oneself
I’m all for gun and property rights. But I can’t understand people that always want to get tough on crime, particularly with stiffer prison sentencing. Can’t they be more imaginative? Why don’t they buy a gun, then get involve...
Eminent Domain, Property Rights and the Results of Government Theft
The other day, I wrote about the most recent development in what can best be described as the Kelo Affair – about how the government decided to take people’s homes not because of blight or because the buildings were fit to be condemned, b...
Bringing Bison Back to Banff (Who Doesn’t Love Alliteration?)
I never thought this would be a top story in a major newspaper, but the first item on National Post’s website details Parks Canada’s plan to re-introduce bison to Banff National Park. Parks Canada wants a home where buffalo can roam. They...
Stelmach, Riders & Drivers: Weekend In Review
Just a few short points tonight: First, I hear that Unsteady Eddy managed a 77% leadership approval tonight in Alberta, and that many APCs who are loyal to Stelmach believe that this puts the wind at their backs. Well, we here in Ontario made a simi...
Martha Hall Findlay: “Not Left. Not Right. Moving Forward.”
Meet the Players The Eighth in a Series of Interviews with Political Strategists and Candidates “Not Left. Not Right. Moving Forward.” That is the slogan that greets all visitors to Martha Hall Findlay’s website. It’s easy to...
Jon Corzine Fails to Buy New Jersey Election
Alright, it’s just about time to permanently retire the trope that lots of campaign spending buys elections, and, thus, scrap all ill-conceived and undemocratic campaign finance laws. In politics, money isn’t everything; just ask soon t...
Are Liberals suffering from a millstone named Quebec?
It’s debatable I think. The main comparison I’d make is that Liberal fortune is so dependent upon the good graces of Quebec and the Conservatives are not. Liberals can’t obtain a majority government without Quebec and that’s m...
What about Parliamentary Supremacy?
The only reason any Westminster system requires the services of a “supreme court” is to satisfy the condition of Locke’s separation of powers doctrine that there be a “Federative” branch of government to adjudicate dispu...
Prizes that patronize
One wonders how many White House staffers are wincing with the news that Obama has won, undeservedly, the Nobel Peace Prize. Even the President can’t be altogether comfortable with this one, though he wouldn’t be the first world leader c...
Who’s agenda is actually hidden Mr. Ignatieff?
Mighty Michael Ignatieff is backpedaling once again. This time, it’s to deny rumors that he plans to approach Canadians in an “adult conversation” about how to deal with the deficit that includes increasing taxes. This isn’t t...
Harper Shows Some Snark
The following is from a Question Period duel between Harper and Layton. “When I was a boy, my father used to say that I should work on things that I am good at. The NDP is not good at fighting taxes. The NDP has opposed cutting the federal sales ta...
Global Grape Glut?
So why isn’t grape juice cheaper? ...
New York City Loves Brutal Totalitarianism
According to the official website of the Empire State Building, the grand edifice will be lit up with red and yellow lights today and tomorrow in honour of the 60th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China. Do we really need to go over all...
Ryan Hastman: The Next Generation of Conservative Leadership
Let it never be said that I do not give the people what they want. Last week, after my interview with Mark Holland–whom I described as part of the new generation of Liberal leadership–readers sent me several emails and Facebook messages...
British Columbia – Ms. May, or May Not?
So, it looks as though Elizabeth May in her never ending struggle to push her number one priority has decided that her next kick at the cat will be in British Columbia against Gary Lunn, contrary to an earlier statement that she was determined to run...
Learnin’ ‘Bout Learnin’
At his blog, Random Dispatches, Lindsay Watt notes a lot of exciting things happening in education these days. The four areas in which he notes some new research and initiatives are: Teacher accountability; Community involvement; Online education;...
Keys to Victory in the Next Federal Election
Notwithstanding this analysis, it appears that an election is imminent. As political parties and candidates gird for battle, they would do well to study the latest findings from some of Canada’s leading political scientists, who have recently r...
Aren’t We Prescient?
I’m surprised I’m the first one around here to mention this. Apropos of the little debate going on around here, it seems that even Human Rights Commissions aren’t fans of Human Rights Commissions. From The Ottawa Citizen: OTTAWA...
Veering Off Course, or, A Long Rambling Post on Human Rights Evolution
(Note: I had intended to respond to narrow aspects of the debate stirred by Sean’s post from the other day. Instead, I appear to have written a rather long, somewhat unfocused post. I hope no one minds too much.) Below, Sean Calder introduc...
Rocco Rossi: The Liberal Party’s Fundraiser-in-Chief
Meet the Players The Fourth in a Series of Interviews with Political Strategists and Candidates The numbers reported to Elections Canada really say it all. Over the last few years, the Liberal Party’s fundraising performance has left much to be...
Score One for the Good Guys
The World Trade Organization has ruled in favour of freedom and prosperity. An arbitration panel has determined that the U.S. intervention in the cotton industry (propping up American farms, creating barriers for Brazil and other countries) is unac...
I Have A Right To My Rights, Right?
So, lately I’ve been hearing a lot of people complaining about what they have a right to, or not as the case may be. And amazingly enough, I’m hearing it less from teenagers and more from adults. Rational and logical minds tell us that th...
President Obama, Machiavelli, and Health Care Reform
In my latest op-ed, published today in the Boston Herald, I argue that President Obama should be more Machiavellian in the American health care debate. Thoughts, criticisms, praise–all welcome, both in the comments below and offline by email....
Tim Powers: The Prime Minister’s Lead Blocker
Meet the Players The Second in a Series of Interviews with Political Strategists and Candidates What do you get when you cross a rugby player, a communications professor, a top-ranked lobbyist, a compulsive tweeter, a regular blogger, an expert ...
