In a click-bait headline, the Globe and Mail pronounces, A hard diversity quota for medical-school admissions is a terrible, counterproductive idea (link to paywalled article). All other things being equal, access to essential social services such as higher education should reflect the demographics of the wider society, within a reasonable margin of error. This is…
From grantpotter @grantpotter Pro-democracy activists have shown that far-right demonstrations of power have six core goals: To legitimize their views, strengthen their self-image as part of the downtrodden, unite their squabbling factions, attract new people to the movement, control media coverage, and feel powerful and heroic. https://bad-faith-times.ghost.io/weird-and-the-breaking-of-the-fascist-fever/ And from Anne-Marie Scott @Ammienoot@social.ds106.us @grantpotter “Progressives should…
Pierre Poilievre has said that if the Conservatives form the next federal government, it not would provide “a single taxpayer dollar” to supervised consumption sites (SCS) for addicts, calling them “drug dens.” Poilievre’s comments are a reflection of what you get when you address social problems with dogma rather than evidence. People don’t intend to…
On Reddit and the Star is was suggested that: Trudeau and Singh must look to France to avoid a Poilievre government In France, the lesson is that proportional representation is more democratic than first-past-the-post. In the recent election, the centrist Macron (similar to Trudeau) did not make any deals with the left wing parties. Rather,…
People are endlessly worried that AI will take jobs away from people. I don’t agree that jobs (librarians or others) are inherently good things. If I could do without a job, I would. What’s inherently good is the *income* we get from jobs. The ability to get the things we need and want to thrive…
With a little help from the Conference Board of Canada, the Financial Post is offering a self-defeating straw man on the issue of government funding for battery plants. Here’s what they write: Picking battery plants to solve Canada’s productivity crisis ‘dangerous road,’ report says. Better approach would be to cut taxes and let markets find…
The Globe and Mail, ever the watchful agent protecting corporate interests, published a column arguing that Canada’s supply management system for eggs and dairy should be ended (paywall, archive). I love how people think removing supply management will make dairy and eggs cheaper. They think prices are being artificially inflated, but that’s true only when…
Re: the McLeans article on health care in Canada titled Private Health Care is Here The more we have private health care in Canada, the more we create two types of victims: those who have to go into debt to afford the now-private service, and those who live with prolonged pain and suffering because they…
The question on Reddit: Are you in favor of abolishing the Constitutional Monarchy system? Do you feel a Federal Republic would make more sense, if not which system would make more sense? One good thing about a constitutional monarchy: the right of the monarch to abolish parliament or to refuse to give approval to a…
Responding to this article in the Globe and the associated Reddit thread. “If an election were called tomorrow, the dynamics of the campaign could well push the NDP ahead of the Liberals.” The NDP is forcing the Liberals to move on pharmacare and dental care. As these programs expand (which they will, because Canadians want…