Markham City Council bans criticism of Apartheid regimes
On May 3, a majority of Councillors from Markham City Council adopted a motion to censor “Israeli Apartheid Week” that is organized each year in March by students on Canadian universities. Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) is a week of lectures and film screenings that takes place peacefully on campuses each year and hosts prominent academics and […]
The election by the numbers
To the Editor: Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, 1976 edition, describes “democracy” as “government by the people,” “rule by the majority,” “government in which supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation.” On March 27, after 58 years in government, the Conservative Christian Democratic Union […]
Day 2 of Marchanacional: Protesters enter Mexico City
By Geraldine Juarez This post is part of a series of posts on Mexico’s ‘march for peace.’ The silent caravan of the Marchanacional (national march) left Coajumulco early on Friday morning, May 6, to continue on its way to El Zócalo in downtown Mexico City. Jesus Robles Maloof has been blogging about the march, and he […]
Will Libyans see us as saviours?
Canada is at war again but you would hardly know it from the media. We should pay attention, for our part in the Libyan “mission” is a stunning example of how easily the self-righteous West can get involved in war without considering the consequences. First it was Afghanistan then Iraq, classic examples of imperial hubris, […]
HST: So where ARE those lower prices?
The Liberal government of Premier Gordon Campbell told us the HST would be “revenue neutral.” Not true. They promised 100,000 jobs by 2020 as a result of all the money companies would be saving and reinvesting. Latest estimate: a quarter of that. And they assured consumers, onto whose backs the HST transfers the tax burden, prices will come […]
I'm Laila Yuile and This Is How I See It: Politics and the press
“Democracy has become a government of bullies, tempered by editors” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson A strong statement and I think most would agree, an exact one. Particularly at this point in Canadian history. Here we are, a couple of days after yet another federal election, and there are many who still are jubilant in victory, many […]
OP/ED: One election down, three to go.
I will forever remember election 2011 as the “ambivalence” election. I was glad to see incumbent Atamanenko retain his seat, not out of any loyalty to the New Democrats, but because I didn’t feel the other parties fielded candidates worthy of ousting Atamanenko. I think the only real competition for the seat came from […]
City organizations benefit from $110,036 in CBT funding
Twenty Castlegar organizations are feeling the love after city council made its recommendations for the distribution of Columbia Basin Trust’s Community Initiative Funding grants. Working with a kitty of over $110,000 this year, council gave the largest sum, $20,000, to SculptureWalk. “SculptureWalk has been incredibly...
Egyptian politician ElBaradei says ousted President Mubarak must stand trial
Egyptian politician Mohamed ElBaradei said that ousted President Hosni Mubarak must stand trial. His statement follows the recent ratification by Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil El Araby of a statute that ensures Egypt will join the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC). If ElBaradei assumes power in the coming October/November 2011 elections, Mubarak and other former high-ranking corrupt Egyptian officials could potentially be tried […]
Ignatieff quits as Liberal leader
Michael Ignatieff is quitting as the Liberal leader after his party took an electoral drubbing on Monday night. The Liberals were reduced to 34 seats in the House of Commons down from 77 and won only 18.9 per cent of the popular vote. Not only did Ignatieff lead the party to its worst showing in its history, but he also lost...