One might note that Canada’s new Special Representative on Combatting Islamophobia, Amira Elghawaby, appears to stew in some of her own phobias. Here I am describing phobias as more than irrational, uncontrollable and persistent fears about some object or group.  I am thinking more broadly of interpretations of history designed to denigrate the legitimacy of […]

Two criminal cases prompt this article, one in the United States, the other in Canada. Both cases have elements in common, including criminal aspects. But here I ask you consider the challenges by the respective lawyers that a fair trial cannot take place in the city where the crime took place.  Press reporting does not […]

This was originally handwritten 51 years ago, as a Christmas offering to a friend who wanted a gift ‘made’, not bought.  The original typed copy is too faded to reproduce, so it is retyped here preserving as much of the formatting as could be transferred from Smith Corona to Calibri.

In the US, the January 6 Committee published transcripts of those who repeatedly pled, during Committee interviews, The Fifth Amendment. In Canada, some leaders in the January Occupation Convoy advocated replacing the Prime Minister and Parliament, with the (unelected) Governor-General and Senate – and themselves. There are some in society, with influence and power, who […]

Contemporary Populism has a bad reputation amongst those who care about public policy – justifiably so.  Complex problems are rarely solved by simple solutions. A recent reading* suggests that populism has respectable roots.  The movement grew among late nineteenth century Midwestern US farmers who were fighting against rampant exploitation by the railroad monopolies, when capitalism […]

When did the rule of law become optional? Our political leaders seem to have decided that rights and laws can be set aside if their political agenda is more important. Consider these examples: • Citing the goal of laïcité (secularism), Premier Legault of Québec limits the rights of people to wear religious symbols. Citing the […]

Whence the call for dictatorship? Oath Keeper Stuart Rhodes is convicted of seditious conspiracy. He sought a sort of coup which would have negated the election of President Biden, and the retention of Trump as President. But there are those of that ilk in Canada too: some in the occupation convoy sought to replace elected […]

Deconstructing social constructs We humans love to classify things.  Classifications are a necessary part of organizing our perceptions: sometimes they are subjective, sometimes objective.  Yet even scientific classifications involve some arbitrary decisions, which may or may not be accepted by all.  For example, the decimal system is an arbitrary manner by which to organize numbers, […]