Friday, February 21, 2025

Musical interlude

Romy - She's On My Mind


Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Paul Krugman discusses how Donald Trump is eviscerating financial regulation and consumer protection just when it's most needed, while Henry Farrell points out how the undermining of government intersects with the polycrisis which Trump refuses to even acknowledge let alone address. And Bryan Mena reports on new polling showing that U.S. consumers are recognizing the dangers of Trump's regime. 

- Brian Beutler writes about the futility of trying to work with people who have resolved to engage in as much criminal behaviour as they can get away with. Ian Dunt notes that Trump's flagrant lies about Russia's invasion of Ukraine represent the most clear attack yet on epistemic reality. And Zeynep Tufecki examines how the theft of private information may be used to entrench Elon Musk's power both inside and outside of government. 

- Niall Harney and Jon Milton write that Amazon's union-busting should be a wakeup call for Canada's labour movement. Adam King reports on an attempt by Toronto's business lobby to take away paid days off for retail workers. And Marc Lee calls out the gross overstatement of the effects of supposed interprovincial barriers in an effort to undermine regulation in the public interest - while offering a reminder that there's a readily-available mechanism to deal with any barriers which are actually identified. 

- Taylor Noakes discusses how the U.S.' disruption of existing trade patterns gives us a golden opportunity to build a clean energy society. But David Moscrop writes that Mark Carney is offering nothing more than business as usual, complete with austerity, corporate handouts and illusory climate policy. 

- Finally, Ricardo Tranjan and Ryan Romand point out how Ontario's provincial election has involved little attention to the province's desperate need to collect revenue to be used for public services. And Saima Desai discusses the how Ontario's education system is falling apart after two terms of Doug Ford slashing what were already insufficient funding levels. 

Thursday, February 20, 2025

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Owen Jones discusses how Donald Trump's new regime has abandoned any (however dubious) claim to U.S. moral influence around the globe with shameless thuggery. And Alaric deArment points out that the U.S. should be far less fearful of immigration, and far more concerned with emigration which is resulting in a massive brain drain among people who recognize Trump's dangers. 

- Brian Barrett writes about the damage being done by Elon Musk's DOGE due to its refusal to acknowledge it doesn't know what it doesn't know. And Crawford Kilian notes that the destruction of U.S. public health is starting the plague years to our south - making it all the more vital that Canada be prepared to contain the spread of what should be preventable diseases. 

- Gabriel Sherman reports on the violence and intimidation which are coercing politicians into complying with the worst of Trump's abuses. And Stephen Maher reports on the perspective of former Canadian intelligence officials who see little basis to continue the pre-existing relationship between us and the U.S., but most of the damage being done to the U.S.' reputation in the world. 

- Natasha Lomas reports on new research showing how TikTok and X are presenting German users with heavily-biased content in advance of its federal election, giving a glaring artificial advantage to the neo-Nazi AfD in particular. And Luke LeBrun discusses how X and Facebook have likewise served Doug Ford's interests in tamping down engagement in Ontario's ongoing election. 

- Bryan Evans and Desmond Cole discuss how Doug Ford has dismantled Ontario. And Jack Hauen points out the sheer callousness of Ford taking a condescending line against people unable to return to work even as he's deliberately dismantled the system which previously helped disabled workers to find employment. 

- Finally, Erica Ifill discusses how Pierre Poilievre's talking points remain little more than a warmed-over version of Trump's anti-social rhetoric. And Emmett MacFarlane calls out Tim Houston's plans to essentially eliminate a crucial form of accountability in Nova Scotia by making the province's auditor general subject to political removal. 

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Cory Doctorow highlights how Thomas Piketty's work on the effects of capital concentration shows that both the "national" and "capitalism" parts of the Trump economic plan are ultimately self-defeating. John Ronquillo discusses how spin about efficiency is being used as an excuse for extreme unaccountable control over government operations (which will inevitably lead to far less effective services). And Dave Jamieson points out that the obviously-false boilerplate wording treating every new or newly-promoted employee in the U.S. civil service as having performance issues virtually ensures that the associated firings can't be defended in any functional legal system. 

- Anand Giridharadas calls out the people with power - including elected Democrats - who are choosing to collaborate with Trump's abuses. David Zirin writes that the same politicians who have chosen to be pushovers in the face of fascism still seem determined to fight against any progressive voices. And Joe Demanuelle-Hall notes that federal workers are starting to organize against the billionaire takeover of the U.S. 

- Akela Lacy reports on Trump's admission that the cruelty of prison conditions is entirely deliberate. Amanda Marcotte reports on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s plans to eliminate access to medication for mental health conditions, and instead round people with psychological conditions up into labour camps. And Euan Thomson notes that Alberta's treatment of children being pushed into forced abstinence from substance use is little different - with the UCP going out of its way not to track outcomes which would show how harmful its ideology is. 

- Jen St. Denis reports on the American political operatives using X to advocate for the violent invasion of Canada. Steve Burgess offers his account of what happened when he dared to defend Canada on Elon Musk's toxic platform - serving only to raise the question of why anybody would want to remain there. Allison Hantschel discusses how it's entirely healthy to leave social media platforms which have been systematically turned into amplifiers for hatred and bigotry. And Luke LeBrun reports on Pierre Poilievre's plans to defund actual journalism while shoveling public money to fascist fever swamps. 

- Taylor Noakes reports on the fossil fuel funding behind "grassroots" groups pushing in tandem with the UCP and Sask Party us to keep relying on dirty energy. Jackie McKay reports on the judicial funding that the RCMP used excessive force and breached the Charter rights of Indigenous activists who dared to protest against the Coastal GasLink pipeline. 

- Finally, Carey Gillam, Margot Gibbs and Elena DeBre expose a corporate-funded database used to track environmental health advocates who dared to point out that pesticides could be harmful. And Reuters reports on the reality that Canadian farmers are largely at the mercy of corporate conglomerates which can't be trusted either to keep inputs affordable, or to pay for the food that's been produced.

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Wide-eyed cat.




Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Pema Levy observes that Elon Musk's use of the U.S. government to line his own pockets would be illegal under any standard in which conflicts of interest are recognized as being prohibited, while tengrain discusses how the Washington Post and other corporate media are content which dares to challenge Musk. And Brian Beutler points out what Democrats should be doing if they were interested in serving as a meaningful opposition, rather than merely taking up space and hoping for an authoritarian coup to fail on its own. 

- Don Moynihan writes about the obvious mismanagement involved in Musk's practice of purging staff first and asking whether they were needed later, while Tom Nichols discusses how the Trump regime is using weaponized ignorance to destroy government expertise which will be exceedingly difficult to rebuild. And Henry Carnell points out the costs of a war on equity and inclusion.  

- Heather Stewart interviews Joseph Stiglitz about the reality that investors have every reason to stay away from a U.S. regime marked by arbitrary and destructive decision-making. Jeet Heer discusses why the rest of NATO has every reason to set up an alternative defence structure that doesn't depend on an untrustworthy ally. 

- George Monbiot writes about the potential ways Trump may trigger a global collapse. And DeSmog reports on the collaboration between the administration, the fossil fuel sector and fascist politicians from multiple countries working toward that end. 

- Elizabeth Thompson reports on the work Canadian volunteers are doing to try to preserve U.S. public data before it's permanently disappeared. And Kristofer Harrison notes that one of Canada's strongest possible response to Trump's threats will be to fight the corruption at the heart of his regime. 

- Meanwhile, Cole Bennett calls out the conservatives who are eager to sell out Canada to the Trump administration. And Alex Cosh writes that Pierre Poilievre is absolutely unfit to respond to Trump - particularly as his obsession with cutting taxes and slashing government makes him an obvious fellow traveller/pawn rather than a foil to Trump's plans.  

- Finally, Maeva Shearlaw, Adam Sich, Ken Macfarlane and Temujin Doran discuss how the scourge of poverty is undermining the health-care system in the UK (as is the case in Canada as well). And the Australia Institute examines how the climate breakdown is creating all the more financial precarity for households. 

Friday, February 14, 2025

Musical interlude

Ilan Bluestone & Jerome Isma-Ae - Tension


Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Anne Applebaum discusses how the actual regime change under Donald Trump involves the replacement of any public service with a system devoted exclusively to patronage, while Lee Morgenbesser argues that state capture is the best description of Elon Musk's abuses so far. Christina Pagel classifies Trump's actions in a few more distinct categories - though the dismantling of government and systematization of corruption do make up the majority of them. Mike Brock writes that the potential for courts to reverse some of the most flagrantly unconstitutional actions of Trump and Elon Musk doesn't provide a meaningful response to a coup in progress. And Larry Elliott writes that Trump's insistence on imposing tariffs ultimately reflects weakness in lacking any other mechanism to project power. 

- Geoffrey Johnston writes that Canada has effectively stood up to Trump's bullying so far. Aisha Ahmad discusses why any U.S. attempt to annex Canada would be expected to backfire (particularly in a context where Trump is simultaneously picking other fights and undermining the U.S.' own military). And Aaron Wherry notes that Trump's threats are turning the impending federal election into a review of what Canada can control, while Cam Holmstrom makes the case for a big-table response. 

- Brett McKay reports on Samara's new research showing how "power abusers" on social media were a major force in the UCP's retention of power in 2023. But Charles Rusnell examines the emerging connection between the UCP's health services corruption and the misuse of police authority, while Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean writes that Danielle Smith and company have mostly gone silent as the truth comes out. 

- Justin Ling implores Ontario voters not to allow Doug Ford yet another term in which to loot the province for his cronies' benefit. 

- Finally, Emma Beddington writes about the virtual impossibility of avoiding plastics even as their dangers have become readily apparent. And Sara Kirk and Lana Vanderlee discuss how Canada's food system makes unhealthy eating the default. 

Thursday, February 13, 2025

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Jared Yates Sexton discusses the Trump-Musk plot to replace any remnants of U.S. democracy with an oligarchy. Josh Marshall examines the mechanisms put in place to give an unelected billionaire unprecedented control over the American government, while Marc Elias points out the plan for an immediate hollowing-out of the civil service to be replaced (if at all) with unabashed sycophants. David Lurie notes that Trump's direct attacks on the judiciary seem likely to remove any pretense of legitimacy. 

- Cynthia Miller-Idriss notes that Trump is consciously replacing any norm against racism with one of white supremacy. And Mehdi Hasan writes that repeated griping about diversity, equity and inclusion is the new N-word, intended to validate racism and bigotry as a systemic force. 

- Shawn Donnan, Joe Deaux and Daniel Flatley report that foreign aid is just one more area in which Trump is replacing funding for effective government agencies with a blatant giveaway to financial-sector cronies. David Dayen observes that Musk's plan to sell off publicly-owned real estate will likely cause a financial crash, benefiting nobody but the already-rich investors who can afford to swoop in and purchase at cut-rate prices. And Abrahm Lustgarten offers a warning as to how the climate breakdown which Trump is determined to exacerbate will destroy home values. 

- Finally, Steven High offers a reminder as to how worker-based collective action has saved industry from corporate predations before. And Martin Patriquin reports on the unfair labour practice complaint challenging Amazon's decision to close down warehouses to avoid recognizing a certified union. 

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Steven Levitsky and Lucan Way chart the likely road ahead in the U.S.' journey from democracy to authoritarianism, while Hamilton Nolan's interview with Stephanie Kelton includes the warning that it may be too late to salvage anything if a resistance movement limits its focus to electoral politics and timelines. Sam Freedman discusses how Elon Musk's influence - and the associated use of technology to seize unfettered power - is the main difference between Donald Trump's first term and his second. David Zipper notes that consumers have plenty of power to protest Musk's absues by making the choice to boycott Tesla as the main source of his current wealth. And Ed Zitron juxtaposes the promise of technology which could help improve people's lives against the reality that tech giants are exploiting us. 

- Anna Maria Barry-Jester and Bretty Murphy discuss the illegality of the immediate trashing of USAID. And Greg Sargent discusses how Pope Francis' response to the invocation of theology to excuse Trump's hatred has placed a spotlight on his administration's moral rot, while Sarah Newey reports on the first deaths directly traceable to the shutdown of its operations. 

- Paul Krugman writes that Trump and Musk have made it open season for scammers to steal money from the American public. And Liz Dye discusses how the destruction of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau represents a combination of spite and opportunism. 

- Dave Jamieson reports that large numbers of U.S. workers are joining unions in an effort to build collective strength against Trump. And Jon Milton notes that there's plenty Canadian governments can and should do in response to corporate union-busting, including Amazon's shuttering of its Quebec warehouse in response to an organizing campaign. 

- Steve Smethurst discusses new research about the threat of PFAs and other dangerous chemicals in sewage sludge which is used for agricultural purposes. And Andrew Gregory reports on a study showing that air pollution is responsible for upwards of a thousand annual cases of a single form of lung cancer in the UK, while Denise Balkissoon writes about the data gaps which limit our ability to identify similar threats in Canada. 

- Finally, Kim Pate discusses how Pierre Poilievre's draconian attacks on drug users would only exacerbate poverty and addiction. And Brett McKay reports on the 19-year difference in life expectancy between Indigenous people and other Albertans as a grim example of how discrimination and bigotry lead to severe health consequences.