Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Thomas Seal and Derek DeCloet warn about the threat the U.S. poses to Canada - including the risk of becoming even more of a vassal state. And Emmett MacFarlane laments that we're lacking moral leadership at precisely the moment when it's most needed. 

- Meanwhile, Franklin Foer writes that the Trump regime is trashing both the U.S.' public sector capacity, and the very idea that an impartial civil service can use its expertise to support the public interest. And Maxine Joselow reports that air pollution regulation is the latest area in which the Republican regime is absolutely devaluing human life and public health in order to cater to destructive corporate interests - even as Jerome Smail points out new research showing that air pollution can undermine the health benefits of exercise. 

- But in the "better things are possible" department, Adam Bonica notes that much of what is wrong with the U.S. could be fixed simply by having it emulate its international peers (as long as its model is the median OECD country rather than Russia and North Korea). And A.R. Moxon rightly suggests that rather than being handed absolute immunity to abuse the public, armed state agents should be held to a higher standard in justifying the use of force.

- Joseph Cox reports on a new tracking tool being used by ICE to monitor phones and their owners without a warrant. 

- Finally, Heather Vognell and Agnel Phillip report on SpaceX's unregulated space debris - and the near-misses it has already caused as parts of exploded rockets have intersected with air traffic. 

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- KFF Health News offers a reminder that the COVID pandemic is far from over, even if the highly effective public health measures which previously kept us relatively healthy have been discarded in favour of determined denialism. And Hayley Gleeson discusses what Australian scientists are doing at an individual level to make up for policy neglect. 

- Whizy Kim discusses how U.S. wealth is becoming both more concentrated and more nepotistic. And Joan Westerberg writes that the always-impossible admonition to people to lift themselves up by their own bootstraps is becoming all the more preposterous in a system designed to entrench wealth and grind workers. 

- Meanwhile, Patrice Bergeron reports on Quebec City's recognition that secure housing can serve as the base to address other problems.  

- Cory Doctorow examines the incestuous corporate connections which are making air travel both less safe and generally enshittified. And Morgan Grenfell calls out the Ford PCs for legislation designed to turn health care into a cash cow for private staffing agencies.

- Finally, Tyne Logan discusses how a spike in disastrous wildfires is both an effect and a cause of the climate breakdown. And Rochelle Baker reports on a new study showing how the dumping of microplastics is causing massive harm to marine life. 

Sunday Morning Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- The Canadian Press reports that the Ford PCs' COVID negligence includes shutting down a rapid test program still distributing hundreds of thousands of tests each week.

- Denise Balkissoon writes about the need for Toronto (like other cities) to elect representatives who recognize the severity of the climate crisis, while lamenting that most of its mayoral candidates are barely paying lip service to the great challenge of our time. And Imperial College London warns that we can't meet our climate goals without all current net-zero pledges being met in full - even as 90% appear to be based on little more than wishcasting.

- Irina Ivanova reports on new research showing how a climate breakdown is driving up the cost of food. Michelle Gamage discusses how wildfire smoke is making people sick. And the University of Reading explores how climate change is also causing increased airplane turbulence - in case mild inconvenience for the wealthy is a better driver of motivation to change than loss of the necessities of life for everybody else.

- P.E. Moskovitz discusses how the suburbanization of the U.S. has proven to be a breeding ground for fascism in taking away community venues while encouraging messages about excluding outsiders from isolated communities.

- Finally, Beth Mole reports on new research estimating the death count from just three of the U.S. Supreme Court's more antisocial decisions - with a conservative estimate suggesting that the partisan actions of half a dozen Republican hacks will personally cause 6,000 deaths over the next decade.

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Brendan Crabbe and Mike Toole discuss how COVID-19 has been able to spread and evolve due to people's willingness to live dangerously, while Marisa Eisenberg and Emily Toth Martin offer a reminder of the continued value of masks in reducing spread. And Dawn Brotherton weighs in on how widespread long COVID is placing massive burdens on workers and employers alike.  

- Pat Armstrong and Majorie Griffen Cohen remind us that privatization of long-term care only undermines service while turning people into profit centres. And Taylor Noakes makes the case for the direct provision of health services by the federal government to overcome the unmistakable pattern of provincial neglect. 

- David Macdonald finds that CEO pay has once again hit new highs - both in absolute terms and in comparison to the pay received by other workers. 

- Finally, Zeynep Tufecki points out that Southwest Airlines' service failure is a direct result of corporate concentration and a blinkered focus on paying out shareholders even as workers fought to keep a business functional. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Tom Frieden offers a primer on what we know about long COVID - and what we should be doing to avoid it. And Eric Topol interviews Linsey Marr about the importance of clean air to alleviate the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. 

- Robert Booth and Pamela Duncan report that the increased privatization of care homes in England have resulted in nearly a third falling short of basic standards of hygiene and care for dementia patients. 

- David Sirota and Andrew Perez point out that the airline mess in the U.S. was fully anticipated in advance of the holiday season - and that Southwest Airlines in particular proceeded with a massive dividend payment rather than putting a nickel toward keeping its operations functional. And Adam Johnson discusses how the nightmare for air travelers reflects the broader work by giant corporations to ensure people aren't able to raise their problems with anybody other than powerless frontline workers:

We are conditioned to get mad at the human face we see before us, the “representative” of the company who personally profits nothing from our purchase. We are conditioned to get mad at the waiter when our food is late (and penalize this “bad service” with a bad tip) when the vast majority of the time it’s due to understaffing by a cheapskate boss. We are conditioned to get upset with the enforcer of arbitrary rules at a hotel checkout, despite it not being their rule at all. We are conditioned to be hostile to the very people we should have the most solidarity with. 

... 

Those who actually make the decisions remain protected like mob bosses, gently nestled between layers of middle management, lawyers, and marketing reps, impossible to reach by design. They have addresses and homes and phone numbers, you just don’t have access to them. And if you did, this would be stalking, and you’d likely get a visit from a police officer. Meanwhile they have all your information, and can hound you with credit agencies and just randomly steal your money. To the extent they face consequences, it’s a pointless fine that’s factored into their cost-benefit calculations at the beginning of the year... 

... 

(B)y design, the only humans we interface with are those who, by definition, are the lowest on the ladder, the least paid, and least protected: The cashier, the ticket agent, the flight attendant, the poor call center punching bag. So people yell at them, because there is no one else. They hate you back, and worker solidarity further erodes. We all grow more atomized, angry, powerless, and bitter. And the system works as intended.

- Agence France-Presse discusses the connections between the climate breakdown and increasingly severe winter storms.

- Finally, Craig Silverman and Ruth Talbot expose some of Google's ad network - including its complicity in fraud and disinformation by protecting the identities of bad actors using it for their antisocial ends. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- David Fickling responds to the attempt by petropoliticians to blame high gas prices on limited climate action rather than the vagaries of commodity economics. Lisa Friedman reports on the agreement among 30 countries to slash methane emissions as a crucial short-term step in mitigating a climate breakdown. And Pratyush Dayal reports on the embarrassing gap between Saskatchewan residents' acknowledgment of the reality of the climate change, and their unwillingness to be part of the solution in fighting it. 

- Emma Black argues that any successful push toward a just transition needs to originate in the working class. Chris Saltmarsh highlights the importance of a Green New Deal which reflects state planning in the public interest, rather than attempting to get capital interests to develop a clean economy. 

- Lucy Ellman discusses how we've prioritized frequent and gratuitous air travel over basic health and safety (among other far more important concerns).   

- Kim Moody writes about the needless fragility of just-in-time supply chains as exposed by events ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic, to the disruption caused by a single stuck ship. 

- Jennifer Sweet reports that out-of-control housing markets are pricing cooperatives out of the picture along with most individuals. 

- David Climenhaga writes about the dangers of Jason Kenney's all-in bet on an equalization referendum to salvage public support. 

- Finally, Doug Cuthand notes that the racism which led to Joyce Echaquan's death remains embedded in Canada's history and established social structures. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Bruce Arthur calls out Doug Ford's choice to blame his constituents rather than himself and his government for a gross lack of leadership in trying to limit the damage from COVID-19. John Michael McGrath discusses the reality that no level of restrictions will stop the spread of the coronavirus as long as governments aren't ensuring people have social supports to tide them over in order to avoid taking risks. PressProgress focuses on Ford's refusal to offer paid sick leave in particular as an obvious step to protect the public which he refuses to take in order to keep a bit more money in the pockets of his corporate funders, while Anna Mehler Paperny notes that the problem extends across Canada. 

- Meanwhile, Murray Mandryk notes that Scott Moe's bad choices have led to Saskatchewan's disastrous recent outbreaks. And Heidi Atter and Phil Tank each report on the growing calls for stronger measures which Moe refuses to implement.

- Rosa Saba writes that a push for air travel by airlines - as well as their political mouthpieces such as the UCP - reflects a gross lack of respect for public health. And Dan Darrah notes that one worthwhile step in pushing back against anti-vaxxer messaging would be to remover the profit motive from vaccine production. 

- Tod McCoy takes a look at some recent examples of successful collective action in discussing how to fight against austerity in Alberta (and elsewhere).

- Finally, Sandy Hudson points out that the U.S.' coup attempt should remind us of the limitations and dangers of centrist complacency in the face of both systemic inequality and a well-funded right-wing hate machine. And Paul Krugman discusses how Trump Republicans' attempt to overturn the presidential election results by force has been decades in the making - and doesn't figure to end with Trump himself.

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Roger McNamee argues that online platforms need to be held to account for their role in fomenting political violence. And Rebecca Traister writes about the need for U.S. Democrats to focus on improving people's lives rather than sacrificing the public good in the name of political compromises with hostile Republicans. 

- Meanwhile, PressProgress offers a reminder that the same forces which have let to Donald Trump's violent insurrection can be found in disturbing numbers in Canada as well. And CBC News reports on Ryan Meili's call for a unified message against the conspiracy theories and misinformation which have led to the U.S.' coup.

- Anna McMillan reports on the call by Cindy Blackstock and others for the federal government to stop making excuses as to why it refuses to implement fair access to public services for Indigenous children.

- Jeremy Klaszus examines how Jason Kenney's UCP (at the request of well-connected lobbyists) has conspicuously promoted high-priced travel to Hawaii and elsewhere while demanding anybody who can't afford that type of jaunt stay at home. 

- Finally, Damian Carrington reports that 2020 has officially been measured as the hottest year on record despite reduced activity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. And Marc Lee writes about the need for British Columbia to do far more to chart a path to meeting its greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Ashifa Kassam writes about the elements of Canada's health care system which call for ambitious improvement rather than imitation:

“I think privatisation is a major threat to public health care in Canada,” said Natalie Mehra of the Ontario Health Coalition.

Earlier this year, her organisation released a report documenting 136 private clinics across the country and highlighted that 71 of these were selling faster access to services covered by the country’s health care system. What’s more, the report suggested that many of the clinics were charging patients while also billing the public health care system – a practice that runs contrary to Canadian law.
...
Raza pointed to jurisdictions that most resemble Canada, such as Australia, where the introduction of private providers diverted doctors’ time and attention, resulting in longer wait times in the public system. “The only people who benefitted were people who were able to buy their way to the front of the line,” said Raza.

An alternative solution may lie in the growing support among Canadians to expand the country’s coverage – which currently only covers hospitals and physician care – to areas such as pharmacare and dental, he said.

The merits of doing so were hinted at in a recent ranking of health systems in wealthy countries by the Commonwealth Fund.
...
As the Vermont senator touts plans for a far more comprehensive and equitable system south of the border, Picard is among the many in Canada who hope it will prompt Canadians to revisit the glaring gaps in their own system.

“I don’t think we’re ambitious enough,” he said. “Canada has limited ourselves to doctors and hospitals, and there’s no reason like the rest of the developed world that our public plan couldn’t cover all kinds of things, from dental care, home care to long term care.”

- Andrew MacLeod reports on the Horgan government's first steps toward reducing poverty in British Columbia. And the Canadian Press notes that a basic income could be a substantial part of the solution.

- Judith Lavoie reports on a new study from the United Nations Environment Programme showing that Canada is responsible for more mining tailings pond spills than any country other than China. And Ashley Renders examines the obscenely low royalty rates which allow mining companies to make a killing in the north while contributing virtually nothing.

- Jonathan Watts discusses the new records in greenhouse gas emission pollution being set every year. And the New York Times' editorial board weighs in on the alarming prospect of an insect armageddon.

- Finally, the Canadian Press exposes the Libs' plans to let the airline industry self-regulate when it comes to pilot training rather than even continuing standard regulatory oversight.

Saturday Morning Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- For those looking for information about today's day of action against C-51, Leadnow and Rabble both have details.

- Meanwhile, CBC reports that a professor merely taking pictures on public land near a proposed Kinder Morgan pipeline site is already being harassed by the RCMP under current law. Tonda MacCharles notes that lawyers currently involved in dealing with classified-evidence cases have joined the call to rein in the Cons' terror bill, while PressProgress points out that airlines are also raising serious concerns about the unfettered power handed to a single minister to dictate the terms of air travel. And Stephen Maher rightly questions whether CSIS is anywhere close to being up to the tasks assigned to it under C-51.

- Jeffrey Simpson calls for us to treat terrorism as a relatively small one of a number of dangers to be managed, not a basis for welcoming a radical reshaping of our society to be more intrusive and less inclusive. And Susan Delacourt comments on the Cons' irresponsible choice to sow baseless fear for the sole purpose of frightening people into emptying their pockets, while hoping the message will lose its power by the time Canadians go to the polls:

(E)ven seasoned marketers know that repetition has its limits. As far back as 1970, the University of Toronto’s Daniel Berlyne produced research showing that repeated exposure to novelty in advertising breeds familiarity at first, then boredom or contempt — the “two-factor” or “wear-in, wear-out” effect.

By marketing wisdom alone, then, this all-fear approach in the current political climate is a risky gambit. Sustaining the nation in a constant state of fear, all the way through an election months away, is a tall order for a government that may have its own wear-out concerns after nearly 10 years in office.

And at the risk of seeming naive or idealistic, it would be nice if higher principles than marketing — like the responsibility and privilege of governing — guided our politics back to the high road in these debates on tolerance and terror.

As a country, Canada is better than the politics of fear that is being marketed to citizens at the moment.

- Rick Salutin writes that Justin Trudeau has given away the game in acknowledging that he's supporting C-51 solely for crass political purposes of his own. But I remain baffled as to why Trudeau would hold the illusion that the Cons will somehow avoid criticizing him merely because he's giving them everything they want out of sheer cowardice.

- Finally, Simona Chiose reports on the Wynne Libs' plan to turn Ontario's university system over to employers in establishing program designs and tuition levels. And Simon Enoch calls out the similarly distorted premises behind the Saskatchewan Party's consultation on liquor retailing.