Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Donal Gill and Isaac Peltz discuss the need to strengthen Canada's democracy against a descent into nihilistic populism like the one looming in the UK. And Kelly Hayes emphasizes the particular need to maintain - and act on - a sense of decency when institutional forces are actively looking to destroy anything of the sort. 

- On that front, Sarah Kendzior discusses how the Republican government shutdown fits perfectly with their view that power exists only for self-dealing and vengeance. Mari Eccles reports on a new European Ombudsman investigation into secret meetings leading to regulatory giveaways to corporate interests. And Christopher White interviews Tzeporah Berman about the fossil fuel industry's hijacking of climate change policymaking. 

- Meanwhile, the newest Lancet Countdown report documents how millions of people are dying each year due to the fossil fuel dependence being forced on us by the people whose obscene wealth is tied to continued carbon pollution. 

- Rebecca Graff-McRae discusses how the Smith UCP has abandoned preventative public health to cater to conspiracy theorists. And Crawford Kilian rightly argues that vaccinations should be free to all Canadians - not restricted by geography, age, profession or other barriers which serve only to facilitate the spread of preventable disease. 

- Finally, Danyaal Raza makes the case for universal pharmacare as a nation-building project.

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Osita Nwanevu writes that Donald Trump has fundamentally changed the story of the U.S. from one of (however unfulfilled) promise to one of chaotic evil. Adam Clark writes about the "sell America" movement coursing through every market and economic structure that has relied on some measure of stability, while Paul Krugman points out the direct costs that will impose on the U.S. And Julia Carrie Wong weighs in on the war against empathy being waged by the worst people in the world. 

- Jonathan Cohn examines the wide range of products which stand to become unaffordable for Americans due to Trump's tariffs on China in particular. 

- Fonie Mitsopoulou reports that Trump's demands abroad include ensuring that major carbon polluters (in the shipping industry and elsewhere) are never required to pay for their damage to our planet. Deborah Brum discusses the U.S.' ugly history of tainted food which Trump is looking to restart by eliminating any effective regulation. And Kat Lay warns that the evisceration of public health programs in the developing world projects to result in a surge of diseases which had largely been contained. 

- Finally, John Woodside discusses new polling showing that Canadians are looking for a vision to disentangle us from the U.S. and chart a path for the future. Ayaka Naganuma examines some of the options available to ensure a just transition to a clean energy economy. And David Moscrop theorizes that the combination of competitiveness, policy implications and general interest could lead to a higher turnout than we've seen in decades. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Nicoletta Lanese reports on a new analysis showing that COVID-19 has become a leading cause of death among U.S. children. Ewen Callaway discusses what will be needed from the next generation of vaccines to respond to an evolved threat - but as Gregg Gonsalves notes, the Biden administration is fixated on setting an end date for an ongoing emergency with grave implications for any public health response. And the Star's editorial board highlights the immense cost of misinformation, both in relation to COVID and in general. 

- Heidi Cuda discusses the need to model and encourage action based on empathy. But Caitlin Johnstone rightly argues that we can't expect a purge of a specific set of corrupt actors to accomplish much when we've set up our power structures to reward assholery. 

- David Armstrong, Patrick Rucker and Maya Miller report on a particularly galling example of a private health insurer refusing coverage - through a combination of strategic bureaucracy and false information - for the medication needed to deal with an individual's ulcerative colitis.

- Meanwhile, Zak Vescera and Moira Wyton report on the increase in violence toward health care workers in British Columbia, as frontline care providers bear the brunt of frustration with systemic failings. 

- Radley Balko writes about the dangers of "elite" police units which are removed from normal oversight based on the false promise of crime prevention. And Katie Hyslop reports on the false assurances and explanations given to try to keep funding flowing to police in Vancouver schools. 

- Finally, Gabriel Levine studies the effectiveness of regulations aimed at structural risks which need to be designed to survive the vagaries of politics. 

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- CBC News reports on the rise of COVID levels in Saskatchewan cities' wastewater. David Axe reports on the development of the BA.4.6 variant which looks likely to represent an even greater threat than the currently-dominant version. And Bruce Mirken discusses how the failure to recognize and mitigate the risk of long COVID has resulted in the U.S. (and Canada) sleepwalking toward disaster. 

- Meanwhile, Zak Vescera reports that overburdened hospitals in Saskatoon are clogging up other elements of the health care system, including the availability of ambulances which are spending hours waiting to hand off patients.

- The Washington Post maps the extreme heat covering much of the U.S. Jon Henley reports on the extreme drought which is drying up rivers in Europe, while Darrell Roberts reports on the fires threatening communities in Newfoundland which are being exacerbated by a lack of moisture. And Chris Saltmarsh discusses how the privatization of water has made it more difficult to protect limited resources against the effects of a climate breakdown. 

- Jacques Gallant reports on the federal government's failure to act despite being well aware of the drug poisoning crisis.

- Finally, Aaron Saad wonders whether we've devolved to the point of living in post-empathy times, while noting that collective acceptance of the view that we don't need to care about each other is an obvious predictor of impending fascism. 

Saturday Morning Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Daisy Fancourt discusses how general non-compliance with public health orders and recommendations can be traced back to the perception that elites couldn't be bothered to do their part (and would never face consequences for their actions). Which leads of course to the latest on the conservative parade of pandemic vacations - with Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips resigning only after it was clear that would need to do so to save Doug Ford's hide, while multiple Sask Party and UCP MLAs and prominent staffers insist they're right to consider themselves above everybody else.

- Bryan Eneas reports on the Saskatchewan Coroners Service's need for additional morgue capacity to deal with the casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic, while Arthur White-Crummey reports on the outbreak affecting inmates and staff at the Regina Provincial Correctional Centre. (Needless to say, it's worth a reminder that Scott Moe believes those are the result of his government handling the pandemic perfectly.)

- Meanwhile, Kendall Latimer reports on families' calls for some currently-lacking transparency from private care homes. And Dr. Amit Arya, Dr. Naheed Dosani, Dr. Silvy Mathew and Dr. Andrew Boozary highlight the need to put an end to the for-profit long-term care which is trading residents' lives for temporary profits.

- Tom Parkin discusses how the NDP's strong level of current support can be traced to its focusing on people's needs in the course of the pandemic. And Jacob McLean discusses the importance of electoral organizing (including through the Ontario NDP) as part of any push for socialist policy.

- Finally, Marta Zaraska makes the case to work on increasing our level of empathy in the year to come.

Saturday Morning Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Lana Payne highlights how the fight over carbon taxes fits into a broader framework of class warfare - and how the right's climate nihilism needs to be met with solutions which will include workers in the benefits of an economic transition. 

- Elise Stolte discusses how Edmonton has benefited from a carbon price which has reduced pollution from coal-generated power. And Lindsey Kines reports on the push by Victoria's city council for free public transit.

- Meanwhile, Steve Rukavina reports that Montreal is moving toward a ban on single-use plastic and styrofoam containers. And Ivan Watson, Jo Shelley, Sugam Pokharel and Ushar Daniele point out that we may not have a choice in the need to reduce our waste as Malaysia has become the latest dumping ground to decide it's not going to accept it anymore.

- Mathew Lawrence writes about Common Wealth's push to democratize the UK's economy as an important step in ensuring we recognize (and benefit from) our shared interests. And Tom Sandborn's review of Leigh Phillips and Michal Rozworski's The People’s Republic of Walmart reminds us that planning can serve public ends as well as profit motives.

- Finally, Hanna Rosin discusses how reduced empathy breaks the interpersonal bonds necessary for a functional society.

Sunday Morning Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Amira Elghawaby comments on the loss of empathy in Canadian politics - particularly due to a disproportionate focus on the perceived self-interest of a narrow group of upper-middle-class swing voters, rather than speaking to and about the people with the greatest need for collective voice:

A few years ago, psychologists at the University of California, Berkeley ran several studies that provide crucial insight into understanding this phenomenon. Paul Piff and Dacher Keltner wanted to investigate the role of social class. By measuring how those with more wealth, occupational prestige and education behaved while driving, they were able to conclude that those from more well-off backgrounds showed less empathy than others.

Luxury-car drivers were more likely than others to cut off other motorists, or speed past pedestrians, rather than give them the right of way. The researchers concluded that such attitudes were likely attributable to feelings of freedom and independence that negated the need to rely on others, or care about how others feel.

When governments and political parties are mostly concerned with wooing middle- and upper-class voters, it is small wonder that there is less focus on more niche social-justice issues, and more on issues perceived as directly affecting those broader segments of our society. When governments do buck the trend, segments of these privileged populations will often push back aggressively, attempting to drown out those less equipped to engage.

Take this line from a 2016 Environics study where the authors note that “acknowledgment of Aboriginal peoples as having unique rights is somewhat more evident among women, people born outside of Canada, and those with lower household incomes.”

Along with encouraging wider participation in the political process, there is urgency, too, in telling more stories to compel feelings of empathy throughout all communities.

- But in a promising sign, CTV reports that in Vancouver (as in Boston) a counter-protest has far outweighed a right-wing rally intended to foment bigotry.

- Andrew Coyne rightly argues that in the interest of genuine tax fairness, our public revenue system shouldn't encourage incorporation (or other strategic moves which allow for tax avoidance) in the first place.

- Cathleen O'Grady points out that in addition to having become entirely affordable, wind and solar power are already saving large numbers of lives compared to dirtier alternatives. Joel French discusses what needs to be done (beyond the first wave of modest carbon pricing) to rein in greenhouse gas emissions. And Hans Rollman contrasts the Libs' willingness to pump billions into questionable energy projects against their stinginess in funding equal services for Indigenous communities.

- Finally, Risa Schwartz offers some suggestions as to what a NAFTA chapter on aboriginal rights could look like. And the Globe and Mail's editorial board rightly proposes that the now-failing inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women should be turned over to Indigenous Canadians.