Assorted content for your weekend reading.
- The Book Dad highlights how labour unions can help to reduce the economic uncertainty workers otherwise face. Nicholas Kristof points out that workers elsewhere already have far superior wages and benefits to what's treated as the default in the U.S. (and to a lesser extent Canada). And Steven Greenhouse writes that U.S. union activism is spiking as workers are put in danger by the coronavirus.
- Jamelle Bouie highlights the racist conception of "liberty" behind the U.S.' COVID-19 denial movement, while PressProgress examines the bizarre groups behind the Canadian equivalent. And Michael Hiltzik notes that a callous disregard for the lives of anybody aside from a few wealthy insiders is nothing new in the U.S., while Ethan Cox notes that Canada is also rife with corporate hacks eager to trade lives for temporary profits.
- Stephanie Taylor and Kyle Benning each report on some of the Saskatchewan businesses who have seen the provincial government announce their reopening without taking steps to ensure they can do so safely. But as long as it's golf you're after, the Sask Party is prepared to dedicate its constant attention to updating and relaxing any health requirements.
- Finally, David Macdonald analyzes how the effects of the coronavirus pandemic have disproportionately fallen on vulnerable workers. And Kim Brooks writes that the appropriate approach to Mothers' Day should be to ensure equal pay and opportunities, not merely offer a one-time gift as an excuse for continued unfairness.
Saturday, May 09, 2020
On necessary steps
Following up on the status of Saskatchewan's pending provincial election, let's note how it fits into one Scott Moe's refusal to reconvene the Legislature.
Here's what the Chief Electoral Officer has had to say about the province's options:
Even if there weren't many other compelling reasons to recall Saskatchewan's legislature immediately, it's a must if we're going to have a safe and fair election. And if Moe is once again prioritizing political games over fundamental concerns including public health and electoral integrity, then Saskatchewan's citizens will have every reason to take away his control over our government.
Here's what the Chief Electoral Officer has had to say about the province's options:
On Monday, Michael Boda sent Premier Scott Moe and the House leaders in government and Opposition a set of recommendations on what is needed before people cast their ballots.
"This has to be in the very near future. We are not talking weeks from now, but days from now in order to confirm that I would be getting assistance," Boda told CBC News on Tuesday.
...
Boda said he will need legislators to work together to give him the emergency powers to adjust the electoral process in order to "reduce risk of COVID-19 and adjust for inefficiencies that come as a result."In other words, the Chief Electoral Officer has made clear that even if Scott Moe has run out the clock on any opportunity to move toward a full mail-in system, legislative changes will be needed in the very near future to allow him to do his job. And the Saskatchewan Party's response has been...to slow-play any response even while claiming to accept the recommendation.
Section 7 of the Election Act does not afford the chief electoral officer powers during a pandemic.
Boda said if, for example, there needs to be an increase in absentee ballots, he would need to adjust the system to secure more of those ballots.
Even if there weren't many other compelling reasons to recall Saskatchewan's legislature immediately, it's a must if we're going to have a safe and fair election. And if Moe is once again prioritizing political games over fundamental concerns including public health and electoral integrity, then Saskatchewan's citizens will have every reason to take away his control over our government.
Friday, May 08, 2020
Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week.
- Irfan Dhalla argues that we have a choice between merely containing COVID-19 and outright eradicating it - and that we'll be far better off pursuing the latter option. And Jim Pankratz writes that we should be entirely willing - and indeed happy - to deal with the amount we borrow collectively to avoid the worst of a pandemic, rather than accepting a massive death toll in a futile attempt to maintain a facade of economic activity.
- Meanwhile, Donna Lu reports on the positive effects of Finland's basic income experiment even before it was overlaid with an immediate health risk associated with service work.
- Keith Leslie highlights how for-profit service has long been recognized as a problem in Ontario's long-term care homes. And Amina Jabbar and Danyaal Raza make the case to eliminate the profit motive, while Kathleen Harris recognizes a growing movement for a national and universal public system.
- Doug Cuthand writes about the dangers of the spread of COVID-19 through northern Saskatchewan.
- Chloe Alexander and Anna Stanley expose how the fossil fuel sector is trying to exploit the coronavirus to dodge environmental obligations and demand public money to prop up an industry already dying of natural causes. And Josh Sigurdson reports that Scott Moe is pushing for a bailout for the CFL while refusing to offer anything more than pennies for people facing immediate shortages of housing, food and other necessities.
- Finally, Charlotte Hill, Jacob Grumbach, Adam Bonica and Hakeem Jefferson rightly argue that voters shouldn't be forced to vote in person - particularly in the midst of a pandemic where the result is a danger to the health of everybody involved. But Arthur White-Crummey reports that Elections Saskatchewan is warning that it isn't ready for a ballot by mail this fall - in large part because Moe's games around a snap election prevented it from preparing through 2020 so far.
- Irfan Dhalla argues that we have a choice between merely containing COVID-19 and outright eradicating it - and that we'll be far better off pursuing the latter option. And Jim Pankratz writes that we should be entirely willing - and indeed happy - to deal with the amount we borrow collectively to avoid the worst of a pandemic, rather than accepting a massive death toll in a futile attempt to maintain a facade of economic activity.
- Meanwhile, Donna Lu reports on the positive effects of Finland's basic income experiment even before it was overlaid with an immediate health risk associated with service work.
- Keith Leslie highlights how for-profit service has long been recognized as a problem in Ontario's long-term care homes. And Amina Jabbar and Danyaal Raza make the case to eliminate the profit motive, while Kathleen Harris recognizes a growing movement for a national and universal public system.
- Doug Cuthand writes about the dangers of the spread of COVID-19 through northern Saskatchewan.
- Chloe Alexander and Anna Stanley expose how the fossil fuel sector is trying to exploit the coronavirus to dodge environmental obligations and demand public money to prop up an industry already dying of natural causes. And Josh Sigurdson reports that Scott Moe is pushing for a bailout for the CFL while refusing to offer anything more than pennies for people facing immediate shortages of housing, food and other necessities.
- Finally, Charlotte Hill, Jacob Grumbach, Adam Bonica and Hakeem Jefferson rightly argue that voters shouldn't be forced to vote in person - particularly in the midst of a pandemic where the result is a danger to the health of everybody involved. But Arthur White-Crummey reports that Elections Saskatchewan is warning that it isn't ready for a ballot by mail this fall - in large part because Moe's games around a snap election prevented it from preparing through 2020 so far.
Wednesday, May 06, 2020
Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.
- Polly Toynbee writes that the coronavirus has highlighted how poverty kills - and how a concerted fight against inequality is a precondition to a healthier society:
- Kim Stanley Robinson discusses both the ongoing risks arising from the disruption of the status quo ante, and the opportunity to plan out the society we want to build. And Ryan Meili points out the importance of ensuring that any reopening plan prioritizes people over corporate interests, while Katrina Miller sets out a test to determine whether any bailout proposal fits that bill.
- Aaron Wherry writes about fundamental unfairness of the risks of COVID-19 being borne disproportionately by people already facing the challenges of low incomes and insecure work - particularly when conservative politicians are eager to push more and more people into that type of precarity. David Macdonald finds that over half a million low-income workers are effectively being threatened with the loss of their current income supports if they refuse unsafe work. Sujatha Gidla discusses how the workers continuing to provide services in the course of a pandemic are being treated as sacrificial rather than essential. And David Fairey makes the case for paid sick leave as one necessary boost to the security available to workers, while PressProgress calls out Cargill for instead creating deliberate incentives for workers to stay on the job while sick and contagious.
- Finally, David Sheppard argues that the collapse in demand and prices in the wake of the coronavirus is only a preview of what the future holds for the fossil fuel sector. And Mike Moffatt and John McNally discuss how to rebuild our economy while also ensuring that we do our utmost to avoid a climate calamity.
- Polly Toynbee writes that the coronavirus has highlighted how poverty kills - and how a concerted fight against inequality is a precondition to a healthier society:
This time the coronavirus epidemic touches everyone, as all can see who is harmed most. This time, double the death rate for the low-paid, their coffins soon piling up twice as fast in Blackpool or Middlesbrough as in the richest parts of the country, may deliver a shock on the political Richter scale rarely registered before.- Meanwhile, both John Harris and Max Fawcett write that the need for a public income backstop in the wake of COVID-19 should help to make the case for a basic income more generally.
Years of research show the social gradient of death is not a poverty cliff-edge but that it runs in a straight line from bottom to top: on the graph people get gradually healthier as they get richer...
...
What kills is inequality itself. Beyond the struggle to get by, it’s the stigma of disrespect, the lack of choice or agency. Disempowerment makes people ill and die young.
Marmot’s report in February measured the steep deterioration in health inequality in England since 2010: the rise in child poverty, insecure work, food banks, worsened living conditions “with insufficient money to lead a healthy life”, and the loss of children’s centres. “Austerity,” he warned, “will cast a long shadow over the lives of the children born and growing up under its effects.”
Is he surprised that Covid-19 is not a leveller, but has double the death rate in deprived districts? “It’s exactly what I expected,” he told me this week. “Most diseases follow the social gradient. The poor are most likely to suffer hypertension, COPD [a lung condition], obesity – all carrying a greater risk of fatal infection. The poor are older biologically, ageing faster.”
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...Inequality is responsible for the longevity decline, and this government has no chance of reversing it without radically transforming life chances. Five more years of healthy life? We must hold the government’s feet to the fire on that promise. The virus has shone a light on the facts of British life and death.
- Kim Stanley Robinson discusses both the ongoing risks arising from the disruption of the status quo ante, and the opportunity to plan out the society we want to build. And Ryan Meili points out the importance of ensuring that any reopening plan prioritizes people over corporate interests, while Katrina Miller sets out a test to determine whether any bailout proposal fits that bill.
- Aaron Wherry writes about fundamental unfairness of the risks of COVID-19 being borne disproportionately by people already facing the challenges of low incomes and insecure work - particularly when conservative politicians are eager to push more and more people into that type of precarity. David Macdonald finds that over half a million low-income workers are effectively being threatened with the loss of their current income supports if they refuse unsafe work. Sujatha Gidla discusses how the workers continuing to provide services in the course of a pandemic are being treated as sacrificial rather than essential. And David Fairey makes the case for paid sick leave as one necessary boost to the security available to workers, while PressProgress calls out Cargill for instead creating deliberate incentives for workers to stay on the job while sick and contagious.
- Finally, David Sheppard argues that the collapse in demand and prices in the wake of the coronavirus is only a preview of what the future holds for the fossil fuel sector. And Mike Moffatt and John McNally discuss how to rebuild our economy while also ensuring that we do our utmost to avoid a climate calamity.
Tuesday, May 05, 2020
Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading.
- Sheila Block highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic has only amplified the profits accruing to the wealthy few while putting added pressure on everybody else. Chris Brooks notes that the corporate push for "reopening" is occurring with full knowledge that it represents a sacrifice of workers' lives. And Guy Ryder writes about the need for a new and better normal when it comes to protecting workers.
- Sara Mojtehedzadeh reports on the failure of Ontario's Ministry of Labour to uphold a single complaint about work safety in the face of COVID-19. And Richard Florida points out that workers have largely been left to themselves to demand change in the system designed to treat them as expendable.
- Meanwhile, Jason Koebler reports on Tim Bray's resignation from Amazon over its firing and smearing of workers trying to ensure the safety of themselves and their colleagues.
- Canadians for Tax Fairness notes that in addition to endangering the lives of employees and then using racial prejudice to blame them for a COVID-19 outbreak, Cargill's billionaire owners have a well-documented history of using tax havens to avoid contributing to the public good.
- Finally, Lucas Edmonds discusses Brian Pallister's disaster capitalism as he uses a crisis to try to further undermine Manitoba's already-precarious public services. And Colin Mcaullife and Jason Ganz respond to Marc Andreesson by calling out the political barriers to building a better world:
- Sheila Block highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic has only amplified the profits accruing to the wealthy few while putting added pressure on everybody else. Chris Brooks notes that the corporate push for "reopening" is occurring with full knowledge that it represents a sacrifice of workers' lives. And Guy Ryder writes about the need for a new and better normal when it comes to protecting workers.
- Sara Mojtehedzadeh reports on the failure of Ontario's Ministry of Labour to uphold a single complaint about work safety in the face of COVID-19. And Richard Florida points out that workers have largely been left to themselves to demand change in the system designed to treat them as expendable.
- Meanwhile, Jason Koebler reports on Tim Bray's resignation from Amazon over its firing and smearing of workers trying to ensure the safety of themselves and their colleagues.
- Canadians for Tax Fairness notes that in addition to endangering the lives of employees and then using racial prejudice to blame them for a COVID-19 outbreak, Cargill's billionaire owners have a well-documented history of using tax havens to avoid contributing to the public good.
- Finally, Lucas Edmonds discusses Brian Pallister's disaster capitalism as he uses a crisis to try to further undermine Manitoba's already-precarious public services. And Colin Mcaullife and Jason Ganz respond to Marc Andreesson by calling out the political barriers to building a better world:
(T)he question remains: why has the US refused to use public resources for the benefit of the public? The answer is again a matter of political power. The ruling class has made the conscious choice that every aspect of life should be a site for profit extraction, and that the public sector exists primarily to create and maintain the conditions that allow extraction to occur. While some refer to this as “unfettered capitalism”, the truth is that capitalism is itself a system of fetters that are placed on society to allow private property owners to accumulate money by taking it from the productive parts of the economy.
This is why we have ostensible social insurance programs that are designed to humiliate people who are struggling and force them to jump through hoops or else be denied their benefit. The government lacks the infrastructure to send checks to individuals, but it possesses the infrastructure to shore up the finances of banks and large corporations at the snap of a finger. State capacity exists in abundance, but it is deployed for the benefit of a small number of private property owners, not for society as a whole. The idea that this state of affairs represents a lack of desire on the part of ordinary people and not an immoral and unjustified set of priorities on the part of the small number of people in the country who are capable of setting policy is manifestly untrue.
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Acknowledging the role of public investment in innovation leads to two important conclusions. The first is that we should do a lot more of it, perhaps by as much as 3-4% of GDP per year. Contrary to narratives about public spending “crowding out” private investments, there is good reason to believe that public R&D actually “crowds in” private R&D. One paper estimated that a 10% increase in public R&D spending would induce an additional 4.3% in private R&D spending. A large expansion in public R&D would also create millions of jobs, and not just for those who are highly educated. Research facilities can sustain vibrant communities with opportunities available to people from all walks of life.The second conclusion is that once we recognize that innovation in modern economies requires that we socialize much of the associated costs and risks, then we also must ensure that the benefits that come from projects that are ultimately successful are broadly shared. This should be accomplished both in financial terms, by using a portion of the profits generated by successful projects on social spending, as well as in nonfinancial terms, by prioritizing development of technology with high societal value.
Monday, May 04, 2020
Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week.
- Scott Aquanno writes about the role the Bank of Canada has played so far in responding to COVID-19, while also recognizing that a new public bank could and should do far more to ensure we invest in a sustainable economy rather than plunging into austerity.
- Paul Krugman discusses the disconnect between the dire reality facing most of the U.S.' population, and the partial rebound of stock prices based on the expectation that it will still be possible to extract wealth from the general public. Tracey Tully writes about the continued spread of massive food bank queues in states with no lack of overall wealth. And Jonathan Mijs points out some of the lessons about inequality which are highlighted by the coronavirus crisis.
- PressProgress exposes Amazon's lobbying of the federal government before it was handed logistical responsibility which would normally have been kept within the public sector.
- Madeleine Cummings reports on the plight of migrant workers who don't share the access to health care that keeps other Canadians comparatively healthy in the midst of a pandemic.
- Finally, Louise Kyle writes that any vaccine for COVID-19 needs to be treated as a public good available to all, rather than a profit centre meted out only to people who can pay big pharma's prices. And Carl Bergstrom and Natalie Dean explain why a vaccine is ultimately the only viable option to reach herd immunity by pointing out the ramifications of allowing a deadly disease to run rampant.
- Scott Aquanno writes about the role the Bank of Canada has played so far in responding to COVID-19, while also recognizing that a new public bank could and should do far more to ensure we invest in a sustainable economy rather than plunging into austerity.
- Paul Krugman discusses the disconnect between the dire reality facing most of the U.S.' population, and the partial rebound of stock prices based on the expectation that it will still be possible to extract wealth from the general public. Tracey Tully writes about the continued spread of massive food bank queues in states with no lack of overall wealth. And Jonathan Mijs points out some of the lessons about inequality which are highlighted by the coronavirus crisis.
- PressProgress exposes Amazon's lobbying of the federal government before it was handed logistical responsibility which would normally have been kept within the public sector.
- Madeleine Cummings reports on the plight of migrant workers who don't share the access to health care that keeps other Canadians comparatively healthy in the midst of a pandemic.
- Finally, Louise Kyle writes that any vaccine for COVID-19 needs to be treated as a public good available to all, rather than a profit centre meted out only to people who can pay big pharma's prices. And Carl Bergstrom and Natalie Dean explain why a vaccine is ultimately the only viable option to reach herd immunity by pointing out the ramifications of allowing a deadly disease to run rampant.
Sunday, May 03, 2020
Sunday Afternoon Links
This and that for your Sunday reading.
- Jason Warick reports on the concern of doctors that Scott Moe's insistence on reducing protections against the spread of COVID-19 doesn't take into account the health of older or less healthy residents. And Sheri Lecker notes that the social isolation imposed so far - and continued in most existing plans - is particularly difficult for our most vulnerable neighbours.
- Meanwhile, Alicia Bridges reports on the Saskatchewan Health Authority's choice to keep the public in the dark about a Lloydminster outbreak as Moe was pushing the "reopening" line.
- Meredith Haggerty notes that a business lockdown has many consumers rediscovering the concept of thrift. And Michael Roberts examines the psychological effects we can expect even once we move past the direct limitations on activity.
- Heather Scoffield points out that Justin Trudeau's relief plans have failed to respond to the gender effects of the coronavirus crisis. Jeff Booth argues that COVID-19 will allow us to put an end to crony capitalism if we push for that result. And Robert Palmer sees an opportunity to finally apply reasonable taxes to rich people and large corporations, while Atul Shah makes the case to include limits on the use of tax havens as part of the price of public bailouts for businesses.
- Finally, Ian Welsh notes that COVID-19 has exposed our inability to do even basic things like provide personal protective equipment for workers.
- Jason Warick reports on the concern of doctors that Scott Moe's insistence on reducing protections against the spread of COVID-19 doesn't take into account the health of older or less healthy residents. And Sheri Lecker notes that the social isolation imposed so far - and continued in most existing plans - is particularly difficult for our most vulnerable neighbours.
- Meanwhile, Alicia Bridges reports on the Saskatchewan Health Authority's choice to keep the public in the dark about a Lloydminster outbreak as Moe was pushing the "reopening" line.
- Meredith Haggerty notes that a business lockdown has many consumers rediscovering the concept of thrift. And Michael Roberts examines the psychological effects we can expect even once we move past the direct limitations on activity.
- Heather Scoffield points out that Justin Trudeau's relief plans have failed to respond to the gender effects of the coronavirus crisis. Jeff Booth argues that COVID-19 will allow us to put an end to crony capitalism if we push for that result. And Robert Palmer sees an opportunity to finally apply reasonable taxes to rich people and large corporations, while Atul Shah makes the case to include limits on the use of tax havens as part of the price of public bailouts for businesses.
- Finally, Ian Welsh notes that COVID-19 has exposed our inability to do even basic things like provide personal protective equipment for workers.
Saturday, May 02, 2020
Saturday Morning Links
This and that for your Saturday reading.
- Ed Yong writes about the many complexities surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, including how much we have left to figure out before being able to make any concrete plans.
- Leonardo Trasande and Akhgar Ghassabian discuss how chemicals in our homes may be exacerbating the damage done by COVID-19.
- Claire Kelloway highlights how concentration in food processing and distribution has led to both waste and shortages in the wake of a pandemic which inevitably finds its way into large facilities, while Oliver Laughland and Amanda Holpuch examine how meat plants have become the frontline in the war against the coronavirus. And Licia Corbella discusses how Jason Kenney's government and Alberta meat packers likewise refused to keep workers safe in the face of clear warnings and obvious outbreaks, while Ysh Cabana writes about the abuse and subsequent scapegoating of Filipino workers.
- Edward Ongweso Jr. takes note of the latest research showing that in addition to better protecting health and safety and securing higher wages, unions also make employers more productive. The Los Angeles Times' editorial board highlights the need for improved pay and treatment for food sector workers. But Eric Levitz observes that the Republicans' priority in negotiations around any coronavirus relief is to make workers poorer and less safe, while Steven Greenhouse writes about Donald Trump's choice to order workers to their deaths when COVID-19 spread in overly concentrated workplaces.
- Finally, Justin Ling tests the Libs' claim that they're taking steps to avoid the spread of COVID-19 through Canada's prison system, and finds virtually no work being done to release people whose continued incarceration only endangers themselves and others.
- Ed Yong writes about the many complexities surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, including how much we have left to figure out before being able to make any concrete plans.
- Leonardo Trasande and Akhgar Ghassabian discuss how chemicals in our homes may be exacerbating the damage done by COVID-19.
- Claire Kelloway highlights how concentration in food processing and distribution has led to both waste and shortages in the wake of a pandemic which inevitably finds its way into large facilities, while Oliver Laughland and Amanda Holpuch examine how meat plants have become the frontline in the war against the coronavirus. And Licia Corbella discusses how Jason Kenney's government and Alberta meat packers likewise refused to keep workers safe in the face of clear warnings and obvious outbreaks, while Ysh Cabana writes about the abuse and subsequent scapegoating of Filipino workers.
- Edward Ongweso Jr. takes note of the latest research showing that in addition to better protecting health and safety and securing higher wages, unions also make employers more productive. The Los Angeles Times' editorial board highlights the need for improved pay and treatment for food sector workers. But Eric Levitz observes that the Republicans' priority in negotiations around any coronavirus relief is to make workers poorer and less safe, while Steven Greenhouse writes about Donald Trump's choice to order workers to their deaths when COVID-19 spread in overly concentrated workplaces.
- Finally, Justin Ling tests the Libs' claim that they're taking steps to avoid the spread of COVID-19 through Canada's prison system, and finds virtually no work being done to release people whose continued incarceration only endangers themselves and others.
On incentive structures
Sure, this is one possible interpretation of the choices facing low-income parents whose school and child care have been taken away:
But I'm sure your local Conservative would argue people are simply being given appropriate incentives to work rather than parenting.This is heartbreaking: One family decided to voluntarily put their two children into a foster home so they could be cared for. https://t.co/jpCxKVDzik— Natascia Lypny (@wordpuddle) May 2, 2020
Friday, May 01, 2020
Friday Afternoon Links
Assorted content to end your week.
- Bruce Campbell highlights how corporate greed isn't limited by a public health emergency. And indeed, the Canadian Press reports on a record amount of federal lobbying in February and March as entrenched interests seek to increase their wealth and power as a result of COVID-19.
- Meanwhile, Quinn Slobodian points out that corporate interests are counting on the rest of us doing nothing to push for change as a result of a glaring breakdown of our public health and support systems:
- The American Prospect examines the future of labour following the COVID-19 pandemic. Denise Balkissoon discusses the harm we do by undermining the rights of food sector workers, while Lauren Kaori Gurley reports on today's strikes of many major U.S. retailers. And Brett Nelson points out the need for organizing in response to the issues highlighted by the coronavirus to focus on issues which develop solidarity rather than undermining it.
- Finally, Bruce Arthur writes that we won't be able to defeat the coronavirus without fully working together - while noting that our treatment of people living with homelessness and precarious work falls far short of the mark.
- Bruce Campbell highlights how corporate greed isn't limited by a public health emergency. And indeed, the Canadian Press reports on a record amount of federal lobbying in February and March as entrenched interests seek to increase their wealth and power as a result of COVID-19.
- Meanwhile, Quinn Slobodian points out that corporate interests are counting on the rest of us doing nothing to push for change as a result of a glaring breakdown of our public health and support systems:
We have seen a world where capitalism stops. But it will start again. When America “reopens,” it will be much like the old America. Big companies will be bigger, ever more beholden to the leader for having saved them. Arguments for austerity will return in the wake of the unprecedented spending.- Anne Gaviola reports on the appalling exploitation of Canadians by payday lenders even as coronavirus relief is supposed to include access to affordable credit.
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The next year will be a litany of the “workouts and turnarounds” that bankruptcy specialists are known for, ruthlessly wringing the value out of companies, while ignoring the human or social costs. Distressed debt funds are the loan sharks of the business world, and will feel no compunction about pursuing the bottom line. We have seen a preview of such dispassionate calculation in the last month, as stock values soared alongside record unemployment numbers and mounting deaths. The combination seemed shocking to some people, even scandalous. “The stock market doesn’t care about your feelings,” was the response of a Los Angeles Times business reporter, “nor should it.”
Covid-19 has left the economy in rubble, and we have a brief chance to build anew. But to avoid the vultures, we will have to be creative and work together. Freed from our quarantine, we can use the remains of our old society to construct new buildings, gardens, playgrounds, and, when necessary, barricades too.
- The American Prospect examines the future of labour following the COVID-19 pandemic. Denise Balkissoon discusses the harm we do by undermining the rights of food sector workers, while Lauren Kaori Gurley reports on today's strikes of many major U.S. retailers. And Brett Nelson points out the need for organizing in response to the issues highlighted by the coronavirus to focus on issues which develop solidarity rather than undermining it.
- Finally, Bruce Arthur writes that we won't be able to defeat the coronavirus without fully working together - while noting that our treatment of people living with homelessness and precarious work falls far short of the mark.
Thursday, April 30, 2020
Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading.
- Maxwell Smith, Ross Upshur and James Downar warn us against mistaking a temporarily flattened curve for a final victory over the spread of COVID-19.
- Leilani Farha questions how it's possible for people to help fight the coronavirus by staying at home when they don't have a secure home to begin with. And Duncan Cameron suggests that we can provide needed community housing by repurposing spaces which no longer work for retail businesses.
- George Monbiot argues that we shouldn't be bailing out the fossil fuel sector (including airlines and the auto sector as currently structured) when it's based on a model which causes unconscionable damage to our planet. And in response to Jason Kenney's reactionary attacks on the concept of a Green New Deal, Bronwen Tucker highlights how Alberta would stand to benefit from a transition to clean energy.
- Finally, Ed Broadbent and Rick Smith set out a progressive framework for a COVID-19 recovery plan:
- Maxwell Smith, Ross Upshur and James Downar warn us against mistaking a temporarily flattened curve for a final victory over the spread of COVID-19.
- Leilani Farha questions how it's possible for people to help fight the coronavirus by staying at home when they don't have a secure home to begin with. And Duncan Cameron suggests that we can provide needed community housing by repurposing spaces which no longer work for retail businesses.
- George Monbiot argues that we shouldn't be bailing out the fossil fuel sector (including airlines and the auto sector as currently structured) when it's based on a model which causes unconscionable damage to our planet. And in response to Jason Kenney's reactionary attacks on the concept of a Green New Deal, Bronwen Tucker highlights how Alberta would stand to benefit from a transition to clean energy.
- Finally, Ed Broadbent and Rick Smith set out a progressive framework for a COVID-19 recovery plan:
1. Prioritize the needs of people. We need to work with employers to save and create jobs, but the focus should be on bettering the lives of individual Canadians. Financial aid to corporations should be much more conditional than in past rescue packages. Any recovery must ensure by law that public dollars are not diverted into exorbitant executive compensation packages, stock buybacks or increased dividend pay-outs.
2. Reinforce people’s economic and social rights. Temporary fixes must be changed into longer term reforms, such as reconfigured income supports to supplement EI; extension of the scope of public health care to home care, long-term care homes and universal public pharmacare; and the implementation of a “decent work” agenda with paid sick days and liveable wages.
3. Public investment. With families and corporations deep in debt even before the crisis, and with some sectors (such as tourism and oil and gas) very unlikely to recover quickly, public investment will have to drive recovery. Such investment should be focused on job-rich areas that deliver on our collective goals, like green infrastructure (renewables, energy conservation, public infrastructure) and affordable housing.
4. Transition to greater national self-sufficiency in some sectors. The global economy is here to stay, but we need to rebuild Canadian productive capacity to meet key needs such as food security and medical supplies rather than rely exclusively on global markets.
5. Spend what it takes. The Bank of Canada is providing the resources we need short term to support Canadians. A longer-term public investment program intended to address income inequality will also require radical tax reform, including taxation of wealth.
Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.
- Andrew Nikiforuk highlights where we stand in responding to the coronavirus - including the dangers of declaring victory at a point where there's still every risk of waves of death.
- Janice Braden writes that the Saskatchewan Party's idea of reopening the province involves little more than prioritizing recreation for Scott Moe and his pals while failing to account for the needs of most of the province. And Michael Bramadat-Willcock reports on the particular fear in northern Saskatchewan that declarations that business is going back to the previous normal will undermine the region's attempt to control an existing outbreak.
- Gideon Meyerowitz-Kratz sums up the true nature of "herd immunity" (absent a vaccine) as the sacrifice of human lives to a preventable disease.
- The Globe and Mail's editorial board argues against obsessing over the money which will need to be borrowed to keep people afloat. And as part of a debate within the Star, Martine August highlights how it's far more realistic to expect landlords to forego some rent than to insist on tenants finding a way to pay it in the midst of a lockdown.
- Finally, PressProgress reports on the UPC's move to grab Alberta pensions and funnel them into the hands of AIMCO to fund its oil-sector donors. And Mitchell Beer discusses the appalling demands being made by the fossil fuel lobby to try to capitalize on the COVID-19 crisis.
- Andrew Nikiforuk highlights where we stand in responding to the coronavirus - including the dangers of declaring victory at a point where there's still every risk of waves of death.
- Janice Braden writes that the Saskatchewan Party's idea of reopening the province involves little more than prioritizing recreation for Scott Moe and his pals while failing to account for the needs of most of the province. And Michael Bramadat-Willcock reports on the particular fear in northern Saskatchewan that declarations that business is going back to the previous normal will undermine the region's attempt to control an existing outbreak.
- Gideon Meyerowitz-Kratz sums up the true nature of "herd immunity" (absent a vaccine) as the sacrifice of human lives to a preventable disease.
- The Globe and Mail's editorial board argues against obsessing over the money which will need to be borrowed to keep people afloat. And as part of a debate within the Star, Martine August highlights how it's far more realistic to expect landlords to forego some rent than to insist on tenants finding a way to pay it in the midst of a lockdown.
- Finally, PressProgress reports on the UPC's move to grab Alberta pensions and funnel them into the hands of AIMCO to fund its oil-sector donors. And Mitchell Beer discusses the appalling demands being made by the fossil fuel lobby to try to capitalize on the COVID-19 crisis.
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading.
- Paul Wells explores how extensive planning for foreseeable pandemics was discarded or forgotten just as it mattered most.
- Ryan Meili highlights the importance of putting people first in determining how to ease restrictions in the wake of the coronavirus, while Missy Johnson looks at a few of the options to ameliorate our current level of inequality in the wake of a pandemic which has shown how precarity weakens us all.
And Adam Tooze writes that we shouldn't be obsessing over deficits or debt, particularly when it's being raised primarily as an excuse to push cruel austerity measures.
- Nafeez Ahmed notes that the coronavirus may provide the economic system shock which permanently shifts us away from dirty fossil fuels. And Brendan Haley discusses the need for public investment in clean energy systems to ensure a durable and sustainable recovery, while James Wilt argues for decommodifying public transit.
- Andrew Nikiforuk points out that the meatpackers which have become some of Canada's most dangerous vectors for the spread of COVID-19 ignored plenty of warnings to reach that point.
- Bill Blaikie makes the case to fulfill the promise of complete universal health care by ensuring people have the medicine they need.
- Finally, Dominic Rushe and Mona Chalabi discuss how the wealthiest few are exploiting the pandemic to make themselves even richer. And Jo Snyder provides responses to the Koch-funded talking points being used to argue for reckless disregard for the continued dangers of COVID-19.
- Paul Wells explores how extensive planning for foreseeable pandemics was discarded or forgotten just as it mattered most.
- Ryan Meili highlights the importance of putting people first in determining how to ease restrictions in the wake of the coronavirus, while Missy Johnson looks at a few of the options to ameliorate our current level of inequality in the wake of a pandemic which has shown how precarity weakens us all.
And Adam Tooze writes that we shouldn't be obsessing over deficits or debt, particularly when it's being raised primarily as an excuse to push cruel austerity measures.
- Nafeez Ahmed notes that the coronavirus may provide the economic system shock which permanently shifts us away from dirty fossil fuels. And Brendan Haley discusses the need for public investment in clean energy systems to ensure a durable and sustainable recovery, while James Wilt argues for decommodifying public transit.
- Andrew Nikiforuk points out that the meatpackers which have become some of Canada's most dangerous vectors for the spread of COVID-19 ignored plenty of warnings to reach that point.
- Bill Blaikie makes the case to fulfill the promise of complete universal health care by ensuring people have the medicine they need.
- Finally, Dominic Rushe and Mona Chalabi discuss how the wealthiest few are exploiting the pandemic to make themselves even richer. And Jo Snyder provides responses to the Koch-funded talking points being used to argue for reckless disregard for the continued dangers of COVID-19.
Monday, April 27, 2020
Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material to start your week.
- Rochelle Baker interviews David Suzuki about the lessons from the coronavirus pandemic which we should apply equally to the threat of a climate breakdown. And Mike Layton writes that we need a Green New Deal as our recovery program once the pause on physical interaction has passed.
- Meanwhile, Joe Cressy points out how cities need support to recover from a crisis which has dramatically undercut their revenues without affecting their provincially-imposed obligation to balance budgets.
- Richard Warnica discusses how confined residences including care homes, prisons and shelters have become the most dangerous transmission points for COVID-19 in Canada. And Michael Enright interviews Pat Armstrong about a long-term care system which has been set up to prioritize operator profit over the health of residents.
- Jo Snyder writes about the quarantine privilege which divides people between those who can engage in meaningful physical distancing and those whose work and life circumstances make it impossible to do so. Robert Reich makes a similar point while breaking down the latter group into the "essential", the "unpaid" and the "forgotten". And Kara Voght examines how the the U.S.' coronavirus relief package is designed to perpetuate existing inequalities and exclusions.
- Lisa Graves points out that the already-paltry "reopen" events are almost entirely the result of right-wing astroturfing. And Colin Horgan notes that there isn't a reality-based argument to ignore or facilitate the spread of a pandemic.
- Finally, Branko Milanovic writes that Donald Trump represents the end point of neoliberal ideology as a boss who doesn't hesitate to dismiss the lives and safety of the people he perceives as his servants.
- Rochelle Baker interviews David Suzuki about the lessons from the coronavirus pandemic which we should apply equally to the threat of a climate breakdown. And Mike Layton writes that we need a Green New Deal as our recovery program once the pause on physical interaction has passed.
- Meanwhile, Joe Cressy points out how cities need support to recover from a crisis which has dramatically undercut their revenues without affecting their provincially-imposed obligation to balance budgets.
- Richard Warnica discusses how confined residences including care homes, prisons and shelters have become the most dangerous transmission points for COVID-19 in Canada. And Michael Enright interviews Pat Armstrong about a long-term care system which has been set up to prioritize operator profit over the health of residents.
- Jo Snyder writes about the quarantine privilege which divides people between those who can engage in meaningful physical distancing and those whose work and life circumstances make it impossible to do so. Robert Reich makes a similar point while breaking down the latter group into the "essential", the "unpaid" and the "forgotten". And Kara Voght examines how the the U.S.' coronavirus relief package is designed to perpetuate existing inequalities and exclusions.
- Lisa Graves points out that the already-paltry "reopen" events are almost entirely the result of right-wing astroturfing. And Colin Horgan notes that there isn't a reality-based argument to ignore or facilitate the spread of a pandemic.
- Finally, Branko Milanovic writes that Donald Trump represents the end point of neoliberal ideology as a boss who doesn't hesitate to dismiss the lives and safety of the people he perceives as his servants.
Sunday, April 26, 2020
Sunday Afternoon Links
This and that for your Sunday reading.
- Heather Scoffield points out some of the people who have been systematically excluded from any discussion about what steps need to be taken next in response to the coronavirus pandemic, while Althia Raj focuses on self-employed Canadians in particular. Simon Enoch is rightly aghast at the Saskatchewan Party's development of a "reopening" plan which makes no mention of, and fails to take into account, the needs of workers. And Laird Cronk writes about the importance of ensuring that the new society we build on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic recognizes and values the contributions of essential workers.
- Moira Walsh and Omar Mosleh report on the court ruling Ontario nurses had to win in order to be able to determine which personal protective equipment was required to keep them safe in long-term care homes. And Noam Scheiber and Michael Corkery report on the lawsuit seeking to ensure that Smithfield workers aren't ordered to endanger themselves and their colleagues.
- Jesse Drucker exposes some of the handouts to big business and the wealthy buried in the terms of the U.S.' meager relief packages. Emily Flitter and Peter Eavis document some of the corporations which have demanded bailouts after draining what should have been more than sufficient cash reserves. And Karl Nerenberg discusses the Libs' choice to make public funding available to tax haven abusers, rather than ensuring that businesses benefit from public supports only if they've paid their fair share.
- Finally, Chuck Collins notes that the world's wealthiest people are so removed from everybody else that they've managed to accumulate even more while most people have been in lockdown. And Alex Hemingway makes the case for an excess profits tax to ensure that businesses can't retain the spoils of profiteering based on a public emergency.
- Heather Scoffield points out some of the people who have been systematically excluded from any discussion about what steps need to be taken next in response to the coronavirus pandemic, while Althia Raj focuses on self-employed Canadians in particular. Simon Enoch is rightly aghast at the Saskatchewan Party's development of a "reopening" plan which makes no mention of, and fails to take into account, the needs of workers. And Laird Cronk writes about the importance of ensuring that the new society we build on the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic recognizes and values the contributions of essential workers.
- Moira Walsh and Omar Mosleh report on the court ruling Ontario nurses had to win in order to be able to determine which personal protective equipment was required to keep them safe in long-term care homes. And Noam Scheiber and Michael Corkery report on the lawsuit seeking to ensure that Smithfield workers aren't ordered to endanger themselves and their colleagues.
- Jesse Drucker exposes some of the handouts to big business and the wealthy buried in the terms of the U.S.' meager relief packages. Emily Flitter and Peter Eavis document some of the corporations which have demanded bailouts after draining what should have been more than sufficient cash reserves. And Karl Nerenberg discusses the Libs' choice to make public funding available to tax haven abusers, rather than ensuring that businesses benefit from public supports only if they've paid their fair share.
- Finally, Chuck Collins notes that the world's wealthiest people are so removed from everybody else that they've managed to accumulate even more while most people have been in lockdown. And Alex Hemingway makes the case for an excess profits tax to ensure that businesses can't retain the spoils of profiteering based on a public emergency.
Saturday, April 25, 2020
Saturday Afternoon Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading.
- Jane McDonald writes about the lessons we should learn for future crisis management from the coronavirus pandemic. And Jim Stanford discusses both the importance of social trust in response to an emergency situation, and the reason for optimism that Canadians can count on it as a factor working in our favour.
- Tonda MacCharles reports on the massive increase in testing needed before we can viably reduce restrictions in the face of COVID-19. And Melanee Thomas and Lisa Lambert discuss the rationale for punishing the people who put everybody at risk.
- Jason Foster and Bob Barnetson highlight the gross failures of Alberta's occupational health and safety system in allowing the spread of COVID-19 through meat packing plants. And David Carrigg notes that John Horgan is talking to employers about ensuring that workers aren't forced to stay at work while sick - though I'd think we should be able to say that the time for talk rather than government action has long since passed.
- Meanwhile, Arthur White-Crummey reports on the Moe government's choice not to ensure child care is even capable of being made available - let alone actually available - for the employees it plans to push back to work. And the Star-Phoenix' editorial board points out the need to do more to ensure the safety and quality of life of Saskatchewan seniors.
- Finally, Dianne Saxe discusses the folly behind the federal government's bailout of a dying oil and gas sector based on the false assumption that it can (and must) be propped up indefinitely. And Max Fawcett rightly questions why the oil sector is continuing to fund CAPP and other propaganda and lobbying operations while pleading that it needs public money to make up for a lack of cash.
- Jane McDonald writes about the lessons we should learn for future crisis management from the coronavirus pandemic. And Jim Stanford discusses both the importance of social trust in response to an emergency situation, and the reason for optimism that Canadians can count on it as a factor working in our favour.
- Tonda MacCharles reports on the massive increase in testing needed before we can viably reduce restrictions in the face of COVID-19. And Melanee Thomas and Lisa Lambert discuss the rationale for punishing the people who put everybody at risk.
- Jason Foster and Bob Barnetson highlight the gross failures of Alberta's occupational health and safety system in allowing the spread of COVID-19 through meat packing plants. And David Carrigg notes that John Horgan is talking to employers about ensuring that workers aren't forced to stay at work while sick - though I'd think we should be able to say that the time for talk rather than government action has long since passed.
- Meanwhile, Arthur White-Crummey reports on the Moe government's choice not to ensure child care is even capable of being made available - let alone actually available - for the employees it plans to push back to work. And the Star-Phoenix' editorial board points out the need to do more to ensure the safety and quality of life of Saskatchewan seniors.
- Finally, Dianne Saxe discusses the folly behind the federal government's bailout of a dying oil and gas sector based on the false assumption that it can (and must) be propped up indefinitely. And Max Fawcett rightly questions why the oil sector is continuing to fund CAPP and other propaganda and lobbying operations while pleading that it needs public money to make up for a lack of cash.
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