Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Lesley Clark reports on the emergence of documents tying Exxon and its lobbying firm to the hacking of climate activists for the purpose of perpetuating decades of fraud on the public. Keith Stewart discusses the role Donald Trump, Pierre Poilievre and other petropoliticians play as enforcers for fossil fuel tycoons. And Brett McKay examines the timeline as to how coal lobbyists have controlled Alberta resource management policy in the face of consistent public and scientific opposition. 

- Meanwhile, David Climenhaga highlights how Danielle Smith is refusing to allow housing to be built in Jasper as anything other than a suburb which requires paving over part of a national park. And Lois Parshley notes that Donald Trump's obsession with Greenland fits with the apparent plans of his billionaire cronies to take over its natural resources. 

- Tax Justice UK argues that the threat billionaires pose to democracy and freedom can only be met by taxing them to ensure they can't exert financial dominance over the general public. And Seth Abramson discusses two recently-revealed letters which offer disturbing insight into Elon Musk's accumulation of both power and villainy. 

- Sarah Kendzior notes that while she and others have been warning of the corruption and disintegration of the U.S.' political and economic system, what ultimately matters most is taking action to change that course of events. Wajahat Ali discusses the need for a true political resistance to reinforce and focus the passion people have to preserve their country from an authoritarian regime. And Bruce McKenna and Jill O'Reilly point out that the most effective organizing needs to actually engage with people rather than merely marketing a political brand to them, while Will Stancil observes that U.S. Democrats have largely allowed a consultant class (relying on assumptions from a previous era) to purge that type of work from their party.  

- Finally, Cory Doctorow discusses the connection between monopoly positioning and the enshittification of social media services. And Ian Welsh notes that the degeneration of AI can be predicted based on the similar path followed by Google as a "state of nature" gave way to a system designed to manipulate users. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Brian Beutler discusses how U.S. Democrats need to respond to Donald Trump's attempt to end democracy and human rights with something more than complaints about higher prices - a point which applies equally to other countries. Tom Scocca and Joe MacLeod note that Trump's power grab now includes trying to take sole control over the disbursement of public funds - even where the result is to deliberately leave people destitute or destroy vital institutions. And Adam Barnett maps out Trump's anti-environmental network seeking to keep carbon spewing and the planet burning. 

- Gil Duran writes about the "strict father" framework which represents the attempt to attach some (abusive) model of morality to Trump's actions. And David Moscrop offers some perspective and advice on carrying on dealing with the death of a seemingly vanished order.  

- Tom Parkin examines how Doug Ford is seeking to be rewarded for making life worse for Ontarians, while John Michael McGrath focuses in on the massive sums of public money Ford has wasted trying to get voters drunk. And Inori Roy points out how anti-immigrant policy is preventing Canada from making up ground in dealing with a housing deficit. 

- Finally, Claire Turner discusses new research showing the sustained cognitive and physical effects of long COVID. Heidi Ledford writes about some of the lessons COVID-19 has taught scientists about the immune system. And CBC News reports on the award of a $24 million grant to the University of Saskatchewan to research vaccines which could address multiple coronaviruses. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Active cat.

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Ryan Meili discusses how we should define Canada as a country through an ethic of care - rather than through opposition to any foreign actor. Matthew Mendelsohn examines how we can respond to the U.S.' defection from any good faith action, while Jim Stanford discusses how we can build a stronger and more independent society (though Geoff Dixon notes that complete self-reliance isn't a a practical option). And Charlemagne makes the case for Canada to join the European Union. 

- But Yves Engler writes that Canada's corporate oligarchs are eager to funnel resources into guns rather than necessities of life. And Craig Renney warns us not to make the same mistake as New Zealand in voting for right-wing populism which inevitably fails even on its own terms. 

- James Tapper reports on a new poll showing that a strong majority of Britons see the rich as having too much influence in politics. Nicolas Shaxson laments that the Starmer government is only making matters worse by stifling regulators in the name of growth, while George Monbiot notes that a developer-driven housing policy will do nothing to help people in need of an affordable and accessible home. 

- Finally, Brian Beutler discusses the importance of fighting for democracy in the face of actors who are eager to demolish it. 

Musical interlude

Tinlicker feat. Helsloot - Because You Move Me

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Paul Krugman discusses how one of the top priorities of the second Donald Trump administration is to trash public health in the U.S. And CBC News reports that the Libs are cutting public health staffing even as COVID continues to circulate and new threats emerge while the U.S. vacuum undermines any international response.

- Hamilton Nolan writes that Trump's ascent makes for a painful political application of the Greater Fool Theory in action - and that the only path to reversing it is to engage in opposition rather than attempts to foist costs onto others. Thor Benson interviews David de Jong about the history of corporate oligarchs making common cause with fascists in order to entrench their wealth and power. And Nora Loreto writes that the rise of fascism can be traced to the displacement of democratic power by neoliberal capitalism.  

- David Climenhaga discusses Steve Verheul's recognition that Danielle Smith is looking to sell out Canada to benefit Trump, while Stephen Magusiak notes that Scott Moe and other right-wing politicians are joining the anti-Canada coalition. And James Magnus-Johnston writes that we can't take for granted that a US takeover is impossible when a substantial base of institutional power is perfectly willing to collaborate with it. 

- Noah Berlatsky writes about the need to support the people who dare to speak out against the abuses of the Trump regime, even as Parker Molloy points out the rage machine seeking to impose intolerable costs on anybody who does so. Grace Blakely discusses how only collective action will offer a viable alternative to the descent into authoritarianism, while Sam Pressler points out the dangers of thinking we can make progress without engaging people directly. And David Zipper notes that car-centric urban design has made it needlessly difficult for people to interact socially. 

- Finally, Jake Landau comments on the importance of providing refuge for trans people and others fleeing the U.S. But Emma Weller reports that the Libs are instead slashing our immigration resources while holding to the claim that there's no concern about anybody's safety. 

On team cancers

Shorter Scott Moe:

Of course I'm on Team Canada! I just don't intend to contribute to it, and instead plan to interfere with its every move, and want to make clear to its opponent that I'm on their side!

Can anybody check how many of Moe's reputed wicked slap shots were directed at his team's own net?

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Damian Carrington reports on Antonio Guterres' latest warning about the dangers of perpetuating our fossil fuel addiction - even as Donald Trump and a growing number of Canadian conservative quislings push to exacerbate it. Joshua Lappen discusses how the U.S.' fossil gas infrastructure is doomed - with Los Angeles providing a preview of what's in store across the country. Ember Energy examines (PDF) the EU's progress in transitioning to cleaner energy, with solar power overtaking coal for the first time and gas continuing to decline. And Conor Curtis points out how to talk about the reality that a transition to clean energy would be a plus for Canada's sovereignty as well as for our living environment. 

- Andrew Nikiforuk reports on the public outcry resulting from Danielle Smith's decision to declare open season for coal mining in the Rockies. And Joel Dryden talks to a member of the UCP's own coal policy committee who's rightly outraged that fossil fuel tycoons' whims are being given precedence over the product of a public consultation. 

- Shimly Rajendrakumar examines the effect of microplastics on agricultural systems, with a wide range of plastic products resulting in adverse consequences for the health of soil, animals and consumers. 

- Matthew Trevithick reports on the beginning of what could be a massive U.S. exodus to Canada as people flee the Trump administration, while David Baxter discusses the push from refugee advocates to ensure transgender people are able to make asylum claims rather than being told they're completely safe in a country that denies their existence. But Elizabeth Thompson reports that the response from the Libs so far is to assume everything's fine and maintain the fiction that the U.S. is safe. 

- Finally, Dan Rather discusses the firehose effect - and the need to withstand Trump's attempt to shock, awe and overwhelm people into compliance. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Kathy Sheridan discusses why it's well past time to ensure billionaires pay their fair share of taxes, while Graeme Wearden and Heather Stewart report on a new poll showing that even a majority of millionaires view extreme wealth concentration as a threat to democracy. And Andrew Perez and Asawin Suebsaeng highlight how the U.S.' oligarchy is past putting even a facade of caring about anything other than its own concentration of wealth and power, while Filipe Campante and Raymond Fisman note that crony capitalism invariably produces worse results for everybody other than the few members of the regime's inner circle.  

- Meanwhile, Tom Parkin points out the stark difference between anti-tax rhetoric in theory and practice, as workers earning up to $150,000 pay less tax in British Columbia than Alberta while only the richest pay less under a right-wing government. 

- Nora Loreto discusses how our political and economic system has been designed to squeeze workers and remove supports in order to ensure people are easily exploited by the rich. And Emma Paling notes that the U.S. has been dictating the terms of Canadian politics for decades at the expense of our sovereignty and well-being. 

- Mihai Andrei writes about new research showing the connection between hard-right ideology and systemic misinformation even before the social media takeover by regressive forces. 

- Finally, Gordon Brown offers a warning to Donald Trump about the dangers of abandoning the World Health Organization when countries' interests in fighting disease are so closely aligned. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Lounging cat.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Paul Krugman discusses the importance of calling out misinformation rather than downplaying or legitimizing it - especially when it's being sprayed around by the wealthy and powerful for their own self-serving ends. And Jill Hopke warns that the spread of anti-environmental propaganda on corporate social media is only set to get much worse, while Katharine Hayhoe notes that there's no reason to cling to a position of "neutrality" as to whether we'll have a liveable planet. 

- Jennifer Rubin writes about the Trump administration's blatant declaration that it will consist of government of, for and by billionaires. Freddy Brewster points out the techbro plan to trash the U.S.' public finances and the Earth's living environment in one fell swoop by funneling massive amounts of public money into cryptocurrency. 

- Sarah Kendzior's suggestions in responding to Trump's taking office include focusing on anti-corruption which should be a common priority for everybody but Trump and his cronies, while Ruth Ben-Ghat emphasizes the importance of a political opposition which stands up to autocracy. Nathan Robinson discusses the potential for a second New Deal movement in response to the economic and social depressions planned by Trump and his inner circle. And Christopher Holcroft writes about the need to stand up to the Cons' attacks on diversity and inclusion - which I'd note should have an immense payoff as a strong majority of people are included in the groups sought to be pushed further out to the margins. 

- Noah Berlatsky and Ilana Gershon discuss how authoritarian workplaces have laid the groundwork for similar patterns in culture and governance. And Briarpatch examines the reality of economic violence against workers.  

- Finally, the Missing Middle Initiative offers a set of guiding principles and goals to ensure young people have something to strive for. 

On litmus tests

Plenty of Canadian political figures seem to have reacted to the announcement that we won't face tariffs just yet with a sigh a relief, and an apparent view that we don't need to worry about what's happening to our south until such time as profits are immediately affected. 

Others will note that Trump's first day included attacks on the personhood of trans people and the protection of minorities, as well as the existence of anybody who might be perceived as an immigrant - and work on ensuring that people threatened by the new administration aren't trapped by it. 

When assessing who's resisting Trump in solidarity with the people most in need of help as opposed to looking out only for the interests of capital, there shouldn't be much doubt which we should want our leaders to be. We'll find out very soon who falls into which category.

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Julia Kollewe reports on Oxfam's latest data on inequality showing that the wealth of billionaires grey by over two trillion dollars in 2024, with the prospect of multiple trillionaires looming as an imminent posibility. And Seamas O'Reilly discusses how tech oligarchs are making life objectively worse for the general public, while Philip Moscovitch talks to Ed Zitron about the spread of the rot economy. 

- Katherine Rempel reports on the reaction of businesses to Trump's tariff threats - which understandably involve routing import supply chains around the tariffs to the extent possible rather than building a new manufacturing sector from scratch. Gabriel Zucman makes the case for Europe to develop a trade regime managed to counter carbon pollution and wealth accumulation. And Christo Aivalis discusses how Canada's response should involve a move toward public ownership and economic planning, while Cory Doctorow suggests that Canada focus on developing alternatives and workarounds to rent-seeking in tech and consumer goods. 

- Meanwhile, Heather Stewart writes about a new paper on the importance of cohesion and trust to produce both economic and social success.  

- Finally, Joan Westenberg discusses the need to work on building rather than falling into cynicism and inaction. And Charlie Warzel notes that the internet can and should be a source of support and engagement, rather than merely a source of material for doomscrolling. 

Musical interlude

Elderbrook - Afters

On defectors

For the most part, discussions as to how to respond to Donald Trump's various threats ranking from tariffs to annexation have focused on the contrast between a population (PDF) and set of political leaders mostly united to oppose them, and Danielle Smith's place as the main figure publicly looking to sell out Canadian solidarity for the sole benefit of the oil sector.

Unfortunately, I don't think we can safely presume the list of parties willing to undermine Canada's position is limited to the UCP. And the other ones worth worrying about are (mostly) more conspicuous by their silence than any public statements so far.

By way of background, let's note that there's a long history of debates as to questions of sovereignty vis-a-vis the U.S. And the traditional camps have generally involved public support for Canada's self-determination, lined up against business interests seeking a combination of market access, deregulation and general erosion of democratic decision-making.

The former set of voices have been the most prominent in responding to Trump so far, helping to give the impression of near-unanimity. But the latter have become accustomed to getting their way over a period of decades. And main business group which led the charge for corporate free trade in the past has been conspicuously silent in objecting meaningfully to Trump's posturing, with its public messaging going out of its way to defer to Trump and his apologists, while also flogging the tired hobby horse of mythical interprovincial trade barriers.

At most, the business lobby has shown some willingness to participate in voluntary consultation processes which may play a role in developing direct responses to Trump. 

But both inside and outside those groups, there's a significant risk that corporate voices will be pushing a radically different set of priorities than the ones assumed to be agreed to be those of any Team Canada. And the usual conflict between corporate priorities and popular ones may be even more stark than usual based on the U.S.' slide into corporate-dominated politics and gangsterism in government. 

Trump's obvious plans to make cronyism the main factor in his administration's decision-making will tempt those focused on short-term profits to sell out the rest of us to get on his good side. And laissez-faire ideologues may be perfectly happy to tie us as tightly as possible to a system where unlimited corporate money in politics has led to a SCOTUS-driven prohibition against effective regulation.

As a result, we can't take for granted that the corporate sector is on board with the Canadian public's desire to maintain our independence. And we'll need to both keep an eye out for, and be prepared to apply immediate pressure against, any businesses who are looking to play both sides - or worse yet, pledge their loyalty to team Trump. 

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Ed Hawkins offers a visual indication of the unprecedented global warming experienced in 2024 - as well as the paths forward depending on whether we take rapid action to limit the effects of the ongoing climate breakdown. Damian Carrington reports on new data showing that carbon pollution levels are also both higher than ever in human history, and far higher than the targets set to avert the climate crisis. Alexandra Mae Jones reports on a new study into the increasing severity and length of droughts. And Gaye Taylor reports on the warning from Craig Stewart that Canadian losses from extreme weather are becoming uninsurable. 

- Dharna Noor reports on the calls from Los Angeles residents to have the fossil fuel industry provide compensation for its contribution to the ongoing wildfires. And Edward Donnelly reports on the failure of a massive CCS project in Norway to capture anywhere close to the quantity of emissions promised. 

- Meanwhile, Cristen Hemingway James reports on an analysis showing that nearly a third of U.S. residents drink water laden with unergulated chemical contaminants. 

- Alex Hemingway and Danny Oleksiuk write that one of the easiest means of both reducing infrastructure costs and alleviating the housing crisis is to enable the building of apartments. And Raphael Rashid discusses how Seoul's transformation of a highway into a mid-city stream resulted in a far more liveable city. 

- Finally, The Lancet comments on the dangers of the spread of health disinformation - and the need to treat it as another public health scourge to be eradicated for the general good. And Brian Beutler points out the importance of pre-butting Donald Trump, rather than allowing his predictable lies and fabrications to define the boundaries of political discussion. 

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Sandra Laville reports on a new actuarial study showing that the shocks expected on our existing path of climate breakdown could result in half of the world's economic activity disappearing before the end of the century, while Nikhil Venkatesh argues that anybody caring about long-term welfare needs to incorporate challenges to the capitalist forces which threaten it. And Sharon Kelly maps out the echo chamber used by the oil, plastics and agrichemical industries to try to prevent us from perceiving any option other than destruction as usual. 

- Rebecca Shaw expresses surprise only at how embarrassing our corporate overlords are in seeking approval while destroying the planet, while Felix Salmon discusses how the wealthiest few now feel empowered to impose their worst impulses on everybody. And Amanda Marcotte discusses how Donald Trump's populist con job has given way to strictly-enforced oligarchy, while Marc Lee points out how Pierre Poilievre is yet another cynical politican pretending to speak for the working class in order to better serve his corporate masters.  

- Grace Blakeley offers a reminder that the only viable response to concentrated wealth and power is collective action. And Andrea Pitzer discusses the need to move beyond worrying and speculating to shape the course of events. 

- Noelle Allen writes that Canada doesn't need yet another "pro-business" prime minister when it's deference to corporate interests that has trapped so many people in precarity and despair to begin with. And John Clarke discusses how neoliberal austerity has fed the rise of the alt-right.

- Suzanne Rent interviews Scott Santens about the value of a basic income in giving people the ability both to say "no" to exploitation, and to say "yes" to causes worth pursuing. 

- Finally, Simon Enoch points out how public libraries which are perpetually starved for funding serve far more people (and perform far more important functions)  than the major event venues which are regularly showered with public money. 

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Isabella Weber points out the key elements in common between the governments which have survived the anti-incumbent trend over the past year - with both price controls on essentials and progressive tax policy serving as key elements in assuring voters that they weren't being sacrificed to corporate interests. Erica Ifill laments that the Libs appear to have decided their problem is a failure to concede to the Cons' racism and bigotry rather than a lack of action to address citizens' material conditions. And Aloysius Wong, Valerie Ouellet and Rachel Houlihan report on immigrant workers seeking to help provide care in Canada are being scammed by recruiters. 

- Ben Turner reports on China's developing plans to effectively end energy scarcity with a solar power array in space. And the foreseeable development of that type of energy source makes it all the more unconscionable that Danielle Smith and the UCP are putting oil industry profits ahead of country, including by using public money to guarantee oil producer profits and avoid any Canadian (but not American) tariffs. 

- Clare O'Hara reports on another record year of Canadian insurance losses from natural disasters in 2024, as well as the reality that more regions are becoming uninsurable. But Katya Schwenk discusses how developers in California (and elsewhere) have blocked any efforts to direct development out of harm's way. And Tom Perkins reports on the oil industry's attempt to stifle any legislation which would require it to pay a dime toward the damage it's inflicted on everybody else through wildfires, floods and other climate-connected disasters. 

- Finally, Evert Lindquist reports on one Nova Scotia plant trying to salvage some use out of garbage - though the plan to use material sources laden with plastics and other hazardous waste to produce fertilizer in particular seems sure to do more harm than good. And James Hannay writes about the need for an inclusive farm economy to replace the corporate-controlled monoculture that's become the current norm. 

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Couched cat.

On humanitarian concerns

Jagmeet Singh has taken comfortably to the task to dealing with the economic aspects of the new Trump administration - both in pressing other leaders on their determination to respond in kind to any Trump tariffs, and in highlighting the potential to focus on critical minerals as a form of pressure. (That latter prospect appears particularly important for a couple of reasons: it signals that Canada won't willingly feed crucial resources into a manufacturing supply chain which is being manipulated to otherwise cut us out, and helps to ensure that resources which may be critical to clean energy development aren't diverted to an administration determined to squelch anything of the sort.)

But it's worth a reminder that the issues arising out of Trump's presidency go well beyond bilateral economic policy. And there may be even more important work to be done in the areas which are thus far being neglected in favour of the economy.

Even before Trump takes office, there are protests developing in the U.S. to oppose the prospect of mass deportations - even as one of his most appalling cabinet nominees leaves open the option of ordering American troops to shoot peaceful protesters in the streets. 

Whether or not Pete Hegseth is ultimately confirmed, there can't be much doubt that Trump's plans include atrocities against vulnerable groups and anybody who would seek to protect them. And it's doubtful that the consensus on responding to tariffs will hold up when the damage caused by his administration is measured in human rights rather than corporate profits. 

With that in mind, a defence of Canada and its values will ultimately need to extend beyond the pocketbook issues which are generally given a place of prominence in political messaging. And in the absence of reason to think any other party is interested in doing that work, there will be both an opportunity and a moral imperative for Singh to lead the cause. 

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Eric Holthaus warns that the escalation of temperatures in 2024 threatens to lay the groundwork for much worse to come. And Virgina Iglesias discusses why the the more intense wildfires we're seeing now are harder to contain than the ones our current firefighting systems were designed for. 

- Nitish Pahwa calls out the right-wing propaganda machine for its conspiracy theories about the source of the ongoing fires in Los Angeles, while Seth Abramson points out Elon Musk's reality-averse attacks on Gavin Newson (coupled with proposterous attempts to change the subject from the actual fires). And Margaret Klein Salamon points out how the corporate media is conspicuously omitting the climate link to the fires and other extreme weather. 

- Carole Cadwalladr warns of the potential for total information collapse based on the combination of increasing concentration of weaponized social media ownership, and its integration with the power of governments. Roy Edroso offers a reminder that the scumbaggery is the point of the alt-right cabal. And Christy Somos discusses how Canada's media is ill equipped to dig into the forces which are actually shaping people's lives due to the constant demand to produce cheap and easy content rather than challenging power. 

- But on a hopeful note, Aisha Malik points out the Free our Feeds initiative working both to protect Bluesky's underlying technology and put it past the reach of would-be manipulators and saboteurs.

- Finally, Owen Jones discusses the despair faced by young voters, while pointing out the need to provide alternatives other than fascist dictatorship. Jonathan Chait comments on the reality that a focus on corporate-friendly economic development did nothing to win over the U.S. working-class voters. And The Guardian's editorial board points out the importance of focusing on social and climate priorities rather than treating markets as the sole interest to be pursued. 

Monday Morning Links

Assorted content to start your week.

- John Vaillant discusses how California's wildfires are just the most prominent recent example of how we're getting burned by relying on fossil fuels, while Francine Prose writes that what's happening in Los Angeles now is what people everywhere can expect as our climate breaks down. Elad Nehorai writes that oil companies and their leaders bear direct responsibility for people dying or losing their homes, while Tzeporah Berman calls out fossil fuel promoters as arsonists. And David Sirota discusses what we can do to change a bleak-looking outcome to our ongoing disaster movie. But it should go without saying that minimizing the danger and telling people nothing should change isn't the way to improve the situation - making this just one more area where Keir Starmer's Labour government is making matters worse. 

- The Guardian points out how Donald Trump's denial and division have also been used to avoid halting the damage. Jonathan Katz identifies the attack on climate action as one of the most devastating elements of the alt-right's war on social trust. Anne Applebaum discusses how authoritarians and anti-science cranks have made common cause against evidence-based policy. And Emily Bell writes about the urgency of fighting back on the side of facts and truth, while Rex Huppke calls for a war on stupidity and shamelessness to frame the actions of Trump's new regime in particular.

 - Joan Donovan writes that Meta's decision to institutionalize bigotry merely reflects its general preference for unaccountable oligarchy, while David Adam weighs in on the effectiveness of fact-checking where selfish tycoons aren't determined to squelch it. And Nick Robins-Early calls out Elon Musk's interference in Canadian politics. 

- Amy Maxmen discusses how the U.S. has lost control of the avian flu which is now becoming another source of imminent risk, while Katherine Wu notes that it should be an embarrassment that it wasn't contained nearly a year ago. And Hiroko Tabuchi reports on new research showing that forever chemicals are ending up in tap water through treated sewage.

- Roge Karma writes about two new studies documenting the Walmart effect in which the construction of a store systematically results in lower wages and higher unemployment in a community. 

- Finally, Dan Gardner takes a look at the history of the U.S.' attempts to take over Canada. And Jim Stanford examines (PDF) the actual flows of wealth between the two - showing that the U.S. is already being subsidized by favourable access to resources, markets and capital. 

Musical interlude

Farley Venn - Nothing Seems To Last

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Joe Lo reports on Oxfam's researching that the global 1% have already burned through more than their fair share of a sustainable carbon budget for the year. And Peter Kalmus both points out how we need to fight the billionaire class in order to limit the damage from the climate breakdown, and discusses how the disasters which are becoming all the more frequent and severe are exactly the ones long forecast by climate experts. 

- Amanda Marcotte discusses the absolute nonsense from the fascist right seeking to blame a nonexistent lack of gender discrimination for the Los Angeles wildfires. Jack Peat reports that Elon Musk's violent conspiracism is well within the definition of terrorism - and that only his obscene wealth is shielding him from consequences. Polly Toynbee weighs in on the UK Cons' choice to echo that same madness in the hope of out-extreming Nigel Farage. And Martin Kettle discusses the response needed to ensure the joint bullying by Musk and Donald Trump doesn't win out. 

- Patrick McCurdy, Kaitlin Clarke and Bart Cammaerts study the weaponization of anti-woke discourse by Pierre Poilievre - and the lack of an effective counter-frame so far. And Dale Smith notes that Libs seem to be looking for ways to concede vulnerable people's rights to escape the criticism - even though the main reason they've struggled to win support for their version of wokeness is that they haven't matched inclusive language with commensurate policy. 

- Andre Picard writes about the need to recognize and combat the casual violence of car culture. And David Zipper notes that large SUVs in particulare are a public health threat and need to be treated as such. 

- Finally, Dhruv Khullar points out the multiple interrelated factors which have made the standard U.S. diet into an incubator for health issues. And Tom Perkins reports on new research showing that early exposure to forever chemicals has long-term effects on health and well-being. 

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Rebecca Solnit writes about the many warnings and precedents which foretold California's current wildfires - and the importance of recognizing the cost of forgetting. Freddy Brewster and Lucy Dean Stockton point out the massive subsidies to the fossil fuel sector which have left California with limited resources for firefighting and public safety. And Greg Sargent discusses how Donald Trump is using the wildfires to attack public services, while Nitish Pahwa writes that the immediate flurry of fascist conspiracy theories spread using the most concentrated wealth on the planet seems to be baked in as an inevitable response to any public emergency. 

- Hamilton Nolan highlights the choice between a response to climate change which values and account for all people's well-being, and one which merely allows a few rich people to profit from the carnage and seek to escape the destruction imposed on everybody else. And George Monbiot discusses the oligarchy which is at the heart of current politics and which is driving us toward the latter path.

- Nora Loreto discusses how Justin Trudeau's effort to attach himself to progressive vibes bore no resemblance to his actual policy choices which favoured corporations. David Moscrop points out that it was a lack of political viability rather than any ideological orientation which resulted in his caucus rebelling against him. And Jeremy Appel writes that while there's reason for suspicion that the next Lib leader will be inclined to run to the right, there's no basis to think that strategy will be successful. 

- Stewart Prest writes about the need to be ready for the Trump administration's planned attacks on Canada. And Linda McQuaig discusses how Pierre Poilievre is entirely playing into Trump's hands by attacking Canadian institutions. 

- Finally, Tom Parkin is somewhat optimistic that Canadian voters will rightly reject a Con party which is happy to amplify the idiocy of the likes of Jordan Peterson and Elon Musk. But Bruce Arthur warns that Facebook's elimination of fact-checking will make it easier for bad actors to control the flow of information. And Brian Beutler writes that the U.S. election offers a damning refutation of the hope that people will make political choices based on facts rather than widespread disinformation.

Wednesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your mid-week reading.

- Jeremy Corbyn writes about the denialism involved in refusing to deal with the climate crisis with language and action proportionate to its dangers. Zoe Schlanger discusses how the breakdown we're experiencing goes far beyond what was projected even by the models which have told us we should be doing far more. Bill McKibben points out the stark difference between Jimmy Carter's leadership and forward thinking as to the value of renewable energy, and the oil-fueled anti-science of Ronald Reagan which shut down any prospect of cleaner energy which wouldn't serve to enrich a small set of oil tycoons. David Roberts discusses the work of Greenlight America in seeking to organize people to support renewable projects. And Andrew Lam reports on new research showing a correlation between proximity to Alberta oil and gas infrastructure and respiratory and cardiovascular difficulties - while noting that the province has gone far out of its way to avoid accurately assessing the harms of fossil fuels.

- Peter Bloom examines the growing body of evidence showing that neoliberal "saviors" can't protect against the spread of authoritarianism - particularly as they seek to exacerbate the concentration of wealth and power. And Matthew Green and Joseph Gubbels discuss how Justin Trudeau's abandonment of electoral reform reflects his blinkered view of democracy as entitling people only to select which representatives of the elite will control them, while Christo Aivilis rightly argues that the NDP should be loudly committing to follow through where Trudeau broke his promise. 

- Nora Loreto writes about the concerted effort to infantilize younger adults in order to prevent the exercise of collective action. Miles Klee highlights how slurs which had long been treated as unacceptable are being revived as part of the alt-right's assault on human decency. And Rafael Behr writes that Kemi Badenoch is continuing the UK Cons' descent into conspiracy theory and fascist rhetoric.

- Finally, Katie Surma and Nicholas Kusnetz discuss Bolivia's long road to extricating itself from ISDS  corporate control agreements. 

On immediacy

It didn't take long for the opportunities I'd mused about to emerge in Canadian politics. But while the Libs haven't yet decided on a structure for their leadership campaign, we can see what the NDP is doing to ensure voters have an option to resist a Trump takeover.

And that now includes Jagmeet Singh taking on a lead role in fostering both resistance and hope (if only after Charlie Angus had shown how readily a leader can win support just by standing up to Trump):

But I would note there's room for further work in indicating not only a willingness to fight against Trump and his Con allies, but also the determination to build the alternate structures needed to support people caught in the violence in time to help them. And that's where I'd argue there's still room for a change in mindset.

Over the past few years, the main indicator for the federal NDP's success has been one of incremental progress. The achievements most valued by the party have involved negotiating the partial implementation of much larger ideas including dental care and pharmacare. And with the Libs holding power, the manner and pace of implementation has been almost entirely out of the NDP's hands - resulting in the habit of treating any step forward as a win, full stop.

But the reality is that there's still ample work to be done in developing what those programs can and should be. Plenty of people will have reason to ask why their needs haven't yet been addressed - and what an NDP government plans to do differently. 

And that question will become all the more important when the humanitarian crisis blows up later this month, creating imminent and severe risks to all kinds of people facing a hateful and emboldened Trump administration. I've already noted what the policy response might look like - but it's worth also pairing the "what" with attention to the "when" and "how".

Fortunately, there's a compelling example to point out thanks to Wab Kinew. His Manitoba NDP government is combining clear timelines for larger goals with a commitment to dealing with urgent circumstances as soon as possible - addressing immediate homelessness through proactive outreach in a matter of weeks, while working on a longer-term plan to ensure everybody has housing. 

Similarly, it's worth emphasizing the NDP's determination to identify the most significant needs where they exist, and commit the resources needed to deal with the full scope of a problem on a defined schedule.

That should make for a particularly compelling message on the housing front when compared to a Con position based on nothing more than meddling in municipal decision-making while actually reducing the federal government's resources applied to home construction. 

Among the other glaring problems with treating deregulation as a panacea, it involves precisely zero attention and focus toward people's immediate needs where they don't offer the largest opportunity for immediate profit. And that leaves an opening for the NDP to advance direct action to ensure the right to housing is met, rather than asking people to settle for the bare hope someone else (or a mythical invisible hand) will fix the problem at some point in the future.  

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Toasty cat.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Jeremy Appel reports on a new study showing that Alberta has both avoided developing the capacity to manage tailings pond spills, and misinformed the public to minimize the harm from the oil and gas sector based on the data it actually has. And John Woodside notes that after over nine years in power, Justin Trudeau still hasn't bothered to set caps on fossil fuel extraction emissions. 

- Barb Mayes Boustead discusses what "normal" now means in the midst of a collapsing climate. Damian Carrington reports on a new study showing how the climate crisis is undermining the Earth's water cycle. Darrin Qualman warns that Canada's Prairies may face a grim future as hotter temperatures and increased drought exacerbate the already-volatile nature of agriculture. But Jeremiah Budin notes that agrivoltaic solar panels may help to make farming more productive in addition to generating clean energy, while Wade Thorhaug discusses how locally-supplied public markets can enhance food security. 

- Prem Sikka discusses how concentrated wealth and power are corrupting democracy in the UK and elsewhere. George Lakoff and Gil Duran offer their New Year's resolutions to respond to the second Trump administration and its corporate backers. And Gene Monin writes about the need for Canada to stand up to Trump rather than allowing itself to be bullied into acquiescence. 

- Finally, Taylor Lorenz exposes how Instagram has already gone out of its way to suppress LGBTQ-related content. And Robert Booth reports on Facebook's decision to eliminate fact-checkers while promoting (and lobbying to spread) hate speech. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Owen Schalk writes that there's no need for Canadian leaders to be doormats for the Trump administration. And A.R. Moxon offers some lessons as to how an opposition party and movement should respond in the face of rising fascism - with a willingness to fight being the first step to both achieving substantive results and earning trust. 

- Jonathan Weisman discusses how U.S. Democrats lost enthusiasm among the working class by hoping policy aimed at long-term stability would overcome an immediate sense of precarity and unfairness. Michael Podhorzer notes that the most important difference between the 2020 and 2024 U.S. elections was a collapse in interest among anti-Trump voters. Brian Beutler writes about the need for simple and repeated messages to reach voters - and the danger that corporatism and corruption will run rampant if opposition leaders don't focus attention on them. 

- Meanwhile, Charlie Warzel and Mike Caulfield write about the most important effect of the right-wing information ecosystem, as it serves to rationalize and excuse even what's obviously wrong. Brandi Buchman talks to Michael Fanone about the disillusionment of security officers seeing the leader of a  violent riot returned to office. 

- Amanda Marcotte writes about the role of toxic masculinity in fomenting terrorist violence against inclusivity and equality (currently framed in terms of "woke" culture). Yves Engler discusses how Pierre Poilievre is using the same themes, while at the same time planning to impose far more draconian restrictions on speech than anything he claims to be complaining about. And Olufemi Taiwo highlights the need for solidarity against the divide-and-conquer bullying from the right. 

- Finally, Amos Barshad discusses how buy now, pay later services are creating sustained precarity (particularly among those who are already the most financially vulnerable). Aballah Fayyad weighs in on the value of universal social programs which both reduce administration costs and ensure far greater income security for recipients. Ned Fresnikoff points out that modest income redistribution alone may do little if anything to reduce homelessness if it's not accompanied with action to make more affordable housing available. And Laura Dwyer-Lindgren et al. study the radically different life expectancies among ten distinct groups of Americans based on factors including race, geography and income. 

Musical interlude

Underworld - Techno Shinkansen

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Andrew Nikiforuk writes that Canada is currently failing to carry out any energy transition, as any expanded use of renewables is only being added to rising fossil fuel extraction and consumption. Natasha Bulowski writes about a new Senate committee report showing how our transportation infrastructure is ill equipped to deal with the climate breakdown. And Dan Hendry discusses how free transit for youth represents one of the most promising ways to create healthy transportation habits. 

- But Alex Steffen notes that the oligarchs at the centre of the Trump administration have plans to make massive profits off of the climate breakdown. And Michelle Cyca discusses how politicians in Canada (like elsewhere) are choosing to amplify conspiracy theories and disinformation in order to avoid having to engage with the climate crisis. 

- Owen Jones comments on the collapse of any "centre" element to right-wing parties across the western world - and the concurrent rise of increasingly extreme and antisocial figures. Karl Bode worries that the pollution of the U.S.' media ecosystem with disinformation may be terminal, while Michael Harris warns about Donald Trump's plans to destroy the news media (and how that may spill over into Canada). And Matt Pearce points out how two corporate outlets are looking to undermine the Associated Press as one of the last credible sources of news standing. 

- Ned Resnikoff points out how the success of a Housing First policy for U.S. veterans makes clear that there's a readily-available option to help homeless people generally. Ehsan Noroozinejad Farsangi and T.Y. Yang discuss the need for federal leadership in treating housing as a right - not merely funding new technologies and hoping other jurisdictions will fix the lack of avaiable homes. Phil Tank notes that the Moe government is choosing to utterly neglect the soaring homelessness counts in Saskatchewan's major cities. And Neil Howard discusses how strings attached to basic social supports serve primarily to divert resources away from people who need it toward bureaucratic controls. 

- Finally, Zhu Li et al. study how poverty is a distinct cause of diabetes (among other dangers to health and well-being). Nick Tsergas talks to Dr. Joss Reimer about the state of Canada's health care system - including the need to ensure that fixable issues of process and capacity aren't used as excuses to allow the spread of pay-to-play medicine. And Maya Miller and Duaa Eldeib point out the perverse incentives from the U.S.' for-profit insurance system, as people receiving mental health care see their coverage cut off because their treatment is too successful. 

Thursday Night Cat Blogging

Hosting cat.

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- David Macdonald offers this year's report on CEO compensation in Canada - showing how company men are being handed obscene pay packages while workers on the ground are left to toil away for hundreds of times less. Paul Krugman points out the connection between enhanced worker power and reduced inequality which led to the U.S.' economic success after World War II - even as Donald Trump seeks to drag the country back to a gilded age which was far poorer for all but the wealthiest few. 

- Guglielmo Briscese and Maddalena Grignani study (PDF) the importance of public trust in public institutions - and the potential to substantially increase it by making useful information readily available. Don Moynihan writes that the Trump administration's plans are to make the federal government a toxic employer - and that there's precedent from his first term to see how that will play out. Jason Linkins discusses how the enshittification of the U.S.' civil service will harm the general public. And Jill Lawrence notes that the Republicans' determination to defund the IRS is the ultimate indicator of their phony populism - as the result is both to direct more tax enforcement toward those least able to pay, and to starve the government of resources as the wealthy humb their noses at their tax obligations. 

- Vijay Vaitheeswaran highlights how grid-scale storage is becoming readily affordable and feasible - making renewable energy into by far the most efficient option in places where governments aren't actively distorting power production to favour fossil fuels and other extractive industries. Holly Caggiano, Emily Grubert and Mark Paul discuss the strong U.S. public support to end dirty energy subsidies. And Eric Holthaus makes the case that the most meaningful climate action at the individual level is to opt out of the system that's superheating our planet to the extent possible. 

- Alexa Phillips reports that the fallout from Brexit includes the dumping of garbage ans sewage on UK beaches as the abandonment of EU standards led to a polluter free-for-all. And Walker Bragman points out how the alt-right is already seeking to politicize the avian flu - even as public health authorities shy away from both substantive action and public communication based on the contrived backlash to any and all responses to COVID-19. 

- Julia Metraux interviews Anita Say Chan on how techbros have become the new eugenecists. 

- Finally, The Groundbreaker makes the case for local-level organization as the necessary core of a progressive political movement. 

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your new year.

- Michael Mann and Peter Hotez write about the combined threat posed by climate change, pandemics and an anti-science message which makes it far more difficult to deal with real problems. Katharine Hayhoe offers a year-end summary of the state of the climate - featuring the juxtaposition of a climate breaking down faster than previously assumed with growing recognition that we have (but are failing to implement) means to stop the harm. And Holly Elser et al. study how the effects of wildfire smoke include increased risks of dementia and other brain damage. 

- Andrew Egger highlights how Republicans have become trained to reward chaos agents while seeing actual governance as a problem. Stephen Hanson and Jeffrey Kopstein discuss how the plan for Donald Trump's second term is to replace any trace of public service with patrimonialism based solely on Trump's connections and interests. 

- Jared Yates Sexton offers his take on how Americans need to prepare for Trump's ascension to power. And Ian Dunt notes that the most important individual action will be to act with decency even in the face of a government bent on cruelty. 

- Finally, Paul Krugman discusses how social media fits into the culture of generating profits from addictions. And Thor Benson interviews Ryan Cooper about the options available to build a new information ecosystem beyond the poisoned social media giants. 

On resistance

Charlie Angus continues to receive plenty of well-deserved attention for his work trying to focus on the dangers of the impending Trump administration - including his latest op-ed in the National Observer. And others are also engaging in some discussion about what it means to stand up to Trump. But having previously theorized that there's an important role for the NDP to play as the political organizing hub for resistance in Canada, I do think it's worth recognizing what that could mean in practice - and why we can't expect any other party to take it on.

Let's start by making clear what doesn't count as resistance. It's low-hanging fruit to claim surface-level disagreement with some of Trump's attempts to grab Canada by force when the issue is raised directly, while working hand in hand with his anti-democratic project in substance. And indeed that makes for a useful test as to what constitutes meaningful resistance: anything the Cons are willing to direct at their Republican cousins is best dismissed as being for show rather than having any meaning.  

In discussing what options should be on the table, let's start by working on the structural obstacles to the protection of people endangered by Trump.

Most obviously, the Safe Third Country Agreement (put in place under a Lib government, and expanded in its application by Justin Trudeau) has become all the more risible when the U.S.' incoming administration is shrieking "mass deportation now!" as one of its organizing themes - making clear that safety and due process will not be available to anybody needing protection in or from the U.S. So it's worth putting pressure on the Libs to scrap their shameful agreement to ignore actual evidence, and instead make it a priority to ensure those who need to flee the U.S. have a safe place to go. 

Failing that, the NDP should make the issue into a key platform plank. There's an opportunity to create a contrast against the Libs' immigration cutbacks by advocating for an open door - and offering logistical assistance and community support to those looking to move north. 

Even where people may not qualify as refugees or asylum-seekers, it's both the right thing to do and a pragmatic choice to make sure that those with justified fears about Trump's America are able to find a home elsewhere. And it's in Canada's interest to welcome them - just as we've done by offering a place to previous waves of U.S. resisters. 

And just as for individuals at the personal level, it's also worth setting up landing spots for the causes and industries which are set to beat the brunt of Trump's ire. 

We know that Trump's administration is looking to destroy existing work in areas ranging from public health to medical research to clean energy - which represents both a severe potential loss for humanity as whole if it succeeds, and an opportunity for Canada to serve as a new base of operations if we make the case to offer a new base of operations. (And on this point too, the Libs' reaction thus far has been based primarily on conflict avoidance, rather than any plan which might provide an alternative to the Trump power structure.)

The main objection to the concept of taking in people and businesses from the U.S. is of course bound to be the one that gave rise to the Libs' immigration cutbacks in the first place, being the sense that we lack enough housing and other infrastructure already. But as an answer to that with some roots in existing policy proposals, I'd suggest that the idea of a civilian service corps be expanded beyond single-purpose uses, and put forward to meet general needs - including the repair and expansion of affordable housing (which could be the immediate priority), as well as longer-term work in the climate transition and the care economy. 

Finally, beyond policy advocacy and promises, I'll suggest that the NDP and its activists should be at the forefront of building organizational infrastructure for a cross-border resistance movement.

At the moment, there are obvious fault lines in the media and communication tools being used by people on both sides of the border. 

The U.S.' corporate media is signaling its willingness to comply in advance with Trump's directions; Canadians are only beginning to understand how the giant social media sites have become entirely unreliable as sources of information; and the general social media environment is in flux as Twitter/X has become too toxic for anybody paying even a modicum of attention, while the most promising replacement still has a long way to go in developing the kind of reach of its since-commandeered predecessor. And the U.S.' election result should serve as a warning that the connections in place to deliver information that doesn't serve corporate purposes aren't yet strong enough to reach the people who need to receive it.

But the rapid shift away from both X and the corporate press does seem to signal a substantial desire for alternatives to servants of the corporate elite. And in putting in the work to build and support those alternatives, there's a prospect not only of inching toward a less harmful information environment for this year's election, but also of setting up the foundations for the next set of primary information sources.

Meanwhile, the constant stream of news out of the Trump administration will also provide no end of opportunities to talk to people and engage them in the task of responding. And so Trump's ascent may also provide a spur to develop the type of person-to-person contact that may otherwise seem to be beyond our current capacity.

Obviously the above would represent a heavy lift which would need to be put in place in an extremely short period of time. And the strong and unfortunate likelihood is that we'll see the NDP follow its recent pattern of campaigning on small populist offerings and a general sense of "not like the other guys" - even when there's an obvious pivotal moment to be met.

But it's worth noting that even if it doesn't succeed in the short term, a demonstration of principle can pay off many times over in building a movement in the longer term: remember after all that the NDP's past surge in Quebec under the leadership of Jack Layton and Thomas Mulcair can be traced to Tommy Douglas' principled resistance to even a popular use of martial law. And given how justifiably dubious Canadians are about the Trump regime, I'd think there's reason for optimism that the right position - in rallying opposition to a force which demands it - can also be a political winner.

[Edit: added link.]