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.