Musical interlude

Stoto - Nostalgia

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Alex Himelfarb reviews Quinn Slobodian's Crack-Up Capitalism as a valuable account of the myths and rationalizations underlying the propagation of inequality to serve the uber-rich. Cory Doctorow highlights how the attack on Social Security by Republicans and their donors represents a form of class war. And Justin Chandler reports on the immense benefits resulting from an Ontario basic income pilot project which was promptly shredded by Doug Ford so he could focus solely on funneling public money to his cronies. 

- Michael Mann examines where we now stand in the fight to rein in catastrophic climate change - while noting that while we likely have the technical means to prevent dangerous levels of climate breakdown, we're showing few signs of the political will to get there. And Jenni Reid reports on yet another quarter of obscene profits and climate delay for Shell. 

- Casey Feindt reports on the FDA's action to ban the use of brominated vegetable oil as a drink additive after its widespread use has been found to cause thyroid damage and memory loss. And University College London highlights new research showing that up to one in seven Americans has suffered from long COVID already - with the number only figuring to escalate as new waves are allowed to spread unchecked. 

- Finally, Amanda Marcotte explores the compelling evidence that toxic masculinity doesn't keep anybody safe - though such inconvenient reality doesn't figure to stop the right from demanding that it be applied as the answer to everything. 

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Jingwei Li et al. offer an update on the current state of knowledge surrounding long COVID, including the need for far more work dealing with its wide range of harmful effects. Kavita Bajeli-Datt reports on a new survey from India finding an increase in strokes, heart attacks and cancer acceleration as COVID has been allowed to run wild. Beth Mole reports on the abysmal state of both vaccination levels and public information in the U.S., while Mark Villani reports that health care workers are begging the UCP to be honest about alarming case and hospitalization numbers. And Lauren Woods discusses the EPA's findings that cheap and easily-assembled filters can make a world of difference in limiting the spread of COVID and other airborne viruses. 

- Ajit Niranjan exposes how big banks are funneling billions upon billions of dollars into carbon bombs. Robson Fletcher points out the glaring contrast between Danielle Smith's enthusiasm for implausible and distant claims about future energy sources, and her hostility toward affordable existing technology which can reduce our reliance on dirty fossil fuels (which is of course identical to the delay tactics of Scott Moe and other petropoliticians). And Cory Doctorow discusses how oil tycoons are working from the tobacco industry's playbook in pushing for non-solutions which allow them to keep raking in windfall profits. 

- John Woodside reports on the immense future costs of failing to take climate action now. But Trevor Tombe worries that the Trudeau Libs have undermined the only meaningful mechanism for emission reductions in Canada by prioritizing political concerns over maintaining a carbon price. 

- The Associated Press reports on the $328 million settlement being paid by Uber and Lyft for failing to pay wages in New York alone.

- Finally, Matt Kennard discusses how corporations are using "free trade" agreements to overthrow democracy. 

Wednesday Night Cat Blogging

Watchful cats.

Tuesday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Larry Patriquin reviews Nancy Fraser's Cannibal Capitalism, with a focus on explaining how we've been pushed into a system based on squeezing people and the planet alike in the name of greed. And Cory Doctorow discusses the six categories of corporate bullshit used to justify or distract from corporate exploitation (as identified by Nick Hanauer, Joan Walsh and Donald Cohen). 

- Tom Neuberger takes a look at a few of the alarming indicators of a climate breakdown that's spiraling out of control, while Chris Smith and Robin Lamboll point out that even the estimate that we're set to blow our global carbon budget in the next six years leaves us only a coin-flip chance of avoiding catastrophic warming. And FishOutOf Water discusses Dr. James Hansen's latest warning that the IPCC's estimates far understate the harm we've done to our living environment. 

- Meanwhile, David Zipper reports on Norway's recognition that a transition to sustainable transportation requires far more than an electrified fleet of commuter vehicles. 

- Kevin Yarr reports on the recognition by Health P.E.I. CEO Dr. Michael Gardam that the privatization and outsourcing of nursing care are severely compromising health care in Canada. 

- Michael Venutolo-Mantovani examines the evidence from multiple U.S. pilot projects showing that a basic income produces immense benefits both for recipients and for the jurisdictions which fund them. 

- Finally, Lisa Young calls out Scott Moe for his latest show of disrespect for the rule of law, this time consisting of ordering SaskEnergy employees to put themselves in legal jeopardy as part of his tiresome posturing against carbon pricing. 

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Derek Lynch writes about the need to recognize that humanity isn't separate from the living environment it needs to survive. Eric Ralls points out how the climate breakdown and dwindling biodiversity are part of the same crisis. And Katie Surma highlights how climate change is driving conflict and human rights abuses around the globe. 

- Kathering Cheng reports on the effects of extreme wildfires on Canadian forests - including the destruction of the seeds and soil needed to allow for regrowth. And Zhi Li, Matthew England and Sjoerd Groeskamp study the distribution of heat absorption in the oceans, finding a trend of accelerating warming.  

- Steve Hanley reports on a new study suggesting that a shift to solar power has already reached an irreversible tipping point. But that isn't stopping Danielle Smith from declaring that Alberta will remain in denial about the existence of clean energy as long as she has any say in the matter, nor the fossil fuel sector from trying to silence anybody who dares to promote responsible resource management.  

- Joan Westerberg offers up a thorough look at what's wrong with the tech world in 2023. And Cory Doctorow discusses how the capital class has sought to divide creative workers from the rest of the working class in order to facilitate their continued exploitation. 

- Finally, Luke LeBrun exposes how the Con-supported conspiracy theorist convoy lied its way into a permanent base of operations.