Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Cats getting comfortable.

Tuesday Evening Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- James Galbraith offers a reality check to anybody counting on an immediate U.S. economic bounceback in the midst of an ongoing pandemic:

(P)eople do distinguish between needs and wants. Americans need to eat, but they mostly don’t need to eat out. They don’t need to travel. Restaurant owners and airlines therefore have two problems: they can’t cover costs while their capacity is limited for public-health reasons, and demand would be down even if the coronavirus disappeared. This explains why many businesses are not reopening even though they legally can. Others are reopening, but fear they cannot hold out for long. And the many millions of workers in America’s vast services sector are realizing that their jobs are simply not essential.

Meanwhile, US household debts – rent, mortgage, and utility arrears, as well as interest on education and car loans – have continued to mount. True, stimulus checks have helped: defaults have so far been modest, and many landlords have been accommodating. But as people face long periods with lower incomes, they will continue to hoard funds to ensure that they can repay their fixed debts. As if all this were not enough, falling sales- and income-tax revenues are prompting US state and local governments to cut spending, compounding the loss of jobs and incomes.

America’s economic plight is structural. It is not simply the consequence of Trump’s incompetence or House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s poor political strategy. It reflects systemic changes over 50 years that have created an economy based on global demand for advanced goods, consumer demand for frills, and ever-growing household and business debts. This economy was in many ways prosperous, and it provided jobs and incomes to many millions. Yet it was a house of cards, and COVID-19 has blown it down.

 “Reopen America” is therefore an economic and political fantasy. Incumbent politicians crave a cheery growth rebound, and the depth of the collapse makes possible some attractive short-term numbers. But taking them seriously will merely set the stage for a new round of disillusion. As nationwide protests against systemic racism and police brutality show, disillusion is America’s one big growth sector right now.

- Armine Yalnizyan and Laurell Richie discuss why cancelling the CERB would figure to prove disastrous (and it's hardly to the Libs' credit that they've kicked the can down the road only another couple of months). And Heather Scoffield rebuts the arguments against a secure income in a time of crisis.

- Michael Grabell, Claire Perlman and Bernice Yeung expose the lobbying carried out by U.S. meatpackers looking to keep their employees' lives at risk. And Michael Corkery and David Yaffe-Bellany report that loud warnings about domestic meat shortages were in fact used to goose pork exports to China.

- Alice Walton reports on new research showing how face masks may be the key to controlling the spread of COVID-19 while allowing for somewhat more social interaction.

- Finally, Alex Hemingway writes that a wealth tax on the ultra-rich is within reach (and would result in plenty of beneficial outcomes). And Karl Nerenberg looks at some of the many ways to ensure the wealthy pay their fair share toward relief and recovery efforts.

Monday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to start your week.

- Jonathan Watts reports on new research showing that even existing worst-case scenarios may underestimate the severity of the climate crisis. Anna Kanduth and Justin Leroux write about the need to start developing policy based on carbon stocks or budgets, rather than single-year flows which push action out into the future. Mitchell Beer interviews Seth Klein about the strong public support for a transition to a clean economy, even as politicians drag their heels. And Jessica Corbett writes that strong climate policy is even more popular when it's linked to improved social justice and decreased inequality.

- Rod Nickel and Jeff Lewis report on tar sands operators who are using the pandemic as excuse to stop funding emission reductions, ensuring that they continue spewing carbon pollution.

- Kelly Grant, Les Perreaux and Caroline Alphonso examine the effect of physical distancing on children, while Dakshana Bascaramurty points out how unequal access to recreation has made the pandemic far more traumatic for children already facing structural disadvantages. And Nicholas Kristof examines how countries led by women are doing far better in combating COVID-19. 

- Kyle Wiggers takes note of research showing systematic racial biases in the pricing of Uber, Lyft and other ride-share apps. And Michaelle Jean writes about the racism which imposes burdens on Black Canadians.

- Teresa Wright reports on the growing pressure on Justin Trudeau to finally keep his promise to revoke the discriminatory ban on blood donations by gay and bisexual men.

- Finally, Campbell Clark questions how the RCMP had the gall to claim that a videotaped, violent assault on Chief Allan Adam should be swept under the rug.

Sunday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Christine Berry offers a reminder that protecting public health is absolutely necessary for us to see any economic recovery in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. And Mike Moffitt reports on the prospect that widespread mask use could prevent future waves of transmission - though it's worth noting the importance of actually encouraging and normalizing the use of masks to make that happen.

- Jim Stanford notes that once again, employers are trying to use the power of the state to force people to work for wages and working conditions which are unacceptable on their own rather than offering improvements.

- Matt Lundy examines the obstacles to getting people back to work even when both employers and employees would prefer that they return. And Vidya Shah and Erika Shaker comment on the specific difficulties raised for schools and child care centres where physical distancing isn't a realistic expectation.

- Tess Kalinowski points out how the Libs' choice to threaten jail time for CERB recipients will serve primarily to discourage people with valid claims from making them. Josh Rubin notes that in many cases, people aren't finding jobs available even as benefits are being allowed to expire. And Allan Sloan examines the far greater amounts of pandemic relief handed to U.S. businesses than to mere citizens even before the Republicans decided to obstruct any further support for people. 

- Marguerite Ward reports on polling showing that only a quarter of Americans actually think capitalism is good for society - even as its primacy is an article of faith among the political class. And Cody Feldman discusses how sovereign wealth funds could ensure that future economic development actually provides benefits for everybody.

- Finally, Jason Nickerson writes about the need to ensure that our pharmaceutical system prioritizes people's health over big pharma's profits - particularly as we face imminent questions as to how to develop and distribute vaccines and treatments for a pandemic.

[Edit: fixed typo.]

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Aaron Wherry discusses the dramatically different effects of the COVID-19 pandemic based on inequalities in income and privilege. And Katherine Scott draws on Canada's most recent monthly jobs report to highlight the need for a recovery centered on women.

- Meanwhile, Heather Scoffield points out the tone-deaf whining about deficits from Cons who are happy to see people suffer in order to clear government balance sheets for corporate tax cuts.

- Jonathon Gatehouse reports on Doug Ford's refusal to identify the experts who are supposed to be behind his government's ineffective response to the coronavirus. And Kim Siever reports on the UCP's choice to throw millions of dollars at McKinsey to provide cover to attack and privatize Alberta's postsecondary education system.

- Carl Meyer writes about the connection between Canada's subsidies to the fossil fuel sector, and the gap between promises and reality when it comes to climate change.

- Finally, Doug Cuthand writes about the racism embedded in Canada's justice system as it stands. Crawford Kilian examines what might come next after defunding and dismantling existing police institutions, including the prospect of ensuring that our safety is protected by genuine peace officers. Michelle Stewart discusses some of the functions currently in police hands which would be ripe for rethinking. And Wesley Lowery notes how the institutional power of existing police remains largely undisturbed even as the public has reached its breaking point.

Musical interlude

Wide Mouth Mason - You Get Used To It

Friday Evening Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- George Monbiot writes that the UK Cons are using their own botched Brexit as an excuse to set up a disaster capitalist's paradise.

- Canadians for Tax Fairness discusses how the Libs' inclination to attach draconian penalties to their pandemic income benefit signals the gap in treatment between the wealthy and the rest of us. And the Tax Justice Network takes note of the modest progress that's been made in so much as registering the beneficial ownership of wealth.

- Kim Siever discusses two of the most important problems in relying on billionaires' charity rather than taxes to fund social priorities.

- Alex Bozikovic wonders why Toronto is refusing to take a golden opportunity to build more affordable housing. And Jolson Lim discusses the risk of a wave of homelessness if the protections set up as COVID-19 first spread are allowed to expire.

- Finally, Meagan Day discusses the connection between ending mass incarceration and strengthening the labour movement. Ratna Omidvar and Leslie Seidle offer their take as to the changes needed to support migrant workers, while Kathleen Harris reports on the employer abuse and risk of disease which represent the status quo. And Allison Hurst examines the diminished wages and working conditions for long-term care workers in British Columbia.

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Edward Lempinen reports on new research showing that the response to COVID-19 in just six countries has prevented 500 million infections and millions of deaths. And Amanda Follett Hosgood writes that stopping the spread of the coronavirus is especially important in remote areas whose limited resources make them particularly vulnerable to infectious diseases. 

- David Macdonald notes that Canada's job losses from the coronavirus are reaching Great Depression levels, and reflecting a shift from temporary to permanent unemployment. And Beatrice Britneff reports on the open questions as to how Canadians are expected to make ends meet when CERB benefits expire this summer.

- Pete Hudson discusses Brian Pallister's determination to use the coronavirus as an excuse for austerity at a time when it's even more damaging than usual. 

- Andrew MacLeod reports on MiningWatch's findings as to how mining corporations have worsened the spread of COVID-19. And Nicole Hong, Barry Meier and Ronen Bergman report that the intimidation tactics of the dirty fossil fuel sector now include paying mercenaries to attempt to hack activists and journalists. 

- Finally, Gary Mason highlights why we should be outraged at the RCMP's treatment of Chief Allan Adam. Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor emphasizes the need to move beyond questioning specific acts of police violence when it reflects longstanding - and police-enforced - racial and social inequality. Canadians for Tax Fairness points out the role a more just tax policy can play in eliminating systemic racism. And Sandra Hudson sets out some options for defunding police across Canada, while Hadeel Abdel-Nabi makes the case to pursue that possibility in Calgary.

On obstructionism

I'll give Yaroslav Baran credit for explaining in this thread how Parliament's standard procedures have been modified over the summer. But it's hard to see how that offers any justification for the Cons' contrived outrage over Parliament being "shut down".

In essence, the process boils down to two elements.

First, it's possible for the government to advance and pass legislation in special sessions - but only with all-party consent. To the extent a single party disagrees with a bill moving forward, it has the ability to withhold consent, bringing that process to a halt.

In other words, under the special order they're determined to criticize, the Cons can singlehandedly prevent the passage of any legislation which they don't believe should be approved through an adapted procedure.

And if there's a need to pass legislation which can't secure all-party agreement? That would lead toward what Baran inexplicably describes as a "loophole", being...a return to the normal Parliamentary procedure in full, with MPs being required to attend in person in order to conduct business.

Baran is right that in that event, MPs wouldn't be able to comply with social distancing rules. But that's exactly why it's been necessary to develop alternative procedures in the first place (over the Cons' consistent refusal to cooperate), rather than clinging to the assumption that Parliament has to function exactly as it has in the past. And it's nothing short of asinine to complain about the risks of meeting in person, while simultaneously bleating that anything other than that means Parliament has been forcibly "shut down". 

Of course, the Cons' utterly unconstructive response to the question of how Parliament can best operate in a pandemic mirrors their similarly obstructive position on how the federal government should respond to COVID-19 generally. And Canadians who have had to do their best to be constructive through a period of uncertainty and unfamiliarity should expect better from the official opposition than to stomp their heels and refuse to do anything of the sort.

Wednesday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- Brink Lindsey discusses what the coronavirus pandemic has revealed about the failings of both libertarian philosophy, and the public sector apparatus left after decades of neoliberal neglect.

- Paul Krugman writes that the U.S. is failing the marshmallow test when it comes to maintaining protections against the spread of COVID-19. Alexis Madrigal and Robinson Meyer warn about the apparent plan to give up on fighting against the pandemic. Marc Santora warns that far too many governments are choosing to declare business at usual in the face of a continued threat - even where the coronavirus is already far from under control. And Laurie Monsebraaten and Kristen Rushowy report on the impossible demands Ontario is making of child care centres in throwing them open without warning, consultation or funding, while Bruce Arthur writes about the risk that creates for parents.

- Meanwhile, Kate Kelland reports on new research suggesting that widespread mask use could prevent a severe second wave.

- Jennifer Koshan, Lisa Silver, and Jonnette Watson Hamilton rightly criticize the UCP's attempt to legislate the principle that pipelines trump the freedoms of expression and assembly. And Brandi Morin and Anya Zoledziowski highlight the response by Indigenous communities who haven't been consulted about numerous new laws prioritizing tar sands development over human and environmental health.

- Finally, Yellowstone to Yukon notes that UCP's closure of parks and recreational facilities looks to be connected directly to its desire to ramp up coal mining for little apparent purpose other than to spew as much carbon pollution as possible. And that comes as new research shows that it won't cost the U.S. a dime to transition to 90% clean energy by 2035, including by phasing out coal power entirely.

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Cat introductions.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Yaryna Serkez highlights how COVID-19 has both exploited and exacerbated the U.S.' existing inequalities. And Alexander Panetta writes about the perpetuation of racial inequality in the U.S. for upwards of five decades after civil rights legislation was supposed to establish a nominally equal footing.

- Cornel West discusses the militarized boot crushing the neck of U.S. democracy. And Poppy Noor examines how the U.S. has treated the media as a target in order to try to suppress reporting on both police violence and the strong public response.

- Meanwhile, Tom Nolan points out how militarized police forces result in the labeling of peaceful activists as an enemy to be combated. And Sandy Hudson discusses how the defunding and demilitarization of police would save the lives of Black and Indigenous people in Canada.

- Steven Chase and Robert Fife report on the Trudeau Libs' choice to fund the Saudi purchase of armoured vehicles - signalling the emptiness of their two main excuses for proceeding with arming the Saudis, including both the supposed sanctity of contract and the desire to have other countries pay for our exported products.

- Eleonore Fournier-Tombs writes about the need to rethink our expectations for care work as we reshape our economy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

- Finally, PressProgress exposes James Pattinson's laughable claim that he's powerless to change the slashing of hazard pay for workers at Save-on-Foods.

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Stephen Long writes that one of the key economic symptoms of the coronavirus pandemic has been to push people into underemployment. And CBC Radio examines how people with disabilities have been left out of both conversations as to how to respond to COVID-19, and the resulting relief programs.

- David Climenhaga examines the Kenney UCP's legislative attack on freedom of expression and assembly. Jonny Wakefield highlights how little would be accomplished by Kenney's plan to waste hundreds of thousands of dollars on a provincial parole board. And Dave Cournoyer discusses why Kenney's insistence on attacking his citizens and the people who serve them has made him one of the few leaders not to earn support in his COVID-19 response.

- Nicole Mortillaro reports on the opportunities to reduce our carbon pollution while building a prosperous and sustainable economy.

- Meanwhile, Yrjo Koskinen, J. Ari Pandes and Nga Nguyen argue that the income trust structure which once underwrote the expansion of the tar sands could be used to fund a transition to renewable energy. But it's certainly worth questioning whether it's necessary to set up gratuitous giveaways to capital as the price of a clean economy - particularly when there's every opportunity to instead ensure the purveyors of dirty fuel pay the price, as Jon Porter reports is happening through Germany's requirement that gas stations offer electric car charging.

- Finally, Karen Foster discusses how the pandemic has pointed the way toward a four-day work week which reduces hours but not pay. But needless to say, the Fraser Institute is pushing a model which would instead force workers to choose between maintaining pay and reducing work, while putting them on the hook for productivity increases to cover the gap.

Sunday Morning Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Andrew Niikiforuk discusses why we shouldn't count on a COVID-19 vaccine to emerge at all - nor to fully resolve the dangers of the coronavirus even if it is eventually developed. 

- David Suzuki argues that a mere return to normal isn't good enough even if it eventually proves possible. The Globe and Mail's editorial board makes the case for expanded health coverage - though it falls short of demanding that be a universal public system. And Heather Scoffield writes that we shouldn't stop treating people facing homelessness with caring and dignity once the COVID-19 pandemic ends.

- Danielle Goldfarb notes that immediate job reports are is missing much of the impact of the coronavirus on incomes and ongoing economic participation. And Hassan Yussuff and Goldy Hyder write that there won't be a full recovery without a massive investment in child care.

- Alexandra Mae Jones reports on research showing the many outbreaks of COVID-19 in mining operations which have prioritized the extraction of materials over human life. And CBC News reports that Ontario is only starting to ensure coronavirus testing for migrant workers after multiple deaths and dozens of cases.

- Finally, Brandy Morin writes that Canadians reacting to the U.S.' protests against racial violence and inequality need to own up to our own history of discrimination against Indigenous people. Masai Ujiri calls for people with power and privilege to use their positions to combat continued discrimination. And Leyland Cecco calls out Justin Trudeau for limiting himself to words and photo ops, rather than using the power of government to reform policing in Canada.

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Sheila Smith examines how private equity is hollowing out the real economy in the name of profit-taking. And Klaus Schwab suggests a "Great Reset" - though his preference for a continued capitalist model misses many of the most important opportunities for a more fair economy.

- Jennifer Robson writes that our economy needs to be rehabilitated, not given a jolt of adrenaline through temporary stimulus. And Matt Elliott writes that we should take the opportunity to put an end to poverty.

- In the first Canadian report of the Centre for Future Work, Jim Stanford examines some of the ways we can improve work in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. But Jack Healy discusses how U.S. governments and employers are instead combining their powers to force people back into unsafe jobs.

- Anne Jarvis comments on the barbarity of sending migrant agricultural workers home in body bags. And D.C. Fraser points out how agricultural workers generally are grossly underpaid given their contribution to our basic needs.

- Andray Domise writes about Canada's history of racial oppression, while Doug Cuthand points out the lack of awareness of its impact in shaping our society. Shree Paradkar offers some questions and answers on the realities of racial inequality. And Vicky Mochama argues that it's long past time for privileged people to start acting against systemic racism, while Celina Caesar-Chavannes calls for governments to start acting on long-recognized policy responses.

- Finally, Bill McKibben discusses the connection between racism, state violence and environmental injustice. And Greig Oldford argues that denialism about both racism and climate change has to end.

Musical interlude

PVRIS - You and I

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Linda McQuaig writes about the policies which were needed to sustain us through the COVID-19 crisis so far - but whose success can lay the groundwork for a fair and inclusive economy for the future:

For years, we’ve submitted to the economic orthodoxy dictated by Bay Street: that governments must deliver balanced budgets and low spending or economic disaster will follow — as surely as gravity will bring a heavy object plunging to the ground.

Then along came the pandemic. Suddenly the Bank of Canada is creating vast amounts of money, which the federal government is distributing to Canadians across the country. 

Nobody told us we could do that!

...

...Now that we see how it can be done, one is tempted to ask: could this be a way to pay for increased government spending on future things we truly need — like building hospitals and public transit and investing in renewable energy?

This is the sort of dangerous thinking that a phalanx of powerful interests — from the Fraser Institute to the financial press — are keen to crush, realizing it could spread more easily than coronavirus at a crowded, maskless beach party.

But, as economist Jim Stanford suggests, “the genie is out of the bottle.”

- Meanwhile, as part of Policy Response's comparison between the 2008 and 2020 crises, Angella MacEwen highlights the importance of investing in the care economy, David Macdonald emphasizes the work done to put money into people's pockets quickly, and Alex Himelfarb notes that we can deal with any fiscal impact by ensuring an increasingly wealthy elite pays its fair share.

- Joy Thomas writes that the pandemic offers a golden opportunity to ensure corporate transparency and crack down on money laundering.

- Sam Gindin points out the need to move beyond merely praising care workers to ensuring fair wages and working conditions, while CBC News reports on Scott Moe's continued failure to do anything of the sort. And Adam Carter reports on the mocking attitude of one private long-term care executive who carelessly let her contempt for residents and their families get heard by the people affected.

- Finally, Jim Storrie discusses how both the U.S. and Canada have been built on foundations of racial injustice. Peter Donolo calls out the Canadian leaders - including Justin Trudeau - who are unwilling to speak out against the U.S. deliberate violent repression of civil rights activists. And Rinaldo Walcott writes about the importance of fighting to abolish racial inequality once and for all.

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- David A. Green, J. Rhys Kesselman, Lindsay Tedds discuss some of the complications involved in designing a basic income system. And David Roberts makes the case for a universal basic services model to ensure people have access to the necessities of life and social participation regardless of their income level.

- Meanwhile, Lauren Pelly discusses how shared and cramped housing can turn one's home from the best means of avoiding COVID-19 into a concentrated transmission zone.

- Penney Kome writes that there's an achievable path to convert to a sustainable, equitable economy. But Martin Hirst highlights how neoliberals are looking to put an end to the hope that we can build a stronger society in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

- Sharon Lerner discusses how big pharma is trying to exploit a massive social problem by price-gouging when it comes to any possible prevention or treatment. And Emma McIntosh documents the painfully long list of environmental protections which have been opportunistically set aside to allow corporations to maximize their damage to our planet in the midst of a public health crisis.

- Finally, Amir Attaran writes about Canada's failure to manage that crisis. And Kendall Latimer and Alicia Bridges report on the expert consensus that Saskatchewan's choice not to be transparent about the spread of the coronavirus can't be justified as a matter of privacy.

Wednesday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading.

- George Monbiot opines that the UK has ceased to be a functioning democracy as unelected people exercise unchecked power. And Bruce Livesey wonders whether the U.S. is tearing itself apart as the racial divisions used to undermine class cohesion become untenable, while Rebecca Solnit recognizes that the violence being inflicted on a peaceful protest movement is entirely top-down at the direction of Donald Trump and police forces following his lead. 

- Vanmala Subramium calls out Rex Murphy and anybody else seeking to perpetuate denial of Canada's ongoing racial injustice, while Andre Picard takes note of the public health effects of racism. Roshini Nair discusses the need for people in positions of privilege to put in the effort to identify systemic racism.

- Alicia Elliott rightly questions why there's been so little action three years after the release of the report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, while Chris Selley points out how the Trudeau Libs have fallen far short of their promises to fight racism. And Max FineDay writes about the need for Canada's rebuilding plan from COVID-19 to be rooted in reconciliation.

- Finally, Marieke Walsh reports on the NDP's push for race-based data collection to ensure Canada can identify and address racial inequality. And Tom Parkin discusses the successes of the NDP in pushing the Libs to help people otherwise left behind, particularly compared to the do-nothing anger of the Cons:

(O)ur Prime Minister announced his economic support plan—waiving the one week “waiting period” for Employment Insurance sickness benefits for workers quarantined or required to self-isolate. That plan collapsed to immediate criticism. “The vast majority of Canadians will not have access to his plan,” Jagmeet Singh warned from the Commons that day. “Sixty per cent of workers have no access to Employment Insurance.”

One week later the Liberals announced a new program—CERB, the $2,000 per month Canadian Emergency Response Benefit. But it continued to be a complicated program that cut people out. Singh and his caucus again pointed to gaps. And on April 15, the Trudeau government took what it called “decisive action,” expanding CERB eligibility to include seasonal workers and some others not eligible for EI.

On March 11, the Trudeau government also introduced a 10 per cent wage subsidy program for hard-hit businesses. Singh brought together a coalition of union leaders and small business owners to press for wage support of 75 per cent. And on March 27, the Trudeau government did that, too.

For weeks Singh and his caucus advocated for students, excluded from CERB, who face bleak summer job prospects. Finally on April 22, the Trudeau created the Canada Emergency Student Benefit.

Singh has ramped up his call for a national paid sick leave plan. And after a week of Trudeau saying that wasn’t his jurisdictional concern, on May 25, Singh got the PM on-side.

Conservatives pundits—for reasons perhaps as much psychological as ideological—seem miffed and perplexed at Singh’s string of wins for Canadians. Wrong, but self-convinced as ever, Conservatives’ big push was to cut CERB, which hit a wall of backlash. Can anyone recall any tangible win for Canadians engineered by Conservative leader Andrew Scheer?

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Flattened cat.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Robert Reich writes about the end of any pretense that Donald Trump was acting as a president rather than a self-serving social media influencer.

- Branko Milanovic discusses why it's useless to make modeled economic predictions in a time of complete uncertainty about the effect of reverberating shocks.

- Gary Mason points out that a national report on violence against women has been awaiting followup for three decades. And Chris Hall writes about the disproportionate burden being borne by women during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, while Laurie Penny examines the data as to the share of vital domestic work being taken on.

- CBC News reports that Scott Moe is lagging behind even his western conservative counterparts in taking note of the desperate need for activities for children. And Cally Stephanow reports on the lack of addiction services and supports when they're needed even more than usual.

- Finally, Kaitlyn Matulewicz and David Fairey chart a path to establish a system of paid sick leave through provincial employment standards. But Andrew Hills notes that Doug Ford is joining Moe and others in using the pandemic to hack away at employment standards.

Signs of the times

It's been awhile since I've done much with Photoshop, and I can't take credit for the concept of working with this background. But for those interested, a couple of takes on Donald Trump's most prominent recent sacrilege:

Monday Morning Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Eric Cadesky writes about the psychology behind adherence to - and deviation from - the social distancing rules needed to keep us all safe.

- Nora Loreto discusses how COVID-19 has exposed the lethal problems with Canada's long-term care system. Karl Belanger points out that among the other warnings, Howard Hampton tried to highlight the neglect of residents in 2007 - only to see austerian governments continue to hold power. And Susan Delacourt discusses the role the federal government can play in ensuring that seniors are treated with care, while Scott Schmidt calls out Jason Kenney's UCP for declaring it's willing to sacrifice residents' lives if it means profits keep flowing.

- Kelly Grant and Carly Weeks examine Ontario's hot spots for community transmission of the coronavirus - as well as the social inequalities they reflect. And Jennifer Yang discusses the prospect that workplaces will be the new danger zones.

- Fair Vote Canada makes the case to restore democratically-determined per-vote funding to our federal political parties.

- Finally, Sandy Garossino discusses how Stephen Harper has cemented his place as an embarrassment since being voted out of office.

Sunday Morning Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Andrew Nikiforuk writes about the need to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis into a new normal, rather than trying to return to the distorted society that existed before.

- Sophie Ikura and Joshua Tapper discuss the other curves of ill health beyond the spread of the coronavirus which also need to be flattened as we respond to COVID-19. And Ian Hilton explores some of the options to organize a more fair and inclusive economy.

- Rasha Mourtada points out that we can't operate under the assumption that women will assume the full burden of caring for children. And Lana Stermac, Jenna Cripps, Touraj Amiri and Veronica Badali study how sexual violence damages women's academic performance and persistence.

- Louis Blouin and Peter Zimonjic report that the Libs are leaving their economic consultations to the wealthy few most responsible for the inequality we're already facing. And David Sirota offers a reminder that the real looting going on in the U.S. involves the gluttonous raising of public coffers by big business.

- Finally, Eric Holthaus discusses how the climate crisis is an example of racism which can only be confronted with an explicit anti-racist response. Shree Paradkar writes about the absurdity of white people taking offense at their privilege being pointed out, particularly in contrast to the life-and-death dangers created by racist social structures. And Paul Butler calls out the U.S.' criminal law system as serving to enforce different rights and obligations by race. 

Musical interlude

Metric - Youth Without Youth

Friday Afternoon Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Fiona Harvey writes that as we rebuild after the coronavirus pandemic, there's no reason to pretend that prosperity requires continued reliance on greenhouse gas emissions. David Roberts examines how a coherent climate plan is finally emerging in the U.S. And Max Fawcett writes that the pipeline posturing that has represented one of the primary talking points of Canadian petropoliticians will soon be obsolete no matter how desperately they try to cling to fossil fuels.

- Emily Holden reports on the dirty fossil fuel money behind the U.S. protests against public health orders. And Jeff Gray exposes how Doug Ford is using the pandemic as a pretext to offer giveaways to his developer donors without public consultation or review.

- George Monbiot highlights how the privatization of health and long-term care is at the root of the UK's coronavirus catastrophe. And Aaron Wherry writes that it's about time to include long-term care in our public health care system where it should have been all along, while John Michael McGrath opines that Ontario can no longer hide from the consequences of decades of austerity and deregulation.

- Patty Winsa examines the types of workers hit hardest by COVID-19, while Alex Ballingall focuses on the particular challenges facing care workers with insecure immigration status. Matthew Boesler and Reade Pickert note that even people who have retained their jobs have often been confronted with pay cuts and deteriorating working conditions. And Iglika Ivanova and Kendra Strauss examine who stands to benefit from the availability of sick leave (and by implication, who's being forced to work even while sick in its absence).

- Finally, Sharon Lindores reports on the favourable Canadian response to international discussion of a four-day work week.

Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Ian Hilton talks to several progressive economists about the opportunities for change as we manage and emerge from the coronavirus crisis. And Andre Roncaglia de Carvalho writes about the importance of state planning in charting our future course.

- Nav Persaud and Steve Morgan discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has confirmed and strengthened the need for a national pharmacare system. And Carl Meyer reports on Canada Post's pilot projects testing the benefits of postal banking.

- Lynn Giesbrecht reports on the Moe Sask Party's failure to address children's programs and community opportunities as they've instead focused their plan for "reopening" around the business class, while Krista Broda calls for children's recreation to at least be included in the next phase. Matthew Yglesias highlights why it's far more important to focus on reopening schools than non-essential businesses. And the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, the Canadian Women’s Foundation, Ontario Nonprofit Network (ONN), and Dr. Kathleen Lahey highlight the need to provide funding and resources to the women's sector. 

- PressProgress reports on Statistics Canada's warning that the urban Indigenous population may be particularly hard hit by COVID-19. And Kelly Provost reports that Saskatchewan has the highest rate of Indigenous cases of any province. 

- Finally, Hassan Yussuff calls for collective action to replace me-first thinking. And Nick French makes the case for radical workplace organizing as the foundation for renewed labour and social movements.

Wednesday Evening Links

Assorted content for your mid-week reading.

- Christine Boyle, Penny Gurstein, Matthew Norris and Jim Stanford make the case for a public option in housing. And PressProgress documents how for-profit seniors' homes are dominated by board members with no knowledge or experience in caring for people's health.

- Toby Sanger discusses how the pandemic has exposed how Canada's tax system excludes people with low incomes.

- I.F. Mason contrasts Doug Ford's rhetoric about supporting workers against his government's action in unfailingly forcing people to stay on the job in the face of unsafe work.

- Chad D. Cotti, Bryan Engelhardt, Joshua Foster, Erik T. Nesson and Paul S. Niekamp study how forced in-person voting caused an increase in the spread of COVID-19 in Wisconsin. 

- Andrew Nikiforuk points out that Jason Kenney is trying to turn the trashing of environmental protections into the new normal.

- Finally, Gary Mason writes about the need to address the additional pandemic of domestic violence.

Tuesday Night Cat Blogging

Elevated cat.

Tuesday Morning Links

This and that for your Tuesday reading.

- Ethan Cox highlights how Canada's wealthiest few are raking in billions in additional wealth through the COVID-19 pandemic, and returning a pitiful amount in the form of charitable donations.

- Karl Nerenberg discusses how people already on the wrong end of social and economic inequality face disproportionate risks from plans to force people back to work while a lethal virus is still in circulation. And James Doubek reports on the "inequality on top of inequality" found in the U.S.' coronavirus death toll.

- Mahli Brindamour and Ayisha Kurji highlight the need to minimize the damage the continuing pandemic does to child development - which is particularly worth contrasting their against the provincial government's emphasis on restoring the normalcy of golf and recreational fishing before taking children's interests into account. Derek Thompson writes about the need to move beyond social distancing alone in minimizing the risk of transmission, while Jaason Geerts writes about some of the changes we'll need to make as a second wave of COVID-19 approaches.

- Don Pittis discusses the potential for economic transformation as we rebuild from COVID-19. And Mike Moffatt and John McNally warn that we need to prepare for a difficult if worthwhile trek toward a new normal, rather than pretending we can merely restart the old economy.

- Finally, Eleanor Ainge Roy reports on Jacinda Ardern's proposal for a four-day work week as one way of rebuilding for the better. And Ryan Stuart points out that a move toward smaller and more diverse agriculture can make us more resilient, in contrast to the potential shortage we're facing from centralized corporate processing.

Monday Afternoon Links

Miscellaneous material to start your week.

- Ethan Cox writes that a large majority of Canadians favours massive public investments funded by more fair taxes on the wealthy as our road to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. And Aaron Wherry points out the folly of fixating on deficits and public-sector debts when there are far more important and urgent problems demanding our attention.

- Dakshana Bascaramurty, Carly Weeks and Eric Andrew-Gee discuss how vulnerable populations are facing a disproportionate share of the harm caused by COVID-19, while Elizabeth Leier highlights that reality in Montreal in particular. And Meenakshi Mannoe notes that selective policing is only making matters worse.

- Bill McKibben examines what it will take to avert catastrophic climate change - noting in particular the importance of not building additional fossil fuel infrastructure which results in continued carbon pollution.

- Emma McIntosh reports on Doug Ford's use of COVID-19 to undermine environmental regulation, as well as Ecojustice's push for him to reverse course. Archie Waquan writes about the effects of Jason Kenney's similar blanket destruction of regulation and consultation in Alberta, including its threat to a World Heritage Site. And Andrew Nikiforuk discusses Alberta's longstanding shell game when it comes to responsibility for oil site cleanup, while highlighting the Alberta Energy Regulator's rare order that Shell can't dump its existing obligations onto a smaller company.

- Finally, Hilistis Pauline Waterfall points out that many of the aspects of the coronavirus pandemic which are resulting in new traumas within settler populations are all too familiar for Indigenous people.

Sunday Morning Links

This and that for your Sunday reading.

- Laird Cronk and Sussanne Skidmore offer their take as to how to ensure everybody benefits from British Columbia's recovery plan. And Trish Hennessy discusses the need to build a more empathetic and inclusive society:

COVID-19 has exposed what many of us already knew: public health is the key driver of everything, from community wellbeing to a thriving economy. If ever there was a time to embrace a Health-in-All-Policies approach to government decision-making, it is now.

COVID-19 has exposed the short-sightedness of austerity budgeting, where governments prioritized tax cuts over needed investments in public services—in health and mental health, education, child care, social supports, affordable housing, public transit, long-term care, and more. Decades of government cuts removed the layers of protection that should have already been there for us to weather the COVID-19 storm. Governments that respond to re-emergence with more belt-tightening are doing more harm than good.

COVID-19 has exposed how profit should not be a motive for basic services, such as long-term care. It has also exposed weak links in the supply chain and the need to ensure domestic supply chains that are resilient and promote local inclusive economic initiatives. It is showing us that some services should be in public hands, not for profit.

The pandemic  has also exposed underlying structural inequities that have long existed but went ignored: inequities based on income, race, ethnicity, gender, disability, and postal code (where you live). Those inequities interconnect to create health inequities, to limit life chances for those who are marginalized, disadvantaged, and low-income. A crisis like COVID-19 only serves to magnify and deepend [sic] those inequalities.
...
There can be no going back to the old system, which failed to meet the needs of the modern labour market even before the arrival of the pandemic. Nor can we continue to ignore the need for a basic income standard, better support for people who work in the service, retail, accommodation, arts and culture, and caring sectors, and the regulation of “sharing economy” work.

Wellbeing. Equality. Inclusion. Resilience. Sustainability. People and planet before profits.

These are key principles that should guide us as we recover, reset, and rebuild.

- Better Dwelling points out how people have long been taking on increasing debt loads as the public sector has refused to invest in people's needs. And Jesse Snyder reports on the additional debt load COVID-19 is imposing on households (which, unlike governments, can't sustain them in the longer term).

- Polly Toynbee highlights the capital gains which are further distorting the distribution of wealth in favour of the ultra-rich. Luke Savage points out how tech giants have become the new robber barons, including by taking advantage of the crisis which has harmed the productive economy. Mark Harris discusses the cruel absurdity of pandemic disaster capitalism. And David Hillman makes the case for a Robin Hood tax to ensure the financial sector contributes its fair share toward the public good.

- The Canadian Press reports on the conditions attached to federal bailouts for large businesses, which properly include an equity stake for the public. But Canadians for Tax Fairness notes the need to do more to prevent tax dodging by corporate recipients of public aid.

- Finally, Jordan Leichnitz discusses the vital role the federal NDP is playing in ensuring that people aren't left behind by a federal government focused primarily on maintaining the capital-focused status quo.

Saturday Afternoon Links

Assorted content for your weekend reading.

- Ryan Hayes and Edward Hon-Sing Wong discuss both the importance of collective action to protect workers' rights, and the strategies which are proving most effective. Hamilton Nolan writes about the increasingly strong case for sectoral bargaining. And Chelsea Nash examines the gig-worker unionization campaign at Foodora which led it to flee Canada rather than being required to deal fairly with its workers.

- Meanwhile, Samantha Melamed points out how people are being pushed into gig work by a lack of other alternatives. And Kait Bolongaro and Shelly Hagan discuss why Canadian farms are having difficulty recruiting the seasonal migrant workers who are normally relied on to harvest crops - though it's worth noting the problems with a sector being structured to rely on insecure labour.

- Rob Shaw reports that John Horgan is both pushing the federal government to implement paid sick leave so that workers aren't pressured to endanger themselves and others, and planning to ensure B.C. workers have that level of income security if Justin Trudeau can't be bothered. 

- David Bernstein reports on the false promise that massive tax breaks for a new Sears headquarters would lead to any sustainable jobs or economic development. And Christopher Reynolds reports on WestJet's demand to be handed the right to lay off thousands of employees without liability even as it's already receiving a 75% wage subsidy to keep people employed.

- Jack Hicks writes about the travesty that is Saskatchewan's current excuse for a suicide prevention plan.

- Finally, Kai Kupferschmidt writes about the factors which result in the "superspreading" of COVID-19 while many infected people don't pass it along at all. Andre Picard notes that while we should turn mask-wearing into a social norm, it's far from the only action we need to take in order to minimize the harm from the coronavirus. And David Fisman points out that the success we've had in limiting the spread of COVID-19 so far means that there's all the more to lose if we abandon the effort prematurely.

Musical interlude

Royal Canoe - Living a Lie (Glacial)

Friday Morning Links

Assorted content to end your week.

- Through the newly-developed Progressive International, Grace Blakely writes that we don't have any choice as to whether our future will be planned - only as to whose interest are taken into account in the process:

Our choice is not ‘to plan or not to plan?’ but ‘in whose interests should we plan?’

The case for democratic public planning is clear. The inefficiencies, inequities and corruption generated by state-monopoly capitalism do not result from centralisation in itself, but from centralisation absent the centrifugal force of democratic accountability. There is a strong case to be made that, in the wake of this crisis, the resources by then under the command of the state should be allocated by the public, for the public. Absent this plan to democratize the economy, this crisis — and the suffering of so many millions of people it has caused — will have been for nothing but capital itself.

- The Economist highlights the opportunity to flatten the climate curve along the way. And Marc Lee points out some of the options for a low-carbon reboot of Canada's economy, while Adam Radwanski discusses the push to demand that the Libs make use of them.

- Abacus Data offers a detailed look at the progressive plan Canadians support - including both increased taxes on the rich, and investments in social priorities - as we rebuild from the coronavirus pause. Matthew Yglesias notes that even in the U.S., there's plenty of public support for public spending to finance a recovery - particularly if it's paid for by fair taxes on the wealthy. And Brian Jones also notes the importance of finally ensuring the lucky few contribute to the common good.

- But then, Norman Solomon discusses the class war being waged by the privileged in order to exploit the pandemic to further consolidate their control while denying any meaning to what everybody else is losing. Paul Krugman writes about Donald Trump's plan to sacrifice tens of thousands of Americans in the hope of securing temporary gains in the stock market. Owen Jones points out how the well-connected are able to extract preferential treatment from the business sector with reference to Boris Johnson's circle of close associates. And Eduardo Porter and David Yaffe-Bellany highlight how another generation is facing diminished long-term prospects as it emerges into an economy which is both crumbling generally, and top-heavy in its allocation of any gains.

- Finally, the Globe and Mail's editorial board rightly asks why testing and tracing which has long been promised - and which is known to be the only feasible option to increase activity without enabling the spread of COVID-19 - is still lacking in far too much of Canada. And Bruce Arthur writes about the need to make sure our lockdown actually results in the development of an effective public health strategy, rather than merely hitting the snooze button on an even more catastrophic wave of infection.

Thursday Afternoon Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Robert Reich argues that U.S. corporations need to prioritize the health of their workers over immediate profits. But James Galbraith writes about the wider need to move past disaster capitalism, including through government action to take core economic decisions out of the hands of self-interested executives and capital owners.

- Meanwhile, Heather Vogell reports on the financial sector's latest inflation of asset values in order to justify making loans which could be securitized - this time in the commercial property sector rather than residential real estate.

- Melissa Perri and Naheed Dosani discuss how the coronavirus pandemic has exposed the plight of homeless people. But Juliana Nnoko-Memanu writes that the temporary relief offered initially may soon give way to a wave of people being pushed out of their homes by lenders.

- Anna North observes that employers are rushing to withdraw "hero pay" even while continuing to demand that their workers put themselves at risk.

- Finally, Devi Sridhar writes that a push to reopen businesses without a plan for testing and tracing will mean our efforts to contain COVID-19 to date will do nothing but delay mass infection. And Elizabeth Renzetti argues that masks will need to become the norm as part of any attempt to increase social activity.