Across the west, ‘post-truth’ politics are on the rise, public support for and trust in democracy and scientific institutions is on the decline, and authoritarianism is starting to make a comeback. Most people agree that these trends are bad, but dispute who is responsible. My argument here is that the political polarization we are seeing these…
In politics, compromise and cool-headedness are usually virtues, especially when facing a bitterly divided electorate. Occasionally though, a time or challenge calls for bold action that ruffles a few feathers in the short term, but pays big dividends in the long term and resounds in history. Examples of such bold action from the past century…
–Jared Milne- At first glance, pipelines to get Alberta’s oil to market seem stalled. Many people across Canada don’t think the advantages of pipelines are worth the environmental risks they’re worried about. As I’ve pointed out before, Stephen Harper deserves a lot of the blame for opposition to pipelines becoming as strong as it has.…
Donald Trump is a bigot and a racist. What some may once have been able to dismiss as just a few gaffes – caused by an affinity for shock value and a lack of ability to think before one speaks – is now an established pattern that, as some commentators have noted, accurately fits the…
Is there such a thing as too little corruption or too much anti-corruption? High levels of transparency and low levels of corruption in government and the private sector are critical to the stability of a democratic society. Even the appearance of corruption is known to erode public trust and social cohesion. As a result, populist…
Despite all of the rhetoric about how this is an election of historic proportions with very high stakes and a polarized climate, the situation really could be a lot worse and a lot more polarized than it is. When compared to our neighbours to the south, all three of the major parties are running on…
This is probably the most important election in Canada in a generation. Stephen Harper is asking for a fourth consecutive mandate, and in return he is offering more of the same: more ideology over evidence to the detriment of the economy, more foreign policy that talks loudly and carries a twig – diminishing our global…
-The Expat- The Beginning I remember Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s first day in office. It was almost a decade ago, in what seemed to be an entirely different country than the one we live in today. It was a country where foul play could literally bring down a government; Paul Martin’s Liberals had just succumbed to…
-Jared Milne- Pipelines are a major political issue in Canada. Getting oil to market is seen as critical to Alberta’s economy. They are a high priority for Stephen Harper’s government, so why has there been so little progress on pipelines? Unfortunately, many of Ottawa’s actions have only damaged the oilsands’ image, and weakened public support…
-Jared Milne- In commentaries about politics, the idea of the “mushy middle” is often used as an insult. It’s depicted as a weakness, as the person who straddles it is unable to decide on a firm set of beliefs, or who tries to please everyone instead of taking a strong stand. Similarly, compromise is seen…
The Tête-à-Tête 