A Dangerous Experiment
Here is a take on the G20 commitment to cut deficits and reduce debt. David Leonhardt, not quite echoing Paul Krugman’s dire warnings, does set out the question with clarity. Will the G20 deficit and debt targets lead to greater private sector confidence and spending to fill the space left by the end of stimulus … Read more
A Brief Comment on G20
Yes it’s important that the leaders of these diverse countries are talking, and everyone deplores the hooliganism, but what else did we learn? 1) The 20 came together largely to go their own ways – the moment of collective will has passed. 2) The collective interest in working with Africa was a momentary thing. … Read more
A Progressive Orientation: Hope, Engagement and Empathy
Progressivism, most would agree, is an elusive concept. This is a large part of its charm – it doesn’t generate pre-packaged solutions, has to be made concrete based on evidence in specific circumstances, and has the elasticity that these fragmented, changing and often discontinuous times demand. In that sense, we do know what progressivism is … Read more
So That’s a Progressive!
I have been going back and forth with some friends about how to define “progressive”. Clearly, it’s a pretty elastic notion that provides significant room for diverse views and for adaptation to circumstance but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have great value or should be summarily dismissed. Read this terrific piece by Douglas Bell … Read more
So What’s a Progressive Anyway?
Two excellent opinion pieces today raise interesting questions about Canada’s political landscape and all the recent talk about coalitions and mergers. Rick Salutin asks the big question about the left in Canada, “Left? What left?” And Dan Gardner asks the related question, “Progressive? What’s that?” Both are worth a read. Salutin argues that Canada has … Read more
A Show About Nothing: Totem and Taboo in Canadian Political Life
As the Parliamentary session sort of winds down, it’s pretty hard to summarize – or for that matter see – its accomplishments. With only a few exceptions that would only serve to dilute the story, this session was dominated by old or second-rate scandals, access to documents, MPs’ travel, committee disappearances by political staffers, G8 … Read more
“A risk that cannot be mitigated should not be taken.”
An excellent op-ed from Gerald Butts of WWF-Canada on what we Canadians should learn from the oil spill disaster in the Gulf. First off, we have no cause for even the slightest bit of complacency; our neighbours to the south have tougher regulations and certainly greater response capacity than we do notwithstanding that the spill … Read more
Let’s Raise Taxes (2)
I just returned from listening to a charming, erudite and, for a refreshing change, fact-based presentation by highly respected economist, Kenneth S. Rogoff. The event, hosted by Canada 2020 and supported by The Centre for Global Challenges, brought together senior policy makers, practitioners and journalists to hear and converse with Rogoff on the implications of … Read more
