Two troubling questions lurk behind the results of the Fraser Institute’s 2020 Economic Freedom of the World report, released Sept. 10. This year’s report is based on 2018 data (the most recent available). By 2018, global economic freedom had recovered from the 2008 financial crisis and was at its highest level ever, albeit by just…
Oil and gas revenues can be used by tyrannies, autocracies and dictatorships to oppress their populations
Why would consumers treat tyranny oil differently than blood diamonds or clothing made by child labour? One of the more bizarre reactions to bare facts came recently after a colleague and I analyzed oil-and-gas-producing countries and their degree of freedom – the Tyranny Index, as we labelled it. Some argued such tracking is irrelevant because…
Governments around the world have been tardy, negligent, dysfunctional or otherwise an impediment to an aggressive and successful outcome
While residents around the world deal with restrictions imposed to minimize transmission of COVID-19, many wonder how we got into a predicament where thousands die, millions are infected, and millions more lose their jobs or investment nest eggs. There were preliminary indications as far back as Nov. 17 that some people who frequented the wet…
If everyone is to be a contributing member of Team Canada, then all players should pull their weight in what is truly a do-or-die situation
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is urging politicians of all stripes to be part of a Team Canada approach to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic. I’ll buy into his patriotic pitch – to a degree. We must all help. Stay home. Wash our hands. Social distance. Canadians can recite basic COVID-19-busting advice as easily as the words…
The international lockdown is pointless and unnecessarily painful. Is this really a pandemic or just another round of the flu?
U.S. Gen. George Patton once proclaimed: “Fear kills more people than death!” That makes as much sense as something baseball great Yogi Berra said: “No one goes to that restaurant anymore; it’s too crowded.” These days no one goes to the restaurant because the government freaked out and shut it down. But some eminent medical…
We have surrendered far too much control of the economy to the Chinese, from sports equipment to broader supply chains
We’ve apparently reached halftime in the media’s battle against COVID-19, and the savants are doing highlight packs of the big plays and terrible mistakes made so far. It’s not a pretty picture. It would be nice if we could use the sports system of replays to go back and correct a few things from a…
China is trying to bend Canadian culture to its will. This will only get worse as Chinese economic clout grows in Canada
A Vancouver court is the battleground for two visions of Canada’s future. The United States wants the extradition of Meng Wanzhou, a top Huawei executive, while China wants Canada to let her go. As a matter of principle and strategy, Canada must stand up to Chinese imperialism by siding with the U.S. The Huawei faceoff…
Coupled with the coronavirus, the oil battle is hurting economies all over the world, including Canada and particularly Alberta
The world is in a mess and so are the crude oil dynamics. Coronavirus pandemonium is reshaping the global crude oil fundamentals and demand destruction continues. The transportation sector, responsible for almost 70 per cent of the total global crude oil consumption, is in the doldrums. Staying indoors is the new mantra and road transport…
With more economic clout comes more responsibility. And China is failing
When SARS hit in 2003, China was nowhere near the economic powerhouse it is today. Now, if something happens to China, the entire world is affected and the food sector is not immune. The coronavirus outbreak is proving that. Even though the outbreak is starting to slow, the economic damage will easily surpass that of…
In modern society, we tend to casually toss around words like racism and genocide. We need to be more respectful of these words – and their horrible history
If you are an activist who wants to persuade your fellow citizens of the correctness of your views, the first thing you should do is take control of the English language. Change the meanings of words so your enemies can be accused of any crime and your side can always claim the moral high ground.…