No other global civilization has been as deliberate and inclusive about progress as modern western civilization
Progressive liberals of a certain frame of mind suggest that white people are guilty. They’re the systemic oppressors of indigenous cultures, minorities and people of colour. Modern western society also stands accused of abusing the environment and of being unrelentingly sexist, racist and elitist. Or is western civilization the crucible of progress, the liberator of…
Discrepancies are more often the result of different choices men and women make, on and off the job
For decades, politicians, pundits and activists have clamoured about a gender pay gap and have cited statistics purporting to show that the economy is unfair to women. Women, after all, get paid only around 70 to 80 cents for every dollar earned by men. However, for just as long, studies have shown that this discrepancy…
The damage done to public trust in journalism by not following basic rules of journalism is, at this stage, incalculable
Last week’s sickening media meltdown means it is back-to-basics time for journalism on this continent. The need for reportorial rehab began when major news outlets repeated a BuzzFeed report – based on unnamed sources – that the Robert Mueller investigation had been told by Michael Cohen that U.S. President Donald Trump directed him to lie…
A new documentary, followed by a feature film, bring the spotlight back to Mister Rogers. His legacy is worth rediscovering
Fred Rogers said, “Discovering the truth about ourselves is a lifetime’s work, but it’s worth the effort.” Of course, Fred Rogers is best known as the star of the television program Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. He was not only the main character, however, he was responsible for most of the content of a show that ran…
Why would anyone get their garters in a tangle over a hockey tournament held for a television network?
There are about 5.5 million people in Finland. It’s the most sparsely populated nation in the European Union, with most of its inhabitants shivering away in the southern tier of the nation. The Finns also eat less red meat than the people of other developed nations. But you’d think they were carnivores of the first…
The late conservative MP from Alberta held strong views and wasn't afraid to voice them, but he was also willing to listen
If you’ve been around politics for a spell, the name Myron Thompson will be permanently etched in your memory banks. He was a unique figure in Canadian politics, the likes of which we likely won’t see grace the hallowed halls of Parliament anytime soon. Thompson, who served as a Reform Party, Canadian Alliance and Conservative…
There are no status cards providing one group with superior rights. There are no special financial privileges
Mexico offers a social model that Canada should consider. Oaxaca is one of the best preserved colonial cities in Mexico. It has a bustling centre, rich with busy markets – street vendors and music wherever you go. Oaxaca state has the largest percentage of Indigenous people in Mexico. Zapotec, Mixtec and other peoples mingle in…
The department holds inordinate power over First Nations people, yet the citizens have no say in how it operates
It isn’t easy to grasp just how vast and complex Canada’s federal Indigenous affairs portfolio has become over the past 50 years. Now divided into Indigenous Services and Crown-Indigenous Relations, it’s unlike any other federal government department. The portfolio is more accurately described as a federally-run province. This makes sense because, according to the department,…
Colorado chose to give millions of dollars to someone who denigrates gays. We should all be offended
The Colorado Rockies recently signed free agent Daniel Murphy to a two-year, $24-million contract. On the surface, from a baseball perspective, it looked like a good move. Murphy has had some great seasons in recent years for the New York Mets and Washington Nationals, including finishing second in MVP voting following the 2016 Major League…
In his new book There is No Difference, Peter Best details a way to resolve Canada’s legal and social relations with its Indigenous
In his new book There Is No Difference, Ontario lawyer Peter Best begins a long-repressed national conversation about Canada’s legal and social relations with its Indigenous people. Best asks: Why can’t Nelson Mandela’s goal and vision of one set of laws for all be the goal in Canada? Why keep and even extend the demonstrably-failing separate…