Mental health professionals offer a public service to help us recognize the danger signs and risks of having a tyrant in office and how to disarm them
Tyrannical leaders share certain qualities. In essence, they live under a tremendous fear of being overthrown. Through their actions, almost without exception, they inadvertently make this fear a reality. I know how fortunate I am to live in a free country. I will never forget my first experience of no longer having the freedom to…
Life in an air-conditioned bunker, drinking vodka sodas and binge-watching Netflix may not be enough to stimulate the privileged climate-change survivors
The actions of the Donald Trump presidency and the many global populist governments that follow suit (Brazil, the Philippines, and arguably Saudi Arabia and even Australia) reveal a line of thought about the climate crisis: it doesn’t really exist. Climate change is basically viewed as an externality determined by God, nature or whimsy. When it’s…
From Donald Trump to Boris Johnson to Angela Merkel to Justin Trudeau – what to look forward to in the next year
It’s New Year’s Eve and the last day of the 2010s. The champagne is chilling, the food, party hats and noisemakers are ready, and friends and loved ones are nearby. What’s in store for 2020 when it comes to politics? We can certainly speculate. The U.S. presidential election will be held in November. The Democrats…
A Canadian guide to keeping close watch on the 2020 U.S. presidential election
As we roll into 2020, aficionados of American politics will be in their element. Beginning with the Feb. 3 Iowa caucus and the Feb. 11 New Hampshire primary, there’ll be a continuous series of events leading up to the Nov. 3 finale, the day of the presidential election. And most Canadians will fervently hope –…
Trump has inadvertently mobilized the American public and people around the world who believe in the rights of the common citizen
Our news feeds have been overwhelmed in recent weeks with the impeachment hearings of American President Donald Trump. Trump is charged with violating American laws, primarily the U.S. constitution. With regard to many of the accusations, Trump supporters point out that he’s not doing anything recent Democrat and Republican presidents haven’t also done. For the…
The Democrats' corruption of the impeachment process sets a dangerous precedent for the future
The impeachment inquiry against U.S. President Donald Trump has been moving full steam ahead. The House Intelligence Committee heard several testimonies, including Gordon Sondland (U.S. ambassador to the European Union), Admiral Alexander Vindman (National Security Council director for European affairs) and Marie Yovanovitch (former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine). The House Judiciary Committee is in the…
The rising interpersonal venom on the Internet is a distressing sign of the times
If you’re middle aged or better and have a sense of life before the Internet, information technology and all of the associated foofaraw, you may also remember the value of polite speech. It was extremely rare in my youth to witness profanity first-hand in what might still be called polite society. That included family relations,…
These untruths reflect badly on candidates, and much more on the ability of the electorate to make thoughtful and informed decisions
We live in a society of law and order, of values and mission statements, oversight, accountability, and in which transparency is highly valued. Witnesses at judicial hearings are held in contempt if they lie, individuals who knowingly make false and harmful statements can be held libellous, advertisers can’t lie about their products, students can’t cheat…
Believed to be the perfect political antidote to Trump, the blows to Trudeau's manufactured reputation just keep coming
U.S. President Donald Trump has successfully turned the political narrative toward his general direction since taking office. This includes events he had nothing specifically to do with. When left-wing Democrats like Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar make outrageous statements, their defenders often say, “but’s it’s nothing like Trump’s rhetoric.” When celebrities like Bette Midler and…
Canadian business travellers hoping to work in the U.S. face significant delays, apparently as fallout from that country’s America First executive order. The problem arises for Canadian workers who hold an L-1 visa. That specialized document is required for foreign nationals working for U.S. employers in specific daily business operations, typically managerial and executive positions.…
Tyrannical leaders share certain qualities. In essence, they live under a tremendous fear of being overthrown. Through their actions, almost without exception, they inadvertently make this fear a reality. I know how fortunate I am to live in a free country. I will never forget my first experience of no longer having the freedom to…
