We live in a world whose leaders, economic and political, clearly have lost their moral compass. Our political leaders talk with great excitement about mankind blasting off earth and settling on the moon and Mars and then the universe. Those engaged in space science for a living are awarded the automatic status of the excitedContinue reading “Space: The Distance Between Morality and Inflated Ego”
Author Archives: jtswebb
The Erosion of Democracy: Three Elections
Canada 2021 We live in a quasi-democracy. And it is eroding. The 2021 October 21st Federal unreformed election was simply not fair for at least half of those who voted. The reality: One Liberal MP was elected for every 37,681 votes for the party; One Conservative MP for every 50,873 votes; One NDP MP forContinue reading “The Erosion of Democracy: Three Elections”
The War of the World
Our democratic governments have long been at war with our capitalist economy. One seeks to spread power as widely as possible with each person being equal, having the same rights, freedoms and access to being heard. The other concentrates wealth and power and grants rights and freedoms and access to power based on how muchContinue reading “The War of the World”
Climate Change Wealth and Power
There was a superb interview on Information Morning on CBC with Louise Comeau of the New Brunswick Conservation Council. It covered both what we are learning form the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and environmental groups like the Conservation Council about the magnitude of the climate change threat and initiatives we can take to avoidContinue reading “Climate Change Wealth and Power”
Energy for Profit or for Service
We are not in a time of business as usual in terms of how we access the energy we need for a functioning society. The latest report of the United Nations International Panel on Climate Change makes it clear that the climate change will not wait for us to delay or backslide. The Secretary GeneralContinue reading “Energy for Profit or for Service”
Inflation: The Pandemic, Big Oil and Billionaires
There was an interesting interview on inflation on the CBC morning show out of Halifax on March 18. A number of the ‘drivers’ of our current and perhaps future inflation were discussed: Wage demands; Supply chain disruptions due to the pandemic; The surge in the price of petroleum products as a result of Putin’s brutalContinue reading “Inflation: The Pandemic, Big Oil and Billionaires”
Reflections on the Pandemic
The pandemic has underlined fundamental problems with the basic nature of social economy of many countries including Canada. The polarizing impacts of the Trump presidency in the USA have spilled into Canada and around the world. It has become acceptable to a growing part of the population to spread misinformation, ignore science and deny reality. Continue reading “Reflections on the Pandemic”
Lessons from the Pandemic and the Trump Hangover
The Pandemic was an eye opener. Elders died by the thousands because essential workers in eldercare were paid so little they needed more than one job to eat and keep a roof over their heads. They had no sick leave and little or no protective clothing and equipment. When personal care workers fell ill theyContinue reading “Lessons from the Pandemic and the Trump Hangover”
How The Household Appliances of Capitalism Use You
When we built our new home 6 years ago we bought all new energy efficient appliances, all from Sears, all Kenmore. This week while baking some custard, the stove, Kenmore (made by Frigidaire), started beeping and the panel on the Electronic Oven Control (EOC) started flashing “F10”. We dug out the stove manual and afterContinue reading “How The Household Appliances of Capitalism Use You”
An Attempt at an Honest Settler Perspective and Fair Reconciliation
Having a day to honour the people who were here before any European settlers is long overdue. I grew up in Canada learning so little about the people who settlers found here some 500 years ago, that an honest description of what I knew has to be an admission I was totally ignorant. Let’s beContinue reading “An Attempt at an Honest Settler Perspective and Fair Reconciliation”
Global Co-operation 