JUSTCAWS

  Everything is louder during an election, but all Canadian media and politicians want to talk about Trump's Trade policies. What seems absent is more discussion about how we got here. “Liberation Day” seems as good a time as ever with the U.S. and other countries abandoning free trade in the pursuit of protectionist policies. It is worth asking why the electorate has elected leaders like Tariff Trump? Trade barriers like tariffs are used to protect domestic industries by making either trade difficult or raising the cost of imported goods so consumers will buy domestic goods and protect jobs from domestic industries. The case for eliminating these barriers is that free trade allows countries to specialize in products that they can produce cheaper or have a comparative advantage (ie. lower opportunity cost and or better quality product) over other countries.  The cost savings is then passed on to consumers. This part of the free trade deal has been partially kept.  But bu...

Many of us are still confused as to why Americans would elect a political party hell bent on cutting the size of government and turning its back on helping the world. I’ve been taken back by the change, but the voter frustration that has led to it has been building for sometime. If liberals are still wondering why their brand is under siege globally, perhaps a lesson about Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs can help explain. I’ve learned and taught about Maslow so many times I feel like I met him, even though he died before I was born. His premise was that humans are motivated to satisfy a pyramid of needs and that until our most basic needs are met (food, water and shelter) we won’t concern ourselves with any higher purpose. Once the basics are met then people move onto safety and security, love and belonging, self-esteem and finally fulfilment. I believe the same motivation holds true for voters. Nobody will concern themselves about more progressive causes or concern themselves with...

  The resignation of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has spurred the need for an early election here in Canada. While the country has been pinning for the opportunity to turf Trudeau for some time now, the timing could not be worse. The United States, Canada’s essential trading partner, is looking to leverage its economic strength for whatever concessions it can exact from an economically weakened Canada. Trump’s go to low ball negotiation strategy has opened with making Canada the 51st state. But before America takes Canada anymore for granted, it’s worth showing Americans how an election with a plurality of political party choices is superior to there outdated, either or contests As a fiscal conservative - social progressive, I struggled   with the only two choices presented to Americans. Thankfully, there will be no soul searching in the upcoming Canadian election for this dual citizen. All three of the centre-left party choices in Canada couldn’t manage a lemonade stand, le...

  Recent  news   of school children being taken to a Pro-Palestinian protest has rightfully caused quite a stir from parents and has led the Ontario Minister of Education to investigate further.  You may ask why schools would allow field trips to participate in political protests altogether - most don’t, but the line between what is deemed “political” is quite blurry.  During my 25 years of teaching, I have witnessed greater emphasis on implementing character and values within education.  While some will point to the increased politicization of some teachers and their unions, what is often overlooked is the Ministry’s own Character Education document  Finding Common Ground   that was released way back in 2008.  I remember this document generating discussion back then as some believed the Liberal government (in power at the time) was trying to push their “values” onto students through this initiative.  In fact, the document itself seems r...

  When a government makes mistakes as they often do, I try not to point fingers. Most issues people have with them are a question of priorities and often bad decisions are only discovered with the passage of time. And others in the big scheme of things don’t amount to much anyways. It is why I haven’t gone after Ontario Premier Ford’s blunders maybe as often as I should. Trudeau’s team in Ottawa are the ones who get me going, because I find their choices so damaging to the Canada I know and love. I always try and understand another perspective and understand motive, but I must admit I haven’t decided if Canada’s Trudeau government are completely inept or evil geniuses. I have argued the latter in most posts, but they do keep me guessing. The issue that makes ponder that question right now is Canada’s rising population. We have all read the  headlines  of rapid growth that has taken off since the pandemic. What makes this all the more incredible is that this record populat...

So here we go again. More self - inflicted pain felt most by the working poor. Right on the heels of the pandemic where the less important delivered food to the too important to go out crowd. Now we have record food and gas prices.   I am not going debate the merits of our covid lockdown response here - but it is rather clear suffering was not evenly felt. The line "we are all in this together" - became a punchline rather than a rallying cry.  Covid was the threat and we were told to shut down.  Now the climate crisis is back on the front burner and it’s the existential threat we must extinguish. Yet again, we are asking the working poor to do most of the heavy lifting.  To combat climate change progressive leaning governments have targeted fossil fuels and the oil industry. Oil isn't just a dirty substance, it's now a dirty word.  Any exploration, development and production are to be curtailed.  One of Biden's first acts was shutting down the Keystone...

CFL BULBS - AS THE BULB BREAKS THE FABLE WILL FALL Originally Published in the Guelph Mercury - January 2009 This winter, I realized I had a received one big snow job. However, this time it was not at the hands of my older brother but from all those "do-gooder" environmentalists. See, I bought into the whole compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) sell job. Our new house had a bunch of these energy efficient bulbs when we moved in and I naively went out and bought some more. I had felt good about putting these new CFL bulbs up around the house and replacing the old, inefficient incandescent light bulbs. Annoyances like the fact that the light wasn't as bright as the old ones or that they take a half second longer to turn on were sacrifices I was willing to make for the environment. Doing so gave me that enviro-conscious, self-righteous swagger you get when you feel you are ahead of the unenlightened masses. You know, those non-believers, who have yet to fully appreciate how ...