On 7 September, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird announced that Canada is suspending all diplomatic relations with Iran, expelling all Iranian diplomats, closing its embassy in Tehran, and authorizing Turkey to act on Canada’s behalf for consular services there. Baird cited Iran’s enmity with Israel, its support of Syria and terrorism. “Canada views the government […]

I read three things on the back of a vehicle in Victoria last week: “Free Tibet!”  and the Sanskrit symbol “Om.” Then, on the licence plate, “the Best Place on Earth.” I like how these concepts relate. We live in BC, a long way from China, but it feels good to stand in solidarity with colonized Tibetans ruled by China. Things...

Just as Hamlet contemplated suicide in Shakespeare’s play, Council is contemplating financial suicide for the taxpayers of Rossland.  Earlier this year, CAO Victor Kumar urged Council to  rescind the Development Cost Charge (DCC) bylaw. Mayor Granstrom and his happy band of robotic rubber-stampers were happy to oblige.  Only...

In September 1962 – 50 years ago this month – a book was published which changed the way we looked at the post-World War Two chemical revolution. Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring – a clarion call about the perils of pesticides – is largely credited with launching the modern day environmental movement. Soon after its publication,...

Workers have always had to fight. From the time of the industrial revolution right up until today, the people who make the capitalist system work--those who do the work that produces the goods and those who are the consumers who buy them--have had to fight for a fair share of the profits. Capitalism works best when the people...

If anyone had any doubts that CAO Victor Kumar controls council members like puppets on a string, consider this. Mr. Kumar has resigned and appears to have foisted his own hand-picked successor onto council. His resignation should have provided council with an opportunity to undertake an exhaustive search to find the most...

This week’s column is going to be focused on a major pet peeve of mine; it may seem a bit ‘ranty’ because I’m feeling a little hormonal today … so bear with me. It’s something that has always bugged me but has become more apparent to me recently through certain interactions and conversations. So without […]

Today I couldn’t help but wonder…at what point in a politician’s life does spewing hypocritical crap become so second nature that they fail to smell the aroma of the barnyard they’re sitting in? It was a mere two weeks ago when the story broke of excessive and frivolous spending in government, not only by the premier, but by...

Okay, time to stop worrying about climate change. Turns out we can just change the climate. How? Well, maybe we should just nuke the moon. (Apparently if we can shift its orbit to block more sunlight, oil companies can keep drilling, the politicians in their pockets can keep doing nothing and gas-guzzling SUV drivers can laugh...

Do you count your blessings? Is being a Canadian one of those? Are you content with your life? Humanity in the most materially-developed societies (such as Canada) is both blessed and cursed, for we have the physical health and leisure to be altruistic and informed, but we’re trapped in materially-dominated lives that make ...