FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

Jun 30

So-Called Passive Protests Against Pride Month Awareness in Ontario Schools

by bcurry

When one is practising tolerance, one is allowing the existence or occurrence of (something that one dislikes or disagrees with) without interference, and tolerance is the ability, willingness or capacity to tolerate something.  Unfortunately, when it comes to several religions practiced in North American, there is a demonstrated hostility to anything having to do with the LGBTQ community and issues surrounding “sexual orientation”.  June 1 marked the start of Pride Month in Canada, marking a number of activities associated with the celebration of LGBTQ rights and achievements, including several pride parades in many Canadian cities.  In some cases, certain public school boards took it upon themselves to include information about the history and achievements of the LGBTQ community in their classrooms.  Such was the case for the public Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB), in Ottawa, Ontario.

June 1, claiming that they were raising concerns about beliefs and practices pertaining to LGBTQ that they believe do not align with their own religious beliefs.  They didn’t want their children to be educated about such things.  Unfortunately, their actions meet the very definition associated with intolerance.  OCDSB chair Lyra Evans believes that while parents have every right to keep their children home, they’re depriving them of an important learning opportunity. (Quote) “People who choose to opt out of human rights-related criteria are doing a disservice to their children because they’re not adequately allowing their child to be prepared for the realities of the world around them”. (Unquote)

The Muslim leaders in Ottawa argued that this form of “passive protest” was not intended to promote hate against the LGBTQ community, including those students affected within the schools.  However, the occurrences of outside protests by such groups, including Muslims, has resulted in many students feeling unsafe within the school environment, especially those belonging to the LGBTQ community.  What is even more surprising is that the protests came from the Muslim community which itself has faced increasing intolerance leading to recent hate crimes and discriminatory practices.  You’d think that they would have a bit more empathy for a visible minority fighting for its human rights!  No one is trying to indoctrinate our children in this context, but are simply providing information and increasing awareness about diversity issues within the environment of a modern progressive democratic society.

Canada is a diverse country, and has recognized the rights of LGBTQ individuals and couples through the legalization of gay marriages and inclusion of sexual orientation rights within human rights legislation.  Such ingraining of these rights reflects the recognition of the country’s diversity and pursuit of equality and fairness for all groups, regardless of gender, race, religion or sexual orientation.  In the public sphere, there are no grounds for intolerance and especially hate promotion, especially within our public educational institutions.  

Call it what you want, but so-called “passive protest” simply demonstrates what is intolerant behaviour by its very definition.  Be careful that one isn’t throwing stones at a glass house.  For example, as part of her disagreement, Lyra Evans is also quoted in CBC Radio’s Ottawa Morning show: “If we had 70 percent of students opt out of Ramadan events, I think there would be the school board standing up to defend the rights of Muslim students and making sure that all of our students understand why this is culturally important”.. “I don’t think that we would see people just sort of passively accepting [it]. We would see outrage, and I think that outrage would be justified.”  Interestingly, it should be noted that Lyra Evans is the first openly transgender school trustee in Canada.

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Jun 24

How We Are Taught Is What We Become

by bcurry

Recently, a friend of mine, who is a retired teacher in Canada, made a very interesting point about the influences of teacher hiring on students at all levels of our schools.  The just of the position is that teachers are not always hired for their qualifications and teaching abilities, but are instead hired primarily on the basis of their core beliefs.  This is particularly true where religious beliefs are considered a primary criteria for hiring.  Now, such criteria do play an important role in religious-based schools where religion plays an central part in the curriculum and extracurricular activities.

In some states and provinces, teachers with certain values and beliefs are expected to promote those same values to their students.  As a result, students can often be indoctrinated into certain belief systems which will form the basis for their future abilities to critically think.  Even at the university level, there may be a tendency on the part of administrators to seek out professors with similar beliefs to those promulgated by the faculty at large.  Unfortunately, such beliefs can most often reflect antiquated value systems which are regressive and unresponsive to the changing value systems reflected in a twenty-first century society.  For this reason, young people leave these institutions with preordained and out-of-date biases and a fundamental lack of critical thinking capabilities needed in modern society.

Under these circumstances, the danger is that the affected young people will not be able to easily adjust to the ever changing value systems associated with the majority of people in North American society.  They will continue to have difficulties in dealing with such issues as inequalities, racism, sexual orientation, discriminatory practices, diversity, etc., etc.  While everyone has a right to commit to certain beliefs and opinions, they cannot extend that right to promoting intolerance and extremism.  After all, values affect opinions and attitudes which then subsequently lead to actions.  Such actions can often have negative consequences and contribute to greater divisions within societies.  Sometimes, they can even lead to violent actions.  The result is a more closed society or certainly a less open one.

Many challenges face today’s youth, and they cannot afford to be hard-wired.  They will need open minds to deal with tomorrow’s issues and to be able to quickly adjust in light of those very same issues.  Parents along with teachers and elders can play an important role in inspiring our young people without handicapping them with antiquated extreme beliefs, religious or otherwise.  We inherit our value systems from our parents, and develop our capacity for critical thinking through thought-provoking education institutions.  Hiring the right teachers to help provide them with the tools needed to function within a modern society is of utmost of importance.  Allowing young people to explore, without rigid restrictions, all facets of our histories, culture and governance is a must.  Maybe by doing so, we will then be able to narrow the evident divisions and intolerance existing today within North American society.

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Jun 15

Once Again, Mainstream News Media Taking a Hit in Canada

by bcurry

For several years now, I have been following reports about the disappearance of local and regional printed news sources in numerous communities across Canada.  I have written several blogs about the crisis that has hit mainstream news media, including Lost of Community Newspapers Is Sad Day For Free Press in November 2017, Issues Surrounding Daily News Now Being Absorbed Electronically In Bits and Bytes in January 2021, Media Under Terrorist Attack — Let’s Not Hit the Panic Button Just Yet in January 2015, and The Press Is Physically Under Attack By Police in the U.S. in September 2020.  My primary argument is that mainstream news media has to have journalists on the ground to adequately and accurately cover major news events.  With fewer and fewer regional and international news coverage by major outlets, there is indeed a serious threat to democracy in the form of a smaller number of accessible, reliable and respected news sources.

Now the hammer has come down on televised and radio news outlets in one major Canadian network.  This week, BCE Inc. announced that it is cutting 1,300 positions — about three per cent of its workforce — and closing or selling nine radio stations as the company plans to significantly adapt how it delivers the news.  The stations are found in several large Canadian cities such as Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and London (Ontario).  CTV is a major television network in Canada, and BCE Inc. is its parent company.  The announcement indicated that CTV’s foreign bureaus in London and Los Angeles are set to close, with all positions based in those locations eliminated.  Its Washington bureau will apparently be scaled back to focus more fully on important news from the U.S.A. and the impacts on Canada.  Bell Media, which controls CTV and the radio news outlets, says the job cuts are in response to unfavourable public policy and regulatory conditions in Canada.  Unfortunately, Bell says it can’t guarantee there won’t be more job cuts.

However, from a business perspective, most analysts would argue that the days of companies making money off providing the news are gone.  They note that today Google and Facebook have basically eaten into the advertising market. There’s fewer and fewer advertising dollars left for print and on air journalism.  In addition, companies like Google and Facebook are exploiting mainstream news sources to provide news to their users, without having to compensate those same sources for such exploitation.  However, it is taking a long time for the Canadian government to pass laws requiring such compensation be made to mainstream news sources.  Additional revenue could help these sources to continue to provide journalistic services at the local and national levels.

The fact of the matter is that youth today rely heavily on on-line search sites and social media to get their news.  One would hope that these news sources are credible, reliable and do not simply spread misinformation and disinformation.  Unfortunately, journalism has become somewhat politicized by numerous groups, including some politicians, and is under attack from extremist groups who have continued to proclaim that mainstream news sources are spreading so-called “fake news”.  Moreover, accredited news sources have every right to also express editorial opinion as long as such commentary is clearly identified as being an editorial piece. 

With fewer journalists in the field and far fewer avenues for good journalism, one can only express a certain degree of anxiety about the future of mainstream news journalism.  Increasingly, people graduating from some of Canada’s elite journalism programs will find it hard to obtain employment and opportunities in both print and television/radio media.  Often, investigative journalists have gotten their start and initial experience in local community news outlets, aided by recognized mentors in the industry.  A future career in journalism is getting tougher every day, suggesting that future generations may find it difficult to have access to sources offering credible and reliable news reporting.  Consequently, we will all feel less well informed!

Canada The News Media

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Jun 12

The Rise of Conspiracy Theories in the U.S. and Canada

by bcurry

The Oxford English Dictionary defines a “conspiracy” as a secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful.  “Conspiracy theory” is defined as a belief that some covert but influential organization is responsible for an unexplained event.  Of course, in 2017, influencial QAnon surfaced with its origin in the American far-right political sphere.  QAnon centers on fabricated claims made by an anonymous individual or individuals known as “Q”.  According to Wikipedia, the core QAnon conspiracy theory is that a cabal of Satanic, cannibalistic child molesters were operating a global child sex trafficking ring, led by the Democratic Party and in particular former President Barack Obamak Hillary Clinton, and George Soros.  They were alleged to have conspired against former U.S. President Donald Trump prior to and during his term in office.  According to Media Matters for America, as of August 20, 2020, Trump had amplified QAnon messaging at least 216 times by retweeting or mentioning 129 QAnon-affiliated Twitter accounts, sometimes multiple times a day.  An article in The Atlantic in February 15, 2022 wrote that QAnon followers came to refer to Trump as “Q+”.  QAnon followers also had emerged in Canada, often accusing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and members of his Liberal government as part of the same global movement.

Most recently, an ecoterrorist conspiracy theory emerged that accused environmentalists of setting recent wildfires in Canada in order to make a point about the impact of climate change in North America.  While totally ridiculous and contradictory in nature, this conspiracy theory emerged in social media and notably among certain ultra-right groups.  Maxime Bernier, a former Conservative federal foreign minister-turned fringe party leader of the People’s Party of Canada, said in a June 5 tweet: “I bet a good portion of the wildfires raging across the country were started by green terrorists who want to give their climate change campaign a little boost.” This conspiracy theory is nothing new as, for example, in California in 2021 some people claimed online that arsonists were behind several wildfires — but there was no evidence that environmentalists were pushing a climate change agenda.  Moreover, officials of provincial agencies investigating the causes of wildfires in Quebec, Nova Scotia and Alberta have more or less determined such theories are bogus.  They note that there are several which are caused by humans, but these are almost always accidents and that recent lightning strikes were to blame for many of the wildfires.  Unless lightning is involved, a blaze classified as human-caused normally can be accidental, intentional or undetermined.  This does not exclusively mean arson.

Most recently, former President Trump is facing numerous federal charges that include willfully retaining national defense secrets in violation of the Espionage Act, making false statements and a conspiracy to obstruct justice.  Trump has repeatedly characterized the investigation as being politically motivated, and in recent weeks his lawyers have sought to raise what they say are issues of prosecutorial misconduct.  His defence is implying that there is a conspiracy within the Justice Department and the F.B.I., spearheaded by the White House and the Democrats, to go after him in order to prevent him from running for president in 2024.  Trump continues to refer to the investigation by federal officials as a “witch hunt”, for which there is currently no evidence to support his claims.  Although the evidence against Trump appears to be overwhelming, a majority of his supporters state their belief that there is a conspiracy against the former president aimed at preventing him from running in the next presidential election.

Unfortunately, Donald Trump is the main culprit purposely promulgating conspiracy theories and continues to have the support of a large base of rank and file members of the Republican Party.  Even some notable members of the Party, including Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, Republican Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Matt Gaetz of Florida, have backed Trump’s conspiracy theory regarding what is often referred to as “the weaponization of federal law enforcement.”  When it comes to governance today, there appears to be no shortage of conspiracy theories, ludicrous or not.  What’s worst, a large percentage of Americans and Canadians appear to be accepting such theories as gospel.

Canada Elections Judicial System Republican Party Social Media US US Politics

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Jun 6

Financial Debt Increasingly a Concern for Canadians and Their Financial Institutions

by bcurry

Remember the sub-prime causing America’s great recession of 2008?  Well, now Canadians are on track to be subjected to a similar scenario in light of the average debt loads that they are experiencing.  The International Monetary Fund warns Canada that it runs the highest risk of mortgage defaults among advanced economies, while other reports show Canadians are increasingly struggling with their total debt.  There is little doubt that Canadians are now at the greatest risk of mortgage defaults.  Many Canadians bought houses in the last decade because of lower than average mortgage interest rates, often as low as 1.5 percent annually.  This despite the fact that in many urban areas the average cost of housing had reached record highs, sometimes increasing by 20 percent annually.  Now, the average mortgage rate in advanced economies, including Canada, has risen to 6.8 percent in late 2022, more than doubling from the start of last year.

Canada’s household debt is the highest in the G7.  A report by credit research firm Equifax Canada indicated that Canadian consumers on average are spending 21.5 percent more each month on credit cards, compared to pre-pandemic levels. It further noted that average monthly spending per credit card holder exceeded $2,200 this quarter, up about $400 compared to the first quarter of 2020.  A significant number of Canadians are also beginning to default on mortgage payments and non-mortgage credit.  A recent Angus Reid survey noted that three in ten Canadians say they are struggling to just get by, with far too many continuing to rely on the use of credit cards to cover their expenses.

Worst yet, the Bank of Canada may have to raise its rates in order to tackle the continuing high inflation rate.   April’s inflation numbers took economists by surprise, ticking up to 4.4 percent from a year ago, instead of the forecasted 4.1 percent, in the first acceleration since June 2022.  Further rate increases will only exacerbate the financial challenges that Canadians are now facing.  In addition, inflation is hitting everyone hard and appears to be on the upturn for a number of necessities, such as food, fuel and housing, including rental accommodation.

While Canada’s financial institutions are in fairly good shape, recent difficulties of major banking institutions in the U.S. have made some Canadians somewhat more nervous.  No one expects a run on the banks, but Canadians are increasingly putting investments into more secure and insured options.  Fear is a deadly thing for the economy.  Hopefully, our major banks will not see an inordinate number of loan defaults and those defaults on mortgages in particular.

Many Canadians were able to increase their savings during the pandemic, and it was expected that post-pandemic spending would eat into those savings.  However, Canadians appear to have gone on a spending spree instead of paying off some of their existing debt.  Now, because of high debt loads and the impact of inflation, they are caught in a financial bind with many struggling just to get by.  Should a recession occur, it would only make the situation worse, especially if unemployment rates rise.  Like a number of analysts suggest, perhaps it’s time to tighten our belts!

Canada Economy

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Jun 4

Why Would the Canadian Government Need a Public Inquiry on National Security Matters?

by bcurry

When it comes to looking into foreign interference (e.g. Peoples Republic of China) in Canada’s electoral processes, work of elected officials or government dealings, opposition parties keep clamouring for a public inquiry.  However, it would appear that fairly recent legislation already provides for more than enough ability on the part of parliamentarians to examine national security matters.

In 2017, Parliament passed the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians Act to review national security matters.  The Committee (NSICP) is to consist of not more than three members who are members of the Senate and not more than eight members who are members of the House of Commons.  Not more than five Committee members who are members of the House of Commons may be members of the government party.  According to the Act, the mandate of the Committee is to review

(a) the legislative, regulatory, policy, administrative and financial framework for national security and intelligence;

(b) any activity carried out by a department that relates to national security or intelligence, unless the activity is an ongoing operation and the appropriate Minister determines that the review would be injurious to national security; and

(c) any matter relating to national security or intelligence that a minister of the Crown refers to the Committee.

Subsequently, in 2019, Parliament passed the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency Act.  The Agency’s mandate is to

(a) review any activity carried out by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service or the Communications Security Establishment;

(b) review any activity carried out by a department that relates to national security or intelligence;

(c) review any matter that relates to national security or intelligence that a minister of the Crown refers to the Agency; and

(d) investigate an array of possible complaints.

The NSICP already can review national security measures while concurrently determining whether any review of an ongoing operation could be injurious to national security.  This conclusion was outlined in the recent report of highly respected David Johnston who was appointed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as “special rapporteur”.  In his report, he outlined the reasons why a public inquiry was not the way to go.  This did not please the opposition parties in Parliament, who continue to call for a public inquiry, and the House of Commons consequently voted for Mr. Johnston to step aside.  The problem really is that the Conservative opposition members had previously withdrawn from participating on the NSICP over a past case involving a national security issue.  While the case was still ongoing, they wanted access to all confidential information concerning the active case.  As a result, the NSICP was and has been unable to fulfill its mandate.

There is little doubt that the opposition parties in Parliament, especially the Conservative party, see this issue as a political windfall.  However, this approach does nothing to resolve the current immediate questions of Chinese interference as a matter of national security.  Remember that the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency was set up as an oversight body, and can brief NSICP members on operational matters.  Parliamentarians should be doing their jobs via the NSICP, which is the most logical and speedy mechanism to carry out any timely national security review.  Public inquiries are expensive and normally take a long time to complete.  After all, any judge appointed to carry out such a review must first obtain expert assistance in the review and take time to become acquainted with such a complicated issue.  One has to ask oneself why all this legislation was put in place if Parliamentarians are simply going to ignore it?

Canada National Security

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Jun 1

Why Government Advisory to Canadians Warns of Gun Violence Awareness in U.S.

by bcurry

Wow!  You knew it was just coming.  The Government of Canada is now warning its residents about mass shootings and the high rate of guns in the U.S.  We are all familiar with the high degree of gun violence in the States, but one is increasingly seeing random shootings in public places often visited by tourists.  These shootings tend not to be targeted, such as those in schools and religious institutions.  A study by the non-profit Gun Violence Archive shows where public mass shootings have been taking place between 1966 to the present.  Top of the list is retail locations — which are known to have high and uncontrolled foot traffic — followed by restaurants and bars.  The same organization notes that there’s been an upward trend of mass shootings and gun-related deaths in recent years, with more than 200 mass shootings having occurred in the first five months of 2023 alone. 

According to the Gun Violence Archive, in each of the three last complete years in the U.S., there have been more than 600 mass shootings which are when there are at least four injuries or fatalities. That’s almost two a day!  In 2022, there were 20,200 deaths as a result of guns and 38,550 injuries.  Even these stats could be an underestimation.  The worst of the mass shootings, such as the very recent one in a Dallas-area mall which left nine people dead including the gunman, and last year’s shooting in Buffalo at a supermarket in a predominantly Black neighbourhood killing 10 people, made headlines worldwide.  All adding to the fear and validity of the advisory.

Moreover, it’s not just Canada that has issued an advisory with respect to travel to the U.S.  Other countries such as New Zealand and Australia have also advised their citizens to exercise increased caution while visiting, directly pointing to the gun violence issues.  While the U.S. is still a relatively safe place to visit, Global Affairs Canada does recommend that Canadians research the locations where they are planning to visit and be constantly aware of their surroundings.  In Canada, Canadians are not use to having mass shootings on a regular basis as they are very few and far between.  For this reason, they need to understand the serious differences as they relate to gun possession and right to carry laws in certain states in particular.  Let’s face it.  A bullet doesn’t distinguish a target between an American and a Canadian victim.

The need to take specific safeguards when visiting the U.S. has never been greater.  Tourism between our two countries has continued to be strong, particularly since post-COVID restrictions on travel have been increasingly removed in both countries.

In 2017, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security actually issued an official Active Shooter Reference Guide providing people with more information on how to protect themselves in an active shooter situation.  I would suggest strongly that Canadians travelling or working in the U.S. obtain a copy as a preparedness initiative.  The same advice would of course apply to Americans themselves.

Canada Gun Control Gun Laws Tourism US

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