FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

Jan 1

How Is Climate Change Affecting Our Younger Generation?

by bcurry

You may have heard of the terms “eco-anxiety” or “eco-distress” being used when one talks about the psychological impact of climate change on people, especially youth.  Unless one is living on another planet, one cannot help but recognize the extremes we are witnessing with respect to our climate in recent years, even by former deniers.  Across the world, we are seeing more severe weather resulting in flooding, droughts, wildfires, heat waves, tornadoes, etc., etc.  This phenomenon has led to many of us to question the future of humankind in light of one major disaster after another.

The grim forecasts have even led to something referred to as “reproductive anxiety”, whereby the young generation in particular is seriously questioning whether or not to have children?  On the one hand, people look at the carbon print attributed to having another child born.  On the other hand, some question whether it is the responsible thing to do in having a child born into an era of climate and environmental crises.  This tends to be an issue primarily among North American and European highly educated classes, who have the luxury of considering all the alternatives.  After all, it is the industrialized countries that produce the vast majority of fossil fuel emissions and greenhouse gases. 

One can certainly appreciate such arguments among today’s younger generation as we begin a new year.  We appear no closer to resolving the issue than we were five decades ago.  This has left us with an air of extreme pessimism, especially given recent world events.  Governments pay a lot of lip service to reducing carbon and other detrimental emissions, without actually achieving much of anything.  However, where I disagree is over the issue of where our future environmentalists, scientists, engineers and other professionals will come from.  We have come to believe that we have to better adapt our dwellings, infrastructure and technologies to meet the existing climate change challenges.  We will rely heavily on the creativity and productivity of our youngest to commit to developing and implementing new forms of adaptation and effective policies to deal with the multitude of climate change impacts.

Numerous technological experiments are already underway and it is up to the next generation to continue these initiatives.  Many of us are fortunately in a position to encourage and support the educational endeavours of our children, especially in the industrialized countries.  However, we must realize that the bulk of the impacts of global warning will occur in emerging or lesser developed countries, such as threats of mass starvation, conflict, rising sea levels, deaths and species extinctions.  For this reason, we must also support the work of persons in those affected countries, of which there are many.  If we do not do more, one can expect that migration from these countries to North America and Europe will continue at even greater rates.

As for the older generation, we must do our fair share of sacrifices.  This could mean adapting new forms of green technologies to reduce our carbon footprint.  There may be some ways in which to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, including through less air and motor vehicle travel.  How we heat and cool our homes is another area where changes can be made.  Promoting more urban intensification is also something we should consider, thereby reducing single home dwellings and commuting to work.  We have already seen the impact of working from home on travel.  We need to better inform ourselves of climate- and energy-related challenges so as to better educate our children and grandchildren.  As they say, ignorance is no excuse!

As in the case of Sweden’s Greta Thunberg, we have to encourage and support young environmental activists.  At age 15, she started spending time outside the Swedish Parliament to call for stronger action on climate change and later sailed in a yacht to North America, where she attended the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit.  It took some time for her parents to eventually support her activism.  We need more young people like Ms. Thunberg to come forward and demand that more needs to be done to address climate change issues.  Happily, she has been joined by other activists around the world.

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Dec 21

Differences in Governance Systems in Canada and the U.S. Do Matter

by bcurry

Back in high school and in university we were introduced to the two systems of governance in Canada, Great Britain and the U.S.  Canada like the U.K is a parliamentary system, with the normal three levels of governance: the legislature, executive and judiciary components.  As a republic, the U.S. has a similar constitutional makeup, although how each of the members is selected varies greatly.  In Canada, the Prime Minister is selected by which party gets the most seats in the House of Commons.  The PM also sits in Parliament.  Sometimes, if a party doesn’t win the majority of seats to form a government, the party with the most seats can negotiate with another party to form what is referred to as a “minority government”.  Minority governments are tricky because they can be toppled by a “confidence vote” on critical motions such as a budget.  Canada currently has a minority government as a result of the last federal election in September 2021. The PM currently selects the members to Cabinet who are normally members of Parliament, unlike in the U.S. where the President selects Cabinet members who do not sit in Congress.

In the U.S., citizens vote separately for the President and for candidates to the House of Representatives and the Senate, often in what are referred to as “mid-term elections”.  Unlike in Canada where there are mainly five official parties, the U.S. only has two parties: the Democrats and the Republicans.  As a result, Congress can often see a split in control between the House of Representatives and the Senate, as is the case now with the Republicans controlling the House and the Democrats the Senate.  In addition, there are those members who are independents.  The Canadian Senate on the other hand is made up of appointed members (by the Governor General on the PM’s recommendation) who now do not have any party affiliation.  Compared to the American Senate, the Canadian Senate does not have much power, especially when it comes to financial matters such as the budget.  It examines bills referred from the House and can recommend amendments which the governing party can accept or ignore in the final reading before parliament.  While committee hearings before the U.S. Senate can make or break policies or federal appointments, the Canadian Senate’s committees can simply provide reports on selected subjects which the Government most often ignores and get shelved.

Appointments to the Supreme Court are a whole other matter.  In the U.S., such appointments are highly politicized and depend on which party the President and Senate members come from.  In recent years, the majority of Supreme Court justices have been appointed under Republican regimes, resulting in a prevalent conservative court.  In Canada, on the other hand, Supreme Court appointments are more or less apolitical and made to reflect regional, ethnic and affirmative action considerations.  Frankly, given recent decisions by the American Supreme Court (e.g. Roe vs. Wade), I must say that I prefer the more independent Canadian version when it comes to appointing jurists.

There will always be debates over which system is better.  The fact of the matter is that both have their benefits and flaws.  One major concern with the American system is how the President is elected and the role of the “electoral college”.  For example, in the case of Donald Trump, he had smaller percentage of the popular vote than Hillary Clinton and yet won the election.  In both countries, it is especially important to win certain urban and rural areas in order to be politically successful.  For this reason, parties target certain key states in the U.S. and certain key provinces in Canada.  One major difference is how candidates in the election process are funded.  In the U.S. there is no end to the hundreds of millions of dollars that candidates can gather from such sources as Super PACs (political action committees).  For example, this year’s midterm election was expected to set a new spending record, with over $9 billion being raised. This is significantly higher than the previous record of $7 billion, which was set in 2018.  In Canada, contributions to candidates are far less and are regulated by controls enforced by an independent agency, namely Elections Canada.

To change the current governance systems in both countries would require significant constitutional amendments which don’t appear to be on the horizon anytime soon.  I would suggest, maybe just maybe, the time is right for governments to re-examine the governance processes in light of our histories and the continuing changes in both societies.

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Dec 11

Issues Raised Over Military’s Junior R.O.C.T. Programs in American High Schools

by bcurry

Recently, I read an article in the New York Times (Times) which highlighted the apparent mandatory participation of high school students in the military’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (J.R.O.C.T.) program.  The article points out that J.R.O.T.C. programs, taught by military veterans at some 3,500 high schools across the country, are supposed to be elective, and the Pentagon has said that requiring students to take them goes against its guidelines.

In Canada, over 57 000 youth, aged 12-18 participate in the after school and summer Cadet program: supervised and led by over 9000 military and civilian members; supported by their communities, sponsors, the Canadian Armed Forces, and the Navy, Army Cadet and Air Cadet Leagues of Canada.  Cadets generally run activities one night per week, and one weekend per month, with additional opportunities for unique experiences during the summer and throughout the year.  As in the case of the J.R.O.C.T. program, the cadet program markets once in a lifetime opportunities that develop leadership, citizenship, and self-confidence.  However, unlike the J.R.O.C.T. program, it is completely voluntary.

The Times found the vast majority of the schools with those high enrollment numbers were attended by a large proportion of non-white students and those from low-income households.  The role of J.R.O.T.C. in U.S. high schools has been a point of debate since the program was founded more than a century ago.   What is disconcerting is that in many schools a student is automatically enrolled, and must put in a request in order to leave the program.  Some have described such a military program as a means to indoctrinate young people and a form of “brainwashing”.  Others, including civilian teachers, are uncomfortable with military posters and recruiters on campus and the curriculum taught in J.R.O.T.C. classes, especially as it pertains to U.S. history regarding foreign policy and military initiatives oversees (e.g. Vietnam).  Some high school freshmen are also in J.R.O.T.C. at the start of the school year in part because of a shortage of physical education teachers.

These types of military sponsored programs advertise their worth in terms of better attendance and graduation rates, and fewer discipline problems at school.  However, critics have long contended that the program’s militaristic discipline emphasizes obedience over independence and critical thinking. The Times found the program’s textbooks falsified or downplayed the failings of the U.S. government, suggesting the promotion of “fake history”.  It is asserted by some opponents that the program’s heavy concentration in schools with low-income and non-white students helps propel such students into the military instead of encouraging other routes to college or jobs in the civilian economy.  I am a firm believer that what is needed by young people is more in the line of developing “self-discipline” and “commitment” to their studies and communities.  After all, schools are expected to provide guidance and programs aimed at self-discipline and other behavioural issues.  Not all young people respond well to the forced adherence to disciplinary measures and regimentation. 

Yes, in both Canada and the U.S. without compulsory military service, there is a shortage of personnel in the professional military.  However, a mandatory J.R.O.C.T.-like program in high schools is not going to resolve the problem.  The requirements of the modern military today are totally different from years ago.  Recruiters today are looking more for better educated and more technically savvy candidates.  Indeed, they may be better off promoting military service at the post-secondary level, especially were STEP programs are available.  If eventual serving in the military subsidizes post-secondary tuitions and other expenses, then perhaps more young people would voluntarily consider such a program.  Simply having a high school diploma no longer cuts the mustard.  Governments will have to consider improving wages, working conditions and benefits just like employers in the private sector.  The concept of “patriotism” can go only so far in today’s competitive society.

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Nov 22

Online Gambling Just One More Factor Leading to Gambling Addiction

by bcurry

In 2011, a study of problem gambling by David Hodgins, the head of the University of Calgary’s Addictive Behaviours Laboratory, was published in the medical journal The Lancet.  According to the study, online gambling is giving easy access to future addicts without having to set foot in a casino or betting parlour.  Hodgins noted that gambling disorders are often found in conjunction with other mental health and substance-abuse disorders.  In addition, experts believe that online gambling provides exactly what most addicts are looking for — anonymity.  New Canadian research shows that gamblers have “blind spots” in recognizing addictive behaviour in themselves, traits that could make online gambling even more dangerous.  In 2010, there were an estimated 2,500 illegal and unregulated gambling websites already in existence.  Governments both in Canada and the U.S. realized that they had no choice but to introduce legislation regulating online gambling and getting a monetary share of the market for the government coffers.  The latter rationale became a real driver for public support for government-regulated and safer online gambling.  However, the always-on nature of the Internet is forcing many countries, states and provinces to re-evaluate their gambling laws in order to address new trends such as betting on the outcome of a video game, playing poker online or online betting on sports of all sorts.

In both countries, the recent arrival of sports online betting pressured federal, state and provincial governments to remove previous bans on single-game sports betting.  In Canada, the federal ban on single-game sports betting was officially lifted in August 2021. Since then, all provinces have gotten into the hypercompetitive iGaming market.  In the U.S., the Supreme Court in 2018 opened the door to widespread sports betting.  However, a recent New York Times investigation found that government oversight of sports betting offers scant consumer protections and mainly looks to the industry to police itself.  In addition, there are dedicated minimal funds by the gambling industry to combat addiction.  Furthermore, several sports betting sites in the U.S. allow gamblers to put money in their accounts via credit cards.  Furthermore, gambling companies have carpeted social media, stadiums, billboards and airwaves with advertisements plugging risk-free bets and other promotions to entice new patrons.  In contrast, several countries like Spain, Italy and Australia restricted such ads, promotions or endorsements.  In Ontario, which this year became Canada’s first province to allow sports betting, the government outlawed advertisements of free bets and other promotions.  Within months companies, including DraftKings and BetMGM, were penalized by Ontario for breaking this law, although the fines were a joke when compared to their revenues.

The issue of online gambling while at work has even surfaced in some jurisdictions and among employers.  For example, in 2010 a new threat to Quebec’s productivity was raised across the province: online gambling.  Survey findings released by Montreal polling firm CROP Inc. found that one in 10 Quebecers confessed they’d been tempted to place bets over the Internet instead of doing work.  The findings also showed that 37% of respondents said their employers had no policy on using the Internet for personal interest, including online gambling, during work hours.

Like other addictions, gambling can become highly addictive.  It is estimated that as many as one in five persons who frequently gamble, online or otherwise, could become addictive to gambling.  An Ipsos-Reid survey in 2010 in Ontario found that 92 percent of adults could recognize risky gambling behaviour in others.  However, when reflecting on their own tendencies, one in five gamblers said they had engaged in the same risky behaviours over the past year, creating “blind spots” in their perception of themselves.  Despite the oversight by government agencies and commissions, the fact is that the amount of funds dedicated to help prevent gambling addiction and help those already addicted are miniscule compared to the billions the industry brings in.  According to the recent New York Times article, last year the U.S. government didn’t allocate any money to prevent or treat gambling addiction.  As per a group that represents state employees who oversee such funds, states had only set aside a total of $94 million (U.S.).  That was 0.3 percent of what state and federal governments allocated for substance abuse.

Why not just prevent people with known gambling addiction to access such sites?   Some jurisdictions in the U.S. and Canada do maintain databases of people who have asked to be blocked from gambling.  However, jurisdictions often leave it up to betting companies to download and abide by updated versions of the lists.  Several now require sports-betting companies to maintain their own self-exclusion lists, despite the evidence that companies have resisted sharing them with competitors or regulators.

While we have dealt with unregulated sports-betting and other gambling Internet sites, the fact is that we have simply replaced them with legally licensed sites.  While government regulation may appear to reassure people about the oversight of such online gambling, the fact is that the more people bet, the more governments collect taxes on gambling.  One result is that jurisdictions have, in many ways, given gambling companies free rein.  Meanwhile, the issue of gambling addictions continues and many people’s lives continue to be destroyed.

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Nov 18

For Some Reason, We Don’t Talk Enough About ‘Methane’ as a Greenhouse Gas

by bcurry

In 2021, a headline about global atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) read: “CO₂ reaches its highest level in more than 4 million years.”  However, the more potent greenhouse gas ‘methane’ is not given as much media attention as CO₂.

If it escapes into the atmosphere before being burned, as the main component of natural gas, methane can warm the planet more than 80 times as much as the same amount of CO₂ over a 20-year period.  Recent data from the European Union show Canada is the only G7 country where methane emissions have increased since 1990, although the rate of increase is slowing.  Studies suggest the amount of methane released is probably underestimated.

2021 was a big year for energy markets as indicated by increases in natural gas prices. Natural gas production has more than doubled this year in many parts of the world.  In addition, in Canada there are substantial or potential deposits of shale gas in all provinces and territories except Manitoba, Prince Edward Island and Nunavut.  To get at shale gas, one has to use a process known as “fracking”.  Fracking involves injecting chemicals under high pressure into drilled wells to fracture geological formations below and allow for the release of larger quantities of both crude oil and natural gas.  In the last 20 years, large-scale commercial production of much deeper shale-gas reservoirs has become possible with new drilling techniques that combine two different technologies — horizontal drilling and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing. This process involves drilling the gas well vertically from the surface before bending it at a certain depth to penetrate the shale-gas layer horizontally or diagonally.  However, like standard natural gas drilling, the fracking process also releases methane as a byproduct.  It has been found that flares, used to dispose of unwanted methane from wells, burn off far less than the 98 percent of the gas they are assumed to.  Fracking in Canada and the U.S. now involves hundreds of new sites every year.

A recent survey of oil and gas facilities in Canada found widespread methane releases. Satellite imagery saw giant plumes of the gas escaping landfills, and a cloud of methane was detected over a natural gas field in Canada.  It identified a hidden source of pollution from one of North America’s most prolific production basins along the Alberta-Saskatchewan boundary.  However, on a broader scale, satellites can have difficulty tracking offshore emissions and releases in higher latitudes.  In the U.S., Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data from 2019 includes emissions from drilling and fracking sites, but excludes emissions from offshore drilling, as well as some parts of the oil and gas supply chain like pipelines or processing plants.  As noted by recent research, the official data is likely to greatly underestimate actual emissions from oil and gas production, in part because it does not properly account for leaks from equipment, which can be a significant source of emissions.  As well, poorly maintained sites often mean more leaks that go undetected for longer, making them highly polluting.

Today, questions over just how much methane Canada pumps into the atmosphere come as the federal government expands regulation of the gas.  Canada is now developing regulations that would apply to all natural gas facilities, minimize use of flares, ensures those that exist work properly, increase inspection and require equipment upgrades.  The new rules are to include comprehensive, consistent emission monitoring and reporting.  The Biden administration is in the process of reinstating methane regulations relaxed by President Donald Trump.

Overall, it would appear that the oil and gas industry does not do as much monitoring of methane gas releases as it appears to do for CO₂.  There is little doubt that to deal with related environmental concerns, both industry and governments have to do a much better job of controlling widespread methane releases.  For whatever reason, this critical greenhouse gas fell off the radar.  With the evident continuing reliance on natural gas for heating and electricity production in North America, there is an immediate need to get a better handle on monitoring and release controls.  Moreover, methane emissions from leaking wells could far outweigh the benefit from replacing other fuels when it comes to our fragile environment.

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Nov 14

Recent Layoffs Among White-Collar Workers and CEOs Can’t Stop Saying Sorry

by bcurry

Last August a survey was released by consultant PwC which polled more than 700 U.S. executives and board members across a range of industries.  It found that half of respondents said they’re reducing headcount or plan to, and 52 percent had implemented hiring freezes.  The projected layoffs were seen to especially hit the high tech and financial sectors, primarily among middle- and lower-management.  Since rising interest rates in March resulted in home sales slowing to a crawl, there have also been widespread cuts for realtors, mortgage brokers and appraisers.  Unlike blue-collar workers where there is a current shortage of labour, most analysts would agree that this particular round of layoffs will have its greatest impact among white-collar workers.

As of today, forecasted layoffs in significant numbers are happening across the U.S. and Canada.  Many are occurring among some of our largest employers, including for example: Meta Platform Inc., Netflix Inc., Shopify, Wayfair Inc., Oracle Corp, and Apple Inc.  Walmart Inc., Ford Motor Co., Gap Inc., Zillow Group Inc. and Stanley Black & Decker Inc. also announced they plan to cut jobs at their head offices.  Of course, Elon Musk, following his purchase of the company, leads the way with his recent announcement that half of Twitter’s workforce is being dismissed.  These are all companies that did well during the pandemic, notably because of the growth in on-line sales and business.  However, now that the pandemic is coming to an end and interest rates are rising and stock price valuations are in decline, the boom appears to be over.  Thousands upon thousands are being laid off, largely because of massive hiring during the pandemic itself and management’s misreading of the markets.

The layoffs couldn’t have come at a worst time for white-collar workers given that the labour market today is extremely tight, with about 1.9 available jobs for every unemployed person.  What is interesting, many CEOs are openly expressing regret by stating that the situation is largely their fault.  They obviously recognize that they’ll probably need to hire back some of the talented and skilled people they laid off, and could be positioning themselves to recruit again when the recovery comes.  This is being done out of self-interest and to maintain a good product name.  At the same time, about two-thirds of firms surveyed are boosting pay or expanding mental-health benefits, largely to retain the remaining workers.  The most common move is making remote work permanent for more people.  For this reason, many CEOs are trying to appear to initiate the layoffs in as humane way as possible.

Otherwise, just saying you’re sorry is not enough!  There will obviously be a need to keep doors open once the economy recovers.  One question will be the nature of employment and the workplace down the road.  While replacing blue-collar workers with robotics for example is increasingly a concern, the advent of the greater use of artificial intelligence will be an issue for white-collar workers.  For example, Deutsche Bank’s CEO John Cryan hinted in 2017 that half its workers could be replaced by machines.  According to a survey in the same year by Greenwich Associates, around 75% of financial firms were intending to either explore or implement artificial intelligence technologies.  Among Canada’s five big banks, there are artificial intelligence-powered chatbots that now interact with customers through a bank’s digital channels — online, mobile and social media, and programmable software bots perform administrative tasks such as processing mortgage applications.  These virtual machines are already being tasked with some heavy lifting.

Otherwise, no one’s job is guaranteed to be safe now or in the future, including many of today’s white-collar jobs.  There is little doubt that, as more permanent cost cutting measures occur, companies will be looking to enhance their productivity and lower labour costs through the use of new technologies.  There is no profession or field of employment that is safe anymore.  The fact that CEOs are currently letting go so many white-collar workers, may also offer them an opportune time to look at new replacement strategies.  I wonder if CEOS like Elon Musk will continue to say ‘sorry’?

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Nov 9

Where Is America’s Democracy Heading?

by bcurry

Now that the mid-term elections are more or less over, there are a lot of questions about where America’s democratic processes are heading?  This is particularly true given the following issues that surfaced during the voting processes.

  • Several states instituted new restrictions on how people could vote, some moving to in-person voting as a requirement.  This particularly had a negative impact on seniors and persons with mobility disabilities.  In some cases, it also affected marginalized groups.  For example, Florida had new elections legislation affecting voting in the State, which voter advocates argued disproportionately affected Black voters — making it harder for many to vote — and created an environment of confusion and fear.
  • Various voting station monitoring processes were introduced, some of which definitely intimidated certain voters.  In a couple of instances, authorities had to remove armed monitors — reminiscent of Russian elections — from polling stations.
  • Several states had candidates, all Republican, whose platforms included the open but false belief that the 2020 Presidential election was not legitimate.  Some of these candidates were running for positions of Senator, Governor, Attorney General and Secretary of State.  If elected, all could have a serious impact on how future elections are run.
  • Right-wing roadshows, such as the ReAwaken America Tour, promoted Christian nationalism before the mid-terms.  According to Samuel Perry, an associate professor of sociology at the University of Oklahoma and the co-author of the book ‘The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy’, a growing number of Republicans are embracing the ideology of Christian nationalism.  Such groups advocate the fusion of American civic life with a particular kind of white, conservative Christianity, a contrary notion to the separation of church and state.
  • As Republican candidates across the country continue to amplify former President Donald Trump’s false claims of corrupted elections, officials were ready for disruptions after the polls closed.  Already declared, activists and lawyers are prepared to challenge ballots and dispute counting procedures, and losing candidates who cast doubt on the integrity of the process may file lawsuits.
  • Not long ago, the fight against disinformation focused on the major social media platforms, like Facebook and Twitter. When pressed, they often removed troubling content, including misinformation and intentional disinformation about issues. Today, however, there are dozens of new platforms, including some that pride themselves on not moderating — censoring, as they put it — untrue statements in the name of free speech.

These are only a few of the anomalies that were witnessed during yesterday’s mid-term elections.  The continuing polarization of American politics was clearly on display.  There appears to be no real chance for compromise in Congress which will leave President Joe Biden with few legislative options during the remainder of his term in office.  It can only be expected that the same election issues will surface in the next presidential election, if not more so.

Even the U.S. Supreme Court has increasingly demonstrated in recent decisions that political ideology plays an important role, especially when judges are appointed by Republican or Democratic administrations.  Clearly, there now has surfaced a serious negative impact on the courts as neutral bodies governed by the laws of the land and the will of the peoples’ elected representatives.  So much for checks and balances related to the three branches of governance!

Other democracies are closely watching what is happening in the America and some are very concerned about the situation.  Studies have even shown that young people in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. are increasingly cynical about the ability of democracies to effectively govern, leading today’s youth away from representative government.  Some young people appear ready to abandon democracy, expressing concerns for their futures and the belief that the current system has failed them.  In the past, foreigners have looked to American democracy as a model to replicate in their countries.  Sadly, this may no longer be the case.

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Nov 3

Attack on Nancy Pelosi’s Husband was not due to a Mental Illness of Accused Attacker

by bcurry

Let’s first start with a new study out of Columbia University and recently published in Journal of Forensic Sciences which concludes that mental illness is not the cause of the vast majority of mass shootings.  When a domestic terrorist incident occurs involving a mass shooting or an attack on a high-profile person, the first reflective reaction is not to want to completely dismiss mental illness, like psychosis, as the primary cause.  The authors note that this immediate reflex assumption exacerbates “the already widespread stigma surrounding severe mental illness”.  The extensive study concluded that for perpetrators who used firearms, just over 80 percent did not have a mental illness.  Sixty-eight percent of those who used other means for murder, like stabbing, did not have a mental illness, either.  One of the study’s authors, Dr. Ragy R. Girgis, who is the director at the Center of Prevention and Evaluation specializing in studying and treating teens and young adults at high risk for psychoses, like schizophrenia, preferred to focus on the cultural and social drivers behind these types of killings — such as the romanticization of guns and gun violence — rather than on individual predictors.

In the gruesome attack on October 25th on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, this was carried out by what one refers to as a ‘lone wolf’.  He has to date no clear indication that he was a direct instrument of any extremist group.  In the past years that I’ve been studying ‘radicalization’ of individuals in both the U.S. and Canada, I have found some common traits and factors for lone wolves.  For one, all were male and primarily Caucasian.  These individuals had undergone serious problems with their ‘socialization’ when they were young, often demonstrating loner qualities within somewhat dysfunctional family life and having few real close friends.  These individuals may be particularly vulnerable to extremist messaging and recruitment strategies.  Their social and economic situations tend to lead them to blaming others, tending to be swayed by conspiracy theories, often easily accessed through social media and Web sites run by extremist groups, such as the message board 4chan — a site notorious for extremist discussion.  In the case of Paul Pelosi’s attacker, David DePape, he appears to be a near perfect candidate for extremism and radicalization.  For over two decades, he has been estranged from members of his family in Powell River, British Columbia, including a twin sister.  His stepmother noted that, in his youth, DePape didn’t socialize much at all.  He was also lately estranged from his wife and children.  According to an initial investigation by the Associated Press, it is reported that he is alleged to have published a series of conspiracy rants online.  In recent months, DePape reportedly published hundreds of blog posts sharing memes in support of fringe commentators and far-right personalities.  Many of the posts were filled with screeds against Jews, Black people, Democrats, the media and transgender people.  In addition, DePape may have had suicidal thoughts in carrying out his attack, something pointed out by the Columbia University in the case of mass school shootings where almost half (45.6%) ended with the perpetrator’s suicide.

There have been numerous studies in both countries trying to get into the minds of such predators and killers, and how they can become radicalized.   A criminal investigative psychologist with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Matthew Logan, asserted in 2015 that many radicalized individuals are misfits of society who cling obsessively to “overvalued ideas” as a way to elevate their sense of self.  Jocelyn Bélanger, a professor of psychology at the Université du Québec à Montréal, concluded that when someone feels alienated from society, it is painful.  In turn, one of the quickest ways to assuage that pain is to turn to violence and incite fear.  She also notes that, while there is a dearth of hard evidence linking mental illness and radicalization, ideology often does play an important role in what drives people to radicalize.  Both researchers argue that, while such individuals are usually intolerant of ideas that contradict their own, treatment isn’t out of the question.  Providing individuals with vocational training, stable employment, fair treatment and supportive community connections can steer them onto a more productive track.

Given his history, it will be very difficult to argue that David DePape suffered from a serious mental condition causing his vile actions.  He apparently had clear motive for the attack and had planned and carried out the attack in a systematic way, fully recognizing the Secret Service security afforded to the Pelosi residence.  As in other lone wolf attacks, he proceeded in a deliberate and targeted ego-driven manner in order to achieve the ultimate goal, which, for many, is a “quest for personal significance.”

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Oct 27

Women Still Cannot Break Corporate Glass Ceilings

by bcurry

Yes it takes time for more women to reach leadership positions in companies, even though more and more qualified women are entering business management fields.  One human resource expert in 2011 referred to the so-called infamous glass ceiling as being more of a brick ceiling.  Yes, there are more women in senior management than ever before.  However, proportionately, they still are under-represented as to their numbers in businesses in general.  Back in 2020, Bloomberg News reported that women held more than a quarter of the board seats at S&P 500 companies for the first time, a significant gain.  It was also reported at the time that, according to Catalyst which follows labour market trends, there now were 32 women leading S&P 500 companies.  Increasingly although at a snail’s pace, more women are now holding the top finance jobs (e.g. Chief Financial Officers) at large U.S. companies, despite the fact that companies continue to have fewer women in operational roles.

What is disheartening in 2022, Bloomberg News reports that women are leaving the top ranks of companies at higher rates than ever before — as female employees remain less likely to get promoted into leadership roles in the first place.  According to a new McKinsey & Co. and LeanIn.org report, for every woman at the director level who gets promoted, two female directors are choosing to leave their company.  Bloomberg notes that while women have long been at a disadvantage in the workplace, many of problems have been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.  For example, a lack of affordable childcare has contributed to more women leaving the workforce than men in recent years.  A gender pay gap, which had been narrowing, also stalled during the pandemic.  Furthermore, those in the highest ranks of their organizations are re-evaluating — because of a lack of advancement opportunities, flexibility or unequal treatment or a combination of these and other factors.  Many of the factors were once again particularly true for women representing visible minority groups, such as women of colour.  Women of colour continue to represent far fewer women promoted to a manager role from entry-level when compared to women in general.  This is further complicated by the fact that there are still simply fewer women in upper management at most companies to be promoted.

McKinsey and LeanIn reported also that the pandemic affected women in other ways, in particular those related to remote work and work-life balance, especially where children are involved.  They found that only one in ten female employees want to work from the office most of the time.  The summary of their report said “many” women call hybrid work schedules a key reason for joining or sticking with an employer.  LeanIn CEO Rachel Thomas points out that: “Women are not breaking up with work, they are breaking up with companies who are not delivering the work culture and the opportunity and the flexibility that’s so critically important to them”.

Women have made some strides to break the glass ceiling in recent years.  According to a 2014 report by Reuters, for the first time more than half of 4,000 corporations worldwide reported boards with 10 percent or more female members.  However, it is noted that for all the progress that’s been made, male CEOs and board members still vastly outnumber women. 

All in all, it appears that the pandemic has stalled the steady progression which promoted more and more qualified women to senior management and corporate board positions.  Most governments in the U.S. and Canada have made it clear that the current situation is still unacceptable.  At all levels of government, most have promoted women to leadership and judicial positions, cabinet portfolios, and have attempted to encourage more women to run for political office.  On the other hand, as one author noted, the inability to recruit and retain women in the corporate arena could be disastrous for businesses.  This is not hyperbole, especially when women now make up the majority of university grads and most plan to enter the labour force upon graduation.  Yes, frustration has set in and rightly so.  Paying lip service and tokenism are no longer an option!  At this time, what one has is only a crack in the glass ceiling!

Canada Labor Force Labour Force US Women's Issues Women's Issues

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Oct 20

Elder Poverty Is Growing In Both The U.S. And Canada

by bcurry

Employer pensions are not what they used to be.  An analysis done back in 2016  found that just 99, or about 20%, of Fortune 500 companies offered a “defined benefit plan” to new salaried employees in 2015.  This was down from 104 companies, or nearly 21% in 2014, and a dramatic fall from a decade earlier in 2005, when 248, or just over 48% of Fortune 500 firms had such plans.  Defined benefit plans provided pensioners with specific annual amounts of funds from a company pension following their retirement.  Instead, most companies began to offer “defined contribution plans”, leaving it up to employees to invest for their retirement through various financial institutions.  In 2022, the U.S. Labor Department reported that while 72% of civilian workers had access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan, only about 56% took part in one.  Many other Americans without company pension plans have been forced to invest in a 401(k) (today’s No. 1 retirement vehicle in the U.S.) or other kinds of retirement savings.  The problem is that less than half of working Americans have access to a 401(k) plan.  Many who have a 401(k) at work opt not to participate, and many who do contribute often don’t save enough.  On top of which, many seniors with 401(k) accounts were negatively hit by the Great Recession.  A whopping 36 percent of Americans have less than $1,000 saved for retirement.  As a result, Americans hitting retirement today frequently depend on Social Security as their only source of income, which wasn’t the program’s original intention as a supplemental plan.

In its annual retirement survey in 2007, the Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. revealed that many middle-aged and older adults have serious concerns about their financial security in retirement and are doing almost nothing to shore up their finances.  As a result, the survey indicated that many people plan to “continue working in some capacity while retired,” including one of every two workers in the U.S.  The number of elderly Americans living in poverty is on the increase, particularly following the impact on employment during the pandemic.  Those 65 or older usually weren’t eligible for as much pandemic relief as families with children, thus eating further into their savings.  By 2020, the figure for elderly Americans living in poverty had fallen to 9.5%.  However, in 2021, even as the poverty rate sank for everyone else, it rose among seniors to 10.7%.

In 2009, it was estimated that only about one-third of working Canadian adults have pensions, the majority of which are administered by funds that have taken substantial financial hits with large, unfunded liabilities.  As in the U.S., Canadian companies are relying more heavily on defined contribution plans to lower their human resource costs.  Many elder Canadians have come to rely on government programs such as the Canada Pension Plan (into which they have to pay premiums while working), along with Old Age Security and Income Supplement payments for lower income older individuals.  Although partially indexed to inflation rates, payments under such plans have fallen behind recent cost of living increases.

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), although today’s share of elderly people officially below the poverty line in the U.S. is low by historical standards, it remains among the highest in the developed world, including Canada.  Furthermore, today’s hyperinflation is further cutting into the incomes of seniors in both countries.  In addition, with fewer workers accessing company retirement plans, there is an increasing concern that younger workers may not be saving enough for their future retirements.  Experience has shown that they cannot rely solely on social security payments to live comfortable and active retirement lives, without having to remain in or re-enter the labour force.  Both countries have a growing aging population, led by more and more boomers leaving employment to enter into retirement.  Given that elder poverty is on the increase, one has to question what will be their quality of life after retirement.  What we need today are longer-term solutions, and not small short-term “band-aid” increases in government pension schemes or random handouts.  What we don’t need are governments willing to reduce current high levels of fiscal debt on the backs of seniors.  Companies as well need to attract and retain workers with better funded retirement benefits. 

Moreover, how we treat the elderly is a societal issue!  It’s obvious that as a society, we are indeed at a crossroads when it comes to this important issue.  Given the financial circumstances of most millennials and generations Y and Z, one cannot expect that they will be in a meaningful position to help their parents financially.  Given the projected growth in the proportion of seniors falling on or below the poverty level, there is an immediate serious need for governments, communities and individuals to come to grips with the problem.

Canada Labor Force Labour Force Seniors Seniors US

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