FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

Aug 4

Artificial Intelligence Cannot Offer An Opinion, But I Can

by bcurry

Over the last year, the number of articles and books emerging about artificial intelligence (AI) has exploded.  Some issues have been raised particularly dealing with the matter of AI’s involvement in writing, creatively or otherwise.  For me, this raised the matter of whether AI produced outcomes can offer a real opinion on a subject.  After all, an opinion is a view or judgement not necessarily based solely on fact or current knowledge.  In fact, in some of my blogs I may be expressing an opinion based on my background experiences and my past acquired knowledge base.  Humans cannot avoid having some preconceived opinions which are often attributed to such factors as their history, education, socioeconomic status and culture.  This is what makes opinions so much more interesting than merely providing an overview of information and data simply gathered from varying sources.  Varying opinions among people are what makes debates so valuable and interesting since they provide opportunities to view issues from different perspectives.

In some fields, such as medicine, engineering and most sciences, AI can be very effective in providing an initial interpretation of potential causes and effects based solely on factual evidence.  However, in the social sciences and literary fields from a creative point of view, I don’t see AI as being all that much useful.  When it comes to problem solving and critical thinking, a lot of the needed information resides through engagement within our communities.  Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson in their recent book, “Power and Progress”, note that our reasoning is primarily based on “social communication”.  Decisions need to be made with the use of this social dimension of intelligence.  With respect to many of today’s major issues, we often develop additional skills and capabilities based on our empathy for others and the consequential sharing of goals, values and objectives.  You and I can appreciate this human need, but AI cannot.

In my opinion, there is little substitute for years of experience involving different situations and circumstances over one’s lifetime.  Life-long skills are nurtured and opinions are developed which take into consideration a wide variety of influences.  Sometimes, others come forward with different views and will influence one’s opinion on issues, greatly or in small ways.  Indeed, in the face of good arguments, one will often be forced to soften or alter one’s views.  This is not something that AI can really respond to.

Most importantly, the advent of hundreds of thousands of sources of information in the digitalization age, frequently including misinformation, will influence the use of AI and its accuracy.  Humans on the other hand need to employ critical thinking skills to discern what information is based on reliable facts and is not information based solely on preconceived bias.  This is not easy, and requires extensive research beyond what is contained in digitalized sites.  For example, authors, so-called experts and researchers involved in socioeconomic fields can take years to consolidate their positions on most issues.  From a community point of view, these positions are then often peer-reviewed as a means of validating the methodical approaches taken.  AI cannot consistently and effectively do this.  Whether the results of AI can satisfy such processes has yet to be determined — no easy matter.

In the meantime, I would suggest that bloggers like myself will continue to study and write according to our opinions formulated over decades of experiences and research.  I prefer to provide a human perspective to many of the important issues and challenges we all face in our communities on a daily basis.  After all, mine is but one of many existing opinions on these issues, largely intended to stimulate discussion and debate. 

Artificial Intelligence

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Jul 26

Why Canada’s Infatuation With Public Inquiries Is Flawed

by bcurry

Recently, opposition parties in the federal legislature have been demanding that the federal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau create a public inquiry into the matter of Chinese and other foreign interference in our national security scene.  I touched on this issue in a recent blog: Why would the Canadian government need a public inquiry on national security matters. 

Now, we have several health and medical related bodies asking the federal government to have a public inquiry into the handling by governments of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. On July 24th, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) published a letter by more than a dozen Canadian physicians and health advocates shining a spotlight on what they’ve dubbed the country’s “major pandemic failures,” from the devastation in long-term care homes, to vaccine hoarding, to higher death rates among lower-income communities.  Why would one need a public inquiry when there are already a number of federal and provincial bodies, such as Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), which were directly involved in the coordination of policies and actions in response to COVID-19?  Indeed, Health Canada has already indicated that there are a number of audits and studies underway, including the launch of an independent public health review panel and a series of comprehensive audits on the agency’s pandemic response being undertaken by the federal Office of the Auditor General. 

The difficulty in Canada is that the responsibility for health matters is a shared one between the federal government and thirteen provincial/territorial governments.  The implementation of a national COVID-19 strategy had to be coordinated among the provinces which for the most part were responsible for the actual implementation of actions on the ground, including the eventual mass vaccination of Canadians across the country.  In addition, the on-going responsibility for long-term care residences lies with the provinces, and these facilities were known prior to COVID-19 to have major resource issues, including health care personnel shortages.  The unfortunate high level of pandemic-related deaths at the outset was largely due to numerous systemic problems in long-term care residences in several provinces.  As a result, plans are already underway by the provinces to attempt to correct these problems, especially when it comes to health care resources.  The state of our hospitals and emergency services are also the responsibility of each province, and would require a thorough investigation of problems arising during the pandemic with respect to the handling of patients.  There have already been several studies as to why communities with low incomes, immigrants and essential workers were hardest hit by COVID-19.

In addition, this past spring it was reported that there is a citizen-led, cross-Canada inquiry, the National Citizens Inquiry into Canada’s Response to COVID-19, which aims to examine how governments and institutions reacted to the pandemic. This appears to be a unique inquiry in many ways since it is citizen run and citizen funded.

Yes, there is little doubt that there were frustrations and concerns about the impact of existing complexities within the Canadian health care system, with its joint responsibilities between the two levels of government.  Some, like the physicians and health advocates, might conclude that Canada was ‘ill-prepared’ and ‘lacked coordination’ in the COVID-19 pandemic.  However, the same could be said for most Western countries, including the U.S. and Britain.  No one disagrees that it is time to investigate what happened and learn how to prepare for the next pandemic.  Having another full-scale public inquiry is probably not the best way to go.

There are enough expert organizations already out there, both federally and provincially, which need to examine their roles and resources when it comes to meeting the challenges associated with pandemics.  By doing so, each of the necessary blocks can be strengthened and improved so as to develop more coherent and appropriate policies and actions in the future.  In the past, Canada was infatuated with so-called royal commissions related to economic and social matters.  However, they were top-heavy in resources and took a very long time to complete.  In most cases, the resulting reports were simply shelved and forgotten about until the next crisis occurred.  I truly believe that our existing institutions can carry out their post-mortem studies in a lot faster and more efficient matter.  This way, they each will ultimately be accountable for the results, especially when it comes to carrying out any subsequent recommendations in a timely manner.

Canada COVID-19 Health Care Systen

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Jul 21

Sensationalist Reporting of Paul Bernardo’s Prison Change Overlooks Major Problems in Canada’s Correctional System

by bcurry

Recently, serial killer and rapist Paul Bernardo was transferred to a medium-security prison from a maximum-security prison, drawing the ire of numerous mainstream media sources.  Bernardo is serving an indeterminate life sentence — the harshest sentence possible in the Canadian criminal justice system — for the kidnapping, torture and murders of two teenage women in the early 1990s in Ontario, Canada.  Bernardo’s security classification was reviewed 14 times between 1999 and 2022, and each time he met the criteria to be moved to a medium-security institution as confirmed by a recent review by the independent Commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada.  When the public became informed via the media, this case naturally raised the anger of the victims’ families and various federal and provincial politicians.  However, the institution was simply following the law in place at this time.

Unfortunately, while this emotional situation raised a number of potential issues regarding the correctional system, it again overlooks very serious questions about Canada’s prison system that have been around for decades.  According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Canada has one of the highest levels of recidivism, which is the act of re-offending after leaving prison, among western industrialized countries.  Remember that the Canadian correctional system is supposed to be fundamentally based on the rehabilitation of offenders, regardless if the nature of their crimes.  In 2015, one Canadian research effort, known as the national trajectory project, found that people who go through the prison system have a 40 percent chance of re-offending within three years of release. 

Then there are the working, health and safety conditions in the country’s 53 federal prisons, which have led to many concerns by prison guards and observers over many years.  The Union of Canadian Correctional Officers says many more guards are needed if they are to deal with harassment from inmates and to do their jobs in a safer environment.  Deaths and riots in prisons often don’t even make headlines in mainstream news, unless it involves the death of a prison guards or officials, or a family’s request for a public review of a family member’s death while in prison.  Prisoner abuse by guards has also been an ongoing issue.  Canada’s prison guards are essentially being left to their own devices when it comes to treating inmates with basic human respect.  It’s difficult to recruit qualified people for prison guard positions given the reputation surrounding working conditions and dangers within our prisons.

In addition, prisons are dealing with an increasing number of inmates suffering from mental health issues, including those determined to be “not criminally responsible” because of the state of their mental health when they have committed a crime.  Fortunately, those inmates having this designation apparently do receive more appropriate medical care and supervision, unlike those in the general prison population who may have less evident and underlying mental health concerns.  Lack of resources and guard training is a concern.  Studies have also shown that with such treatment, persons found to not be criminally responsible are far less likely to re-offend, especially if they continue to follow their treatment regime.

Unfortunately, during the conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the early 2000s, there was a shift toward punishment of prisoners and away from rehabilitation.  The current Liberal government under Justin Trudeau has taken a more liberal approach to dealing with prison reform and punishment criteria.  Needless-to-say, this has divided people between those wanting stronger punishment and those supporting more humane and rehabilitative approaches.  There is even a small minority that would like to see the death penalty brought back, similar to what exists in several American states.  Politically, a very unlikely possibility in Canada.

Whether one is in agreement or not, prisoners have rights and expect to be treated in a humane manner.  Basically, we designated the courts and an independent institution to oversee the rule of law, including that pertaining to penalties and terms of imprisonment.  Hopefully, this respects prisoners’ rights and reduces the chances of prison violence and inmate-related violations, while ensuring the public safety and reducing the level of offenders’ recidivism upon returning back into society.  Focusing on this one sensational case really doesn’t help when it comes to all of the other urgent issues that need our immediate attention.

Canada Federal Government

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Jul 14

Severe Weather Patterns Topping News Headlines This Summer

by bcurry

Never have I seen as many news headlines about the weather both in Canada and the U.S. then this summer.  Severe droughts in Arizona and California, flooding in the Northeast states, tornadoes throughout the mid-West, extreme heat waves through the southern states, extensive flooding in Vermont and New York State, etc., etc.  A day doesn’t go by when some form of extreme weather event occurs in both countries.  Dry conditions throughout British Columbia and Quebec led to a record number of wildfires during the spring, creating clouds of smoke which not only permeated Ontario and Quebec, but also as far away as New York and Chicago. 

For most governments — local, state/provincial and federal — the consequences of extreme weather events have been enormous.  Not only are people dying as a result of extreme heat, flooding and wildfires, but homes, businesses and infrastructure have been severely damaged or destroyed.  This has resulted in the insurance industry having to re-examine the impact of an increasing number of compensation claims, often in the billions of dollars.  In the near future, insurance companies will be withdrawing from more high risk areas.  Where insurance continues to be offered, the premiums will be such that few people will be able to afford them.

Most scientists are attributing the extreme patterns as being a consequence of “climate change” and the continued warming of the planet.  Most would also agree that it would take extraordinary measures by countries to slow down the current progression of subsequent impacts.  For the time being, societies will have to make significant changes in order to adapt to this new reality.  Such adaptation will not take months, but years and possibly decades.  Every day, targets developed through bodies such as the United Nations become less and less credible.  Rapidly moving away from our dependence on fossil fuels to more green energy sources is increasingly becoming an illusion. 

Countries continue to argue that the transition can only be made if economic impacts are taken into consideration.  However, they also continue to understate the costs associated with weather extremes, especially when it comes to assessing those associated with such sectors as agriculture, tourism, transportation, housing, etc., etc.  The costs of many essential inputs to maintain a viable industry are going to keep on increasing exponentially.  One only has to look at the impact on freshwater sources due to annual droughts.  Demand is outstripping supply in several regions.  Access to water is critical to one’s survival.

There are those who argue that new technologies need to be factored into future adaptations.  However, there are those who believe that the introduction of new technologies may not be adequate and timely enough.  In the meantime, news headlines about severe weather patterns and their impact on affected communities and scarce resources will continue to appear on an almost daily basis.  Whether we react in a constructive manner and on an urgent basis, only time will tell?  Whether such regular reported events will change the minds of the ‘Nay Sayers’ is another matter.  Is humanity prepared to make the necessary sacrifices to effectively tackle the enormous challenges before us, is the biggest question of them all?

Canada Cimate Change Climate Change Climate Change US

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Jul 6

Technology Is Great, Except When It’s Abused

by bcurry

Having followed the growth of new technologies during the last four or so decades, it’s hard to believe how fast things have changed.  Perhaps too fast!  All aspects of modern society are affected — everything from communications, transportation, medical practices, banking, employment, data storage, etc., etc.  However, with new technologies there are also opportunities for such innovations to be abused, for all the wrong reasons.

Let’s start with hacking.   The Internet and World Wide Web allows governments, corporations and individuals to communicate and interact in a timely fashion.  However, having so many critical infrastructure computerized, it also allows for potential hacking.  We unfortunately have seen increasing incidents of malware and other hacking tools affecting the security of institutions such as hospitals, municipalities, and airports for example.  In addition, data being collected by different organizations needs to be protected from outside hacking.  Today, our personal information is being gathered and kept in a multitude of sites.  The question of the privacy and security of such information can often be suspect.  Such info can give criminals and others a substantive amount of personal data which can then be used for nefarious purposes such as ID theft.  In some cases, there are criminals who use the technology, including artificial intelligence, to blackmail institutions and individuals.  This growing risk has led to a whole new industry providing high-tech security measures, another major cost to all of us. 

Then there is the case of an increase in the theft of high end vehicles.  Today, there are literally hundreds of microchips in our vehicles.  Some vehicles don’t even need a key to enter or start their ignition, and simply have a start button.  However, despite the fact that manufacturers have introduced some technology to prevent unlawful entry, the crooks appear to have caught up by using new digital means.  With computer devices and mobile apps, they can access and start most makes of newer high end vehicles, while overriding tracking devices used by the police to locate stolen vehicles.  There is plenty of evidence that these crimes involve highly organized criminal groups, both national and international.  Many stolen vehicles end up in Asian and African countries, and are never recovered.  Of course, this adds to the insurance costs associated with vehicles in general.

Now, we have the growing field of artificial intelligence (AI) which again has introduced new concerns about unlawful use.  The use of AI to imitate a person’s voice patterns is an interesting development.  It has already created a stir in the music industry.  For example, it was announced that Sir Paul McCartney says he has employed AI to help create what he calls “the final Beatles record”, including a song by John Lennon.  However, it has also brought about scams and more scams.  For example, someone using AI could duplicate the voice patterns of a loved one, using it to convince someone that the person is in trouble with the law and needs a transfer of money.  Seniors, as in the past, are particularly at risk.

Then there is the question of the increasing use of AI in one’s work, especially affecting white collar workers.  Employers could use the threat of displacing workers through the introduction of AI, notably with respect to productivity and compensation matters.  Research conducted in recent years varies widely on how many jobs will be displaced due to AI.  A 2016 study from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) estimated that 9 percent of jobs would be completely displaced in the next two decades.  Many more jobs will be transformed, if not eliminated.  AI is increasingly making its way across industries, changing jobs from retail to medicine to marketing.  However, there are those that believe that such technology is also essential to improving the country’s productivity growth, a key measure of how efficiently the economy produces goods.  That could ultimately lead to higher average wages and fewer work hours.  For that reason, they argue that our economy actually needs more AI, not less.  Time will tell.

Everyday there are new studies that dwell on the impact of new technologies such as AI, now and in the near future.  Like with any new technology, there are risks.  It is up to researchers to explore the potential risks and recommend how one can eliminate or at least reduce the risks.

New Technologies

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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.

Canada Sexual Orientation

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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.

Canada Education Education US

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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.

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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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