FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

May 1

Big Brother is Watching You at Your Workplace. So What!

by bcurry

During the late 1900s, the office where I was working introduced access cards, as one security measure, primarily used to enter the workplace.  Everyone suspected, and rightly so, that such technology would allow an employer to keep track of the goings and comings of staff, all registered and maintained by management on an accessible data base.  It would register one’s arrival and departure from the office, including during lunch and coffee breaks outside the office.  Subsequently, word processing units replaced the more traditional typing pools, allowing supervisors the possibility of tracking the amount of and speed of input into the system.  Not long after, personal desktop computers replaced the need for separate word processing units as employees were required to input their work individually at their work stations.  With this technology, programs could be introduced to track one’s work remotely.  Of course, the introduction of these new technologies, most often used to track productivity, also raised a number of privacy and human relations issues.  Take the worst case scenario in call centres, where instantaneous tracking information is now available 24/7.

Employee monitoring software, sometimes called “spyware”, has now become a major issue, for employees and employers alike.  According to a survey from 1E, an information-technology outsourcing firm, 73 percent of Informatics Technology (IT) managers are uncomfortable telling their staff to install it.  Some managers have become fanatical about implementing surveillance technology, researchers referring to it as a symptom of “productivity paranoia”.  However, the negative impacts on workers of constant surveillance at work can include reduced trust and loyalty, along with increased anxiety, stress and even resignations.  The use of spyware, often employing key performance indicators, is increasingly seen as a major human relations issue, especially where employees may not be aware of its existence or have not given their approval to its restricted use under certain specified conditions.

With the introduction of more remote work during the pandemic, more businesses are using monitoring tools to track productivity in an increasingly remote-work world.  The issue has risen to a level of concern that, as of Oct. 11, 2022, employers in the province of Ontario with 25 or more workers will need to have a written policy on electronic monitoring that outlines how and why staff are monitored, what the information will be used for and to disclose that policy to employees.  The new rule is ingrained in the province’s labour standards legislation.  However, while Ontario is the first province to enact a disclosure requirement on electronic monitoring, the rules don’t grant workers new privacy rights.  Most Ontario employees still don’t have any such protections.  The province of Quebec passed legislation in September 2022 that requires employers to have a specific purpose for the data they collect from employees.  While it will continue to allow Quebec employers to use surveillance technologies, by Sept. 22, 2023, it will require them to have a serious and legitimate purpose for their use, as well as to disclose any monitoring to employees and allow them to opt out.

Joe Masoodi, a co-author of the report and a senior policy analyst at TMU’s Leadership Lab, reportedly said monitoring tools aren’t inherently bad and can be used for professional development.  However, these tools fail to capture intangible elements of work like person-to-person interactions that require empathy and compassion.  They can also have “serious consequences” for employees, such as being held back from a promotion or facing disciplinary measures for not meeting the company’s key performance indicators metrics.  For some employees, such surveillance will add to work-related stress and possibly to physical or mental health issues.

The Ontario rule ultimately could be a positive change, because it will prompt employers to justify why they want to monitor employees, and the Quebec rule will then allow employees to opt out.  It’s clear that employers have a right to monitor employees’ productivity, but not at the cost of their trust, health and morale.  The more that an employer is open about such surveillance, the better it can be used in order to achieve its intended benefits without causing negative consequences when it comes to human relations matters.

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Apr 30

How We Treat Elders is a Reflection of Our Societal Values

by bcurry

Statistically, we are living longer in North America because of better nutrition, health care and medical innovations.  As a senior myself, I have a lot of concerns about how we treat elders.  COVID demonstrated how inadequate our long-term care facilities and senior residences were and continue to operate.  First and foremost, the issue of increasing longevity is a major one given that we have an aging population.  In addition, we have a society that is still primarily focused economically and socially on youth as was the case for much of the mid-twentieth century and on.  The fact that the U.S. has a current president who is over eighty should tell us something, instead of raising concerns over his age in terms of a possible second term.  Ageism is a factor in our everyday lives.  Take it from someone who has faced it first hand.

In other societies, elders are treated with much more respect and consideration.  These seniors often have experienced things, such as wars, persecution and severe poverty: things which none of our younger generation has ever really had to face head on.  Many immigrated to the U.S. and Canada after the Second World War in search of better opportunities for themselves and their families.  Their stories represent the history of post-war immigrants who fled following the collapse of European countries and the emergence of the Soviet Union, and their efforts to create new productive lives in both countries.  I myself was an immigrant making up this historic migration when my parents came to Canada shortly after the war.

For those who fought in the war, we frequently recognize them as the “greatest generation”, many shaped by the Great Depression and who represented the primary generation composing the enlisted forces in World War II.  In past years, they had an important place in our society in light of their sacrifices and experiences.  They passed on their values of working hard and sacrificing for their families, especially their children.  Now, many who were part of the so-called greatest generation are slowly disappearing.  They are no longer there to serve as valuable role models for my generation and our youth.  Instead, in our micro-family society the role of elders has been diminished and diluted to the point of blatant obscurity.  In most cases, they are no longer living with their children and their families.  They are often placed in senior residences and long-term care facilities.  Some seniors are fortunate enough and financially able to stay in their homes with available home care.  However, for some seniors, this possibility is unaffordable or simply unavailable.

Interestingly, it’s somewhat ironic that both countries have federal governments where the elected representation is one with more seniors proportionately represented in comparison to the general population.  For example, the 118th Congress is the third oldest since 1789 and the average age of Congress has been climbing since the early 1980s.  Today, the average age in the U.S. Senate is 63.9 years, and 57.5 years in the House of Representatives.  In Canada, the average age in the federal 39th parliament is about 52 years.  The Canadian senate has more seniors because members, appointed by parliament for their experience and past contributions to Canadian society, can sit in the Senate until the age of 75.

When it comes to governance, including the judiciary, there is much more recognition of the value of knowledge gained through life’s experiences.  Unfortunately, this recognition is not always carried over into our daily lives.  One only has to listen to the stories of our elders to realize their important contributions to our society, no matter how small and distant.  They are part of our history which needs to be recorded for posterity, thereby becoming part of their legacies.  The next time that you encounter a senior, take the time to listen to their personal histories and stories.  After all, they helped to contribute to our society’s foundation and to those changes which helped us evolve into today’s modern society: socially, politically and economically.  We owe it to the elders not to simply ignore them, but to treat them humanely with the respect they deserve as invaluable assets.

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Apr 26

Why the Fraser Institute’s Interpretation of Public Sector Stats in Canada is Misleading

by bcurry

When we think of government employment and operations, we tend to think of employees working away in government offices — i.e. some huge hidden bureaucracy.  Back in June 2015, the Fraser Institute released a report which noted that the public sector share of employment starting in 1992, declined from 26.1 percent to 22.3 percent by 2003.  Subsequently, it also noted that there had been an increase, with a peak of 24.4 percent reached in 2010 and then a slight decline to 24.1 percent by 2013.  As a result, persons looking at the report would immediately use such information to highlight that one out of four jobs in Canada are in government at different levels: federal, provincial and local.  The fact of the matter is that this perception is somewhat misleading depending on which definition of public sector activity one is using.  They then allude to U.S. stats which suggest that one in eight jobs is in the public sector. This comparison is misleading given the differences in public sector definitions between the two countries and the various activities which employ greater private sector resources in the U.S., such as in higher education and health care.

In Canada, besides public administration, public sector entities are found in the form of numerous government business enterprises (GBEs), active in various industries such as utilities (e.g., hydroelectricity), retail trade (e.g., liquor boards and cannabis stores), transportation (e.g., ports), finance (e.g., deposit insurance), leasing (e.g., convention centres) and recreation (e.g., nature parks).  For example, because of universal health care and health insurance in Canada, the vast majority of medical services are publicly funded, and health practitioners are deemed to be part of the public sector.  In addition, colleges and universities are primarily publicly funded.

Subsequently, the large size of the general government in Canada is primarily because of extensive social protection programs combined with the universal health care and public education systems.  In 2022, Statistics Canada reported that the expenses in 2021 of the 6,135 public sector units (as defined by the agency) amounted to 48.6% of the total gross domestic product (GDP), with consolidated general government expenses alone representing 44.9% of GDP.  These stats would place Canada’s public sector share of the economy in the same allocation as countries such as Great Britain, Sweden and Norway for example.

There is no doubt that the nature and range of industries in which the public sector is involved underlines its economic breadth and influence in Canada.  The public sector represents many workers who provide valuable services to Canadians, including health workers, teachers, firefighters, paramedics, hydro workers, park wardens, police officers, inspectorates, public transit workers, etc., etc.  As one can see, many public sector workers are employed in what are deemed as essential services.  To maintain these services, there has to be an adequate number of experienced and qualified public sector workers.  Wages and benefits have to be competitive with those offered in the private sector in order to attract and retain skilled workers, especially in the current period of labour shortages.

On the one hand, the Fraser Institute is known to be a pro-business entity and tends to take a more anti-government stance in its research and analysis.  On the other hand, in the most recent report released by Statistics Canada in 2021, it noted that public sector expenses (48.6% of GDP) saw a significant reduction from their unprecedented high levels reported in 2020 (58.8% of GDP).  Governments at all levels are attempting to reduce their annual debt levels, back to levels found prior to the pandemic.  It can be anticipated that public sector employment is most likely going to decline in post-pandemic years, particularly with the reduced need for certain services and programs introduced by governments during the pandemic.

To imply that public sector employment in Canada is somehow out of whack, is to ignore the importance of the role of governments in the country at all levels.  Given the scope of the Canadian public sector, the numbers are entirely reasonable and acceptable.

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Apr 19

What Does the Acronym “DINC” Stand For, And Why Has It Resurfaced Today?

by bcurry

During the early eighties, young people who were economically struggling were putting off marriages, children and buying homes.  They represented what became known as the DINC generation, that is to say “dual income no children”.  More recently, the acronym was expanded to DINCWAG, or “dual income no children with a dog”.  The acronym has again surfaced today.

Today’s younger generation, be they millennials or Generation Z, are facing tough economic times as a result of COVID and the current inflationary situation, where high interest rates and soaring housing prices have excluded many from the market.  In addition, rents in major urban centers are at an all time high and new residential construction was greatly impacted by COVID and problems with supply management.  Even in the high-tech industries, more and more layoffs are occurring.

Since the boomer period following the Second World War, birth rates in North American have been slowly declining.  Few people are having three or more children anymore and, with more women participating in the labour market and having professional careers, women are delaying having children into their thirties and even forties.  However, despite new fertility techniques, women are often restricted to having only one child as they become biologically older.  As well, a growing number of people are deciding not to have children, citing concerns such as climate change and inequality.  One suspects from recent studies that this situation will most likely become the norm in our society.

Even Elon Musk has entered into the debate by proclaiming that ‘civilization is going to crumble’ if people don’t have more children.  Musk further added that too many “good, smart people” think there are too many people in the world and that the population is growing out of control.  What does Musk mean by ‘civilization’?  Within his assertions lies an underlying perspective that what the industrialized countries need are more people born to so-called “smart people”.  This gets a little to too close to Adolf Hitler’s obsession with ‘racial purity’ and use of the word ‘Aryan’ to describe his idea of a ‘pure German race’ whereby the ‘Aryan race’ had a duty to control the world.  There are far right extremist white groups in North America who believe that current immigration levels from so-called ‘third world’ countries are diluting the population.  They are thereby loosing their traditional white privilege status, and feel threatened.  Such groups push for white women to have more children, thereby maintaining political and economic control within the society.  Don’t even talk about interracial marriage with these folks!

Let’s get real!  The so-called DINC phenomenon has more to do with the economic realities of our times.  It’s tough to have children in an age when the costs associated with raising children in our society are much greater than in the past.  Child care is not cheap and often women or men do not have access to adequate and affordable parental leave after the birth of a child.  The higher costs of higher education alone can be a major consideration, given that most parents want their children to graduate with a degree and go on to more lucrative employment.

With the current labour shortages in several sectors, the U.S. and Canada cannot afford to not use immigration as the primary means to fill jobs with skilled labour.  These jobs include everything from agricultural workers, construction workers, truckers to workers in the services sector.  Let’s face it, the DINC phenomenon is real and one sees it in communities on a daily basis.  The phenomenon has been gradually growing and was expedited by the COVID pandemic, which in itself has had an enormous impact on the world of work in North America.  New technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), are having a major impact and are creating a good degree of uncertainty among the younger generation.  Uncertainty is the key word.  Dealing with it will continue to be a difficult challenge for young couples today and into the near future.  Perhaps Elon Musk might want to come down from his pedestal and recognize the realities of the age in which we live.

Canada Extremist Groups Immigration Immigration Policies Labor Force Labour Force The American Dream Women's Issues

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Apr 14

Yes, Inflation is Real. However, Climate Change is Just as Real.

by bcurry

Living in Ottawa, April can normally be an unpredictable month for the weather.  However, going from freezing rain on one day last week to 28 (centigrade) degree heat the following week is really abnormal.  In addition, the famous longest skating rink — in the Rideau Canal — did not open for the first time in over 50 years of operation due to unusual warmer weather this past winter.  With extreme weather events around the world, even climate change deniers have to sit up and take note.

Years ago, the federal government in Canada imposed a “carbon tax,” which puts a price on greenhouse gas emissions.  Yes, this tax does contribute to inflation, particularly because of the federal fuel charge which affects drivers and businesses everywhere.  However, one must take into account the economic and environmental costs of climate change which are becoming increasingly a major burden on governments and people due to infrastructure damages and related deaths.  Someone will have to pay for infrastructure improvements and maintenance in order to avoid the detrimental impact of future extreme weather events.

There is a need for policies and programs that put a price on pollution and help consumers manage rising costs.  To blame measures aimed at combating climate change and reducing greenhouse emissions is short sighted.  Green technologies need to be supported and everyone is going to have to adjust their standard of living and consumption accordingly. 

Doesn’t matter where you live as the environment and climate change are global issues!  Don’t point to the environmental impact of China, India and other countries in order to argue that we can’t do enough to deal with the issue.  Over forty percent of the world’s consumption occurs in North America, and we need to show more environmental leadership.  China and the U.S. are the world’s two biggest greenhouse gas emitters, so any attempt to address the climate crisis will need to involve deep emissions cuts from these two powerhouse nations. China’s emissions are more than double those of the U.S., but historically the US has emitted more than any other country in the world.  On a per capita basis, Canada is just as guilty.

There is little doubt that food will become even more expensive due to the impact of extreme weather events on agriculture.  Just look to California which is a major producer of fruits and vegetables, or to mid-west U.S. states which provide red meat and grain products.  Farmers are finding it harder to produce because of higher costs for feed, fertilizers and fuel.  Farmers have to adapt to help reduce greenhouse emissions, while introducing more green technologies.  Yes, the initial costs will be high, but the long term benefits will be great and will reduce those costs.  Governments will have to support farmers during this much needed transition.

For too long, all of us have been consuming without having to pay for the real costs associated with environmental impacts.  It’s about time that we wake up and realize these outcomes.  For those lower income groups who are particularly affected by inflationary costs, society will have to help out them and their families to at least have a reasonable standard of living.  This can be done by income tax credits, living wages, affordable housing, universal health insurance, subsidized education opportunities, and improved social assistance programs.  As two of the world’s wealthiest countries, the U.S. and Canada do not have any excuse to provide an annual minimum income — something talked about for several decades.

More corporations have to play a greater role in supporting technological innovations aimed at reducing pollution and greenhouse emissions.  They have to pay their fair share (e.g. corporate taxes) for operating in a stable economy and one which strives to provide for a fair level field to operate in.  Carbon taxes are one way of encouraging innovation and rewarding businesses by recognizing the associated costs designed to reduce greenhouse emissions.

Moreover, we all have to be accountable and environmentally friendly.  Otherwise, extreme weather events like those in Ottawa will unfortunately become the norm.

Canada Cimate Change Climate Change US

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Apr 2

Trump Could Run For President.  This Could Not Happen in Canada.

by bcurry

Legal exerts in the U.S. believe that former President Trump could run for president from prison.  Two previous candidates, Eugene V. Debs in 1920, and Lyndon LaRouche in 1992, both unsuccessfully ran from prison.  Experts note that there’s nothing in the Constitution preventing him from doing so.  Much will be determined by the outcome of a trial over Donald Trump’s indictment by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office which investigated Trump’s personal and business finances, including a payment by Michael Cohen, Trump’s formal personal lawyer.  The payment was made to adult-film star Stormy Daniels days before the 2016 election.  One major drawback is, if convicted, Trump would be subject to the same rules as other prisoners, which could definitely restrict his communications and ability to appear at events.  Furthermore, he would need to rely on proxies to campaign for him.  This of course removes Trump from the hustings which has proven to be his greatest strength on the campaign trail, especially among his followers.

Whether or not Trump is found guilty, the situation leaves the Republicans in a major bind, especially during their primaries to select their next candidate to run for president.  Trump’s core is still evidently strong and could mount a serious protest against the choice of any other Republican candidate.  In light of this, there is also nothing to stop Trump from declaring himself an independent candidate for president.  This in turn would most likely split the conservative support in the next election, much to the benefit of the Democrats and the incumbent president.

What’s interesting is such a situation could not occur in Canada as the Prime Minister (PM) is the leader of the party which gets the most seats in Parliament.  Unlike the American president, one does not vote directly for the PM, but votes for candidates of a political party within their electoral riding.  The party leader is selected through a party’s leadership convention, although in the case of an incumbent PM, his leadership is usually automatic unless contested within the party.  A PM typically sits as a member of Parliament (MP).  Once a party achieves the majority of seats in the House of Commons, the leader can then form the government and he or she is designated by the Governor General to fulfill the role of PM.  Thus, he or she could never run for leader of a party and in turn PM from prison.

Since the indictment of former President Trump is the first of its kind in American history, there are a few unknowns as to how everything will unfold.  One must also remember that Trump is still under investigation for other things, including other ongoing investigations related to his role in the Capitol riot, an alleged scheme to overturn election results in Georgia, and his handling of government records.  What’s interesting is that the indictment and these investigations have not really damaged Trump’s popularity among conservatives.  A very recent poll taken post-indictment indicates that Trump’s lead over Ron DeSantis in the 2024 GOP presidential primary surged to a 26-point.  In the poll, 57% of those asked said they would vote for Trump, while 31% indicated that they would back DeSantis.  This whole scenario represents a very real problem for the Republican Party, despite their outcries over Trump’s indictment.

Only in America you say!  America’s democratic institutions have been under attack for some time now from the far-right.  This entire predicament simply adds to the turmoil.  It is obvious that the authorities have to handle the whole episode with diplomacy and silk gloves.  In the end, whatever the eventual outcome of this indictment and ongoing investigations, the whole affair could become a political circus.  Certainly, no one, including a former president, is above the law.  Donald Trump is no exception.  The best thing that could happen is for Trump to withdraw his candidacy to be the Republican presidential candidate.  However, I strongly believe, knowing Trump, that this will never happen!

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Mar 30

No Democracy Today Can Avoid Being Tested By Political Turmoil

by bcurry

President Joe Biden recently visited Canada for what became a real love-in with his opposite Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister.  In his speech to Parliament, Biden frequently related to the close relationship to Canada, including our democratic values and institutions.  However, all is not well in both countries.  The U.S. had last year’s violent January 6th insurrection at the Capital and Canada had the truckers’ 3-week illegal occupation of streets within Ottawa’s parliamentary precinct.  Observers claim that a lot of these events are related to what is perceived by some Americans and Canadians as a lack of trust in police, the courts and government at all levels.  What’s worst, in the U.S. you had a former president who refused to accept the results of the last presidential election and today continues to espouse to his followers that the election was stolen.

This past week, President Biden delivered remarks at the second White House-led Summit for Democracy, but at a time when several democracies are under duress of some kind.  One can refer to political conditions in so-called significant democratic countries such as Israel, Mexico, India and Brazil.  Democratic setbacks have also occurred in West Africa, where there have been coups in Mali and Burkina Faso in recent years.  For example, in Nigeria, a country of 220 million people, experts say that the presidential election last February appeared suspect.  At the above noted summit, two notable members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Hungary and Turkey, were excluded in light of fact that their autocratic political systems have grown no less repressive during Mr. Biden’s tenure.

Underlying all this issue is the fact that dictatorships such as Russia and China have been trying to increase their economic and political influence in countries, particularly in Africa and South America.  Both the governments of Russia and China have been accused of having meddled in recent American and Canadian electoral processes.  Dealing effectively with these countries needs to be done in order to avoid any foreign influence in democratic processes.

In the U.S., even the fundamental right of Americans to vote is being challenged in some states where various forms of new voting restrictions or requirements have being implemented or considered, notably by Republican states.  In some cases, such restrictions will especially affect voting by minority groups, college students and marginalized persons. 

Unfortunately, much of political turmoil has been the result of extreme divisions within our societies and large amounts of misinformation and disinformation being spread through on-line social media.  Mainstream media sources, fundamentally important to supporting democratic processes, are continuously under attack.  Journalists themselves have been verbally and physically attacked by extreme politicized groups, both right and left.

Human and civil rights are in danger of being weakened in democratic countries.  Many of the important gains achieved by LGBTQ groups in the last couple of decades are increasingly coming under attack, especially by religious right-wing segments of our societies.  Organized local protests have even occurred against school boards in both countries, and appear to be gaining strength.  Elected school board representatives have increasingly come under attack when it comes to school policies protecting the rights of LGBTQ youth and education regarding sexual orientation.

Generally, trust and confidence in our democratic institutions has to be restored in order to maintain our taken-for-granted freedoms.  Civility has to return to how we conduct our affairs and the rule of law has to be strengthened.  Otherwise, we will only see more and more serious threats to democracies, either here in Canada, the U.S. or abroad.  Words and platitudes are all fine, but actions are now needed.

Canada Civil Rights Elections Extremism Extremist Groups Joe Biden Leadership Mainstream Media Social Media US

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Mar 25

Ridiculous Unenforceable Laws Denying Youth Access to Social Media Apps

by bcurry

Recent laws to be enacted in Republican Utah mean that children and teens under 18 would lose access to social media apps such as TikTok and Instagram if they don’t have parental consent.  They now face other restrictions under a first-in-the-nation law designed to shield young people from the so-called “addictive platforms”.  One law would also open the door to lawsuits on behalf of children claiming social media harmed them, something that would be very difficult to prove in court.  This move by the Republicans is hypocritical given that they have argued against any censorship in the past when it comes to restricting Internet access, arguing such government actions infringe on constitutional rights to freedom of speech.  This despite the fact that past concerns had been raised by some lawmakers over user privacy, hate speech, misinformation and harmful effects on teens’ mental health found in apps provided by other tech giants like Facebook and Google.

Some apps already have age restrictions.  For example, from the outset Facebook required everyone to be at least 13 years old before they can create an account (although in some jurisdictions, this age limit may be higher).  Creating an account with false info is a violation of its terms. This includes accounts registered on the behalf of someone under 13.  However, it is really left up to the parents, who in most cases supposedly oversee their children’s use of apps, to deal with underage children.  If an underage child created an account on Facebook, the company explains how the parents can delete the child’s account.  Thus, the onus is on the parents.  However, children have been shown to easily get around such bans, both with and without their parents’ consent.  Trying to prevent 14 to 17 year olds from accessing TikTok or any other social media app is also mind-boggling.  It tough enough for parents to oversee teenagers use of social media, never mind trying to limit their access.  After all, in this age of social media, many teens have come to rely on its use to stay in contact with their friends as part of modern socialization (especially during the pandemic).  It’s like trying to take their cellphones away!  As one university professor of child development in Utah warned, the state’s measure could inadvertently boomerang, exacerbating youth mental health issues by cutting off vulnerable young people from important sources of information and support.

Instead, recognizing that prolonged and over use of social media can have an impact not only on the mental health of youth, but also that of adults.  Yes, bullying and sexting can be facilitated by social media, but these issues can also happen through in-person and other means.  Indeed, laws against bullying and child pornography already exist and the authorities can deal with such inappropriate and often illegal behaviour on-line or through other means.

However, the question of user privacy on social media, especially for that of children, is a very serious one.  What is really needed is better education of people and readily accessible information for people to make them more fully aware of the dangers of providing certain types of information via social media.  There is little doubt that TikTok and others are harvesting information provided through the use of their apps.  Although it is apparently rare that such info is used for nefarious purposes, the fact of the matter is that it’s out there.  Last year, California enacted a law requiring tech companies to put kids’ safety first by barring them from profiling children or using personal information in ways that could harm children physically or mentally.  Hopefully, such laws will force social media providers to take enhanced precautionary measures to protect children.  The onus here, as it should be, is on the providers.

The controversial suggestion that social media use can lead to a form of “addiction” is still up for debate, given the normal behavioural patterns and general physical dependencies associated with addicts.  If there is a concern, it is the total dependency of a child on social media for social development purposes.  It may suggest a degree of isolation and poor people skills at a young age, which could have developmental implications leading into adolescence and adulthood.  Rather than simply banning a child from using social media, parents need to seek open communication and possibly expert help in dealing with such concerns.  In my opinion, this issue is a societal and parental one and not one that overbearing governments can regulate.

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Mar 20

How Big Corporations Are Greenwashing When It Comes To The Environment

by bcurry

Back in 2010, Heather Rogers wrote in “Green Gone Wrong: How Our Economy Is Undermining the Environmental Revolution” that green capitalism is actually undermining ecological progress.  In 2016, the Business Development Bank of Canada launched a $135 million fund that will invest in entrepreneurial startup companies in the energy and clean technology sector.  The Bank anticipated investing the money over several years into between 15 and 20 Canadian firms that demonstrate global potential in green tech fields.  A drop in the bucket!  Now, a group comprising Canada’s big banks and financial institutions is working on a new set of labels to clearly identify “green” financial products for investors.  However, they are facing accusations of “greenwashing”.  Some refer to “greenwashing” as it applies to efforts by companies or governments to make businesses or commercial activities look less damaging to the planet than they really are.

Now, we are all familiar with the term “whitewashing” which alludes to efforts to cover up wrongdoing or hide embarrassing mistakes by governments or corporations.  In some cases, it most often involves trying to put a more favourable face on corporate initiatives by highlighting the positive attributes of new products or services.  However, informed consumers normally can see through the marketing strategies aimed at encouraging people to use their services and products, regardless of any attempt at whitewashing.

With increasing concern over climate change and environmental issues, governments and corporations are plugging their efforts to reduce their negative environmental footprint impacts, primarily through the implementation of green technologies and so-called “sustainable development”.  Part of the reason that corporations are marketing their efforts is primarily to convince investors to invest in their enterprises and consumers to consume their products.  Automotive manufacturers are now skirring around in the race to produce more electric vehicles, each stressing their mission to eventually eliminate vehicles run by combustion engines.  Oil and gas companies are advertising their efforts to develop and implement carbon capture and storage technologies.  Perhaps, too little, too late?  In 2018, a report by the World Energy Outlook (WEO) released by the International Energy Agency projected that global fossil fuel use — and related emissions — would grow out to 2040, as oil, gas and coal continue to dominate the energy picture.  At that time, the WEO stipulated that the percentage of total global primary energy demand provided by wind and solar was only 1.1 percent. 

Moreover, when it comes to assessing whether green investments are truly valid is not easy, given the connections of many corporations to general profits and the bottom line.  Consumers and investors find it difficult to determine to what extent greenwashing is taking place.  In some cases, the claims of corporations have been discovered to be bogus.  Take for example, the Competition Bureau last year ordered Keurig Canada to pay a $3-million penalty for falsely claiming its single-use K-Cup pods can be recycled.  In another case, a group of environmental organizations, including the Sierra Club and the Indigenous Environmental Network, ranked the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) fifth globally among major banks financing the fossil fuel industry.  However, in marketing materials, RBC states that it is “fully committed” to supporting drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.

This is not to say that all companies are disingenuous in promoting their initiatives aimed at reducing negative impacts on the environment.  Many manufacturing and warehousing facilities have reduced their energy uses, green gas emissions and general environmental footprint.  Some provincial governments in Canada are also guilty of dishonest campaigns focusing on short-term emission reductions made in the certain sectors, but failing to define what “sustainability” really means for the province in the long-term.  All of this to say that each of us have to take such marketing with a grain of salt.  I’m certain that I will.

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Mar 13

Work-Life Balance and Shift to More Stay-at-Home Fathers

by bcurry

One thing that the pandemic has done is to give more fathers, notably those working remotely, a chance to spend more time with their family members, especially their children.  A study by Statistics Canada in 2010 indicated that about 12 percent of stay-at-home parents were the fathers, triple the number recorded in 1986.  I would expect that many of us probably know at least one or more parenting couples where the man has stayed at home for a number of valid and rational reasons.  Often, it is the fact that the woman is in a better paying job with good health and dental benefits, as well as opportunities for advancement.  Due to changes in the labour market, data has shown that women increasingly have become the top earner in the family.  In many cases, there are considerations over the high cost of childcare, particularly where it is not subsidized by the state and where affordable and licensed childcare is lacking.  From a monetary point of view, it just doesn’t make any financial sense for both parents to work.

A survey by Harvard’s Making Caring Common project in June 2020 found that more than two-thirds of fathers said they felt closer to their children since the pandemic started.  As well, according to a Morning Consult survey for The New York Times in 2022, 47 percent of employed fathers said flexibility and control over their hours was a top priority.  This is 10 percentage points more than those who said they felt that way before the pandemic.  Recruiters are also now seeing more and more men with families who are asking about the company’s position on flexible hours and parental leave provisions.

Surprisingly, many employers still require long, inflexible hours and penalize workers for prioritizing family life.  However, what the pandemic and its impact on working conditions did is to expedite what was already a known trend in the labour market.  Working remotely has given more fathers the opportunity to share greater responsibility in household duties and childcare.  Where both parents worked, working women in the past had to do most of the household work. Now, all that has changed with the advent of new technologies and working conditions.  In many occupations in certain industries, telework and hybrid work have increasingly become the norm. 

There is little doubt that efforts to reduce the costs of childcare and ensure the quality of public and private childcare providers will result in influencing the current trends, particularly in Canada.  Recently, provincial governments signed on to a major federal initiative to increase the amount of affordable childcare spaces across the country over the next five to ten years.

Regardless, more and more fathers will be looking to their employers to accommodate having more time to spend with their families.  The issue of work-life balance is at the top of their agenda, forcing employers to adjust accordingly if they wish to retain experienced and motivated employees, both men and women.

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