FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

Oct 26

Attempts by Governments to Reduce Consumption of Soda Pop Drinks Deemed Unsuccessful

by bcurry

Just recently, Canada’s first soft drink tax came to the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and already critics are arguing that it may do surprisingly little to combat obesity.  Instead, the tax is seen as imposing disproportionate costs on rural communities where soft drinks are one of the only reliable forms of hydration.  Data indicates that Newfoundland and Labrador has Canada’s highest rates of both adult and childhood obesity.  Sugary beverages have been linked directly to obesity, diabetes and heart disease, which is why public health agencies have gone to great lengths to discourage their consumption.  Governments around the globe, such as California, New York City, Mexico, and New Zealand, have attempted in one way or another to examine ways in which to reduce the consumption of sugary beverages. 

Some of us may remember one such attempt by Mike Bloomberg, as mayor of New York, who in 2012 proposed a ban that would have prevented food-service establishments in the city from selling sugary beverages larger than 16 ounces and sweetened drinks with more than 25 calories per eight ounces.  The ban was set to take place in 2013 and failure to follow the ban may have resulted in a $200 fine.  However, the ban was reversed because the courts declared that the city’s Board of Health had “exceeded the scope of its regulatory authority” by adopting the ban.  Few experts believed that such a ban would have worked anyway.

Then there are those American state laws that banned soda in schools — but not other sweetened beverages.  California, for example, became the first state to ban the sale of soft drinks in grade schools, in 2003.  However, a 2011 study showed that this ban had virtually no impact on the amount of sugary drinks middle school students buy and consume at school.  In states that banned only soda, students bought and consumed sugary drinks just as frequently at school as their peers in states where there were no bans at all.  Even in states with policies banning all sugary drinks in schools and where students had less access to them on campus, their overall consumption of the drinks did not fall — suggesting they were getting the drinks elsewhere.  In addition, there are a lot of misconceptions about which beverages are healthy.  For example, many kids think beverages like Gatorade are a healthy alternative to soda.

For years, the U.S. and Canadian dietary guidelines urged Americans and Canadians to drink fewer sugary beverages.  However, it would appear that the simple banning or increase in taxing sugary beverages may not be the answer based on past experiences.  Most health experts will argue that increased education and the availability of healthier alternatives is a better alternative, especially among people with lower levels of education and income.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that adults and children are both consuming roughly the same number of calories from soda, sports drinks and other sugary beverages now as they did in 2009-2010.  While soda sales are down, Americans and Canadians may be turning in growing numbers to teas, flavored waters and other energy drinks with plenty of sugar added.  Among the reasons soda taxes might have such a mixed record is because margins for the drinks are so high that manufacturers, such as Coca-Cola, can easily absorb the cost of a tax and keep the price the same.

Millions of North American adults and kids still drink at least some sugar-sweetened beverage daily.  Obesity continues to be issue, especially since it leads to other significant health issues later in life.  More children today are found to have Type 2 diabetes then ever before.  For parents, that makes education and nutrition awareness all the more important, particularly in schools and community bodies.  Efforts to further reduce sugary drink consumption rely on reaching them, especially those in rural and lower income urban communities.  Subsidizing healthier alternatives to soda pop and other sugary drinks may be a better option, providing more affordable and healthier beverages to families.  Unfortunately, in communities under boil water advisories, such as those in parts of Newfoundland and Labrador, soda is often seen as the cheapest option for hydration.  An additional soft drink tax really doesn’t help!

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Oct 20

Major Obstacles in Unionizing Private Sector Workers in the U.S.

by bcurry

No one denies that attempts at unionizing some of the biggest American employers in the private sector — Walmart, Amazon and Starbucks — can be hazardous to one’s job.  The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the union membership rate of private-sector workers was just 6.3 percent in 2020, down from 6.6 percent last year and from 6.9 percent in 2011.  Labor specialists cited several reasons for the continuing steep decline in private sector union membership.  Among the factors were new laws that rolled back the power of unions in Wisconsin, Indiana and other states, the continued expansion by manufacturers like Boeing and Volkswagen in nonunion states and the growth of sectors like retail and restaurants, where unions still have little presence.  Among those larger employers noted above, there is also the fact that companies engage in numerous anti-union initiatives to persuade or obviously prevent their workers from organizing at the plant, warehouse or local outlet levels.

Earlier in the past two decades, it was at Walmart in the U.S. and Canada that clearly intimidated its so-called “associates” from organizing at the local level.  For example, in April 2005, Walmart simply closed it store in Jonquière, Quebec, when workers there attempted to organize.  Nine years later the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the move was improper, illegal and contrary to section 59 of Quebec’s Labour Code and turned the case back to an arbitrator to determine the appropriate remedy.  Walmart at no time told anyone that the Jonquière store intended to go out of business or that it was experiencing financial difficulties.  On the contrary, from a perspective of five years, the store was performing very well and its objectives were being met.  Let’s face it, the closure was a clear warning to other communities and Walmart workers of the evident consequences of attempting to organize.

In another example, in April 2021, a vote on whether to form a union at the Amazon’s warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, became a major labour showdown.  Unfortunately, the workers voted down the union drive following pressure from Amazon management.  The company’s decisive victory dealt a crushing blow to organized labour, which had hoped the time was ripe to start making inroads at Amazon.  Amazon is a rich entity.  Propelled in part by surging demand during the pandemic, people spent more than $610 billion U.S. on Amazon over the 12 months ending in June 2021.  This is even more than that spent by people at Walmart during the same period.  Amazon also added hundreds of new warehouses and hired about 500,000 workers since the start of last year, none of which are unionized.

More recently, some Starbucks Buffalo-area locations filed for a union election in late August of this year.  None of the nearly 9,000 corporate-owned Starbucks locations in the country are unionized.  However, a Starbucks-owned store in Canada did manage to recently organize, a first for Starbucks.  Starbucks has faced union campaigns before, including an effort in 2019 in Philadelphia where the firing of two employees involved in union organizing was deemed unlawful by a labour board judge.  Starbucks of course has appealed the ruling.  According to union officials, Starbucks management has employed other intimidation and often subtle methods to discourage employees from organizing.  The measures include holding meetings with employees in which company officials question the need for a third party to represent them.

As an apparent shortage of workers in certain private sectors due to the pandemic, unions may see an opportunity to assist in organizing workers because of the competition among employers for workers.  If anything, the situation has forced many employers to improve their working conditions and raise the wages offered in order to retain workers and to recruit new workers.  This is particularly the case in the retail, services and restaurant sectors.  Nevertheless, the ability to organize workers in the private sector still obviously faces numerous hurtles in the U.S.  Hopefully, as economies improve, current labour shortages may benefit all workers, whether unionized or not.

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Oct 16

When It Comes to Schools, A Latent American Parents’ Movement Emerged Partly Due to COVID

by bcurry

There appears to be a powerful frustration among American conservative mothers, who feel increasingly sidelined by school administrators and teachers.  Their targets tend to be sprawling — not only mask mandates but also curricula that touch on LGTBQ rights, race and discrimination, and even the way schools define a scientific fact.  Unlike in Canada, there has been more opposition against mask mandates in schools among certain American groups.  This despite the fact that a Washington Post-ABC News poll released in early September found that two-thirds of Americans support mask mandates in schools.  One of the parents’ groups that emerged recently is calling themselves “Moms for Liberty”.  According to the organization’s founders, in 10 months the Moms for Liberty grew to 135 chapters in 35 states, with over 56,000 members and supporters.

Like many American protest movements, Moms for Liberty believe they don’t co-parent with the government.  Restrictions implemented by school boards because of COVID-19, such as mandated masking in schools, brought such latent groups before the boards in protest, often using very outspoken tactics. They closely scrutinize the curriculum and textbooks used to educate students. They particularly attack any semblance of teaching related to “critical race theory” — an academic framework for examining systemic racism — which school boards have flatly stated is not part of any curriculum.  Needless-to-say, the Republicans quickly aligned themselves with such movements, hoping to garner political support for the GOP.  In Florida, for example, they are closely allied with Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. 

What I find interesting is that, if parents are dissatisfied with the teaching in public schools, there is always the option of “homeschooling”.  Indeed, according to the most recent federal data, 3 to 4 percent of the school-going population in the U.S. is currently homeschooled.  Homeschooling is the practice of educating a child at home without enrolling him/her into a formal school.  Homeschooling is also permitted in Canada, but only about .7 percent of Canadian students are currently homeschooled.  There are a number of organizations in both countries that assist parents in setting up homeschooling for their children.  There are a whole slew of reasons why parents choose to homeschool their children, including the provision of a safe environment, a need for individual attention, crowded schools and religious/morality beliefs.  One study indicated that some 25 percent of homeschooling parents surveyed felt that schools simply did not meet the needs of the children.

While homeschooling may not be advisable for every family, particularly where both parents are working and there are monetary costs involved, the choice is there.  In the U.S., some states even offer tax breaks for homeschooling families.  COVID-19 actually forced more parents to take a greater interest in their kids schooling, particularly where the students were forced to undertake on-line learning as a result of school closures.  However, the vast majority of parents really wanted their kids to return to in-person learning, often for mental health reasons and the benefits of socialization in a school environment.  School boards have done a lot to ensure the health and safety of the students and staff, including masking, mandated vaccination for the staff and physical distancing measures.  A great deal of credit needs to be given to the boards, school administrators and teachers for their roles in continuing to educate our children under very extraordinary and difficult circumstances.

Instead, we find groups such as “Moms for Liberty” attempting to politicize the teaching of children and adolescents for all the wrong reasons.  Instead of trying to undermine the critical role of schools in our society, disenchanted parents are free to turn to homeschooling as a legitimate alternative.  After all, one can’t please all of the parents all of the time!

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Oct 11

Iraq: The Other Somewhat Forgotten American Combat Mission

by bcurry

With all the news today concentrating on what is happening in Afghanistan during and after the withdrawal of American and Allied troops, it is little wonder that the media has somewhat forgotten about the U.S. continued involvement in Iraq.  By January 2021, the U.S. had reduced its presence to 2,500 troops in Iraq.  However, as of March 2021, 11 U.S. soldiers had died in Iraq in 2020.  Iraq is still a very unsafe place to operate, particularly because of Iran’s influence.  Among countries where terrorist attacks are frequent, the number of terrorist attacks in 2019 in Iraq ranked fourth behind Afghanistan, Syria and India.  Of course, in previous years, many of the terrorist attacks were carried out by the followers of the Islamic State.  In April 2021, the U.S. Central Command stated that there were no plans for a total withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, citing continued threats posed by the Islamic State insurgency and Iran-backed militias.  However, in July 2021, President Biden announced that he would end the U.S. combat mission in Iraq by the end of the year, although the U.S. will continue to train and advise the Iraqi military.

Earlier this month, Iraqis voted in parliamentary elections meant to herald sweeping change to a dysfunctional political system that has dragged the country through almost two decades of deprivation.  Unfortunately, Iraqi politics is still dominated by the three sectarian groups, the majority Shiite population, the Sunnis and the Kurds in the northern region of Iraq.  Critics believe that the U.S. shares some responsibility for the failure of governance in Iraq.  After the 2003 invasion by coalition forces and with the country in the grip of a bloody sectarian civil war, the U.S.-backed Iraqi Governing Council established a system of sectarian apportionment, which continues to this day.  This quota system divides cabinet roles and ministries and their resources between the ethno-sectarian parties.  The results of the current election will likely once again be followed by months of negotiations between the main players.  Meanwhile, Iran’s influence in Iraq’s government grows, and Tehran continues to strengthen the power of Shiite Iraqi militias it backs.

According to political analysts, the current parties in power — many backed by militias involved in attacks that killed some 600 demonstrators — appear once more to be poised to dominate.  Sweeping anti-government protests had forced out Adil Abdul-Mahdi, then the allegedly incompetent prime minister, in May 2020.  While this led officials to push the vote up by a year, Iraq’s system of dividing up government ministries among political parties along ethnic and sectarian lines will remain unchanged.  Almost every major political faction has been implicated in corruption, a major factor in Iraq’s poor public services.  Electricity in many provinces is provided only for two hours at a time.  In the sweltering summers, there is no clean water.  And millions of university graduates are without jobs.  Unfortunately, given the current state of Iraq’s economy and political divisions, many young Iraqis say they don’t see much if any future for themselves in their country.

By October 2018, beginning with the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the ensuing occupation, insurgencies and civil war, 4,550 American service members and 3,793 military contractors had died.  Although estimating war-related Iraqi deaths pose many challenges, we know that the number of violent civilian deaths has been in the hundreds of thousands and the amount of property damages due to the war, insurgencies and subsequent terrorist attacks — especially by the Islamic State — has cost Iraqis and Americans hundreds of millions of dollars.  Up until the end of 2020, it is estimated that the Iraq War has cost the U.S. nearly 2 trillion in current U.S. dollars, much of it to pay military contractors.  In the end, one has to seriously ask whether Congress or the American people got value for their investment in Iraq, in light of the tragic loss of American lives or the hundreds of millions of dollars paid out?

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Oct 8

Emergence of Mandated Vaccination for Workers in Certain Sectors in Canada

by bcurry

Back in July, I blogged briefly about the issues of Mandatory COVID Vaccinations vs. Civil Liberties in North America  and To Mandate COVID Vaccinations or Not?.  At the time, these issues had more to do with colleges mandating full COVID vaccinations for students in residence or on campuses and with governments requiring proof of vaccination for citizens to enter certain establishments such as bars and restaurants.  Now, an additional issue has increasingly emerged as the result of employers and governments requiring COVID vaccination for employees in selected sectors, especially in Canada.

For example, on October 6th, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled Canada’s new mandatory vaccine policy.  It requires the core public service, air travel and rail employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of this October.  The federal vaccine mandate mirrors provincial policies, such as in Nova Scotia where all school and health-care workers are required to have two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of November.  In the health care sector, several hospitals across the country have implemented mandated vaccination requirements for all employees.  Such policies often have deadlines after which unvaccinated employees will face suspensions without pay and possibly termination down the road.  In Ontario, the government has now mandated that all workers in long-term care residences must be fully vaccinated in order to continue working in such facilities.

Needless-to-say, Canada is facing a potential wave of terminations tied to mandatory workplace vaccine policies as a growing number of employers require workers to be fully inoculated against COVID-19 — or risk losing their jobs.  Most legal experts believe that the rights of individual workers will be overridden by the employer’s obligation to make sure the workplace is safe and meet their health and safety obligations toward staff, clients and the public.  It is recognized that there is a delicate balance between the individual rights of workers, such as by offering reasonable accommodations and maintaining a safe work environment.  Recent reviews of Canadian cases involving the balance between individual rights and public health have sided with the latter.  It is noted that while tribunals recognize that rights of individuals are important, in the time of a pandemic reasonable limits are going to be given broad scope.

This situation has led to two additional issues: one being the terminated individual’s right to some form of compensation (e.g. severance pay), and the other being related to workers simply quitting their jobs and thus creating a shortage of skilled labour for employers.  Fortunately, given the current rate of COVID vaccination in Canada for adults 12 and over (slightly more than 80 per cent of all Canadians), the impact on most sectors will be lessened.  Except for a few workplaces, the majority of health care workers, education workers, federal and provincial public servants have received a least one dose of a COVID vaccine.  Even public and private sector unions have generally supported vaccination policies for their workers, while ensuring that reasonable accommodation for unvaccinated workers is part of those policies, particularly where exemptions are granted for medical reasons.  Where mandated vaccination by an employer is seen as imposing a new rule and one that was not part of the original employment agreement, some legal experts believe that the policy’s implementation may be determined to be a termination without cause.  This becomes a case under contract law whereby severance pay would most likely have to be paid to the worker.

Overall, mandating vaccination for workers in certain sectors and by employers with particular valid health and safety considerations should not be taken too lightly.  Such policies represent one of many implemented to control the spread of the delta variant, and can be justified as another temporary public health measure.  In most cases, employers will have to continuously consult with existing employee representatives and unions to ensure that individual rights are being respected where reasonable.  Otherwise, numerous cases involving unvaccinated employees may end up before labour tribunals or the courts.

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Oct 4

Alcohol Poisoning Causes Deaths of College Students in North America

by bcurry

This past September, eight Virginia Commonwealth University students were charged with hazing in a fraternity pledge’s death from alcohol poisoning after a party earlier this year.  The eight men arrested range in age from 19 to 22 and all were charged with unlawful hazing of a student, 19-year-old Adam Oakes.  Four were also charged with buying and giving alcohol to a minor.  Unfortunately, deaths on campuses attributed to alcohol poisoning are not all that uncommon.  According to data compiled by Hank Nuwer, a journalism professor at Franklin College, more than 200 university students have died from hazing-related accidents in the United States since 1838 — 40 in the past decade alone. While some die from drowning or falling, most often the cause of death is alcohol poisoning.  He noted that “Harmful drinking by university students is a problem for most, if not every university.” Binge drinking by university students is not unique to Canada or the U.S.  Other countries report problems with high rates of university drinking that are on par with those in North America.

What is different in the U.S. is that binge drinking became part of a fraternity hazing ritual.  An advantage that Canadian universities have over their U.S. counterparts is the absence of a strong fraternity and sorority culture, which can contribute to heavy drinking.  American universities have generally responded to recent hazing accidents by suspending recruiting by fraternities and sororities, cancelling social events and banning hard liquor and kegs of beer at parties.

A 19-year-old Acadia University student died in Nova Scotia in September 2011 during orientation week, after consuming a large amount of alcohol.  An excellent report by the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness was subsequently published in the spring of 2012.  The report noted that: “The university environment has a significant role in shaping student behaviors, and as such, the campus context needs to be altered so that it does not support a heavy drinking culture.” The report, “Reducing Alcohol Harms among University Students,” is available online at *Generic Strang Report (novascotia.ca).   

Unfortunately, binge drinking came to be seen as a rite of passage among many students.  Each year, along with the start of classes, there are the inevitable pub crawls, keg parties and excessive drinking that often accompany frosh week events.  Such gatherings can lead to drunken behavior, violence, sexual assaults and property destruction.  Such incidents were unfortunately observed this fall in Ontario at Windsor University, Ottawa University and Queen’s University in Kingston.  Some believe that having lockdowns due the COVID-19 may have contributed to the higher than usual violent behavior and drunkenness among students.  As a result, more universities are cracking down on these behaviors and have been putting policies in place to discourage binge drinking.

Deaths due to alcohol poisoning are not just a fraternity and sorority problem.  According to one estimate, almost 90 percent of Canadian university students drink alcohol, while 32 percent reported drinking heavily at least once a month.  U.S. research shows that universities with the highest drinking rates tend to be in communities with high drinking rates.  As the above noted report states, focusing on the individual drinker in a university context has a limited impact because the actual drinking environment on campus supports, and in some cases promotes, heavy drinking.  For this reason, universities have to do a better job at controlling their campus environments, especially where pubs are serving alcohol on campus.  Programs which provide public education and help screen individual students for potential alcohol abuse must be put in place.  Policies must prevent the promotion of binge drinking by students and others on and off campus, accompanied by stiff penalties for the violation of such policies — including the expulsion of culpable students or staff.  Much more needs to be done to prevent the needless and tragic deaths of our youth due to alcohol abuses.

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Oct 2

Holdouts for COVID Vaccination Will Prolong the Pandemic

by bcurry

In past pandemics and epidemics, the two most critical human reactions have been “fear and misinformation”.  At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, fear reigned among the population because of the unknowns about the nature and spread of the coronavirus.  People were more inclined to accept the implementation of public health measures, restricting their movement and activities.  As it became clearer as to the dangers of COVID, reflected in the increasing numbers of hospitalizations and resulting deaths, governments had to move quickly to lockdown our daily lives, literally closing schools and businesses.  Then, months later, came the miraculous appearance of vaccines against this horrendous disease.  They have proven to be safe and reliable for adults 18 and over.  Vaccines are now viewed as the single most important weapon against COVID and the current spread of its variants.

It cannot be argued that concerns about vaccine safety are behind vaccination hesitancy, especially in light of the scientific evidence based on the millions of people who have been vaccinated.  For example, according to Health Canada, as of Sept. 17, 2021, of 16,090 individual reports of adverse events following vaccination against COVID (0.029 per cent of all doses administered), only 4,288 (0.008 per cent of all administered doses) were considered serious.  One would think that this would reassure people and reduce any vaccine-related fears.  In addition, statistically, the unvaccinated make up the vast majority of current hospitalizations and COVID-related deaths during the current fourth wave.  Let us not forget that about a quarter of Americans age 18 and older reportedly remain unvaccinated.

As for misinformation, regrettably the Internet has continued to play a major role in terms of disseminating misinformation about vaccines and other COVID-related treatments.  In recognition of this, public health officials and Internet providers have had to find effective ways to combat such misinformation, not an easy task given the volume of interactions globally.  However, with valid and reliable information sources available, one would hope that no one can claim to be so misinformed at this time as to promote vaccine hesitancy.

What is most disconcerting today is the fact that there remains a portion of the population in the U.S. and Canada who still don’t believe in being vaccinated against COVID.  Since fear and misinformation shouldn’t play a role, what appears to have happened is the obvious “politicization” of objections to government policies and especially mandates regarding the vaccination of selective groups.  What one hears is that being vaccinated is a “personal choice” and should not be mandated in a free society.  Even among those objecting to mandated vaccination are first responders, including health care workers, police and firefighters.  Moreover, their unions and professional associations appear to be split on the concept of mandated vaccination.  Unfortunately, hundreds of their members have died or will die because of the nature of their work and direct high risk interaction with the public.  One would think that these first responders would want to be protected against the delta variant, along with their loved ones.  For example, in the U.S., COVID was the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths last year, killing at least 182 police officers, according to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund which tracks such deaths.  That’s nearly double the number killed by gun violence and vehicle crashes combined.  At least 133 officers have died of COVID so far this year, according to the same organization.  In Canada, the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions reports that as of September 2021, 54 health care workers have died from COVID-19.

The U.S. has now seen over 700,000 COVID-related deaths.  Given the severity of the fourth wave and the fact that being vaccinated is the only recourse for preventing the worst of the pandemic, governments increasingly will be forced to ensure that the vast majority of their populations are vaccinated.  Otherwise, there is little doubt that holdouts for COVID vaccination will prolong the pandemic.

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Sep 25

Absurdity of Province of Alberta Government’s Approach to Dealing with a Pandemic

by bcurry

One cannot imagine implementing a public health approach to tackling COVID-19 worst than that taken by the province of Alberta under its Premier, Jason Kenny.  As of April 1, 2021, Alberta’s population was almost 4.5 million people.  However, in May, Alberta had over 23,600 active COVID-19 cases — the highest rate of infection in Canada.  Nevertheless, the province permitted the Calgary Stampede to proceed in July with thousands in attendance and relatively minimal restrictions.  Albertans today continue to be among the least vaccinated in Canada, particularly in its rural regions.  Back in June, Premier Kenny announced that the province had reached the vaccination threshold for the third and final phase of reopening, because 70.2 percent of Albertans 12 and over had received at least one dose of a vaccine.  Alberta had already reopened most of its community and business activities, although at reduced capacity.  It was also announced that there would be no more bans on indoor social gatherings; no more limits for gyms, sports and fitness activities; no more capacity limits at restaurants, in retail or for places of worship; and no more advisories against non-essential travel.

Today, a group of the province’s physicians declared that Alberta’s health-care system is on the verge of collapse.  The group is pleading with the government to strengthen public health measures to fend off a relentless fourth wave of COVID-19.  Alberta Health Services noted that there were 258 intensive care beds in the province, which includes 85 added spaces.  It said ICU capacity sat at 87 percent — just slightly below a seven-day average of 91 percent.  Recently, Dr. Verna Yiu, the president and CEO of Alberta Health Services, indicated that intensive care beds are 130 percent over capacity, and critically ill patients are being directed to overflow wards.  Almost 90 percent of the COVID patients in ICUs are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated.  The province has even talked about requesting federal military help and whether other larger provinces could take some of those patients currently requiring ICU care. 

Premier Kenny has now publicly apologized to Albertans for his government’s failure to protect them through its public health policies.  The government has had to reinstate an indoor mask mandate for public spaces and an alcohol sales curfew at 10 p.m.  It also announced a $100 incentive for unvaccinated Albertans who get their vaccine shots.  Could be too little, too late!  In the meantime, there are no signs COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations are slowing in the province.  There was an unfortunate belief that, even with its low vaccination rates and more open economy, some Albertans would develop personal immunity by being exposed to COVID-19, similar in approach to the failed policies implemented by Sweden.  However, along came the more contagious and deadly Delta variant, causing the hospital system to become overburdened and increased burnout among health-care professionals.

Nevertheless, Alberta continues to act as if the pandemic is over.  An example is the fact that its two professional hockey teams, the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers, are being allowed to open the 2021-22 NHL season with 100% fan capacity for games.  Other jurisdictions such as Ontario are only permitting 50% capacity for hockey arenas, while the arenas are requiring proof of full vaccination for entry.  In light of COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths, critical care and infectious disease doctors across Alberta are calling on the province’s two NHL teams to drop their plans of playing in front of full-capacity crowds.  They warn that having full hockey arenas will lead to the further spread of COVID-19, worsening an already “dire” situation. 

Previously, Premier Kenney had staunchly refused to mandate proof of vaccination for anyone who wants to use non-essential services such as restaurants, clubs and sports events.  All that changed with the current deteriorating health situation in the province.  Alberta is now planning to introduce a “proof of vaccination” passport for such businesses similar to that being implemented in other provinces such as Quebec, British Columbia and Ontario.  All-in-all, one has to ask if attending a sports event is more important than preventing the further spread of COVID-19?  What an absurd question to ask at this time!  Just ask Albertans.

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Sep 19

Rise in Treatment with Monoclonal Antibodies Used as Expensive Substitute for Vaccines

by bcurry

Everyone knows the old saying: “A once of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  Well, apparently, some people don’t believe this.  Instead of simply getting vaccinated against COVID-19, they are waiting to have the coronavirus and then ask to be treated with new experimental treatment using monoclonal antibodies to lessen the effects of COVID-19.  Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off viruses.  Such treatments were originally designed to keep COVID patients out of hospitals and to lessen the symptoms experienced with the disease.  Even in Canada, the treatment was approved back in November 2020.  The authorization for its used was based on promising data that showed that the treatment by infusion appeared to reduce COVID-related hospitalization or emergency room visits in patients at high risk for disease progression.

However, in the U.S., demand for treatment using monoclonal antibodies, especially by the unvaccinated, has begun to outstrip the supply by the federal government.  What is particularly interesting is that the federal government presently is covering the price tag of the remedy — presently at about $2,100 for every dose.  On the other hand, one dose of a COVID vaccine in the U.S. costs only $20.  In addition, while just one vaccination safeguards untold others from exposure, a single infusion only helps one affected individual.

The sudden rise in demand for monoclonal antibodies treatment is seen as partly due to the fact that people who shunned COVID vaccines have embraced antibody treatment.  In turn, it is now reported that waning federal provides and soaring demand from much less-vaccinated Southern states (e.g. North Carolina, Texas and Florida) have brought about what many states have described as massive shortfalls in deliveries.  The Biden administration has already invested $150 million in expanding accessibility to monoclonal antibodies, but the required delivery of the treatment to patients by health care workers is taking a toll on already scarce hospital resources.  Accessibility for the treatment has also become an issue, resulting for example in the transformation of dental clinics, mobile models and auditoriums into infusion facilities in several counties.  Unlike COVID vaccines which are readily available to most Americans, the monoclonal antibodies infusions continue to be inaccessible to many people.

There is little doubt that governments and public health officials are concerned about providing legitimate treatments for COVID patients.  This is why agreements were signed by the American and Canadian governments to purchase new antibody treatments, while maintaining their standards for safety, efficacy and quality.  However, such treatments were never intended to be a replacement for COVID vaccinations which serve as a much more reliable and safe preventative measure.  Championed by mainstream medical doctors and conservative radio hosts alike, the use of antibody treatments have tended unfortunately to take on just that role.  It’s difficult to understand that anyone knowingly would forgo getting vaccinated, relying instead on an experimental treatment in the event that they become infected and sick.  This has become another one of the crazy absurdities emerging out of the pandemic!

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Sep 16

Canada Has Its Own Mini-Trump Running In Current Federal Election

by bcurry

In Canada today, there are a number of small parties running in the current federal election.  Among these is the self-described hard-right populist People’s Party of Canada (CPP) founded in 2018 by Maxime Bernier.  Bernier was once a member of Canada’s Conservative Party, but left due to differing views with the party on a number of policy issues.  Overall, he believed that the Conservative Party had strayed from some of its traditional right-wing beliefs.  In its first election in 2019, the CPP received 1.6 percent of votes, placing it well behind other small parties, such as the Greens (6.5 percent) but well ahead of others, such as the Christian Heritage Party (0.1 percent).  Currently, the CPP does not have a seat in the national parliament.  Recent polls show that the CPP could get slightly more than 6 percent of the popular vote, but again the party is not expected to win any seats, including that in the riding where Maxime Bernier himself is running.

The primary difference with the emergence of Donald Trump in the Republican Party is that Bernier decided to offer his ultra-right views by forming a new national party.  However, many of the same positions taken by Trump’s followers are reflected in the CPP’s platform.  Bernier is attempting to appeal to a portion of the Canadian electorate who are disgruntled with the current political establishment in Ottawa, be it Conservative or Liberal, and are simply angry about the current state of Canadian society and big governments.  Like Trump, Bernier is in favour of reducing immigration, preventing refugees from entering Canada illegally, promoting the construction of pipelines, denying the human contribution to climate change, pushing for a single national identity, moving away from promoting multiculturalism, eliminating foreign aid funding and repealing existing firearms laws. Fortunately, unlike Trump, Bernier has not to date raised issues about voter fraud or rigged elections.

What has really brought out the CPP supporters to the federal election are the restrictive measures taken by the federal and provincial governments to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.  Bernier has referred to COVID-19 public-health measures and vaccine policies as being “tyrannical”.  He has often told his supporters that: “People are fed up and they want to get back their freedom.”  This is a common theme, declaring that government public-health measures are an attack on one’s liberties, especially when it comes to lockdowns, mandated vaccinations and vaccine passports. 

What’s unfortunate about the participation of CPP supporters in the campaign is that their anger has gotten the better of their common sense and civility.  Supporters have been part of a number of often-violent demonstrations protesting the other parties’ leaders, especially at events being held by the current Liberal leader, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.  The protesters have attempted to drown out the leaders at campaign stops and have revealed signs with vulgar and insulting slurs and graphics.  What’s regrettable is that Maxime Bernier refuses to condemn the incivility and lack of respect shown by CPP supporters against the opposing leaders, and in particular the PM.  In these difficult times, there is no doubt that there is a lot of pent-up anger among those whose lives and livelihoods have been negatively affected by the pandemic and some of the public-health measures that had to be implemented.  However, given the severity of the pandemic, Canadian support for such measures and the current growing fourth wave, it doesn’t appear that the CPP will gain very much additional support.

Unlike in the U.S. with its firmly established conservative base in several regions, there is little chance that Canada will see a similar ultra-right populist administration in power anytime soon.

Maxime Bernier himself does not like to be compared to Donald Trump for obvious reasons.  Unfortunately, his party has tended to politicize some of the more critical issues such as public-health measures aimed at preventing more COVID-related hospitalizations and deaths.  Unfortunately, the anti-vaxxers now have a political means to promote their virulent opposition to such measures.  By encouraging unfounded and unreasonable protests, Bernier does appear to have taken a page from Donald Trump’s agenda.

Canada Donald Trump Federal Government Justin Trudeau Populism in Canada US

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