FROLITICKS

Satirical commentary on Canadian and American current political issues

Aug 18

Once Again, as in the Case of Vietnam, the U.S Military Misled the President

by bcurry

As many of us predicted some time ago, the Afghan ruling government was overthrown by the Taliban this past week.  This despite the fact that President Biden had just reassured Americans that the Afghan military and security forces would be able to defend Kabul against any Taliban attacks.  One counted on the over 300,000 security forces, armed and trained by the Allies, to defend the capital and reigning government against a poorer armed estimated force of 85,000 Taliban insurgents.  Well, as in the case of South Vietnam and the fall of Saigon in April 1975, the disintegration of the military and ruling government ended with the rapid fall of Kabul.  Thus came the familiar sight of Allied embassy staffs, their families and some Afghan officials fleeing the country in frightening moments of utter chaos.  Like in Saigon, helicopters circled the U.S. embassy in Kabul as its diplomatic personnel were under evacuation orders.  Frankly, it appears that no one expected to see this, and most especially U.S. military commanders.

Let’s take a step back.  Once the President announced the complete American troop withdrawal by this fall, there was an obvious surge in Taliban attacks in several provinces, ending in the successful capture of key cities and border areas —  in some cases with little opposition from government forces.  Next, Afghanistan’s president Ashraf Ghani and members of his administration suddenly fled the country to God knows where, without really any advance notice to the Americans.  No interim governing administration was left in his place.  What’s interesting is that, according to current and former U.S. officials familiar with the matter, there had been an already stark intelligence assessment predicting Kabul could be overrun within six to 12 months.  Even as the President Biden was telling the public that Kabul was unlikely to fall, intelligence assessments apparently painted a grimmer picture, suggesting that the Afghan military collapse could be more rapid than expected.  In addition, it became clear that the so-called peace agreement hammered out under former President Donald Trump, that promised the withdrawal of all U.S. forces from Afghanistan, wasn’t worth the paper on which it was written.   

Taliban co-founder and de facto leader Abdul Ghani Baradar triumphantly arrived in Afghanistan this week for the first time in more than a decade, and immediately declared ‘amnesty’ for former Afghan government officials.  If anyone believes in the Taliban’s generosity and promised clemency, I’ve got Florida swamp land to sell them if interested.  Right now, there continues to be western media coverage while the Americans and allies continue the evacuation efforts at the Kabul airbase.  Once completed, you can bet that the Taliban administration will impose tight controls on all media and telecommunication networks, most likely including internet services which didn’t exist twenty years ago.  Future news about the Taliban regime’s actions will be tightly controlled, especially anything dealing with the anticipated reprisals among Afghan security personnel and Allied collaborators.

Now with the Americans hastily exiting Afghanistan and no U.S.-backed government in power, one can bet that bordering countries such as Pakistan, Russia and China are considering how to promote their interests in a Taliban-led Afghanistan.  On the other hand, the U.S., Canada and their NATO allies have no plans to recognize the Taliban as the official government of Afghanistan, as was the case 20 years ago.  Indeed, the U.S. and Canada still view the Taliban as a ‘terrorist’ group. 

Unfortunately, while many Afghan national army troops may have fought bravely, the inevitable government’s collapse happened much faster than expected.  U.S. military sources, as early as a week ago, wrongly expressed glowing and misleading reviews of the Afghan army’s readiness.  However, even the American intelligence community was taken by surprise at how fast the total collapse occurred.  Sounds familiar, think back to the rapid collapse of the American-backed government and military in South Vietnam!

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Aug 13

How Can Colleges and Universities Not Mandate Their Students and Staff Be Fully Vaccinated?

by bcurry

Both here in Canada and in the U.S., there are growing numbers of colleges and universities who are now mandating that their students and staff be fully vaccinated to attend classes and extracurricular activities.  However, there continues to be a Hodge poach of policies across both the U.S. and Canada when it comes to mandatory vaccinations.  In some cases, governments are refusing to require mandatory vaccinations in postsecondary institutions.  This is the case in Ontario, Canada, where the Premier has refused to support such policies.  This position has created an array of confusing approaches among schools, which go from mandatory vaccination on campuses to simply encouraging students and staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19.  Where students cannot be vaccinated for health reasons or are hesitant to be vaccinated, some policies include the option of being tested two or three times a week for COVID in order to attend classes and extracurricular activities.

O.K.  Let’s look at the facts.  Recent data from Health Canada show that 51 percent of Canadian adults aged 18 to 29 were fully vaccinated by July 31st.  As of that date, Canada had over 80 percent of eligible people vaccinated with their first dose and approximately 64 percent fully vaccinated.  Meanwhile, the national seven-day moving average rose to 1000 daily cases on Aug. 8th, an increase of 326 from the week prior, largely owing to the spread of the Delta variant.  The facts indicate that those infected by the highly contagious Delta variant who are subsequently hospitalized are primarily among the unvaccinated and the majority (well over 90 percent) are younger than was the case during the first and second waves.  Public health officials are on record that being fully vaccinated represents the primary defence against the Delta variant, preventing more serious illness and hospitalizations.  Unfortunately, left to their own discretion, some colleges and universities are acting as if there is not a pandemic happening, and vaccines are not the way out of it.  On the other hand, surveys have shown that students and faculty members for the most part say they are concerned that not mandating vaccination could lead to outbreaks, and they will not feel safe on campuses should the schools let students return to classes without vaccination.  As a result, in Ontario, the Council of Ontario Universities and Colleges Ontario called for a province-wide policy that requires the vaccination of post-secondary students, staff and faculty.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported last year, before vaccination was possible, colleges that diminished their student impact by remote instruction brought about an 18 percent decline in COVID-19 disease in their surrounding community, while those that did not brought about a 56 percent increase. The difference would be greater now, with Delta circulating.  The fact is that not fully vaccinating campuses is guaranteed to spread a fourth wave to the communities which host them.

As far as the legal ramifications of implementing mandatory vaccinations on campuses, there is already litigation challenging such policies.  However, the general belief is that such challenges will fail given the nature of the pandemic and its related public health issues, not only on campuses but in the community at large.  For example, Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett recently denied an emergency relief request challenging Indiana University’s requirement that all students and employees get the COVID shot.  It’s the first time the U.S. Supreme Court has weighed in on a vaccine mandate during the pandemic.  The liability excuse in Canada is also a weak bogeyman for inaction, because there has never been a successful lawsuit for vaccine injuries in Canada.

Let’s forget any arguments about stigmatizing the unvaccinated or shaming them on campus.  The issue of vaccination is one of public health for the community at large, and more specifically the health of students and staff at colleges and universities across both countries.  Indeed, as Delta variant cases rise in this fourth wave, one is seeing a change of heart by many postsecondary schools, a number of which have now introduced mandatory vaccination requirements.  Hopefully, more will continue to do so before on-campus classes commence.

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Aug 12

How Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Actions Are Just the Tip of the Iceberg

by bcurry

Facing the scandalous report alleging that he displayed inappropriate behaviour, often sexual in nature, toward several women while in office, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has now resigned.  Here one has a governor who claimed to champion women’s rights, but one who also had an office was considered “toxic” by the affected women.  While it appeared that Cuomo advanced a feminist agenda, there are those that now argue that it was just smoke and mirror politics.  Once again, it takes a high profile case to demonstrate that sexual harassment in the workplace continues to be an issue of major concern to both employers and employees.

Interestingly enough, Statistics Canada just released a report that concluded that one in four women and one in six men reported having experienced inappropriate sexualized behaviours at work in 2020.  Inappropriate sexualized behaviours are defined to include inappropriate verbal or non-verbal communication, sexually explicit materials, and unwanted physical contact or suggested sexual relations.  The survey also found that people with formal authority in the workplace ― such as supervisors and bosses ― were often the perpetrators of inappropriate sexualized behaviours.  Women most often identified a man as the perpetrator of all three types of the above defined inappropriate sexualized behaviour.  In addition, because the harassment that they experience at work is most often by a superior, people are reluctant to come forward fearing negative consequences for their careers if they did so.

Today, many jurisdictions require that employers have some form of written harassment policy in place and that it is clearly communicated to all employees, including management.  As well, most businesses must have an independent harassment complaint process in place to allow employees to come forward in a confidential and timely manner.  However, as the Statistics Canada survey indicated, approximately one-third of women and one-quarter of men surveyed said that they had not received any information from their employer on how to report sexual harassment and sexual assault.  Furthermore, such impartial complaint mechanisms should also deal with matters regarding discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived gender, gender identity or sexual orientation.

What is truly sad about the Cuomo case is the fact that it took so long to finally surface.  It took no fewer than five district attorneys who made preliminary inquiries into Cuomo’s alleged sexual harassment, now detailed in the scathing 165-page report released last week.  The report from state Attorney General Letitia James’ office found Cuomo sexually harassed at least 11 women — including nine current or former state employees — in violation of state and federal law.  Apparently, his resignation won’t end a bevy of pending investigations into him and his administration.  According to those in the know, the investigations and litigation could enmesh Cuomo for months or years after his scheduled departure from public office in two weeks.

What is interesting is that Cuomo was in his third term as governor, having been first elected in 2010.  One has to ask in this “#me too” movement era, why it took so long — some ten years — for these alleged complaints to come forward, and why it took an investigation by the Attorney General’s office to finally reveal the harassment complaints?  I would hope that there will be some form of formal inquiry into the whole process itself, examining why these women had to allegedly and silently endure what they endured over those years under question.  Moreover, as the above noted survey illustrates, the issue of harassment in the workplace is much broader than we think.  This is despite all the legal protections against such harassment for both men and women that now exist in most jurisdictions.  Hopefully, the Cuomo case will encourage governments, organizations and businesses to once again examine their harassment policies and complaint processes.

Political Scandals US Women's Issues

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Aug 9

The Tragedy of Gun Violence in Canada is One of Our Own Doing

by bcurry

Back in 2018, a random mass shooting that killed a 10-year-old girl and an 18-year-old woman in Toronto, Ontario, brought about another call by gun control advocates and some politicians for increased controls on guns, and in particular handguns.  According to Statistics Canada reports, “firearm-related violent crime” has gone up 42 per cent since 2013.  However, like in the U.S., these statistics include the fact that the most common way Canadians die from firearms is by suicide, be it by handguns or standard rifles and shotguns.  Unlike in the U.S., ownership of handguns in Canada comes with several restrictions and requirements because most handguns that are not prohibited are restricted and must be registered.  Being restricted, the permitted purposes for handgun ownership are for target practice or target shooting competitions and as part of a collection.  Unlike in many U.S. states, the federal Criminal Code prohibits carrying a concealed weapon in Canada unless authorized for a lawful occupational purpose under the Firearms Act.

When it comes to handguns in particular, most violent crimes are being committed by gangs, often against other gang members.  Obviously, given Canada’s gun laws and prohibitions, the guns being used were obtained illegally.  So where do these gang members get their guns? The federal union representing the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and some police chiefs have themselves opposed a complete gun ban, saying it does little to address gang violence and gun smuggling at the Canada-U.S. border, which accounts for the majority of firearm-related violence.  In one example, they refer to the case of a Michigan man who in 2017 admitted to reselling 67 guns on Toronto’s black market.  However, while most of illegal handguns are smuggled in, many are also purchased legally in Canada and then resold illegally, what’s known as “straw purchasing”.  In addition, they rightfully believe that most guns used in violent crimes are obtained illegally, so it doesn’t make sense to ban something that’s already prohibited.

In truth, of illegal handguns that can be successfully traced by the RCMP (which can be as little as one third), about half have been found to start out as legal guns purchased at a Canadian gun store — with the other definitively coming by way of American gun smugglers.  In 2016 the RCMP was estimating that up to 61 per cent of illegal guns started life as a legal Canadian firearm.  Recognizing this fact, recently the federal government modestly expanded a number of existing laws, like lengthened prison sentences for people who smuggle firearms or who manipulate gun magazines beyond their legal limit.  Changes to “red flag” laws grant expanded powers to courts to search and seize the possessions of gun owners.

The Canadian government recognizes that lawful gun owners are not a threat, and have thus taken a cautious approach to enacting more forceful gun laws.  As it is now, gun laws already provide sufficient regulation of handgun ownership and use.  The real problem is how to reduce the availability of illegal handguns which are increasingly being used for the purposes of crime.  To do so will require the provision of adequate resources to national and local law enforcement to effectively go after the smugglers and illegal gun sellers.  This enforcement has to take place at the borders and by local guns and gangs units that now exist in every major city.  For society at large, the real fundamental issues are social and economic in nature.  The actual question is why people are using guns to commit crimes in the first place?  This is a Canadian problem, and we have only ourselves to resolve it.

Canada Gun Control

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Aug 7

The U.S. Falls Short in Anticipated Olympic Medals, and Why This is a Good Thing

by bcurry

For years now, the Olympics have represented the top of athleticism in multiple sports around the world.  Many athletes who become Olympians work and sweat for years to become one among the world’s best in their sport.  While this is meritorious, the fact of the matter is that many countries are simply striving to dominate the medals podium.  The U.S. is no different.  However, while the Americans’ efforts in Tokyo have produced results that might be the envy of the world, they have fallen short of their recent lofty standards.  The U.S. Olympic Team will not equal its haul of 121 medals in 2016, and trails China in total gold medals to date.  In team sports, there have been a number of upsets, including Canada’s winning the gold in women’s soccer and Japan’s winning the gold in baseball over the Team U.S.A.  Host nations generally do better than normal because they invest heavily in sports in the years leading up to the Games.  In this case, Japan, with its third place medals tally, nearly doubled its previous gold medal tally for the summer Olympics.

There are those that will argue that the Olympics should be more about athletes doing their personal bests, representing competitive excellence and true sportsmanship.  There should be no return to the earlier Olympics of the sixties through eighties when the former Soviet Union and Eastern European block used the events to demonstrate so-called superiority in athleticism within Communist systems.  Of course, the end results became more important than the means, resulting in the use of performance enhancement tactics by athletes from these countries.  Thank goodness, the International Olympic Committee, as the guardian of the Olympic Games and the leader of the Olympic Movement, put an end to this by severely penalizing the culprits and introducing tougher drug-screening for the athletes.

However, for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOC) today, the total medal counts apparently both matter and don’t.  Nevertheless, its executives maintain that they want to win as many medals as possible, sometimes at the cost of placing an inordinate amount of pressure on their top athletes to perform well.  The consequences can be devastating for some athletes, as demonstrated by Simone Biles who withdrew from the women’s team gymnastics final, citing mental heath concerns as she attempts to protect “her body and mind.”  Due often to unreasonable expectations by the media and the USOC, the added pressure and publicity can prevent athletes from performing at their best, as has very likely been the case in these latest Olympics.

Needless-to-say, this issue is not just one that the U.S. Olympic Team must face, but is one which athletes from other countries must constantly deal with.  Obviously, Chinese athletes in particular are expected to perform well and win medals at the summer Olympics.  Other countries such as Australia and Canada with smaller populations, some 25 million and 37 million people respectively, generally can only hope to improve their standings over previous summer Olympics.  Whatever the expectations, one can only hope that the Olympics remain a global outlet for the best of amateur sports — despite the fact that many professionals participate in the games.  It’s nice to see that in some sports, such as in track and field, diving, rowing, gymnastics and swimming, the U.S. no longer can be expected to dominate.  For the sake of a more representative Olympics, let’s hope that this is the case in future games.

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Aug 3

Afghanistan: With Afghans Fleeing, Appears To Resemble Another Vietnam Debacle

by bcurry

As American troops withdraw from Afghanistan, one cannot but remark some similarities with the debacle that accompanied the sudden U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam in April 1975.  As Saigon fell to communist forces, the last few Americans still in South Vietnam were quickly airlifted out of the country.  In the resulting chaotic evacuation, more than 130,000 people fled Vietnam after the North Vietnamese captured Saigon.  Many of the refugees, especially those who had supported the American military, eventually were flown to Guam and later settled in the U.S. and Canada.

Now, we have the hundreds of thousands fleeing Afghanistan as the Taliban continue to capture more and more of the districts and cities.  So far this year, according to the United Nations, around 330,000 Afghans have been displaced, more than half of them fleeing their homes since the U.S. began its withdrawal in May.  Since the country had historically been in a state of war and chaos, notably involving the Soviet Union in the early eighties and Taliban regimes in the mid-nineties, Afghans in the millions had already accounted for one of the world’s largest populations of refugees and asylum-seekers.

Before U.S. and NATO troops withdraw from the country in September, both the U.S. and Canada are now organizing the large-scale evacuation of endangered Afghan interpreters and others who worked for the U.S. and Canadian governments.  The Taliban have ratcheted up attacks on civil society activists and women in particular, frequently assassinating judges, journalists, local officials and anyone else considered as ‘traitors’.  Like the so-called Vietnamese “boat people”, in recent weeks the number of Afghans illegally crossing the borders with Pakistan and Iran shot up around 30%-40% compared with the period before international troops began withdrawing.  As noted by various support groups in the U.S. and Canada, the growing backlog of Afghans who face threats because of their work with their governments has left more than 20,000 eligible Afghans and their families trapped in bureaucratic limbo in Afghanistan.  The sooner they can be airlifted out, the better their chances for survival once the Taliban retake the country.  Let there be no doubt, the Taliban will once again rule most if not all of Afghanistan!

All of this is to say that the consequences of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan should be of no surprise given the history of this twenty year war going back to 2001.  Despite the U.S. spending at least $4 billion a year on the Afghan military, its security forces have shown that they are not up to the task of defeating the Taliban.  The current Afghan administration in Kabul has failed to negotiate a truce with the Taliban, although given numerous opportunities and having the support of the Americans and NATO countries.  Until lately, the American and Canadian media had tended to ignore what was obviously happening in the country.  Canada’s past involvement included efforts to provide security to Afghanistan’s new government, and aid reconstruction in a country driven by a generation of war.  Canadians contributed to the war against a growing Taliban insurgency and suffered numerous casualties.  Canada concluded combat operations in 2011 and left Afghanistan in 2014.  However, many Canadians believe that the Canadian government should still help those Afghans who served with Canadian troops and officials during that period.

For past observations concerning Afghanistan, I refer you to the following two blogs:

https://froliticks.wordpress.com/2021/02/28/once-again-we-have-forgotten-about-afghanistan/
https://froliticks.wordpress.com/2013/08/01/afghanistan-good-investment-or-sink-hole-and-lost-cause/

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Jul 30

U.S. Congressional Hearings on January 6th Capitol Breach

by bcurry

On January 6, 2021, a peaceful and patriotic crowd of citizens gathered in front of the steps of the U.S. Congress, on what is referred to as the Hill.  They lovely and respectfully greeted the law-enforcement officers from the Capitol Police on duty that day.  Suddenly, these individuals who were exercising their right to protest, broke through the police lines and entered the people’s building of American governance.  They did not mean to hurt anyone, although there were a few who mockingly shouted that they wanted to hang Vice-President Mike Pence.  In order to avoid the determined mob, both Republican and Democrat members of Congress conveniently left the Senate Chamber in order to make room for the touring crowd.  These patriots then went about their business of sightseeing through the corridors of the Capitol.  Once they had finished their tour, they left the premises, often carrying handfuls of souvenirs to show the family back home.  Meanwhile, the outgoing President of the United States of America, sat comfortably in the White House and calmly watched the unfolding events televised on American news networks for all to see.  He was particularly concerned that none of his supporters would be seriously injured by the authorities during their visitation.

Months later, one now has a House select committee investigating the storming of the Capitol, much to the chagrin of majority of Republicans who don’t see any need for any inquiry, let alone an independent commission of inquiry.  For this reason, Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused to seat two Republicans who publicly opposed the establishment of the committee itself, and instead invited two more neutral Republicans, Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, to join the committee.  This seems to make sense.  Let’s face it, most Republicans would like the whole January 6th armed insurrection to go away.  Remember, many of the mob have said under oath that they were there because Donald Trump sent them.

I don’t know about you, but I sat in front of my television witnessing what some have called the worst attack on Washington since the War of 1812 — between what was then Canada and the U.S.  I could not believe what I was witnessing!  No one in their right mind can deny the fact that the attack was orchestrated and well planned in advance.  To say that a few of Trump’s supporters simply got overly zealous is a pile of you know what.  The real problem and failure, indeed the tragedy, is that the actions of the mob were not foreseen by the Trump administration and the intelligence and security communities.  Congress was virtually left at the mercy of a crazy group of insurrectionists.  It is these elements of what happened on January 6th that need to be investigated and made public.  The role of Donald Trump in inciting his supporters is already well known and no longer of particular import.  What is important is to establish what went terribly wrong within the intelligence community, law enforcement and among federal agencies involved, including the Department of Defence.  Hopefully, these are the issues that the committee will examine in order to introduce changes that would ensure that something of this nature will never happen again.  Let’s face it, there’s plenty of blame to go around.  What one needs is truthful answers and expert analysis.

Donald Trump Republican Party US US Politics

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Jul 28

Appointment of Remarkable Indigenous Woman to be Canada’s 30th Governor General

by bcurry

On July 26th, Mary Simon was officially appointed the Queen’s representative to Canada.  What is extraordinary is that Mary Simon is Inuk, having been born and raised in what is now Nunavut.  Nunavut is one of Canada’s three northern territories and is populated primarily by the Inuk people.  Now of course, the role of the Governor General is primarily ceremonial, but there are certain situations where the Prime Minister as head of government must consult with the Governor General, such as in the case of dissolving Parliament and calling a federal election.  What is more important, that as head of state, the Governor General will oversee a number of ceremonial events such as the opening of Parliament and awarding Canadians with various titles of recognition for service and achievements.

What is even more important, in this period of reconciliation with indigenous peoples, Mary Simon will have numerous opportunities to travel the country and meet with Canadians in their communities.  She appears to be devoted to trying to bring Canadians together and to serve as a bridge for people of different races, colour, life preferences, religions, etc., etc.  She is also committed to improving the economic and social situation for people in the Artic, many of whom have been forgotten by past governments in Ottawa.  She has also been a major spokesperson for issues surrounding climate change, particularly in global Artic regions.  In her inauguration address to Parliament, Mary Simon demonstrated her sincere desire to serve all Canadians in a respectful and humble manner.

In a time when the current pandemic has created more divisions among Canadians, an effective and respected Governor General can certainly help to address some of the critical issues we face, without the appearance of adhering to any particular political biases.  She has talked about real acts of meaningful reconciliation and the need for healing in Aboriginal communities across Canada.  Through tolerance and understanding, she believes that Canada can truly become a country of diversity, greater equality and hope.  I, like many Canadians, could not but be impressed with the inspiring words of our new head of state.  We can only hope that Her Excellency, the Right Honourable Mary Simon, as our 30th and first Inuk Governor General, will help all of us to heal and move forward in a positive way.  She certainly has challenging work set out for her!

Canada Climate Change Federal Government

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Jul 24

To Mandate COVID Vaccinations or Not?

by bcurry

When COVID vaccinations really took off in the spring, people began to sense that they could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and a return to so-called normalcy.  However, despite large numbers of Americans, Canadians and Europeans having become fully vaccinated or at least having one dose, the sudden emergence of the Delta Variant is once again starting to dim that light.  In the U.S., COVID-19 hospitalizations are trending upward in 45 states.  While levels remain well below previous peaks, health care centers in parts of the Midwest, West and South are strained.  For example, some Florida hospitals have more COVID patients than ever before.  In Europe, the Delta Variant is now the predominant strain and appears to be spreading rapidly, especially among the unvaccinated.  In France, 22,000 coronavirus cases were reported in a 24-hour period this past week, the highest rate in more than two months.

The result has been that a number of governments reintroduced masking and physical distancing requirements, especially for indoor public activities.  What is more interesting is that several governments, like that of France, have introduced mandatory vaccination for health workers and are telling the rest of the population — if not vaccinated or without testing negative — will be denied access to most indoor public spaces.  In the U.S., more than 400 colleges and universities are required to vaccinate students for COVID-19.  As well, based on recent favourable court decisions, the U.S. government provided guidance that companies can require workers entering the workplace to be vaccinated against the coronavirus or to be tested.  America’s business leaders, who had hoped the country would already be fully on a path to normalcy, are caught in a conundrum of requiring employees to be fully vaccinated in order to return to their workplaces or allowing them to continue to work from home.  Given the apparent emergence of another wave, employers have to ask whether workers will feel comfortable enough to come back, even if good controls are in place?  Less than half of Americans are fully vaccinated, exacerbating the situation in their workplaces.

To date, studies have shown that vaccines remain effective against the worst outcomes of COVID-19, including those from the Delta Variant.  Whether or not they are a hundred percent effective is not the point.  When determining vaccination requirements, people are using the “precautionary principle”, which claims that certain health and safety actions are justified even though one may not have all the evidence readily at hand.  One just needs to know that the potential benefits of taking an initiative outweigh the apparent risks, especially when it comes to public safety.  The courts have determined that reasonable practices will supersede the impact on individual liberties, especially where the good of the community or employees are at risk.

During this global pandemic, governments have closed borders, placed restrictions on travel, imposed testing and quarantine requirements for travellers, obligated masking and physical distancing requirements, etc., etc.  Now that we have relatively effective vaccines that can help prevent further COVID outbreaks, the question of mandatory vaccinations will continue to surface in many countries and communities.  It will no doubt stir up pockets of deep resistance among some elements of the population believing that such policies are an infringement of individual liberties.  The debate has already surfaced with respect to the idea of having vaccination passports in order to travel or enter certain types of public spaces such as gyms, restaurants, bars and sporting/entertainment events.  There are growing divisions over how far it may become mandatory to receive an injection.  As in Europe, the debate will continue in both the U.S. and Canada, sometimes placing local authorities in opposition to the policies of state and provincial governments.  Who ultimately wins this debate will most likely depend largely on political beliefs and whether the current surge in the Delta Variant can be adequately controlled. In the meantime, health care systems and front-line workers will unfortunately continue to be strained!

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Jul 18

Despite Evidence to the Contrary, Climate Change Skepticism Lingers in the U.S. and Canada

by bcurry

An extreme heat wave affected much of Western North America in late June and early July of this year. The heat affected Northern California, Idaho, Western Nevada, Oregon, and Washington in the U.S., as well as Canada’s British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan and Yukon.  The extreme heat was accompanied by droughts, hundreds of wildfires, hundreds of heat-related deaths, the interruption of major interstate transmission and rail lines, and the evacuation of dozens of towns and communities.  In the case of the village of Lytton, British Columbia, it was sadly completely destroyed by wildfires.  International researchers concluded that the extraordinary heat wave in the northwestern United States and parts of Canada would almost certainly not have occurred without global warming.

Yet, despite all the evidence to the contrary, there are still Americans and Canadians, often living in the most affected regions, who remain skeptical about the impact of climate change.  For example, they instead blame more severe wildfires on the federal government’s water policies and forestry management, referring to it as ‘environmentally caused mismanagement’.  Unfortunately, skepticism appears to be highest in the U.S. partly because of a major distrust of everything that has to do with the federal government, similar to that found among anti-vaccination groups as it pertains to COVID-19.  

Seeing the results of climate change during the past decade, there are those who believe that we have to invest more in developing infrastructures that can withstand the future impacts of such extreme weather events, including flooding along our coastlines.  These investments will have to include looking at major infrastructure changes to energy transmission, water conservation, building structures, crop management, forestry management, emergency preparedness, etc., etc.  In order to better cope with future extreme weather events and other impacts due to climate change, the needed infrastructure changes will cost trillions of dollars.  There is no segment of society that will not be affected.

In order to deal with those skeptical segments of society, we will have to do a better job of countering misinformation about climate change and informing people about the serious inevitable consequences of not preparing for impacts associated with climate change.  This is the number one priority for the human race.  Given the course that we are on, there must be a clear understanding among all of us of the urgent need to get even more serious about this issue.  People have a right to be skeptical, but not to the extent that it places them in real danger.  This is exactly what’s happening now!  This issue is beyond a doubt the priority for the twenty-first century as it affects every aspect of our society, and societies in other countries, especially those in the so-called Third World.  Without sounding overly alarmist, our lives and livelihoods depend on our dealing with the impacts of climate change today and not tomorrow!

Canada Climate Change US

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