Tag: Politics

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I very rarely publicly discuss politics. This commentary by Charles Marohn on the web site Strong Towns struck me, most especially this paragraph:

The poor people of this country — red and blue voters alike — have far more in common with each other than with the governing elite, the professional class and others who are doing well in the current system . . . the system is not working. And it’s not going to work for them. There is no amount of job training, tuition credits or housing programs that will get them beyond living paycheck to paycheck. There is no tax structure or subsidy regime which will give them dignity. The modern bible [which espouses the Growth Ponzi Scheme, the Suburban Experiment, Orderly but Dumb, and more] is not only written in a different language, they are keenly aware that the people interpreting it for them don’t truly have their best interests at heart.

It’s not working for the working class. Nor does either major US political party have adequate plans to deal with crumbling infrastructure, climate change and population dislocation,  cheap fossil fuels depletion.

Vote for the steady hand, vote for radical change, vote third party, not vote at all? All four options have their advantages and drawbacks.

Interesting times ahead . . .

The Keystone XL pipeline and the PM

Paul Wells, over at Macleans.com, wrote an interesting post about the Prime Minister’s seeming lack of opinion and comment about the US President’s recent comments on the pipeline.

http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/07/30/keystone-its-going-well/

If one took Mr. Obama’s comments literally, it seems the Keystone proposal will be disapproved, or at best needing a rewrite.

Mr. Wells suggested three reasons Mr. Harper might be so quiet on the file. He may be right (though I find it hard to believe that Mr. Harper can be wildly misreading the evidence). I thought of other reasons.

If the US does not want our product, other nations – especially those on the Pacific Rim – do. A pipeline to the BC coast (or thinking outside the box, to the Arctic) can get it to a port.

A reversed pipeline from Sarnia ON east to Quebec is another possibility.

I’m unsure that the PM would run in 2015 on #3, the Wounded Pride hypothesis. I think it’s more that a pipeline and a port in Canada means jobs for Canadians. And with an election on the horizon, jobs for Canadians (especially potentially in hurting ON and QC) would be a good selling point.