Twitter: Getting Trouble
Nov. 19th, 2022 08:57 pmMusk just announced that he's reinstated Trump's account.
*disgusted scowl*
What next in this firehose attack on democracy?
The Trump Reinstatement is exactly why he cited/expected threats of employee sabotage to bar the premises over this weekend, isn't it?
For the record: I voted against reinstatement. It wasn't going to matter to Musk what the actual results were, and I still voted against.
*disgusted scowl*
What next in this firehose attack on democracy?
The Trump Reinstatement is exactly why he cited/expected threats of employee sabotage to bar the premises over this weekend, isn't it?
For the record: I voted against reinstatement. It wasn't going to matter to Musk what the actual results were, and I still voted against.
Timothy Snyder on Upcoming "Referenda"
Sep. 3rd, 2022 06:37 pmDepending on where you are, you may need to fiddle with VPNs to read this.
https://twitter.com/TimothyDSnyder/status/1560326928787202049
https://twitter.com/TimothyDSnyder/status/1560326928787202049
One More Request
Feb. 21st, 2022 10:06 pmCan I please just grow old and die in a small-l liberal democracy? That's a thing I still want. I don't apologise for wanting this, and if someone rigs up a "Monkey's Paw" punishment for me in reply, I am SO gonna haunt their sorry hindquarters forever.
Several Kinds of Chills
Jan. 28th, 2022 07:26 pmThis is a bit of a muddle. I apologise for that right now.
In downtown Ottawa, we're trying to deal with two messes at once. It's not the first time for our city, not since the original Euro-settlement on top of Algonquin lands in the 1820's.
The extreme cold warning is nothing new. Nor are protests in general. Not for Ottawa the city or Ottawa AKA "shorthand for the federal government". This particular protest feels like part of the ongoing war against multi-ethnic, democratic civil society in some respects.
Sidebar: Justin Ling interviewed by Matt Galloway about some of the roots of the "Freedom Convoy" over here:
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-jan-28-2022-1.6331041
And, Ling also details those issues more directly here:
https://twitter.com/Justin_Ling/status/1487112260636053509
I worry for friends whose homes and jobs are in downtown Ottawa. And, for the wider world. But that's not new either.
Organized racism is still afoot, as many of you already know far better by more direct and horrific ways than I. So are people who define civilisation as being exemplified by the ability to force others to live as you demand, whether motivated by bigotry or something else.
There's more ground to cover, I'm sure...
In downtown Ottawa, we're trying to deal with two messes at once. It's not the first time for our city, not since the original Euro-settlement on top of Algonquin lands in the 1820's.
The extreme cold warning is nothing new. Nor are protests in general. Not for Ottawa the city or Ottawa AKA "shorthand for the federal government". This particular protest feels like part of the ongoing war against multi-ethnic, democratic civil society in some respects.
Sidebar: Justin Ling interviewed by Matt Galloway about some of the roots of the "Freedom Convoy" over here:
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-jan-28-2022-1.6331041
And, Ling also details those issues more directly here:
https://twitter.com/Justin_Ling/status/1487112260636053509
I worry for friends whose homes and jobs are in downtown Ottawa. And, for the wider world. But that's not new either.
Organized racism is still afoot, as many of you already know far better by more direct and horrific ways than I. So are people who define civilisation as being exemplified by the ability to force others to live as you demand, whether motivated by bigotry or something else.
There's more ground to cover, I'm sure...
From American Georgia to the Stars
May. 2nd, 2021 09:11 amListening to this because Stacey Abrams (among others):
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/sunday/the-sunday-magazine-for-may-2-2021-1.6008904
Reading this as well:
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/this-mission-to-deep-space-could-last-a-lifetime-or-even-more-1.6008763
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/sunday/the-sunday-magazine-for-may-2-2021-1.6008904
Reading this as well:
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/this-mission-to-deep-space-could-last-a-lifetime-or-even-more-1.6008763
Nerves About "Ford Nation"
Apr. 16th, 2021 05:01 pmFord's creeping more and more into "Your papers, please" mode. Right?
I should use a CBC News report to illustrate what I mean by this for people outside of Ontario. This one, perhaps...
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/coronavirus-covid19-canada-world-april16-2021-1.5990091
I should use a CBC News report to illustrate what I mean by this for people outside of Ontario. This one, perhaps...
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/coronavirus-covid19-canada-world-april16-2021-1.5990091
Hope as a Weapon to Motivate Action
Dec. 21st, 2020 02:29 pmListening to this as I look for the next job:
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/political-scientist-doom-meister-shares-prescription-for-a-better-world-1.5817323
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/political-scientist-doom-meister-shares-prescription-for-a-better-world-1.5817323
RADIO/POLITICS: Elections During Pandemic
Sep. 20th, 2020 04:05 pmSince New Brunswick managed to hold one...listening to this as I read and type between now and suppertime:
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/checkup/is-it-time-to-call-an-election-1.5728483
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/checkup/is-it-time-to-call-an-election-1.5728483
More Notes on the Xi Regime
Jul. 9th, 2020 04:03 pmhttps://www.justsecurity.org/71087/a-rejoinder-to-chinas-response-to-un-human-rights-experts/
https://news.slashdot.org/story/20/07/09/1422241/uk-universities-comply-with-chinas-internet-restrictions
https://www.lawfareblog.com/days-after-retrospective-chinese-and-indian-media-coverage-june-16-border-conflict
https://news.slashdot.org/story/20/07/09/1422241/uk-universities-comply-with-chinas-internet-restrictions
https://www.lawfareblog.com/days-after-retrospective-chinese-and-indian-media-coverage-june-16-border-conflict
Gulls and Newspapers
Mar. 20th, 2020 09:04 amI saw gulls in the parking lot of our local rec centre/public library complex yesterday on my way to and from my grocery/newspaper run.
Why hardcopy newspapers? Because in addition to all the other stuff we have to be concerned about, I'm also still trying to heed one of Timothy Snyder's 20 pieces of anti-tyranny advice: pick an institution and defend it. So I'm working on buying and reading newspapers, apart from their internet incarnations. Mental health, along with the physical.
Why hardcopy newspapers? Because in addition to all the other stuff we have to be concerned about, I'm also still trying to heed one of Timothy Snyder's 20 pieces of anti-tyranny advice: pick an institution and defend it. So I'm working on buying and reading newspapers, apart from their internet incarnations. Mental health, along with the physical.
On Religious Freedom in the USA
Jan. 16th, 2020 11:18 amhttps://religiondispatches.org/dont-let-bigoted-campaigns-sour-you-to-the-revolutionary-idea-of-religious-freedom/
Thanks to![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
twistedchick for passing this linkage along.
Also, happily noting the existence of this organization:
https://www.blitzwatch.org/
If we don't already have the like in Canada, we should.
Thanks to
twistedchick for passing this linkage along.Also, happily noting the existence of this organization:
https://www.blitzwatch.org/
If we don't already have the like in Canada, we should.
This might provide some additional context on the Hong Kong situation as of this week:
https://www.lrb.co.uk/v41/n16/chaohua-wang/hong-kong-v-beijing
https://www.lrb.co.uk/v41/n16/chaohua-wang/hong-kong-v-beijing
An Older Fight Than Most of Us Know?
Mar. 16th, 2019 09:33 pmSome of you have already seen this.
To the rest of you, I suggest this: arm your minds..
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/opinions/wp/2019/03/14/feature/the-strongmen-strike-back/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.f61bd6a83e84
To the rest of you, I suggest this: arm your minds..
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/opinions/wp/2019/03/14/feature/the-strongmen-strike-back/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.f61bd6a83e84
That this is happening is Wrong:
https://ipolitics.ca/2018/09/15/ford-calls-midnight-sitting-to-force-through-toronto-council-cuts/
It's abusing the Charter and the Constitution to achieve some sick payback. And to set precedent for worse things yet to come, I'm sure of that. I live in an opposition-held provincial riding right now, so here's me wondering if Ford and company are planning something similar for Ottawa the city next.
The feds have got Trump to cope with, so that knocks a lot of what should be front-burner issues down to low-heat backburner status.
Like Ford's perversion of the Notwithstanding Clause into a fascist weapon. The surviving parents of the Clause can damn him all they want and it won't matter to him. It's there, he's going to use it on the rest of us.
I can't go to Toronto. Financial limits and obligations hold me here in Ottawa the city for now. All I can do right now is denounce Bill 5 AKA Bill 31 from the sidelines.
https://ipolitics.ca/2018/09/15/ford-calls-midnight-sitting-to-force-through-toronto-council-cuts/
It's abusing the Charter and the Constitution to achieve some sick payback. And to set precedent for worse things yet to come, I'm sure of that. I live in an opposition-held provincial riding right now, so here's me wondering if Ford and company are planning something similar for Ottawa the city next.
The feds have got Trump to cope with, so that knocks a lot of what should be front-burner issues down to low-heat backburner status.
Like Ford's perversion of the Notwithstanding Clause into a fascist weapon. The surviving parents of the Clause can damn him all they want and it won't matter to him. It's there, he's going to use it on the rest of us.
I can't go to Toronto. Financial limits and obligations hold me here in Ottawa the city for now. All I can do right now is denounce Bill 5 AKA Bill 31 from the sidelines.
Not-So-Random Linkages
Mar. 5th, 2018 09:30 pmNoting for future study:
"Democracy Has Been Made to Fail - Prof. Anthony Grayling"
The rampage of Sam Nunberg
Extortionist attempts extortion. Again.
Remind me to rant about super-heroes or space opera again some day soon, okay?
"Democracy Has Been Made to Fail - Prof. Anthony Grayling"
The rampage of Sam Nunberg
Extortionist attempts extortion. Again.
Remind me to rant about super-heroes or space opera again some day soon, okay?
On Poland and "Illiberal Democracy"
Feb. 21st, 2018 06:08 amHasn't Canada got troops there right now?
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/20/world/europe/poland-european-union.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/20/world/europe/poland-european-union.html
Cadwalladr:
Nov. 20th, 2017 07:46 amGuardian reporter Carole Cadwalladr - one of the best reporters covering the whole Putinist campaign against global democracy at the moment - documents an attempt to intimidate her into silence:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/19/my-fear-and-fury-in-the-eye-of-the-russia-leave-storm
I have no love for people who posted that bit of intimidation on the Leave.EU Twitter account. None. At all. Bullies in general tend to annoy me by their actions. Including psychological warfare.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/19/my-fear-and-fury-in-the-eye-of-the-russia-leave-storm
I have no love for people who posted that bit of intimidation on the Leave.EU Twitter account. None. At all. Bullies in general tend to annoy me by their actions. Including psychological warfare.
