· · · ·

Transparency vs The Long Game

ByDoug Anderson Canada, Government Policy, Lateral Thinking, Personality, Politics

Will the real Mark Carney Please Stand up

In the current age of instant news and social media there is an expectation by the media, and by extension the general public, to know what is happening everywhere in real time. No secrets, no obfuscation, Now.

But in the complexities of the world today and the nuances of daily life, such transparency can be difficult and even misguided.

Circumstances can change on a dime. What would have seemed prudent yesterday may be ill advised today.

The media is quick to point out even minor changes in policy and will dissect them in detail.

To someone who by nature is introverted, the easiest path is to be vague … which is the antithesis of transparency. And instead of having the story about changing priorities that they were trying to uncover, the story changes to secrecy and a lack of transparency.

I’ve written … More

·

The Lewis’s and the NDP

ByDoug Anderson Canada, Politics

And Me

Doug Anderson

April 5

Tommy Douglas at the founding convention of the New Democratic Party

I was in Grade 11 in 1960 when a new student arrived fresh off the boat from England. His father had been an organizer for the Labour Party in England and he was being imported to help build a ”New Party” here in Canada by an amalgamation of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) with the Canadian Labour Congress. His son was a good organizer too and Tim talked up the new party and enthused many of his classmates including myself. The next year I attended the founding convention of the Ontario NDP youth wing.

As the long time National Secretary of the CCF starting in 1936, and National Chairman and then President in the 1950s, David Lewis was instrumental in that process. David was born in Russia in 1909 and emigrated to Canada … More

Not Since King John and the Magna Carta

ByDoug Anderson Politics

“unprecedented Times”

Doug Anderson

Mar 28, 2026

“No Kings” demonstrations are taking place across the US today, Mar. 28. The United States was founded in 1776 in reaction to the arbitrary rule by George III, the British monarch at the time – rule that many in the US feel is being emulated by Donald Trump.

Up until the Middle Ages kings ruled by divine right or so the people were told. To this day divinity is a central theme of the coronation ceremony – it takes place in a cathedral, it is conducted by a bishop and the monarch is anointed with holy oil. Today that’s all just ritual.

But in the middle ages it was meant to be real. However, the people closest to the monarch knew otherwise and hence kings were frequently challenged and sometimes overthrown – on pain of certain death if they fail.

The divine right … More

· ·

The Casinos on Wall St., Bay St., and other cities around the World

ByDoug Anderson Economics, Money, Politics

How the wealthy keep getting richer and the rest of us are drowning

Doug Anderson

Mar 15, 2026

Since Trump launched his war on Iran a few weeks ago the stock market has gyrated from highs to lows depending – not on the price of oil but rather on the posts that Trump was putting up on his Truth Social. The market fell dramatically within minutes of the first bombs but then eased its way up over the next several hours. The actual value of oil didn’t change. The shift came from speculators. Fundamental economics tells us that prices are determined by supply and demand but the supply of oil didn’t suddenly drop because Trump posted on his Truth Social.

The oil that gets made into the gasoline at your corner gas station came out of the ground perhaps months ago, maybe even longer. It then went by pipeline or … More

· · ·

Is Carney a conservative?

ByDoug Anderson Canada, Government Policy, Personality, Politics

Why would the Ontario NDP Deputy Leader join the federal Liberals?

Doug Anderson

Feb 15, 2026

The media has changed since I was the publisher of the local newspaper – that was in the 1990s before the internet and social media. It used to be that the vast majority of journalists worked for media outlets such a newspapers, radio and TV and while those enterprises may have had a point of view and may have put more emphasis on some stories than others, generally there were standards – truth was important and sources needed to be checked.

But that has changed- newspapers began to consolidate into conglomerates and their owners began to control the tone of their papers – some stories got emphasis, others were suppressed or even eliminated. Many are now exclusively on line where readers can select the stories they want and ignore the rest. In some cases … More

· ·

… like a 10-year old kid with the hottest new Video Game … except this was real

ByDoug Anderson International Relations, Media, Communications, Politics

Who’s next?

Doug Anderson

Jan 04, 2026

I can picture it – a dimly lit room at Mar-a-lago, locked doors, numerous large video screens around the walls, with Trump, his senior generals and other minions watching the invasion of Venezuela with giddy anticipation. The extraction was swift and successful – no Americans lost. (But an estimated 40 Venezuelans killed and a lot of damage to infrastructure).

I’m sure the testosterone was flowing at a fever pitch. Even the perp-walk in New York was staged as a victory lap for the TV networks with motorcades, flashing lights and armoured cars.

But that’s the easy part. Now that he’s in New York, the lawyers will have to prosecute him and that’s hardly a slam dunk. Maduro will claim immunity on a number of grounds all of which will be litigated, quite possibly right up to the Supreme Court. And then there’s the … More

· · ·

Imagine a World at peace – without the Security Council Veto

ByDoug Anderson Canada, Government Policy, International Relations, Politics

It could happen – a brave contingent of UN members have launched an effort to implement Article 109

Doug Anderson

Dec 07, 2025

We live in precarious times … not unlike the early 1960s when the cold war was at its peak. The Cuban missile crisis was 1962; The Cold War was at its height and Viet Nam was brewing.

Not unlike today.

In the early 60s while I was in high school, I was president of the World Affairs Club at my school and like 60-70 other high schools in Toronto we were participating in a model United Nations. Each school represented a different country. We met every Sunday to discuss/debate the issues of the day. I still have my copy of the UN charter.

Back then the UN was only a decade and a half old, but already it was clear that the Security Council veto was … More

· · ·

The MOU

ByDoug Anderson Canada, Government Policy, Media, Communications, Politics

The charade and the pipeline

Doug Anderson

Nov 29, 2025

Last week I wrote a piece that said the Carney would avoid saying “NO” to a pipeline – that he would leave the decision to the Major Projects process and that as a result of that review, no pipeline was likely to ever get built. Having read the MOU that Carney signed with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, I stand by that assessment although not too many people agree with me.

As I’ve said before, Carney is an introvert and play the long game. He wanted to get Alberta onside with a number of environmental objectives and this MOU achieves much of that including some specific emission goals and timelines.

The Federal government acknowledges “Alberta’s approach to regulating heavy electricity generation emitters through Alberta’s Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) program.” “The TIER system will ramp up to a minimum … More

·

Israel’s Conundrum – the World’s Conundrum

ByDoug Anderson International Relations, Politics

UN GA backs 2-state solution – a important 1st step

Doug Anderson

Sep 21, 2025

Normally when I start writing an article, I have an endpoint in mind but in the case of Israel and its war in Gaza, there isn’t one. There are so many contradictions in its actions that I find it impossible to find any logic.

What is their goal? Do they really want to eliminate Hamas? Well, yes, but we have to remember that Hamas ‘success’ was largely due to Israel’s desire to keep the Palestinians divided in order to stifle any chance of a Palestinian state. They may be physically divided now by walls, fences and checkpoints but they are more united in spirit today than ever before.

Also, and most rational people know this intuitively, for every Palestinian killed, there are two or more that will seek to retaliate in revenge – that’s a … More

·

Deal or No Deal

ByDoug Anderson International Relations, Politics
Cusma is dead! Long live the new world order!

Doug Anderson

Aug 16, 2025

The gyrations of Trump’s trade war remind me of the popular Howie Mandel TV show from the early 2000s (it has been reprised a few times and reruns were still running on closed circuit at my doctor’s office a few months back). Contestants had to blindly choose suitcases with various amounts of cash up to a million dollars, gradually whittling down the number of cases in the hopes of hitting the jackpot. Trump is playing a similar huckster deal maker role as the US’s trading ‘partners’ scramble for their ‘deal’.

But that’s where the similarity ends. Reality takes over.

Canada’s failure to make a deal by August 1 is not the end of the world – it heralds a new era which will probably be better in the long run. Canada is unique among contestants. No … More