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Wednesday June 11, 2025

The Democrats struggle to counteract a hyperactive administration's disruptive tactics, risking the integrity of American democracy and international relations.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday June 11, 2025

Published in the Toronto Star.

Democracy on the Defensive: The Challenge of Chaos

Trump's Court: The New Era of American Monarchy

March 6, 2025

The recent dismissal of all members of the CDC’s vaccine panel by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. serves as a stark reminder of the turbulent times unfolding south of the border. This move, emblematic of a government that thrives on disruption, should have been a rallying point for the opposition. Instead, it highlights a troubling ineffectiveness within the Democratic Party in the United States, raising questions about their capacity to act as a counterbalance in a healthy democracy.

The removal of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a body integral to public health and safety, is not merely a policy shift—it’s an alarming development with far-reaching implications. In any other era, such a decision would dominate headlines, prompt urgent discussions, and catalyze a unified response from the opposition. Yet, in today’s world, it becomes just another item in a long list of distractions orchestrated by an administration skilled in the art of “flooding the zone.”

News: Kennedy Removes All C.D.C. Vaccine Panel Experts

As the U.S. wrestles with the divisive and destabilizing effects of MAGA, Canada risks developing a version of its neighbour’s political and social illness, amplified by its smaller size and growing internal vulnerabilities.

November 18, 2024

This strategy, perfected over years of political maneuvering, involves overwhelming the public and media with a barrage of half-baked schemes, executive orders, and inflammatory rhetoric. The goal is clear: to obscure scrutiny and enact policies under the cover of chaos. It is a tactic that demands a vigilant and adaptive opposition, one capable of cutting through the noise and focusing public attention on the core issues at stake.

Yet, the Democrats, who should be adept at countering such tactics after previous encounters, seem ill-prepared to meet this challenge. Their struggles are multifaceted, ranging from internal divisions and strategic missteps to an inability to maintain a coherent and focused narrative. In their failure to adapt, they have allowed the administration to push through damaging policies with minimal resistance, leaving the public vulnerable to the consequences.

The New Yorker: The Second Trump Administration’s New Forms of Distraction

The recent surge in measles cases in Canada, particularly in Montreal, underscores the urgent need to address vaccine hesitancy and combat anti-vaccine conspiracy theories, with historical evidence emphasizing the proven efficacy of vaccines in preventing disease and protecting public health.

March 6, 2024

Consider the administration’s outrageous pronouncements and actions: being an apologist for Vladimir Putin in his conquest of an ally in Ukraine, undermining international unity and trust; engaging in trade conflicts with allies by breaking agreements, disrupting supply lines, and imposing tariffs that harm both domestic and global economies; ignoring the rule of law and due process in the deportation of migrants, which raises serious human rights concerns; and the bizarre pursuit of acquiring Greenland, a diplomatic misstep that strained relations with a longstanding ally.

From a Canadian perspective, the stakes could not be higher. Public health, economic stability, and international relations are all at risk, impacting not only Americans but also their neighbours and allies. The Democrats’ role is not merely to criticize but to offer a compelling alternative, to inspire confidence and mobilize action. They must rise to the occasion, learning from past missteps and employing innovative strategies to engage with a public that is increasingly desensitized to political turmoil.

The Atlantic: The Real Problem With the Democrats’ Ground Game

Progressives must vote strategically for Kamala Harris in 2024 to prevent a Trump victory that would severely set back civil rights, democracy, and progressive goals.

November 1, 2024

To do so, they must prioritize unity and clarity, focusing on key issues that resonate with the electorate. They need to harness the power of grassroots movements, leverage digital platforms for broader reach, and most importantly, present a vision for the future that transcends mere opposition to current policies. By doing so, they can reclaim their role as a vital counterbalance, ensuring that democracy not only survives but thrives in these challenging times.

The Democrats’ effectiveness—or lack thereof—is not just an American concern; it’s a matter of international importance. As the administration continues to test the limits of governance with actions like the CDC panel dismissal and other controversial pronouncements, it’s imperative for the opposition to adapt and respond with the urgency and resolve the situation demands. The health of American democracy, and by extension, its impact on global relations, depends on it.

Tuesday July 21, 2020

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Tuesday July 21, 2020

US scientists rebuke Trump over coronavirus response and other affronts

More than 1,200 members of the US National Academy of Sciences have rebuked Donald Trump’s “denigration of scientific expertise”, an unusual move for a community which has historically avoided the political sphere.

May 12, 2020

The co-organizers of an open letter seeking to “restore science-based policy in government” say they have rapidly gained signatures during the coronavirus pandemic.

Scientists have watched the Trump administration downplay the crisis and ignore expert advice, including the need to wear masks and the dangers of using unproven drugs.

In the latest affront to the scientific world, the White House is reportedly seeking to block funding for testing and tracing, which scientists widely agree is critical to slowing the spread of the coronavirus.

On Sunday, Trump called the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, a “little bit of an alarmist”.

April 23, 2020

The open letter began as a response to Trump’s refusal to accept and act on warnings from climate scientists. In September 2016, 378 academy members wrote that withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement would “have negative consequences for the world’s climate system and for US leadership and credibility”.

In April 2018, more than 1,000 scientists signed a version of the letter which warned that Trump’s “dismissal of scientific evidence in policy formulation has affected wide areas of the social, biological, environmental and physical sciences”.

The three organizers have since invited members who joined NAS in 2019 and 2020 to sign on to the letter. More than 62% did, bringing the total to 1,220 out of a membership of about 2,900. Some of the signatories work in government or have federal grants but felt compelled to add their names despite professional risks.

April 7, 2020

Benjamin Santer, a climate researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and a co-organizer, said the administration has changedwhat it means to be a scientist in America.

“We no longer have the luxury, in my opinion, of retreating to our offices and closing the door and hoping bad stuff will go away,” he said. “That’s a singularly poor survival strategy when you’re facing a global pandemic or global climate change. Bad stuff isn’t going to go away.”

March 26, 2020

The academy – which was formed during the civil war – exists to provide independent, objective advice to the nation. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding research contributions. About 500 current and deceased members have won Nobel Prizes.

Charles Manski, the second co-organizer, an economist at Northwestern University, acknowledged that some might view the letter as political but said the scientists do not. They just want policy to be informed by the best possible information.

COVID-19 Cartoons

“It’s one thing for the political establishment not to respond very well to a crisis that happens around the world,” Manski said. “It’s quite another thing to be actively denigrating the science and making things up routinely.”

Trump has recently attacked guidelines for school reopening from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), calling them expensive and impractical. (The Guardian) 



 

Thursday November 22, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Thursday November 22, 2012

McGuinty laments Harper’s refusal to attend premiers’ meeting

Lame duck Dalton McGuinty quacks about Harper’s summit absence

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and other premiers are criticizing Prime Minister Stephen Harper for passing up a chance to co-operate on a national economic strategy with provincial leaders this week.

“I think we’re all disappointed that we couldn’t get an opportunity to meet with the prime minister and to build a strong plan for economic growth together,” McGuinty said in Toronto on Tuesday.

“We will do our very best,” he said of the premiers’ meeting. “We’ll see what it is we might be able to do by way of a concerted effort.”

Provincial premiers and territorial leaders gather in Halifax on Thursday and Friday at a time when the struggling economy is threatened by deteriorating business conditions in Europe and a potential U.S. economic meltdown.

But Harper’s office confirmed Tuesday he won’t accept the premiers’ invitation to attend.

McGuinty suggested Harper is missing an opportunity to follow up on a deal reached during the last recession in which federal and provincial governments agreed to invest in economic stimulus.

“We’ve now entered into a period of prolonged slow growth and I think we could do better by developing some broader policies, acting in concert with the federal government, whether that’s by way of stimulus or, I think, particularly investing in innovation and higher levels of skills and education would be very helpful to all of us.”Source (Source: Toronto Star)