Political Pandering Of The Worst Kind

In the ongoing debasement of democracy, Ontario's Doug Ford is certainly playing his part. With his populist deck fully stacked, his latest effort to pander to the lowest common denominator has been dealt: no more driver's licence plate renewals! 

This is wrong on a number of levels, but worst of all in the way that it plays to the notion that government exists only to make life easier for the individual, not society as a whole. And the problem this measure seeks to address? The fact of over one million lapsed plates; since Ford scrapped licence renewal fees, many have forgotten that they still have to renew them online.

“I’m here to announce today, actually, that we’re getting rid of that totally — registering your vehicle,” Ford said.

“We did the first step: getting rid of the sticker. Now, we’re getting rid of the re-registration. They’ll be automatically re-registered. So people won’t have to worry about that at all.”

Now, if one has a Machiavellian cast of mind, one will see the political advantages for Ford. Not only does it enhance his "street cred" with Joe average, it also puts the opposition parties on notice - oppose this measure and you will be seen as elitist and out of touch. My guess is that both Marit Stiles and Bonnie Crombie will have little to say about it for that reason. However, if they are smart they can object to it with conviction and practicality.

Putting aside the ongoing infantilization of the electorate, all they have to do is talk about the danger of increasing the numbers of drivers with no insurance, Up to this point, to renew one's plate, one had to provide proof of insurance coverage. That requirement is now gone, and hence, the roads will pose even more danger than they already do.

But this government is all about short-term advantages, not long-term consequences. Sadly, I expect it will boost the Ford government's popularity considerably.

Continuing with A Theme....

 

H/t Theo Moudakis

The Art Of Misdirection

 Well-played, Danielle.

H/t Graeme Mackay

Given that only 0.0037 of Albertans over 15 identify as transgender or non-binary, that is quite the feat!

History: An Update

As one who taught high school for 30 years, I have always believed in the power of education. It is the best and perhaps the only way to narrow the disparities that exist in society. In my experience, the truly educated are rarely the ranters who seem to dominate media today.

In my previous post, I talked about how many reactionary states are bound and determined to limit  education about Black history. Not only would such instruction empower Black people; it would also help to reduce the prejudice that is still very common against people perceived as "the other." To know about a rich history would limit the kind of reductionism that often defines Black people today.

At this point in my life, I am profoundly world-weary. But even this cynical, hardened heart was gladdened by news that the Ontario Ford government is going to make Black history a mandatory part of the curricula in Grades 7, 8, and 10, starting in 2025.

Stephen Lecce said Black history is Canadian history and adding it as a mandatory part of the curriculum will ensure the next generation will better appreciate the sacrifices and commitments Black Canadians have made.

"We are committed to ensuring every child, especially Black and racialized children, see themselves reflected within our schools. It is long overdue," Lecce said during a Thursday morning news conference at Lincoln Alexander Public School in Ajax. 

While I rarely have anything good to say about the Ford government, this is one initiative I heartily applaud. 

MPP Patrice Barnes, the parliamentary assistant to the education minister, spearheaded the curriculum change and said she wants it to deepen students' understanding of the country's diverse and vibrant heritage.

"Celebrating the remarkable achievements of the Black community within Canadian history is vital in providing a modern curriculum that reflects the truth of our democracy, one that combats hate and fosters inclusivity," Barnes said.

"This isn't just about Black experiences, it's not just about Black students. It's about the responsibility we have to provide all students with a comprehensive understanding of our country's rich and varied history."

This kind of curriculum was, of course, entirely absent when I was a student. Consequently, I grew up with little thought about the Black experience, usually equating and identifying Blacks with the sordid history of slavery. And it is clear that such education is sorely needed in Canada. Edward Keenan writes that we cannot be smug about being so different from the Americans, whose MAGA mentality drips with racism:

If anyone were under the impression the border keeps such thought currents from infecting Canadian politics, Pickering city councillor Lisa Robinson was recently happy to demonstrate otherwise, writing a column in a local newspaper arguing against observing Black history month (and indeed, the teaching of Black history) and outlining how it is racist to call her "white priviledge" (sic) and explaining how having her pay suspended for 90 days recently by her colleagues made her a "modern day slave," demonstrating that slavery is "not a Black and white issue." She then reminded people of the era "during the world wars" in the early 1900s when, she claims, soldiers sacrificed "without thought or division based on colour" (which might have been news to the soldiers serving in the segregated Black No. 2 Construction Battalion in the First World War, as well as to the 20,000 Canadian-born citizens of Japanese descent interned in camps during World War II).

That we have our own version of Marjorie Taylor Greene in elected office should be a comfort to no one, and, of course, Lisa Robinson is hardly alone in her prejudices. One hopes that with the education revisions just announced, we will see far less of her kind in the future.

History And Pride

For the past couple of years I have been reading about the antebellum South, the Civil War, and the so-called Reconstruction era that followed. My reading has uncovered a number of things that I was either unaware of or knew only in a vague, general sense. 

History is a great teacher, but for many states, especially Florida, it is fraught with danger - the danger that Black students will learn, in depth, not only about the slavery that shackled them for over two centuries in North America, but also about the tremendous contributions they made to the economy, culture and society of the United States. 

My own theory is that much of the educational censorship people like Ron De Santis engage in is predicated on the fear of Black Pride. Learn about your history, learn that you are much more than the menial roles society has assigned you, and you become angry, empowered, and a threat to the status quo.  Racist white America has much to fear.

Given that this is Black History Month, the following gives us a brief window into something I, and I am sure many others, were unaware of.

Not all shackles are physical. Knowledge is power, as is pride, and hence for the racist gatekeepers, threats to be kept under wraps when it comes to Black America. 

Stupidity Is The Real Threat

There is an article in today's Star about the threat to Canadian democracy posed by artificial intelligence. However, I can't help but wonder if the real threat is human stupidity.

Raisa Patel writes:

Whether it’s manipulated video, voices or text, Canada is at risk of seriously endangering its democratic institutions if it doesn’t get a grip on regulating artificial intelligence, one of the world’s foremost AI leaders warned Monday.

The use of such tactics — which are becoming increasingly common at a time when high-stakes elections are set to be held around the globe — “can fool a social media user and make them change their mind on political questions,” said Yoshua Bengio, scientific director of the Mila-Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute. 

“There's real concern about the use of AI in kind of politically oriented ways that go against the principles of our democracy.”

Bengio, who is also the co-chair of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s AI advisory council, was speaking to the House of Commons industry committee as it studies a bill seeking to reign in and regulate the rapidly developing technology. 

Given that fake videos and voices have now reached the point where they are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing, it is sad that there is no inoculation available against human credulity. 

On the other hand, however, is it really too much to expect people to inspect their sources? Surely it is one of the 21st century's greatest ironies that we live in a time when the world's information and knowledge is available literally at our fingertips, yet many people choose to use the internet simply to verify their own ignorance and prejudices. Instead of checking a reputable media source or even Snopes to see whether something is true, there are those that will rely only on their Telegram channels, Q-Anon, Facebook groups and other discredited sources, happy to label and dismiss mainstream media as lamestream media. 

That is capitulation, not critical thinking, and it appears to be endemic. I found myself thinking more about this last night as I watched the news about the latest Trump outrage. Apparently, even though a private citizen, he is giving direction to Congress to block a southern border deal because he wants to make it an election issue. While not a perfect bill, it becomes painfully obvious that a problem near and dear to so many Americans, and a clear Achilles Heel for Joe Biden, takes a back seat to the political machinations of Trump and the gutless Republicans who pay him complete obeisance.

In a normal world where people thought deeply about such things, all of this would be so obvious. Yet the MAGA crowd and others will undoubtedly let weak and corrupt politicians do their thinking for them. 

In Canada, things are not much different. Increasing numbers prefer PP's aphorisms ("Axe the tax", "Jail, not bail") to real policy discussion. Sadly, no legislation regulating artificial intelligence here can do a thing about a dearth of natural intelligence. As I have said many times before, we truly are a deeply flawed species.

For A Few Dollars More

That's all it will take (actually, $12 million more) according to Police Chief Myron Demkiw to keep chaos and blood from running in the streets of Toronto. Reeling from the effort of city council to trim $12 million from what some might say is an already bloated ask of $25 million for a total budget of $1.1 billion, the good chief is warning of slower response times and all manner of disaster if his demands are not fully met.  

Clearly, the chief is engaging in fear tactics to get his way, despite the fact that increasing police budgets does not correlate with safer streets:

A recent University of Toronto-led study found no consistent relation between police funding and crime rates across 20 Canadian municipalities, including Hamilton and Toronto. Lead author Mélanie Seabrook said the key takeaway for legislators is to give community needs and priorities more consideration when setting budgets.

Brighter minds than I offer some strong suggestions about what the chief and his ilk can do with his demands:

City budget spinning from police could be a big problem: Keenan, Jan. 31

Here we go again with all the ballyhoo about the police budget. What I would like to know is how much of the budget is slated to be paid to suspended officers who are sitting on their butts at home while collecting a full pay cheque? It is long overdue for the mayor to ask the powers to be to provide a complete breakdown of the monies paid out to suspended cops over the years and to ask how many inevitably had to leave the service yet walked away with thousands of unearned money from taxpayers.  The police act is long overdue for an overhaul especially in these trying times when citizens cannot afford the basics of life.

I have said it before: if an officer is on paid leave, put their earnings into an interest generating trust account. He or she gets the money if they return to service, and if not, those funds are redirected to the police force. It is a simple solution to a long-standing problem.

Larry Snow, Oakville, Ont.

There was an interesting contrast of articles from columnist Edward Keenan and Police Chief Myron Demkiw regarding the police budget. What struck me was how the chief says how terrible things are in the service and somehow a loss of $12.6 million is a major threat to our safety. If the biggest city in the country is at risk of chaos due to the lack of $12.6 million it is time for the politicians to demand that a third-party independent forensic team review police service spending from top to bottom to see the truth of the matter. 

Len Bulmer, Aurora, Ont.

 Rather than attempting to intimidate the residents of Toronto by writing of facts without nuance, our police chief Myron Demkiw should be looking for the means to make his force more efficient and effective. I suggest Premier Doug Ford, who can always be counted on to have an interest in city spending, be brought in to rout out the waste in the police budget.

Peter Pinch, Toronto

Myron Demkiw, chief of the Toronto Police Service, is misleading us. He points out there are 1.4 million emergency calls to 911 a year, but does not say the majority of 911 calls do not involve violence and can be dealt with by community and social workers. He says that more officers equal less crime, but years of research has shown that the crime rate does not correlate to police spending in any consistent way.

Toronto is one of the safest cities in North America. The key to crime prevention is through reducing inequality. To reduce response times, we need better management of the 911 service, diversion of nonpolice calls and smarter deployment. But no, our police leadership doesn’t want to follow evidence. If they truly cared about our safety and well-being, they would support investment in stronger community and social supports. That is how we’ll get to a safer and thriving Toronto.

Anna Willats, Toronto

Lest you think this is solely a Toronto problem, my observation over the years is that city councils  traditionally rubber-stamp increases requested by police services board. You can be certain that if this practice changes, you will hear even more fear-mongering from forces across the country.