Terrorists with weapons of mass destruction are the stuff of nightmares, obliterating millions with nuclear, chemical or, perhaps most horrifying, biological attack. So what sort of reckless idiot would consider publishing the recipe for a devastating man-made flu? The surprising answer is, a wise and responsible one. Click here to read the rest.
Give the finance department credit for its annual attempt to list Canada's tax loopholes and estimate their cost. But then recoil in horror at the resulting tens of billions of dollars in disguised spending. Yes, spending. That's what tax breaks really are. Click here to read the rest.
It looks as though the federal Tories and Ontario Grits are finally going to bite the bullet on government spending. The problem is, the bullet might bite back. Click here to read the rest.
The elaborate American system of primaries, caucuses and straw polls certainly gives voters, and the politically committed, a thorough look at the ideas and characters of candidates ... if any. They may not like what they see. But you don't have to be a fan of Mitt Romney, and I speak from experience here, to think it beats buying a pig in a poke.
To many observers, especially mainstream journalists, the news that a right-wing weirdo is polling well among Republicans is a non-story. They consider any Republican a right-wing weirdo unfit for office except "moderates," a code word for closet liberal Democrats. But Texas libertarian congressman Ron Paul's strong showing, including a serious threat to win the GOP's Iowa caucus, is almost as bad as they think, and far more important, though not for the reasons they think.
Another year is upon us, snarling and scratching, and we’re no better prepared than a year ago. Stand by to tweet or something equally shallow. For a taste of things to come, consider the announcement that interim Liberal leader Bob Rae would hold a Dec. 30 press conference “to discuss 2011 in review and what Canadians can expect in 2012, with a specific focus on the Conservative EI premium hikes that take effect on Jan. 1, 2012.” Talk about the long view. OK, he managed to predict one thing that actually will happen, since it’s minor and scheduled for the first day of the year. But his characteristic combination of visionary tone and petty partisan content bodes ill for his reputation as a statesman or sage (if any).
Canada’s provincial health ministers clearly aren’t mistaking Jim Flaherty for one of Santa’s elves after hearing the stocking full of gold they get every year won’t bulge quite so splendidly after 2016. Neither am I. Click here to read the rest.
Not only is the Kyoto Protocol technically flawed, the so-called science behind it is utter twaddle. Never mind complicated things like non-linear mathematics or, indeed, mathematics of any sort. The alarmists can't possibly know how to predict the future of Earth's climate because they can't explain its past. Click here to read the rest.