I spy
Re “Blame the four fatal ‘I’s of Justin Trudeau for the lacklustre state of the Liberals” (Opinion, Oct. 12): I would add two more “I”s to contributor Jeffrey Simpson’s list of why Justin Trudeau’s Liberals are sinking in the polls: inattention and irrelevance.
They have spent so much time looking beyond Canada’s borders that they don’t seem to see the wave of disgruntlement and distrust rising from coast to coast to coast. I find it unconscionable to be sending massive amounts of taxpayer dollars overseas while many Canadians are homeless and hungry.
Canada is no longer seen as a major force on the world stage; we have become irrelevant. When countries exclude Canada from decision-making pacts, we are done.
One more “I” for Mr. Trudeau: international. If he loses the next election, I’m sure he’d be more comfortable joining the United Nations or any other international agency.
It seems to be where his heart and ambition really lie, because it’s sure not here in Canada.
Judy Warren Ottawa
Productive conversation
Re “To fix Canada’s economic problems we need real strategy” (Report on Business, Oct. 12): The responsibility for capital investment, productivity, commercialization of innovations and expansion of Canadian corporations internationally should reside with firms, management, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. Blaming governments for Canada’s weak performance in these areas seems misguided.
Perhaps the answer to our economic problems rests with a more imaginative and bolder class of decision-makers, whose job it is to make the country more competitive and prosperous.
Paul Sullivan Toronto
We languish in embarrassing mediocrity, especially given our rich resources in people and raw materials.
We should get rid of some corrosion to do that. Get rid of the small-minded, short-term thinkers.
They are the people who kill us every time. When we have a golden opportunity, such as leading the world in the race to develop modern jets, they cancel everything and even destroy the evidence.
They bring nothing but branch-plant mentality. They can’t see past the end of their noses. Their only skills are shrillness and playing the blame game.
Ronald Kelly Surrey, B.C.
In protest
Re “The Gaza war made me lose my faith in international law” (Opinion, Oct. 12): Students of international relations quickly learn that the geopolitical world order is by its nature competitive and chaotic. Organizations such as the United Nations and International Court of Justice, perhaps suitable for establishing some forms of consensus, lack an ability to enforce. Perhaps rightfully so.
National interests tend to prevail, and this can either foment war or produce associative groups of nations that strive to compete and prosper peacefully. If there is any hope for the international world order, for a civilized standard by which nations and their constituents might safely prosper, cries of “death to Canada” and “we are Hamas,” along with burning Canadian flags, should be considered antithetical to building necessary consensus.
Tom Phillips Toronto
Re “When does a crowd cheering the death of Canada become an emergency?” (Opinion, Oct. 12): The Emergencies Act can be used in response to an urgent and critical situation that cannot be dealt with by existing laws. We have hate-speech laws that can deal with the venom spewed by Samidoun, now declared a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code.
Would we invoke the Emergencies Act in response to television evangelists who routinely suggest that all non-believers will burn in hell?
Doug Branter Victoria
Stay the course
Re “What She Said author Elizabeth Renzetti weighs in on ‘bad’ feminists, women’s rights and being a Swiftie” (Arts & Books, Oct. 12): I agree: Since a positive period of feminist change toward equity and fair treatment for all in the 1990s, there has been backsliding and backlash. Nonetheless, Elizabeth Renzetti and others are still getting out of bed in the morning and going forward.
It is important to not give up on issues that foster greater respect for all persons. I am reminded that changing the title of alderman to councillor at Calgary city council took from 1977 to 2013, when the change finally took effect. Such resistance; fear?
Social change is tediously slow at times, but persistence does pay off. However, as a white-headed feminist, I realize that there are still so many rights to uphold and so little personal time.
Mary Valentich Calgary
Medal performance
Re “The sad state of Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square” (Oct. 12): A report from city officials reads: “The prioritization of the unfunded holistic preservation of NPS will be evaluated through future Capital Prioritization exercises to ensure alignment with the City’s strategic direction regarding the allocation of available capital funds.” Wow. If tortuous bureaucratic bafflegab was an Olympic sport, whoever wrote that sentence would be going for a medal.
With competition in mind, here is my suggestion: Let’s consider forming a committee that would examine the possibility of proposing a task force to study the potential for a nationwide contest, and which could, depending on the vertical and horizontal organizational implications and requirements, put forward optional structures for designing, implementing and possibly supervising over time such a competition.
Russ Robinson Former bureaucrat, Ottawa
Let’s talk
Re “In the perpetual quest for the secret to happiness, scientists butted heads until they found an answer” (Oct. 12): Hidden among the myriad benefits of science is perhaps the most important: the science attitude.
Such a mindset emphasizes evidence and the willingness to change one’s mind in the light of new evidence. For researchers, this frame of mind is key to building and refining knowledge.
But the science attitude is not reserved for scientists. For all of us, an open mind can help foster respectful relationships and arrive at better outcomes, from planetary to personal.
Best of all, the science attitude is free. We just need to adopt it.
James Schaefer Professor of biology, Trent University; Peterborough, Ont.
This reminds me of Erin O’Toole’s last speech as Conservative leader where he mentioned the Latin phrase audi alteram partem – listen to the other side. We need more politicians who can echo and live by this statement.
Evan Bedford Red Deer, Alta.
Pop life
Re “New Brunswick singer-songwriter Ken Tobias wrote the international hit song Stay Awhile” (Obituary, Oct. 12): In the mid-1970s, some of Canada’s grittier folk singer-songwriters were Murray McLauchlan, David Wiffen and Ray Materick. Ken Tobias was the flip side: optimistic pop.
Mr. Tobias was danceability and reflective takes on love. A prolific, polished songwriter, he was played a lot on Canadian radio.
I knew his songs right away: They made me happy.
Mel Simoneau Gatineau
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