VIDEO – Obama Marks ‘Independence Day’

It’s been almost 20 years since Independence Day hit theatres everywhere. A winning combination of War of the Worlds, 70s disaster flicks and state-of-the-art effects, it was a smash hit when it came out in 1996, and has remained a fixture on TV ever since (including an all-day marathon yesterday on AMC). If there’s one scene that sticks above all others, after the one where the White House blows up of course, it’s the famous “rally the troops” speech by Bill Pullman’s President Whitmore. Well some industrious person on the internet thought that if Pullman could deliver that speech so good, then what about one of the best orators in current American politics: President Barack Obama. Continue reading “VIDEO – Obama Marks ‘Independence Day’” →

Open Sources Show Notes for Thursday July 2, 2015

Happy Canada Day, boys and girls! Let’s talk about Greece, and the United States. This week’s episode of Open Sources Guelph will take you abroad to sunny Greece, home of democracy and home to the first developed country to ever default on its IMF loans. Then we’ll go back to the U.S. of A. to bask in a rainbow of openness and [some] bigotry. Back here in Canada, we’ll look into the merits of making the wallets of those earning minimum wage thicker, and we’ll check in on what’s turning into the election that will never end (and it hasn’t even really started yet). Our present for Canada’s 148th birthday? The best of topical political discussion. Continue reading “Open Sources Show Notes for Thursday July 2, 2015” →

INTERVIEW – MP Michael Chong on the Long Road to Reform (Act)

After nearly two years of blood, sweat and tears – and frequently with a gone-too-soon death notice – the Reform Act received royal assent last week, officially making it the law in Canada. The baby of Wellington-Halton Hills Conservative MP Michael Chong, the Reform Act aimed to put more power in the hands of backbench members of Parliament and create more independence and less partisanship. Although high-minded ideals were contained in the Act, it was always far from a done deal, even right up to the end of the legislative session when more divisive and more controversial bills like C-51 sailed through the senate. With the Reform Act now the Reform Law, Chong joined us on Open Sources Guelph recently to do a victory lap. Continue reading “INTERVIEW – MP Michael Chong on the Long Road to Reform (Act)” →

Kory Teneycke Says that Conservative Ad is More “Truthful” Than the News

With the arrival and equally quick dismissal of HarperPAC this week, another big election story was missed as the Conservative Party of Canada launched an online ad meant to delegitimize Liberal leader Justin Trudeau’s plan to pull Canadian troops from the fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Posting an online ad to YouTube is nothing new, especially with an election campaign waiting to begin this fall, but the controversy here is that the Conservative Party used sound and video from ISIS’ own media to make the case against Trudeau. You might think that’s in bad taste, or that it even contravenes provisions in the Conservatives’ own recently passed Bill C-51, but it’s okay because according to Conservative spokesman Kory Teneycke, they’re more truthful than the news. Continue reading “Kory Teneycke Says that Conservative Ad is More “Truthful” Than the News” →

Senate Reform? Electoral Reform? Why Not Both?

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau, long chastised by media and politicians from opposing parties for not seeming to have much in the way of policy, delivered a staggering amount of policy last week. Amongst Trudeau’s announcements was his intention, if his party forms the next government, to do away with the current electoral system of First Past the Post (FPTP). What it will be replaced by will be the determination of an all-party panel, but whether it’s ranked ballots, proportional representation, or something as yet unthought-of, many Canadians agree that change is good.

But while considering change, there’s still the small matter of the Canadian senate. Trudeau’s policy brief included a proviso for creating a committee to oversee Senate nominations, thus, hopefully, avoiding any future senatorial selections that seem like party payback for raising money or doing political favours. NDP leader Thomas Mulcair meanwhile has been emphatic, the Senate has got to go, and it’s not like it does any work anyway. I’m sure some senators would beg to differ in that appraisal, and even Mulcair’s own supporters, at least those who wanted Bill C-51 defeated, saw value enough in the senate to try and petition senators to use their constitutional power to stop its passage into law.

But while we consider electoral reform, and senate reform, I propose a simple question in regards to the process: why not both? Continue reading “Senate Reform? Electoral Reform? Why Not Both?” →

Open Sources Show Notes for Thursday June 25, 2015

On this week’s episode of Open Sources Guelph, we have concerns. Can the House of Commons be reformed into something a little bit more functional? Have race relations in the United States reached a breaking point? Will a corporation be held responsible for its own short-sightedness? Will Greece survive (financially)? And is there a new threat by money to our democracy, one that will be very familiar by fans of The Colbert Report? Those are the questions, but will we have any good answers? The answer is ‘Yes.’ At least there’s a good chance…. Continue reading “Open Sources Show Notes for Thursday June 25, 2015” →

Open Sources Show Notes for Thursday June 18, 2015

This week’s Open Sources Guelph is going to be epic. It will have the best topics as discussed by the best hosts of the best community radio station in Canada. Seriously. No one is more committed to workers rights and social justice than Scotty Hertz. And Adam A. Donaldson? Clearly the best political mind in the Royal City, without a doubt. If you’re not listening to Open Sources, you’re fired! You might as well export all your national pride to China, along with our manufacturing, because this week’s episode is going to be epic. Or didn’t I already mention that. [The preceding was meant to be read in a bombastic, egocentric vaguely New Jersian accent.] Continue reading “Open Sources Show Notes for Thursday June 18, 2015” →