Many actors and actresses have recently been criticized for being too political in award acceptance speeches. Some celebrities explicitly avoid sharing their political opinions so as not to alienate portions of their fan base. As Mark Wahlberg said, “Both Republicans and Democrats buy movie tickets.” However, all democratic citizens have[Read More…]
Tag: politics
The allegory of Trump in Canada
As an American student at McGill, many of the things I’ve heard some Canadians say about the United States—particularly its politics—have been false, absurd, and, on occasion, hypocritical. More concerning, however, is the apparent failure of many Canadians to understand American politics and learn from our mistakes. In my experience,[Read More…]
The bad news blues: Tackling news anxiety
In today’s political climate, it seems important new stories break every day. It is also without much surprise that people are now more worried than ever by the frequent reports. As noted by story editor Nitsuh Abebe in April in The New York Times, the past year has seen the[Read More…]
We need to keep asking stupid questions
In my first high school political science course, I had a friend who was very clever and well-informed—the kind of self-identified young intellectual that read the New York Times like scripture. One class, he got into an argument on electoral reform in Canada with another very clever and well-informed student.[Read More…]
Trudeau’s Special Advisor on LGBTQ2 issues hosted by Liberal McGill
On Feb.10, Liberal McGill welcomed Member of Parliament (MP) Randy Boissonnault to Gerts bar for a conversation with McGill students. Boissonnault serves as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s appointed special advisor on issues pertaining to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and two-spirited (LGBTQ2) community and is the first to serve[Read More…]
Canada’s 150th: Reflecting on the past while celebrating the present
As Canadians take 2017 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation, the year ahead should be a time for celebration. However, party preparations have recently been hindered by disagreement over the meaning of the anniversary. The Parti Québecois (PQ) recently announced that they have planned “L’autre 150ième,” a Quebec-focused celebration[Read More…]
Partisan boundaries stifle discourse on Facebook
In theory, social media platforms should be a boundless, intellectual, free market for sharing ideas. It’s a platform for individuals to effortlessly and instantly share their views. In turn, all users would be subjected to a wide range of views from all sides of the ideological spectrum. This, however, has[Read More…]
No party is the ‘science party:’ The problem with politicizing science
The concept of the “anti-science” right isn’t new to political discussion; conservatives are consistently seen as the major perpetrators of anti-science rhetoric. A 2009 Pew Research poll described a mere six per cent of scientists in the U.S. as identifying with Republican views. According to the two-party political system, this[Read More…]
Former Montreal Expos Bill ‘Spaceman’ Lee revives his political career
Despite his strong sense of justice, it is tough to know when to take Lee seriously. A University of Southern California graduate, he is intelligent and funny—he appeared on the cover of High Times after he was indicted by the MLB for marijuana consumption. He is also perceptive—at a recent film screening of his biopic Spaceman, Lee implored questioners not to be caught on the wrong side of history, like a “dinosaur with his stubby arms close to his chest.” It was a comically apt image and message.
A Canadian’s guide to the American election
Despite having little-to-no vested interest in American domestic policy, Canadians have been fixated by the American election. They wouldn’t be directly affected if Donald Trump repealed and replaced Obamacare, or if Hillary Clinton decided to implement debt-free college for American students. Nonetheless, Canadians are very interested in debating these issues[Read More…]