It's rare that a policy decision meets with almost universal disdain and derision. Angering and disappointing detractors and supporters in equal measure, while still not really addressing the root problem, takes a special kind of skill. We here in Ontario were witness to just such a total collapse of governance on April 16, when provincial … Continue reading Coronavirus 11: third wave’s the charm
Tag: Politics
The Capitol riot
I am still processing the events of Wednesday, January 6, and will be for some time. We came, I believe, perilously close to witnessing the execution of many members of Congress by a raucous mob that had made its way to Capitol Hill from a rally where they heard soon-to-be-former-President Donald Trump give an incendiary … Continue reading The Capitol riot
Reckoning
Just about a year ago, the governor of Kentucky, Republican incumbent Matt Bevin, found himself about 5000 votes shy of re-election against challenger Andy Beshear, a moderate Democrat and son of former governor Steve Beshear. Bevin, a brash businessman known for big talk and inheriting his family's wealth, had never held public office but decided … Continue reading Reckoning
Coronavirus 9: an ounce of prevention
In November 1686, King Louis XIV underwent a successful operation to relieve the immense discomfort of an anal fistula. This was, for the time, no small feat given that part of his prior treatment included the use of red hot irons and he was just as likely to have died from the surgical procedure than … Continue reading Coronavirus 9: an ounce of prevention
The Confederacy, revisited
Just about three years ago, I wrote a post here about the debates over removing Confederate monuments in the US, primarily but not only in the South. In that piece, I provided multiple examples to make my point, which was this: The debate over whether to remove these monuments and memorials must be, I think, … Continue reading The Confederacy, revisited
Burning down the house
Police departments across the US are out of control. They often operate without effective civilian oversight or accountability. They are stocked to the gills with military equipment. Policing drains huge amounts from the public purse, compounded by millions wasted on lawsuits for misconduct. Most officers don't live in the communities they police, and present themselves … Continue reading Burning down the house
Coronavirus 6: distance decay
There is an important but perhaps underused concept in geography known as distance decay. While this emerges most directly from Waldo Tobler's "first law of geography," it is easy enough to understand without ever having read the academic research behind it. Tobler's first law states that "everything is related to everything else, but near things … Continue reading Coronavirus 6: distance decay
Coronavirus 4: path dependence
This morning we ventured to the grocery store for some essentials. I say 'we' but my partner and toddler went to the empty playground nearby while I went to do the shopping. Inside, the supermarket had put in place a limit on the number of people who could enter the store at once, both to … Continue reading Coronavirus 4: path dependence
Coronavirus 2
Following up from my last post, the American Association of Geographers has now cancelled its annual meeting in Denver, scheduled for April 6-10. This was the right call, and over 60 percent of respondents to the AAG's one-question survey a few days ago survey said they were cancelling or discouraged from attending. Now across the … Continue reading Coronavirus 2
Three years and six days
In the week before the 2016 US general election, I took to Facebook with a series of posts that were meant to capture "America in Six Days," or at least, one idiosyncratic vision of America (mine) as witnessed through six cultural artifacts, plus a seventh bonus day in the immediate wake of the election. I … Continue reading Three years and six days
