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The verdict in the Gerald Stanley Case was (probably) Correct

The trial of Gerald Stanley, a farmer in northern Saskatchewan, over the shooting death of Colten Boushie, a 22-year-old Cree from the Red Pheasant First Nations (an Indigenous community) has stirred much discussion, most focused on the alleged racial nature of the events. Stanley was acquitted by the all non-Indigenous jury. This has given rise to protests calling for “Justice for Colten” and a number of politicians, including the Prime Minister, making statements generally critical of the verdict.

Although some of the events that took place are not clear (contradictions in statements by witnesses from both sides), several issues have not been raised publicly:

  • What was Stanley’s frame of mind when he shot Boushie?
  • Was Boushie the innocent young man who wanted to become a firefighter that has been portrayed by the press?
  • What would be the repercussions of a “guilty” verdict?

Continue reading “The verdict in the Gerald Stanley Case was (probably) Correct”

U. S. Tax Reform – Wrong Policies, Wrong Reasons, Wrong Time

The tax reform bills which have recently been passed by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives potentially introduced significant changes to U.S. tax law.  This has been strongly pushed by Donald Trump. Here is a summary of the changes:

  • Reduce corporate tax rate from 35% to 20%
  • The highest personal tax rate has been reduced
  • Inheritance taxes threshold has been raised from $11.2 million $22.4 million
  • Some tax reductions which affect the middle class, but which expire in 2026

There is no doubt that the U.S. tax system needs reform. Although the corporate tax rate is 35%, in practice, the average tax rate actually paid by U.S. corporations is only 18.7% (by one estimate). The difference is due to all the deductions, exemptions and loopholes embedded in the tax code. Many of these are industry specific and are the result of years of successful lobbying by particular industries. As a result, the tax code introduces distortions in the economy which are not in the best interests of the country.

The tax reform has been sold as a needed stimulus for the economy, which will increase investment, hence increase productivity and lead to increased job creation

The reality is quite different:

  • No need for a stimulus at this time
  • Tax cuts for corporations will not flow into productive investment
  • Changes will raise the deficit by $1.3 trillion over 10 years
  • Tax cuts for individuals will not spur consumption or investment in the U.S.
  • Inheritance tax threshold will have a negligible effect

I shall now expand on these in greater detail. Continue reading “U. S. Tax Reform – Wrong Policies, Wrong Reasons, Wrong Time”

Towards a Rational Approach to Climate Change

To decide how to deal with climate change we have to first look at the affects it will have.  The effects which have been discussed fall into three groups.

These are:

  • Effect on wildlife and the environment
  • More frequent extreme weather events
  • Rising sea levels

My conclusion is that the only aspect that poses a real threat to humanity is a rising sea level.

In this blog I shall look at all three aspects and explain the reasoning behind the conclusion. Continue reading “Towards a Rational Approach to Climate Change”

Are the Predictions of More Hurricanes of Greater Severity Supported by the Data?

One of the dire warnings of the effects of anthropogenic climate change is the increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events.

The recent spate of powerful hurricanes which it hit the U.S.  and the Caribbean suggests that perhaps the frequency of hurricanes is increasing as predicted..

The Economist recently published data for hurricanes landing in the U.S. from 1850 onwards.  These data suggested that the number of hurricanes is slowly decreasing while the number of category five hurricanes is slightly increasing.  In this blog I will look at the same data with a little more rigorous analysis.

Continue reading “Are the Predictions of More Hurricanes of Greater Severity Supported by the Data?”

For Canada’s 150th, It’s Time to Patriate the Monarchy

It is time for Canada to shake off the last vestiges of its colonial past and stand up as a truly sovereign nation by patriating the monarchy and inviting Prince Harry to be King of Canada.

In 1982, Pierre Trudeau, then Prime Minister of Canada (and father of Canada’s current Prime Minister) “patriated” the Canadian Constitution. Until that time, the highest law of the land was the British North America Act of 1867, an act of the British Parliament. The Canada Act of 1982 is now the highest law of the land and, in effect, ended Canada’s status as a British colony.

There is one aspect that still reflects Canada’s colonial past. The Head of State of Canada is Queen Elizabeth II, “by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, Queen, Defender of the Faith”. The low ranking of Canada in the title, where it is not even mentioned by name is clear. Continue reading “For Canada’s 150th, It’s Time to Patriate the Monarchy”

Can Raising the Minimum Wage Boost the Economy?

There has been much discussion about raising the minimum wage, with proponents claiming it will improve the lives of the working poor and reduce “inequality” and opponents claiming it will reduce employment, making the poor worse off.

Classical economic theory claims that raising the minimum wage (or instituting it where there is none) will lower employment.

Closer examination suggests that a higher minimum wage will lead to increased inflation, some job losses, increased economic growth and reduced inequality. Continue reading “Can Raising the Minimum Wage Boost the Economy?”

Canadian Values – The Limits to Multi-Culturalism

Multi-culturalism is an official policy of the Canadian Government. From an early age, children are taught that Canada is a multi-cultural country and it is contrasted to the U.S., where the policy is of a “melting-pot”.

Multi-culturalism is based on the assumption that all cultures are equal and should be treated equally. All cultures share the same basis values, so can live together peacefully. However, the rise of radical Islam puts this assumption to the test. Even the most ardent multi-culturalist, Angela Merkel, has said “multi-culturalism does not work”.

Recently, it was proposed that immigrants to Canada should espouse “Canadian Values”, either as a course on entry or as part of the immigration process. The idea fell through when nobody could define “Canadian Values”.

However, it is much easier to list what does not fit with “Canadian Values”. Continue reading “Canadian Values – The Limits to Multi-Culturalism”

Trump’s Call for Increased Military Spending by NATO Allies

It is rare that I agree with Donald Trump, but his call for NATO allies to increase their military spending is correct. In particular, Germany is the country which has the least reason not to honour its commitments to reach the 2% of GDP NATO members are supposed to spend.

Trump’s ambivalence over whether the US would honour its commitments under Article 5 of the NATO Treaty is totally unwarranted and music to the ears of the Russians and the Chinese.

Angela Merkel’s speech on May 29th acknowledged that Europe can no longer rely on its allies, naming the US and the UK specifically. This could be interpreted as the first call to set up an EU army. Continue reading “Trump’s Call for Increased Military Spending by NATO Allies”

The Galactic Diet – The No-Pain Weight Loss Program

This is a plan I have devised and used for over 6 years. It involves:

  • No calorie counting
  • No special foods
  • No special exercise regimen

I have studied at Cambridge, London, Caltech and Calgary. None of these studies were in Nutrition, but all were in Physics. If Al Gore can talk about Climate Change, I can talk about diet.

The Principles for the “Galactic Diet” are:

  • Peter Drucker’s statement “You can’t manage what you don’t measure”.
  • Losing weight is a simple energy balance – energy in is less than energy expended
  • Reduce energy in by reducing quantities eaten/drunk
  • Increase energy out by increased exercise

Continue reading “The Galactic Diet – The No-Pain Weight Loss Program”

Is the Number of Papers on a Topic a Good Indicator of its Importance?

The Wikipedia entry on “Global Cooling” dismisses the idea that it was the prevailing view in the 1970’s by showing the numbers of papers on cooling versus the number on warming. Does this truly support the author’s claim?

In this post, I describe a fictitious experiment and then draw up a non-complete list of papers that could be produced from the experiment.

I then show a real-life example of this sort of “paper-churning”. Continue reading “Is the Number of Papers on a Topic a Good Indicator of its Importance?”