“Donald Trump’s return to the White House represented a significant victory for the sort of illiberal, far-right politics gaining strength around the world. In Canada, Trump’s election has had the opposite effect, and on Monday a party headed by a right-wing populist candidate lost our federal election. This is welcome news, but it’s too early to conclude that illiberal populism has faltered more broadly in Canada — if for no other reason than because the resentment over the failure of the governing Liberal Party to address systemic problems affecting ordinary Canadians remains widespread.” (05/01/25)
“Boeing’s biggest customer in Europe, Ryanair, has warned it could stop buying aircraft from the U.S. aerospace giant if Donald Trump’s tariff threats drive up prices. Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary issued the warning Thursday in reply to a U.S. congressman who had criticized O’Leary’s open-minded attitude to buying aircraft from other makers — including China. ‘If the U.S. government proceeds with its ill-judged plan to impose tariffs, and if these tariffs materially affect the price of Boeing aircraft exports to Europe, then we would certainly reassess both our current Boeing orders, and the possibility of placing those orders elsewhere,’ O’Leary said in his letter to Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democratic representative from Illinois.” (05/01/25)
“Liberals have become convinced that a unitary executive is the end of the separation of powers. And conservatives have become convinced that liberals want unaccountable bureaucrats to rule the nation. The reason nobody is ever persuaded is that neither side sees the debate clearly. The debate only appears to be over the claim that all executive power vests in the president when, in truth, the debate is over the appropriate remedy to the problem of legislative power vesting in the president. The Constitution, of course, doesn’t give any legislative power to the president.” (05/01/25)
Source: Property and Environment Research Center
by Kat Dwyer
“PERC’s longstanding campaign to retool the Endangered Species Act (ESA) with a market-based approach has a new ally: The Washington Post editorial board. In a recent editorial titled ‘We need to rethink the Endangered Species Act,’ the storied outlet makes the case for rethinking the act’s incentive structure and embracing ‘market-oriented strategies.’ Having long supported reforms following these very principles — that by making wildlife an asset rather than a liability, we can improve the outcomes of imperiled species — we are thrilled to see the editorial board’s results-oriented proposal.” (05/01/25)
“Yes, give us human beings credit. In our relatively brief history, it’s no small thing to have come up with two different ways of thoroughly devastating Planet Earth and its inhabitants. One of them, of course, is the long-term, slow-motion version of planetary destruction that we’ve come to call climate change. And yes, we can already feel it. In recent years, this planet has set record after record when it comes to heat, the last 10 years being the hottest in human history. Meanwhile, from the oceans to the continents, in heatwaves, floods, and devastating storms, this world of ours has been feeling the heat in an unprecedented fashion and, mind you, with far worse to come.” (05/01/25)
“South Korean acting president Han Duck-soo resigned his position as prime minister Thursday ahead of a likely run for president in a June 3 election called to replace President Yoon Suk Yeol who was removed from office over a botched bid to impose martial law. Han said that he stepped down to ‘do what I can, do what I must, for us to overcome the crisis we face,’ he said, referring to recent political upheaval and the threat it posed to South Korea’s economy and well-being. … Han’s resignation came hours after the Supreme Court ordered a retrial of Democratic Party candidate and front-runner for president, former Seongnam Mayor Lee Jae-myung for alleged election law violations dating back to 2021, for which he received a one-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, in November.” (05/01/25)
“For anyone who wants to oppose the Trump administration and the damage it has been doing — from reckless firings and cuts, to a lawless deportation regime, to democratic backsliding toward authoritarianism — the first hundred days of this second term have shown that there is a strategy worth pursuing, one familiar to underdogs the world over: Push the aggressor beyond their limits. The Trump administration seems immensely powerful, controlling the executive branch and backed by a servile congressional majority. But its capabilities are finite, and less extensive than they appear. For the administration, pretending to have more power and energy than it actually does is part of the trick, an attempt to get people to do Trump’s bidding without a fight.” (05/01/25)
“In American politics, the main beneficiaries of ‘dark money’ have in recent years tended to be Democrats. Google representatives were reported to have visited the White House at least 427 times during Barack Obama’s two terms. And in 2024, big spenders like Bill Gates, Reid Hoffman, Marc Benioff, Alex Soros, James Murdoch, Michael Bloomberg, and various donors from Wall Street helped Kamala Harris raise over US$1.5 billion for her campaign, the highest figure in history. This may be starting to change, as a number of powerful Silicon Valley billionaires like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel have shifted their money to the populist Republican Party. However, political shifts like these are less important than the unprecedented degree of control that a handful of people and institutions enjoy over our communications, finances, consumer choices, and culture.” (05/01/25)
“‘Compassion is important, but,’ a beautiful turn of phrase that calls to mind the immortal words of the great leader Eddard Stark. Everything before the word, but, is horseshit.” (05/01/25)
