This is a response from A. Reader to Mr Stewart’s comment at the post Middle powers must act together because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu.,,
After words of the Presidente-for Life
Norm Farrell
Gwen and I raised three adult children in North Vancouver. Each lives in this community, as do our seven grandchildren. Before retirement, I worked in accounting and small business management. Since 2009, I have published commentary about public issues at IN-SIGHTS.CA.
Immigration questions
Different questions asked and answered in different countries.
About Canada’s sick neighbour
One of the most articulate critics of Donald Trump and his warriors is Boston College historian Heather Cox Richardson. Below the separator is the text of her recent Substack post:
Middle powers must act together because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu
A friend who worked in the PMO years ago says Mark Carney was known in Ottawa as a straight-shooter who often wrote his own speeches and did so very quickly. He didn’t need speechwriters for this admirable address to important people in Davos.
18 years
In 2026, this personal blog will begin its 19th year. Financial contributions from readers keep the lights on. If you judge IN-SIGHTS to be worthwhile, please contribute by clicking on this post and following the link provided.
Affordable housing is a major problem, with many Canadians struggling with high costs and the inadequate supply of suitable homes. These struggles can impact health, happiness, and financial stability, and may lead to homelessness and a cycle of housing insecurity.
Towering arrogance in the White House
I generally avoid spending money on American publications, but The Atlantic remains indispensable. Today, staff writer David A. Graham describes a deeply dangerous individual whose towering arrogance convinces him he understands the world better than anyone alive…
Wealth inequality — How did it get so extreme, and what can we do about it?
Wealth inequality is a lot like the climate crisis. Both are slow-moving train wrecks of immense proportions. Just as climate change is wreaking societal destruction around the globe, so is wealth inequality. Society tends to think they can ignore these problems, until they can’t anymore.
Fascism
Spectres of Fascism, Historical, Theoretical and International Perspectives is a book edited Dr. Samir Gandesha, Director of the SFU’S Institute for the Humanities. It was published in 2020 but is drawn from a free school presented at the Institute in 2017. The following is taken from Professor Gandesha’s foreword:
USA’s mad Health Secretary
Kennedy, who is a nephew of late US President John F Kennedy, openly opposes the use of vaccines and has also backed several conspiracy theories, including on so-called chemtrails allegedly left by airplanes. He has repeatedly been accused of spreading vaccine misinformation and dubious theories on health. He also often promotes the debunked claim that vaccines cause autism.
One individual driving change
MacKenzie Scott is one of the world’s wealthiest women, despite living away more than US$19 billion. In 2020, she issued a statement that began with this…
You can’t have Housing First without having housing first
Finland is the only country in the European Union where homelessness has been decreasing. The small Nordic country is hailed as a model for homelessness work and Finnish expertise is in high demand. One of the factors behind Finland’s success is the Y-Foundation, whose human yet effective operating model is internationally unique…
TV commercial like no other
Recording TV programs, and then skipping through commercials during playback, I don’t often watch live television. Today, a 30-second version of this video caught my attention:
Canada’s dangerous neighbour
American companies own more than half of foreign-controlled corporate assets in Canada. How long before Donald Trump decides to “protect” his country’s interests and security? The Trump administration may blame Canada for allowing drugs and migrants into the USA. Parts of the USA have coveted Canada’s fresh water, and American companies dislike this country’s tax system and public spending, which favours climate action, environmental protection, public healthcare and other “leftist” schemes…
Theo Moudakis!!
A century ago, an American advertising executive popularized the phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Toronto Star cartoonist Theo Moudakis proves that a few pictures are worth much more than a thousand words.
Housing the unhoused, or enriching the already rich… it’s a choice
The 21st century has seen an explosion in the number and wealth of billionaires, driven largely by financial market surges, deregulation, and favourable tax policies. It is no coincidence that historic levels of global wealth inequality have gone hand in hand with conspicuous levels of poverty and homelessness.
A bad neighbor
In fewer than 365 days after taking office Donald Trump would threaten to invade Panama and Greenland, launch a global trade war, bomb five countries, and invade South America — all while griping about being denied the Nobel Peace Prize.
Scalable geothermal energy
Permitting and transmission-connection hurdles face renewable developers broadly. Raising money to gain expertise and moving systems to a commercial stage are also challenges. With geothermal energy, the potential rewards are huge, in both financial and environmental terms. British Columbia should choose to be a leader in this sector.
Naked imperialism
“Most of the Americas have suffered from interference from their powerful northern neighbour – and are usually the worse off for it.”
Wag the dog
The movie “Wag the Dog” takes the stance that American public policy may be founded on fraud in high places, and that there is no public outpouring too spontaneous-looking to be manipulated by political puppeteers.
in-sights.ca 
More bad news for the Trump Clan. Et tu, FedEx? https://apnews.com/article/fedex-tariff-trump-supreme-court-costco-9c9cf3062b780dd8ce9f23f5c30891a0 FedEx joins other US companies in seeking a refund…