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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.

Defenders of democracy must speak out – UPDATED

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I told Michael James, the writer recently featured here, that I wished more journalists had the strength of character to oppose authoritarianism now threatening democracy. Doing so involves professional risks because the Trump/Musk administration is supported by plutocrats who control major parts of the USA economy. There are also risks to an individual’s safety and well-being because one of the persons currently exercising power has pardoned dangerous criminals and marshalled massive numbers of would-be oppressors who, like him, ought to be in jail.

Is democracy doomed in North America?

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With the Musk/Trump administration ripping huge holes in America’s social safety net, it is frightening to observe how major media properties have sagged onto bended knees to pay homage to wealth and power. There is a parallel to Germany in the 1930s. There, political leaders took control of media that did not serve the Nazi Party. A cocktail of naked opportunism and misplaced arrogance among the country’s most powerful men facilitated the rise of the Third Reich. With the media silenced or controlled, it was relatively easy for evil men to consolidate power and punish opponents…

Michael James update…

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Mr. James posted a follow-up to the short essay he recently published on Facebook. His first piece was shared tens of thousands of times, but it attracted many hateful responses. According to James, Trump supporters reacted with threats, insults and rage. Many people favour freedom of speech only when they agree with what is spoken. Commentators on both sides of the political spectrum tend to oppose words that go against their personal values or beliefs.

Demagoguery

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On the information platform Medium, Jack Dallaire describes himself: “Former tech CEO turned journalist-in-training. Psychology degree holder with a mission to uncover how tech giants are shaping a digital dystopia.” He wrote a piece about Pierre Poilievre that is worth attention.

Carbon taxes examined

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Reading comments on social media and listening to statements by certain politicians, it is apparent that carbon taxes are often misunderstood. These impositions are designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and science shows that would improve human health and lessen catasrophic losses resulting from climate change…

In 2025, we need a vaccine against stupidity

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In the summer of 1950, parents kept their children indoors for fear of a devastating and contagious virus: polio. That year alone, more than 33,000 Americans fell victim to the disease—half of them under the age of ten. But tireless advocates, teams of scientists, and everyday Americans donating their dimes led to the development and rollout of a life-saving vaccine, one of the most important medical breakthroughs in U.S. history.

Sabotage, not reform

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Poilievre has been heartily endorsed by Elon Musk and Trump promoter Megyn Kelly. To people on the far-right, those are meaningful endorsements. To humane conservatives, centrists, and progressives, any government person in the Trump/Musk orbit is frightening. New York Times essayist David Wallace-Wells wrote about the Trump/Musk administration, but his words suggest Canada’s future if Pierre Poilivre is elected Prime Minister.

Wood fibre insulation — performance-competitive, renewable, carbon-negative product

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PBS show This Old House had a segment involving an idle paper mill on Maine’s Kennebec River, a site now used to manufacture wood-based insulation. TimberHP is the first wood fibre insulation manufacturer in North America. I wish British Columbia had committed a few creative minds to sustaining jobs in communities that no longer prospered through forest products.

Corporate fun and games

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This situation involving the collection industry amuses me, but there is a serious issue here. Some elderly citizens have their capacity for self-protection diminish as time passes. Extortionate collectors know this and threaten to begin impossible acts if payment is not made immediately. Those threats are usually accompanied by an offer to settle for some lesser amount. Victims not confident of their rights, or lacking judgment because of advancing age, may pay crippling amounts for which they have no legal obligation.