The Buzz May 18th 2024: Alice Munro, Canada's interest in crewless warships, tax fairness as a political tool, and more in The Buzz.
Welcome to the weekend and welcome to The Buzz.
We lost a great one this week. A Canadian known and celebrated at home and abroad. Alice Munro was special in the literary world, a master of the short story.
There have been many deserving tributes to her over the past few days, and this one is my favourite.
Sandra Martin in The Globe and Mail:
Alice Munro is gone, but her lives of girls and women continue 🔒
I first met Canadian General Andrew Leslie in Afghanistan in 2003 where he was a major player in ISAF, the International Security Assistance Force established to transition Afghanistan from Taliban rule to democracy.
(Yes, I know, how did that work out for everyone?). Eventually, Leslie was appointed Canada’s Chief of the Land Staff a position he held until he retired in 2011.
The General was often talked about as a potential minister of defence, and in 2015 he took the first step towards that goal by running federally for the Liberals. He won big and Cabinet is where a lot of us thought he’d end up. He didn’t. And by 2019 he’d had enough and retreated into the private sector.
But like any good army man, he’s never lost his aim and lately, he’s been pointing it at the government, his old government, about the way the forces are supported. Donna Kennedy-Glans had this in the National Post:
'Our NATO allies are despairing': Retired general says Trudeau government failing on defence
Lots of good talk on Good Talk this weekend. Check in with Bruce and Chantal and me through the link at nationalnewswatch.com.
While we are on the military beat, here’s a story that surprised me but probably shouldn’t have.
We’ve all seen how the newest, most sophisticated drones have been replacing jet fighters on some missions. They are cheaper - and let’s face it, if you don’t have to risk pilot’s lives, all the better.
So how far do you take this idea? Well, some countries are looking at, and developing, crewless warships. Seriously. No one on board.
And guess what? Canada could be joining a list of countries who seem to be interested in the idea. The CBC’s Murray Brewster is out front on this:
The navy is looking at deploying 'ghost fleets' — warships that don't need crews
Supply chains that transport essential goods, like home heating fuel, food, and medicines. Ports that remain open to world markets. Airports that move people from here to there. Telecom infrastructure that keeps businesses online, banks operating, and allow us to stay connected to loved ones. What’s critical for Canadians is an economy they can always rely on. Canada needs sensible policy on critical work. Bill C-58 puts Canadians at risk.
There are lots of ways of looking at the gains the wealthy make as they keep widening the gap between rich and poor.
Supposedly, governments use their power to try to lessen the gap by pushing the tax system to claw back from the rich. Sounds like a political winner, but is it?
John Milloy has this opinion piece in the Hamilton Spectator:
Tax fairness has the potential to be a political winner
Here’s an age-old question that haunts journalism: when is just reporting the facts not enough?
When, if ever, is it time to break away from being neutral? Some think that time is now upon us, as some see today’s issue as pretty simple – a fight for the future of democracy.
Nicholas Kristof is a very well-respected, long-time writer for the New York Times. His new book about his years in journalism is just being released. Oliver Darcy from CNN talked to him about it:
Nicholas Kristof says press ‘shouldn’t be neutral’ with coverage of Trump’s threats to democracy
There will probably be a movie about this guy someday.
His name is Mohammed Amra, but the name Europe now knows him as is “The Fly”. He’s not a good guy let’s be clear, he’s a killer, known for drug trafficking, kidnappings and assassinations.
And he’s on the run after busting out of prison more than once. He’s a real-life Jackal. Henry Samuel of The Telegraph has the story:
Who is ‘the Fly’, France’s most wanted man busted from prison van
Okay, I know most people, especially those in the media, love to pile on the royals.
I’ll admit I’ve done it myself, probably more than a few times since covering my first royal tour in 1970.
But not this week. I like it. I like it a lot. What am I talking about? The portrait. The new King Charles official portrait. Pretty in pink. Okay deep pink. Almost, dare I say, ravishing in red.
Let’s go down market for the reviews in The Mirror:
King Charles’ official portrait divides public as new artwork branded 'monstrosity' by critics
