What makes a politician great?

democracy and good government, , , ,

Embedded below, video from last night’s The Agenda. This was my third appearance (first one here, second one here) which makes it tempting to refer to myself as a regular, but that would probably jinx any chance I have at future appearances. (It’s a privilege and a joy to be on The Agenda. It’s a great show and Steve Paikin is a very impressive host.)

Get comfy before pushing play. It’s a little over 50 minutes long.

The Agenda Thursday Night

events, ,

Just confirmed that I’ll be a guest on TVO’s The Agenda with Steve Paikin tomorrow (Thursday) night live at 8pm EST, re-broadcast at 11pm EST, despite a near disastrous pre-interview fueled by cold medication. The topic: “What makes a great politician?”

Now, obviously if I knew the answer to that question I’d be in Ottawa right now. Or is that the only way to measure success? Let me know your ideas so I can steal them and look smart on TV.

Other guests:

  • Michael Bliss, U of T
  • Richard Gwyn, Toronto Star
  • Chris Tindal, former Green Party candidate
  • Janice McKinnon, U of Sask (via Saskatoon)
  • Sylvia Bashevkin, U of T
  • A sixth person is still to be determined.

Learn the name Umair Haque

economy

“The AIG bailout was the most pernicious kind of cronyism – not even crony capitalism, but crony socialism. When we zoom out, that’s exactly what the curiously lopsided payoffs hedge funds get are. ..

What was, with the AIG bailout, a mere crack in the economic firmament is now a gaping fissure. The result of the financial coup d’etat is a Great Divergence: we we have two economies running in parallel: capitalism for the poor, and socialism for the rich. The former essentially subsidizes the latter endlessly and perpetually.”