Wednesday Night #1832

The Atlantic Daily newsletter frequently bears an alliterative heading like “Flip-Flops and Force” as a clue to the tenor of the story mix that follows.
Following that example, we opt for “Bombs and bombshells” this week as we contemplate the stories from Afghanistan, North Korea, the foiled attack in Marseilles and on-going fallout from Syria, all set against the backdrop of the tiny, Brexit-like margin of the Turkish referendum, the complexity of the French presidential race , along with Russian meddling, and the news of Theresa May’s snap election call.

Not in the same category as the above, but news that Tuesday’s Georgia House Race Heads to Runoff as Democrat Gains in GOP Area  is hugely encouraging for Trump opponents eyeing the 2018 mid-terms.

Writing in The Guardian, Paul Mason reminds us that As Trump faces down North Korea, it’s alarming to think that most of the world’s nuclear warheads are now in the hands of men who are prepared to use them.

What to make of the story that Donald Trump said he was sending an ‘armada’ to North Korea – but it was heading the other way? One canny observer suggests that “The true direction of the Task Force must have been known to both China and Russia.It is of interest, that neither one called Trump’s bluff. Kim ought to be worried.” We cannot believe that the Pentagon did not also know where the task force was – why did nobody tell Donald Trump? Better yet, who originally told him that the ships were headed to North Korea?

Here, we may not fear imminent attack from aircraft carriers or MOABs, but we should be very worried about what is happening, or not happening, with the MUHC. Aaron Derfel of The Gazette has been doing an excellent job of covering the unhappy situation as the Relations between health minister Barrette and MUHC sink to a new low. It is a disgrace and should not be allowed to continue, but how does the public fight back? We are fortunate not to be faced with the dilemma posed by the U.S. system, but fear that some of the truths laid out in Harold J. Goldfarb’s Examining the reality of America’s health care are relevant:
The public has four major expectations, which are inherently mutually incompatible.
The public wants: (1) freedom to choose doctor and hospital; (2) the latest modern, state-of-the-art technology in diagnostic equipment and medical and surgical treatments; (3) no delay in appointments and treatments; and (4) minimal (or at least, reasonable) cost. People can have two, perhaps three, but in no way can they have all four. That is the reality.

As Americans were preparing to file their taxes (with many continuing to demand that Donald Trump release his returns), the controversial story from Wall Street is about The Fearless Girl and The Bull. If you are not up to date, this blog presents both sides of the argument clearly and concisely.

As dedicated advocates  of multilingualism, we were delighted by the argument presented in Learning a second language isn’t just good for your brain—it’s good for democracy, too. Maybe we need to make sure that some of our politicians apply the principle?

In case you did not see it, Wayne Larsen published a nice tribute to Peter Trent Peter Trent’s honesty and wit will be missed in the mayor’s chair in Westmount