Segacs's World I Know

So François Legault wants to play the blame game with the Federal government for not supplying vaccines fast enough? Fine, procurement is a federal responsibility, so fair enough. We’ll handwa...

https://www.segacs.com/2021/10-things-the-quebec-government-should-be-doing-right-now-to-fight-covid19.html

The post The nightmare is over first appeared on Segacs's World I Know .

https://www.segacs.com/2020/the-nightmare-is-over.html

The Liberals are battered and bruised but not out. Despite taking a beating in the polls and attacks from all sides, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau fended off a challenge from Andrew Scheer’s Co...

https://www.segacs.com/2019/its-a-liberal-minority-so-what-happens-now.html

On the occasion of Luc Ferrandez‘s resignation from politics, I thought I’d compile a top 10 of Ferrandez moments over the past number of years — a rather worst-of compilation, if you will:...

https://www.segacs.com/2019/luc-ferrandez-top-10-worst-of-moments.html

The results of the midterms are in. As was widely expected, the Democratic Party took back control of the House of Representatives, picking up, at last count, about 25 seats. Meanwhile, the Repub...

https://www.segacs.com/2018/midterm-musings-not-the-blue-wave-america-needed.html

Here I am, three days later, and still angry. Scared. Terrified, in fact. But I realize, I’m not terrified at the notion that a madman might come shoot up a synagogue, mosque, church, school, c...

https://www.segacs.com/2018/three-days-later.html

Hundreds of members of the Jewish Community packed the Beth Israel Beth Aaron shul in Cote St Luc last night for a vigil to remember the victims of the Pittsburgh Tree of Life shooting. The memor...

https://www.segacs.com/2018/montreal-vigil-for-pittsburgh.html

An important read about the role of social media in the global rise of the far right, and how a handful of tech companies are now scrambling to answer for the damage that they’re only starting ...

https://www.segacs.com/2018/technology-and-the-far-right.html

Pittsburgh Jewish leaders to Trump: You’re not welcome here: “Our Jewish community is not the only group you have targeted,” the group wrote. “You have also deliberately undermined the sa...

https://www.segacs.com/2018/pittsburgh-jewish-community-to-trump-youre-not-welcome-here.html

The Pittsburgh Penguins are setting a good example on how, in the wake of tragedy, actions speak louder than words. Much respect. “The team announced on Sunday that it would hold a blood drive ...

https://www.segacs.com/2018/penguins-support-pittsburgh.html

Reading the obituaries of the 11 murdered victims in the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting and all I can keep thinking about is how these people sound so familiar. Richard Gottfried was a dentist aro...

https://www.segacs.com/2018/on-empathy-tragedy-and-the-eleven-victims-of-the-pittsburgh-shooting.html

This piece in The Atlantic makes the direct link between Trump’s anti-migrant hysteria and the shooting in a Pittsburgh synagogue that left eleven people dead yesterday: Before committing the T...

https://www.segacs.com/2018/trump-fans-yes-this-is-your-fault.html

The worldwide rise of fascism continues, with Brazil only the latest example: Mr Bolsonaro’s pledge to fight crime and corruption following a string of scandals have won him mass support. Howev...

https://www.segacs.com/2018/brazil-the-latest-country-to-fall-to-fascism.html

If you’re struggling to make sense of the horrific violence of today’s Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, a few thoughts: Judaism has never really been a “thoughts and prayers” kind of religi...

https://www.segacs.com/2018/pittsburgh-shooting-actions-not-words.html

More than ever, we need to stop petty squabbling between minority groups, and unite together to fight hatred, xenophobia, and white supremacy. This shit’s only gonna get worse before it gets be...

https://www.segacs.com/2018/we-minorities-are-in-this-together.html

Four thoughts on this morning’s shooting in a Pittsburgh synagogue: 1. Of course it was a hate crime. 2. Yes, Trump incited it. 3. We’ve seen this before. 4. It’s gonna get worse. Much wors...

https://www.segacs.com/2018/pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting.html

I’m glad to see so many people recognize the hypocrisy in François Legault wanting to prohibit religious symbols worn by public servants, and yet keep the cross in the National Assembly: Simon...

https://www.segacs.com/2018/neutrality-of-the-state-not-of-individuals.html

“Religion is a private matter. People should keep it at home, not out in the streets.” — said by members of the Quebecois majority who are nonetheless perfectly fine with: Public Christmas ...

https://www.segacs.com/2018/religion-is-a-private-matter.html

As speculated, Philippe Couillard has announced he will be retiring from politics. And he’s chosen to base his exit speech on an impassioned plea for minority rights and respect for diversity: ...

https://www.segacs.com/2018/couillard-quits-politics-exits-on-a-high-note.html

So our new premier-elect, who swept to power last night on votes from people living in places where they’ve probably never met a member of a religious minority, thinks it’s such a priority to...

https://www.segacs.com/2018/legault-says-hell-use-notwithstanding-clause-to-target-religious-minorities.html

I have a lot of friends — federalists, minorities, anglos, even — who say they are voting Quebec Solidaire this time around. In many cases, I can even understand why. In this cynical era of p...

https://www.segacs.com/2018/quebec-solidaire-think-twice.html

I’m equally cynical and fearful of what tomorrow’s election results will bring. I cynically sense it will be nothing good, and I’m worried for the people and groups who will be most hurt by...

https://www.segacs.com/2018/vote-smart-vote-strategically-vote-compassionately.html

Hello word The post Hello word first appeared on Segacs's World I Know .

https://www.segacs.com/2018/hello-word.html

Oprah Winfrey delivered a good speech at the Golden Globes last night, leading to much speculation that she’s considering a run for President in 2020. But don’t delude yourself into thinking ...

https://www.segacs.com/2018/oprahs-not-the-answer.html

It’s December 31st again. But it’s been no typical year. This time last year, I wondered whether we were a little too eager to leap from the frying pan into the fire. One year later, I can sa...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/it-could-always-be-worse.html

An 8.1 magnitude earthquake struck southern Mexico last night. So far, at least 30 people have been killed, and destruction is widespread. There’s also a major tsunami risk. Mexican authorities...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/earthquake-in-mexico.html

I’m almost hesitant to share this piece from The Atlantic because I don’t want to send the wrong message. Sexual assault is a huge problem on college and university campuses, and in general I...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/sexual-assault-on-campus-asking-the-tough-questions.html

In the latest from the ridiculous Montréal sait faire files: These painted lines directing cyclists to ride down the underpass on Atwater… on the sidewalk: New paint on the sidewalk on both th...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/atwater-needs-a-bike-path-a-real-one.html

Barack Obama broke his silence that he’s mostly maintained since Trump took office, by speaking out in defence of DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or “DREAM” act: Let’s be...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/obama-on-dreamers-its-about-basic-decency.html

As white supremacists march in the streets in the US, we can’t feel too smug here. Racism is, sadly, alive and well right in our home province, as the Liberal government chooses this moment to ...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/bill-62-quebecois-xenophobia-at-its-worst.html

Godwin’s Law doesn’t apply when you’re talking about ACTUAL FUCKING NAZIS. I’ve tried to think of something coherent to say about Charlottesville, and my rage just keeps getting in the wa...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/on-charlottesville-and-trump.html

It’s the end of an era: After sixteen years and nearly 1000 regular-season games with the Habs, Andrei Markov won’t be back next season. He’s heading back to Russia to play for the KHL, it ...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/markov-leaves-habs-heads-to-khl.html

There are no words for how disgustingly angry this makes me. President Donald Trump said Wednesday morning that transgender people are not allowed to serve in the U.S. military. A Pentagon direct...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/trump-bans-trans-americans-from-the-military.html

Former astronaut Julie Payette has been named Canada’s next Governor General, taking over from David Johnston in September. And of course, the internet is all abuzz, because a woman is doing a ...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/payette-named-next-governor-general.html

Nope, nope, nope. All due respect, Michelle Goldberg, but I disagree with you on 100% on this one. If there is the barest sliver of consolation, it’s that Trump appears almost as miserable and ...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/trumps-lack-of-discipline-its-not-a-good-thing.html

Dear Justin Trudeau: There’s a LOT to criticize about Canada’s relationship with our First Nations, both past and present. So, two thoughts about this statement: 1. Words matter. Tone matters...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/canadas-first-nations-relations-an-open-letter-to-justin-trudeau.html

This is getting buried in the news cycle. But it’s actually a pretty big deal, and a sign that Quebec’s economy is in its best shape since before the ’95 referendum: U.S. bond rating agency...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/quebec-economy-in-pretty-good-shape.html

When I visited Cuba in December, the Cubans and Americans I met were all optimistic about the continued thawing of relations between the two countries following Barack Obama’s historic easing o...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/cuba-us-relations-one-step-forward-one-giant-trump-leap-back.html

Barack Obama gave a widely-anticipated speech in Montreal today. I watched online and, for most of it, Obama was in fine form: Eloquent, respectful, inspiring. But then there was an odd section, ...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/gender-and-stereotypes-what-obama-got-wrong-in-his-montreal-speech.html

Thanks, France, for voting for the only sane option and bucking the populist demagogue trend. Macron, 39, a former economy minister who ran as a “neither left nor right” independent promising...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/macron-wins-in-france.html

I guess Team Canada won’t be defending its gold medal in Pyeongchang. The NHL won’t participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics. For the first time since 1994, NHL players will not attend the Win...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/nhl-wont-go-to-pyeongchang-olympics.html

The Gazette’s Allison Hanes weighs in on the Andrew Potter debate: We live in the age of the digital lynch mob, where our slightest missteps get magnified, stupid remarks snowball and ill-con...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/andrew-potter-freedom-of-speech-and-the-pile-on-effect.html

Campaigns like “Let’s Talk” are all well and good when it comes to ending the stigma and launching a conversation. But it’s not enough to just talk about mental health. We urgently need t...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/mental-health-in-canada-lets-do-more-than-talk.html

This article in the Washington Post really gets at the crux of the difference in outlook between liberals and conservatives: Chaffetz was articulating a commonly held belief that poverty in the U...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/wapo-people-arent-poor-because-theyre-lazy.html

BCCLA has written a clear, easy-to-understand guide for Canadians about issues that are far from clear or easy to understand: The first thing to remember if you’re a Canadian travelling to the ...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/digital-devices-at-the-border-a-guide-for-canadians.html

It’s time to stop pointing out all the ways that Donald Trump is turning the US into a fascist state at worryingly break-neck speed. Fascism is here. The question is, what are we going to do ab...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/how-to-fight-fascism-in-us.html

Steve Bannon has admitted that Trump’s choices for his cabinet were deliberately set up to destroy the agencies that they were appointed to lead: In the clearest explanation for why nearly all ...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/bannon-cabinet-picks-were-meant-to-destroy-their-agencies.html

Charles Taylor admits he erred when he authored the Bouchard-Taylor recommendation to restrict religious symbols among public servants in positions of authority, saying that “times have changed...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/taylor-times-changed-ban-religious-headwear.html

RIP, America.   The post USA: Land of the Free, 1776-2016 first appeared on Segacs's World I Know .

https://www.segacs.com/2017/usa-land-of-the-free-1776-2016.html

One of the more positive effects of what’s been happening lately has been the coming together of the Muslim and Jewish Communities towards a common cause: A photo of two kids — a Muslim girl ...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/no-its-not-peace-in-the-middle-east-but-its-something.html

So, I’m of two minds here about Heather Backman being let go from the CHOM morning show. On the one hand: Not very classy of Bell Media to lay her off right after the 5-year anniversary party. ...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/heather-b-and-chom-part-ways.html

La Presse is now reporting at least 4 6 deaths in the Ste-Foy Mosque shooting. It’s just sickening. We’ll know more about the suspect who was taken into custody soon enough. But this isn’t ...

https://www.segacs.com/2017/quebec-mosque-shooting-change-the-rhetoric.html

Ahhh, 2016. Has there ever been a year in our lifetime that has been filled with such clusterfuckery? It’s normal, I guess, to be contemplative and reflective on New Year’s Eve about the year...

https://www.segacs.com/2016/good-riddance-2016.html

WHAT. THE. FUCK. AMERICA??? Pardon my swearing. But if there’s ever a day that requires the bluest of language, it’s today. I went to sleep last night a little worried on your behalf, America...

https://www.segacs.com/2016/warning-political-rant-ahead.html

My street in the Plateau Mont-Royal is being dug up again. It’s the fifth time that this particular intersection has been dug up in the past three years. Or maybe it’s the sixth. In all hones...

https://www.segacs.com/2016/its-not-my-job-montreals-construction-woes-in-four-words.html

Meanwhile in Quebec, the new PQ leader is none other than Jean-François Lisée: I admit I’m actually a bit surprised that he won. He’s too intellectual, too mild-mannered, too unpopular with...

https://www.segacs.com/2016/lisee-voted-pq-leader.html

So, Donald Trump was caught on tape making disgusting comments about being able to grope women. Raise your hand if you’re surprised. Hand up? You clearly haven’t been paying attention anytime...

https://www.segacs.com/2016/trump-women-mysogyny-cynicism.html

If this is true, it could signal a major change for Uzbekistan: Uzbekistan’s veteran dictator, Islam Karimov, has died, leaving central Asia’s most populous country in a state of turmoil and ...

https://www.segacs.com/2016/uzbekistan-leader-karimov-reported-dead.html

I’m one of those Canadians who really, really likes the census. I completed it (alas, the short version) within minutes of receiving my card in the mail. Apparently, I’m not the only one: Thi...

https://www.segacs.com/2016/i-admit-it-im-a-census-nerd.html

It appears that there has been a military coup in Turkey. Developments are ongoing. There are reports of troops being deployed to the streets of Ankara and Istanbul. The prime minister says a gro...

https://www.segacs.com/2016/coup-in-turkey.html

Well, Gary Bettman has done it again: He just announced that Quebec City’s NHL expansion bid has been denied, but Las Vegas’s has been approved: Bettman said the NHL board of governors unanim...

https://www.segacs.com/2016/nhl-in-vegas.html

So much for the Olympic values of peace, understanding and bringing people together: A Syrian boxer has quit the World Boxing Championship rather than be forced to compete against his Israeli opp...

https://www.segacs.com/2016/syrian-boxer-quits-israeli.html

Horrific news out of Orlando today. Hate crime, domestic terrorism, whatever you want to call it, at least 50 people are dead today who should be alive and well: An American-born man who’d pled...

https://www.segacs.com/2016/thoughts-on-orlando.html

This morning, UPAC arrested 7 high-ranking politicians, including former Quebec Deputy Premier Nathalie Normandeau on charges of fraud, corruption and abuse of public trust: The group of seven, w...

https://www.segacs.com/2016/do-you-prefer-your-politicians-corrupt-or-evil.html

Google searches for “moving to Canada” rose by 1000% after the US primary “Super Tuesday” results: In the four hours around the close of polls across Super Tuesday states, searches for �...

https://www.segacs.com/2016/americans-considering-moving-to-canada-if-trump-wins.html

Four thoughts about this New York Times piece on Bernie Sanders being the first viable Jewish candidate for President: He’s usually highly accessible to the media. But he declined to be intervi...

https://www.segacs.com/2016/bernie-sanderss-jewish-four-thoughts.html

Today is the UN’s internationally designated Holocaust Memorial Day. (Not to be confused with Yom HaShoah, which falls in early May this year.) This year, the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust is ur...

https://www.segacs.com/2016/dont-stand-by.html

Disclaimer: This post contains spoilers for the TV show “The Wire”. And also some colourful language, such as you might expect when talking about terrorist bastards. This week has been a bad ...

https://www.segacs.com/2015/4-ways-war-on-terror-war-on-drugs.html

There are petitions going around urging Justin Trudeau to appoint Elizabeth May as Environment Minister. I think that’s a terrible idea. Here’s why: After a decade of Stephen Harper’s “wa...

https://www.segacs.com/2015/elizabeth-may-should-not-be-environment-minister.html

Wow. Just wow. Prime Minister Trudeau. It’s been a long time since Canada has heard those words. Before my lifetime, anyway. I dared hope for a Liberal minority. I never in my wildest dreams co...

https://www.segacs.com/2015/its-a-liberal-majority.html

#Pollwatch: I’ve been hearing reports of people having difficulty voting, despite being on the voter registration list and showing up with multiple forms of ID. Via the Orwellian-named “Fair ...

https://www.segacs.com/2015/pollwatch-dirty-tricks-as-canadians-vote.html

John Oliver is one of my favourite comedian-slash-pundits. Last night, he took on the topic of the Canadian federal election, as only he could: Now, it’s true that this is a bit of a lightheart...

https://www.segacs.com/2015/john-oliver-on-canadian-election-dont-vote-for-harper.html

Well, it’s been a really long slog of a campaign. But either way, it all ends tomorrow. So I’ll just leave you with this plea: Please get out and vote — it CAN and WILL make a difference. I...

https://www.segacs.com/2015/lets-do-this-canada.html

Thoughts heading into the weekend before the election: ‪ Polls showing a Liberal surge are going to help Trudeau‪‬, as anti-Harper voters get off the fence and hop on the bandwagon of the p...

https://www.segacs.com/2015/pre-election-thoughts.html

Don’t look now, but the Habs are off to a hot start, going 5-0 for the first time in franchise history: “Despite powerhouse Canadiens teams that won a record 24 Stanley Cups in their 106-year...

https://www.segacs.com/2015/habs-start-season-a-record-breaking-5-0-0.html

The Guardian has published a damning, point by point account of how the Harper‬ government has cheated, lied, blustered and outright steamrolled over democracy on their way to three consecutive...

https://www.segacs.com/2015/the-guardian-on-stephen-harper.html

Stephen Harper is an idiot for refusing to do this interview. They lobbed softballs for the most part, and he might have even scored some points with young Canadians. His silence speaks volumes a...

https://www.segacs.com/2015/13-thoughts-after-watching-the-vice-interviews-with-trudeau-and-mulcair.html

Two weeks ago, like Jewish people around the world, I went to my local synagogue on Yom Kippur for Kol Nidre prayers. I saw a giant “Shana Tova” campaign poster just outside my shul in Westmo...

https://www.segacs.com/2015/tories-israel-and-chutzpah.html

This goes beyond the pale: The Tories have announced that they want to create an RCMP Hotline to report “barbaric cultural practices”: The new pledge follows a string of opinion polls showing...

https://www.segacs.com/2015/barbaric-cultural-practices-and-the-ugly-side-of-wedge-politics.html

In case you needed another reason to vote out Stephen Harper, Canada under the stewardship of the Tories has fallen to dead last in environmental protection, in a ranking of 27 wealthy countries ...

https://www.segacs.com/2015/environment-we-dont-need-no-stinkin-environment.html

I’ve long held that the highway code is outdated in that it prioritizes the safety of drivers over the safety of pedestrians and cyclists. Now, some lawmakers are finally catching on. This week...

https://www.segacs.com/2015/montreal-proposes-new-laws-for-cycling.html

So let me get this straight: Hillary Clinton deletes a few personal emails and it causes a national uproar. Stephen Harper deletes DECADES of statistical, scientific and historical records and no...

https://www.segacs.com/2015/stephen-harper-war-on-data.html

Bixi’s back with a vengeance this season. Last fall, the city of Montreal took over management of the financially-burdened company and announced that it had adopted a plan to fund and keep the ...

https://www.segacs.com/2015/has-bixi-oversold-its-memberships.html

Yesterday’s shocking “Orange Crush” sweep for the NDP in Alberta wasn’t supposed to happen. After 44 years of Conservative rule, the province much-maligned for being “Canada’s Redneck...

https://www.segacs.com/2015/ndp-victory-in-alberta-spell-trouble-harper.html

Luc Ferrandez, the borough mayor of Plateau Mont-Royal, is short on action and long on excuses when it comes to snow removal this winter. Here’s a summary of some of the best ones he’s come u...

https://www.segacs.com/2015/luc-ferrandezs-plateau-snow-removal-excuses-watch.html

Quebec Finance Minister Carlos Leitao announced Quebec’s budget update today, setting off what is sure to be a continuing series of protests against the cuts, austerity measures and fee increas...

https://www.segacs.com/2014/quebec-budget-update-more-balanced-than-i-expected.html

Shots were fired on Parliament Hill this morning. A soldier guarding the National War Memorial was shot. The gunman then seized a car and drove to Parliament, after which there were shots reporte...

https://www.segacs.com/2014/shootings-in-downtown-ottawa.html

Folks, this is important: Quebec is having school board elections in November, and for the first time, the position of Chair is directly electable by the population. My wonderful aunt, Suanne Ste...

https://www.segacs.com/2014/quebec-schoolboard-elections-why-you-should-care.html

Today, as I write this, 4.3 million people in Scotland are voting in a referendum on whether they should separate from the United Kingdom. I’ve been following the debate in Scotland more closel...

https://www.segacs.com/2014/scotland-is-not-quebec.html

Whenever tensions rise in Israel, my stress level goes way up as a proxy war gets fought in social media channels. People I respect, colleagues and acquaintances and people I think of as friends,...

https://www.segacs.com/2014/im-done-apologizing-for-israel.html

“We may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing; but let us not forget for a moment the toil and efforts that lie ahead.” — Winston Churchill. For the past 18 months, it’s felt a bit ...

https://www.segacs.com/2014/the-war-in-europe-is-over-now-to-turn-our-attention-to-the-pacific.html

There will almost certainly be a recount in my home riding of Sainte-Marie-Saint-Jacques, won by QS’s Manon Massé by a margin of only 91 votes over Liberal Anna Klisko. Obviously, I would have...

https://www.segacs.com/2014/sainte-marie-saint-jacques-goes-quebec-solidaire.html

It’s a majority government for Philippe Couillard and the Quebec Liberal Party! It’s been a really ugly 18 months, and an even uglier campaign. But tonight, my faith in the people of this pro...

https://www.segacs.com/2014/quebec-liberals-win-resounding-majority.html

What a difference 18 months makes: In 2012, Pauline Marois donned a red square and declared the PQ the party of the social left. In 2014, she stood by Pierre-Karl Peladeau and declared the PQ the...

https://www.segacs.com/2014/marois-then-and-now.html

Rumours have been circulating for weeks, and now it’s official: Quebec will be heading back to the polls on April 7th. The Parti Quebecois has been in power for a scant year and a half. In that...

https://www.segacs.com/2014/a-plea-to-my-fellow-quebecers.html

More than ten years after the BBC aired a devastating report about North Korean concentration camps, mass killings, torture, poison gas chambers and other horrific atrocities, the United Nations ...

https://www.segacs.com/2014/north-korea-united-nations-pulls-head-out-of-sand-finally.html

Happy New Year, everyone! I had a conversation with a good friend of mine today over hot beverages while trying to thaw out our toes. The discussion was about goals versus plans. We pretty much a...

https://www.segacs.com/2014/14-for-14.html

We Montrealers have a love-hate relationship with our service industry. On the one hand, we bitch and moan about surly store clerks and wait staff. On the other hand, we have the unfortunate habi...

https://www.segacs.com/2013/montreal-needs-a-reality-check-on-customer-service.html

Montreal’s bike-sharing system is used by thousands of people, myself included, to get around. Montreal is a city where the ubiquitous orange cone is practically a symbol, with road closures an...

https://www.segacs.com/2013/how-do-you-solve-a-problem-like-bixi.html

We Canadians pay the highest mobile rates in the world, thanks to the entrenched Bell-Rogers-Telus oligopoly that for years has been gouging customers with impunity. The CRTC, the regulatory body...

https://www.segacs.com/2013/crtcs-new-wireless-rules-dont-go-far-enough.html