Time to Unite the Left and Center in Canadian Politics by Louis Evan Palmer

The NDP can change their name a hundred times and it won't mean any more than a few points in the polls either way. Even if they dramatically re-align their policies to forge a new Labour type of transformation a la the UK's BLIAR, it won't work as they've never had the critical mass. If they think they can accomplish the same feat nation-wide that the Nova Scotia NDP achieved, they are dreaming.

In the old days before the Bloc and the Alliance, which was no more than a regional Western party, there was no hope of the PCs or the Alliance coming even close to power. The Liberals and NDP if they have leadership who can actually see the situation as it is, and want power to effect change, know that they must either destroy each other (and the Greens) or merge. The alternative is an endless series of minority governments.

Then they can assume power and turn their attention to withering Bloc support to the point where it re-submerges with the PQ, disappearing at the federal level, and leaving one separatist entity to deal with.

Do the Liberals have the gumption and grits to vigorously pursue a merger with the NDP? Not a word has passed Ignatief's lips. Layton keeps babbling about becoming PM. And the Green, one can only think of a conspiracy to split the left and center vote, as it can't even win a seat but can siphon off enough votes to make the NDP and Liberal lose ridings.

Can Layton shake off his ideological fetters long enough to agree on a merger with the Liberals? Like the Alliance and Progressive Conservative, they should maintain the name of the stronger entity. The unions have to accept a lesser, more informal, role as is right in a democratic society. Canadians rebel at the thought of a small group lording it over the rest be it union bosses or corporate CEOs.

Do the Liberals and the NDP want to effect change for the better? Then they need to be given power by the people. To get that power, they must merge and appeal to more people and lessen the wasted votes that are getting split. A merger is the logical next step. Otherwise, the Liberals and NDP are wasting Canadians time and money.

Time to Unite the Left and Center in Canadian Politics, Louis Evan Palmer, The Way It Can Be, http://twicb.blogspot.com
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Copyright 2009 Louis Evan Palmer lives in Ontario Canada. His short stories have appeared in numerous publications.

BUY BOOKS BY LOUIS EVAN PALMER

• OAKLANE WOODS - Amazon Kindle Book
• TALES TOLD TO A TREE - Amazon Kindle Book
• 40 POEM FRAGMENTS - Amazon Kindle Book

The Mysterious Moon is Vital to Earth (2) by Louis Evan Palmer

The realization of the Moon's enormous effect on Earth, to the point where it can rightly be considered a two-body system, is followed by amazement at the web of enigma that surrounds its origins and makeup.

The space missions that went to the Moon brought back rocks and dust to analyse. In addition, unmanned landings analysed rocks and dust in situ. The Moon rocks were more than a billion years older than Earth rocks. The Moon dust which should have come from the rocks and thus been younger were, in fact, a billion years older than the Moon rocks.

These findings discredited the theory that the Moon came from the Earth - say, ripped out through an impact. It also made the theory where the Moon and the Earth formed from the same cosmic dust less likely. This left the theory that the Moon was captured by the Earth. However, this runs into difficulties given the large relative size of the Moon, about 1/4 the diameter of the Earth, and its uniquely circular orbit around the Earth. Apparently, it would have been quite difficult for the Earth to have captured the Moon in that way. Coincidently, the Moon is almost exactly the right size and distance from the Earth to allow for eclipses.

The most intriguing assertions regarding the moon deal with its origins and the myths of a time when there was no moon. Ancient Greeks state that the inhabitants of Arcadia recall a time when there was no moon as do the natives of the Bogota highlands. Is it possible that the moon was captured relatively recently?


The Mysterious Moon is Vital to Earth (2), Louis Evan Palmer, The Way It Can Be, http://twicb.blogspot.com

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Copyright 2009 Louis Evan Palmer lives in Ontario Canada. His short stories have appeared in numerous publications.

BUY BOOKS BY LOUIS EVAN PALMER

• OAKLANE WOODS - Amazon Kindle Book
• TALES TOLD TO A TREE - Amazon Kindle Book
• 40 POEM FRAGMENTS - Amazon Kindle Book

A Little Bias Goes a Long Way by Louis Evan Palmer

We've all seen charts and articles on the miracle of compound interest. That's where a small amount of interest on your principal accumulates over time into a fair bit of cash.

Well, that same principle works in a host of social situations both in favour of a given group or against them. That is not suprising and most people would state that they already know this, but what is surprising is how small that bias can be and still effect significant change over time.

In the book "Gender, Nature and Nurture" by Richard A. Lippa, a study is examined where a computer simulation was defined and run to measure the effect of a small bias (0.2) in favour of men over a 20 year period. From 50-50 at all job levels at the start of the simulation, after 20 years we see 53% of the lowest level workers are female and only 35% of the highest level workers. A slightly larger bias (0.45) yields 58% of the lowest level workers and 29% of the highest level workers being women.

We can quibble about the simulation parameters and modeling but if anything, a more accurate version would likely make the discrepancies larger.

In real-life, this translates into skewed decisions, favouritism and disadvantage. Advantaged groups, however defined, can incrementally assume control of functions within an organization, society and country. On the other hand, disadvantage can be institutionalized at a level where it's automatic and unnoticed. However, at a certain point, cries of superiority or oppression will be heard. How often, we see ourselves making claims, and asserting rights and privileges based on those claims, when in fact, what we're claiming is not rooted in our worthiness but a small monotonous systemic bias. As for the disadvantaged, hard work and talent seem to be the only credible ticket for the masses but a break-through success and model (like Obama) would help to open things up in a more dramatic fashion.

A Little Bias Goes a Long Way, Louis Evan Palmer, The Way It Can Be, http://twicb.blogspot.com
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Copyright 2009 Louis Evan Palmer lives in Ontario Canada. His short stories have appeared in numerous publications.

BUY BOOKS BY LOUIS EVAN PALMER

• OAKLANE WOODS - Amazon Kindle Book
• TALES TOLD TO A TREE - Amazon Kindle Book
• 40 POEM FRAGMENTS - Amazon Kindle Book