SCREED publishes critical thought in areas vital to a free and democratic society and to a vibrant culture. We are not looking for dispassionate and intellectual analysis; we are more interested in challenging the unspoken assumptions of our world than in promoting a particular ideology or forging some kind of consensus.
Mercy for Lewis “Scooter” Libby
Posted on Thursday, July 5, 2007
Did convicted felon “Scooter” Libby receive a fair sentence for his crimes? And did George W. Bush have just reasons to commute Libby’s jail-time?
Reviewed: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
Posted on Monday, June 18, 2007
The new movie about the first family of Marvel Comics isn’t a bad movie, it’s just sort of . . . flavourless.
Young women shouldn’t control their own bodies
Posted on Monday, May 7, 2007
Garance Franke-Ruta calls for the age of consent to appear in pornography to be raised from 18 to 21. This infantilization demonstrates the same paternalistic mentality that feminists usually decry.
Everyone and everything
Posted on Saturday, May 5, 2007
Randall in Clerks II articulates a promisingly optimistic attitude.
Government secrecy hurts us all
Posted on Monday, May 1, 2006
Secrecy and back-room dealings by all levels of government are antithetical to democracy, and seek to prevent the very public participation necessary for a healthy society.
The new Pope
(Posted April 19, 2005)
The Roman Catholic Church has a new pope.
Canada’s new Tory government
Posted on Tuesday, January 24, 2006
What’s likely to happen now that the Conservatives have won a minority government in the Canadian parliament.
The Canadian federal election
Posted on Monday, January 23, 2006
Considering the possible outcomes of the 2006 Canadian federal election, asking which one is best — or perhaps least worst.
American conservatives IV: Ann Coulter
Posted on Saturday, October 1, 2005
A review of Ann Coulter’s latest screed How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must).
American conservatives III: Janice Rogers Brown
Posted on Sunday, June 12, 2005
Republicans may cream themselves over the fact that they can count among them a black woman, but Janice Rogers Brown is seriously under-qualified for the US Court of Appeals. Her appointment demonstrates that conservatives aren’t opposed to activist judges; they are opposed to judges who are activist in the wrong direction.
American conservatives II: Philip Cooney
Posted on Wednesday, June 8, 2005
Philip A. Cooney is a longtime oil-industry shill now employed by the Bush administration to edit scientific reports to make them less alarming about climate change. That he does this with no scientific training himself, and against the advice of real scientists — and with the approval of the administration’s supporters — demonstrates the conservative movement’s committment to ideology over reality.
Terri Schiavo’s right to die: II
Posted on Saturday, April 2, 2005
Refuting several lies National Review promotes in an editorial about the Terri Schiavo case.
Terri Schiavo’s right to die: I
Posted on Tuesday, March 22, 2005
The Terri Schiavo case demonstrates that Republicans are more concerned with playing to their nutjob base than with doing the right thing for Ms. Schiavo.
Revolutionary times
Posted on Wednesday, December 8, 2004
The 1960s was a period when a generation actually questioned the Establishment, challenging the official view of reality with doubts. Can we learn from that as we face a world all too similar today?
The USA’s presidential election: II
Posted on Sunday, October 17, 2004
The second debate between presidential candidates showed George W. Bush in better form, but still losing to John Kerry. If there’s any justice, that’s how the election will go.
How to save the world
Posted on Sunday, October 10, 2004
How to save the world in four (not-so) easy steps.
The USA’s presidential election: I
Posted on Friday, October 1, 2004
The first debate between the USA’s presidential candidates saw little debate, and indeed little of substance, but commentators think John Kerry “won” over George W. Bush.
Canada’s armed forces
Posted on Thursday, September 23, 2004
What are the reasons that Canada needs a military?
Robbing Hood and his Scary Men
Posted on Thursday, September 16, 2004
The neo-cons in charge of the USA don’t know how to run an economy. Their policies are literally robbing from the poor and giving to the rich.
The 9/11 anniversary
Posted on Saturday, September 11, 2004
Debunking a few myths about the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
Copyright and piracy
Posted on Wednesday, September 1, 2004
Internet file-sharing means the end of copyright as we know it; we can debate its morality, but it’s here.
Warner Bros. cartoons
Posted on Wednesday, August 25, 2004
The classic Warner Bros. cartoons hit a high point for animated movies that has never been equalled.
Service Pack 2 for Microsoft Windows XP
Posted on Friday, August 20, 2004
Microsoft’s major upgrade to Windows XP demonstrates once again the company’s committment to market-share over good technology.
George W. Bush isn’t up to the job
Posted on Friday, August 13, 2004
When it comes to keeping his country safe from harm, George W. Bush just isn’t up to the job.
Stupid conservatives in the White House
Posted on Sunday, August 8, 2004
Those conservatives who have had possession of the White House — from Gerald Ford through Ronald Reagan to George W. Bush — have been stupid individuals. You have to go back a long way to find a non-stupid Republican in the White House.
Neo-cons lying in Iraq
Posted on Sunday, August 1, 2004
The USA’s neo-con leaders are brainless, careless, unprincipled chickenhawks, willing to send other people’s children to die for their rigid ideology.
Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney
Posted on Thursday, July 22, 2004
George W. Bush was born a Baby Boomer, but acts like his father’s generation. Dick Cheney has spent his entire career seeking secret and unlimited power, and now he pretty much has it.
Israel’s “security wall”
Posted on Tuesday, July 13, 2004
The “security wall” Israel is building to combat terrorism is instead a weapon for segregation, defying international law and standards of humane behaviour.
Reviewed: Spider-Man 2
Posted on Wednesday, July 7, 2004
The second Spider-Man movie is not a good movie, but it is a fun movie.
Reviewed: Fahrenheit 911
Posted on day, July 3, 2004
Debunking some of the more ridiculous criticisms by Christopher Hitchens in his widely-read review in Slate of Michael Moore’s documentary.
Vote early, vote often
Posted on Sunday, June 27, 2004
Pondering various possible outcomes of Canada’s federal election.
Yesterday’s men
Posted on Monday, June 21, 2004
Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and the administration they’ve put together are sad, pathetic little men who are still fighting yesterday’s war.
Conservative scare tactics
Posted on Friday, June 18, 2004
Attempting to scare the electorate into voting for them, the Conservatives employ several predictable tactics.
Live debate blogging!
Posted on Tuesday, June 15, 2004
Blogging live while watching the leaders’ debate in the Canadian federal election campaign.
Stephen Harper and the Conservatives: II
Posted on Monday, June 7, 2004
Stephen Harper’s Conservatives unveiled their electoral platform, detailing how they intend to make Canada more like the USA.
Stephen Harper and the Conservatives: I
Posted on Saturday, June 5, 2004
Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper has been working hard for evil his entire career, and is within striking distance of the ability to seriously harm Canada.
“Star Wars” missile defence
Posted on Saturday, May 29, 2004
Revealed: where Ronald Reagan got the idea for his “Strategic Defence Iniative” missile shield.
Hunter Thompson and “New Journalism”
Posted on Wednesday, May 26, 2004
Most pretentious writers think that being Hunter Thompson means getting really stoned and writing aggressively in the first person. They’re emulating the form but not the substance of New Journalism.
Canada’s 2004 federal election
Posted on Sunday, May 23, 2004
Canada’s 2004 federal election is on. Is there anyone to vote for, or even against?
Why SNL isn’t funny
Posted on Friday, May 21, 2004
Saturday Night Live is a comic institution, but it’s not that funny — and it never was.
Why comic books are dying
Posted on Monday, May 17, 2004
There are good reasons why comic books are dying today.
Americans losing their heads
Posted on Wednesday, May 12, 2004
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi beheading Americans is not a justification for the abuses at Abu Ghraib, and it’s not ethically the same as those abuses.
Abuse at Abu Ghraib
Posted on Wednesday, May 5, 2004
The abuse of prisoners by American troops at Abu Ghraib prison is not comparable to the slaughter of American mercenaries by Iraqi civilians in Falluja.
Supporting the troops
Posted on Thursday, April 15, 2004
Can a person of good conscience both support the troops and oppose the war?
Belief in God
Posted on Monday, April 12, 2004
Polls show Canadians are much less likely to believe in God than are Americans.
The Canadian movie industry
Posted on Thursday, April 26, 2001
What movie industry exists in Canada does so primarily as support for American productions. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
George W. Bush: Commandeer and thief
Posted on Tuesday, December 12, 2000
The “victory” of George W. Bush in the US presidential election means an end to democracy in the USA.