Letters to the Editor, April 12, 2022

Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah) takes place this year on April 28. This is an important and solemn historical commemoration that reminds all people to be vigilant against rising bigotry, hatred, and anti-Semitism. Sadly, anti-Semitism is growing around the world, including here in Canada. Statistics over the past several years repeatedly state that Jewish people and institutions are among the most common targets of police-reported hate crimes in Canada. Too often, these incidents are dismissed as a byproduct of international events or otherwise downplayed or even denied. But this arises in hate-motivated crimes is a real, growing problem – and it needs to be confronted. A new, grassroots movement is mobilizing to encourage (especially non-Jewish) Canadians to stand against hatred of all kinds, but particularly against anti-Jewish words and deeds. We believe that Jewish people have been forced to confront these incidents by themselves for far too long. Upstanders Canada (UpstandersCanada.com) is identifying and empowering Canadians across political, religious, cultural, economic and demographic divides to join together to stand with Jewish people and against hatred and violence. Our statement of unity is simple: We believe that Jewish people have the right to live in peace and free from fear anywhere in the world, including in Canada and in Israel. Our goal is to ensure that Canada remains a welcoming society for all people. We invite you to become an upstander.

Director, Upstanders Canada

(We couldn’t agree with you more. The Jewish people have done so much good for our global society in the face of discrimination)

So, Trudeau, Freeland, and Singh are promising a huge deficit exceeding $100 billion this year, followed by smaller deficits in the five years to follow. Does anyone really believe anything these three say when it comes to deficits? When the Conservatives finally get elected, they are going to have to impose extreme austerity measures to address the situation that will make them so unpopular they won’t win a second term. Stupid Canadians will vote the Liberal-NDP back in to make another month. This cycle repeats itself over and over and will never end.

(Beware of politicians offering free stuff)

Re “Trudeau’s NDP budget spends big while delivering little” (Brian Lilley, April 7): British economist John Maynard Keynes censured those who believed it financially “sound” to keep huge sections of the workforce in extended idleness. He accused these old-line thinkers of accepting what is “crazily improbable” and of having heads “fuddled with nonsense.” Yet even though Statistics Canada’s labor “underutilization rate” is currently 12% — meaning more than 2 million Canadians are either unemployed or underemployed — many government critics demand reductions in government stimulus under the guise of “fiscal responsibility.” New targeted spending on job creation would counter inflation by increasing available goods and services. It would also sharply reduce social costs of long-term unemployment, which according to researchers, involves “elevations in drug abuse, criminal activity, violence, and apathy.”