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nodepolitik

@nodepolitik.ca

500 followers 1.2K following 820 posts

Connective Politics progressive | pro-labour | pro-union | pro-democracy | pro-transit | pro-accessibility | pro-redistribution: wealth & information | misinformation filter | digital citizen & resident of Toronto

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nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · 1h

shorturl.at/0pAUG

#cdnpoli

Anand heads to China as Carney attempts a rapprochement with Beijing

Ottawa is seeking to expand export markets outside of Donald Trump’s increasingly protectionist U.S.

nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · 2h

shorturl.at/7qSDQ

#cdnpoli

First Nations youth programs lose Jordan’s Principle funding after changes to eligibility

Onigaming First Nation is now footing the bill for youth crisis response teams after changes to how federal funding is awarded

nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · 8h

Seriously though, I'm really grateful for this ceasefire. Palestine deserves better, as do the hostages.

#cdnpoli

nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · 8h

shorturl.at/YZpYd

And Poilievre complains about this in 3, 2, 1...

#cdnpoli

PM Carney makes last-minute trip to Egypt summit for Trump’s Gaza peace plan

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Mark Carney was set to leave Sunday afternoon for Egypt, to take part in a hastily organized summit surrounding the truce U.S. President Donald Trump helped

nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · 8h

shorturl.at/YZpYd

And Poilievre complains about this in 3, 2, 1...

#cdnpoli

PM Carney makes last-minute trip to Egypt summit for Trump’s Gaza peace plan

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Mark Carney was set to leave Sunday afternoon for Egypt, to take part in a hastily organized summit surrounding the truce U.S. President Donald Trump helped

nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · 11h

Mind linking me to the Angus Reid article? Please and thank you.

Yes, it largely is a farce in its current manifestation. It's a costly anachronism. Door-to-door delivery is not needed in urban centres, and should be reserved for rural communities.

nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · 11h

How so? I mean, of course that is CUPW's intention. It's their job.

nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · 11h

for people who have disabilities to get delivery to their doors, and of course I back that.

So, no, not about my location. If only politics were reducible to social location...

nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · 11h

want to keep services for rural communities, I'd back that. "Inefficient", sure, as rural communities are. But I attribute value to the solidarity and social contract we have in ensuring all Canadians are served.

But in an urban setting? Yeah, door-to-door is a farce. There already is a service..

nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · 11h

As for my social location, it's not all that relevant here. It isn't just me who isn't using letter mail. It is declining YoY rapidly, despite being priced below what you and I agree it should be.

As such, I consider it an anachronism, save for rural communities. If CUPW said they just...

nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · 11h

Oh no no, I did not make that claim. The point of infrastructure is to deliver goods and services. I argued that CUPW is trying to make the infrastructure about keeping 53k emplpyed.

nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · 11h

This reads as "CUPW analyzed the report and determined that it was good for CUPW". I am unconvinced. This feels like reading that the Toronto Police Association validates a Toronto Police Service study indicating that more boots on the ground makes communities safer.

nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · 11h

I would, for example, spend "inefficiently" on universal services, like healthcare, because it has a value not comprehensively captured by economic thought. Life's value is greater than that, whereas I do not attribute any special value to letter mail. It's... frankly, a farce at this juncture.

nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · 11h

Sure. Though I don't think I am. If you're asking me to expand my horizons for political value, I assure you I do! I acknowledge money is not an end in and of itself, but a means to an end. I understand it is the tool we use to measure, to the best of our ability, the value of goods and services...

nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · 11h

propositions for services on the basis of how that money will be otherwise spent on something we don't agree with. Rather, we should always set a precedent where we consider the optimal alternatives.

nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · 11h

So, in this case, money spent on keeping 53k employed, rendering a service declining in 'market value', could be better spent on upskilling/retraining, or rendering other social services.

Of course, will our rather neoliberal PM do that? I doubt it. But I don't think we should make value...

nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · 12h

Thanks, I'll dig into this.

nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · 12h

For our intents & purposes (I know you're not asking me to dig up Nicomachean Ethics, or Kant, haha), I (loosely) define value in terms of opportunity cost: $$$ spent on rendering a service, if demonstrated to be more efficiently spent on equally or more important services, is money not well spent

nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · 12h

I'm gonna trust he's arguing in good faith. Though, I imagine he isn't alone. Generally, I trust experts. It's part of the reason I so strongly oppose populism. I'm not calling you a populist! I'm just elaborating on my (general) deference to expertise.

nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · 12h

We can compete with the Big 6 banks here? Where is Professor Lee getting it wrong?

I'm curious how we'd compete with private parcel delivery, a very saturated and competitive market.

nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · 12h

I did, re: Delivering Community Power, as did Professor Lee at Carleton. He argues they can't compete with the Big 6.

I've also responded re: senior check-ins.

nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · 12h

It only survived on a hefty subsidy. It didn't deliver actual value. They're facing the same problems we are.

nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · 12h

shorturl.at/9NcMg

PostNord is posting losses, and was operating on a hefty subsidy:

This requirement entailed continual losses for the service despite annual government subsidies that ran into hundreds of millions of kroner which came to an end following the changes agreed in June 2023."

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Losses for Denmark’s PostNord

Like Royal Mail in the UK, Denmark’s PostNord has noticed a drop in the number of letters that people now write and send.

nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · 12h

Ah, my bad

nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · 12h

As noted in the Star article posted, the prof of management at Carleton argues CP cannot compete with the Big 6 banks.

Letter mail delivery is declining YoY, making it a niche need that can be privately paid for.

Parcel market has left the barn. We simply cannot compete.

nodepolitik @nodepolitik.ca · 12h

I didn't argue he was.