Alberta Advantage Podcast

CW: Kavanaugh stuff. The Calgary Herald will not apologize for Naomi Lakritz's terrible opinions because they "are a platform for free speech." Team Advantage reads the Calgary Herald's September 29, 2018 editorial: The importance of free speech https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-the-importance-of-free-speech

The conclusion of our compelling Social Credit series! Team Advantage takes a hard look at Premier Ernest Manning, his religious views (and how these impact his politics), the discovery of oil in Leduc 1947 and Alberta's emerging relationship with large multinational corporations, paranoia over CCF-style welfare-state programs, and some absolutely shocking antisemitism.

Our Teen Tankie Podcast Gang reassembles to discuss the brouhaha surrounding Unifor's recent video identifying strikebreaking labourers. Unifor Local 579 has been locked out for 21 months (!) by the aerospace company D-J Composites in Gander, N.L.

What happens when public education isn't quite public? What happens when your public schools have to compete with each other in the name of "choice in education" or "parental choice?" Team Advantage is joined by Barbara Silva, Communications Director for Support Our Students to discuss how exclusivity, artificial scarcity, specialization and market logic have contributed to an increasingly dysfunc...

Here's our first mini-episode, as promised! What should we call it? We're trying out Teen Tankie Podcast Gang, for reasons. We decided to read Edmonton Journal writer David Staples. He recently wrote a nice essay in AlbertaViews, which definitely doesn't make any of us mad with arguments for "competition" and "choice" in public education. Read along with us here. https://albertaviews.ca/should-pri...

Bonus content: we're re-pod-casting the latest episode of Rob Rousseau's 49th Parahell, a Canadian podcast where we explore the hellish nightmare world of modern reality, together. Follow Rob @robrousseau and support his show at patreon.com/49thParahell! /// In Episode 10 of 49th Parahell I give John McCain the respectful sendoff that he deserves, then Kate Jacobson of the Alberta Advantage podcas...

The Manning Centre is "stepping back from its advocacy work." You can now rent the first floor of their building! Team Advantage does a deep dive into the Manning Centre's history, goes through the cast of veritable ghouls that have worked there, and considers how the Manning Centre's missteps over the last few years have contributed to the lack of enthusiasm for their activism.

Hear all about Alberta's Premier Preacher who wanted to do a whole bunch of wacky stuff with money! Team Advantage dives deep into the philosophy of Social Credit, putting stamps on your money every week, the personality of William Aberhart (fondly remembered as Bible Bill), the end of the United Farmers of Alberta and the Social Credit landslide in 1935, Depression-era economics, getting into fig...

Looks like everyone is mad about equalization, so it's time for us to explain why Equalization is Good. Joining Team Advantage this week is Ricardo Acuña, Executive Director of the Parkland Institute. We talk about what equalization is, how it's often misrepresented, and why it's actually really important. Spoiler: guaranteeing a basic level of public goods and services to all Canadians is great....

To celebrate our ownership of 6/36,000,000ths of the Trans Mountain pipeline, Team Advantage discusses the role of the Canadian state in taking on risky investments that aren't commercially viable. We point out the important role of the state in establishing modern industries (the space race, telecommunications, computing) and consider the oilsands as similarly shaped by heavy public investment. L...

Ready for Ralph Klein, Ontario edition? Joined by special guest James Wilt (@james_m_wilt), Team Advantage discusses the terrible coverage of Doug Ford in the run-up to Ontario's election. We read some of the awful fluffy coverage of Ford that helped him win. Warning: the following takes are absolutely awful. Jen Gerson - May 1, 2018 - Relax, Doug Ford will be fine Jen Gerson - June 8, 2018 - The...

Team Advantage talks about the shitheads who are trying to rehabilitate the flat tax, explains why the flat tax is a Bad Idea, and explores the intellectual lineage of this Very Bad Idea. Featuring Jack Mintz, Mark Milke, the Fraser Institute, and Friedrich Hayek.

We actually read the giant collection of policy proposals that the UCP debated (some of) last weekend. Folks, it's bad. Featuring the New Green McCarthyism, roundabout ways of attacking abortion rights, treating kids like property, Alberta's constitution (?), pipelines, picking on unions, and much more. Jordan Peterson also drops in to read a sample of UCP policy, which was really nice of him.

On April 28th, Briarpatch Magazine launched their Prairie Issue at Shelf Life Books in Calgary. We recorded the discussion with authors and community members, who spoke about decolonizing the justice system and fossil fuel industries in the prairies -- past, present and future. Featuring @curtislefthand, @kateljacobson, and @dgrdon. NOTE: Around minute 11:00, David Gray-Donald mistakenly says that...

Remember that one time the youth tried to make the NDP rad? Team Advantage is joined by Mount Royal University's Roberta Lexier to discuss the Waffle, the 1969 Waffle Manifesto, James Laxer, Mel Watkins, economic nationalism, and much more.

Team Advantage assembles to slay myths spewed by deficit-trolls and deficit-hawks. Is the government budget just like a household budget? Why are we spending so much on candles? If businesses leverage themselves all the time, why can't government? Why is Alberta's first income-tax bracket set at $128k? Why does Jason Kenney dislike (((bank holders in New York and Zürich)))? Who is this mysterious...

If you weren't convinced by part one ... well, here's part two. It should do the trick. Team Advantage discusses the last half of Ralph Klein's reign, which includes deregulating electricity, foot-dragging on LGBTQ rights, drunkenly yelling at unhoused people, dinosaur farts, I HEART ALBERTA BEEF, pie-throwing, "paid in full," misogynistic jokes, Ralph Bucks, the flat tax, and more!

Team Advantage discusses actual facts and realities about pipelines! Joining the show are Ian Hussey, research manager with the Parkland Institute, and Emma Jackson, research assistant with the Parkland Institute. The gang has a honest conversation about landlocks, tidewater, "energy diversification" and fossil fuel subsidies, climate targets, labour, just transition, and more.

Team Advantage is joined by Duncan Kinney of Progress Alberta to discuss elite private schools. Elite private schools - those charging more than $10,000 a year in tuition - are raking in more than $27 million a year in public taxpayer subsidies. For more information, visit progressalberta.ca/privateschools and follow #MyClassSizeIs.

Team Advantage discusses the subtle pros and cons of blowing up hospitals, delivering 20% cuts, privatizing health care and relying on magical oil & gas money to solve all your problems.

Team Advantage reads the Regina Manifesto, the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation's (CCF) founding document from 1933. We all get the full text tattooed to our bodies, and decide that any manifesto worth reading should have elaborate plans for milk production. CW: real feelings about the Canada Wheat Board.

Is housing the best commodity, or the worst commodity? Team Advantage gets together to discuss how fucked up it is that over a hundred people got evicted from their apartments with fifteen minutes' notice. We then discuss problems surrounding gentrification in Calgary, rental and housing markets, and solutions for making Calgary a livable city. Support the displaced residents of Kensington Manor!...

Team Advantage taste-tests that undefinable creamy nougat in the 'center' of the political spectrum. Spoiler: tastes like neoliberalism. Feat. Centrist Dads, Alberta Party, and the historical shift of the Overton window to the right since the 1970s.

Why is the University of Calgary so bad? Team Advantage digs into UofC's history, including Ralph Klein, Friends of Science, Joseph Lougheed, the Enbridge Centre for Corporate Sustainability, Tom Flanagan, Jack Mintz, Imperial Oil, and David Frum.

Team Advantage discusses the UCP's coronation of Kenney, and Kenney's delightful history.