What is the political bent of 'the Atlantic' magazine. I just read an article

[applegrove]

in there that talked about how equities in the USA would only grow 2 to 3% in the generation to come and this would leave pensions underfunded since they assume an equity growth rate of 5 to 8%.

They also had an article on electronic monitoring of prisoners could take place on a massive scale where prisoners could be monitored right down to the street corner they would not be allowed to go to (say to buy drugs). This is interesting to me because our conservative government (Canada) has just announced the building of more prisons.

I'd like to use this information but want to know what the reputation of the atlantic is. I couldn't really tell from the articles I read.

[RufusTFirefly]

1. The Atlantic is a bit like The New Republic

Once liberal, now more DLC. I think it appeals to the corporatist intellectual elite, cognitive dissonant "liberals", who make their fortunes raping the planet and/or abusing workers in far-off places, where it isn't obvious enough to upset their lavish dinner parties.

[applegrove]

3. Thanks.

[grasswire]

6. The editor, who was killed in Iraq last year, was hard conservative.

Michael Kelly.

[grasswire]

2. I went to freerepublic to see what they think of Atlantic

...because I consider the magazine to be largely centrist-conservative these days. The most thoughtful response the freepers could produce is that Atlantic is eclectic. Some articles conservative. Some centrist. Some liberal.

I used to read it. I don't anymore. I'd rather read Harpers or The Nation.

Regarding Canada building more prisons. Why? Why? Why? Why are Canadians tolerating this creeping conservatism? Look, you can choose between schools and prisons, or parks and prisons, or drug treatment facilities and prisons. Do not let the prison industrial complex have their way. Follow the dollar.

[grasswire]

4. incidentally, the most enlightened article I ever read on prisons...

...was written by your own Michael Ignatieff. Written about twenty years ago. Find it and read it, if you are interested in the issue of crime and punishment as shown in our prison systems.

[applegrove]

7. Thanks I'll look for it.

[applegrove]

5. Thanks. Yes I'm concerned with exactly why the cons want to build more prisons

as our crime rate goes down. Are they planning on incarcerating drug users? Do they have intel that says Canada will be becoming a poorer country thus a higher crime rate in the future? Like you they worry me.

[grasswire]

8. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

The potential for profiteering is enormous. What agency administers Canada's prisons? I apologize for not knowing, since in April 2009 I became a Canadian citizen by passage of the Lost Canadians law.

[applegrove]

9. Corrections Canada.

[RufusTFirefly]

10. Why is Harper still the PM?

My liberal Canadian relatives were sure he'd be a flash in the pan. But he hasn't been. It's not as dire as it is in the U.S, but I think Canadian citizens are steadily losing control of their government. Harper's persistence is proof. Meanwhile, Canadian news is becoming more Fox-like.

BTW, I agree with your reading choices. Although I no longer subscribe to either(I used to subscribe to both), I prefer Harper's over The Nation. Although the Nation would appear to be the more liberal magazine, it strikes me as rather "paleoliberal" in the same respect that someone like Pat Buchanan is paleo-conservative. (The truth is that I stopped subscribing to The Nation because its East-Coast-centric distribution meant that I received my issues many days -- sometimes more than a week -- after my East-Coast friends did. I live in California and got sick of reading "old" issues.)

[applegrove]

11. Harper keeps winning minorities because the left is split in Canada.

There is the block quebecois in Quebec which is centre/left but also separatists. Then there are the liberals who are at 30%. Then the NDP at 17% that are far left. Now we have the Green party who garner a tiny portion of the vote but I expect them to grow.

So in order to win a minority...the Liberals would have to win 60% of the vote outside of Quebec and the conservatives strongholds. And winning 60% is pretty tough. There has been talk of a coalition... most recently on the part of the conservatives who want to scare centrists into voting conservative.

And there you have it. Most of the country is centre-left but they likely only have a chance at a minority government if at all.