Era of Exclusion

Where news meets rational thinking

Good morning, It’s Wednesday, May 28th. In today’s news, Land acknowledgements become divisive policy, NATO eyes a 5% GDP defence target leaving Canada in a strategic crisis, Orwell’s chilling blueprint for totalitarianism, US will no longer recommend COVID vaccines for children or pregnant women, and much more.

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A New Era of Exclusion: When Land Acknowledgements Become Policy

King Charles III opened Canada’s 45th Parliament with a speech celebrating “national pride, unity, and hope.” But his very first words—acknowledging the “unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg people”—highlight a growing fracture in that unity. What once were symbolic gestures have now hardened into policy, and increasingly, that policy excludes non-Indigenous Canadians from public land.

In British Columbia, this shift is no longer theoretical. Joffre Lakes Provincial Park has now been closed multiple times during peak season—first for 39 days in 2023, then 60 in 2024, and now more than 100 days announced for 2025. These closures apply only to non-Indigenous people. Botanical Beach is next, with “short-term” bans already underway and likely to expand. The provincial government’s approval of these decisions, despite no proven Aboriginal title in the courts, has set a dangerous precedent: access to public parks can now be restricted based on ancestry.

This is not reconciliation. It is segregation.

The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) in B.C. is being used to justify this new reality. Under its framework, Indigenous governments—representing just six percent of the province’s population—can assert control over lands without a democratic mandate or public oversight. The recent Haida agreement is a chilling example: it handed over governance of a million hectares of Haida Gwaii, ratified only by Haida voters, even though half the affected residents are non-Haida.

Worse still, the B.C. government has paused proposed Land Act amendments that would have allowed similar deals over 95% of the province’s public lands. Not paused because they were unjust, but because they sparked public outrage. Without reform, these measures will return.

The language of reconciliation has been weaponized. When politicians and now even the King refer to citizens as “settlers” or “uninvited guests,” they legitimize policies that erode equal citizenship. Canadians are being divided into categories of who belongs and who does not—based not on conduct, but on blood.

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NATO Eyes 5% GDP Defence Target, Leaving Canada in a Strategic Crisis

Canada is already failing to meet NATO’s current defence spending target of 2% of GDP—spending just 1.3% in 2024—and now the bar may be raised even higher. At next month’s NATO summit in The Hague, allies are expected to adopt a new target of 5% of GDP, a move driven by growing pressure from US President Donald Trump.

This puts Canada—one of only two NATO nations not meeting either the 2% spending or the equipment investment targets—in an even more isolated and embarrassing position. Experts agree the country faces a “massive challenge” in catching up, with little room to maneuver diplomatically, even with a new prime minister.

Mark Carney, who inherited this mess from Justin Trudeau, has pledged to hit the 2% mark by 2030. But at a time of economic strain and global instability, that’s looking increasingly unrealistic—especially under a Liberal government with a long track record of underdelivering on defence promises.

So where does that leave us?

In a hole so deep, we may start bartering our way out of NATO obligations. Imagine this: Canada begins offering up long-term critical mineral contracts—lithium, nickel, rare earths—to allied countries in exchange for “defence credit.” Or perhaps we lease out Arctic military bases to foreign governments who do meet their 5% targets so they can station troops where we can’t afford to.

It sounds absurd, but when you’re broke, politically timid, and militarily hollowed out, absurdity becomes policy.

The reality is, we’ve cornered ourselves. We can’t afford to meet our global obligations, but we also can’t afford the consequences of continued failure. The rest of NATO is moving forward—fast—and Canada is stuck spinning its wheels, hoping credibility can be bought on a payment plan.

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The Boot and the Brain: Orwell’s Chilling Blueprint for Totalitarianism

George Orwell’s 1984 is filled with moments of psychological horror, but none is more chilling than O’Brien’s monologue to Winston. This speech isn’t just a confession of tyranny—it’s a blueprint for totalitarianism. It’s the unmasking of every polite lie told by authoritarians throughout history. And in it, Orwell crystallizes the central theme of 1984: power for its own sake.

O’Brien tells Winston plainly: “The Party seeks power entirely for its own sake.” This is the inverse of every justification authoritarian regimes offer the public. While tyrants often claim to serve justice, equality, or peace, Orwell strips away the facade. The Nazis, Soviets, and every ideological regime that came before, O’Brien says, were “cowards and hypocrites” because they couldn’t admit what the Party proudly proclaims: domination is the goal. The purpose of power is power.

This isn’t just about physical control. It’s about intellectual and emotional conquest. O’Brien explains that true power lies in “tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing.” This is psychological warfare. The torture Winston endures isn’t merely to extract confessions; it’s to remake his understanding of truth, reality, and self.

Even reality itself is denied. O’Brien tells Winston that “reality is inside the skull.” The past is what the Party says it is. The stars are as close or far as the Party needs them to be. Through doublethink, objective reality is obliterated—replaced by a consensus manufactured by the ruling elite. This is the ultimate form of control: not just obedience, but belief.

But perhaps the most iconic line is also the most prophetic: “If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever.” This is not a temporary dictatorship. It is a permanent one—refined, institutionalized, made immune to revolution. Orwell shows us a world not built on love or justice, but on surveillance, humiliation, and fear.

O’Brien is the voice of authoritarianism without illusion. In his honesty, he is more terrifying than any demagogue. Orwell’s genius is to remind us: when those in power stop pretending to serve the people and start demanding obedience for its own sake, we are no longer free—we are prisoners of the boot.

US Will No Longer Recommend COVID Vaccines for Children or Pregnant Women

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has officially removed the COVID-19 vaccine from the CDC’s recommended schedule for healthy children and pregnant women—a bold decision grounded in emerging science and common sense. Backed by leading physicians like Dr. Marty Makary and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Kennedy pointed to the lack of clinical evidence justifying ongoing shots for these low-risk groups. Despite expected backlash from entrenched medical bureaucracies, this move aligns with data showing that healthy children face minimal risk from COVID, and many parents have already opted out—only 13% of children received the updated shot last year.

By rejecting a one-size-fits-all approach, Kennedy is restoring medical choice, rebalancing risk-benefit considerations, and curbing the overreach of public health institutions. It's a course correction long overdue—and one that reflects growing public skepticism about blanket mandates with limited scientific basis. More

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800 British Judges and Lawyers Call for UK to Sanction Israel Over Gaza Conflict

Over 800 British judges, lawyers, and academics—including two former Supreme Court justices—have urged UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to impose sanctions on Israeli officials over what they claim is either an ongoing genocide in Gaza or a serious risk of one occurring. The group cites inflammatory statements from Israeli ministers and humanitarian concerns. They demand financial and trade sanctions, and call for an immediate, permanent ceasefire.

In contrast, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch defended Israel’s actions, calling the war a “proxy fight” against Iran and rejecting claims of genocide. The Israeli government maintains civilian casualties are due to Hamas's use of human shields and denies genocide allegations. Critics of the legal group, including UK Lawyers for Israel, argue the claims are exaggerated and legally flawed. More

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Government House Leader Says NDP Won’t Get Official Party Status Despite Their Request to Change Rule - More

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EU Greenlights €150 Billion Military Fund Over Fears of Russian Aggression and Lack of US Support - More

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Liverpool Parade Driver Charged with Attempted Murder—According to Police, He Was Impaired - 65 people were injured, with 11 still in hospital. More

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Prosecutors Seek 3-Year Sentence for Chinese Man Who Operated Secret Police Station in NYC - More

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US Government Issues Sudden Warning to Travelers of Terrorism Risk in European Hot Spots, Including Italy - More

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Massive Chemical Plant Explosion in Eastern China Leaves 5 Dead and 19 Injured - More

Ontario’s Record-Setting Mortgage Delinquencies ‘Enormously Concerning’

Mortgage delinquencies in Ontario have hit their highest level since Equifax began tracking in 2012, with a 71.5% spike in missed payments since early 2024. Equifax Canada's VP of analytics, Rebecca Oakes, flagged this as a major concern, noting the trend is being driven by homeowners exiting low-rate pandemic-era mortgages and facing sharply higher payments.

Nationally, the mortgage delinquency rate is now at its highest level since 2016–2017. Over 1.4 million Canadians—roughly 1 in 22—missed at least one credit payment in the first quarter of 2025, reflecting growing financial stress across the country.

Ontario's situation is particularly acute due to high home prices (especially in the GTA), rising unemployment, and economic uncertainty. Assistant professor Alison Kemper warned the lack of “missing middle” housing forces many buyers into unsustainable debt just to secure livable homes. More

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NPR and Member Stations Sue Trump Over Move to Cut Federal Funding, Call It Illegal - For clarity, it’s not illegal to propose defunding NPR, but it might be illegal to cut already-approved funding by executive order, without going through Congress. More

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Telus to Invest Over $50 Billion in Canada Over Next Five Years - More

Scientists Develop Dental Floss That Monitors Your Stress Levels

A team of engineers at Tufts University has developed a groundbreaking dental floss device that measures cortisol—a key stress hormone—in real time from saliva. Using electropolymerized molecularly imprinted polymers (eMIPs), the floss can detect cortisol with accuracy comparable to lab-grade tools, making stress monitoring easy, non-invasive, and part of a regular routine. The technology could also be adapted to monitor other biomarkers like glucose, estrogen, or cancer indicators. Though not a replacement for diagnostics, this floss sensor could revolutionize at-home health tracking and early intervention. A startup is underway to bring it to market. More

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Scientists Date the Oldest Known Tools Made From Whale Bones to 20,000 Years Ago - More

California Changes Girls' Track and Field Rules After Trump Threatens to Cut Funding Over Trans Athlete

After President Trump threatened to pull federal funding, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) changed its eligibility rules for the state girls’ track and field championship—quietly making room for biologically female athletes who were displaced by a transgender competitor.

This is a win for fairness, sanity, and for every girl who’s been forced to compete on an uneven playing field. Trump’s executive order and public pressure worked where state officials refused to act. Despite previously calling it “deeply unfair,” Governor Newsom did nothing—until Trump stepped in. More

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UFC Legend BJ Penn Charged With Family Abuse as Mother Files Restraining Order Alleging ‘Extreme Psychological Abuse’ - More

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Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Trial: Ex-Assistant Testifies Diddy Threatened to Kill Kid Cudi Over Cassie Relationship and Says She Was Kidnapped - More

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Lakers Superstar LeBron James 'Likely' to Pick up $52 Million Player Option - More

Nepali Sherpa aka ‘Everest Man’ Breaks World Record with 31st Climb to the Top of Mount Everest

Real Steel–Chinese Company Holds World’s First Humanoid Robot Fighting Competition

On This Day in 1936, Alan Turing submitted "On Computable Numbers" for publication, in which he set out the theoretical basis for modern computers.

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