Happy Fourth of July!

C’mon…it’s been an unusual year for our friends south of the border and they could probably use a hug from their Canadian cousins. We’re offering something even better today – a fascinating read by Elisabeth Valet of Université du Québec à Montréal about the futile but politically appealing policy of building walls to keep people out.

Countries have been building walls for centuries and it may surprise you to learn at “the end of the Cold War there were just 15 walls delimiting national borders; today, with 70 of them in existence around the world, the wall has become the new standard for international relations.”

(Dr. Valet’s article is also available in French at The Conversation France.)

In the many discussions about legalizing marijuana, one important topic doesn’t get much ink: how much will governments tax pot? The right approach should be to keep taxes low, says Queen’s University law professor Arthur Cockfield. Otherwise, the black market dominated by organized crime will continue to thrive.

Now that we’re back from the holiday weekend, we’re offering up several other smart reads to keep you informed and entertained: how Canadian designers are starting to worry about the environmental impact of fashion; a closer look at the federal government’s new Feminist International Assistance Policy; why universities should use social media to promote people instead of their own brands and an article that explores an important element missing from most cancer care: common courtesy.

Regards,