This week, all political eyes in Canada will be focused on the C-38, the massive “budget” bill through which the Harper Government seeks to remake Canada. The Opposition in the House of Commons will be stalling, and the opposition on the ground will be supporting them, and pressing Conservative MPs
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wmtc: puppies!!!
Congratulations to Pooh Bear! and dogsled_stacie. Yukon Yahoos has its first litter of puppies! Readers of Stacie’s blog have been following this saga since that fateful day Woody and Pooh Bear! got busy. (If you’re not familiar with Stacie’s blog, you’ll really want to click on that one!) A few
Continue readingwmtc: sevens are wild: join us for wmtc7
On the seventh day of the seventh month, at the seventh hour… well, it’s really the 19th hour, and anyway it doesn’t matter because those time divisions are arbitrary… but if you’re a wmtc reader and you’re not a troll, and you don’t work for Jason Kenney, the CBSA, the
Continue readingwmtc: why is someone from the house of commons and office of privy council reading my blog for hours?
Progressive bloggers, check your stats. The Statcounter for wmtc shows “multiple visits spread out over several days” from an IP address in the House of Commons, and a separate visit from the Office of the Privy Council. This visitor or visitors spent time at several of my “greatest hits” posts,
Continue readingwmtc: marxism 2012 program notes: the quebec student strike, or, why every canadian needs to bang on a pan
I want to begin my posts from Marxism 2012 with the Quebec Student Strike, because it’s currently the most important progressive development unfolding in Canada. By now it should be obvious that the Quebec student strike is not only a student strike and is not only about Quebec. It should be
Continue readingwmtc: viral video too good to be true: the frankfurt police did not join the demo
The photo is real. The interpretation, unfortunately, was not. Police in Frankfurt, Germany, did indeed remove their helmets, and they were walking ahead of Occupy protesters. However, they were not escorting, they were using a blocking technique similar to kettling. They also arrested hundreds of people who were peacefully demonstrating,
Continue readingwmtc: blackout speakout a success: government truthspeak squad dispatched to spread lies
I can’t find exact numbers on how many websites and blogs went dark in yesterday’s BlackoutSpeakout campaign, but conservative mainstream media is saying that more than 500 websites and 18,000 people participated. Another marker of success is the government’s reaction: 10 Members of Parliament were dispatched to media events to,
Continue readingwmtc: german police recognize that they are part of the 99%, take off helmets, escort protesters
This is one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen in a very long time. The German police took off their helmets and marched with the protest clearing the way for them. . . . . German police officers escort an anti-capitalism protest march with some 20,000 people in Frankfurt,
Continue readingwmtc: every war in history has had resisters, even the war of 1812
It’s the 200th anniversary of The War of 1812, and the government would like us to remember that. Here’s something you might not find in the official story: not everyone was so keen to fight. My friend Jonathon Hodge, a librarian in Toronto, did some research on the war resisters
Continue readingwmtc: secrets from your sister, one awesome store
Before I begin a series of political posts, here’s a personal-consumer post. I highly recommend the Toronto store Secrets From Your Sister to anyone in the GTA in need of bras or lingerie. When you move to a new city, you have to find new everything. A new doctor, dentist,
Continue readingwmtc: fbi to operate within canada, cbsa using us-style tactics: the deep integration we should fear and protest
The CBSA harassing political journalists trying to enter Canada: bad. The FBI free to operate within Canadian borders: worse. Years ago when people stoked fears of co-called “deep integration” between Canada and the United States, conversations tended to focus on tangible signs like a North American currency. I admit I
Continue readingwmtc: casseroles: they’re not just for montreal anymore
Last night in Toronto: And everywhere: And onward:
Continue readingwmtc: and so to bed: thank you, phil gyford and thank you samuel pepys
One of the oldest and most well-respected bloggers has brought his online journal to a close. Since January of 2003 – 18 months before I began wmtc – I have been reading The Diary of Samuel Pepys online. Tonight at about 9:00 UK time, the Diary will end. Samuel Pepys
Continue readingwmtc: doc watson, 1923-2012
Bluegrass legend Doc Watson is dead at age 89. He was simply a great musician, with a great gusto for life. I saw him perform at several festivals in my younger days. Bluegrass is meant to be heard live, and when you saw Doc Watson play, you felt like you
Continue readingwmtc: what i’m reading: a long way gone: memoirs of a boy soldier
I blogged about Dave Eggers’ What Is the What, while I was still reading it. It turned out to be an extraordinary book, both in the ordeals the Sudanese refugees have survived and in the telling of the story. Proceeds from the sale of What Is the What support the
Continue readingwmtc: manif casserole toronto: bang on a pot at dufferin grove park
Why should Quebecers have all the fun? If you’re in the Toronto area, you can join a Manif Casserole tomorrow, May 30. People are gathering at Dufferin Grove Park, 875 Dufferin Street, around 8:00. Bring something to bang on and something to bang with (i.e. a pot and a wooden
Continue readingwmtc: marxism 2012 a smashing success
We’ve just returned from the Marxism 2012 conference, a weekend of inspiration, education, and revolution. I plan to transcribe all the talks that either I or Allan attended, either from notes or from audio files. And unlike last year, unless some crisis intervenes, I will make it a priority. To
Continue readingwmtc: les casseroles de montreal
In case you have not yet seen this beautiful video, and even if you have: enjoy. Merci, Quebec! Merci, merci, merci!
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