The bizarre practice of over-sexualizing prepubescent girls on stages in front of people has now been banned in France. I’ve never understood the reasoning behind these pageants and it’s nice to see that other people see the problematic behaviour behind them. Hopefully other countries will follow France’s example. The Senate
Continue readingTag: Equality
Politics, Re-Spun: Useful political lessons from Down Under
Say what you want about Kevin Rudd (and he’s not exceptionally progressive, from what I hear), but this is: 1. A great way to explain support for equal rights in marriage 2. A great way to answer a public question on the same 3. A very good explanation of how
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: You Aren’t Sufficiently Critical of the #Media
You need to trust the media less. Almost a year ago, and before the last US presidential election, Gallup determined that there has been a stunning decline in citizens’ mistrust of the media [see below]. It crossed over from mostly trust to not so much trust around 2004-2005. If you
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: Women Go Topless-Men Wear Bra’s
Women throughout the world participated in the 6th International ‘Go Topless Day.’ In downtown Vancouver crowds gathered some gawking, taking pictures, and of course many in support. There is something about women’s bare breasts that creates a wide range of reactions. Many women see it has pure hypocrisy and are
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Robert Reich discusses how we’d all better off if we acted in the public interest and insisted that our representatives did the same: A society — any society — is defined as a set of mutual benefits and duties embodied most visibly
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: The First Day of School, 2013: Beware!
Well, a new school year is about to begin, so it’s time to analyze just how much destruction the 1% will visit upon public education this year. Defunding, corporatization of curriculum, standardization of curriculum and experience, high-stakes testing, homogenization of experience…you know, the same old nonsense that drove me from
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: The Content of Their Character
Represent! I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. – Martin Luther King Jr., I Have a Dream, 1963 What has been most
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: The Occupy Movement Vs. Maquiladoras
Workplace justice: a pipe dream, or something to build solidarity to fight for? I had the distinct, and creepy, pleasure of sitting in front of a group of fellows yesterday in, ironically, the cheap seats at the Seattle Mariners game. They were discussing business. One fellow, who of course may
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Women As Meat, Volume 874,597
Backlash 101. Every attempt we made to start a serious debate was met with responses such as “feminism and rape are both ridiculously tiring”. via What happened when I started a feminist society at school | Education | theguardian.com. For all the sons and daughters that you know and love,
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Class War: US$11.5 Trillion Hidden in Tax Havens
Which tax haven is right for you? Class war is alive and well. I have this rose-coloured, nostalgic dream of history. Once upon a time we emerged from feudalism with a democratic revolution. All were equal. Well, most. But the hope of democracy was to rid the world of the
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Why We Must #HonourTheApology to Residential School Survivors [#INM]
I don’t know why we still have to do this kind of thing, but here goes. The federal government “apologized” to survivors of residential schools 5 years ago. It is clearly quite empty, considering how much neglect, abuse, victimization and racism has spewed forth from Stephen Harper’s government since then.
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Canada’s Evolving Soft Fascism
Things are bad under Prime Minister Harper. They’re getting worse, even since the last time I wrote about Harper’s soft fascism. But how do we measure it? It’s so…subjective, unless you have some kind of benchmark for totalitarian political behaviour. Luckily we do, at least these three: This powerful graphic
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: IKEA’s (Sad) Spin Reply to My Boycott Letter
Solidarity means an attack on one is an offense to all! So if you have sent your letter to IKEA explaining why you are boycotting them for locking out their Richmond workers for 10 weeks, you may have received this precious reply from the corporation, below. I will re-spin it
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Marriage equality becomes law in England and Wales
Marriage equality became law in England and Wales after Queen Elizabeth granted Royal Assent to the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill last Wednesday. The post Marriage equality becomes law in England and Wales appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: At The Squamish Nation Powwow This Weekend!
Enrich your understanding at the Squamish Nation Powwow this weekend. In the quest for a better Canada, one that is more democratic, inclusive, consultative and less rejecting of science and climate change realities, it is important to reach out. Sovereignty Summer is part of that movement, coming out of Idle
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: How Feminist is Politics, Re-Spun?
How many Canadian feminist blogs do you know about? Politics, Re-Spun didn’t make it into the Spring 2012 landscape of Canadian feminist blogs. But that’s understandable, considering the scope of the research project: it was bound to miss a bunch. Granted we deal with lots of different topics that do
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: We Failed Rwanda; Let’s Stand for the #Rohingya
Indonesia Muslim Rally It’s been almost 20 years since the Rwandan genocide. We were too stupid, callous, or indifferent to stop it, and Senator Dallaire has more than a few words on the topic. Granted, the WWW was just getting going in the early 1990s, so we didn’t have the
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Canada Day +1, Our Quiet Genocide
A banner drop during last night’s Canada Day celebration in Toronto’s Mel Lastman Square. (Photo: IdleNoMore.ca) Canadians are so nice. We have such a happy, positive self-concept. This makes it quite hard to address the quiet genocide of first peoples that our nation has conducted for centuries. What is genocide?
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: New column day
Here, on some of the next steps Saskatchewan should consider along the path toward the preservation of human rights – including adding “social condition” as a prohibited ground of discrimination, and making private-sector actors accountable for breaches of fundamental freedoms. For further reading…– Leading cases on the “social condition” ground
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Monday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your Monday reading. – Yes, there’s plenty more on the Cons’ Senate scandal, with Tim Harper headlining the latest discussion: Mike Duffy is radioactive. The one-time Conservative cheerleader is now the poster boy for the filth which envelops the party brand. The man holed up on Friendly
Continue reading