This and that for your weekend reading. – David Climenhaga comments on the tendency of even progressive governments to unduly accept neoliberal frames and theories – with Rachel Notley’s talk of “compassionate belt tightening” sadly serving as the latest example: Premier Notley told reporters that her government spent money on
Continue readingTag: neoliberalism
Alberta Politics: Is ‘compassionate belt tightening’ in Alberta just another sign of our worldwide neoliberal derangement?
PHOTOS: The hopeful, celebratory crowd in front of the Alberta Legislature on May 24, 2015, as Premier Rachel Notley and her NDP Government were sworn in. Below: UBC geographer Dr. Jamie Peck and Ms. Notley. On Friday, Alberta’s New Democratic Party premier warned a meeting of rural municipal officials to
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Canada needs more Jeremy Corbyn, less Justin Trudeau, 21st annual Parkland Institute conference is advised
PHOTOS: Guardian journalist Martin Lukacs, moments before his remarks to the 21st annual Parkland Institute Conference in Edmonton yesterday morning. Below: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau; British Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn and Prime Minister Theresa May (U.K. Photos: Wikimedia Commons); and bestselling Canadian author Linda McQuaig before her keynote
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Dani Rodrik writes that politicians looking to provide an alternative to toxic populism will need to offer some other challenge to a system biased in favour of the wealthy and powerful: (P)oliticians who want to steal the demagogues’ thunder have to tread a
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – The Star’s editorial board argues that the Paradise Papers prove the need for a crackdown on offshore tax avoidance. Zach Dubinsky and Harvey Cashore report on one nine-figure scheme cooked up by BMO. And Oxfam offers its list of suggestions to end
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: A Succinct Analysis of the Failure of Neoliberal Politics
Most of us know that neoliberalism, ushered in 40 years ago by Thatcher, Reagan and Mulroney, has run its course. If you bump into him, please let Justin in on that reality. So what happened? How did neoliberal politics fail us? And how is Trump the inevitable leftover of the
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Sunday Morning Links
This and that for your Sunday reading. – Richard Hill wonders whether neoliberalism is approaching its end, while noting the dangers of allowing progressive themes to be used to prop up elitist power structures. And Heather Boushey interviews Kimberly Clausing about the opportunity to raise revenue and reduce inequality by
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Sometimes It Doesn’t Go Their Way
Upon the re-election of Naheed Nenshi, the neoliberals have a message for Canadians who haven’t gotten with the program: Not everyone was happy about Naheed Nenshi being re-elected to a third term as Calgary’s mayor Monday night — including some members of the Calgary Flames organization, which recently broke off
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Phillip Inman and Jill Treanor write about the debt time bomb facing UK households. Jim Edwards discusses how widespread underemployment has become the norm in the UK – making unemployment alone a misleading indicator as to workers’ well-being. And Owen Jones highlights
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: On principled responses
In the wake of the NDP’s leadership campaign, it seems the Libs have responded by finding somebody to distill their very essence even more thoroughly than Justin Trudeau. At least, if we can confirm that centrism.biz is supported by tax-sheltered trust fund dollars.
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: More On Neoliberal Extortion
I admit that at one time, I worshiped at the altar of the NHL, this during the time of the Original Six. But then something happened. I grew up. I know the above might be offensive to those who still take their sports seriously, but let me make plain I
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: A Low-Risk Takedown
If you read my post from yesterday, you will know who Nick Shcherban is. Watch the following brief video, and ask yourself this: Have you ever heard of a noise complaint being answered by three police officers, an arrest, and handcuffs? A powerful indictment, in my view, of the neoliberalism
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: Slouching Toward A City Near You
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?– W.B. Yeats, The Second Coming The man pictured above is Nick Shcherban, a Toronto resident who was arrested, hauled off to jail and is now awaiting a bail hearing for reasons I will explain later
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Stephen Metcalf discusses the meaning and effect of neoliberalism: “(N)eoliberalism” is more than a gratifyingly righteous jibe. It is also, in its way, a pair of eyeglasses. Peer through the lens of neoliberalism and you see more clearly how the political thinkers most
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Owen Jones calls out the dogmatic centre for first laying the groundwork for the rise of the populist right, then trying to vilify anybody working on a progressive alternative. And Chris Dillow zeroes in on what’s wrong with the neoliberal view of
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: What Would You Be Willing To Sacrifice?
Ed Finn has a blog entry at rabble.ca that I highly recommend. His thesis can roughly be summarized in this excerpt: The glue that holds any society together is faith in its governments, courts, churches, unions and non-profits — faith that these organizations, no matter how flawed, will always be
Continue readingParchment in the Fire: A despot in disguise: one man’s mission to rip up democracy
George Monbiot The Guardian It’s the missing chapter: a key to understanding the politics of the past half century. To read Nancy MacLean’s new book, Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America, is to see what was previously invisible. The history professor’s work
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – Mike Konczal responds to a pathetic attempt to drain the word “neoliberal” of all meaning (which seems to have won favour with Canadian Libs desperately trying to disassociate themselves from their own governing ideology) by discussing its application in both the political and
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Wednesday Morning Links
Miscellaneous material for your mid-week reading. – The Global Alliance for Tax Justice examines the most common tax evasion practices used to allow the wealthy to avoid paying their fair share. And Desmond Cohen points out how our current estimates of inequality underestimate exactly how much is being hidden. –
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Tuesday Morning Links
This and that for your Tuesday reading. – Ben Tarnoff discusses the growing number of basic public services which are being converted into private rents as profit motives are given precedence over democracy: A profit-driven system doesn’t mean we get more for our money – it means someone gets to
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