Greed is a powerful thing. It motivates the greedy to convince workers that they should hate any efforts to make their work better and reduce the level of abuse and oppression they suffer. If you’d like a list of why they want us to hate our unions, click through to
Continue readingTag: Occupy Vancouver
Politics, Re-Spun: Got PTSD?
September 12, 2013 PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, is thankfully becoming less stigmatized due to increased awareness, but like most mental health issues, there stigma that prevents open discussion about mental health is profound. But I recall 2-3 decades ago it was far worse. There are a few PTSD events
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: The 1%, Their Cottages, and the Occupy Movement
You aren’t middle class if you own a cottage. Remember that. If I need to single-handedly reboot the Occupy Movement for this one, I’ll do it, I tell ya [emphasis is mine]: A month ago, I had a conversation with Deb Hutton, wife of PC leader Tim Hudak, who said
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Are You Just Too Tired? We’ve Known Why for Decades
You actually do deserve a break today. What ails us? A large proportion of the total produce goes to a small minority of the population, many of whom do no work at all. Owing to the absence of any central control over production, we produce hosts of things that are
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Why Do They Want Us To Shut Up?
If we were harmless, the riot cops would stay home. It’s Friday. It’s been a long week. Like most weeks. We are taught to fit in and obey. We are told that individuality and the search for social justice will get us in trouble, either by government surveillance or social
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: It’s 12 O’Clock, Have You Boycotted IKEA Yet Today?
$3.85 billion in profit is just not enough. Union busting and global greed now! Gratitude, then and now. It used to include a t-shirt and more, for all employees around the world. Now, union busting. The best part of the Teamster Local 213 rally in Richmond on Saturday was the
Continue readingHarper Valley: Talking, Sharing and Healing Circles
It’s been some time now since I’ve posted, but, an upcoming event that is of mega importance is coming up in Vancouver. Occupy Vancouver is moving closer and closer to becoming a sustainable movement due to their committment to indigenous ways like guiding principles and now, Talking Circles. An upcoming
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: So Did YOU Get a 3% Raise Last Year?
So, did you get a 3% raise last year? The average Canadian did. See the first chart below. If not, you’re behind the average Canadian. And even with a small offset of increased hours worked going up by only 1% for the 12 months ending last June, at worst, the
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Quebec Students and a Maple Spring
What do you think about the student strike in Quebec? What do you think of the Manifesto for a Maple Spring? Some of the Politics, Re-Spun crew explore it from each of our perspectives: 1. Are people naive to expect the Quebec tuition protesters to be the leaders of a
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: More Worker Bashing in BC, with Squishy Numbers
Below is a recent tweet from a new worker/NDP/union attack Twitter i.d. talking about how awful unionized workers are. Read it, then let’s de-spin it for sanity: Average salary in BC $44k, average teacher salary $70k bced.gov.bc.ca/reporting/ #Underpaid #Overworked #Lies #BCPoli #BCNDP #BCTF via Twitter / @NotBCNDP: Average salary in
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Let’s Have an End to People Dying at Work
Ben Isitt is a Victoria city councillor, historian, professor, lawyer and optimist. Rarely have I been so moved by an account of the struggle working people have in the face of this new world order of anti-worker 1%ism. We are so effectively trained to accept the balance of power is
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Montreal Calling: On the “Quebec Spring” & its Enemies
Carrément dans le rouge. Just a quick memo to Canada’s vocal, reactionary minority (with vast over-representation on online forums and comments sections): the students in Quebec do not care that you think they are: “spoiled brats,” “crazy,” “anarchists,” “communists,” and/or “French” (?!). Your moaning and complaining is absolutely and utterly
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Revitalizing COPE Vancouver, Right Now.
Today is the first day of the rest of COPE Vancouver’s life. Today is the day where the new executive needs to make its first priority revitalizing the party by building unity around progressive principles and policies, and moving past pettiness. If it cannot get past the factionism, it simply
Continue readingVancouver top cop: Occupy Vancouver like Stanley Cup riots
One of the biggest wastes of taxpayer money during the past year was the needless occupation of a heavy police force, supplemented by the RCMP, around the non-violent Occupy Vancouver gathering at the Art Gallery. So vexed was the police chief, he begged the province for funds to bolster the
Continue readingMedia’s anti-Occupy stance revealed. More than half of Canadians support the movement.
By reading 90% of the Canadian media, you’d have thought the people who Occupied cities across Canada and the world were unemployable dirty fucking hippies intent on violence and rape. Seems a majority of Canadians – and most of the world – still do not share the media’s jaundiced view of the mostly young people
Continue readingMedia’s anti-Occupy stance revealed. More than half of Canadians support the movement.
By reading 90% of the Canadian media, you’d have thought the people who Occupied cities across Canada and the world were unemployable dirty fucking hippies intent on violence and rape. Seems a majority of Canadians – and most of the world – do not share the media’s jaundiced view of the
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Day Three of Tragedy of the Market: From Crisis to Commons
Tragedy of the Market: From Crisis to Commons January 6-8, 2012 Vancouver/Burnaby All panelist biographies are here. Below are some lessons learned and observations from the sessions. Friday: The opening panel is recorded in the Twitter storify here. Saturday: My notes are here. Sunday: Opening Panel Radical Squares: Reflections on
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Day Two of Tragedy of the Market: From Crisis to Commons
Tragedy of the Market: From Crisis to Commons January 6-8, 2012 Vancouver/Burnaby All panelist biographies are here: Below are some lessons learned and observations from the sessions. Friday: The opening panel is recorded in the Twitter storify here. Saturday: Opening Panel A Global Tradition: History of the Commons Silvia Federici
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Opening Panel from the Tragedy of the Market: From Crisis to Commons
This weekend I attended Tragedy of the Market: From Crisis to Commons community gathering in Vancouver and Burnaby, sponsored by these groups and people. The basic premise is not so much that capitalism is broken, and we just need to fix it, but that neoliberal market fundamentalism is inherently broken
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