This and that for your Thursday reading. – Vaughn Palmer discusses the unfortunate gap between the outrages that may lead to a government being pushed out of power, and a new government’s ability to actually reverse what’s been done. Which, a propos of nothing, makes it rather important to push
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wmtc: rtod
Revolutionary thought of the day: There are limits to how far a people can be pushed. And if violence continues to be the preferred mechanism for control, if the state refuses to institute rational economic and political reforms to address the growing misery that corporations inflict on the citizens, it
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: The Difference In Popularity Between NDP & Its Principles
How could the Conservatives or the Liberals weaken the New Democratic Party? Show Canadians what New Democrats stand for, the end of capitalism. Because both Conservatives and Liberals have for so long ignored the NDP’s first principle, socialism, it may seem like an exaggeration to ordinary Canadians that the orange
Continue readingwmtc: revolutionary thought of the day
In 2005, the 25 hedge-fund managers averaged $363 million. Paul Krugman observes that these 25 were paid three times as much as New York City’s 80,000 public school teachers combined. And because their pay is taxed as capital gains rather than salary, the teachers paid a higher tax rate! From
Continue readingThe Scott Ross: Stephen Harper Isn’t Socialist But Don’t Tell Him That
It would be ludicrous to suggest Stephen Harper is a socialist, because he’s not, he is however similar to one. Creating the biggest government in Canadian history, running the largest deficit, using government programs to dictate where people live and work, increasing spending while reducing taxes, government intervention in labour
Continue readingSong of the Watermelon: On Growth and Its Limits
George Monbiot offers a fascinating insight in the wake of last week’s United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in Rio de Janeiro. While rightly deriding the declaration adopted by world leaders for containing little more than meaningless fluff, he notes an evolution in diplomatic language regarding the environment over
Continue readingwmtc: what i’m reading / marxism 2012 program notes: "too many people?" population, immigration, and the environment
I’ve just finished reading Too Many People? Population, Immigration, and the Environmental Crisis by Ian Angus and Simon Butler. Co-author Angus spoke at the 2012 Marxism conference; I wasn’t able to attend his talk, but Allan did, and afterwards bought the book for me. The clarity of the authors’ arguments,
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: 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: 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: marxism 2011 program notes: racism, economic recovery (not), canada’s vietnam
This is the last installment of my notes from the 2011 Marxism conference in Toronto. The series starts here. This post is less complete than the preceding Marxism 2011 posts. They are Allan’s notes from the sessions I chaired, and two sessions he attended without me. Apparently Allan is not
Continue readingwmtc: marxism 2011 program notes: keynes vs. marx: can capitalism be reformed?
These are my notes from the 2011 Marxism conference in Toronto. The series starts here. * * * * I was especially interested in this talk, as for much of my life I would have considered myself a reformist in the Keynes mode. I slowly learned that reform can never
Continue readingwmtc: marxism 2011 program notes: workers rising: from wisconsin to ontario
These are my notes from the 2011 Marxism conference in Toronto. The series starts here. * * * * Workers rising: From Wisconsin to OntarioPanel Discussion, May 28, 2011 Allen Ruff Allen spoke again about the worker uprising in Wisconsin (see here), with more analysis. He noted the absence of
Continue readingwmtc: i saw so much stupid, i got scared and ran away
I interrupt my Marxism 2011 notes to share with you a frightening vision. No, it wasn’t a vision. It was glimpse of horrifying reality. Last night I did a Twitter search for “Marxism”. But in addition to looking for #Marxism, I also searched on the word, without the hashtag. Big
Continue readingwmtc: marxism 2011 program notes: prospects for the left under a harper majority
These are my notes from the 2011 Marxism conference in Toronto. The series starts here. * * * * This was just weeks after the 2011 election, and is very interesting to think about at the one-year mark of Harper’s majority. Given what we know now – Jack Layton’s death,
Continue readingwmtc: marxism 2011 program notes: what would a socialist society look like?
These are my notes from the 2011 Marxism conference in Toronto. The series starts here. * * * * These notes are sketchier and rougher than the previous posts, as the talk was very informal. What Would a Socialist Society Look Like?Kim KerridgeMay 28, 2011 This question is both broad
Continue readingwmtc: marxism 2011 program notes: the fight for queer liberation today
These are my notes from the 2011 Marxism conference in Toronto. The series starts here. * * * * The Fight for Queer Liberation TodayTim McCaskell and Michelle Robidoux (Michelle not present)May 29, 2011 In this context, “today” means the political juncture we’re living in. The use of the word
Continue readingwmtc: marxism 2011 program notes: workers fight back: lessons from wisconsin
These are my notes from the 2011 Marxism conference in Toronto. The series starts here. * * * * How can we stop the right?Christine Beckermann, member of ISMay 29, 2011 With the emergence of the Tea Party in the US, Rob Ford’s election in Toronto, and now the Harper
Continue readingwmtc: marxism 2011 program notes: how can we stop the right?
These are my notes from the 2011 Marxism conference in Toronto. The series starts here. * * * * How can we stop the right?Christine Beckermann, member of ISMay 29, 2011 With the emergence of the Tea Party in the US, Rob Ford’s election in Toronto, and now the Harper
Continue readingwmtc: marxism 2011 program notes: how can we stop the right?
These are my notes from the 2011 Marxism conference in Toronto. The series starts here. * * * * How can we stop the right?Christine Beckermann, member of ISMay 29, 2011 With the emergence of the Tea Party in the US, Rob Ford’s election in Toronto, and now the Harper
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