Whether or not China is now a capitalist-imperialist country is an issue on which there is some considerable disagreement, even within the revolutionary left. This book brings together theoretical, definitional and logical considerations, as well as the extensive empirical evidence which is now available, to demonstrate that China has indeed
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Sketchy Thoughts: Neocolonialism and Noise
The world has changed over the past fifty years. There are different names for this change — neoliberalism, postmodernism, postfordism, globalization. The term i prefer to use is “neocolonialism”. But despite this clear reference to one specific thing — colonialism, the relationship between oppressor and oppressed nations, which i would
Continue readingIn This Corner: Stuff Happens, week 25: Grexit explained; bike lanes deflated; Cowboyhatgate
The big international story this week continues to be the Greek debt, and the threat of Greece getting kicked out of the Eurozone, a situation called the Grexit (if this had been an American crisis, it would have been called Greekgate). As a service to my 27 regular readers, I
Continue readingTrashy's World: Yet another reason I hope that my union Local leaves CAPE…
I’ve bitched about this before. But “my” union – the Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE) used to shy away from the militant activities of other public sector unions like PSAC. By and large, the Local’s members believe that a union serves two purposes: collective bargaining and representation and help
Continue readingSketchy Thoughts: Gerry Hannah on the Subhumans, Julie Belmas, and his solo album
It’s just that I’m really not that interested in playing punk rock anymore. I sometimes feel like punk rock, not necessarily the way the songs are supposed to go, but the way they end up going, live, for a lot of bands, in a lot of shows, they’re so fast
Continue readingKersplebedeb | Kersplebedeb: Gerry Hannah on the Subhumans, Julie Belmas, and his solo album
It’s just that I’m really not that interested in playing punk rock anymore. I sometimes feel like punk rock, not necessarily the way the songs are supposed to go, but the way they end up going, live, for a lot of bands, in a lot of shows, they’re so fast
Continue readingTaylorOwen.com: Disruptive Power reviewed in Foreign Affairs
Cool! Disruptive Power reviewed in Foreign Affairs alongside the fabulous Data and Goliath by Bruce Schneier.
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Glop And Pail Leaves Greens Out of Debate
The Globe and Mail, Google Canada, and Munk Debates all ought to be ashamed of their brands. In both cases, the organizers say they chose to invite leaders whose parties have official status in the House of Commons, which requires at least 12 seats. The Green party, Bloc Quebecois and
Continue readingLeft Over: The Donald Bleats , Harper/Walker Meet..And Other Rightwing Treats…
Stephen Harper met with controversial Wisconsin governor Scott Walker last month and didn’t tell anyone Glen McGregor, Postmedia News | July 9, 2015 | Last Updated: Jul 9 3:42 PM ET More from Postmedia News Donald Trump, Stephen Harper, and the Bigots That Flock Together http://montrealsimon.blogspot.ca/2015/07/donald-trump-stephen-harper-and-bigots.html No one in
Continue readingBabel-on-the-Bay: Have you seen two sides of the story?
Watching Global television news from Toronto the other day brought on a profound dismay with what many people consider as news. There are people who never read a newspaper or news magazine. They have never learned to discern opinion from news. And it appears that neither has Global Television. In
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Watson Quits The Star
This story is worth mentioning, because it’s about a Canadian journalist who stood up to censorship by their paper’s editors. It’s the sort of courage also described by Wab Kinew at his Minifie Lecture a couple years ago. Why did you resign from the Toronto Star? Part of what got
Continue readingSketchy Thoughts: Rally and Hearing for Deepan in Montreal!
(/français ci-dessous/) Rally and Hearing for Deepan in Montreal! http://ift.tt/1D2SoxV Monday, 13 July, 8amImmigration and Refugee Board,Guy Favreau Complex (200 René Lévesque Blvd.), Montreal Deepan Budlakoti, our comrade and friend, will soon be in Montreal to challenge his conditions of release at the Immigration and Refugee Board. Deepan is under a
Continue readingSketchy Thoughts: Losing My Religion (by André Moncourt)
Recently one of those issues that arises constantly to tangle up leftists and liberals reared its head in my little world. Some folks (all of European decent) in a band I know were in the studio and someone proposed using an aburukuwa, a Ghanian drum, I am told, to get
Continue readingKersplebedeb | Kersplebedeb: Rally and Hearing for Deepan in Montreal!
(/français ci-dessous/) Rally and Hearing for Deepan in Montreal! https://www.facebook.com/events/128043434196127/ Monday, 13 July, 8am Immigration and Refugee Board, Guy Favreau Complex (200 René Lévesque Blvd.), Montreal Deepan Budlakoti, our comrade and friend, will soon be in Montreal to challenge his conditions of release at the Immigration and Refugee Board. Deepan
Continue readingKersplebedeb | Kersplebedeb: Losing My Religion (by André Moncourt)
Recently one of those issues that arises constantly to tangle up leftists and liberals reared its head in my little world. Some folks (all of European decent) in a band I know were in the studio and someone proposed using an aburukuwa, a Ghanian drum, I am told, to get
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Every Once in a While
A Canadian journalist reawakens after a nap several years long. Why is our media like Rip Van Winkle? @nbf54321 Shawn, you're overlooking that for years @Justin_Ling and reporters have put up with only < 6 hours of access. #GrandHonour — Saskboy K. (@saskboy) July 8, 2015 No more of this
Continue readingThe Progressive Economics Forum: Revisiting my Top Ten Predictions for 2015
Revisiting my top ten predictions Louis-Philippe Rochon Associate Professor, Laurentian University Co-Editor, Review of Keynesian Economics In early January 2015, I published on CBC my ‘Top Ten Predictions’ for the year (see here). Here we are half-way through 2015 and I thought I would revisit these predictions to see
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Soylent is here, and its not green
Soylent Purple is purple people? They’d be purple people eaters. It’s an actual meal replacement product that you make the day before, put into your fridge, and eat as liquid meals the next day. “I wouldn’t eat you, cause you’re so tough!”
Continue readingIn This Corner: Stuff Happens, week 25: The great $15 debate; more McMania; new low for Tories
“The folks over there think it’s totally appropriate for a single mother of two or three to have to work 70 hours a week in order to earn a living wage. I say to you that they’re just wrong, and that’s why we are changing the minimum wage in Alberta.”
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: France Has Law To Put Solar or Plants on Rooftops
I was impressed to learn that France had made new commercial buildings do this. I’ve felt badly that new buildings going up all over the University of Regina campus since I started paying attention to it in 1998, haven’t put a single solar panel up on them. There’s a building
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