The role of the pro-Israel lobby
Photo by Alastair Humphreys/Flickr Toward the end of October, the fervently pro-Israel B’nai Brith Canada issued a “Seven-Point Plan to Combat Antisemitism” claiming that anti-Jewish sentiment h...
John Clarke
Truth takes a side
Photo by Stephen Sizer Whenever corporate magnates try to justify their destructive greed or conservative politicians whip up hateful and ignorant sentiments among their supporters, it is easy t...
One year of genocide in Gaza
A Palestinian mother holds her son while passing a residential building that was destroyed overnight by an Israeli air strike at Sheikh Radwan in Gaza City. Photo by Eman Mohammed.…
The global order and the value of human life
People wait for food relief in the city of Rafah, southern Gaza. Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua/ZUMA. As the genocide in Gaza drags on month after month, a number of commentators…
The impasse of ‘lesser evilism’
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at a Black History Month reception in the East Room of the White House, February 27, 2023. Photo by Adam Schultz/Flickr. Now…
How our struggles are contained by those in power
Public servants marched around Parliament Hill as 155,000 Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) members went on strike, April 19, 2023. Photo by Spencer Colby/Flickr. After decades of...
Peter Rosenthal fought for justice in a tough place—the courtroom
Peter Rosenthal in 1983. Photo from Medium. An obituary announcing Peter Rosenthal’s death on May 25 describes him as “an esteemed mathematician, lawyer, and political activist with an unwavering passion…
Choosing death in a society that doesn’t support life
If assisted dying is extended and thoroughly normalized, writes John Clarke, the right to choose may be transmogrified into an ugly way to reduce costs and dispose of those who…
Fighting the commodification of housing
Century home and adjacent lot comprising the 214-230 Sherbourne properties. Photo by Andre Bermon. For the last year and a half, I have been part of a local grassroots struggle…
The myth of the ‘nanny state’
Margaret Thatcher served as British prime minister from 1979 to 1990. Photo by Tim Roney. Among many stories related to austerity and social abandonment that came across my news feed…
From vilification to criminalization
Pro-Palestine demonstration in downtown Toronto, January 21, 2024. Photo by John Pinel Donoghue. It has become almost routine for people who express solidarity with the struggle of the Palestinian people…
Gaza and the fault lines of empire
A Palestinian child stands among the ruins of a destroyed building in Gaza. Photo courtesy the United Nations/Flickr. Shortly after the news broke of the United Nations General Assembly’s December…
Confessions of a hatemonger
Pro-Palestine rally in Melbourne, Australia, May 22, 2021. Photo by Matt Hrkac/Flickr. The recently deposed British Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has claimed that those participating in the massive protests taking…
Ontario NDP’s expulsion of Sarah Jama is a flagrant betrayal
Sarah Jama and Ontario NDP leader Marit Stiles. Photo courtesy Marit Stiles/X. There can be few on the left in Canada who remain unaware of the vile treatment of Sarah…
Doug Ford’s failed grab for the Greenbelt
Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Photo from Facebook. As a right-wing conservative, Doug Ford has some things in common with Margaret Thatcher, but with a very significant difference: while Thatcher could…
The changing climate of class struggle
Wildfire smoke from Canada consumes New York City, June 7, 2023. Photo by Anthony Quintano/Flickr. Two very different developments in the last year, each affecting the lives of workers in…
Cheers for Chow must be accompanied by vigilance
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow greets council, July 12, 2023. Photo from Twitter. The election of Olivia Chow as mayor of Toronto has captured attention across Canada. The largest city in…
The Socialist Register on the state and the transition to socialism
“Let’s consolidate the victory of socialism.” Artwork by Konstantin Vyalov, 1932. Image courtesy Ogiz-IzoGiz. At the invitation of the Socialist Project, I recently wrote a review of the 59th annual…
Inciting anti-Chinese hatred
Photo courtesy China Photos/Getty Images The Trudeau government has moved to expel Chinese diplomat Zhao Wei on the grounds that he has been involved in targeting members of Conservative MP…
Fossil fuel capitalism rewards John Horgan
Former BC Premier John Horgan. Photo courtesy the Province of British Columbia/Flickr. When former BC premier and NDP leader John Horgan announced that he is joining the board of a…