On Capitalism’s Limitations
Every year, when we get to the part of my philosophy course where we read some Marx & Engels, and I ask for criticisms of the reading, like I do…
Marie Snyder
On Arguing Facts
It never ceases to amaze me how often I’ll be writing or thinking about something, and then the perfect articles drop in my lap. It might help that I’ve been…
The Place of Teachers in this Mess
Once, about twenty years ago, when I was talking about teaching both sides of the climate change debate in the classroom, a colleague told me, “There’s just one side; the…
Courage Over Hope
This got a little out of control, so I added in pictures! But there is suddenly tons in the news about climate change, and many excellent videos to watch. Jeremy…
Ontario’s Education: Call for Ideas
Today’s the last chance to tell Rob Ford and the Minister of Education, Lisa Thompson, what we should do with the educational system. As if it matters. At least it…
Fighting for Midwives: The Personal is Political
Peter Beinart recently wrote a perceptive article in The Atlantic: “The New Authoritarians are Waging War on Women,” that argues that the one thing in common with all the authoritarian-type…
The Toll of the Gig Economy
From an article in today’s New York Times by Ruth Whippman: “Buying, promoting or sharing your friend’s “thing” is now a tax payable for modern friendship. But this expectation becomes…
On Extinction Rebellion
Here’s climate scientist Dr. Kate Marvel on hope and courage as quoted in Truthout: “Hope is a creature of privilege….he opposite of hope is not despair. It is grief. Even…
On the Origins of Cultural Marxism
From an article by Samuel Moyn in the New York Times: “‘Classical Marxists, where they obtained power, expropriated the bourgeoisie and gave their property to the state,’ ‘Where you obtained…
Stuck Between Fear and Hope
Graham Saul was on TVO’s The Agenda: “We need a better narrative to motivate us towards change. We need to be dragged from our ethical fog. The best leaders we…
On J.S. Mill and Free Speech
Most on “Just say ‘no’ to hate speech.” Maverick Philosopher wrote about free speech today, and I’d love to comment there, but there seems to be no means. So I’ll…
Munk Debates: Is Populism the Way of the Future?
I watched the recent, heavily protested, Munk Debate between good buddies on the right, Steve Bannon and David Frum. The issue they were debating was, “Be it resolved, the future…
Climate Change Education: Maybe Too Little, Too Late?
I’ve been teaching about climate change since I started teaching in 1991. Back then, most students just laughed, and I came across as a crazy person. I was fine with…
Can We Turn This Corner?
September is always a busy month for me, and typically I don’t get the luxury of reading the new significantly, but this time was different. It’s been a car crash…
On Anita Hill
My time at university was split down the middle by the news of the Montréal Massacre, and the subsequent years were plagued with fears of the Scarborough rapist. We proactively…
Hedges’ Talk on America: The Farewell Tour
I was able to get a seat to see Chris Hedges at CIGI in Waterloo. It was a packed house with a full overflow room as well. He started his…
On Culture Wars
I just finally got around to Angela Nagle’s Kill All Normies. It’s a comprehensive book outlining the history and categorization of various groups online that have seeped into real life,…
On the Climate Emergency
Lots of bleak news these days. The fires sweeping through Canada and the U.S. this year, at least, for the thinnest of silver linings in these devastating tragedies, have woken…
Censorship Quiz
I’ve been reading Bob Altermeyer’s book on authoritarianism written in 2006. Here’s a censorship quiz (p 84) that perhaps can help people recognize that few of us actually want every…
On Internet Haters
Here’s how I see it: If two people who are equally matched have a fight, the loser can still save face. It was a fair fight and someone had to…