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…
poverty and class
what are people supposed to do? or, why we need socialism
As I read news stories, read blogs, skim headlines, one question keeps coming to my mind, over and over. What are people supposed to do? Income insecurity Wages have been…
ontarians, what are you doing this saturday? come to queen’s park to demand a fair budget
When Dalton McGuinty appointed a banker to assess the province’s budget priorities, he got exactly what he expected: a recommendation to cut jobs and shred public services, while leaving corporate…
predictable ontario budget: formulated by the 1% for the 1%
Ontarians, already living so close to the bone, are being told we must sacrifice even more – because corporate tax hikes cannot even be discussed. Ask the 1% for a…
quebec leads the way with resistance, in the halls of power and on the street
Two more reasons to say j’aime le Quebec. Two days ago, the Cons’ ridiculously wasteful, unnecessary, and inhumane crime bill was passed in the House of Commons. The leadership of…
pity the 1%, continued
Further to our chat about the tone-deaf 1%: go here for Brian McFadden‘s latest in the New York Times.
national day of student action
Today, February 1, Canadian post-secondary students all over the country are mobilizing in a Day of Action to demand increased education funding and a reduction in tuition fees. In Ontario,…
"we don’t care about facts", crime edition
If only the Harper GovernmentTM weren’t determined to waste our tax dollars on prison-building and useless mandatory sentencing, while telling us we can’t afford to maintain decent spending levels for…
belafonte on obama: "a dagger in our sense of justice"
On a recommendation from a friend, I watched Harry Belafonte interviewed by Charlie Rose in New York City. Belafonte – musician, actor, social-justice activist, radical – is a joy to…
the dirty truth we’ve been expecting: harper government takes the first step in destroying universal health care
So the Harper GovernmentTM finally uttered the words we’ve been expecting and dreading: health care. We all know what they’re up to. It’s the standard reactionary playbook on public health…
income inequality in canada sinks to 30-year high
The rich grow richer, the poor grow more numerous. The income gap widens – and our entire society is poorer because of it. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development…
beyond occupy: out of the parks, into our lives
Shortly after the Occupy Movement began to make headlines, my friend and comrade Dr. J wrote this on his blog your heart’s on the left: Is occupation a tactic or…
saturday, november 19: evict ford: occupy toronto
EVICT FORD. OCCUPY TORONTO! Rally and marchSaturday, November 19 at 2:00 p.m.Assemble at St. James Park, King Street east between Church and Jarvis In just a few weeks, the Occupy…
message from ofl president sid ryan: occupy toronto tonight!
This is a message from Sid Ryan, President of the Ontario Federation of Labour.Dear Sisters and Brothers,We have just learned that the Toronto Police have served eviction notices to Occupy…
we are the many! video by makana
If you can make it to any Occupy site today, please try. Your physical show of support and solidarity is needed. From the Occupy Wall Street Library:Tonight at 6:00 writers…
some good occupy reading: moyers, hedges, rich
Three pieces worth reading:Frank Rich: The Class War Has Begun.Bill Moyers: How Wall Street Occupied America.Chris Hedges: A Master Class in Occupation.
infographic: the u.s. should be ashamed, but canada has little to brag about
I found this telling infographic in a column by Charles Blow in the New York Times called "America's Exploding Pipe Dream". If you can't read it here, go here and…
income inequality in canada: the facts
From ReWORKit: In light of Occupy Wall Street and the spinoffs that are growing in many other cities, there have been a large number of excellent articles and studies going…
stop the insanity: oppose bill c-10
LeadNow.ca petition here.We know that Stephen Harper thinks the United States is the GNOTFOTE, but of all the things to emulate about the US, the prison-industrial complex is a particularly…
mcfadden: "giving food away only encourages the poor not to starve"
McFadden: Occupy Poor Street.I love this guy!