us regression
11 things you should know about u.s. presidential elections
Here are some facts about US elections. There are mountains of evidence to support each of these. If you have doubts, do some homework. This is merely a summary of…
laundromats, underground libraries, and criminal charges: a library link round-up
I have so many cool stories about libraries and librarians, scattered through multiple email and social media accounts. Lucky for you, I wanted to gather them all in one place.…
laundromats, underground libraries, and criminal charges: a library link round-up
I have so many cool stories about libraries and librarians, scattered through multiple email and social media accounts. Lucky for you, I wanted to gather them all in one place.…
september 28: international safe abortion day
Today is International Safe Abortion Day. Because without access to safe, legal abortion, women can never be free. In North America, you can help ensure that women are able to…
something you can do with your shock and outrage: support military resistance to u.s. concentration camps
As the outrages pour out of the US daily, or seemingly hourly, good people’s shock and horror are often accompanied by feelings of frustration and helplessness. Far too many well-intentioned…
kevin baker in harpers: "the death of a once great city — the fall of new york and the urban crisis of affluence"
Everyone who cares about cities, about privatization, and frankly, about humans and our ability to live on our planet, should make time to read the July cover story in Harper’s…
happy canada day: a wish for a pledge
One unfortunate result of the current ascendancy of white supremacy in the US is the increase in Canadians’ nationalism and self-love — the strengthening of Canadians’ conviction that our society…
from the archives: for millions of american women, roe is already history
With the resignation of US Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, it is very likely that Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion, will be overturned. I’m getting frustrated…
how to help families separated at the u.s. border
As we all sit helplessly agog at the latest spectacle going on in the US, here are some organizations to which you can donate (or volunteer) to help. How To…
the worst part of trump is not trump
The freak show that is the Trump presidency gives us so many things to lament, and mourn, and goggle at. But for one organization, it is a singular gift, valuable…
thoughts on the latest u.s. gun massacre
As part of my continuing efforts to post here rather than — or at least in addition to — Facebook, here are some thoughts on the latest horrific massacre in…
what i’m reading: the new jim crow by michelle alexander
When I first heard the incarceration of African Americans in the United States referred to as a “new Jim Crow,” I thought it must be hyperbole. So did Michelle Alexander,…
lessons from wisconsin and michigan: tim hudak’s threat to ontario workers is not over
Last September, when Tim Hudak announced that he intended to break Ontario’s unions, it came as no surprise to labour activists. The head of Ontario’s Progressive Conservative Party, cynically framing…
hedges: "when harper passes right-to-work, you must go on a massive general strike, or you’re finished"
Last night, I heard author, journalist, and activist Chris Hedges speak at the Bloor Street United Church in Toronto, sponsored by the excellent Canadian Dimension. Hedges is a radical intellectual,…
"sharecroppers on wheels": port truckers are organizing, and they are winning
When is an employee not an employee? The answer to this riddle is rapidly becoming the true face of employment in the North America today. In her brilliant investigative book…
a teenager’s courage reveals the brutality of anti-choicers: "please stop calling me a whore"
This articulate and courageous 14-year-old girl says she wants to be a science teacher when she grows up. I hope she will also be a writer, because this is one…
hey mcdonald’s: the working poor don’t need financial advice or higher banking costs. they need higher wages.
Part 1: McDonald’s version of company scrip (Part 2 below) Any minute now we’ll see the return of company scrip. In the bad old days before labour unions forced reforms,…
jeju island and the constitution-free u.s.-canada border: empire and resistance, at home and abroad
I’ve been hoping to write about this for months, but the right post and adequate time never seem to arrive at the same time. Rather than put it off any…