Blog
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Breaking Windows is not a Revolutionary Act
The first time I ran into people who believed that breaking windows was are volitionally act was in 1972. We had just had 21 people arrested for occupying the campus at University of Toronto to set up a tent city for transient youth. We called it Wachea, a place where everyone was welcome, or so we thought. A radical new left group called Red Morning tried to convince the assembled masses that going back to the University and “trashing it,” in the parlance of the day, was the best way to protest the arrests. It was the moment I stepped into leadership, debating them for hours, saying that more violence was counter productive and would give more strength to the arguments against us.
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Keeping our eye on the ball: Budget 2010
Everyone concerned about the future of Canada’s social programs, transfers to individuals (like pensions), and government programs in general should be keeping a keen eye on Ottawa for the next month as we get closer to budget day on March 3rd. The Harper conservatives have been thinking about this day for a long time but their plans, usually firm long before implementation, and designed personally by Harper, are in disarray this time.
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What’s up, Jack?
Maybe I missed a story or a headline somewhere but I am having trouble finding much media reference to the NDP these days — and by these days I mean the days of a new democracy movement (they are the New Democrats, after all), the decline of Stephen Harper, the public anger at prorogation and the elephant in the room — the March 3rd tighten-our-belts budget.
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Who determines Canada’s Israeli policy
It has been said by many American commentators critical of Israeli policy in the occupied territories that Israel in effect writes US foreign policy in the Middle East. If any proof were needed one only has to look at the policies of Barack Obama who, it could be argued, is even more sycophantic towards Israel than George Bush was.
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A new opening for feminists
Yesterday when I heard that Stephen Harper was suddenly taken with a desire to promote maternal health as the key issue for the G8, I have to admit to being perplexed. I don’t think I’ve ever heard Harper talk about women’s issues. Behind the scenes his government, which of course means him, has not only cut funding to most women’s groups and the most progressive NGOs like Alternatives and Kairos but have eliminated the word “equality” from their women’s bureau. Harper is no doubt that most anti-feminist PM we have ever had.
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Reform democracy or rid the country of Stephen Harper?
The movement for democratic reform is undoubtedly one of the most heartening developments in Canadian politics in a very long time. Not just because it was great to see some 25,000 people out in the streets protesting the Harper dictatorship, but perhaps even more importantly giving a wake-up call to the social and labour movements who have become dormant largely on the excuse that Canadians have become more conservative. This is simply not the case.
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So Far, Obama Hasn’t Delivered the Goods
One year into Barack Obama’s term of office, two remarkable things stand out: how little he has achieved on the core issues on his agenda; and how potent the right-wing has grown during his watch. It¹s too early to make a predication, but this has the feel of a one-term presidency about it.
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A great day for democracy in Canada
It was magnificent. After three weeks of online and off line organizing, tens of thousands of people across generations and political persuasions took to the streets in 65 cities and towns across the country and around the world to stop the erosion of democracy in Canada.
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Mea culpa on Haiti
Sometimes you get things wrong. A couple of people have forcefully pointed that out to me re: my post on Haiti contrasting the killing of the war in Afghanistan with the response to the earthquake in Haiti. In my zeal to criticize the government’s role in Afghanistan I glossed over the repressive role of the Canadian government in Haiti.
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Peacekeeping or war-making?
Watching the response of the Canadian government to the catastrophe in Haiti I am sure I am not the only person to see this as a powerful counterpoint to our grotesque participation in the occupation of Afghanistan.
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