Capital is foremost a dissection of the historical social relations and mode of production of capitalism. From its initial publication, Marx’s Capital steadily gained prominence as the indispensable point of departure for understanding the inner workings of the capitalist system and the forces polarizing the accumulation of wealth on the one side and poverty on the other.

Thomas Frank is the founder of The Baffler magazine, author of What’s the Matter With Kansas? and Listen Liberal, and past columnist for The Wall Street Journal and Harper’s Magazine. He delivered the 2017 annual Phyllis Clarke Memorial Lecture, on Donald Trump’s election and what it means for the USA. Introductions by Byan Evans and Ron Vogel, Department of Politics and Public Administration at Ryerson University.

This video had it’s premiere outside the building where Toronto’s Mayor John Tory lives in somewhat better circumstances. News coverage by NOW, and pictures. See “Ontario’s Austerity Government Sets Basic Income Trap” and living wage news. Created by the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP), Sanctuary and a group of activists and filmmakers.

In 2008, after years of violence, conflict, environmental degradation, and water pollution at the hands of mining companies, then-president of El Salvador Antonio Saca stopped issuing new mining permits. This decision has widespread support in El Salvador; a recent poll of the University of Central America (UCA) indicates that that 79.5 per cent of Salvadorans are against any gold mining.

Confronting Canadian capitalism necessarily means a confrontation with the Canadian mining sector. Solidarity with First Nations people requires support for struggles with the mining corporations. Ecologically-responsible production can only occur with democratic and social control of the mining sector.