Archives
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The World Social Forum, A Sustainable Model?
After a period of remarkable expansion, the process of the World Social Forum (WSF) has stalled. The balance sheet of the most recent big assemblies turns out to be very … Keep reading »
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Combating Anti-Semitism or Shielding Israel?
Submission to the Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Antisemitism I am writing this submission as a sociologist, a Jew, and a long-time opponent of all forms of oppression. As a person … Keep reading »
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November 5 Day of Action Called at Critical Time
The November 5 day of action for a ‘poverty free Ontario,’ that has been called by the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), is taking place against a backdrop of major … Keep reading »
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Economic Crisis Hits States and Municipalities
Crises expose the system’s irrationalities and wasteful resource allocations. For example, Madoff and his many, smaller imitators reveal the tips of corruption icebergs. More important, the crisis-induced fiscal emergencies looming … Keep reading »
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Zionist Claims of Solidarity with the Iranian Protesters are Absurd
On October 27, the Canada-Israel Committee (CIC) held a conference titled “Democracy in Action: The Protests in Iran” in Ottawa. The purpose, according to the CIC website, was to “mobilize … Keep reading »
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Ontario’s Budgetary Dilemmas: Exit Strategies and Neoliberalism
The financial panic that consumed U.S. mortgage markets two years ago quickly became a global economic crisis of alarming breadth and depth. No country or sector has been able to … Keep reading »
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When the Climate Change Center Cannot Hold
On a day that 350.org and thousands of allies are valiantly trying to raise global consciousness about impending catastrophe, we can ask some tough questions about what to do after … Keep reading »
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Challenges for Public Sector Unions: Thinking Big to Win
How did we get to this economic crisis? — It’s common to point the finger at greedy bankers, irresponsible speculators and regulators who let the financial system spiral out of control. Each of them certainly deserves blame but we need to look deeper. The crisis wasn’t just about the excesses of our economic system; it was rooted in what had become the normal, everyday functioning of our economic system. Keep reading »
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The Caribbean and Latin America at the Rendezvous of History
In 2004 two events sent shock waves across the Caribbean Sea, presenting us with two radically different blueprints for future hemispheric relations. In February a combined force of American, Canadian … Keep reading »
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Ford Canada Concessions: Could it Signal the End of an Era?
While the CAW and Ford enter into another round of concessions bargaining – in the wake of concessions in the UAW – there is an argument to be made that … Keep reading »
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The Canadian Media Oligopoly Against Media Democracy
To observe that the North American media is dominated by corporate oligopolies serving commercial interests and squeezing out critical voices is to state the obvious. Media concentration in Canada is … Keep reading »
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What’s Wrong with Ontario’s Health Ministry and How to Fix It
Health Minister David Caplan’s resignation is the right thing in the wake of scathing Provincial Auditor’s reports and repeated exorbitant salary revelations at the Ministry of Health (MOH). Undoubtedly in … Keep reading »