The US Empire’s Culture Industry Toronto — 20 October 2016. View on www.slideshare.net   From Katy Perry training alongside US Marines in a music video, to the global box-office mastery of the US military-supported Transformers franchise, it’s clear that the US national security state is a dominant force in global media culture. How and why is … Watch video »

Technological advancements have transformed our daily lives, and politics is changing too. The issues may not change that much – people want decent housing and decent jobs, they want access to education and opportunity, they want thriving public services and a society which works for the millions not just the millionaires. But the terrain on … Keep reading »

That the North American media is dominated by corporate monopolies serving capitalist interests and squeezing out critical voices is to state the obvious. The state media in Canada – nationally the CBC and provincially organizations like TV-Ontario (TVO) – provide only the slightest respite from pro-business reportage; the CBC has been equally a key ideological … Watch video »

the art-activism of Condé and Beveridge Toronto — 28 May 2016. The Public Exposures symposium (May 27, 28, 29) brought together participants from diverse communities and working sectors – practicing artists, community activists, union members, educators and students. Inspired by Condé and Beveridge’s innovative art, and their strategic activism, the broad aims of the symposium were: … Watch video »

“U.S. Empire’s Decline”: Spectre or Social Fact? For readers immersed in the annals of Empire, it is well known that the United States is no ordinary country in the world system. The United States is a unique Empire whose national security strategy since 1945 has relied upon a mix of diplomacy and brute military force to … Keep reading »

Ornette Coleman died in June of a cardiac arrest on the same day as an infamous bad guy actor, Christopher Lee and legendary professional wrestler Dusty Rhodes. One can’t help but chuckle at the Colemanesque improvisation of the Grim Reaper. Coleman was perhaps the jazz musician with the most theoretical depth, even if his own … Keep reading »

As has been the case for several years, great mobilizations take place around the globe. We notice them when they are covered by mainstream media; although the coverage only occurs when these mobilizations reach their apex. Generally speaking, we fairly quickly jump to some other concerns, as if the Tahir square protests, the Madrid Indignados, … Keep reading »

Toronto — 18 October 2014. Poetry allows us to rethink violence, justice, resistance and revolution. It opens up the possibilities for radical imagination and allows us to think new ways of being into existence. Introduction by Robert Massoud from Beit Zation. Moderated by Ayesha Basit. Poetry readings by: Kaushalya Bannerji is a Canadian writer whose … Watch video »

And now for something completely different… The global economic crisis is into its sixth year. Every few months a new report details the continued growth in inequality between the haves and have-nots. There seems to be no stopping the voracious 1% as they rampage across the globe dispossessing and accumulating wealth and power. But we, … Keep reading »

The 2012 Toronto Palestine Film Festival (TPFF) is finally set to hit theatres this weekend. Launched in 2008 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of al nakba, TPFF aims to showcase the vibrant cultural heritage, resilience, and collective identity of the Palestinian people through film, art, and other events. In five short years, against all the … Keep reading »

Toronto — 30 January 2011. Faith Nolan and the CUPE Freedom Singers performed before the opening session of the GTWA labour forum – Sunday morning, January 30, 2011. Ain’t No Power Like the Power of the People… WAY YA HAY YA Which Side Are You On? Viola Desmond Oh, Freedom

On September 29th at the Toronto mayoral debate on arts and culture at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), variations of business-friendly urban policies were presented to Toronto’s arts community. Surrounded by Frank Gehry’s architectural design in one of Toronto’s ‘world class’ culture institutions, a diverse crowd – artists and culture workers, directors of major … Keep reading »