Introduction I have pointed out that the major Canadian unions use cliches like "fair contracts." (see for example the posts on the two largest Canadian unions Fair Contracts (or Fair Collective Agreements): The Ideological Rhetoric of Canadian Unions, Part One: The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) and Fair Contracts or Collective Agreements: The Ideological Rhetoric of … Continue reading Another Abstract Slogan or Cliche of Social-Democratic or Social-Reformist Organizations: Employers or Corporations Paying Their Fair Share of Taxes, Part Five: The Canadian Labour Congress
Author: The abolitionist
I come from a working-class background. My lost paid job was a teacher, substituting for a number of years before obtaining a permanent position. I obtained my doctorate in 2009. I am an unapologetic critic of capitalism and the way in which various institutions and ideologies reinforce it.
On the Need for Ideological Struggle to Expose the Exploitation and Oppression of Workers, Part One
Introduction I attended Panagiotis Sotiris' Lecture "The Possibilities of Left Government in Europe" on September 24, 2025 (see https://socialistproject.ca/leftstreamed-video/possibilities-of-left-government-in-europe/). There is much with which I agree, such as the need to engage in more radical politics. In the case of Greece, for instance, the possibility of withdrawing from euro during the economic crisis was met with … Continue reading On the Need for Ideological Struggle to Expose the Exploitation and Oppression of Workers, Part One
Fair Wages: Another Example of the Ideological Rhetoric of Canadian Unions, Part Seven: The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE)
Introduction I was surprised to read an article from Kiri Vadivelu (December 31, 2024, "No to Legislative Strikebreaking! Victory to Postal Workers!") in The Red Review, a "Socialist Action journal." [Socialist Action is an allegedly socialist organization]. Vadivelu was a candidate for mayor in the last municipal elections in Toronto--and I voted for him since he … Continue reading Fair Wages: Another Example of the Ideological Rhetoric of Canadian Unions, Part Seven: The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE)
Management Rights (Managerial Responsibility) and the Lack of Criticism of Such Rights Among the Social Democratic Left, Part Twenty: Nunavut, Public Sector
Introduction A local leader of a leftist workers' organization here in Toronto stated that I kept repeating the same thing. Yes, I did--the issue is the same throughout. How can the so-called left refer to a fair wage or a decent job even in unionized settings when workers are used as things by employers for … Continue reading Management Rights (Managerial Responsibility) and the Lack of Criticism of Such Rights Among the Social Democratic Left, Part Twenty: Nunavut, Public Sector
Fair Contracts or Collective Agreements: The Ideological Rhetoric of Canadian Unions, Part Six: The Manitoba Federation of Labour (MFL)
Introduction Since in this blog I have often referred to particular union reps referring to collective agreements as fair in some way, I thought it would be useful to provide further examples of this rhetoric to substantiate the view that unions function as ideologues for the continued existence of employers--even if the unions are independent … Continue reading Fair Contracts or Collective Agreements: The Ideological Rhetoric of Canadian Unions, Part Six: The Manitoba Federation of Labour (MFL)
Limitations of a Radical’s Views on Class Exploitation: The Toronto Radical John Clarke’s Blog, Part Three
Introduction In my first post in this series Limitations of a Radical’s Views on Class Exploitation: The Blog of the Toronto Radical John Clarke, Part One , I started with an hypothesis: many activists in practice assume that it is unnecessary to engage in theory in any rigorous manner (even if they claim the contrary) since … Continue reading Limitations of a Radical’s Views on Class Exploitation: The Toronto Radical John Clarke’s Blog, Part Three
Should Not the Radical Left Take into Account the Attitude of Workers Towards Their Own Jobs? Part Twelve, The Case of AB (Anheuser-Busch) InBev NV Brewery Workers
Series: Worker Attitudes Toward Their Own JobsCase: AB InBev NV Brewery WorkersPart Tweleve Introduction One of the few things that I agree with the academic leftist Jeff Noonan, professor of philosophy at the University of Windsor, Ontario, is that leftists must start where workers are at: Political engagement begins from trying to understand where people … Continue reading Should Not the Radical Left Take into Account the Attitude of Workers Towards Their Own Jobs? Part Twelve, The Case of AB (Anheuser-Busch) InBev NV Brewery Workers
Marx, Capital, Volume 1, Chapter 1, Section 2: The Double Character of the Labour Represented in the Commodity: Flashcards on Quizlet and in this Post
Series: Capital, volume 1 Chapter 1 Section 2: Double Character of Labour I have created a set of flashcards for the second section of chapter one of Marx's Capital (see https://quizlet.com/ca/990207164/marx-capital-volume-1-chapter-1-section-2-the-double-character-of-the-labour-represented-in-the-commoity-flash-cards/?i=5wlz50&x=1qqt). There are also previous flashcards for the earlier section of chapter 1 on that site (as well as on this blog). Here is a … Continue reading Marx, Capital, Volume 1, Chapter 1, Section 2: The Double Character of the Labour Represented in the Commodity: Flashcards on Quizlet and in this Post
Fair Wages: Another Example of the Ideological Rhetoric of Canadian Unions, Part Six: The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour (NLFL)
Introduction I was surprised to read an article from Kiri Vadivelu (December 31, 2024, "No to Legislative Strikebreaking! Victory to Postal Workers!") in The Red Review, a "Socialist Action journal." [Socialist Action is an allegedly socialist organization]. Vadivelu was a candidate for mayor in the last municipal elections in Toronto--and I voted for him since he … Continue reading Fair Wages: Another Example of the Ideological Rhetoric of Canadian Unions, Part Six: The Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour (NLFL)
Limitations of a Radical’s Views on Class Exploitation: The Toronto Radical John Clarke’s Blog, Part Two
Introduction In my first post in this series (Limitations of a Radical’s Views on Class Exploitation: The Blog of the Toronto Radical John Clarke, Part One, I started with an hypothesis: many activists in practice assume that it is unnecessary to engage in theory in any rigorous manner (even if they claim the contrary) since … Continue reading Limitations of a Radical’s Views on Class Exploitation: The Toronto Radical John Clarke’s Blog, Part Two
The Abolitionary 