John Clarke, former major organizer for the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, has this recently to say on Facebook about the nature of courts--which the radical left simply often ignores: John Clarke The judicial wing of the state plays a huge role in wielding the repressive power of the state. The criminal courts, interwoven with the … Continue reading The Courts (and the Rule of Law) as Oppressive
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.
Critique of a Book Used by Many Psychologists and Psychiatrists to Oppress Patients, Part Two
Introduction This is the second part of a five-part series of posts that criticize a book that serves to oppress individuals, whether they have mental health problems or not. As I indicated in another post (A Worker’s Resistance to the Capitalist Government or State and Its Representatives, Part Nine), I engaged in a partial critique of … Continue reading Critique of a Book Used by Many Psychologists and Psychiatrists to Oppress Patients, Part Two
The Limitations of Social Democracy, or Social Democracy as Possibily the Lesser Evil
John Clarke, fomrer major organizer for Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, posted on Facebook yesterday the following: John Clarke Watching social democratic parties operate today, makes you appreciate that the political tendency they represent was at its most effective at a time of relative class compromise, when they could give working class people some of what … Continue reading The Limitations of Social Democracy, or Social Democracy as Possibily the Lesser Evil
The Primary Function of the Police: To Maintain Social Order
I have criticized the views of John Clarke, a former major organizer for the poverty organization Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP). However, he has written some interesting posts on Facebook, which indicat a welcome change of position. Thus, I read the following today on Facebook: John Clarke Watching police in London move, on the shabbiest … Continue reading The Primary Function of the Police: To Maintain Social Order
The Rate of Exploitation of Workers at Stantec, One of the Largest Private Employers in Edmonton, Or: How Unionized Jobs Are Not Decent or Good Jobs
Introduction In three others posts I presented a list of some of the largest employers in various cities (such as Toronto and Calgary) according to level of employment (see A Short List of the Largest Employers in Toronto, Ontario, Canada), and A Short List of the Largest Employers Based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Based on … Continue reading The Rate of Exploitation of Workers at Stantec, One of the Largest Private Employers in Edmonton, Or: How Unionized Jobs Are Not Decent or Good Jobs
Critical Education Articles Placed in the Teacher Staff Lounge While I Was a Teacher, Part Nineteen: The Oaxaca, Mexico Teachers’ Strike and Subsequent Community Uprising of 2006
This is a continuation of a series of posts on summaries of articles, mainly on education. When I was a French teacher at Ashern Central School, in Ashern, Manitoba, Canada, I started to place critiques, mainly (although not entirely) of the current school system. At first, I merely printed off the articles, but then I … Continue reading Critical Education Articles Placed in the Teacher Staff Lounge While I Was a Teacher, Part Nineteen: The Oaxaca, Mexico Teachers’ Strike and Subsequent Community Uprising of 2006
School Rhetoric: Ideological Use of the Concept of Social Justice, Part One
Social justice has now become a buzzword these days. There is social justice this and social justice that, here a social justice, there a social justice, everywhere a social justice. This buzzword forms the ideology of the social-democratic left, for example, as well as the conservative right. After all, who is against social justice? The … Continue reading School Rhetoric: Ideological Use of the Concept of Social Justice, Part One
Review of Thier’s Book “A People’s Guide to Capitalism,” Part Two
I recently participated in a group called No One Is Illegal here in Toronto. The group decided to provide a zoom reading meeting every week to discuss the book A People's Guide to Capitalism, by Hadas Thier, with many participants not belonging to the group but interested in understanding more about capitalism. We read the … Continue reading Review of Thier’s Book “A People’s Guide to Capitalism,” Part Two
A Principal’s Evaluation of My Teaching Basic French, or: How to Oppress a Worker Through Performance Evaluation, Part Six
The following is the sixth of several posts that provide a verbatim reply (with a somewhat different order) to a "clinical evaluation" (a performance evaluation of my teaching) made by the principal of Ashern Central School (Ashern, Manitoba, Canada), Neil MacNeil, in the fall of 2011 when I was teaching grades 6, 7 and 8 … Continue reading A Principal’s Evaluation of My Teaching Basic French, or: How to Oppress a Worker Through Performance Evaluation, Part Six
Review of Thier’s Book “A People’s Guide to Capitalism,” Part One
I recently participated in a group called No One Is Illegal here in Toronto. The group decided to provide a zoom reading meeting every week to discuss the book A People's Guide to Capitalism, by Hadas Thier, with many participants not belonging to the group but interested in understanding more about capitalism. We read the … Continue reading Review of Thier’s Book “A People’s Guide to Capitalism,” Part One
