The Radical Left Needs to Call into Question Existing Social Institutions at Every Opportunity, Part Two

Before I obtained a so-called permanent teaching position (I will explain in a much later post why I use the word "so-called"), I worked for a number of years as a substitute teacher (with short periods of term teaching positions). I became an executive member of the Winnipeg Teachers' Association (WTA) (in the province of … Continue reading The Radical Left Needs to Call into Question Existing Social Institutions at Every Opportunity, Part Two →

Defense of Arrested Picketers is Vital–But Not the Idealization of Collective Bargaining, Collective Agreements and Strikes

On January 20, 2020, Jerry Dias, president of a large private-sector union in Canada, and others--were arrested in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Despite my criticism of Mr. Dias on this blog, in this instance he and others deserve support--as do the workers who are on the picket line in that city. I am copying the details … Continue reading Defense of Arrested Picketers is Vital–But Not the Idealization of Collective Bargaining, Collective Agreements and Strikes →

The British Labour Party’s 2019 Manifesto: More Social Democracy and More Social Reformism, Part Two

The following is the second of a two-part series of posts, providing a critical assessment of some of the views expressed in the 2019 British Labour Party's Manifesto, It's Time For Real Change. The section on public services is typical of the social-reformist or social-democratic left: what is needed is mainly a quantitative expansion of … Continue reading The British Labour Party’s 2019 Manifesto: More Social Democracy and More Social Reformism, Part Two →

Socialism, What It May Look Like, or Visions of a Better Kind of Society Without Employers, Part Seven

Leer este post en español The following is a continuation of previous posts on the possible nature of socialism that excludes the power of employers as a class. In the following, Tony Smith elaborates on the criteria to be used in the distribution of the flat-rate capital-assets tax, which is the basis for the generation … Continue reading Socialism, What It May Look Like, or Visions of a Better Kind of Society Without Employers, Part Seven →

Worker Resistance Against Management, Part Five: Good Work Strikes

This is a continuation of a series of posts on worker resistance. The following was written by Jordan House. It formed part of a course that he, Herman Rosenfeld and I presented for workers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport a few years ago. ← Previous Post in this Series One of the biggest … Continue reading Worker Resistance Against Management, Part Five: Good Work Strikes →

Defense of Aggressive Wars and Idealization of Capitalist Society Often Go Hand in Hand

I am including the following short conversation on Facebook about the assassination of General Qasem Soleimani of Iran by the United States military. A question: Do you think that those who remain uncritical of the power of employers as a class, when push come to shove, would oppose war perpetrated by their own country? Cory … Continue reading Defense of Aggressive Wars and Idealization of Capitalist Society Often Go Hand in Hand →

The British Labour Party’s 2019 Manifesto: More Social Democracy and More Social Reformism, Part One

The following is the first of a two-part series of posts, providing a critical assessment of some of the views expressed in the 2019 British Labour Party's Manifesto, It's Time For Real Change. The British Labour Party seemed to be more concerned with jumping on the bandwagon of climate change than really addressing the core … Continue reading The British Labour Party’s 2019 Manifesto: More Social Democracy and More Social Reformism, Part One →

The Poverty of Academic Leftism, Part Five: Middle-Class Delusions

This is a continuation of a critique of an academic leftist (aka academic historical materialist), the philosopher Jeff Noonan. As noted in a previous post, Professor Noonan makes the following statement in relation to employees at a university (from Thinkings 4: Collected Interventions, Readings, Evocations, 2014-2015, page 13): Instead, all members of the institution– faculty, librarians, … Continue reading The Poverty of Academic Leftism, Part Five: Middle-Class Delusions →

What’s Left, Toronto? Part Seven

As I indicated in an earlier post, on September 19, 2018, several leftist activists gave a talk about what was to be done in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The talks were posted on the Socialist Project website on October 7, 2018 (also posted on YouTube) (What's Left, Toronto? Radical Alternatives for the City … Continue reading What’s Left, Toronto? Part Seven →

Critical Education Articles Placed in the Teacher Staff Lounge While I Was a Teacher, Part Two: Ethical Inquiry in the Context of Dying and Death

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 copy critical articles, mainly (although not entirely) of the current school system. At first, I merely printed off the articles, but then … Continue reading Critical Education Articles Placed in the Teacher Staff Lounge While I Was a Teacher, Part Two: Ethical Inquiry in the Context of Dying and Death →