Read this post in English [J’ai utilisé ChatGPT (intelligence artificielle) pour traduire la version anglaise en français.] IntroductionJ'appartenais autrefois à une organisation de gauche à Toronto. J'ai commencé, lentement, à réaliser qu'elle avait en réalité peu à voir avec la remise en question du pouvoir des employeurs en tant que classe, malgré la rhétorique selon … Continue reading Les limites de la gauche social-réformiste
Category: Reformism vs. Class Struggle
Dogmas sociales fijos y el lenguaje especial de la izquierda social-reformista
Read this post in English [Utilicé ChatGPT (Inteligencia Artificial) para traducir la versión en inglés al español.] Michael Perelman se refiere al dogma procrusteano que caracteriza gran parte del debate sobre el mundo social en el que vivimos actualmente. ¿Qué mejor caracterización de la retórica socialdemócrata de la “equidad”, el “trabajo decente”, un “salario justo”, … Continue reading Dogmas sociales fijos y el lenguaje especial de la izquierda social-reformista
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)
Another Abstract Slogan or Cliche of Social-Democratic or Social-Reformist Organizations: Employers or Corporations Paying Their Fair Share of Taxes, Part Four: The New Democratic Party (NDP)
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 Four: The New Democratic Party (NDP)
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
The Contradictions of Unions: Reformist and Radical Assessments
Steven Tufts, in an article first published on Wednesday, September 11, 2019, on The Star website, and republished on the Socialist Project website on September 25 (Pension Plans Should Not Invest in Companies That Harm Working People), tries to show that, despite unions consciously disassociating themselves from investments that harm workers, their own pension fund managers may … Continue reading The Contradictions of Unions: Reformist and Radical Assessments
The Silences of the Social-Democratic Left
I had two recent conversations with social democrats on two different (though undoubtedly related topics). The first conversation is a representative of Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 4400 (education workers). The Local's website indicates the following: Toronto Education Workers/Local 4400 is made up of approximately 12,000 Education Workers who primarily work within the … Continue reading The Silences of the Social-Democratic Left
The Poverty of Academic Leftism, Part Four: The Myth of Creating Socialist Spaces
Professor Noonan, an academic leftist, argues that the Nemak return to work provides lessons for the left. Indeed, it does--but unfortunately he fails to draw further lessons from the situation. He says the following: As regards work, the structural dependence on paid employment is what makes people working class. This structural dependence is what, above … Continue reading The Poverty of Academic Leftism, Part Four: The Myth of Creating Socialist Spaces
