John Clarke, former major organizer for the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, recently posted on Facebook the following: John Clarke An interesting examination of the role of the liberal media, focusing on The Guardian. Based on my own experience, I would add another consideration of major significance. Precisely because the liberal media does offer a … Continue reading The Liberal Media’s Role in Pasting Over Oppression Abroad
Rocking-Chair Marxism
I was inspired by someone to change the title of this post from "Armchair Marxism" to "Rocking-Chair Marxism." On a Marxist listserve, we read the following relatively recently: I find your schadenfreude at the suffering of an invaded and oppressed people revolting [referring to the Russian invasion of the Ukraine]. [Schadenfreude is a German word, … Continue reading Rocking-Chair Marxism
The Twenty Largest Employers in the Victoria, British Columbia Region, Based on the Number of Employees, 2011
When belonging to a leftist organization called the Toronto Labour Committee (Ontario, Canada), I worked on, in a minor position, on some statistics related to financial campaign contributions for the Toronto elections. Not being satisfied with this, I proposed that we start trying to develop a class analysis of Toronto. I indicated, though, that I … Continue reading The Twenty Largest Employers in the Victoria, British Columbia Region, Based on the Number of Employees, 2011
Radical Leftists Should Not Underestimate the Ideological Grip of the Reformist Point of View
John Clarke, former major organizer for the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP), posted on Facebook about a week ago the following: John Clarke I've been asked to write a review of Éric Toussaint's latest work on the World Bank. It exposes very well the role of this vile institution. People can do dreadful things in … Continue reading Radical Leftists Should Not Underestimate the Ideological Grip of the Reformist Point of View
The Need to Develop More Rigorous Analyses of Common Problems of the Working Class
John Clarke, former major organizer for the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP), recently posted the following on Facebook: John Clarke I saw a religious message on social media the other day that led me to ponder questions of reasoning and analysis. It suggested that a lack of physical evidence for the existence of Heaven was … Continue reading The Need to Develop More Rigorous Analyses of Common Problems of the Working Class
School Rhetoric: Ideological Use of the Concept of Social Justice, Part Two
In a previous post, I pointed out how even the most radical article on social justice in the winter 2015-2016 edition of Leaders & Learners (the official magazine of the Canadian Association of School Administrators, or CASS) expresses the limited definition (and views) of middle-class ideology. This post will continue to critically analyze the content … Continue reading School Rhetoric: Ideological Use of the Concept of Social Justice, Part Two
THE UNBEARABLE MANICHEANISM OF THE “ANTI-IMPERIALIST” LEFT
Robinson's criticism of the anti-imperialist left applies as much to those who defend the abstract right of an abstract Ukraine (apparently without classes, exploitation or internal oppression) to self-determination. Of course, criticism of such abstract positions does not mean that the Russian government's decision to invade the Ukraine should be exempt from critcism. However, the … Continue reading THE UNBEARABLE MANICHEANISM OF THE “ANTI-IMPERIALIST” LEFT
The Need for an Independent Socialist Working-Class Movement Rather Than the Lesser-Evil Option is the Way Forward
John Clarke, former major organizer of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, recently posted the following on Facebook: John Clarke I'm working on an article on the Trump indictment and it seems to me that the whole issue is tailor made when it comes to revealing the inadequacies of liberal perspectives. First of all, the refrain … Continue reading The Need for an Independent Socialist Working-Class Movement Rather Than the Lesser-Evil Option is the Way Forward
The Basic Functions of the Capitalist State
The capitalist state often combines the appearance of fairness while applying threats and force. The radical left needs to expose this fact whenever possible. John Clarke, former major organizer for the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP), recently posted the following: John Clarke Based on decades of dealing with elected institutions, administrative bureaucracies and repressive bodies, … Continue reading The Basic Functions of the Capitalist State
The Radical Left Should Expose the Real Nature of the Legal System in General and the Court System in Particular
John Clarke, former major organizer for the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, posted the following recently on Facebook: John Clarke When three of us in OCAP faced a jury trial over the deeply reactionary public order charges that were laid against us in regard to the so-called Queen's Park Riot, I know my co-accused considered my … Continue reading The Radical Left Should Expose the Real Nature of the Legal System in General and the Court System in Particular
The Abolitionary 