Introduction As some of the left fall all over themseves referring to the genocide in Gaza and the West Bank as a breach of international law without gaining any criticial distancing from the limitations of "the law," , the actual nature of law and its procedural acrobatics lies hidden. It is better to remind workers, … Continue reading The Real World of the Rule of Law, Part 7: From Citizen to Accused, and then From Citizen to Suspect with the Emergence of the Police
Tag: Ideology
Vast Overestimation of People’s Understanding of Their Situation Limits People’s Capacities to Aim for a Socialist Society
Introduction I find it interesting how radical activists forget their own past--such as formerly expressing social-democratic or social-reformist views. John Clarke, former major organizer for the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP), posted the following recently (July 09, 2024) on Facebook: Some people conclude that the insufficient level of social resistance in this society is because … Continue reading Vast Overestimation of People’s Understanding of Their Situation Limits People’s Capacities to Aim for a Socialist Society
Should Not the Radical Left Take into Account the Attitude of Workers Towards Their Own Jobs? Part One, The Case of Magna International Workers
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 are coming from. But where people are coming from can be interpreted in … Continue reading Should Not the Radical Left Take into Account the Attitude of Workers Towards Their Own Jobs? Part One, The Case of Magna International Workers
The Rule of Law–One Rule for Police Officers, Another Rule for Citizens
John Clarke, former major organizer for the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP), recently posted an article on the absolute discharge of a police officer who assaulted a handcuffed person. Had this been a citizen doing the same act, the person would likely have been imprisoned. But, as I have often argued in the series The … Continue reading The Rule of Law–One Rule for Police Officers, Another Rule for Citizens
International law and failure in the context of Gaza
The following (with the above title) is a copy and paste of an article on international law in the context of a capitalist world order (https://criticallegalthinking.com/2024/04/02/international-law-and-failure-in-the-context-of-gaza/). Before I paste the whole article, I will quote some key features that reinforce what I have been saying about the place of international law in socialist strategy. Finally, … Continue reading International law and failure in the context of Gaza
The Real World of the Rule of Law, Part 6: The Rhetorical Right Not to Be Interrogated Once Charged Versus the Reality of the Right of Police to Interrogate
Introduction As some of the left fall all over themseves referring to the genocide in Gaza and the West Bank as a breach of international law without gaining any criticial distancing from the limitations of "the law," , the actual nature of law and its procedural acrobatics lies hidden. It is better to remind workers, … Continue reading The Real World of the Rule of Law, Part 6: The Rhetorical Right Not to Be Interrogated Once Charged Versus the Reality of the Right of Police to Interrogate
Police Engagement In Ideological Rhetoric Points to the Importance of the Ideological Struggle for Socialism
John Clarke, former major organizer for the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP), posted the following on Facebook a few days ago: I just saw a Toronto Police Association ad pressing for even more funding to be diverted from community needs into the already swollen police budget. It shows someone lying hurt on the ground after … Continue reading Police Engagement In Ideological Rhetoric Points to the Importance of the Ideological Struggle for Socialism
Idealization of the Rule of Law Once Again: The Case of Indigo CEO Heather Reisman and Activists Against Israel’s Palestinian Genocide
John Clarke, former major organizer for the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP), posted the following without comment on Facebook recently. From Yves Engler (November 28, 2023) ( https://springmag.ca/toronto-police-should-target-heather-reisman-not-activists ): Toronto police should target Heather Reisman, not activists Aggressive pre-dawn police raids on homes and charging individuals with hate crimes for posting social justice messages is … Continue reading Idealization of the Rule of Law Once Again: The Case of Indigo CEO Heather Reisman and Activists Against Israel’s Palestinian Genocide
Critical Education Articles Placed in the Teacher Staff Lounge While I Was a Teacher, Part Twenty-Four: Are Teachers Part of the Working Class?
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 Twenty-Four: Are Teachers Part of the Working Class?
The Real World of the Rule of Law: Courts as Oppressive Organizations, Part Five: The Rhetoric of the Need for a Warrant Versus the Reality
Introduction This is a continuation of a series that exposes the reality of courts as part of the exposure of the reality of the rule of law. The series involves quotes from the book by Doreen McBarnet (1983) Conviction: Law, the State and the Construction of Justice as well as short commentaries related to the … Continue reading The Real World of the Rule of Law: Courts as Oppressive Organizations, Part Five: The Rhetoric of the Need for a Warrant Versus the Reality
The Abolitionary 