Tag: Reformist ideology

The Poverty of Academic Leftism, Part Eleven: Superficial Rejection of Aiming for a Socialist Society in the Present by Idealizing the Rule of Law in the Present: Part Two

Introduction This is a continuation of a critique of the views of Jeff Noonan, an academic leftist who teaches philosophy (including Marxist philosophy) at the University of Windsor in Ontario, Canada.  In an earlier post (The Poverty of Academic Leftism, Part Eleven: Superficial Rejection of Aiming for a Socialist Society in the Present by Idealizing … Continue reading The Poverty of Academic Leftism, Part Eleven: Superficial Rejection of Aiming for a Socialist Society in the Present by Idealizing the Rule of Law in the Present: Part Two →

The Poverty of Academic Leftism, Part Eleven: Superficial Rejection of Aiming for a Socialist Society in the Present by Idealizing the Rule of Law in the Present: Part One

Introduction Jeff Noonan, supposedly a Marxist philosopher, in a recent post (https://www.jeffnoonan.org/?p=5864#comments) has the following to say on his blog: Practically speaking, there are no revolutionary movements of any consequence. So the question is: what does one do right now: abstractly condemn the rule of law as a bourgeois subterfuge? Or criticise the reality of … Continue reading The Poverty of Academic Leftism, Part Eleven: Superficial Rejection of Aiming for a Socialist Society in the Present by Idealizing the Rule of Law in the Present: Part One →

Social Democrats Call for the “Transformation” of the Police Force: Radicals Call for Its Abolition: Canadian Police Violence 2023

The following was recently posted by John Clarke, former major organizer for the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, on Facebook: The lethal approach to 'public safety.' From mediacoop. At least 97 people had their lives taken through police actions in 2023. This comes after a December in which at least 12 people were killed in police … Continue reading Social Democrats Call for the “Transformation” of the Police Force: Radicals Call for Its Abolition: Canadian Police Violence 2023 →

Is the Criticism of Social-reformist or Social-democratic Leaders a Tactical or Strategic Issue?

On a Marxist listserve, one Marxist stated: Actually I don't think you have a accurate understanding of critical support.   Critical support is not about trying to maintain an ideological purity-- it's a tactic designed to expose the reformists as being incapable of defending the workers; of advancing the struggle for workers power. In response, a supposed … Continue reading Is the Criticism of Social-reformist or Social-democratic Leaders a Tactical or Strategic Issue? →

Reform Versus Abolition of the Police, Part Seven: Giving to Abolitionists with One Hand While Taking Back with the Other and Giving to Social Democrats

In his article published in the social-democratic journal Canadian Dimension on May 28, 2020, "Can We Ever Truly Transform or Democratize the Police? Measures Are Needed to Restrain and Neutralize Police Brutality to Whatever Extent Possible," Harry Kopyto, ( https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/can-we-truly-transform-or-democratize-the-police) seems to agree much more with James Wilt in the debate between Mr. Wilt and … Continue reading Reform Versus Abolition of the Police, Part Seven: Giving to Abolitionists with One Hand While Taking Back with the Other and Giving to Social Democrats →

Reform Versus Abolition of the Police, Part Five: More Philosophical Considerations

This is the fifth and perhaps the last post in a five-part series on the issue of the reform of the police versus its abolition. (I came across an article on unions and the police (not police unions) and may write a post on that still). It is more theoretical than the first four posts … Continue reading Reform Versus Abolition of the Police, Part Five: More Philosophical Considerations →

Reform or Abolition of the Police, Part One

In at least two posts, I will explore the issue of reforming the police versus its abolition. Conveniently, there are a couple of articles that address the issue. Mr. Rosenfeld, a self-declared radical and Marxist living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in an article published in the social-democratic magazine Canadian Dimension on April 20, 2020, Reform and … Continue reading Reform or Abolition of the Police, 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 →