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By laura k, on January 17, 2013, at 8:00 am “There’s something happening here, what it is ain’t exactly clear…”
This week, I attended a talk put on by the International Socialists, featuring an organizer with OUR Walmart, by Skype from Texas, and a Toronto-based union activist. Both speakers were terrific and so inspiring, but although I took copious notes, I’m not posting a summary of the talk.
It was similar to the talk I blogged about here - from greece to chicago to toronto, workers fighting back against austerity - and an extension to an article I wrote recently: workers doing it for themselves: fighting
. . . → Read More: wmtc: are we seeing the beginning of global people’s revolution?
By laura k, on December 23, 2012, at 7:30 am An important and exciting column by Glenn Greenwald. See original for more links. New press freedom group is launched to block US government attacks
Nothing is more vital than enabling true transparency and adversarial journalism, and preventing further assaults on them
Several weeks ago, I wrote about the steps taken by the US government to pressure large corporations to choke off the finances and other means of support for WikiLeaks in retaliation for the group’s exposure of substantial government deceit, wrongdoing and illegality. Because WikiLeaks has never been charged with, let alone convicted of, any crime, I wrote: “that the
. . . → Read More: wmtc: greenwald, ellsberg, and others launch freedom of press foundation to fight government censorship and secrecy
By laura k, on December 14, 2012, at 9:00 am I no longer see TV news, but I have it on good authority that if your primary news source is CBC’s The National, you haven’t been hearing about two important developing – and exciting – stories.
Idle No More is a campaign led by First Nations peoples to fight back against Canada’s destruction of natural resources and its continued profiting from Native lands. The movement, including a hunger strike by Chief Theresa Spence, is being framed as opposition to the Harper Government’s latest omnibus budget bill (C-45). It is that, but it’s also much more. In their own words:
. . . → Read More: wmtc: fighting for democracy in the courts and in the street: #idlenomore, democracy 24/7
By laura k, on November 21, 2012, at 8:30 am This Saturday, across Canada and around the world, people will gather to condemn Israel’s massacre of Gaza. The call:Stop Israel’s war on Gaza!Stop the killing. End the blockade. Free Palestine. Support BDS.In Toronto:Rally & MarchSaturday, Novembe… . . . → Read More: wmtc: saturday across canada: end the siege of gaza
By laura k, on November 4, 2012, at 8:00 am I spent the summer and fall of 2004 working on a Get Out The Vote campaign for the Democrats, not because they were my party of choice, but because I was angry at the prospect of another stolen election, and I wanted to make a difference in the popular vote numbers. After that election was stolen, too, I stopped voting in the US.
Now, in 2012, voter suppression has reached new depths. If I still lived in the US, I don’t know if I’d vote Green or not at all. Voting Green can be seen as a protest against
. . . → Read More: wmtc: rtod: i ain’t marching (to the u.s. polls) anymore
By laura k, on August 18, 2012, at 8:00 am When did “entitled” become a dirty word? Why do we hear “entitled” being used as catch-all slur, a derogatory description to be thrown at progressive people working for change? And why should we permit this word to retain such a heavily negative connotation?
Here are some people I have seen called entitled in this negative sense by bloggers and commenters. Brigette DePape. Occupy protesters. Refugee claimants. Quebec student protesters. People opposed to the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline. Voters who believe they were defrauded by the Conservative Party of Canada.
Here is a synonym for entitled: deserve.
Here is another synonym
. . . → Read More: wmtc: why is "entitled" a dirty word? some thoughts on what we are all entitled to.
By laura k, on July 14, 2012, at 8:00 am I seldom play the scary “US is taking over Canada” card, but if the Harper government was any deeper into Washington, you’d need a colonoscopy to find them. I blogged about this here, and I’m glad to see the CBC recognize the issue. This is scary, dangerous, and truly disgusting. When the Conservative government passed its controversial omnibus budget bill last month, it included new powers for certain U.S. law enforcement agents that critics say could have ramifications for Canadian sovereignty.
The Integrated Cross Border Law Enforcement Operations Act now makes it possible for American officers to cross the
. . . → Read More: wmtc: coming soon to a canadian town near you: the fbi
By laura k, on July 1, 2012, at 8:00 am Today is National Stop Harper Day. People all over the country are using this day, officially known as Canada Day, to gather and organize and express their anger – and their fear – at the anti-democratic and inhumane policies of the Harper Government.
In keeping with the spirit of Occupy and all the related democracy movements that are sprouting through North America, there’s no central organizing committee, but if you’re interested in attending an event in your area, you should be able to find one. Or you could create one. Call a friend, make some signs, commandeer a street corner
. . . → Read More: wmtc: how are you celebrating national stop harper day?
By laura k, on June 26, 2012, at 8:30 pm In a recent post, I summarized the Conservatives’ arguments in Federal Court, as they attempted to have the case against their illegal election practices dismissed before any evidence had been heard.
I was just paraphrasing, of course. But now I have a real quote, thanks to an email sent today by the Council of Canadians. “Voter suppression is as old as the hills”. – Arthur Hamilton, CPC lawyer
Hey, fraudulent elections, voter intimidation, and dictatorships are the norm all over the world. Why should Canada be any different?
By laura k, on June 25, 2012, at 8:00 pm In Federal Court:*
Council of Canadians: There was vote supression in the 2011 election.
Conservative Party of Canada: Maude Barlow hates us.
Council of Canadians: There was vote supression in the 2011 election.
Conservative Party of Canada: Maude Barlow is a radical.
Council of Canadians: There was vote supression in the 2011 election.
Conservative Party of Canada: They filed their motion too late.
Council of Canadians: There was vote supression in the 2011 election.
Conservative Party of Canada: There’s no proof that people didn’t vote because of these phone calls.
Council of Canadians: There was vote supression in the 2011
. . . → Read More: wmtc: conservative party vs council of canadians, round two
By laura k, on June 25, 2012, at 7:30 pm Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page’s quest to force the Harper GovernmentTM to release details of its budget cuts escalated over the weekend, when Page said that the government’s secrecy could lay the groundwork for a future economic crisis. Page, of course, has laid the groundwork for a court battle that may force Harper’s hand.
Andrew Coyne, ethical conservative: The reality is that the PBO has been given anything but the “free and timely access” that Parliament demanded. Time and time again, rather, he has been given the back of the government’s hand — stonewalled by the bureaucrats, ridiculed by
. . . → Read More: wmtc: coyne: the conflict is between conservatives and their souls
By laura k, on June 7, 2012, at 8:30 pm Progressive bloggers, check your stats.
The Statcounter for wmtc shows “multiple visits spread out over several days” from an IP address in the House of Commons, and a separate visit from the Office of the Privy Council.
This visitor or visitors spent time at several of my “greatest hits” posts, information about my new career, my bio at The Mark, various essays, and a good deal of time searching for “ndp cooksville east mississauga kaminker” and “kaminker member ndp”, and the like.
The entry post was this: july 1 2012: national stop harper day. I noticed this post was tweeted
. . . → Read More: wmtc: why is someone from the house of commons and office of privy council reading my blog for hours?
By laura k, on June 6, 2012, at 5:00 pm I want to begin my posts from Marxism 2012 with the Quebec Student Strike, because it’s currently the most important progressive development unfolding in Canada.
By now it should be obvious that the Quebec student strike is not only a student strike and is not only about Quebec. It should be obvious, if the corporate media wasn’t ignoring, minimizing, scoffing at, or narrowly spinning this major story.
I posted ten things everyone should know about the Quebec student strike, cribbed from the Montreal Media Coop. It’s a good list, and the full story is worth reading. But here’s
. . . → Read More: wmtc: marxism 2012 program notes: the quebec student strike, or, why every canadian needs to bang on a pan
By laura k, on June 5, 2012, at 7:30 am I can’t find exact numbers on how many websites and blogs went dark in yesterday’s BlackoutSpeakout campaign, but conservative mainstream media is saying that more than 500 websites and 18,000 people participated.
Another marker of success is the government’s reaction: 10 Members of Parliament were dispatched to media events to, Joe Oliver said, “set the record straight”. That is, to counter the truth with lies. Bob Rae described it as a “truly Orwellian moment“.
Resisting this majority government can feel frustrating. But the fight has broad, mainstream support, and it’s picking up steam every day. When your opponent
By laura k, on June 3, 2012, at 10:00 am
By laura k, on June 3, 2012, at 9:30 am This is one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen in a very long time.
The German police took off their helmets and marched with the protest clearing the way for them.
. . . . German police officers escort an anti-capitalism protest march with some 20,000 people in Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday, May 19, 2012. Protesters peacefully filled the city center of continental Europe’s biggest financial hub in their protest against the dominance of banks and what they perceive to be untamed capitalism, Frankfurt police spokesman Ruediger Regis said. The protest group calling itself Blockupy has called for blocking the access to the European
. . . → Read More: wmtc: german police recognize that they are part of the 99%, take off helmets, escort protesters
By laura k, on June 1, 2012, at 10:30 am The CBSA harassing political journalists trying to enter Canada: bad.
The FBI free to operate within Canadian borders: worse.
Years ago when people stoked fears of co-called “deep integration” between Canada and the United States, conversations tended to focus on tangible signs like a North American currency. I admit I wasn’t concerned. Now, trends like this speak to an even more insidious and troubling integration.
Bhaskar Sunkara, the editor of Jacobin, and a reporter for In These Times, reports on his treatment on his way to Montreal: There weren’t any bright lights or stress positions, but it was
. . . → Read More: wmtc: fbi to operate within canada, cbsa using us-style tactics: the deep integration we should fear and protest
By laura k, on May 31, 2012, at 11:00 am Last night in Toronto:
And everywhere:
And onward:
By laura k, on May 29, 2012, at 9:00 am Why should Quebecers have all the fun? If you’re in the Toronto area, you can join a Manif Casserole tomorrow, May 30. People are gathering at Dufferin Grove Park, 875 Dufferin Street, around 8:00. Bring something to bang on and something to bang with (i.e. a pot and a wooden spoon).
There’s a Facebook event here, but it’s more important just to be there.
By laura k, on May 22, 2012, at 10:30 pm
On the 100th day of student protests, 250,000 people take to the streets! Supporters bang on pots and pans from their windows! Solidarity rallies in New York and Paris!
Montreal, we are with you!
By laura k, on May 22, 2012, at 11:00 am From Coop média de Montréal: 1. The issue is debt, not tuition.
2. Striking students in Quebec are setting an example for youth across the continent.
3. The student strike was organized through democratic means and with democratic aim.
4. This is not an exclusively Quebecois phenomenon.
5. Government officials and the media have been openly calling for violence and fascist tactics to be used against the students.
6. Excessive state violence has been used against the students.
7. The government supports organized crime and opposes organized students.
8. Canada’s elites punish the people and oppose the students.
9. The
. . . → Read More: wmtc: ten things everyone should know about the quebec student movement
By laura k, on May 11, 2012, at 8:00 am On Monday, June 4, websites representing thousands of Canadian people and organizations will go dark to protest changes introduced in the Harper Government’sTM budget act (Bill C-38).
To join this online protest, go to Black Out Speak Out – or Silence, on parle! – and sign up. You’ll receive tools to turn your blog or website into a message of protest that will be counted by all the major media and political parties.
This government, which represents the interests of industries and profit over the interests of ordinary Canadian people, is putting the future of our land, water and
. . . → Read More: wmtc: on june 4: black out to speak out
By laura k, on March 12, 2012, at 12:00 pm I know I’m not the only Canadian who is frustrated by the media’s constant use of the phrase “robocall scandal,” as if we’re all fired up over a few unwanted phone calls. (Dr. Dawg has an excellent post about this fuzzy thinking.) Come on, people, we’re talking about election fraud. Vote suppression. A deliberate attempt to mislead citizens in order to prevent them from voting.
We’re talking about a polarizing government that won majority status by squeezing past the post in some very tight races – in which there are now serious questions about the legitimacy of the vote!
. . . → Read More: wmtc: it’s not robocalls we’re worried about: it’s election fraud
By laura k, on March 11, 2012, at 8:30 am If you’re in the GTA, here are the details.
Rallies are being held across Canada. Check this Facebook page or do the Google to find an event near you.
Demand a full public investigation. Demand a new election!
By laura k, on March 4, 2012, at 8:30 am Yesterday the rallies kicked off in Vancouver. Next Sunday is Toronto’s turn. Demand a complete, public inquiry into election fraud in the 2011 election. Demand a by-elections!
Toronto:Sunday, March 11, 201212:00 noonYonge-Dundas SquareOn Facebook
Facebook pages for other cities where rallies have been confirmed:CalgaryMontrealOttawaSaskatoon
As more cities have information, they’ll be listed here.
For more information on why the present Elections Canada investigation is inadequate, see Dr. Dawg.
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