The Views Expressed

Faking it: Donald Trump's deep ties with the racist, sexist world of professional wrestling

the views expressed — Wed, 15 Feb 2017 22:15:18 +0000

If you want a hint at how far Donald Trump's presidency will go, look no further than professional wrestling. The owners of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) -- the infamous McMahon family -- and President Trump have arguably formed the greatest tag-team of white supremacy both inside and outside the squared circle.

Trump's cabinet includes Linda McMahon, co-founder and former CEO of the WWE, as leader of Small Business Administration. While this stunned some, Trump's close friendship and affiliation with the WWE and the McMahon family goes back 30 years. Trump twice hosted WWE's showcase event Wrestlemania and also appeared as a WWE performer -- each time with vast sums of money exchanging hands.

Trump's Muslim ban first step toward re-establishing American dominance in the Middle East

the views expressed — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 22:29:13 +0000

Trump's executive order to ban citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries from the U.S., comes in flagrant defiance of all international humanitarian laws and basic human rights. This ban is not about protecting Americans from ISIS or "Islamic extremists". Instead, Trump's policy is the first step in an economic and political strategy designed to rebuild the American Empire.

The Quebec mosque attack victims spent their lives vilified as terrorists. Then they were murdered by one.

the views expressed — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 23:33:36 +0000

A radicalized, right-wing, white Trump supporter walks into a place of worship and terrorizes a room full of innocent Muslim men as they submit in peace and prayer. How depressingly ironic! These men became the victims of the very label that the media and public use to condemn them: terrorist.

No, there is no such thing as 'reverse' terrorism

the views expressed — Thu, 09 Feb 2017 21:32:02 +0000

In the aftermath of the Quebec City mosque attack, we have heard and read all kinds of language to describe the event. "Hate crime," "mass murder" and "terrorist attack" were all used and they all, to some extent, do define what has happened. However, one confused TVA anchor said on air that this was a case of "reverse" terrorism. As if terrorism had only one form: Muslim against others.

As burned bridges pile up, Trudeau's re-election may already be out of reach

the views expressed — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 23:47:53 +0000

With last week's announcement that the Liberals are abandoning their promise of electoral reform, coupled with their out-of-control deficit spending, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau may have already burned the bridges he built, both to the left and to the right, that won him a majority government in 2015.

The Liberals cannot win a majority in 2019 without the support they siphoned from the Greens and the NDP on the left, nor without the soft conservatives and Red Tories who turned to them after a decade of Stephen Harper. After all, as much as we view Trudeau's 2015 majority as a resounding victory, the Liberals captured less than 40 per cent of the popular vote. Subtract five per cent and all bets are off.

The radical right has always been on the radar, just not in the media

the views expressed — Thu, 02 Feb 2017 20:13:30 +0000

When radicalization is publicly discussed in Canada, it is almost always with a reference to Islamic extremism or terrorism. It's as if this phenomenon is strictly confined to individuals who have adopted extremist Islamist ideas like those of ISIS. Yet, this narrow conception of radicalization has, without a doubt, allowed for the atrocities in the Quebec City mosque to take place.

By failing to acknowledge the threat coming from the radicalization of individuals and the presence of more than 100 right-wing groups throughout Canada, we have blinded ourselves to the possibility of something like this ever happening.

Trudeau may tweet a good game on equal rights, but his broken promises are hurting women

the views expressed — Thu, 02 Feb 2017 19:05:13 +0000

We are at a scary point in history -- one that I hope will end up being told through the voices of the hundreds of thousands of courageous people pouring onto the streets to stand in defiance of the hate, fear, racism and misogyny that is being propagated by the new American President and political opportunists here in Canada.

Monday, we stood together in shock, mourning the six innocent victims of this political agenda of racism and intolerance. Men shot, here in Canada, because they prayed at a mosque instead of a church.

Canadian conservatives must take long, hard look at their Islamophobic rhetoric

the views expressed — Mon, 30 Jan 2017 19:29:30 +0000

While details are still unfolding on the Quebec City mosque attack Sunday night, there is little question that the shooter was motivated by hate for Muslims. As such, Quebec and Canadian political leaders should take a long, hard look at how their statements and actions may exacerbate such hate.

Quebec Muslims rightly see the Quebec City mosque killings as just the latest escalation in a trend of growing harassment against Canada's Muslims. "The Muslim community in Quebec is suffering from a flood of hate attacks...and now the attacks are escalating and bringing...the death of innocent people," lamented Samer Majzoub, president of the Canadian Muslim Forum.

'Today, let us commit to speaking out for those whose voices may not be as loud': Samaah Jaffer at Vancouver's Women's March

the views expressed — Mon, 23 Jan 2017 02:29:22 +0000

15,000 people attended the Vancouver Women's March on Washington on Saturday, one massive demonstration among over 600 worldwide in defiance of the election of a misogynist sexual predator to the White House. rabble editor Samaah Jaffer addressed the crowd as a young feminist. The transcript of her speech is below.

Good afternoon everyone. My name is Samaah Jaffer and it's my honour to be standing here today, in solidarity with the Women's March on Washington.

The determination demonstrated by our sisters south of the border, to defend our dignity, rights, and freedoms as women is tremendously inspiring, especially in this moment where we are witnessing the rise of an extraordinarily dangerous political movement.

2016 was a big year for electoral reform. 2017 could be the foundation of a legacy.

the views expressed — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 23:08:41 +0000

Four key steps were taken toward electoral reform in 2016. A multi-partisan committee of MPs worked together to submit a majority report recommending proportional representation. A new Alliance of 62 groups called Every Voter Counts was formed to advocate for equal and effective votes. P.E.I. rejected the majoritarian options on the ballot in a plebiscite and a majority voted for a mixed-member proportional voting system. Finally, Justin Trudeau reasserted his promise to change the voting system and confirmed he will introduce legislation in May 2017.

Until Canada gives Indigenous people their land back, there can never be reconciliation

the views expressed — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 18:07:05 +0000

On January 11, 2017, the world lost one of its fiercest warriors against colonialism when Art Manuel passed away. This article, published last year in the First Nations Strategic Bulletin, is characteristic of his clarity, honesty and vision. It is reprinted here with permission.

2017 marks the fact that we have been officially colonized by Canada for 150 years. This is an important milestone and it is time for us to decide if we want to continue to be colonized peoples or if we want to seek self-determination.

Growing list of Liberal hypocrisies risks ushering in right-wing populism to Canada

the views expressed — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 18:05:38 +0000

With their recent actions, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government risk creating the conditions for right-wing populism to flourish in Canada.

The trend is becoming clear in the West: if the choice is between out of touch, elitist, neoliberal corporatists, or right-wing populists, the right-wing populists have a good shot.

As pot legalization nears, cannabis industry can't forget workers' rights

the views expressed — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 21:41:40 +0000

When it comes to workplace safety and rights for cannabis workers in Canada, the recent report by the Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation leaves some labour advocates a bit dazed and confused.

The Canadian cannabis industry is poised to become a significant player in our economy, where thousands of hard-working men and women will earn their incomes, and, in the right environment, gain the means to support their families and further build their communities. With that in mind, our federal government is presented with an opportunity to help shape this industry and workplace of the future in a way that best reflects the needs, realities, values and aspirations of twenty-first century Canada.

The consultation process for electoral reform has been a shambles. Here are three ways to save it

the views expressed — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 18:53:25 +0000

I've dedicated a lot of time and energy to understanding and improving how we elect governments in Canada. Yet despite having had more access to Minister of Democratic Institutions Maryam Monsef than the average Canadian, I feel more confused than ever about what we are to expect from the electoral reform process.

Refusing assisted dying on moral grounds not just an indignity, it's an erosion of public health care

the views expressed — Tue, 03 Jan 2017 20:21:29 +0000

Despite the Supreme Court's unanimous decision in Carter v. Canada, assisted dying continues to run into obstacles across the country. The highest-profile setback came last spring, when the federal government restricted the service to those for whom death is "reasonably foreseeable."

However, opponents of the right to medically assisted death have also been active at the provincial level. In Ontario, their efforts have been particularly fruitful, taking the form of a new variation on an old theme known as conscientious objection. For patients nearing the ends of their lives, as well as anybody concerned about our governments' capacity to shape health-care provision, the implications are startling.

Canada's institutional Left should follow its own advice on how to fight racism and sexism

the views expressed — Mon, 02 Jan 2017 20:06:01 +0000

On the heels of Trump's election to the White House, the Broadbent Institute posted an article on its blog titled: "Whiteness trouble: The Left's challenge after Trump."

While the article made a positive effort in recognizing the racism and sexism that underpinned Trump's campaign and detailing how progressives in Canada need to tackle racism and sexism if we hope to win, it fell short of one key question: what steps will the Broadbent Institute, as one of Canada's leading progressive think tank and advocacy organization, take to address the issues laid out in the article?

To tackle the housing crisis, advocates need to focus on more than just homes and homelessness

the views expressed — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 23:38:31 +0000

Understandably, leaders in Canada's non-profit housing sector tend to focus just on housing and homelessness. Housing policy, however, would benefit from a socioeconomic perspective that remains mindful of both macroeconomic factors and factors pertaining to Canada's social welfare system in general.

Here are 10 things to know:

1. In the past several decades, Canada's economy -- as well as its social welfare system -- has gone through profound changes. For example, since the 1980s, spending on social welfare by Canada's federal government has decreased substantially. Likewise, since the mid-1990s, taxation in Canada (by all orders of government combined) has decreased substantially.

Canada on the right track with national housing strategy, but we're not there yet

the views expressed — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 19:54:39 +0000

As the housing sector in Canada knows, this past summer the federal government launched a consultation process on a National Housing Strategy. The launch of such a strategy was a key objective of CHRA before, during, and after the 2015 federal election, and marks a key opportunity to shape federal housing policies for possibly decades to come.

Following an intense summer and fall of national and regional level meetings and engagement opportunities, the consultation process culminated on November 22 with the release of the "What We Heard" report by the Minister responsible for housing, Jean-Yves Duclos.

Green Party compromise on BDS motion offers win for everyone -- and plenty of confusion

the views expressed — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 19:49:47 +0000

The Green Party convention this past weekend offered a win for everyone. Sort of.

The convention was held to clarify the Greens' position vis-à-vis economic pressure on Israel for its human rights abuses. Green leader Elizabeth May was so opposed to an August resolution condemning Israel's human rights abuses that she had threatened to resign. Influential party activists sought to preserve their August win while maintaining party unity.

Trudeau has opened a path to a democratic future. We'll get there by leaving him behind

the views expressed — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 18:24:35 +0000

In just one year, Justin Trudeau's Liberal government has gone from being an agent of change to a scion of entrenched power. Though the dozens of consultations the Liberals have unleashed are ultimately discrediting the party, they may have already opened the door to a more hopeful and democratic future.

We've heard the story of Trudeau's quick trip from hope to demoralization a few times at this point, but here's a quick recap.

The fight against gender-based violence must include women and girls with disabilities too

the views expressed — Wed, 30 Nov 2016 18:26:16 +0000

November 25, the UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, marks the beginning of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. December 10, International Human Rights Day, marks the end of this international campaign.

Kinder Morgan can't buy social license with ad blitz, but it's doing its darnedest

the views expressed — Tue, 29 Nov 2016 20:35:52 +0000

Any metro Vancouver resident watching TV, checking websites, or browsing the local weekly in recent months could hardly avoid the multi-media barrage from extractivist corporate entities.

The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers' "EnergyCitizens", B.C. LNG, and Kinder Morgan know how to massage one-sided and misleading messages, without actually lying. They have public relations budgets that no environmental group can match and the expertise to make their pitches within narrowly defined advertising standards policies.

More than 50 cultural and political icons urge Green Party to stay the course on BDS

the views expressed — Mon, 28 Nov 2016 18:49:33 +0000

More than 50 cultural and political figures released the following open letter today, calling for the Green Party of Canada not to reverse its party policy established at convention in August, where it overwhelmingly voted to support the international Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS) movement in opposition to Israel's occupation of Palestine.

Why can't we have a real, open debate on Israel and Palestine?

the views expressed — Thu, 24 Nov 2016 19:42:28 +0000

Last month, The Vancouver Sun printed a remarkable apology to Independent Jewish Voices (IJV) Canada. The Sun editorial board had published a piece in August claiming that IJV -- a Jewish organization -- had denied the Holocaust and encouraged terrorism against Israelis. The only problem was, they were dead wrong.

Carding: An open letter to the City of Toronto and Province of Ontario from Black intellectuals, writers and organizers

the views expressed — Wed, 23 Nov 2016 15:10:32 +0000

On November 17, 2016 the Toronto Police Services Board voted to continue the practice of carding in a revised form. The decision by the TPSB represents a significant impact on the rights of Black, Indigenous, and Brown people, as well as homeless people and other marginalized people in our Toronto community.

Six brief thoughts for the left after the unthinkable

the views expressed — Wed, 16 Nov 2016 22:51:48 +0000

Having watched the U.S. electoral horror show unfolding over several months, I'm trying to stand back from the emotional shock of the appalling outcome, to think of some of the themes for progressive activist debate and research in politics and communication. What understandings are relevant to the political action that our collective survival now necessitates?

A rock and a harder place

Solidarity with Standing Rock continues to grow in Canada as First Nations see resonances at home

the views expressed — Mon, 14 Nov 2016 23:40:16 +0000

On the sunny afternoon of November 5, supporters gathered in Toronto to answer the global call to action to join the Indigenous-led movement to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL).

Since the Standing Rock Sioux Nation first took legal action on July 27, 2016 to stop the 1886-km crude oil pipeline that threatens their water supply and sacred territory, the movement has gained significant attention and momentum.

You probably don't know that you own billions of dollars in coal stocks

the views expressed — Mon, 14 Nov 2016 18:25:24 +0000

Sometimes huge issues just slide along under the radar until, all of a sudden, they blow up. The shock can come from a brown envelope slid under a door, a "scoop" in the media, or an opposition politician discovering a serious failure in government.

I'm waiting for an explosion to occur at the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. This organization has assets of $287 billion and provides pensions for the 19 million Canadians who pay into it.

Trumpism isn't new -- it's already in Canada

the views expressed — Thu, 10 Nov 2016 18:02:17 +0000

Even before Donald Trump became president-elect south of the border Canadians have expressed concern that the prejudiced and harmful politics he's espoused this election cycle are bleeding into the Great White North.

Trump's campaign would make just as much sense on mute. That's why it's so successful

the views expressed — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 19:00:18 +0000

Canadian philosopher Brian Massumi once argued that despite being a dull-witted, inept speaker, former U.S. President Ronald Reagan used a series of jerky and erratic gestures to produce a feeling of excited confusion amongst voters. His supporters could feel Reagan's leadership through his rapid movement, assertive voice and confidence, turning a bad actor and seemingly unqualified candidate into the "Great Communicator" and two-term president.