Right-wing extremism: The new wave of global terrorism

In April 2020, the United Nation’s Secretary-General, António Guterres, addressed members of the Security Council by warning them that the COVID-19 pandemic could threaten global peace and security.

If the health crisis was not managed effectively, he feared that its negative economic consequences, along with a mismanaged government response, would provide an opportunity for white supremacists, right-wing extremists and others to promote division, social unrest and even violence to achieve their objectives.

Here’s What BC’s Three Main Parties Say They’ll Do For Precarious Workers Struggling in the Gig Economy

One issue that hasn’t received much attention during British Columbia’s ongoing election is the challenge faced by precariously employed workers in the province’s “gig economy.”

That might be surprising, because according to a Statistics Canada survey in 2016, there are more gig workers in British Columbia than other parts of Canada.

Jason Kenney's handpicked advisors call for mention of residential schools to be erased from primary grades curriculum

A recommendation by Alberta Premier Jason Kenney's handpicked curriculum advisors to strip all mention of residential schools from the province's Kindergarten-to-grade 4 curriculum "will perpetuate systemic racism through whitewashing," says Melissa Purcell, the Alberta Teachers Association's staff officer for Indigenous education.

'The Indian Residential School system was created to erase the cultures, histories, languages, and perspectives of Indigenous peoples within Canada, and these recommendations perpetuate that erasure," Purcell said in a statement from the ATA yesterday. "These recommendations cannot be taken seriously and must be rejected outright."

Police Investigating if Anti-Maskers Behind Walmart Toilet Paper Aisle Arsons

Police are investigating if anti-mask anger was the reason three toilet paper aisles in three different Ontario Walmarts were set ablaze.

The suspected arsons in question all took place Tuesday evening within about an hour of one another in Kitchener and Waterloo, two neighbouring towns an hour southwest of Toronto.

Kenney trapped in a pressure cooker of his own making

These days, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney must feel like he’s trapped in a multi-dimensional vise, being squeezed from all possible directions.

He’s under pressure from a flailing economy, the miserable price of oil, a $24-billion deficit, frustrated voters, environmental groups, public sector unions, the Joe Biden campaign, and, of course, the NDP opposition. He’s even facing internal strain from his own United Conservative Party members.

Not helping matters is the fact that Kenney is himself responsible for many of these pressures.

Not the pandemic, of course. That’s an equal-opportunity vise that’s put the squeeze on politicians around the world.

The Case Against Donald Trump

In 1973, a United States Air Force officer, Major Harold Hering, asked a question that the Air Force did not want asked. Hering, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, was then in training to become a Minuteman-missile crewman. The question he asked one of his instructors was this: “How can I know that an order I receive to launch my missiles came from a sane president?”

The writer Ron Rosenbaum would later call this the “forbidden question.” Missile officers are allowed to ask certain sorts of questions—about the various fail-safe systems built to prevent the accidental launching of nuclear weapons, for instance. But the Air Force would not answer Hering’s question, and it moved to discharge him after determining that officers responsible for launching nuclear weapons did not “need to know” the answer. “I have to say I feel I do have a need to know because I am a human being,” Hering said in response.

Basic Income Guarantee--A social democratic framework

Our report seeks to clarify the problem that a basic income might solve, and outline principles to guide policy development from a social-democratic perspective.

The speed and scale of job loss in the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown were unprecedented and disproportionately impacted low-wage workers. This highlighted the fragility of our social safety net, especially for women and racialized low-waged workers, reigniting popular interest in a basic income.

However, thoughtful consideration of basic income requires a review of the policies and programs currently in place and an evaluation of what’s working, what could be fixed, and what should be replaced. It's important we make sure we're asking the right questions before we try answering them.

Climate change driving Indigenous food insecurity in Canada: report

Canada’s failure to act on climate change is putting First Nations’ access to nutritious, traditional foods at risk, diminishing health and cultural ties, according to a report released Wednesday by Human Rights Watch.

The report documents the impact of climate change on food insecurity in several First Nations communities that subsist on caribou, moose, salmon and berries — foods that have been relied on for generations and are inseparable from their cultures. 

Ontario long-term care home lays off 60 unionized workers

Bonnie Haley has been a personal support worker (PSW) at the Glen Hill Marnwood long-term care home in Bowmanville for 22 years. On Tuesday at around midnight, during her overnight shift, her employer, Durham Christian Homes, presented her with a layoff notice. 

Haley is one of 60 long-term care workers being laid off by the non-profit Durham Christian Homes simply because the home and its residents are relocating to a new building: Glen Hill Terrace Whitby. 

Big Business Anti-Union Group Offering Companies Pro-BC Liberal Posters To Put Up In Their Workplaces

A big business anti-union lobby group is helping construction companies promote Andrew Wilkinson’s BC Liberals in workplaces across the province.

The Independent Contractors and Businesses Association, an anti-union lobby group that is affiliated with Merit Contractors, has launched something called the “Construction Votes” campaign.

Among the election materials distributed to ICBA’s member companies are flyers, form letters, blank internal bulletins and posters encouraging workers to vote for the anti-labour BC Liberals.