This week @ rabble.ca: Keep on fighting for the Canada we want

Details: Published on Monday, 06 July 2015 12:00; Written by editor

03 Jul 2015

Hello rabble readers!

Another week, another whack of reminders why we need regime change in Ottawa. Luckily, rabble.ca has been holding this government to account -- and Canada is starting to listen. Join our #WIN2015 campaign and help hire a fact checker that will keep the coming election honest and spin-free. Read all about our plan here -- then support rabble.ca and make Harper sad.

Wednesday was Canada Day, so Maya Bhullar urged us to keep fighting for the Canada we want. Abubakar N. Kasim continued the aspirational theme by reminding us that we have some work to do. (And of course, at rabble, that's what independent media is all about. Help us continue to be part of that change!)

In the bad news dept., the Senate crammed through anti-labour Bill C-377. Read Nora Loreto's take on why this bill is about eliminating unions, not fostering transparency. And as if that's not enough, our excellent labour correspondent Ella Bedard unearthed a damning story of union busting at Canada Post.

Oh Gaza. Freedom Flotilla III disembarked for the besieged and embargoed Palestinian state this week with two Canadians -- long-time activist Kevin Neish and former chief of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation Bob Lovelace -- on board. While Canada's corporate media abandoned ship, rabble.ca was there.

Much of the rest of the world focused on the turmoil in Greece this week. Columnist Duncan Cameron admires Syriza's courageous response as the gang of wolves come for Greece. Michael Hudson takes us through some of the niceties in the financial stakes at play while Rick Salutin is aghast at the inhuman economics of the Eurozone.

This Sunday July 5 the massive March for Jobs, Justice and the Climate will take place in Toronto to coincide with the Pan American Climate and Economic summits. Judy Rebick writes about how teamsters are finally lining up with turtles. To prepare, check out key organizer Naomi Klein's column this week. If you're in Toronto this weekend be sure to come out!

And don't forget to join our #WIN2015 campaign and make Harper sad!

This week's top news

What does it mean to be a Toronto treaty person?
An event in Toronto last week sought to educate residents of Toronto on the city's layered treaty history, one that is frequently ignored in official accounts of Toronto's past.
By Christina Turner

Freedom Flotilla activists deported from Israel, to arrive in Canada today
After having their ship illegally seized in international waters and being held in Israeli prison for 72 hours, Kevin Neish and Robert Lovelace are on their way home.
By Megan Devlin

Trans Pacific Partnership patent rules could threaten LGBT lives
The Trans Pacific Partnership will introduce rules on patents for medication that critics say will restrict access to HIV treatment and threaten LGBT lives.
By Mitchell Thompson

We need to keep Hydro One in public hands
Has Canada become a global laughing stock to the ever-growing numbers of people around the world who understand climate change requires action? Yep!
By Fred Hahn

Happy Canada Day: We have some work to do
As a nation, Canada has lost its way. What can we do this Canada Day to steer it back on course?
By Abubakar N. Kasim

Postal workers' union alleges union-busting by Canada Post
Unionized temp agency loses its contract with Canada Post less than a year after signing first collective agreement. Would you say union-busting?
By Ella Bedard

Here are the new requirements for Canadian citizenship
On June 11, new requirements were made mandatory for Canadian citizenship. In many cases it has become more difficult to obtain citizenship. Here are the changes.
By Edward C. Corrigan

This week's top blogs

Maclean's pushes non-story about Mulcair joining Harper team in 2007. Why now?
Maclean's carried two stories on one day about Mulcair's talks with the Conservatives in 2007. A main-quoted source mostly confirms Mulcair's version.
By Karl Nerenberg

Newly passed anti-labour bill seeks to eliminate unions, not enforce transparency
Forget compliance. Canadians need to see Bill C-377 for what it really is.
By Nora Loreto

The death throes of the Harper Conservatives
The increasingly self-destructive actions of the Conservatives signify only one thing: the beast is slowly dying. It needs to be put out of its misery.
By J. Baglow

Keep on fighting for the Canada we want
Civil liberties, teachers and public sector workers, the climate, and so much more is under attack...let's keep fighting back!
By Maya Bhullar

Greens deserve 'progressive' votes as much as anyone
Despite the partisan assertions of some, when it comes to economic policy the Greens are very clearly a "progressive" party.
By Michael Laxer

Latest exercise in vocabulary shaming once again tells women they're talking all wrong
The unstated assumption in the long history of grammatical policing is that women are always in the wrong and the status quo is right. Women, the monolithic group, should write like men.
By Michael Stewart

Slavery and racism is easy to rationalize if you dehumanize an entire people
"If there be an object truly ridiculous in nature, it is an American patriot signing resolutions of independency with the one hand, and with the other brandishing a whip over his affrighted slaves."
By Gerry Caplan

This week's top columns

'People and Planet First': Naomi Klein on climate justice and a new economy
Naomi Klein delivered these remarks during a press conference introducing "People and Planet First: The Imperative to Change Course."
By Naomi Klein

Eating our way to extinction
Yes, we have to eat. But how food is produced and consumed really matters to the species with which we share this planet, and to our own future.
By Ole Hendrickson

A gang of wolves comes for Greece
Syriza represented a challenge to the prevailing European economic model, so it had to be stopped. The German grand coalition government has decided to teach Greece a lesson.
By Duncan Cameron

To fight shock doctrine, progressives need to learn critical economics
Progressive activists need our own "storyline" about economics, and enough critical knowledge to reject the claim "there is no alternative" -- to globalization, austerity, or capitalism itself.
By Jim Stanford

'Mother Canada': Harper builds another monument to himself
Monuments are only a small part of the whole that, perhaps, will at last get fully exposed to a distracted public before the upcoming election.
By Ralph Surette

MORE FROM...
Naomi Klein, Linda McQuaig, Rick Salutin, Duncan Cameron, Wayne MacPhail, Murray Dobbin and others! Read columns...

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This week's top podcasts

Wendy Gritter on faith, LGBTQ communities and change
Wendy talks about shame, guilt and principled pluralism -- how many of us have been socialized to feel disgust for the other and how secrets breed toxicity and ultimately cover up truth and justice.
By Face2Face

Physicians mobilizing in defense of health care for refugees
Dr. Hasan Sheikh talks about the work by Canadian Doctors for Refugee Care attempting to reverse the cruel 2012 cuts to health care for refugees.
By Scott Neigh

Episode 166: Happy 10th birthday, rabble podcast network!
It's our 10th birthday this year. A look back, a look forward.
By Victoria Fenner

This week's top rabbletv

Watch: Robert Lovelace on colonialism in Canada and Israel
In this interview, Robert Lovelace speaks about the commonalities between the colonialism of Canada and Israel.
By Canadian Boat to Gaza

Journalism is...
The JournalismIS campaign marks the first phase of a longer term effort to mobilize the media industry and the public to support professional journalism in Canada.
By rabbleTV

Not Rex: Pope Francis calls out capitalism as culprit for climate change
It takes something special for a religious patriarch to resist capitalism and climate change.
By Humberto DaSilva

This week's top books

To literary comics, with love: Drawn & Quarterly celebrates 25 years
Montreal publisher Drawn & Quarterly is now widely regarded as the best publisher of literary comics in the world. Let's take a look back on how they got there and what has made them so, so great.
By Jeff Miller

In this issue

Upcoming events

TorontoMarch for Jobs, Justice and the Climate
A coalition of grassroots organizations march on the eve of the Pan American Climate Summit of the Americas
By March for Jobs, Justice and the Climate

TorontoToronto Peoples Social Forum
As a follow up to the very successful Peoples' Social Forum, we are hosting a Social Forum in Toronto to counter the Pan American Economic Summit
By Toronto Peoples Social Forum

VancouverVancouver Queer Film Festival
Out On Screen is proud to present the Vancouver Queer Film Festival this summer from Thursday, August 13 to Sunday, August 23 at various theatres.
By Out On Screen

This week's top in cahoots

Conservatives use anti-democratic tactics to pass Bill C-377
"This truly is a sad day for Canadian democracy."
By National Union of Public and General Employees

Referendum results increase pressure on Metro Vancouver transit system
Without quick action from the federal and provincial governments, transit service across the entire Metro Vancouver region will suffer.
By Unifor

Eat Think Vote: Let's make food an election issue
Does food matter to you? Then lets make it matter to our politicians!
By Food Secure Canada

Active babble topics

Olivia Chow not ruling out federal election run
By NorthReport

Mulcair met with Stephen Harper's staff for a job with the Tories
By NDPP

Canada in recession? You are doing one hell of a job Stephen Harper!
By NorthReport

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This week's top tool

On July 5th, Get involved in the March for Jobs, Justice and the Planet
Learn how the contigents are organized, volunteer to help, carry the torch for Climate Justice...get involved!

Poll

What is the worst democracy-killing bill Harper has crammed through Parliament lately?

With the news this week that Canadian Sentors voted in favour of passing Bill C-377 into law, we're both not shocked and continue to be horrified by the Harper government and its anti-democractic practices.

What is the worst democracy-killing bill Harper has crammed through Parliament lately?

Choices Bill C-377: It just happened and it's terrible. Bill C-51: The mother of all anti-democratic bills. Fair Elections Act: Voter suppression is the epitome of anti-democratic. Just every. single. bill. the Harper government has put through Parliament. ever. I don't want to think about Harperland anymore. None of the above.