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Nov 7, 2024 | 
canadiandimension.com | John Clarke
Whenever corporate magnates try to justify their destructive greed or conservative politicians whip up hateful and ignorant sentiments among their supporters, it is easy to appreciate that power elites and the political right are the natural home of intellectual dishonesty. We can see evidence of this all around us and examples abound.
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Oct 16, 2024 | 
frontline.thehindu.com | Rama Bijapurkar |Mathangi Krishnamurthy |John Clarke |Tabish Khair
In this post-election period, as we reckon again with the question of what India’s future holds, front and centre is the question of the demographic dividend. By current calculations, India has the next 30 years to make hay should the young ones shine. How does one, therefore, understand the possibilities represented by this overwhelmingly high proportion of young people between the ages of 10 and 24 in the working population? Characterisations of the desi Gen Z are rampant.
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Oct 15, 2024 | 
frontline.thehindu.com | John Clarke |Tabish Khair |Amita Arudpragasam |Saba Naqvi
There can be no denying that the dangers posed by a potential second Donald Trump presidency are stark and very real. The “art of the deal” billionaire turned politician is dangerously erratic, overtly racist, and deeply authoritarian. Moreover, the MAGA (Make America Great Again) base that he has drawn around himself is extremely reactionary and includes openly fascistic elements.
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Oct 2, 2024 | 
canadiandimension.com | John Clarke
As the genocide in Gaza drags on month after month, a number of commentators have justifiably pointed to the dehumanization of the Palestinians, not only by Israel but also by politicians and conventional media in much of the Global North, as a root cause of the unfolding horror. Back in June, for example, Brice de le Vingne, head of the Doctors Without Borders Emergency Unit in Gaza, noted, “Since October (and certainly before), the dehumanization of Palestinians has been a hallmark of this war.
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Aug 22, 2024 | 
canadiandimension.com | John Clarke
Now that Joe Biden has been replaced by his Vice President, Kamala Harris, in the US presidential race against Donald Trump, the question of whether the political left in that country should support Harris is up for debate. The fact that she is part of an administration that has systematically funded and condoned the genocide in Gaza for long months has lent this question a particularly contentious character.
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Aug 11, 2024 | 
znetwork.org | John Clarke
After decades of involvement in trade union and anti-poverty struggles, I find myself thinking more and more about the lessons I have learned along the way and how some of these might be of use to other union and community activists. I’m presently developing an educational course on how movements challenge power structures and how those structures develop and apply strategies to contain resistance.
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Aug 11, 2024 | 
socialistproject.ca | John Clarke
Labour, Poverty • August 11, 2024 • After decades of involvement in trade union and anti-poverty struggles, I find myself thinking more and more about the lessons I have learned along the way and how some of these might be of use to other union and community activists. I’m presently developing an educational course on how movements challenge power structures and how those structures develop and apply strategies to contain resistance.
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Jul 15, 2024 | 
canadiandimension.com | John Clarke
After decades of involvement in trade union and anti-poverty struggles, I find myself thinking more and more about the lessons I have learned along the way and how some of these might be of use to other union and community activists. I’m presently developing an educational course on how movements challenge power structures and how those structures develop and apply strategies to contain resistance.
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May 31, 2024 | 
canadiandimension.com | John Clarke
An obituary announcing Peter Rosenthal’s death on May 25 describes him as “an esteemed mathematician, lawyer, and political activist with an unwavering passion for helping others.” I wouldn’t dispute those words but they understate Peter’s outrage at social injustices and his determination to challenge them. As a “movement lawyer,” Peter played an indispensable role during the years when I was an organizer with the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP).
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May 22, 2024 | 
canadiandimension.com | John Clarke
The introduction and expansion of medical assistance in dying (MAID) in Canada has been surrounded by substantial debate at every stage. In my view, a serious discussion of the issues involved must acknowledge that the impact of any public policy cannot be evaluated outside the social context in which the policy is applied.
