The Tricky Business of Violence
The tricky business of violence against the state (or other systems of power) is really defined by two questions: When is violence acceptable and justifiable on principle, and when is…
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It’s About Control, Not Liberty
Modern conservatism and right-wing ideology in the United States in particular and North America in general often defines itself by its devotion to liberty. For many, I imagine, this is…
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Thanks, I Guess
When massive Western corporations provide relief and assistance during a pandemic, these stories are easily framed by corporate communications teams, the government, and mass media as some sort of angelic…
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In Many Ways, the Major Enemy of Markets Are Businesses
The types of private interest that worked against the public good that Adam Smith noted in The Wealth of Nations are almost quaint when put against the size and nature…
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Class and Loathing in the Suburbs
It goes without saying that where and how you grow up (family dynamics, neighborhood, household income, schooling, etc.) plays a large part in shaping your conscious and unconscious attitudes. Your…
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Public Washrooms
You’re out, maybe with some friends, downtown. You’re having a good time nowhere in particular, bouncing between bars and venues as the mood strikes you, when something else strikes you….
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Capitalism Is Great, But Liberalism Can’t Rest on Those Laurels
In a country like Canada, one benefit of modern capitalism — paired with a set of social safety nets — is that most areas of the country1 are basically good…
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We Are Not Guilty of a Colonial Past, But We Are Its Inheritors
Our Inheritance Conversations on the history and implications of colonialism (specifically the British and French versions inflicted on North America) often filter down, for many people, to one of two…
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Controlling Birth Control
Control over control is part of any government’s operations. Regulating the extent to which other entities, like corporations or people, control their own affairs is a natural consequence of having…
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Social Justice and the Social Dictator
Everyone seems to be able to agree on the word “justice” — until you put a modifier on it. Social justice, in particular, has proven profoundly divisive. On the one…
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