Blogs

rabble blogs are the personal pages of some of Canada's most insightful progressive activists and commentators. All opinions belong to the writer; however, writers are expected to adhere to our guidelines. We welcome new bloggers -- contact us for details.
Blog - The Views Expressed June 30
Pipes for the Keystone Pipeline. Image: Wikimedia Commons/shannonpatrick17
Canada should advocate for exemption from NAFTA's proportionality rule
Gordon Laxer | The rule obligates Canada to make available to the U.S. the same share of oil, natural gas and electricity as the previous three years. No other country has signed away access to its energy resources.
Blog - The Views Expressed June 30
Dixon Terbasket at the first billboard raising on IR #2 (Lower Similkameen Indian Band) Photo credit: Zeus Helios
Members of Okanagan-Syilx Nation are unsettling Canada 150. It's time for Canadians to listen.
Neil Nunn | An Okanagan-Syilx-led collaborative awareness project called Rethink 150: Indigenous Truth brings awareness to the work that Canada 150 does to erase and occlude current and historical injustices.
Blog - Bound but not gagged June 30
Unsettling Canada a necessary wake-up call
Meg Borthwick | Arthur Manuel's book is required reading for Resistance 150.
Blog - On The Other Hand June 30
Middle America's anger has a new focus: Healthcare as a basic human right
Penney Kome | Republicans are experiencing a backlash of constituent anger over the proposed replacement for the Affordable Care Act.
Blog - Yves Engler's Blog June 30
A Light Armoured Vehicle patrol on August 14, 2016 at Petawawa, On. Image: Flickr/4 Cdn Div / 4 Div CA - JTFC/FOIC
Justin Trudeau's foreign policy and militarism reminiscent of the Harper era
Yves Engler | The sober reality is Trudeau represents a continuation of his predecessor's foreign policy. I might need to redo my 2012 book "The Ugly Canadian," with the tagline "Justin Trudeau's foreign policy."
Blog - Pulpit and Politics June 30
Image: Flickr/European Parliament. Syrian refugee camp in Turkey.
Amid the global refugee crisis, Canada can do more to help
Dennis Gruending | According to the United Nations there are 65 million forcibly displaced people in the world. Canada can do more to help.
Blog - A change is gonna come June 30
Image: Anti-Canada 150 Poster Pack
Systemic oppression of Indigenous peoples is no reason for celebration
Doreen Nicoll | As a white settler enjoying life on stolen land and broken promises, I'm unable to join in this celebration. We must work towards meaningful reconciliation with the true founding nations of this land.
Blog - rabble.ca's staff blog June 30
rabble.ca welcomes new board of directors
rabble staff | On the 16th anniversary of rabble.ca, we're pleased to announce our new board of directors.
Blog - A change is gonna come June 29
Alanis Obomsawin's documentaries chronicle Indigenous life and resistance
Doreen Nicoll | Spend July 1st watching Obomsawin's documentaries about Indigenous life and culture.
Blog - The Views Expressed June 29
Labour Demonstration against wage controls, Parliament Hill, 1942. Image: Library and Archives Canada/flickr
At a milestone in Canada's history, the vital role of trade unions remains overlooked
Ed Finn | As we approach Canada's 150th anniversary, acknowledgement of the substantial contribution trade unions have made to Canada's development and progress is nowhere to be seen.
Blog - A change is gonna come June 29
Photo of Ghostkeeper band by Blair Russel via Muskegkids/Wikimedia Commons
Ghostkeeper focuses the light on Indigenous rights
Doreen Nicoll | Shane Ghostkeeper and Sarah Houle are partners in life, art and music. Their band Ghostkeeper has been invited to play at Nathan Philips Square in Toronto as part of Canada Day.
Blog - Yves Engler's Blog June 29
Image: Wikimedia Commons/Vancouver2
William Grant Stairs of Halifax helped conquer the Congo
Yves Engler | Canada's 150th anniversary offers a unique opportunity to shed light on some darker corners of Canadian history. One of the dustier chapters is our contribution to one of the most barbarous regimes
Blog - Alberta Diary June 29
Bashir Mohamed, BLM Edmonton (Image: David Climenhaga)
Carding statistics can't be explained away -- they're evidence of systemic racism
David J. Climenhaga | Carding ignores the principles of natural justice. It flies in the face of due process. It's almost certain to be ruled by the courts to be unconstitutional, and therefore illegal.
Blog - David Suzuki June 28
Responders pulling a raft along a flooded street in Montreal, Quebec, 2017. Image: Flickr/Exile on Ontario St​
Nature offers the best defence against flooding
David Suzuki | Despite recent investments, Canada lags behind other G7 nations in flood preparation and climate change adaptation. It's time we recognize green infrastructure as central to flood-prevention efforts.
Blog - Media Watch blog June 27
Liberals take first small step toward rebuilding the CBC, but there are many miles to go
Nick Fillmore | The Trudeau government is taking an important first step forward from the cynical Harper era. During the months and years ahead we will hopefully witness the rebuilding of the CBC.
Blog - WireTap: Surveillance and Technology June 27
In the age of social media, Big Brother doesn't watch us. We watch ourselves.
Kyle Curlew | Everything we post on our Instagram and how we shape our Facebook profile are ways of performing highly curated renditions of identity.
Blog - Policyfix June 27
Image: North Point Douglas Women's Centre
Funding and consultation vital for implementation of Manitoba's Path to Reconciliation Act
Shauna MacKinnon | Premier Pallister rode his bike to Peguis First Nation to honour 200 years of the Selkirk Treaty as "a gesture of reconciliation." This gesture will remain hollow when stacked next to funding cuts.
Blog - Alberta Diary June 25
Alberta Party threatens Jason Kenney's plans to unite the right
David J. Climenhaga | With the potential rise of another party offering conservatism with a human face, one wonders if this will change the political calculus of union-minded Wildrosers and PCs.
Blog - Sarah Miller's blog June 23
Image: Flickr/Province of British Columbia
Ten possible explanations for the B.C. Liberals' colossal policy flip-flop
Sarah Miller | After the B.C. Liberals' bizarre throne speech yesterday -- which consisted of mostly ideas stolen from the NDP platform -- let's look at a few possible explanations for this sudden change of heart.
Blog - Alberta Diary June 23
Premier Brad Wall. Image: Flickr/University of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan credit rating downgraded for second time by Standard & Poor’s and all we hear are crickets
David J. Climenhaga | Wednesday was the longest day of the year, and Standard & Poor's chose the summer solstice to downgrade Saskatchewan's credit rating from AA+ to AA.
Blog - The Views Expressed June 23
"Marea Blanca" protest against health privatization in Spain. Photo: Adolfo Lujan/flickr
The reversal of privatization and an urban coming of age
David A. McDonald | Privatization has been given ample chance to succeed and has come up short. Evidence is building that people are able to reclaim public services and usher in a new generation of public ownership.
Blog - Alberta Diary June 23
Image: Flickr/UN Women
Trudeau government dumps Harper's anti-union legislation
David Climenhaga | The Trudeau government's Bill C-4, which repeals the Harper government's anti-union legislation, received Royal Assent on Monday.
Blog - Yves Engler's Blog June 23
Image: Wikimedia Commons/Ryan Hodnett
Election interference is not unique to Russia -- U.S. and Canada have done it, too
Yves Engler | Media commentators who complain about Russia ignore clear-cut Canadian meddling elsewhere and the history of US interference in other countries’ elections, including in Canada
Blog - On The Other Hand June 22
Environmental law review recommends changes to Fisheries Act, National Energy Board
Penney Kome | Liberals release reports on four major Acts; recommendations please some, irk others.
Blog - Nora Loreto's blog June 22
Photo: Henrickson/Wikimedia Commons
RBC to axe 450 jobs while its shareholders are rolling in profits
Nora Loreto | Now more than ever, journalists need to make the connection between bank profits and human misery.
Blog - The Activist Toolkit Blog June 22
Image: Flickr/Ted Eytan​
Who is fuelling populist racism in Quebec?
Maya Bhullar | GREDA and the Activist Toolkit provide a list of active far-right groups in Quebec.
Blog - Alberta Diary June 22
Derek Fildebrandt and Jason Kenney. Image: Twitter/@pcyouthalberta
Explaining Derek Fildebrandt's ambitions as Jason Kenney vows to stifle 'bozo eruptions' in the Alberta UCP
David J. Climenhaga | Derek Fildebrandt is well known for alleging the Alberta NDP hoodwinked voters by keeping its promises, an opinion that caused general hilarity from coast to coast.
Blog - David Suzuki June 21
Rush Hour on the Dunsmuir Separated Bike Lane. Image: Flickr/Paul Krueger
Two centuries after their invention, bicycles are still the most efficient form of transportation
David Suzuki | Bikes are easier than cars on infrastructure such as roads, help reduce health care costs and can alleviate poverty as people spend less on vehicle-related costs.
Blog - Alberta Diary June 20
Tzeporah Berman (Photo: David Climenhaga)
Opposition focuses fury on Tzeporah Berman, ignores oil sands advisory group consensus recommendations … why?
David J. Climenhaga | By constantly vilifying a prominent environmentalist, critics undermine the work of all members of the Oil Sands Advisory Group. They should be asked why.
Blog - The Journalism Doctor June 20
Journalist. Image: Pixabay
Government subsidies for reporters are a really bad idea
John Miller | Once proudly independent, Canada's news media are scrambling for handouts.

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