Uncategorized Archives - Page 3 of 3

For corporate killers, the free ride’s over

Post published:May 3, 2017

Hell’s History: The USW’s fight to prevent workplace deaths and injuries from the 1992 Westray Mine disaster through 2016 By Tom Sandborn (United Steelworkers, 76 pp, 2016) Each year on April 28, unions and other labour organizations across Canada observe the National Day of Mourning for workers killed or injured on the job. A solemn public ritual, the Day of Mourning ceremony typically features a procession of “pallbearers” carrying empty black coffins to a temporary…

The stubborn persistence of justice

Post published:April 18, 2017

Assassination of a Saint: The Plot to Murder Oscar Romero and The Quest to Bring His Killers to Justice By Matt Eisenbrandt University of California Press (226 pp, $37.95) For those old enough to remember it, the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero on March 24, 1980 still resonates as one of the late twentieth century’s more tragic events, its historic significance extending well beyond the borders of El Salvador. For many, Romero’s killing remains a…

A Letter to Justin Trudeau

Post published:January 30, 2017

Dear Prime Minister, As a native-born, Canadian male who happens to be married to an immigrant male who once fled a military dictatorship, I was heartened by your initial response to the U.S. ban on our Muslim neighbours. “To those fleeing persecution, terror & war,” you Tweeted, “Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada”. Such admirable sentiment, however, is not enough to prevent injustice unless backed up with policy.…

Drunk & Stupid (and Entitled) in Thailand

Post published:August 3, 2013

An item circulating on Facebook this week tells the unfortunate story of a drunken American tourist in Thailand who, after insisting on singing with a bar band and refusing to get off the stage, was stabbed to death by one of the band’s musicians. The whole pathetic episode resonates for a number of reasons—not least of which were the three years I spent in Bangkok as a sub editor at The Nation, a daily newspaper…

Hail, the Conquering Asian

Post published:October 1, 1999

Published in the Vancouver Sun on Saturday, October 2, 1999 “It is war now between Oriental the Euro-Canadian for possession of British Columbia –the prize region of the whole Pacific.” — Tom Maclnnes, The Oriental Occupation of British Columbia, 1927 “British Columbia is on its way to becoming an economic, cultural and finally political dependency of Asia — a Pacific Columbia likely dominated by China.” — Vancouver Sun columnist Trevor Lautens, Sept. 4,1999 …