Recent Posts - page 2

  • OPINION | Whose party is it?

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    Despite the disarray of the Republican Party currently, the Democratic Party has not been able to capitalize on the confusion due to internal conflict of their own as various factions within the  Party battle it out for hearts and minds and control. The “ruling” faction is assumed to reflect the priorities of the Party’s majority and will determine everything from new planks in the Party’s platform, plum committee assignments, and most importantly how the Party operates.

  • FEATURED: OPINION | The Necessity of Open-Access Data in the Digital Future

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    A critical step is in the process of being taken with the ways in which data resources are being shared as a means of expediting the scientific response to the COVID-19 pandemic. A step that could not only permanently alter our global trajectory, but that is essential for contemporary society to find solid ground should we wish to withstand the tides to come.

  • OPINION | Nova Scotia Strong: One Year Later

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    One year after the 2020 mass shooting in Portapique, Nova Scotia by Gabriel Wortman politicians recognized the tragic day with moments of silence, tweets of remembrance and kind words, and speeches honouring the victims. Yet, none of these acts have significantly shifted either public policy or the societal normalization of intimate partner violence. This lack of action stems from the masculine nature of the state, which has a tendency to subvert feminist issues and voices.

  • OPINION | Of Firearms and “Root Causes”: Looking Beyond Easy Answers on Gun Violence

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    Contextual analysis is what separates nuanced thinking in the justice policy realm from the basic Benthamite calculus still seemingly favoured by most of the political right. However, when it comes to the issue of guns and gun control, a great many left-wing politicians and activists have seemingly discarded this nuanced understanding for a combination of monocausal insistence and culturally-based revulsion. This singular focus betrays a lack of broader thinking on the issue as well as lack of understanding about the nature of guns and gun crime within our society.

  • OPINION | Sow Doubt, Reap Treasure: Vaccine Skepticism is Now a Bankable Character Trait

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    Vaccine skepticism is no longer representative of a niche; it has reached mainstream culture through media outlets, politicians, popular and religious figures, making it incredibly difficult to navigate even one day of information consumption without bumping head on into it. The result is that vaccine skepticism is a bankable character trait: it makes money for traditional and new media, it sells products and also, very importantly, it ensures votes and accrues or preserves influence for those in power.

  • Another Success for Scotland: Implementing CEDAW

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    In today’s uncertain political and social climate, Scotland’s promise to enshrine the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) into Scot’s Law is a glimmer of light amid the chaos caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Once again proving itself as a champion of women’s rights, Scotland’s socialist approach to this issue has taken into account different perspectives and has thus ensured the possibility of a safer Scotland for all inhabitants.

  • Village Consolidation in China: Unequal Outcomes & Next Steps

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    In an effort to combat land distortion, improve its food security, and to narrow the gap of the living conditions between urban and rural communities, the Chinese government has implemented the Building New Rural Communities (BNRC) initiative. However, the policy and method used to implement this initiative has led to mixed results due to being rooted in a system without sufficient accountability. This article will put forward the idea that a more democratic process that engages the residents and implementing a bottom-up approach would help to address this issue.

  • Violence Against Women in Latin America and the Caribbean

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    Every year millions of women are victims of violence, with rights transgression being a constant issue around the globe. Even more developed countries are facing difficulties in completely eliminating violence against women. The Gender pay gap, genital mutilation and femicide are some of the challenges most developed countries have been facing lately, and gender based violence persists worldwide (affecting one third of women globally). In the underdeveloped world, particularly Latin America and the Caribbean, gender inequality has been a critical issue, with several countries struggling to reduce the unacceptable number of gender-related homicides and violent crimes. In order for this issue to be effectively addressed several social dimensions, such as the economy, politics, education and others, need to be improved.

  • International Women’s Day, Pandemic Edition: The Need for a Collective Feminist Struggle

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    This International Women’s Day the United Nations celebrated under the theme of “Women in Leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a Covid-19 World.” The Canadian government followed suit by promoting the hashtag #FeministRecovery on March 8, 2021 in recognition of the uneven impacts the covid-19 pandemic has had on women. Specifically, the current pandemic has seen women exit the labour market in large numbers. Without women in the labour force, there is less chance that women will advance to leadership roles as there will be gaps in their resumes and skill depreciation over time. The issues that are preventing women from re-entering the labour force and progressing in their careers  and achieving leadership roles urgently need to be addressed.

  • OPINION | Why don’t ethics scandals stick anymore?

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    In today’s political climate, ethical scandals such as the SNC-Lavalin affair or the WE Charity scandal have not been able to affect the outcome of federal or provincial elections as much as might have been expected. Instead, societal polarization and an increase in voter cynicism have led to voters becoming increasingly concerned with tangible results and gains such as the impact on their own finances, healthcare and other aspects of their own lives. Thus, calling out governments for failures in the realms of tangible results is likely to be more effective than raging on about insider scandals that only those already deeply engaged in the process care about.