Thanks for platforming a class-struggle socialist, Hatchet! Sharp points that remind to fecking READ my signed copy of Nora's book that has been on my shelf for months. Two points. First, free trade is not innately worse than protectionism: capitalists will invest wherever labour is cheapest and if a government will help them with that, then factories go there. Second, Canada has tended towards being a silent partner--not a junior partner or comprador or client state--within world imperialism. Our leaders not only staked out claims north of the 49th parallel but looked as well to the British Empire and Commonwealth for resources and markets since the beginning. They tolerated the "branch-plant economy" of USA businesses as well as crown corporations in extractive and value-added sectors before and during the global post-WW2 boom. They also increased investment and production inside the USA. When the boom ended in the 1970s, our ruling class wanted to increase profits like the rest of their colleagues, so they supported privatization and, as Nora reminds us, spent the last fifty years beating us with versions of "there is no alternative" (to the free market) til our unions stopped organizing coherent opposition.
Also: I rember "The National Dream" series... everyone was watching. Slur John Eh? came off as a lovable drunken cheat. Non-white railworkers and the Metis were annoyances. Oh, and I rember when the Mulroney govt started taxing books.
We used some of the tape in our CP series! You can hear the drunk acting in the second episode, and honestly, I thought it was a decent drunk impression haha
Finally listened to this superb episode. Can't thank you enough, especially for the mention of arts and culture. I work in this sector myself, and can tell you we are terrified. Thanks for the spotlight and for introducing me to Nora. Her books are going straight on my to-read list.
Thanks very much for this great interview with Nora. Her voice—whether written or spoken—has been tremendously helpful to me in understanding what is going on in Canada and how we have gotten here.
Thank you for listening! And I agree, I’ve always admired Nora’s work. Not only is she an excellent writer and communicator, she’s got a sharp understanding of history and brings such moral force to her arguments.
What a great interview. I’m going to have to learn more about Nora and her writing.
Minor point about car insurance in BC. ICBC can charge less because they only have “no fault” insurance. This means in an accident, there is no possibility to sue. And you are awarded a fair amount for your pain and struggles.
This means that most people save gobs of money on their insurance, but in the worst case, if you are wronged, you don’t have much recourse.
Not having been in a horrible accident myself, I’m fine with this. I hope I’m never in a situation where I change my mind.
You’re absolutely correct! I left out a lot of the specific differences between the two systems because I didn’t want to get bogged down in a discussion about particular auto insurance regimes. But wanted to focus on the broader incentives around privatization instead.
And you should absolutely check out Nora’s writing, either on her Substack, or in the many books she’s published! You won’t regret it.
Thanks for platforming a class-struggle socialist, Hatchet! Sharp points that remind to fecking READ my signed copy of Nora's book that has been on my shelf for months. Two points. First, free trade is not innately worse than protectionism: capitalists will invest wherever labour is cheapest and if a government will help them with that, then factories go there. Second, Canada has tended towards being a silent partner--not a junior partner or comprador or client state--within world imperialism. Our leaders not only staked out claims north of the 49th parallel but looked as well to the British Empire and Commonwealth for resources and markets since the beginning. They tolerated the "branch-plant economy" of USA businesses as well as crown corporations in extractive and value-added sectors before and during the global post-WW2 boom. They also increased investment and production inside the USA. When the boom ended in the 1970s, our ruling class wanted to increase profits like the rest of their colleagues, so they supported privatization and, as Nora reminds us, spent the last fifty years beating us with versions of "there is no alternative" (to the free market) til our unions stopped organizing coherent opposition.
Also: I rember "The National Dream" series... everyone was watching. Slur John Eh? came off as a lovable drunken cheat. Non-white railworkers and the Metis were annoyances. Oh, and I rember when the Mulroney govt started taxing books.
We used some of the tape in our CP series! You can hear the drunk acting in the second episode, and honestly, I thought it was a decent drunk impression haha
Finally listened to this superb episode. Can't thank you enough, especially for the mention of arts and culture. I work in this sector myself, and can tell you we are terrified. Thanks for the spotlight and for introducing me to Nora. Her books are going straight on my to-read list.
Thanks very much for this great interview with Nora. Her voice—whether written or spoken—has been tremendously helpful to me in understanding what is going on in Canada and how we have gotten here.
Thank you for listening! And I agree, I’ve always admired Nora’s work. Not only is she an excellent writer and communicator, she’s got a sharp understanding of history and brings such moral force to her arguments.
What a great interview. I’m going to have to learn more about Nora and her writing.
Minor point about car insurance in BC. ICBC can charge less because they only have “no fault” insurance. This means in an accident, there is no possibility to sue. And you are awarded a fair amount for your pain and struggles.
This means that most people save gobs of money on their insurance, but in the worst case, if you are wronged, you don’t have much recourse.
Not having been in a horrible accident myself, I’m fine with this. I hope I’m never in a situation where I change my mind.
You’re absolutely correct! I left out a lot of the specific differences between the two systems because I didn’t want to get bogged down in a discussion about particular auto insurance regimes. But wanted to focus on the broader incentives around privatization instead.
And you should absolutely check out Nora’s writing, either on her Substack, or in the many books she’s published! You won’t regret it.