Yes, it absolutely might be but not because there are no signal operators. The 'public corporation' Metrolinx owns this rail corridor, and they are replacing the skilled workers with management. We saw how well that worked with the John Deere strike.

science octopus

The idea of Science Octopus makes sense! In some preliminary writing on the topic of scientific publishing, I did think about multi-stage publishing.

Ultimately, these ideas need to be championed by an organized front of scientists and the public. A better publishing system cannot take over without the toppling of the current exploitative system. Currently, funding and career prospects are intimately connected with the current publishing system and the people with most power are those who benefit from the status quo.

I will definitely read more on Science Octopus in formulating a program for mass mobilization of scientists in Canada.

Sci-Hub is a great example of building up dual power, but at some point, academics and the masses need to organize around expropriation of the scientific communication industry. In Canada, over $100 million CAD of public funds is spent on publishing articles and subscribing to those same articles. Not $100 million on the research or writing of articles but on the publishing and access to those publicly-funded articles. These paywalls sow distrust in science and diverts money from actual research. It allows for scientific perversion and sensationalism, where reproducibility plummets and retractions skyrocket. Publicly-funded and open article repositories like arXiv and bioRxiv cost less than $1 million a year and host more articles than any for-profit journal. And the peer review process that for-profit journals tout is provided by unpaid volunteers. Democratize and nationalize scientific publishing! We need science for the people not for profit! https://socialistcanada.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/booklet-for-public-ownership-and-democratic-control-of-scientific-publishing-v4-1-1.pdf

100% I wrote a booklet on the topic, which covers both the failures of for-profit publishing and a list of demand for academics and the public to organize around! https://socialistcanada.files.wordpress.com/2021/01/booklet-for-public-ownership-and-democratic-control-of-scientific-publishing-v4-1-1.pdf

And the NDP Socialist Caucus absolutely opposes John Horgan on numerous fronts, including recording-breaking investments in fossil fuel extraction, continued violation of Indigenous self-determination, and poor pandemic response (virtually indistinguishable from other provinces). At the recent BCNDP convention, the NDP Socialist Caucus and Courage teamed up to call for a leadership review, advance socialist resolutions, and run openly socialist and revolutionary candidates. We know there is no revolutionary future in the NDP but as a mass labour party, we refuse to ignore the opportunity to spread and grow a revolutionary movement in the Canadian state.

We spent a good chunk of time talking about police budgets in this prior episode: https://theredreview.buzzsprout.com/1795649/9305214-episode-5-september-2021-in-review-and-election-recap

Definitely check out the longer episode, where we dive deeper into the failures of the police and the need for mass mobilization. Unfortunately, in our community organizing, we both must confront the police and the labour mis-leaders who cower away from class struggle.

I purchased a tape recorder to be able to share sounds of protests, rallies, and marches I attend in Toronto. I think it's important to share the real sounds rather than the sanitized coverage that diminishes the role of struggle. I'm not too familiar with any central place to grab audio like that but feel free to use anything from The Red Review!

I am the Toronto Branch Organizer of Socialist Action (hi comrades!). Our party also participates in a number of united fronts, including the Municipal Socialist Alliance (electoral front) and Workers' Action Movement (for militant unionism — personally, I am a CUPE member).

Thanks! The first season of the podcast taught us a lot, and our team is continuing to learn how to best accommodate the people we wish to win over to the revolutionary struggle.

To be fair, countries in so-called global south do this without much reporting in Canada if the atrocities are committed in the name of Canadian mining corporations. Just look to the Ethiopian state besieging Tigray and the silence of the Canadian media despite multiple Canadian mining companies operating in the region and profiting from the destabilization. https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/canada-and-the-war-on-tigray

Yes, absolutely! And the dictate is the same: private corporations and private profit!

There are two Canadian mining companies (East Africa Minerals and Parallel Mining) active in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, where the Ethiopian state is waging a genocidal war against the oppressed Tigrayan people. Canada refuses to call on the Ethiopian state to break its seige or even end our aid to the state (most of which goes towards mining projects). Literally, the needs of these Canadian mining corporations dictate our foreign policy and makes the Canadian state an ongoing sponsor of genocide. https://springmag.ca/message-to-trudeau-stop-canadas-support-for-the-war-on-tigray

Canada, like the rest of the world, has 'progressed' from Keynesian economics to neoliberalism. Both committed to maintaining capitalism but Justin Trudeau cannot even feign trying to meet the needs of workers.

Disgusting anti-worker rhetoric. In Canada, another standoff between the state police and Indigenous Land Defenders is brewing.