I understand that many of us feel hurt, scared and angry. This is especially true for the many among my friends and family who are religious minorities, racial minorities, LGBTQ+, or women: people who have felt personally targeted by Trump’s words, actions, and those of some of his supporters. I understand that the natural reaction…
This article is part of a Discussion on inclusivity, free speech, and identity politics. Like Matt, I am drawn to approach the politically charged topic of social justice, inclusivity and identity politics by asking what approaches to achieving greater equity, peace and prosperity are the most effective. My hope is that focusing on effectiveness will allow me to…
The following proposal was submitted by Ian to the Ontario Government as part of their #BudgetTalks Initiative. We encourage our readers to submit proposals of their own (and repost them here if they like). Here is a simple proposal to increase teacher earnings, reduce the effects of economic inequality on student outcomes, and improve overall…
Donald Trump is a bigot and a racist. What some may once have been able to dismiss as just a few gaffes – caused by an affinity for shock value and a lack of ability to think before one speaks – is now an established pattern that, as some commentators have noted, accurately fits the…
Is there such a thing as too little corruption or too much anti-corruption? High levels of transparency and low levels of corruption in government and the private sector are critical to the stability of a democratic society. Even the appearance of corruption is known to erode public trust and social cohesion. As a result, populist…
Despite all of the rhetoric about how this is an election of historic proportions with very high stakes and a polarized climate, the situation really could be a lot worse and a lot more polarized than it is. When compared to our neighbours to the south, all three of the major parties are running on…
A paper recently came out in Comparative Sociology arguing that certain segments of Western society (college campuses, the blogosphere) may be experiencing the rise of a new type of moral culture (which they call ‘victimhood culture’) – one that has begun to compete with the previous dominant moral culture (one they call ‘dignity culture’) in our broader…
With first the advent of the 24-hour news cycle at the end of the last century, and now the rise of mass online news and social media, there is no doubt that so-called ‘media trials’ (where allegations of criminal or civil offences, or otherwise abhorrent behaviour, are played out in the media before or instead…
When Caitlyn Jenner first revealed herself as a trans-woman in Vanity Fair, the reception was resoundingly positive. She was recognized for her bravery for speaking out for a group that has been traditionally marginalized, and was promptly honoured with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award from ESPN. However, recently there has been a noticeable backlash from…
The Harper government released a pre-election budget on April 21 that was predictable in some places – a few well publicized political nods to seniors here, and an expected snub to the environment there. However, those who were expecting 500 pages of pure ideology aimed at destroying the Canada we know and love were likely disappointed to…
The Tête-à-Tête 