-Jared Milne- Language has been controversial in Quebec for decades. Francophone Quebecers have complained about people not using French on signs or in business. Its language law, Bill 101, was implemented in part to require the use of French on signs and in business. Now, similar problems are occurring in other Canadian provinces. The B.C.…
-Jared Milne- This article was submitted to The Tête-à-Tête as part of a Discussion on inclusivity, free speech, and identity politics. Several years ago, the St. Albert Gazette ran a letter from a resident who said that the statue of Father Albert Lacombe erected outside the St. Albert Catholic Parish Church should be taken down. He argued…
This article is part of a Discussion on inclusivity, free speech, and identity politics. This is also the first in a new series of posts on the science of social justice. You can follow and/or comment on the series here and on Twitter using the hashtag #SJScience. The purpose of the series will be to scientifically examine solutions to common political,…
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…
–Niya Bajaj- This article is part of a Discussion on inclusivity, free speech, and identity politics. In The Closing of the American Mind Allan Bloom argued “Cultures fight wars with one another…Cultures have different perceptions, which determine what the world is. They cannot come to terms…The very idea of culture carries with it a value: man needs…
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…
War on climate change (Wade Davis, The Globe and Mail): The global economic recovery from the Great Recession remains weak and climate change presents a global threat that will require significant investments to overcome. These circumstances provide an interesting parallel to WWII and the aftermath of the Great Depression. In the 1940s, allied powers made big, all-hands-on-deck investments and overcame both major challenges…
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…
In light of recent incidents at Yale (see competing perspectives here and here) and University of Missouri and in the context of the broader ongoing dialogue on how to balance sensitivity, inclusivity and free speech concerns (e.g. Charlie Hebdo and censored campus speakers), and on the intersections between social justice and identity politics (e.g. affirmative action, balancing…
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…
The Tête-à-Tête 