Year: 2019

Episode 84 – 2019 has sucked. Let’s make media in 2020

Sandy and Nora sign off for 2019 with a look-back at the year and how, as media continues to crumble, average people need to find ways to make their own media and tell their own stories.

We are taking December off! We will be back with a new season starting in January 2020!

Episode 83 – hockey, whiteness and Canadian identity

Hockey is Canada and Canada is Hockey. This adage is seemingly lodged in the brains of a few too many people in Canada, making an adult discussion about misogyny and racism in sport an almost impossible discussion. Sandy and Nora break down how Don Cherry entered sainthood, Jessica Allen dodged being fired, and how the right-wing mob is clinging to a Canada that never has existed.

Episode 82 – Ok Boomer?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora break down the sentiment behind Ok Boomer and challenge people to think about how to make our campaigns and organizing work into multi-generational spaces that can bring people together and make our work stronger.

Episode 81 – Cancel culture is not a thing

Last week, the Toronto Public Library held an event that violated its own policy to not allow events that would have the effect of discriminating against someone based on gender identity or gender expression. In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the politics of so-called free speech, actual free speech and why people who are afraid of cancel culture are actually just afraid to defend their arguments.

Update — Nora incorrectly stated that the Murphy event in Vancouver was cancelled. SFU cancelled the talk but the Pan Pacific hosted the event anyway: https://bc.ctvnews.ca/protesters-gather-at-gender-identity-speaker-s-talk-despite-location-switch-1.4667969

Episode 80 – does the left really eat itself?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how knowledge is disseminated and coopted, and how oftentimes we blame other leftists for forces that are highly coordinated and manipulated by the right. We also check in with how Justin Trudeau is doing!

Episode 79 – Election’s over. What does anything mean?

Sandy and Nora (but especially Nora) stayed up late to give you instant analysis of Canada’s new federal minority government. They talk about the winners (the Liberals, social movement activists) the losers (media and Maxime Bernier) and remind everyone that this result is good news for anyone looking to affect change.

Episode 78 – Live Show at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the radical possibilities of community, the joy of being social active and why artists need to engage in politics. And, because there is still an election on, we also talk about Justin Trudeau’s right-ward shift in the campaign.

Show note: we talk about the lawsuit launched by the CBC against the Conservatives. After this was recorded, it came out that Rosemarie Barton may not have even known that she was being named in a lawsuit. If you’re interested in this curious tale, Jesse Brown has been writing about what is known: https://www.canadalandshow.com/cbc-lawsuit-against-conservatives-has-damaged-rosemary-barton-brand/

Episode 77 – debate night and the fall of Canada’s old order

Sandy and Nora stayed up very late to bring you a hot-off-the-press analysis of the only English-language federal election debate. You’ll hear why Jagmeet Singh won and why no one should consider voting Liberal if they’re progressive.

Episode 76 – climate change and gun violence in #elxn43

In this episode, Nora and Sandy look at how climate change and gun violence are being used (or ignored) by the parties to seek support.

Episode 75 – #BlackFaceTrudeau and Canadian white supremacy

It feels like so long ago: Justin Trudeau in Blackface hit the election cycle like an atomic bomb. What did journalists miss? How bad was the coverage? And what does this affair tell us about who Canada really is?

Episode 74 – a truly boring election

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about Andrew Scheer’s racist/homophobic candidate problem, each of the party’s strategies to win and why Brampton is such an important place.

LIVE SHOW ALERT!!

Here’s everything you need to know about our upcoming live show in Toronto on Oct. 12. See you there! https://www.facebook.com/events/1957725264331031/

Episode 73 – Letting the mask slip

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the Vancouver Sun’s decision to publish (and then unpublish) an opinion piece advocating full-score white nationalism, and the problems that politicians face when they call themselves progressive but support increasing police budgets (and are then called out).

Episode 72 – try not to despair with an election in the air

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how progressives should orient themselves towards the federal election. Hint: drop the partisanship, get involved in a local campaign if the candidate is worth your time and don’t imagine that voting is the sum total of democratic involvement.

** RE: Nora’s comment about the per vote subsidy clarification: Harper axed it. Trudeau never brought it back.

Episode 71 – fascists vs. antifascists

Sandy and Nora track the rise in talking about antifascists as being terrorists. From Maxime Bernier’s PP party to Donald Trump, we ask: where is the mainstream left defending antifascist resistance?

Episode 70 – we need more time off

To celebrate the summer, Sandy and Nora talk about time off: vacations, sick days, taking days off just because you have a right to not work from time to time — get your hammock and the coldest drink you have, and think about all the things you would do with more time off work.

Episode 69 – It’s time to talk about the Greens

The Green Party, what is it good for? Sandy and Nora ask this question in earnest and conclude that it might be time for Canada’s partisan left to get serious about fighting for what they say they believe in.

Episode 68 – will social media be the end of democracy?

July is the perfect month to take some time and reflect on how deeply we all truly are screwed, thanks to the overwhelming power that social media plays in our lives. If governments don’t figure out how to regulate this power, we can say goodbye to democracy.

Episode 67 – Canada’s genocide denial complex

Indigenous Peoples’ Month in Canada comes to an abrupt end with Canada Day on July 1 – who are the agents working hard to erase Canada’s genocidal history and present? And how can we combat the talking points that obscure, hide  or make it dangerous to talk about genocide and colonialism?

Please, please read the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing Indigenous Women and Girls https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/final-report/

Episode 66 – arresting the left, protecting the right: the problem with police

There has been a recent burst of street violence perpetuated by the same individuals, looking to fight with social activists. The response from the police – indifference and violence against the targets of this violent – reminds us that we need to understand the role that police play in society, and they they aren’t there to protect us.

To read the report back from what happened in Hamilton, please go here (image is from here too) https://itsgoingdown.org/hamilton-pride-2019-reportback/

Episode 65 – why does the left ignore pop culture’s lessons?

The Toronto Raptors became Canada’s team, and the fervor and culture around the team tells us a lot about ourselves. Sandy and Nora talk about pop culture – sport, music, TV and image – and how the left ignores the lessons we can learn from pop culture at its peril.

Episode 64 – we gotta fight for our rights to abooooortion

(This episode’s title was not approved by Sandy)

This episode is a difficult one. Nora and Sandy talk about the struggle for access to abortion, how the struggle differs in Canada and the United States, and why so many people are fighting so hard to make abortion illegal.

We reference this radio feature from CBC’s The Sunday Edition: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thesundayedition/the-sunday-edition-june-3-2018-1.4685998/50-years-ago-the-women-of-canada-s-abortion-caravan-stormed-parliament-for-reproductive-rights-1.4687293

 

Episode 63 – the fall of the liberal order and … financial literacy again?!

This episode is from the Q&A in Ottawa. The topics covered include: the fall of the post-war, liberal order, student organizing against Doug Ford, financial literacy and why white women dominate not-for-profits.

To hear the first part of this live event, please click here: https://sandyandnora.com/episode-62-its-time-for-radical-worker-action/

Episode 62 – It’s time for radical worker action

Episode 62 is a live show! Recorded live in Ottawa on May 8, Sandy and Nora talk about organizing across difference and the lessons that we can still learn from the Winnipeg General Strike.

Episode 63 will be the audience Q&A and will come out next week.

Thanks to the Mayworks festival for organizing this event and to everyone who came out!

Episode 61 – Are the Liberals bowing to white nationalists?

The biggest story from the 2019 budget barely made the news — the Liberals are tightening border security and making it much more difficult for people to seek asylum, including making it illegal to claim asylum from the United States. Sandy and Nora examine these new anti-refugee policies (including Doug Ford’s cuts to legal aid) and ask progressives to do what they can to make noise to oppose these new policy measures.

 

Episode 60 – debating debates

When should we engage with an idea, and when is engaging with an idea admitting that the idea isn’t racist trash? There’s no consensus on where the lines are, and so Sandy and Nora explore this debate, test the boundaries and discuss why debate for debate’s sake is boring.

Episode 59 – Can we learn from what just happened in Alberta?

Sandy and Nora talk Alberta — finally! There are many lessons to be learned from how the Alberta NDP governed, how Jason Kenney governs himself, and what they’ve said is in store for Alberta under a UCP government. We dive into the details and project what this all means for the upcoming Canadian election.

In the show we mention this fundraiser: Climate Justice Edmonton’s “War Room” fundraiser: https://www.gofundme.com/war-room-to-beat-kenneys-war-room

And we mention this podcast: Welcome to Hellberta! from the Alberta Advantage podcast: https://albertaadvantagepod.com/2019/04/19/predictably-welcome-to-hellberta/

Episode 58 – the end of public higher education in Ontario

Last week, Doug Ford released his new budget. In it, his government committed to changing how universities and colleges are funded, by referring to “performance outcome” … two words that when placed beside one another, become so meaningless that it’s almost funny to read in a budget.

Sandy and Nora are sounding the alarm — this is literally the end of higher education as we know it, and they explain why.

Episode 57 – Fighting Québec’s religious symbol ban

In this episode, Nora explains what the CAQ’s religious symbol ban is, where it comes from and how organizing is going to stop it.

Since we recorded this, nothing has changed from the legislative side. A rally was held in Montreal this past weekend to oppose the religious symbols ban. More voices have come out to oppose the ban.

Episode 56 – the unbearable whiteness of Canadian media

Talking about systemic racism in Canadian media is a bottomless well of content. This week, Sandy and Nora discuss Pam Seattle’s apology, CityNews’ apology and why apologies aren’t going to fix the racism that is embedded in Canada’s media landscape.

This week’s photo is from a 2002 cover of Maclean’s Magazine. Same as it ever was.

Episode 55 — Liberals tokenize to make SNC affair go away

Despite their best efforts, the Liberals are still stuck in the SNC-Lavalin scandal. And they’ve trotted out some old timers to help push their narrative into the mainstream press. Sandy and Nora talk about the strategy of hiding behind women to burn other women, hiding behind racialized women to burn other racialized women, and why the Liberal Party they want you to know is very different than the Liberal Party they really are.

Episode 54 – global terrorism’s white face

This has been a difficult week, especially if you have been watching the rise of organized white supremacists for years. In this episode, Sandy and Nora dissect how the media and politicians have failed so badly at grasping this threat, and conclude with things that are giving them hope.

Episode 53 – fReE sPeEcH

Attacks on free speech abound! But where are the Free Speech CrusadersTM? Sandy and Nora talk about the ways in which speech is limited, and how the left needs to build support around individuals who have their free speech attacked.

Here is the GoFundMe that we reference in the episode: https://www.gofundme.com/legal-fees-for-free-speech

Episode 52 – the NDP at a crossroads

With the Liberals melting down and the Conservatives more brazen in their support for racist organizing, the NDP is at a critical juncture. There is a path toward victory — will the NDP take it?

Episode 51 – Corruption and racism, as Canadian as Maple Pie

From SNC-Lavalin to the Yellow Vest Movement, Canada’s Two Natural Governing Parties (TM) are in a deep dive into those things that are more Canadian than Tim’s and hockey: racism and corruption. Sandy and Nora walk you through it all.

Episode 50 – free the news

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk paywalls. On their always-free, listener-funded platform, they talk about what’s wrong with a society that makes access to news based on ability to pay, and why we need free news now more than ever.

Nora’s note — at one point, Nora says IP and not ISP. She knows.

Episode 49 – the political party of white male rage

This episode covers white male rage, from the unspeakable horror inflicted by killers like Bruce MacArthur and Alexandre Bissonnette, to the structural violence inflicted by mainstream politicians — and how Maxime Bernier sits in the middle of this continuum. Bernier’s political success hinges on his ability to capture the far right — Sandy and Nora explore what this means, and what we must resist.

Episode 48 – Let’s Talk Bell Let’s Talk

Bell Let’s Talk happened again this year. Sandy and Nora deconstruct the campaign and examine how it gives cover for Bell, for politicians and for police to say they support mental health service while actively maintaining the system that makes life harder for so many. The trial for the murder of Abdirahman Abdi is underway in Ottawa.

Episode 47 – Covington MAGA teens buy their redemption

Last week, journalists were played by an invented viral controversy. In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the racist and women-hating Covington Catholic School teensand why we need journalists to be better at understanding what goes viral, and why. Here is the link that Sandy references in the episode: https://sandyandnora.com/episode-47-covington-maga-teens-buy-their-redemption/

Episode 46 – Doug vs. student democracy

In part 2 of 2 episodes on the Ford government’s higher education announcement, Nora and Sandy break down “voluntary student unionism” and how making democratically-decided mandatory student fees optional will send a decisive blow to everything from your campus press to the services of the student union. Check out part 1 here: https://sandyandnora.com/episode-45-doug-ford-reduces-tuition-fees-smashes-osap-screws-student/

Episode 45 – Doug Ford reduces tuition fees, smashes OSAP, screws student

Just in time for Sandy and Nora’s first show of 2019, Doug Ford wages war on higher education. Sandy and Nora break down this announcement and offer arguments for how to push back against a Liberal frame that is just as much to blame. This is part one of two — tuition fees and grants. In part two, they breakdown voluntary student unionism and how to mount an effective fightback.