Episode 178 – A 2021 look-back
In this episode Sandy and Nora look back at 2021 and ask: did we learn anything? Also, omicron.
Year: 2021
Episode 177 – Critiquing critique
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about what happens when activism is replaced by critique alone, and urge listeners to not fall into a trap in understanding critique as activism. Plus, they revisit Quebec City’s racist police.
Episode 176 – F u c k the P o l i c e
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about police violence in Quebec City, Hamilton and Wet’suwet’en and ask what it will take for people to demand and end to policing. Plus, they talk COVID variants and a peculiar CBC report.
Episode 175 – B.C. on fire
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about British Columbia: from fires to floods, from RCMP to a lack of climate action. Plus, they talk about Iqaluit activists fighting for suicide prevention measures and the COVID-19 vaccine for kids.
Episode 174 – What comes after the vaccine mandates?
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the limits of vaccine mandates, and ask why politicians have not been forced to explain what happens when every Canadian who is willing to be vaccinated, is vaccinated. Plus — we remind listeners that Iqaluit still does not have drinking water.
Episode 173 – Fighting the extremes
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how extremes are changing how we politically debate, and how deep political education and organizing are our only hope.
Episode 172 – Beyond binary thinking
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the way in which social media platforms force us into binaries, which is a disaster for leftwing organizing, which requires us to talk through nuance.
Episode 171 – Canadian media’s TERFascist love-in
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the alarming space in Canadian media that TERFascist ideas are receiving, and ask what the end game is in platforming transphobia.
Episode 170 – Abolish the military? Abolish the military.
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about why Canada needs to abolish the military and redirect resources into stronger public services. Plus they also talk about Iqaluit’s water crisis.
Episode 169 – Confronting systemic, institutional racism
In this episode, Sandy and Nora discuss how systemic racism operates within democratic structures, and the need for renewal. They talk about the Green Party, the NDP and more broadly within the left.
You can check out Nora’s new podcast here: https://shows.acast.com/take-back-the-fight/episodes/take-back-the-fight-series-teaser
Episode 168 – Policing online harassment?
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the latest onslaught of online harassment targeting racialized journalists, and explain why the police will not be able to save anyone from this abuse. Plus, we talk about Trudeau in Tofino, Fairy Creek and Elizasuck May.
Episode 167 – Canada’s democratic deficit
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how Canada’s democracy is in crisis and is it time for a new left political party? Plus we deconstruct the media establishment’s obsession with The Two Michaels.
Episode 166 – Fascism and the status quo
In this episode, Sandy and Nora discuss the winners and losers in #elxn44 — and what everyone needs to learn about the success of the PP party.
Episode 165 – Conspirelection debate-o-thon
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the legacy of 9/11 in Canada, and how the English-language debates reveal more about the state of Canada’s democracy than pundits and politicians will admit.
Episode 164 – The Case of the Disappearing Provincial Governments
In this episode, Sandy and Nora examine why provincial governments have laid so low during the election period, and why that spells disaster for COVID-19 and other crises Canadians currently face.
Episode 163 – Promises, promises, protests
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how the election is going — and how none of the major parties are acting as if we have just surviving a global pandemic. We also talk about the ongoing struggle at Fairy Creek.
Episode 162 – Canada in Afghanistan
In this episode, Sandy and Nora discuss Canada’s role in Afghanistan, and the responsibility we have for our actions.
Big apologies for the microphone problems that plague this episode.
Episode 161 – All the issues they will miss in #Elxn44
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the important issues that the current federal election should cover, but near certainly will not.
Episode 160 – Can the Left do rhetoric better?
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the need for left-wingers to identify, engage with and create rhetoric. Plus, Sandy has information about Ontario police destroying documents and we talk about the BCCLA.
Episode 159 – Is Canadian intelligence interfering in university research?
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the federal government’s recent decision to vet all scientific research funding as a matter of national intelligence agencies. Plus, they talk about tuition fees in Newfoundland and Labrador and the importance of physical space for activism and organizing.
Episode transcript.
Episode 158 – Media silence in the face of catastrophe
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how Canadian media ignore catastrophe.
Episode 157 – N-oh Canada
In their annual Canada Day Sucks episode, Sandy and Nora talk colonialism, climate change and how Carolyn Bennett sucks.
Episode 156 – Not withstanding the carceral option
In this episode Sandy and Nora talk about crime and punishment, and why society gets nowhere when it throws people into the criminal justice system. Plus, they talk about the Notwithstanding Clause and wtf is up with the Green Party?
CW: discussion of child suicide in the second half of the episode.
Episode 155 – Connecting Islamophobia and colonialism
In this episode, Sandy and Nora explore the connection between colonialism and Islamophobia. Plus, they talk about COVID-19 ravaging Northeastern Ontario.
Photo from CBC News.
Episode 154 – How can we move power when power seems unmovable?
In this episode, Sandy and Nora examine how power in Canada can be chipped it, confronted and forced into action. All it takes is creativity and a refusal to accept things the way that they are.
Episode 153 – Residential School reckoning
In this episode, Sandy and Nora examine how Residential Schools should be understood as a fundamental part of forming modern Canada, and discuss ways in which settlers can demand justice from their politicians.
Residential school survivors who need support can call the National Indian Residential School Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419.
Episode 152 – The Objectivity Myth
In this episode, Sandy and Nora explore the myth of objectivity, and how it’s used to justify media coverage that erases and marginalizes people.
Episode transcript here.
Episode 151 – Canada and the world
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about what is happening in Colombia, Tigray and Palestine, and ask why don’t Canadians have more information about global affairs? Plus Nora talks about Quebec Solidaire censuring it’s anti-racism/decolonial collective and Sandy goes on a bit more about bots.
Episode 150 – TRIPS waver, CEWS grift and getting real about vaccine passports
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about COVID-19 — again — and how the world that politicians want us to think we’re living in is not the world we are living in.
Episode transcript here.
Episode 149 – Fighting to save higher education
In this episode, Sandy and Nora explain the crisis at Laurentian University, university funding under attack and also mention the CAUT’s censure of the University of Toronto.
Episode 148 – The Liberals and their Trolls
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the CERB, the vaccine and how Liberal Trolls are on the attack against online against Liberal critics.
Episode 147 – Worst Case Ontario (and AB, BC…)
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the chaos of the Third Wave, about how police will not fix anything and why these politicians would rather see people in ICU than stop the spread of COVID-19.
Episode 146 – NDP Convention and the Third Wave
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the bad and the bad from the NDP Convention 2021 and try to find some encouraging words in the face of the rising Third Wave.
Episode 145 – How to confront power
In this episode, Sandy and Nora explore how average people can fore politicians into action, even when it feels impossible and politicians, immovable.
Episode 144 – a femicide crisis
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about femicide in Canada and how political inaction isn’t because there is a lack of understanding or of resources, but because politicians literally do not care that women are being killed. Plus, we talk about a boat that is no longer stuck in the Suez.
Update to the murder investigation in Hawkesbury: five suspicious deaths in the hospital’s COVID unit are now being investigated: https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/victim-in-hawkesbury-hospital-homicide-was-89-year-old-man-from-quebec
Episode 143 – anti-mask fascism
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the rise of anti-Asian racism, the connection between the anti-mask movement and how Canada’s mainstream media has written about China since the start of the pandemic. We also take a short tour of the latest Liberal scheme: the NDP’s student debt promise.
Episode 142 – How many more will die?
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about medical racism, bill C-7 passed into law and … the Queen.
You can see the Disability Filibuster here.
Episode 141 – Happy Birthday to COVID-19
In this episode, Sandy and Nora look back at the year that was. We take stock of the good news (there was some!) the bad news and the shitty news. We also talk the NDP: not defending Palestine.
Episode 140 – Pharmacare and white supremacy news roundup
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the NDP private member bill on pharmacare, and what it would take to build a pharmacare system in Canada. They also talk about the revelations in Celina Caesar-Chevannes’ new book and the Fifth Estate episode Black on Campus.
Episode 139 – the Liberals’ crime reform legislation
Last week, the Liberals introduced Bill C-22 – the Liberals’ long-awaited amendments to Canada’s criminal code. Sandy and Nora discuss the changes, how they are a mixed bag of good and bad, and how the Liberals never take seriously the concerns of Black and Indigenous communities.
Episode 138 – dignity in life versus dignity in death
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about ableism in Canada’s medical and political establishment — illustrated both through Canada’s COVID-19 death toll and through Bill C7, Medical Assistance in Dying legislation.
Episode 137 – Canada’s terrorist list is a mistake
In this episode, Sandy and Nora explain why many on the left have been critical of the recent decision to place several new groups on Canada’s terrorist list, including the Proud Boys. The episode starts with a round-up of news we are watching this week.
Episode 136 – Even more COVID
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about COVID news: from new viral strains to new travel restrictions, why does Canada seem to be perpetually aiming to do the absolute least?
Episode 135 – How to take over your student union
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the Governor General, COVID naming workplaces with outbreaks. And, Sandy and Nora offer a master class in how to take over your local student union.
Episode 134 – Canadian Media Whites Again
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about CBC Winnipeg, rabble, Black writers being ignored for wanting to write about the far right, Passage’s media relations list and how white supremacy is maintained inside Canadian newsrooms.
Episode 133 – an American coup in DC?
In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about everything we still don’t know about the racist insurrection in Washington DC. They ask why are the details so sketchy, and why are journalists pretending it’s over? Also: nationalize telecoms and the internet now.
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