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Episode 272 – Policing each other online

In this episode, Sandy and Nora take a critical look at trying to police what others say online. Plus, the US State of the Union and is Kate Middleton OK? (we don’t actually care).

Episode 271 – Are we even allowed to protest any more?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora look at the latest attempt by politicians to shut down peaceful protest in Canada, by smearing a rally held to denounce an Italian, Christian fascist as being antisemitic. Plus, a Zionist with a nail gun, a Pharmacare plan to make a plan and Brian Mulroney, did he really save South Africa?

Episode 270 – Two years of war in Ukraine, and for what?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about what has happened over two years of war in Ukraine and how the anti-war position remains the only one that will end the slaughter. Plus, pharmacare and shoddy reporting at the New York Times.

Episode 269 – Spoiler Alert! Pharmacare?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the NDP’s gamble with pharmacare. Will it happen? Will it not happen? We have to wait till March 1!! Plus, they recap the latest in Gaza.

Episode 268 – Is it worth saving Canadian media?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the cuts to Bell Media, the future of Canadian journalism and how Israel’s assault on Gaza has laid bare the lack of capacity that media has to deal with the biggest issues in the world right now.

Episode 267 – Can politics chill out for a second please?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about international students and how the story is being told is full of mostly racist mistruths, Selina Robinson in BC gets a faculty member fired and is now demoted herself, Israel continues to pound Gaza and Brandi Morin is being surveilled by a tech firm that has contracts with the Alberta government.

**This was recorded on Sunday night before Robinson lost her cabinet seat

Episode 266 – Canada picks the geno-side

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about Canada’s reaction to the ICJ decision and how we’ve decided to keep backing Israel. Plus Canada is the world’s most popular MAID destination.

 

Photo taken from The Canadian Press’ Justin Tang

Episode 265 – Reproductive health? What’s that?

In this episode, Sandy goes on a rant about what is popularly called “women’s health” — and all the gaps and missing pieces that come with it. Plus, more than 25,000 Gazans have been killed by Israel’s military.

Episode 264 – Q&A with OPSEU young workers

In this episode, hear Sandy and Nora take questions about not getting fired, not getting arrested and the power of podcasting to reach people.

Episode 263 – Sandy and Nora live at OPSEU

Sandy and Nora live in Toronto at the Young Workers’ convention in October, organized by OPSEU’s Young Workers’ Committee

Episode 262 – So long, 2023.

In this episode, Sandy and Nora look at the year that has gone by — from affordability to war — and look ahead at what we might expect in 2024.

Episode 261 – Wherefore art thou, media criticism?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the need for media criticism right now and the campaign to force critics of Israel into silence.

Episode 260 – Winnipeg Questions and Answers

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about rural organizing, whether or not labout should explicitly support the NDP and how to stay sane in an impossible world.

Episode 259 – Sandy and Nora Live in Winnipeg

In this episode Sandy and Nora talk about the increasing repression that left-wing activists are facing, and what will happen when Pierre Poilievre inevitably becomes PM.

Episode 258 – Palestinian activism is winning

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how direct action in all corners of Canada is changing the narrative that surrounds Palestine and is slowly impacting politicians. Plus, is half of the two Michaels actually a spy??

Photo from: https://worldbeyondwar.org/canada-stop-arming-israel-workers-block-entrance-to-toronto-company-arming-israeli-military/

 

 

Episode 257 – Trying to talk about Gaza

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about a week in propaganda, while Gazans continue to face Israel’s ethnic cleansing campaign. Plus, Nora talks transit!

 

Episode 256 – Cutting through the propaganda on Palestine

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the propaganda wars that are trying to convince average people that what is happening in Gaza isn’t happening in Gaza. Plus — what happens if you’re at a pro-Palestine rally and you recognize someone who you had been protesting against just a few weeks ago?

Episode 255 – Canada is gunning for war

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the past two years of priming Canadians to be all in for war with Russia and how that rhetoric suddenly stops the second we’re on the side of the aggressor.

 

Episode 254 – When solidarity is difficult it means it’s necessary

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how to prepare yourself or your group to take difficult positions and how to protect ourselves from retaliation.

Episode 253 – Sandy and Nora live at the Revue Cinema

Sandy and Nora were live in Toronto on Oct. 14. They talk about condemnations, action and why statements take up so much space. Plus an engaging Q&A with the audience.

Episode 252 – Palestine, Israel and Canada

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk deconstruct what is happening in Israel and Palestine right now.

Episode 251 – The Virtuous Liberals, the Evil Communists and the Complicated Nazis

In this episode, Sandy and Nora break down why so many Liberals are desperate to inject “nuance” into a discussion about Nazis in Canada. Plus, we say FU to Heather Stephenson and HY (hell ya) to striking tenants in northwest Toronto.

Episode 250 – Canada’SS Nazi problem

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the depths of ignorance that plague our halls of power.

Episode 249 – The politics of doing nothing feat. Canada

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about federal politics, who is in bigger trouble and why is the only thing that the Liberals to do to help housing affordability to eliminate GST on building new rental units.

Plus! Tickets available here for Sandy and Nora Live in Toronto!

Episode 248 – The war in schools

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the million different regressive things happening in elementary, secondary and post-secondary schools and remind listeners that this is what happens when autonomous student organizing is weak.

GET YOUR SANDY AND NORA TORONTO TICKETS HERE: https://thepointofsale.com/tickets/q3e231014001

Episode 247 – Oppenheimer too white?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how narrowed online discourse about society and pop culture box us into meaningless conversations intended to stop us from taking action.

Episode 246 – Camp Morgan cuts to the core of Canada

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the foundations of Canada and how we are seemingly stuck in a loop of talking points that renders colonisation invisible. Plus labour! action! everywhere!

 

*still from Winnipeg Police Cause Harm .gif

Episode 245 – Are we allowed to criticize the war?

In this episide, Sandy and Nora talk about Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and ask: are we allowed to be critical of how the West has reacted? Plus, they talk about Pierre Poilievre’s new eyes, Olivia Chow’s new faults and Canada’s new search and rescue bill for the Titan sub.

Episode 244 – How do we defeat Transphobic violence?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the forces that create random acts of violence in the name of transmisogyny. Plus, they talk about the US Supreme Court, Google and Facebook threatening Canada with good time and we ask: is it ok to feel good about Olivia Chow?

Episode 243 – Pressure imploding the ultra rich

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about imploding at the bottom of the ocean. Plus, how media strung us along in a movie-like narrative while it couldn’t figure out what was going on in Russia with an extremely short-lived coup. The tie that binds both issues is decreasing media coverage.

Episode 242 – When is a bus accident a national tragedy?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about why Canadians seem to only care about certain tragedies. Plus, they talk about BLM YYC, the Safe Third Country Agreement, cuts at Bell Media and victory for Indian international students.

Episode 241 – What is a social movement?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora explain what exactly a social movement is and why it has power. They also talk about the Toronto election and a bit about press freedom in Ukraine.

Episode 240 – Deconstructing Alberta’s election

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the Alberta election: authenticity, Danielle Smith and playing to people’s emotions rather than people’s brains.

Episode 239 – Canada’s royal problem

In this episode, Sandy and Nora take stock of a difficult week in American news and pose the question: what would it take for Canada to actually ditch the monarchy?

Episode 238 – Whose safety trumps whose safety?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about what happens when there are competing safeties and one side has structural power over another side.

Episode 237 – Are we too critical? (Not us, everyone)

In this episode, Sandy and Nora ask — are we too critical? How can we avoid falling into nihilism? Plus: what about the Canadians in Sudan?

Episode 236 – What’s wrong with public broadcasting?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora ask: what is the point of public broadcasting, and how should CBC respond to attacks against it levelled by Pierre Poilievre? Probably not by quoting and featuring him extensively!

SN on Vacation — Nora x Pam Palmater

In this episode, Nora talks with Pam Palmater about writing, activism and life.

Episode 235 – Whose budget is it anyway?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the federal budget: the winners, the losers, the cringe, the military spending, the laughter. Plus, they talk about CSIS agents sniffing around on campus and Canada’s deadly border policies.

Control and censorship in the digital age

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how we need public interventions into the digital realm before companies like Meta and Google lock everything away from average people.

Episode 233 – The police sphincter of information

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how police turn on and turn off the information tap however they want, leaving communities in the dark on what’s going on. They look at the Edmonton police shooting and how police downplayed certain aspects to ensure that coverage was exactly how they wanted it to be.

Episode 232 – Singh vs. Weston, Cooper vs. Joly

In this episode, Sandy and Nora deconstruct Jagmeet Singh’s stunt with Galen Weston plus we ask: is it sexist to mock a Liberal?

Episode 231 – Building capacity and being OK with failure

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how difficult it can be to start something from scratch, especially when large, institutional NGO decide to throw money at people who have never experienced the pressures of creating something from scratch with lots of money. Plus, they talk about layoffs at Global News and a self-driving car.

Episode 230 – China and the new (old) Red Scare

In this episode, Sandy and Nora dissect the allegations made about Chinese interference in Canadian elections, and talk about the fallout that Chinese Canadians and visitors will experience. Plus, they discuss crime reporting and how inadequate it is when it’s hived off from other stories from other jurisdictions.

Episode 229 – Baby, you can call me AI

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about AI — what we should be excited by and what we should absolutely not at all be excited by.

 

Image is AI generated from: https://creator.nightcafe.studio/creation/D6fBfapAO3LNMy0S7Inx

Episode 228 – A week of politics!

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the boring to the exciting: from healthcare transfer payments to the US gleefully shooting missiles into the sky to kill aliens.

Consider donating to these charities to help folks in Turkey and Syria:

UNHCR Canada

List of groups from Canada Helps

Episode 227 – Liberals love to coopt everything

In this episode, Sandy and Nora discuss the habit of the Trudeau Liberals to coopt and defang activist movements and important days of commemoration to bolster their brand.

Here is the article on policing mentioned in the episode.

Episode 226 – Can we stop pretending policing has ever not sucked?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about policing, again, and there is only two ways to believe that police are helpful: either you’ve never had any contact with police, or you depend on police repression to protect your wealth.

Episode 225 – The descent of media into propaganda

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how close most media in Canada is propaganda, intended either to distract or influence how we understand power.

Episode 224 – Non-profit hell, cops out of Capoeira and jokes from the floor

In this episode, Sandy and Nora take lively questions from the audience and talk about: organizing in non-profits, dealing with cops within community groups, organizing in non-traditional workplaces.

Episode 223 – Staying radical, Anti-war and inter-generational organizing

In this episode, Sandy and Nora respond to audience questions like “what happens when you win but institutional power takes over?” and “How do we build inter-generational solidarity inside our movements?

Episode 222 – Sandy and Nora live in Vancouver

Live show recorded in Vancouver at the Maritime Labour Centre on November 29. They talk about organizing against a self-described leftwing government, Internet celebrity and why we should be skeptical of people who post for clout alone.

Episode 221 – We’re through with 2022

In this episode, Sandy and Nora look back — war in Ukraine, individualism and left wing politics, and social media as brain poison. Plus, we have many announcements to make!

Episode 220 – Theft is only good when the rich do it

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how theft is only bad when poor people do it. Otherwise, it’s the foundation on which our economy is based. They also examine a Globe and Mail editorial that argues that shoplifting is a significant cause of inflation. Except, was this article itself shoplifted?

Episode 219 – White supremacist serial killer? It’s just not national news.

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about a serial killer preying on Indigenous women in Winnipeg, and what the lack of coverage says about Canada.

Episode 218 – The Convoy Inquiry: a narrative is juiced

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the Emergencies Act inquiry and how the narrative of what happened is spinning out in to defend its use.

Episode 217 – Who benefits from far-right hatred?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the recent attack on a queer bar in Colorado Springs, and untangle the question: who benefits from far-right violence? Plus they discuss COP 27 and ask what it is.

Episode 216 – The trap of mask discourse

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the healthcare crisis and how focusing so closely on masks is letting people with power off the hook for their inaction. Plus, they talk about what comes after Doug Ford repealed his attack on workers bill and Remembrance Day at the Toronto Stock Exchange?

Gofundme for Hodan Hashi: https://www.gofundme.com/f/svxqk-funeral-fund

Episode 215 – Notwithstanding a labour struggle

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about labour’s struggle against the notwithstanding clause, even though Doug Ford lost and the bill has been repealed. Plus they talk the future of Twitter and give several Freeland Watch updates.

Episode 214 – Live show in Montreal – part 2

In this episode, Sandy and Nora take audience questions and talk about the suburbs, police, online harm, neoliberalism and mutual aid.

Episode 213 – Sandy and Nora Live in Montreal – Part 1

Listen to Sandy and Nora LIVE in Montreal, recorded on October 20 in front of a jam-packed audience. They talk about individualism and isolation, and how it’s destroying social cohesion.

Part one features Sandy and Nora’s conversation. Part two will feature the Q&A.

Episode 212 – The struggle from below

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about municipal elections in Vancouver and the struggle happening in Haiti. Plus, Chrystia Freeland says something racist, protecting Canada’s international brand.

Episode 211 – War and hockey

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about Hockey Canada, and what is not allowed to be said about war in Ukraine. Plus, the Liberals do something good for international students … but promise that it’s only a temporary measure.

Episode 210 – The struggle for freedom in Iran

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the protests in Iran and around the work opposing the oppressive regime in Iran, and also how all police, really, are morality police. Plus, they talk about the Quebec election and ask: where is Chrystia Freeland?

Episode 209 – Survival and nothingness

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about hurricane Fiona, it’s devastating impact and how we need to have pre-disaster networks to help us weather any storm. Plus, we talk about the BC NDP, the Quebec election and why nothingness is critical to our happiness.

Episode 208 – Cops and extra-judicial killings

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about what happens when police kill suspects rather than taking them into custody. They also look at amber alerts, and ask: why are we OK with police having direct access to our phones?

Episode 207 – Poli-evre After

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the coronation of Pierre Poilievre and the election win of King Charles the Third. Wait, no, reverse that.

Episode 206 – Searching for power in stories of harassment

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about harassment, the far right and what is to be done all about it.

Episode 205 – Canada’s news crisis

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how Canada’s news ecosystem is incapable of challenging power, and as a result what we learn from the news isn’t the whole story. Plus, Elizabeth May gets a two-minute mention.

The Pope, hockey and Canada’s foundation of sexualized violence

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about institutionalized sexual violence, from the Papal visit to Hockey Canada. Plus, they talk about the climate crisis and why we need to think through clandestine approaches to getting us ready for several weather.

In this episode, Sandy mentions that Trump is speaking at the Capitol this week. She misspoke and meant to say “capital” aka Washington DC.

Episode 203 – Freedom of speech for who?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora deconstruct freedom of speech in Canada and argue that we should all be concerned that it’s under tremendous attack.

For more information about the image, check this out: https://dangerousminds.net/comments/disaster_capitalism_paintings_of_chase_bank_burning

Episode 202 – Telecomaggedon

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how incredible it is that a single communications company is responsible for basically everything. They also talk about Yesterday’s Man Patrick Brown.

Episode 201 – Why are we all falling apart?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how everything is going — people aren’t seemingly doing too well. They talk about the need for the left to get its shit together, to focus less on internal issues and start or continue doing anything.

Episode 200 – When the US falls, what happens to Canada?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora argue that the reluctance of anyone in power to discuss the fall of the American empire is going to come back to bite us all on the ass someday soon.

Episode 199 – Naming and blaming those responsible

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the refusal of people in power to accept blame and instead, externalize their guilt however they can. Plus, we talk about how everything in society feels to be hanging by a thread.

Episode 198 – Cops don’t know their own law

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about a new Toronto Star investigation that has found that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is regularly being violated by Canadian police.

Episode 197 – An Onterrible Election

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about what has just happened in Ontario, why voter turnout was so low and what we need to do to resist austerity. Plus, what are the lessons in other parts of Canada?

Episode 196 – Resisting goldfish takes on white supremacy

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the Buffalo shooting and how Canadians journalists have oriented around it. They call out journalists for not going deep enough into the issues and how liberal politics interact with the far right to make everything worse.

Episode 195 – The fight for abortion

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the fight for abortion in the US and what Canadian activists need to be watching for. Plus, they talk about lies and the Conservative leadership race.

Episode 194 – The Mayest of Days

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the rise in radical worker action across North America. Plus, they revisit the Disability Filibuster — this time, raising concerns about what we’ve already seen under expanded MAID.

Listen to Sandy and Nora on MAID last year: https://sandyandnora.com/episode-138-dignity-in-life-versus-dignity-in-death/

 

Image credit: CUPE

Episode 193 – Hurt vs. harm: curating our organizing spaces

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about organizing and relationships: are we striving too much to curate the perfect organizing spaces? Do we have the collective skills to ensure the level of accountability we wish we could see in organizing? Plus, we talk about Rich Chiarelli, the asshole and France’s new/old president.

Please check out: Anti-war workshop recording:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=1041515076791089

Document for anti-war coalition agendas:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Hpt-qM4-lRjSe7kAUczIhiWKAzpijej3L5XU7GZR3-U/edit?fbclid=IwAR3r3u0Aj6rQkSuOk1JCyfsK8H4jWt0RKmaJxz_Wrmc-1VHLkrFCjY_B0jE

Document for anti-war coalition committees:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Wbh6hoQRu1YnDw0awCKbAq7xXbWteD–PR0Hu-T8V6E/edit?fbclid=IwAR0BeJohWeuG9pi_Gv1mvO1VflKQSitF5ZtLLcUV5HnpDL-YpSo0tRe2i8g

Episode 192 – Making Canada Great Again

In this episode, Sandy and Nora examine Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Leadership campaign and ask: why? What did we do to deserve this? Also, they talk about COVID again, but not that much.

Episode 191 – The NDP-Liberal pact fails its first test

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the federal budget and how much it sucks. Plus, they also talk about Palestine activism on campus, anti-Blackness within the Ontario NDP and Pierre Poilievre’s troll following.

Episode 190 – Sixth cycle of COVID hell

In this episode, Sandy and Nora examine political choices being made right now, and ask — why are Canadians so complacent? Plus, Sandy gets into Slap Discourse and Nora did a commercial for what??

Episode 189 – The Liberal-NDP alliance is very bad

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the NDP-Liberal deal that gives cover to justify pouring billions into Canada’s war aspirations. Plus, they talk about Jerry Dias and corruption at Unifor.

Episode 188 – Seeing through the propaganda

In this episode, Sandy and Nora look at propaganda, and how its playing itself out in Canadian media as we march towards war.

Episode 187 – The trouble with mutual aid

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about mutual aid and how it sometimes mirrors charity too closely. Plus: facial recognition software in Ukraine, Canada’s flexible refugee policy (all of a sudden…) and Patrick Brown’s exoneration (he creeps on 19 year olds, not 18 year olds, allegedly).

Episode 186 – An atomized, individualized left?

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about the impact of neoliberalism on leftwing organizing. Plus, they talk about the economic benefits of going to war.

Episode 185 – The Slog of War

In this episode, Sandy and Nora talk about how leftwing people need to orient themselves around war.

Episode 181 – The #FluTruxKlan rolls into town

Sandy and Nora break down the pro-COVID Convoy and remind listeners to keep their eyes on the ball. You can watch the 5th anniversary commemoration of the shooting at the Ste-Foy mosque here, in English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yu1JqGkSBSQ

Episode 179 – The best COVID-19 episode yet!

In this episode, Sandy and Nora examine the current, flame some politicians and ask the question: how do we walk the line between COVID-19 pessimism and a little bit of optimism?

Episode 178 – A 2021 look-back

In this episode Sandy and Nora look back at 2021 and ask: did we learn anything? Also, omicron.

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 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 transcript.

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 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 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 transcript.