JW: Despertai! (gT MP3): Recent Episodes
Oats for Breakfast
Oats for Breakfast is affiliated with the Socialist Project, an eco-socialist organization based in Toronto. We make political food for thought for all the world to consume.
Bernie Sanders has recently announced his second bid for the Democratic Party Presidential nomination in 2020. What does it mean for a self-proclaimed democratic socialist to enter the mainstream of US politics and attempt to transform one of the two business-dominated parties that control the US political landscape?
How did past efforts to transform the Democratic Party fare? What are the strategic stakes for the DSA (Democratic Socialists of America) in backing the Sanders campaign? Adam Hilton is one of the leading historians of past efforts of the American left to transform the Democratic Party. Our conversation with Hilton probes some of the openings and obstacles for the left in engaging the terrain of the Democratic Party to advance a progressive agenda and embed a socialist movement in American politics.
To learn more, check out some of Adam Hilton's articles: jacobinmag.com/2016/02/bernie-sanders-new-politics-democratic-party-realignment-primary
jacobinmag.com/2018/09/dnc-unity-commission-superdelegates
What does a socialist conception of free speech look like? Can we really trust the capitalist state to protect the free speech rights of socialist critics? As free speech has become an increasingly explosive issue within our liberal societies, Oats chatted with Samir Gandesha of Simon Fraser University to get a better sense of what’s going on. Along the way we talk about the politics of free speech, the hypocrisy of the Right on this issue, and what a potential socialist alternative may look like.
Articles referenced during the interview:
In Defense of Free Speech: https://www.opendemocracy.net/samir-gandesha/in-defense-of-free-speech
The lessons of the World Cup for our victim culture: https://www.opendemocracy.net/can-europe-make-it/samir-gandesha/lessons-of-world-cup-for-our-victim-culture
Not only the difference between identities but the differences within them: https://www.opendemocracy.net/samir-gandesha/not-only-difference-between-identities-but-differences-within-them
Is symbolic politics an impediment to economic equality?https://www.opendemocracy.net/samir-gandesha/is-symbolic-politics-impediment-to-economic-equality
We continue our discussion with Tanner Mirrlees. We talk about what the Munk Debates are, whether no-platforming is a justifiable tactic, as well as the lessons the Left might want to take to heart when considering the rise of the alt-right. Become a patron to get full access to the extended interview: patreon.com/oatsforbreakfast.
Oats sat down with Tanner Mirrlees to chat about the rise of the "alt-right" as well as the recent debate between Steve Bannon and David Frum in Toronto.
Oats sat down with Tanner Mirlees to chat about the rise of the "alt-right" as well as the recent debate between Steve Bannon and David Frum in Toronto.
This is a sneak peek of the extended segment of our interview with Jordan. We continue the conversation about the struggle for justice in the prison system. To get access to the full version, go to patreon.com/OatsForBreakfast and become a patron.
From 21 August and 9 September, prisoners across the US went on strike. One set of Canadian prisoners — at Burnside jail in Nova Scotia — decided to join the strike effort. We chat with Jordan House about the continent-wide prison strike. We also talk about who goes to prison (and who doesn't!), the history of prison-based resistance, and the political economy of prison labour.
Burnside prisoners' statement: https://nsadvocate.org/2018/09/12/statement-by-burnside-prisoners-we-will-continue-to-speak-and-fight-until-no-more-lives-are-lost/
Jordan House's article: https://www.jacobinmag.com/2018/09/canada-prison-strike-burnside-jail-incarceration
Canada is in the midst of an opioid overdose epidemic. In 2016 there were 3,005 opioid-related deaths in Canada. In 2017 the figure jumped to 3,996. The Canadian government's response has been inadequate, which has prompted a wave of activism.
We talk to Sarah Ovens, a social worker and an organizer with the Toronto Overdose Prevention Society (TOPS), about why the opioid crisis is taking place and what her organization is doing to try to address it.
You can make a donation to TOPS here: https://ca.gofundme.com/torontooverdosepreventionsociety
Canadians consider healthcare to be a right — we don't think the amount of money people have should determine whether they can see a doctor. Is it possible to think of public transit as a public good? We talk to Herman Rosenfeld, a member of Free Transit Toronto, to explore the idea of free public transit.
Expressing solidarity with Palestine and criticizing the state of Israel can be a challenge. To explore this challenge, we talk to William Robinson about his recent book "We Will Not be Silenced: The Academic Repression of Israel's Critics."
Get access to the full version of this interview by going to patreon.com/OatsForBreakfast and becoming a patron of our podcast.
This extended interview builds on the discussion that took place in Episode 4. Toronto-based community organizer Sadia Khan reflects on her experience as a public-school teacher and activist to underline the importance of updating the sex-ed curriculum. She talks about why the recent sex ed curriculum reform has been so controversial, and what can be done to build support for a progressive sex-ed curriculum among parents.
The Progressive Conservatives, led by Doug Ford, attracted a great deal of support from non-white voters during the recent provincial election in Ontario. Why would minorities support a hard-right politician? We talk to Toronto-based community organizer Sadia Khan to find out.
When the Progressive Conservative government of Mike Harris came to power in Ontario in 1995 and began implementing its agenda of cuts, the labour movement decided to organize a response. The response came in the form of the Days of Action—a series of rolling political strikes that involved hundreds of thousands of workers and community members across the province. We talk to labour activist Sam Gindin about how the Days of Action came to be organized, what their impact was, and the lessons they hold for us.
The victory of Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives in the Ontario provincial election appears to be part of a broader trend—the hard-right has been going from strength to strength around the world. We talk to the labour activist Sam Gindin about why it is now Ontario's turn to face off against the hard-right, and what can be done to challenge Ford's government. We also get into talking about the limits of the New Democratic Party.
This extended interview follows up on the discussion we had with Alan Sears in the episode on university education. You can get access to the full interview by supporting us on patreon.com/oatsforbreakfast.
University education in Canada is becoming increasingly necessary and, at the same time, increasingly difficult to access. We look at the recent trends in higher education to try to understand what's happening. This episode features interviews with Alan Sears, who teaches in the Sociology Department at Ryerson University, and Jessica Ireland, an undergraduate student at York University.