Bruce Wark

It’s been almost 19 years since the House of Commons voted unanimously to seek the elimination of child poverty by the year 2000. Yet nothing has changed. In 1989, 11.7 percent of Canadians under 18 lived below the poverty line. Today it’s still 11.7 percent. Meantime, the so-called war on child poverty has morphed into […]

Finally something to cheer about. The McRodneyites are considering lifting the ban on uranium exploration in Nova Scotia! The government launched its review of the ban after reports that there may be a shitload of the valuable mineral buried in central NS. If exploration confirms this, there would be intense pressure to mine the stuff […]

In honour of the International Year of the Potato, I planned to scribble an editorial this week lauding the humble spud. But then, Mrs. Prentice’s boy Jim—who obviously has mashed potatoes for brains—introduced his new copyright bill. It would place severe restrictions on our enjoyment of music and movies, TV shows, e-books and photos. So, […]

The boys and girls at the New York Times seemed shocked in April when they uncovered a military propaganda campaign aimed at the American people. The US defence department had recruited more than 75 retired military officers to talk up the invasion of Iraq and then, to boast about the “success” of the US occupation. […]

Donald Clairmont was visibly enjoying himself as hepresented his massive report on crime, violence and public safety to city council last Friday. The gregarious 69-year-old retired sociology professor said he spent about 1,600 hours over the last year-and-a-half on research and writing. “I could have been drinking beer and watching Captain Kangaroo,” he joked, “but […]

Note from the web editor: Why we are running this Upfront again? Well, because it recently sparked an email debate that speaks clearly to the murkiness surrounding this issue. After reading this article, Dave McCusker, Manager of Strategic Transportation Planning at Halifax Regional Municipality, sent our news editor, Tim Bousquet, a letter. Tim passed it […]

Imagine my surprise when I heard CBC radio proclaiming last week that George Bush was “trying to revive the stalled Mideast peace process.” As the Israelis slaughter Palestinians in Gaza with US-made fighter jets, helicopters, tanks, missiles and guns, the CBC tells us that Bush is working for peace. This kind of propaganda is a […]

“Oh Christ. I worked in a bakery once,” says Belinda, a sex worker in Halifax. “I worked for minimum wage to be bossed around and in the end I said to her …‘You’re paying me five something an hour to sit here and listen to your fucking ignorance.’” Those words are quoted in the 2006 […]

The Tories’ “get tough on crime” policies are being 
blamed for overcrowding at the new Burnside jail—overcrowding that’s creating potentially unsafe conditions for both guards and prisoners. Union representative John Landry, a front-line supervisor at the jail, blames politicians. “They’ve got lots of new police and judges to deal with criminals,” Landry says, “but they’re […]

Joe Howe must be spinning in his dark Camp Hill grave. As a champion of liberty, Howe would surely be appalled that our main political parties are celebrating democracy in Nova Scotia by handing out thousands of toques imported from China, a Communist dictatorship, and long-sleeved t-shirts from Haiti, where Canada, the US and France […]

The recent release of the GPI Atlantic report, whichasked “How Educated are Nova Scotians?” reminded me of my favourite quotation from communications guru Marshall McLuhan. “School is the advertising agency,” McLuhan wrote, “which makes you believe you need the society as it is.” I learned the truth of McLuhan’s saying during a full year of […]