Z Nightly Commentaries
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Recent Z Nightly Commentaries
Edwards: Egypt And The West
Feb 10, 2011
In 2011, ‘the thing in itself’ is alive and well in Egypt. What an extraordinary spectacle it is - a dictatorship behaving as though an entire people were its personal property.
Early: Scoundrel Time at Kaiser
Sep 21, 2010
The stereotypical union battles of the past were fought by burly working-class heroes, on the picket-line and the proverbial “shop floor.” Think of tough-looking guys, wearing scally caps (and wielding baseball bats, when necessary), while marching through the streets of the San Francisco in 1934.
Engler: Canada, Israel & Palestine
Sep 20, 2010
Current peace negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian officials are unlikely to end, let alone reverse, Palestinian dispossession. The power imbalance between the sides is simply too great. While Canada could be part of the solution, so far it has been part of the problem.
Edwards: Beyond Hiroshima
Sep 12, 2010
Compassion is sometimes a central theme of media reporting. On August 25, journalists across the UK described how a British woman, Mary Bale, had been filmed dropping a cat into a wheelie bin. The cat was later released unharmed.
Engler: CSIS/MOSSAD
Aug 31, 2010
Is the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) trying to intimidate and spy on pro-Palestinian Canadians? Do they share this information with Mossad?
Engler: Haiti 6 Months Later
Jul 15, 2010
Six months ago a devastating earthquake killed more than 230,000 Haitians. About 100,000 homes were completely destroyed, alongside a thousand schools and many other buildings. The scenes of devastation filled TV screens around the world.
Engler: Haiti
Jun 27, 2010
Three weeks ago, the front page of Haiti Liberté showed a picture of President René Préval next to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and two Canadian soldiers. Part of the caption below read, "Préval under the surveillance of the occupying forces."
Early: The NUHW 16
Apr 13, 2010
Legal lynching, actual or attempted, has been a longtime threat to union organizing. When workers first tried to form unions, they found themselves charged with conspiracy. For nearly a century, employer attempts to crush their "illegal combinations" took the form of injunctions, fines, and imprisonment for civil court contempt or criminal law violations.
Engler: Canada & Israel
Mar 20, 2010
In my new book Canada and Israel: Building Apartheid I argue that the trajectory of this country's foreign policy has been clear: The culmination of six decades of one-sided support, and four years into the Stephen Harper government, Canada is (at least diplomatically) the most pro-Israel country in the world.
Engler: Canada & Venezuela
Feb 18, 2010
The government of Hugo Chavez was correct last week when a representative said Ottawa supports "coup plotters" and "destabilizers" in Venezuela.
Edwards: Paxman On Iraq
Nov 12, 2009
In an interview last week, Jeremy Paxman - leading interviewer on BBC 2's flagship Newsnight programme - claimed that he had been "hoodwinked" by US government propaganda prior to the invasion of Iraq in 2003...
Edwards: The Cockroach Test
Oct 18, 2009
News that philosopher Alain de Botton had been hired as Heathrow's "writer in residence" generated minor ripples across the media pond, including occasional murmurs of disapproval. Journalists momentarily failed to repress their awareness that truth into corporate profit-maximising does not go, although without perceiving the implications for themselves.
Engler: Canadian Armed Forces
Oct 06, 2009
Reducing the size of the Canadian Armed Forces should be a priority for those of us that want a more peaceful world. It should also be a priority for anyone concerned about the environment.
Engler: Anti-Semitism in Canada
Sep 20, 2009
Despite a loud chorus claiming otherwise, anti-Semitism is a mere fig leaf of its former oppressive character. Six decades ago "none is too many" was the order of the day in Ottawa, which rejected Jewish refugees escaping Nazi concentration camps. This hostile anti-semitic climate continued into the 1950s with institutions such as McGill University in Montreal imposing quotas on Jewish students. But Christianity's decline, combined with a rise in antiracist politics has significantly undercut anti-Semitism as a social force in Canada.
Early: Vermont Tea Party
Aug 19, 2009
Richmond, Vt.-The Green Mountain state used to be a good place for retired union guys to get away from it all in August. Now, thanks to "Obamacare"-with its threats to the elderly everywhere--that's not the case this year.
Engler: Canadian & Honduras
Aug 16, 2009
Even a close observer of the Canadian press would know almost nothing about the ongoing demonstrations, blockades and work stoppages calling for the return of elected President Manuel Zelaya. Since Zelaya was overthrown by the military on June 28 the majority of teachers in Honduras have been on strike. Recently, health workers, air traffic controllers and taxi drivers have also taken job action against the coup. In response the military sent troops to oversee airports and hospitals across the country.
Edwards: Siding With The Generals
Aug 06, 2009
Iran's June 12 presidential elections have been widely criticised, both domestically and abroad, as lacking credibility. During the popular protests that followed, some 30 people were killed by government forces with hundreds more arrested. These events have been subject to intense and continuous US-UK media scrutiny.
Engler: Honduras
Jul 06, 2009
At Saturday's special meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS) Canada's minister for the Americas, Peter Kent, recommended that ousted President Manuel Zelaya delay his planned return to the country. Kent said the "time is not right" prompting Zelaya to respond dryly: "I could delay until January 27 [2010]" when his term ends. Kent added that it was important to take into account the context in which the military overthrew Zelaya, particularly whether he had violated the Constitution.
Edwards: Left Media
May 23, 2009
It is a mistake to imagine that media corporations are impervious to all complaints and criticism. In fact, senior editors and managers are only too happy to accept that their journalists tend to be 'anti-American,' 'anti-Israel,' 'anti-Western,' indeed utterly rotten with left-wing bias.
Mar 27, 2011
Historian Howard Zinn (1922-2010), would be remembered above all for his humanity and warmth, were it not for the crystal clarity of his insight.