What If Labor Owned Its Workplaces?
Worker-owned firms have less wage inequality, greater job security, higher job satisfaction, stronger community ties, and greater resilience during economic downturns. The model needs to spread.
103 Articles by: David Moscrop
David Moscrop is a writer and political commentator. He hosts the podcast Open to Debate and is the author of Too Dumb For Democracy? Why We Make Bad Political Decisions and How We Can Make Better Ones.
The Unbearable Necessity of Experts
Right-wing populism’s disdain for the opinions of experts can be mistaken for the Left’s scorn for technocracy. But democratic principles and mass politics are the real antidote to the appropriation of power by experts.
Welcome to a Brave New World of Price Gouging
Sellers have always had access to more information than buyers, and “dynamic pricing,” which harnesses the power of algorithms and big data, is supercharging this asymmetry.
Your Car Is Spying on You for Insurance Companies
It turns out that the “Internet of Things” is full of automated snoops and spies. Data collection, now integrated into new car designs, is more pervasive than ever and is ushering in a brave new world of surveillance and corporate collusion.
Tech Titans Are the Robber Barons of Our Gilded Age
Apple’s battle with Epic is a reminder that today’s tech companies behave like 19th-century monopolists. Installing democratic control over these modern throwbacks to Gilded Age robber barons is the only way to curb their power.
Billionaires Hate This One Weird Trick: Taxing Them
The global movement to tax billionaires, much to the dismay of the 1%, is gaining steam. Sure, wealth taxes are not a panacea for the ruinous problems caused by capitalism, but the fact that the rich hate them is a good reason to pursue them further.
Strikes Are Meant to Be Disruptive
Critics of new anti-scab legislation in Canada are worried about the ability to “get things done.” But halting production is the very purpose of strikes — to create disruptions that force bosses to negotiate.
Labor’s Tide Is Rising
North American workers are gearing up for pivotal labor actions. With a tight labor market and the tailwind of significant union wins, the coming months promise a royal rumble between labor and capital.
Are We Transitioning From Capitalism to Silicon Serfdom?
The idea that we are entering an era of techno-feudalism that will be worse than capitalism is chilling and controversial. We asked former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis to elucidate this idea, explain how we got here, and map out some alternatives.
Our New Cities Can Be Born From the Ashes of the Old
Commercial real estate is in crisis throughout North America. This presents an opportunity for the mass conversion of commercial buildings, which could help address the housing crisis and create better cities in the process.
The Rich Want Their Own Cities
From Honduras to California, the dreams of the rich are reshaping urban spaces into exclusive private domains. The future of our cities must not be ceded to elites striving to construct walled utopias.
Welcome to Canada’s New Gilded Age
In Canada’s New Gilded Age, CEOs are enjoying record pay, earning a worker’s average yearly salary by the morning of January 2. It doesn’t have to be this way.
2023 Was a Good Year for Canadian Labor
In 2023, Canadian unions experienced a banner year marked by successful strikes and legislative victories. These wins should be celebrated alongside ongoing efforts to build an even stronger labor movement.
The Calamity That Is Canada’s Housing Market Is Beyond Satire
In the latest episode of Canada’s housing saga, a shared bed in Toronto is on the market for a jaw-dropping $900 a month. There’s no need for satire when the housing market itself has become a tragic joke.
We Can’t Grow Numb to Reports That the Rich Are Getting Obscenely Richer
Reports continue to reveal the thriving fortunes of the wealthy, which surged during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Such reports should still have us up in arms — and we should put our outrage to work to dismantle a rigged system.
We’re All Burning Ourselves Out to Keep Money Flowing Up to the Rich
Increased productivity has failed to translate into fair compensation, and we’re all working ourselves to death. Not having time to rest or think is not just terrible for human beings — it’s terrible for democracy.
Cory Doctorow’s Vision for a Just Tech Revolution
We talked to famed tech writer Cory Doctorow about his new book, The Internet Con; the fight against Big Tech; and how technology itself isn’t the problem — it’s about who holds the reins.
Toronto’s Rent Strike Is Growing
Toronto tenants have been on strike for months. With new tenants joining in the fight, the strike appears to be gaining momentum as it seeks to put landlords on notice and redress the balance of power between property owners and renters.
Canada Is Accusing India of a State-Sanctioned Assassination
Canada is claiming that India’s far-right government was involved in the murder of one of its citizens. The extraordinary allegation has set off a diplomatic firestorm.
Justin Trudeau’s Milquetoast Policies Aren’t Helping Hungry Canadians
Canadian workers are grappling with a cost-of-living crisis and struggling to afford housing and groceries. The Trudeau government’s response? Politely requesting that grocery bosses be nicer.