The clear lesson from the past is that, once the sort of inequality that beset the Roman Empire – or that we are experiencing in Canada today – sets in, more often than not it has proven disastrous and in many cases spelled doom for entire societies.
Our goal should be decent wages for all workers. The way to get there is to push for higher productivity in low-wage sectors by raising wages while maintaining full employment.
One thing is for sure, the Tax the Rich debate is here to stay and our ability to invest in our future depends on its outcome.
The Conservative belief that we can squeeze every last drop of economic gain from a fading fossil fuel sector by delaying deep action on climate is a Faustian bargain if ever there was one.
While it is tempting to believe the extremely wealthy all “bootstrapped” themselves into affluence through their own ingenuity and hard work, the data paints a different picture.
Since the 1980s, governments around the world have reduced taxes on corporate profits and personal wealth, weakened regulations and privatized public infrastructure. These decisions allow the powerful to hoard wealth at the expense of workers, consumers, the environment, and social cohesion.
We can hardly tackle obscene and rising levels of economic inequality if we are not prepared to see a sustained rise in wages at the expense of the capital share of national income, and a sustained period of wages growing at least in line with growing productivity.
From affordable home-ownership programs and housing for intergenerational households, to culturally informed supportive housing for Black people leaving homelessness and the gentrification antidote that community land trusts can be, People of African descent in Canada must be afforded the opportunities and resources to participate in the decisions that impact our lives and to build the…
Analysis suggests that capital has become far too strong to sustain a robust economy and that an increase in labour bargaining power should be welcomed rather than resisted.
