Goodbye 2025
But first, an update, since the last post on this blog was September 1st. There’s an old adage that has it that the more time you have, the less you get done. That actually wasn’t the case for me this fall – I had lots to do and that meant some important things didn’t get done. This blog being one of them. I considered giving it up entirely, but it seems as if almost twenty years of being something means, you tend to keep on doing it. However, I will be giving up wage slavery in 2026 and retiring around the middle of the year. What impact that has on things like this blog remains to be seen. But until then…some things that made 2025 a bit more bearable.
1 Edinburgh
I travelled a lot this year. In the summer, my wife and I did a mini-European tour and the first stop was the Scottish capital Edinburgh. My mum was Scottish, and my dad half Scottish, so I suppose I get to claim that too, but I hadn’t been to Edinburgh since 1997. It’s a beautiful city and contrary to the popular idea, it was sunny and the weather was lovely. The thing I love about European cities is so much history in them (Check out the royal Museum) and statues – Greyfriars Bobby and David Hume are very close to each other.
2 Shetland.
After Edinburgh, we travelled to Aberdeen and took a ferry to Shetland. I’ll confess, the true reason we went there is we both love the TV drama Shetland. On the trip we met a couple from Australia who were there for the same reason. It’s a cool little island, and we really enjoyed the scenery and the people (I turned 61 there, and it was a good place to celebrate)
3 Berlin.
I wrote about Berlin earlier this year, but we ended up spending Christmas there as well. My daughter lives there, and we got home yesterday. This time, we stayed in a working class district called Wedding. Or as it was known in the day Red Wedding. We stayed just a few blocks from Kösliner Straße, the famous red alley which was the scene of an infamous massacre of demonstrators by the police in 1929. We also got to see the Berlin Wall which I had missed last time and the memorial for the 1919 Revolution in Friedrichsfelde Cemetery. As someone who has lived most of his life in North America, it’s striking when you encounter streets named after Karl Marx and Rosa Luxemburg. Lastly, we did go to a Christmas Market – it felt a little like being in one of those Hallmark Christmas movies, but not in an unpleasant way. The mulled wine probably helped.
4 Vessi
Yeah, Vessi. It’s a Canadian shoe company out of Vancouver. I was looking for a lightweight, but waterproof sneaker tihs summer, and bought a pair. The most comfortable show I worn in ages. We tramped around Scotland, Shetland and Berlin and I got not a single blister. Earlier this month, I saw they had a light winter boot (basically a lined high-top sneaker) – bought a pair of those with the same result. Very comfortable. [End of commercial plug, but it might be more of a public service announcement]
5 Vancouver
Later in the summer, we went to Vancouver to see our son who was working there. Not been there since 1998, but it still seemed pretty cool, the east side of downtown with its horrific poverty and fentanyl epidemic notwithstanding. I really like the central library, and the continued existence of Spartacus Books is important.
6 Montreal
The final leg of our mini-Canadian tour was also due to our son’s re-location – he worked in Montreal in the fall. Spent a day wandering through the mile end neighbourhood. Cool area which is home to a lot of hipster stores as well as Drawn and Quarterly and a significant Jewish community. Great vibe.
7 Severance
I’ve only watched the first season of this show. A friend at work was constantly talking about it, so my wife and I finally got to viewing it. Oh, it’s so good. Two things. I really liked the slow burn: How details were gradually revealed, as the show built up to it’s season one climax. Enthralling. And then there’s the the show itself. God knows, I’d like to walk away from work and forget everything, but we know if we could, it would be for the needs of capital. Amazing.
8 The New Eves
I discovered the New Eves after they appeared on an Uncut compilation CD. It was one of those moments where you go, “What the hell was that?” Imagine Patti Smith singing for the Raincoats who were performing as a Velvet Underground tribute band. A disservice to all of those bands, but you get the idea. Hoping they are touring Canada soon.
9 Kota the Dog
Last year, we lost our beloved Lester. It was a profound experience from which I will never totally recover. Will I get another dog? Dunno. Maybe. However, one of our neighbours has a husky who visits our back garden once or twice a day. She trots over and as soon as we go out to see her, rolls over for a belly-rub. I feel like a grandparent. Perhaps we’re not quite ready for another dog, but we both look forward to Kota’s visits.
10 Hope
When I was in Berlin last week, I visited the Anti-War Museum in Wedding. It was originally set up in the 1920s, but the Nazis closed it when they came to power. In a perverse twist, they used the building as a detention centre where they tortured prisoners. the original building was destroyed during World War II, but was re-established in a different location. The woman who was volunteering there and who gave me a tour asked where I was from. When I said Canada, she laughed and made a joke about Trump. It’s hard to watch (and obviously much harder to live through) the actions of the Trump regime, although it is easy and tempting to see parallels with the past (there is a very interesting piece on the International Perspective website on this topic which I will post later on just this topic), it is also easy to see class struggle. Earlier this year workers at Air Canada and the Canadian post office fought important battles for working conditions and dignity at work. In the US, the anti-Trump “No Kings” movement mobilized millions, and in Canada, Britain and the US, there have been small steps against the existing structures (the Yves Engler campaign for NDP leadership, Your Party, and the election of Zohran Mumdani respectively). Now, it is important to see that these movements are not revolutionary uprisings and in the case of Engler, Your Party and the DSA, they will ultimately be ways to continue to bind workers to “democratic” capitalism albeit with the possibility of more sugar. But it is in the moments of realignment, of struggles that greater possibilities emerge. It would be foolish to suggest that 2026 will be the year of struggle, of a revolutionary moment. But it might also be as foolish to suggest that things could not get better.
Here’s to a New Year of class struggle and a better tomorrow.
A Note on the Air Canada Strike
Last month, Flight Attendants at Air Canada struck. That they struck over wages and working conditions is not remarkable, but what followed was.
Less that 12 hours about CUPE members began their strike, Canadian Federal Labour minister Patty Hadju used section 107 of the Canadian labour code to order strikers back to work; an order CUPE announced they would ignore. The following day, the Canada Industrial Relations Board issued a ruling that the strike was “unlawful.” (It’s worth noting that the the chair of the board Maryse Tremblay previously worked as Chief Counsel at…Air Canada). CUPE announced they would defy that too. CUPE and Air Canada met on Monday at 6 PM to negotiate and had a deal by 4 AM the following morning. Voting began next week on the deal. So what happened?
Transportation strikes generally aren’t popular. Every one has horror stories about flying. Over crowding, delays, lost luggage and much more. And public representatives such as flight attendants and counter workers often receive the brunt of that anger. But when the union decided to make unpaid labour the centrepoint of its campaign,it was a success.
As we shuffle onto the plane, flight attendants are there, directing us to our seats, helping with luggage, and then going through the safety procedures we generally ignore. But until the plane takes off, they don’t get paid. Many right wing columnists complained everyone does work that they’re not paid for (shout out to all the teachers prepping for school while technically on their summer holidays), which in itself is a telling admission. But, to use the example of teachers, it’s hidden. no one sees them working. Flight attendants are working in front of you, and the public clearly saw that as absurd that they not be paid for it.
So when a deal was reached, the union shouted “No more unpaid labour.” Well, not quite. Flight attendants will be paid for an hour, and for first year attendants only 50% of their regular wages (rising to 70% after four years). Thank goodness the union was there to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The word is there’s a good chance that workers will reject this deal.
Capitalism’s defenders have always equated workers selling their labour power as freedom. If workers don’t like the exchange, they were free to go elsewhere in search of a better deal. Exploitation, being paid less than the value of labour power was always built into the exchange. and yet, for capital, workers ought to exchange their labour power for nothing. What a world. Let’s do better.
AND NOW (September 7, 2025)
Voting finished on the proposed contract Saturday afternoon.
99.4% turnout ; 99.1% rejection
So fuck you Air Canada. And apparently fuck you too CUPE
The Decline of the Left-wing Bookstore
I was in Vancouver this month for the first time in almost 30 years. One of the joys was that Spartacus Books was still around. Founded in 1973, it has served as leftist bookstore /info shop/ resource centre for now over half a century. When I was there last it was near Hastings on the east side of downtown. A fire and another move after that saw its relocation to Commercial Drive. A marvellous resource.
Vancouver has a population of about 660,00. Toronto has a population almost two million larger, but nothing like Spartacus exists here. When I moved to Toronto in the mid-1980s, there were several leftist bookshops then and in the years that followed – DEC, Bob Miller, Progress Books (mostly Communist Party stuff, but in its final years less sectarian), the Socialist Bookstore, Who’s Emma?, and occasional and a few others lost to time. Today, nothing. Sure, there are some used bookstores with good leftist selections, and a few commercial ventures, but nothing beyond. Despite the presence of a dozen or more far left groups, Toronto has no non-sectarian venture.
It is a decline in the number of leftists, spread thinner and thinner into more and more sects, or its it the internet making material available online that has led to the disappearance of the leftist bookshop? Either way, it speaks to a shifting, a decline in the public culture of “the left.”
Some Observations in Berlin
The post below isn’t an analysis; it’s observation. We’ll save that for another day. I was in Europe for a few weeks this month. First in Scotland (and Shetland – big fan of the TV show of the same name), and then in Berlin. And it’s the latter, I want to focus on here.
We stayed in what once would have been East Berlin near the Zionskirche, the church where those involved in the events of 1989 met and planned. It was my first time in Germany, and it was fascinating wandering through the neighbourhoods, noting the graffiti (plenty of “fuck the AFD” stickers) and the stolperstein (small brass plates commemorating the last voluntary residences of victims of the Nazi terror).
East Germany was my second visit to a former “workers state,” (I spent an afternoon in Estonia last year), and wanted to get a sense of the former regime. I didn’t go to see the former site of the Berlin Wall (perhaps if I’d had a few more days), but I did visited the Museum of the DDR and the STASI Museum.
The DDR was generally viewed within the Soviet bloc as an economic powerhouse, but a popular joke had it that the East German economy was as powerful as a steam-train, but unfortunate 80% of that power was used in the whistle.
One of the first things you notice is the number of people at the museums who weren’t alive when the DDR came to an end.in October 1990 (in other words anyone under 35) \and it really felt like a step back in time. In both museums, almost everything looked as if it had been manufactured in 1972. The architecture, the photographs, the clothing. I’m reminded of a department store in Windsor where I grew up called Daniel’s. It was an odd department store. and in his book Notes from a Small Island, Bill Bryson described it as what he imagined England would be like if it had been taken over by East Germany. There was a pervasive greyness.
The STASI Museum was a monsterous concrete block. Apparently when the headquarters were moved to its current location, other buildings were demolished or repurposed including apartments, and on the official maps, a blank space appeared where the STASI buildings were located.
Inside the museum were an impressive collection of James bond like spy gadgets: A coat with a hidden camera. A door with a listening device. And soon. In all fairness, it did feel as if Get Smart and not the Bond novels were the model. Or perhaps the blandness described by John Le Carre.
According to official counts over 100,000 worked for the STASI but they spy service had an impressive network of maybe 300,000 informants. One joke I heard about the STASI was that half the population worked for the STASI and the other half were informants for them. Obviously an exaggeration, but it is true there was an entire division of the STASI whose job it was to monitor the STASI.
And while state sanctioned violence was the trademark of the STASI in its early years, the organization, while not entirely abandoning them, moved toward increased surveillance and psychological terror which it believed was more effective in controlling the population. Orwell’s 1984, published four months before the official founding of the DDR was banned in the Soviet Union until 1988. No doubt many who read it say the parallels. If you ever visit Berlin, these museums are unmissable.
The day before we started heading back to Canada, I visited the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. the camp is a 45 minute train ride from Berlin in the town of Oranienburg (much of which remains from the period the camp operated as it largely escaped Allied bombings) Sachsenhausen served as a concentration camp from 1936 (!) to 1945. It was originally for political prisoners as well as gays (it was a male prison), although it eventually came to hold all of the Nazis’ targets. It held many famous prisoners including Stalin’s son.
I went on a guided tour. Through the town, past the administrative buildings, until we reached the gates with the infamous slogan “arbeit macht frei.” Then into the camp. Past the central yards, into the barracks, and to the execution Station Z, where prisoners were gassed or shot then burned. tens of thousands died at this camp. I can’t do it justice except to say to stand in the remaining presence of such horror is harrowing.
A fascinating city filled with history, with beauty, and a dark past. More to come on this topic.
Music Notes July 2025
Some stuff you might like.
1 S.G. Goodman – Planting by the Signs
A moody southern gothic classic (whatever that means).
2 Jr. Gone Wild – Pull the Goalie
Jr. Gone Wild were an Alberta-based country-punk band in the 1980’s. Unfortunately, they broke up just before the alt-country field (no pun intended) became massive. Still, this album, released in 1992 holds up pretty well.
3 Paul Weller – Find El Dorado
Paul Weller has moved a long way from the Jam (well, it’s been almost 50 years), but the results are still compelling. Weller’s new record is his second album of covers; mostly folkie collection of well-known tracks, some more obscure material, and some duets.
4 The Fall – Slates
A six-song mini-album (on 10″ vinyl) of Mancabilly mashed with Mark Smith’s seeming free verse. Adrian Sherwood produces the first track.
5 Brutalismus 3000 – Goodbye Salo EP
My daughter is a big fan of this electronica duo from Berlin. Reminds me of Sleigh Bells. Great in the car.
6 Snooper – Super Snooper
I mention this because some might get a kick of of hardcore meets a lot of odd noise. Not really my thing, but kinda interesting.
7 The New Eves – the New Eve is Rising
The album doesn’t come out until Friday, but it’s worth mentioning here. I was listening to a compilation from Uncut magazine when “Cow Song” came on. Stunning. If the Raincoats were a Velvet Underground cover band with The Witch and Midsommar showing in the background. You can find a few songs online, but the treat will be the album. Highly recommended.
8 Gina Birch – Trouble
And speaking of the Raincoats…Gina Birch has a new record out. It reminded me a lot of the Raincoats second album in its refusal to conform.
9 The B-52s – Live! 8-24-1979
A live album recorded in Boston about a month after the release of their debut album (half of which appears here). There’s a palpable excitement in the recording and worth hearing whether you’re a fan or not.
10 Tom Lehrer –
Tom Lehrer was hilarious. He wrote political satire, making fun of targets that needed to be mocked. According to popular legend, Tom Lehrer quit writing satirical material when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. How could satire compete? Lehrer’s passing last week at the age of 97 leaves a hole.
Till next time.
Music Notes June 2025
Haven’t done one of these in a while, so here’s a few things of note. Going to try to be more regular with these. So, we’ll see.
1 Apacalda – There’s a Shadow in My Room and It Isn’t Mine
Debut album from a Montreal artist. Dark, moody tunes. “Dead Weight” is Chilling.
2 Zoon – Bleached Wavves
Hamilton Ontario base shoegaze band. Heavy MBV overtones, but that’s not a bad thing.
3 Lorde – Virgin
Well, this is a surprise for me, but my daughter thought I would like this, and she was right. There’s a lot of noise right now about the images associated with the album (haven’t seen them), but the music is catchy, heavy, and deep.
4 The Isaac Webb Trio
Rockabilly band from Shetland. A couple of singles only, but pretty good stuff.
5 Ichi Bons
Just a couple of singles and EPs. I saw them last year opening for the Damned in Toronto. Well worth a listen.
6 The Pixies _ Bossanova
The third Pixies album, and maybe their last great one. Still sounds fantastic 45 years later.
7 S.G. Goodman – Planting By the Signs
Moody, folks. Southern gothic. Irresistible
8 Brinsley Schwartz – Brinsley Schwartz
Check out what pub-rock was all about.
9 Motorhead – The Manticore Tapes
If you’re a Motorhead fan, these early recordings cannot be ignored.
10 Just to note some passings here: Marianne Faithful, David Johanson, Rich Buckler, Dave Allen, Clem Burke, Brian James, Steven Leckie, Brian Wilson, Sly Stone, Garth Hudson, and sadly, many more.
The Future of Revolution?
I picked up a copy of Jasper Bernes new book The Future of Revolution, but haven’t had a chance to read it yet (June is the busiest month of the year for me, so likely I won’t get to it until July).
If this is your planned beach reading (just kidding), you might start by taking at look at the Brooklyn Rail which has a series of articles about the book. Very interesting discussion.
The Workers’ Councils Redeemed by Julian Francis Park
Workers Councils: Solution or Problem? by Charles Reeve
On the Future (And Past) of Revolution by Frits Janssen
Revolutionary Berlin
Sorry, this post isn’t directly about revolutionary Berlin, but rather a request. I’m going to be in Berlin for about five days in mid-July, and I wondered if anyone could recommend any important things beyond the usual tourist things. I know there’s a former concentration camp which is now a museum north of the city, and some points from the 1919 Revolution, but any other suggestions are much appreciated.
“And the prize for the most Stalinophilic Article This Month Goes to…”
The International Communist League.
After the debacle of Hitler coming to power in Germany and the subsequence crushing of the German Communist Party, Trotsky and his followers moved away from considering themselves reformers of the Communist International. It could no longer be saved they said, and there was a need for a new, Fourth, International. The F.I. was founded in 1938, and a decade and a half later suffered a significant split when its leader Michel Pablo called for re-entry into the Stalinist organizations (or social democrats) with a perspective that effectively mirrored the pre-1933 outlook of Trotsky. Today, depending of which Trotskyist group you follow, the “FI” needs to be reborn, refounded, reconstructed, reconstituted, abandoned altogether in favour of a Fifth International, or is doing just fine. Still…
In the most recent issue of Spartacist, the anti-Pabloists of the International Communist League (Fourth International) have published “An Open Letter to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.”
It might be that the opening salutation of “Dear Comrades” is just being polite, but if you though it was going to set the tone…you were right. A syrupy sycophantic advice letter suggesting that the Chinese Stalinists are misguided workers leaders rather than brutal capitalists. The funniest part was the very mild criticism of the national oppression practiced in China because it might drive Tibetans and Uyghurs into “the arms of counterrevolution.” (No, actually, it was the bit where they talked how they fought against counterrevolution in the 1980’s and 90’s with “all their might” even though they’ve pretty much disavowed all of their history from that period)
I thought the ICL’s turn away from the previous lunacy might mean an end to their wackiness. But no. They simply went in a different direction. You guys kill me. Seriously.
“Eat your Tariffs”
As a student and sometimes teacher of economics, I thought I understood how tariffs work in the capitalist economy: A tax on imported goods makes it more expensive for the importer of the commodity who then faced with a choice – either absorb the costs or pass them on to the consumer. Typically it’s the latter, which makes foreign goods less desirable and domestic ones more attractive.
Trump has long been an advocate for tariffs arguing that the exporting country will be sending perhaps billions to dollars to the U.S. and that it won’t cost the U.S. taxpayers anything. (Uh, no.)
However…in a recent post of Truth Social, Trump told Walmart, that it should blame tariffs for price increases and that Walmart should just absorb the costs themselves. This leads me to three questions…
- Are you saying that that prices will rise for American taxpayers?
- If the Democrats had suggested a company like Walmart absorb said costs, how long would it have been before the denunciations of communism came flying?
- Wasn’t China going to pay for all of this anyway?
Perhaps a viewing of Crash Course Economics might help with “stable geniuses.” I know for the ICC, everything is proof of decadence, but when I see stuff like this, I kinda think they have a point.
Notes from Underground 
