We’re Still Feeling the Effects of Reaganomics

Monday, December 2, 2024

This week from The Walrus:

How the 1980s Engineered the Collapse of the Working Class

Forty years later, policies to prop up the super rich are still going strong

BY CHARLIE ANGUS

In a photo illustration, workers on strike stand on a road with signs in black-and-white. The horizon is coloured in a violent orange.

There was a major difference between the job crisis of 1980 and the Great Depression. In 1929, the world was hit by an unexpected economic collapse that defied the understanding of politicians and economists. In 1980, however, the economic shock was planned at the highest level, and it had the fingerprints of Milton Friedman all over it.

On January 1, 1980, he and his wife, Rose Friedman, released a provocative manifesto called Free to Choose: A Personal Statement. A little more than a week later, he followed it up with the launch of a syndicated weekly television series extolling his simple message: government is bad; capitalism is good.

Read or listen to the story

A protester waves a Canadian flag with 'freedom' written across it amid a nighttime protest.

Canada’s Far Right Is Getting Bolder

As extremism grows, politicians and security agencies are in denial

BY STÉPHANE LEMAN‐LANGLOIS, AURÉLIE CAMPANA, AND SAMUEL TANNER

In a black-and-white photo from 1910, a man in an overcoat and hat stoops while writing on a small pad of paper while speaking to a small news boy who holds a stack of papers.

Tech Titans Should Pay to Save Canada’s Newsrooms

It’s time to take seriously the idea of using digital taxes to rebuild journalism

BY MARC EDGE

In a photo illustration, four stacks of books are partially coloured in dark pink, making them look like bar charts of diminishing heights.

Memoirs Are Almost Impossible to Sell

Publishers are turning away from personal stories. Have readers stopped caring about each other’s lives?

BY TAJJA ISEN

Black and white photo of Ricardo Sternberg on an orange background.

Rivers

He wanted throats constricted, / speech impeded, eyes rimmed red, / the room brimming with tears

BY RICARDO STERNBERG

A greyscale photo of Philippe J. Fournier superimposed onto charts and graphs.

How an Astrophysicist Became the Most Accurate Political Forecaster in Canada

Philippe J. Fournier has called elections across the country—with a 90 percent success rate

BY CARMINE STARNINO

In an illustration, a person stares at their phone in the shadow of two massive letters spelling out 'AI.'

We’re Doing What Searchbots Can’t

ChatGPT won’t break a story, craft a deft turn of phrase, or tell a compelling narrative

BY CARMINE STARNINO

In a photo illustration, a baby in diapers sucking his thumb lies on a pile of money. Some of the bills are floating away.

Want to Raise a Kid in Canada? That’ll Be $293,000

… and climbing

BY CHANTAL BRAGANZA

How well do you know our stories?
Test yourself with our weekly quiz

According to Marshall Ganz, what is the one major factor that has contributed to what he calls “the deterioration of collective public capacity” in the United States?

Yes, I Know the Answer

In a world of crises and division, Semafor’s Flagship newsletter offers transparent, balanced journalism. Trusted by heads of state and global business leaders, Semafor Flagship brings you essential stories without the fluff, keeping you connected to what matters. Sign up for free here.

At The Walrus Talks at Home: Polarization, four experts will dive into how social media amplifies “rage‐bait” and dis/misinformation. We’ll also look at how the COVID‐19 pandemic widened political divisions about health and science policies. In the closing days of a year that saw more than half the world’s population go to the polls, and in the lead up to an expected federal election, don’t miss this urgent discussion about what divides us and how people in Canada can find common ground.

Join us

When AI Meets the Humanities

AI is transforming the humanities by blending human creativity with advanced technology. In this episode of Youth for Youth, tech futurist Lindsey McInerney and New York Times journalist Steve Lohr explore the opportunities and challenges AI brings to fields like creativity, critical thinking, and cultural understanding.

Listen now

In this week’s episode of What Happened Next, host Nathan Whitlock is joined by writer and publisher Casey Plett. Casey is the author of four books, including 2023’s On Community, which was named a “best book of the year” by The Tyee, the CBC, and Hamilton Review of Books. They talk about Casey’s terrible author signature, surviving the first days of the new Trump regime, and the shift in approach she is taking with her novel in progress.