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May 1, 2004

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Cyberpunk, Orwellian Fears, and the Faces of Tyranny

The Cold War ended, and, since its collapse, a generation came of age unlearned in duck and cover drills, unafraid of Red Menaces, and unfamiliar with nuclear wasteland nightmares. A generation was born that wouldn’t look into a future of George Orwell’s 1984, as the book and the date became things of the past.

Work, Meaning, and Choice

Apr 1, 2004

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Work, Meaning, and Choice

The lack of choice, which annoys me when it concerns my car or computer, has far greater implications for the modern workplace. Much has been said and written about making work meaningful, but much of it boils down to this: there is a strong correlation between job satisfaction and the amount of decision-making freedom a worker enjoys.

Apr 1, 2004

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Against Indifference

I love Waiting for Lefty, a play I first discovered in the midst of my undergraduate education at North Park University. Written by Clifford Odets in the 1930s, the story takes place in the union hall of New York taxi drivers… Waiting for Lefty is significant to me because the place in which the characters find themselves stuck symbolizes a place where many Christians get stuck.

Apr 1, 2004

The Meaning of Conservatism

Canada’s conservative parties have been faction ridden over the past few years, with democratic populists from Preston Manning’s Reform, economic nationalists led by David Orchard, social conservatives allied with Stockwell Day, Red Tories in the mould of Joe Clark, and tax and budget cutters associated with the Harris and Klein governments all claiming to be the true heirs of the conservative patrimony.

Apr 1, 2004

Of a Number of Things: Sovereignty versus Pluriformity

Among the courses I most enjoy teaching at Redeemer University College are two history of political theory courses… This course features a grand total of one visual aid, a diagram placing the several modern political theorists along two parallel lines, one of which is labelled sovereignty and the second pluriformity.

Can Bad People be Good Leaders?

Apr 1, 2004

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Can Bad People be Good Leaders?

For the record, I believe the answer is No. However, discussing the question has as much merit as answering it. In an age where declarations of morality are considered impolite, if not outright suspect, the question highlights the significant challenges faced by those who would be our leaders.

Apr 1, 2004

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Guilds and Civil Society

The new economy is not a friendlier economy. Revamped hiring practices make it easier to discharge workers… If you’re in, great. If you’re out, well, it’s awfully difficult to get inside. Imbalances in the organization of work make it tough to argue for a civil society where all the spheres, including the economic realm, are largely self-regulating.

Mar 1, 2004

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Editorial: Zeitgeist

As regular readers know, our particular purpose with Comment is to deepen and broaden dialogue about work and economic life. As of this issue, we will try and reach, in particular, college and university students and young working people.

Mar 1, 2004

Reining in the State: Lessons from a very British affair

I was in Britain last July when David Kelly committed suicide in the rolling Oxfordshire countryside. Kelly was a leading government scientist and an acknowledged international expert on Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) capabilities… Let’s stand back from the details of this episode and ask what it tells us about the principle of accountability.

Mar 1, 2004

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Finish

Creativity and technical facility are not enough, in and of themselves, to achieve professional excellence… I first saw evidence of this during my college years as I followed the academic progress of my peers who were studio art majors. By their final year only a handful were truly ready to be practicing artists.