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It’s been a fascinating year politically in Canada, the United States and beyond. Justin Trudeau battled Donald Trump over free trade. Trump has done the unthinkable, separating young migrant children from their parents and all but declaring war on downtrodden asylum-seekers at the United States-Mexico border. The U.K. is still grappling with Brexit chaos. Germany’s Angela Merkel is stepping down and France’s Emmanuel Macron is in trouble. There are worrisome steps to the right all over the globe, and a surprising step to the left in Mexico.
As Politics Editor of The Conversation Canada, I’ve been blown away by the deluge of incisive, razor-sharp contributions from academics across the country on many of these news events. Once again, I have learned something new and something important every day I’ve been on the job.
For that reason it’s tough to list my favourite analyses. There was truly not a dud among them. But here are the ones that have stayed with me.
In a year of damning Facebook scandals, an analysis from Robert Huish and Patrick Balazo of Dalhousie University about how the social media giant was unwittingly fuelling genocide against the Rohingya people in Myanmar was a disturbing, infuriating read. It was also one of our most widely read stories of the year, and may have helped affect change given Facebook soon began to remove anti-Rohingya hate campaigns from its platform, and continues to do so.
Other amazing, widely republished Politics pieces this year:
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An examination of how the cop who approached the Toronto van attacker in April did everything right, by Glenn Hanna of the University of Guelph-Humber
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An explainer on why oil prices fluctuate, by Atif Kubursi of McMaster University, and how much of it has to do with sheer politics
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A passionate call for governments to start cracking down on corporate welfare bums by Roberta Lexier of Mount Royal University and Rutgers University’s Avi Lewis of the famous NDP Lewis clan
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Several stories about Ontario’s newly elected Doug Ford, including this one issuing a call for the city of Toronto to keep fighting his efforts to interfere in city governance, by Estair Van Wanger of York University and Alexandra Flynn of the University of Toronto
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A look at the non-profit news industry in the United States, and what Canada can learn from it, by Canadian Magda Konieczna of Temple University, a onetime Guelph Mercury reporter.
I can’t wait to see what our political contributors have in store for us in 2019!
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The Year in Review: Politics
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Ron Stagg, Ryerson University
Canadians were shocked by Donald Trump's outburst about Justin Trudeau. Canada and the United States have been allies for more than a century, but there have been disputes between presidents and PMs.
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Henry Giroux, McMaster University
Donald Trump's relentless nods to fascism in his rhetoric requires us to form a language of resistance, rooted in compassion for others, justice and the confrontation of the forces of tyranny.
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Sergio Daniel Michel Chavez, Carleton University
The success or failure of Mexico's new president will have an impact on politics in the rest of Latin America as right-wing forces reclaim power. Is a brighter future for the region possible?
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Petra Rethmann, McMaster University
The political power of Germany's Russian community is significant, and it's helped fuel the rise of the right-wing, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party known as the AfD.
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Robert Huish, Dalhousie University; Patrick Balazo, Dalhousie University
Facebook is unwittingly helping fuel a genocide against the Rohingya people in Myanmar. Does Cuba’s internet model provide lessons to manage social media amid political chaos?
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Glenn Hanna, University of Guelph-Humber
The Toronto cop who apprehended the van attack suspect is being lauded internationally for refraining from using deadly force as he apprehended him. Here's how everything went right for the constable.
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Atif Kubursi, McMaster University
Oil prices have little to do with supply or demand or even economic forces. Instead, it's all about politics.
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Roberta Lexier, Mount Royal University; Avi Lewis, Rutgers University
Canada’s welfare state is disintegrating while corporate welfare soars. In an era of climate crisis, precarious work and instability, it’s time the corporate welfare bums paid us back.
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Estair Van Wagner, York University, Canada; Alexandra Flynn, University of Toronto
City council is a level of government deserving of recognition and autonomy. That's why Toronto must continue to fight Ontario's attempt to exert its will over the city.
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Magda Konieczna, Temple University
Canada has a lot to learn from the U.S. about nonprofit news. Here's how nonprofit news organizations work in the United States. Spoiler alert: It's all about collaboration.
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