This week on the show, Doreen Nicoll speaks to author and professor Dennis Raphael about the idea of “social murder” and how it applies to Doug Ford’s government.
The expression “social murder” was first introduced by Friedrich Engels, a German political economist in the 1840’s. In his book, The Condition of the Working Class in England, Engels describes the misery and class division he witnessed in day-to-day English life. His conclusion? Proletarian revolution was necessary.
Then in 2007, the term was re-introduced by Canadian economists Robert Chernomas and Ian Hudson. Their book called “Social Murder and Other Shortcomings of Conservative Economics” outlined how the influence and size of corporate power is shaping the world in a negative way – corporations are able to wreak social and environmental havoc with few serious consequences.
Fast forward again to today and the term has gained popularity when referring to the recently re-elected Premier of Ontario Doug Ford and his government. And specifically – the cuts the Ford government has made to Ontario’s healthcare system.
Dennis Raphael explains why this term is being used, and what exactly it means in today’s interview.
Read more in Doreen Nicoll’s article on the site this week.
Photo: Orfeas Green on Unsplash
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