Author

Sam Hersh

Sam Hersh is currently pursuing a Joint Honours degree in Political Science and History and is in U3; this is his third year writing for MIR Online. He was born in Montreal and has lived here his entire life. His interests include Canadian and Chinese politics, international labor movements, and a variety of other international issues.

Final Reflections and Thoughts

Sam Hersh Sep 6, 2016

After three years and 51 written pieces including articles and blog posts, I write to you, readers, today for the final time as a part of the McGill International Review and what a better send off than writing a piece on Labour Day (or one…
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The Price of the “Olympic Spirit”: The Economic and Social Costs of the Olympic Games

Sam Hersh Aug 15, 2016

The Olympics are upon us, and with the opening ceremonies on August 5th, the games have promptly begun and will continue until August 21st, showcasing the world's top athletes. Nations will come together and forget about current…
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Bill C-14: The Assisted Dying Bill and the Death of the Liberal Honeymoon

Sam Hersh Jun 11, 2016

By now, most Canadian politicos will have heard of or seen the debate about the oh-so controversial Bill C-14 or the Assisted Dying Bill, the trigger of the media-dubbed "elbowgate" incident in which an NDP MP (Ruth Ellen Brosseau) was…
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The Wonderful History of Queen Victoria and Victoria Day

Sam Hersh May 24, 2016

Ahh Victoria Day, a long weekend of sun, barbeques and the celebration of colonial oppression; a perfect combination for a wonderful sunny weekend! In Canada, today we celebrate Victoria Day (but not in Quebec, where it's Journee des…
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Reflections on the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike: 97 Years On

Sam Hersh May 18, 2016

97 years ago this week, on May 15th at roughly 11 AM, virtually all workers in the city of Winnipeg were on strike. 30,000 people (including firefighters) walked off the job in a massive showing of class and labor solidarity. It was the…
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The Liberal Government and Our Archaic Relic a.k.a Our Constitutional Monarchy

Sam Hersh Apr 19, 2016

I saw a clip that troubled me today (follow this link to watch it), a clip that is not, as it seems, getting as much media attention as it should be getting. It is of Canada's Liberal Heritage Minister, Melanie Joly, briefly talking about…
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The New Democratic Party Convention: Perspective from the Floor

Sam Hersh Apr 13, 2016

I spent this past week in Edmonton, at the party convention for the New Democratic Party of Canada. After the smoke subsided and the convention was adjourned, the NDP underwent a significant change. The act of deposing Thomas Mulcair as…
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Unions Prevail as Friedrichs Case Fails in the Absence of Justice Scalia

Sam Hersh Apr 1, 2016

In January, a very important case was heard before the Supreme Court and could have meant the beginning of the end of unions as we know them in the United States. As I laid out in a blog post I made in January, the case brought forward by…
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Video: The Human Impacts of the TPP

Sam Hersh Mar 28, 2016

Last week, the AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Labour) released a video speaking about the real human impacts that the TPP (or Trans Pacific Partnership if you don't already know). The video reminds us that…
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Labour Focus: Qatar and Modern Slavery

Sam Hersh Mar 25, 2016

Slavery does in fact still exist today in our modern world (as I wrote in a blog post a few weeks ago). It is not something to be relegated to an ancient colonial past. There are still as many 20-36 million people (worldwide numbers on…
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Update on Palestinian Teachers’ Strike

Sam Hersh Mar 22, 2016

Here is another pleasant surprise and update on one of the articles I recently wrote about an over-one month long teacher's strike that was until recently taking place in the West Bank. Last week, the PLO appointed new leading members to…
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Bernie Sanders and Addressing Indigenous Issues in the US Election

Sam Hersh Mar 19, 2016

Two weeks ago I wrote an article entitled Silent Voices: Indigenous People in America and the 2016 Presidential Elections (available on the link given). I wrote about my frustrations and confusion about the lack of coverage on indigenous…
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A Socialist Reviews the Canadian Conservative Leadership Race, Its Hopefuls and Not-So Hopefuls

Sam Hersh Mar 14, 2016

INT - CANADA - ELECTION NIGHT As the dust settles, it is clear who the winner is - the self-proclaimed agent of "change" Justin Trudeau. As results are announced, STEPHEN HARPER tries to console disgruntled audience of Conservatives…
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Labour Focus: The West Bank

Sam Hersh Mar 7, 2016

In 2013, the primary and secondary Palestinian Teacher's Union went on strike after demands for a salary increase were consistently not met. The original deal that Palestinian Authority (PA) had struck with the union was a 10% salary…
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Silent Voices: Indigenous People in America and the 2016 Presidential Elections

Sam Hersh Feb 29, 2016

Again I must stray away from the theme of my blog as there is something that is deeply concerning to me in relation to the 2016 presidential election in the United States.... It seems peculiar to me, as a Canadian, that the issues…
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Justice for Egypt and Regeni

Sam Hersh Feb 25, 2016

In my last post, I wrote about the untimely death of Giulio Regeni, an Italian PhD student brutally beaten and murdered allegedly by the Egyptian government, an investigation is yet to be had. Today marks one month since his disappearance…
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What happened to the Arab Spring?: Political Repression in Egypt

Sam Hersh Feb 18, 2016

A few months ago, I wrote a post regarding to Egypt and its labour movement (here is the post if you're curious); it was a relatively positive post outlining that even though Egypt's labour movement may have an uphill battle against a now…
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Scalia and The Future of Union Dues

Sam Hersh Feb 15, 2016

It seems like there has been so much going on in America lately, it pains me not to write about it... A monumental event in American politics and quite simply American life happened Saturday, the day before Valentine's Day, when…
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Greece’s new “Necktie Revolution” and the slow death of a revolutionary movement

Sam Hersh Feb 11, 2016

If I could choose to not be any one political leader in the world right now it'd probably be Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras. His choices (which he was sort of forced into mind you) are coming back to haunt him. One of the agreements…
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Clinton, Sanders and the Fight for Feminism

Sam Hersh Feb 8, 2016

This post is off the topic of my usual blog (and again North American-centric) but it is one that I have recently given great thought to and thought that I should address my feelings about it here. Mind you, I write as a straight, white…
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Blog Post Nora Loretto: Activism and Parenting

Sam Hersh Feb 5, 2016

What we often forget about activists is that they often have other responsibilities as well, another life, many in fact are parents. Their arduous days of fighting for social justice do not finish when they go home but often continue late…
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Bernie – A Candidate for the Working People

Sam Hersh Feb 1, 2016

Tonight, Americans, Democrat and Republican, will get a better idea of who will represent them come November as Iowans go to the polls to pick who their preferred candidate will be for President of the United States. For the Democrats, it…
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Slavery – Alive and Well in Our Modern World

Sam Hersh Jan 28, 2016

Slavery still exists today and not only does it exist but it continues to thrive to this day, generating $150 billion annually in illegal products with an estimated 35.8 billion people in servitude in 167 countries according to the Global…
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Canada to sign TPP

Sam Hersh Jan 25, 2016

Over the past couple of weeks and in one of my latest articles you have probably noticed me writing about one thing more than others - the TPP. There are many reasons for this. Among others, this trade deal has the potential to give new,…
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The Child Labour Behind Smart Phones and Electric Car Batteries

Sam Hersh Jan 21, 2016

This post is about an old and archaic use of labour - the kind that many countries outlawed say about 200 years ago: child labour (although it is important to note the hypocrisy of these countries as even though it is outlawed in their own…
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Labour Focus: Vietnam and the TPP

Sam Hersh Jan 19, 2016

If you type "Vietnam and the TPP" into Google or any search engine as I did, you would probably think that it paints a very positive picture for Vietnam, calling Vietnam the potential "big winner of the TPP". The articles though (from…
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Union Dues – Breach of Rights or a Necessity?

Sam Hersh Jan 15, 2016

On Monday when I had written my last blog post there was a very important case that began being heard before the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), a case where the outcome could have detrimental effects for the future of the…
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Workers of the World and Labour in 2016

Sam Hersh Jan 11, 2016

Happy 2016 WOTW readers! I know I haven't written in a while but now I am back and ready to tackle the issues that face workers and labourers here in the Western world and abroad. There are many challenges that face the labour movement…
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Nora Loreto, a cool Canadian labour blogger to check out

Sam Hersh Dec 6, 2015

Tonight's post is a short one, it is the end of the year and exams are upon us. In one of my earlier blog posts I included an article from blogger Nora Loreto about Trudeau and the labour movement. If you want to read a blog about…
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Movies for the Working Class

Sam Hersh Dec 5, 2015

To go a little off of what I had done a few weeks ago here is a list of some movies that are sure to make you want to rise up and defeat the oppressive capitalist plutocrats that are the modern powers that be (in no particular order). Sorry…
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Blog Post: Global Warming and the Union Movemement in Canada

Sam Hersh Dec 3, 2015

In light of the COP21 climate talks, I thought bringing up this article may be relevant. Criticisms of the Trudeau governments supposed inaction have caused outrage and annoyance from some. This article is quite scathing in its critique of…
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When Capitalism Gets You Down, Just Tune into some Labour Tunes

Sam Hersh Nov 21, 2015

Living in a world surrounded by capitalism can be overwhelming sometimes. With all the neoliberals running amok, oppresed workers everywhere and economic injustice as far as the eye can see it's easy to see how capitalism can get ya down.…
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Video: Youth and the Union Movement in Canada

Sam Hersh Nov 19, 2015

What will you do after you graduate? Will you be able to get a job? How secure will it be? The job environment for youth presently seems pretty toxic even here in Canada, where most growth in jobs are precarious or part-time, low-paying…
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Women and the Continued Future of the Labour Movement

Sam Hersh Nov 13, 2015

Before I begin, I'd like to acknowledge that I write not on behalf of women in the labour movement but on behalf of myself as a white male and an ally to these women. I do not and will not face the same struggles they would and thus cannot…
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Trudeau and the Labour Movement So Far

Sam Hersh Nov 11, 2015

Yes, I know. It hasn't even been a month so to put "so far" at the end of the title might be a bit too much for lack of a better word but I digress. For the first time since 1958 (when Diefenbaker was the PM), a prime minister…
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Labour Focus: Iran

Sam Hersh Nov 8, 2015

For this post, WOTW will be looking at a phenomenon in the Middle East: growing labour activism in Iran. When Iran comes to mind, the topic of conversation is generally the same: state-sponsored terrorism, their controversial nuclear…
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The TPP Released in Full Detail

Sam Hersh Nov 6, 2015

You thought I would be finished talking about it didn't you! Well you were wrong. I am sorry once again for deviating from what I said this post would be about but something very important has just been released - the full details of the…
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Video: Why are Labour Unions Declining in the US?

Sam Hersh Oct 30, 2015

This is the question Al Jazeera plans to answer. Labour unions have been in decline in the United States for decades and have been progressively losing their one true legislative ally - the Democrats, as they shift further and further to…
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Labour Focus: Egypt

Sam Hersh Oct 29, 2015

Instead of doing one long overview of labour movements in developing countries I have decided to zoom in to a particular conflict between workers and their employers in a particular place for the next few posts. The situation is not…
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Thoughts on the New Liberal Government

Sam Hersh Oct 28, 2015

Because of some time constraints that have been placed upon me (mostly because of my own procrastination) I will not have time to write a post about the original topic I had intended to write about: grassroots labour movements in developing…
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The Challenge of Enforcement: New Laws in New Lands

Sam Hersh Oct 22, 2015

If you’ve read my last posts on the TPP, you will have noted that one of the things that I’ve outlined that the deal promises is that all countries “adopt and maintain in their laws and practices the fundamental labour rights as recognized…
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Trouble in the Country of Free Trade: Critics of the TPP

Sam Hersh Oct 16, 2015

With a little over a year to go till election day, the TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership) has also proven to be a relatively salient issue in another North American state during their election cycle: the United States. If you did not read…
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“They Played Him Like a Chump”: Workers, the Canadian Election and the TPP

Sam Hersh Oct 14, 2015

For the first post of WOTW, I thought I’d start right here at home in Canada because there's no better time to talk about an important issue than the election season. Next week on Monday, October 19th, people go to the polls to cast their…
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Workers of the World: A Blog About Labour, Not Marx

Sam Hersh Oct 6, 2015

“The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Workers of the world unite!” -Karl Marx, The Communist Manifesto, 1848 My name is Sam Hersh and I am a U3 student here at McGill studying history and…
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Workers of the World Unite…But don’t disturb social stability: The Rise of Collective…

Sam Hersh Apr 11, 2015

The opening words of the current version of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China, adopted in 1982 at the 5th National People’s Congress, reads: “The People's Republic of China is a socialist state under the people's…
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China, the Unlikely Leader of the Green Revolution

Sam Hersh Mar 13, 2015

China is by far the biggest polluter in the world, emitting 6018 million tons of greenhouse gases per year in 2009 (the United States was a far second with 5903 tons). Its energy economy still remains one largely based on the consumption…
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Should They Stay or Should They Go: Greece and the Eurozone

Sam Hersh Feb 23, 2015

With the recent election of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and the radical left coalition, Syriza, speculation has again arisen concerning the possibility of a Grexit (Greek exit from the Eurozone); the existential crisis summed up…
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Ebola and the Politics of Fear

Sam Hersh Nov 6, 2014

"What has happened recently with Ebola reminds us that in an age of globalization and particularly global trade and travel, what was a problem that was at one time far away from us could arrive at our shores very quickly." This quote from…
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The Cult of Xi?

Sam Hersh Oct 10, 2014

After the death of long-time leader and despot Mao Zedong in the late 1970s, Chinese heads of state have attempted to avoid the traits of a “personable” leader in an attempt to not evoke the image of the late ruler. Instead recent leaders…
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The Case for Chinese Democracy

Sam Hersh Feb 10, 2014

It was over 100 years ago that Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, a pivotal figure in the 1911 revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty and saw the establishment of the Republic of China, said about democracy to the Chinese people: “This world trend is…
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