The Expendables
The Expendables
A conversation about the class divide with Canadian economist and author Jeff Rubin
Appears in this episode
In recent weeks, many Canadian commentators have expressed shock that the country is experiencing a wave of populism. But Toronto author Jeff Rubin is not surprised. In fact, he predicted it, in an opinion piece for the New York Times in 2019.
Jeff Rubin is the former chief economist at CIBC World Markets, and a former senior fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation. His latest book, The Expendables: How the Middle Class Got Screwed By Globalization, looks at how many people’s livelihoods have been devastated by the current economic order.
On the podcast today, Jeff argues that the conditions in this country have paved the way for the trucker revolt, that class is at the root of this unrest — and that we should all be taking a close look at the policies that perpetuate inequality.
The Expendables
I think the story today is not so much how the Western middle class has been screwed by globalism; but how Western elites not only lack empathy about this fact, but have joined in a project to frankly destroy the people that have been screwed.
The last time Canada's "left" defended workers was 2010 in Toronto at the anti-g20 demonstrations.
Occupy Movement tried to reignite Canada's left the next year, to more nothingness results.
Those were our left's last gasps.
Now the "left" has essentially abandoned any connection to the working class and is now completely obsessed with "identities".