Marxian Thought - The Best Introductory Lectures

In fact of course, this 'productive' worker cares as much about the crappy shit he has to make as does the capitalist himself who employs him, and who also couldn't give a damn for the junk.
Karl Marx, Grundrisse, Notebook II, The Chapter on Capital, p. 193

It was just in the recent past that the Oracle of Ottawa wrote a little missive on the best introductory documentary on the life of Karl Marx. The post was written to share with what I suspected would be one or two of my Dear Readers that might become interested in such a topic. Much to the Oracles surprise it has been garnering much more hits than first suspected. No doubt it would be really a great public service to the world wide readership of this 'umble blog if the Oracle of Ottawa could direct you to a very high quality introduction to Marxian thought and theory. 

Richard D. Wolff - Feisty as Hell!!

This of course was a bit more difficult than fist imagined. But by total accident the Oracle of Ottawa has found a most excellent source for your continuing Marxian education. There are very many people talking about the works of Marx on You-Tube, but alas, most all of them prove after just the first few words that they have never read any of the great mans work ever in their lives. Wouldn't it be great if there was just one lone Ivy League prof that had somehow gone completely rogue, and became utterly obsessed with spreading the Marxian message?

Well Dear Reader, Richard D. Wolff is your man. Harvard, Stanford, and Yale! Is that wicked or what? And not only that, he was a student of the great Paul A. Baran , The only tenured Marxian prof in the United States, and as fate would have it, one his students was Richard D. Wolff! Well as fate would  again have it, (and doesn't it always?), the wheel of life has turned another full revolution and it is now Richard D. Wolff that is practically the only prof of Marxian thought in the Western Hemisphere at the time of this writing.

The main reason that the Oracle of Ottawa has singled him out is that you don't have to come to Richard D. Wolff already completely read up on Karl Marx. He will instruct you to all the reasons why knowing about Karl Marx is important. He will not harangue you to read Capital, (like David Harvey), after one or two Wolff lectures you will be starting your own collection of the works of Marx, you will be inspired, you will read Capital all on your own, and thank your maker that Doctor Wolff was generous enough to post his lectures on You-Tube for your free viewing and learning enjoyment.

He yells, he spits, he curses, he implores, he sweats. Damn! You won't forget it any time soon. This guy is not very concerned about making the faculty lounge for happy hour. Now the Oracle of Ottawa knows that someone with a resume that contains Harvard, Stanford and Yale, regarding the study of any economics could be hauling a great salary as an indentured slave of a galaxy of corporate over whores. Yet the good Doctor continues to spread his message. The Oracle of Ottawa would love to know what made him go rogue, what the full circumstances were. The Oracle of Ottawa suspects that would be darn near as good as one of Doctor Wolff's lectures. 

Jonathan 'Jethro' Genest-Jourdain - Scrub Up!

If you love to listen you will gain knowledge,
and if you pay attention you will become wise.
Sirach, 6:33,

The NDP is so close to power that even the Oracle of Ottawa can taste it! Now the Oracle of Ottawa knows a few things, having lived for over half a century so far. The Oracle of Ottawa knows that young Members of Parliament make a decent wage. They also always get a media "boot camp" when they first enter the House. But should the NDP handlers be cutting corners by not running a "media image camp"?

Jonathan prepares for Question Period....

 A very good example of this has caught the Oracle of Ottawa's eye lately in the form and visage of one Jonathon Genest-Jourdain. Now that suit that he has been wearing (see video clip) of late was once in fashion. I believe the last time was that wedding in Matane, Quebec on that long weekend in 1989! God! And those sideburns were all the rage back in the 1970's! But it seems that the young member has discovered another MP perk, all that good grub in the MP's Cafeteria... Ole Jonathan seems to have been really helping himself. That favorite suit of his now fits like Jethro Bodines graduation suit from the sixth grade!

And could some one from his office inform the young member that he can also get a subsidized haircut right near where he goes to stuff his face? The Oracle of Ottawa suspects that the little pretty boy doesn't let anyone but his Mom cut his hair at the communal Igloo back in his riding. So it may require the assistance of Yvon Godin and Charlie Angus to go with him for his first haircut in the big City! Yvon could comfort the young Member while Charlie installs the baby seat in the barber chair. The crying and screaming will no doubt be pretty loud, so the Oracle of Ottawa suggests that the barber be told to be fully stocked with lots of lollipops...

Scrub up buddy! We will work on your "coming out" latter...

Was Justin Trudeau Really Out Of Line?

Canada isn't doing well right now because it is Albertans who control our community and socio-democratic agenda. It doesn't work.
Justin Trudeau, French Media Interview, November 2010

The F9 monkeys, in the beanie hats and shorts, must have been damn busy last week in the Prime Ministers Office! They had to watch every Justin Trudeau media tape back two years! All to actually find a piece where he was certainly telling the truth. Who knew that Calgary by-election was going to be so close? Not that any one will even talk to pollsters especially from the Conservative Party of Canada, so no one really knows how bad it will be for the 'Harper Government'.

Justin Trudeau - Telling the truth?

 The Oracle of Ottawa certainly can not disagree with the younger Trudeau. As a matter of fact I whole heartedly agree with him and was somewhat bummed out when he apologized for actually telling the bare naked truth. The Oracle of Ottawa feels the same way about David McGuinty in telling the right wing knuckle draggers to go back to Alberta!

The 'Harper Government' has been and continues to be an absolute disaster for Canada. Look at any and all of the metrics that compare nations to each other and we have lost ground most every where. You would think that poor old Steve of the 'Harper Government' is racing the Americans yo the bottom! And the way it is going he will probably win.

How could Canadians complain about the Alberta knuckle draggers? Why lets take a look at a great and up and coming Conservative in the form of Jim Hillyer! Now that is future cabinet material if the Oracle of Ottawa knows anything at all. And after that he might even become fully literate! That is he might be able, in the future, to read his own talking points, without practicing the night before. 

Canada is in good hands with the 'Harper Government', only the best and the brightest.... For an even more brilliant display of this actors political acumen see Question Period for November 23, 2012 at time 30:27 on the CPAC tape. And it seems that leukemia thing is in total remission. No doubt a miracle...

Get Well Soon Philip Edinburgh

If you stay here much longer, you'll all be slitty-eyed. 
Prince Philip, Interview with British students in China, 1986

The Oracle of Ottawa has always had a deep and abiding respect for old Phill. Just look at any of the footage of his Royal duties with Queen Elizabeth. There is never, ever one sign of him trying to upstage her. No ego, no power trips, not one sign of it ever. He created an heir and two spares, and a daughter to round every thing out for the balance in the official family portraits. Not one scandal that the press could run with. He has back stopped his woman all the way. The Oracle of Ottawa has high standards and for the life of me I can find no fault.

HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

After you have lived for over half a century Christmas is no longer a time of wonder. It soon becomes a time of worrying about which disaster will happen next! You know, that sister in law that you hope will not show up at the formal family dinner. You are bracing for not a great time, but rather just for the luck of survival! Then there are the parents that get stuck in the hospital for the holidays. And it is not that you are in any way put out, but is trying to keep them in their bed as they hate missing anything more then you do!

The Oracle of Ottawa has lived a very "interesting" life. Not even my significant other has a real idea of it all. And I keep it all pretty quiet. But when I was in "service" I heard many tales of what great company Old Phill really was and no doubt still is. It seems that he was an Honourary something or other in one or more Canadian Regiments, and was a guest at many Mess dinners. I have been informed that there is no greater company or more memorable evening, then one that had Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh in attendance. Much awed comment at the utter amount of spirit that he could consume and the enjoyment of the company of the lads was reverently relayed in hushed respect and memory. The conclusion was always Old Phill was a real Stand Up Guy. 

When the news flashed out on the BBC, which the Oracle always has on, I was really worried for the grand old man. Thanks to his security detail and the excellent household staff, he made it to the hospital with a lot of time to spare. The procedure of stenting an artery is all pretty common knowledge to the Oracle of Ottawa. What really surprised me, was to learn that he did over 300 public engagements this year! Geez! I thought they had labour laws in the United Kingdom! If there is any one that deserves to have his feet up and to slow down it has to be Old Phill! I really wish this grand old man a speedy and uncomplicated recovery. And all the best in his future light duty endeavours. 

Can you possibly imagine how boring it would all be without him?

Noam Chomsky Delivers Sermon On The Mount

To form a clear idea of any thing, is an undeniable argument for its possibility, and is alone a refutation of any pretended demonstration against it.
David Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature, Book I, p. 89

It was a great relief for the Oracle of Ottawa, as we live in the end days, that we got one last chance to see in public media, in Canada, the greatest living voice of left wing dissent. I am of course referring to the legendary Noam Chomsky. The occasion was a lecture that he gave at University of Toronto, Hart House, Great Hall on or about April 07, 2011. The Oracle of Ottawa got to see it on TV Ontario on October 29, Saturday last. I am in the habit of always watching this lecture series on Saturday. But to see the great Noam Chomsky was indeed a very special event. I am only in my fifties and already I hate traveling, it must be way worse when you are in your 80's!

Noam Chomsky

Now correct me if I am wrong. But there have been lessor people of the far left who have been refused entry visas to Canada lately, a certain British Labour MP comes to mind, it perhaps must be that Mr. Chomsky is an American citizen  that allowed this memorable event to even happen? How long do you think this will go on? The Oracle of Ottawa soaked it up. The way things are going in Canada today I couldn't help but think of that popular T-shirt design of the 1970's of the little mouse giving the diving eagle the "finger"! The last defiant act.

Are we living in the time of the death of
the Social Contract?

Noam Chomsky slowly and masterfully delivered the complete playbook and all foot note hidden agenda's of the New World Order, and the 'Harper Government', that are soon to come or have already taken place. At several points the Oracle of Ottawa must admit, that he felt that all was already lost. What gave this lowly word pecker great cheer was the rapt faces of the youngsters and the oldsters that were in attendance. Forgive me, but, the event of the Sermon On The Mount came to mind over and over! Perhaps all is not lost! It appears that not everyone has sold their immortal souls for an M.B.A. degree and a lifetime of corporate maze running possibly ending with possession of the "corner" cubicle.

There is just that one bit that won't get out of my head. The key to the whole neo-liberal globalizing algorithm. And that is, first, to underfund what you want to destroy, wait for the complaints, and then privatize it all! It is just like what is going on in Canada at this very moment! It seems that the ancient and great tradition of the Social Contract is slowly being broken down ever so slowly right before our very eyes. One can not but help to think of Jane Jacobs and The Dark Age Ahead.  

The "gold" starts at 45:00...