Thursday, January 27, 2011

Kids on TV::: Music, queer activism, pedagogy of liberation


On January 27, 2011, The Train's Denis Rancourt interviewed two members from Kids on TV: Scott Kerr and John Caffery.

This wide ranging interview touched on: Queer history, music band life, pedagogy of liberation, anarchism and performance art, balancing work and life, social agency, and the phenomenon of "social acupuncture".


Thursday, January 20, 2011

Hassan Diab wanted by France: Insane extradition proceedings, Ottawa, Canada


On January 20, 2011, The Train interviewed Peter Gose (in studio) and Donald Pratt (by phone, US), two members of the support network for Hassan Diab.

Find out how and why Diab has been targeted despite his obvious innocence. Find out how evidence that proves his innocence is withheld and just how bad the so-called evidence is... Truly nightmarish. And of course the capital's two main universities played their part.


Thursday, January 13, 2011

Private-public partnership scam exposed: Dr. Pierre J. Hamel, INRS, Montreal


On January 13, 2011, The Train interviewed expert and university researcher Dr. Pierre J. Hamel (INRS, Montreal) on the general question of private-public partnership (PPP) economics.

Dr. Hamel systematically unraveled the covert motives that drive PPP takeovers of public projects and the nature the the finance scam that are PPPs.

Listen and learn! It took us a bit to get warmed up but it all came out...


Some summary points:
  • PPPs are always more expensive than public management - all analysts agree
  • The long-term leases of PPPs are economically equal to mega-debt burdens
  • PPPs produce a loss of both accountability and transparency
  • PPP partners often sub-contract in collusion with other firms
And we end with an insightful critique of decentralization, advantages vs. disadvantages.




Pierre J. Hamel, INRS

Je suis professeur-chercheur à l’Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS-Urbanisation, culture et société), depuis 1986.

J’ai une formation de premier cycle en administration (HEC-Montréal), une maîtrise en sociologie (Université de Montréal) et un doctorat en économie et sociologie (LEST-CNRS et Université de la Méditerranée — Aix-Marseille II).

Travaillant pour le compte de syndicats de travailleurs-euses, d’associations, d’entreprises, de municipalités, de ministères ou encore dans le cadre de recherches subventionnées, je m’intéresse de diverses façons aux finances publiques locales, tant à la gestion des services publics locaux (gestion des services d’eaux, entre autres choses) qu’à la fiscalité locale; je travaille notamment sur l’impôt foncier et la tarification (compteurs d’eau, gratuité des services publics), de même que sur différentes formes de partenariats entre les secteurs public et privé, et cela, depuis déjà de nombreuses années.

Page ouèbe personnelle : http://www.ucs.inrs.ca/default.asp?p=hamel

Thursday, January 6, 2011

David F. Noble - In Memoriam


On January 6, 2011, CHUO 89.1 FM Ottawa's The Train dedicated the hour to the work and words of David F. Noble. Noble was scheduled to be interviewed on The Train about his seminal book Forces of Production. He passed away unexpectedly on December 27, 2010.

Host Denis Rancourt, a personal friend of Noble, read from recent public statements and from Noble's books.



Recent history of resistance and liberation struggles in kanada


On December 30, 2010, The Train interviewed Christian live in studio to discuss First Peoples' resistance struggles in kanada (especially interpreting the Oka crisis) and to review Quebec independence history with the FLQ.

Christian is a long-time independent journalist, current history researcher and social critic who has traveled to and lived with the people he attempts to understand and to join in struggle. He is also an urban resistor participating in alternative life styles and spaces to enable needed rebellion against state oppression.


The show includes a clip by Philbox17 of RRQ (Reseau de Resistance du Quebecois).