Charles W. Smith | Lightnews

Charles Smith

@profsmithsask.bsky.social

2.9K followers 700 following 2.2K posts

Teaching labour politics in Treaty 6 territory, the Paris of the Prairies. Co-Editor of Labour/Le Travail and President of CAWLS. Terrible guitarist. Even worse Pianist. Proud father of twins. Blue Jays nut. Fair weather runner. Opinions are my own. .. more

Videos

Economics 27%

Political science 20%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Kori Schake, Claudia Sahm , and 44 more Stephen M. Walt, Kori Schake, Claudia Sahm, Edward Witten, Will Jennings, Brendan Nyhan, David Dunning, Joshua S. Weitz, Michael A. Clemens, David Feldman, Kevin Milligan, Caroline Krafft, David Rothschild, Guy Grossman, Ryan Enos, Michael Kevane, Trevon D. Logan, Charles W. Smith, Rebecca Tushnet, David R. Miller, Silvia Secchi, Nazita Lajevardi, Scott A. Imberman, Henry Farrell, Michael D. McDonald, Dean Eckles, Julia M. Wright, Brian Keegan, William Myers, Kate Starbird, Shannon W. Anderson, Lisa Diedrich, Daniel Kuehn, Andrew Guthrie Ferguson, Alessandro Rigolon, Marcus Credé, Hisham Zerriffi, Simon Lester, Tim Stephens, Peter Gratton, Aviel Roshwald, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, Nathan P. Kalmoe, Ryan Calo, Ryan Goodman, Stuart Shapiro, David Darmofal

Federal Reserve @federalreserve.gov · 2h

Video message from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KckG...
www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...

Statement by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell

YouTube video by Federal Reserve

www.youtube.com

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 6h

This a solid breakdown of how fascism tales over.

Dr Argue @whatsthepointsk.bsky.social · 13h

An important assessment. #cdnpoli

Olga Nesterova @onestpress.onestnetwork.com · 1d

I found this useful.

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Reece Jones, Nina Jankowicz , and 37 more Anne Applebaum, Reece Jones, Nina Jankowicz, Rebecca Solnit, Richard S.J. Tol, Simon L. Lewis, Mark A. Lemley, Stephan Lewandowsky, Brendan Nyhan, Kevin J. Anchukaitis, Tom Clark, Steve Peers, Simon Chapman, Michael A. Clemens, David Rothschild, Melissa Johnson, Efrén O. Pérez, Fabián Muniesa, Paul Goldstein, Michelle Everson, Smith, Charles W. Smith, Michael Zimmer, Adrian Daub, Michael D. McDonald, James Goodwin, Jason Lyall, Mark Priestley, David Murakami Wood, Nancy K. Baym, Alfie Kohn, David Bartram, Jeremy S. Pal, Andrew Rudalevige, Klaus Oschema, Julien Théry, Nicole Guenther Discenza, Magda Teter, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 12h

Homan: "We gotta stop the hateful rhetoric. Saying this officer is a murderer is dangerous. It's just ridiculous. It's gonna infuriate people more which means there's gonna be more incidents like this."

Reposted by Charles W. Smith

Dr Argue @whatsthepointsk.bsky.social · 13h

An important assessment. #cdnpoli

Olga Nesterova @onestpress.onestnetwork.com · 1d

I found this useful.

Reposted by Charles W. Smith

L S D @lsdaif.bsky.social · 14h

Citizens United is nothing more than a dark money pipeline that enabled deranged, greed and power diseased megalomaniacs to avoid fair taxation, purchase the government and steal all the representation from We the People.

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 1d

This side of America is awesome. For so many Americans, when their neighbours are under attack, this is how they respond.

Krassensteins @krassenstein.bsky.social · 1d

BREAKING: Massive Crowds of Anti-ICE protesters in Minneapolis, Minnesota as we speak. The tide is turning. America is Fed Up.

Americans should be fighting back against what is happening in this country. Having masked, secret police shooting people, breaking into homes and cars, is NOT normal.

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 1d

If it was not clear before it certainly is now. ICE are the MAGA brownshirts, through and through.

Reposted by Richard B. Aronson, Eric Goldman, Charles W. Smith , and 3 more Richard B. Aronson, Eric Goldman, Charles W. Smith, Adrian Daub, Elizabeth Stevenson, Blair Fix

News Eye @newseye.bsky.social · 1d

“IT WAS MURDER”

Several hundred people have formed a human banner at San Francisco’s Ocean Beach today (Sat Jan 10, 2026)

👏👏

(📸 Erik Castro)

A sign has been made saying “IT WAS” and hundreds of people are standing in the form the word “MURDER”
There is an upside down distress US flag followed by the words, ICE OUT

Reposted by Charles W. Smith

The Beaverton @thebeaverton.com · 1d

Alberta organizes banned book buyback to keep streets safe

Critics have argued that, while the buyback may get some books off the streets, serious readers could simply swap covers, file off ISBN numbers, or even 2D print books at home.

www.thebeaverton.com

Reposted by Joe R. Feagin, John R. Hutchinson, Charles W. Smith , and 1 more Joe R. Feagin, John R. Hutchinson, Charles W. Smith, Olivier Mannoni

Krassensteins @krassenstein.bsky.social · 1d

Reposted by Bruno Amable, Joe R. Feagin, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 9 more Bruno Amable, Joe R. Feagin, Rosemary A. Joyce, Juan Cole, Michael Kevane, Robert C. Richards, Charles W. Smith, Alan Richardson, Gerald Friedman, Lisa Diedrich, Ann Bartow, Virginia Sapiro

Ilhan Omar @ilhanmn.bsky.social · 1d

I was just denied access to the ICE processing center at the Whipple Building.

Members of Congress have a legal right and constitutional responsibility to conduct oversight where people are being detained.

The public deserves to know what is taking place in ICE facilities.

Prem Thakker ツ @premthakker.bsky.social · 1d

JUST NOW: Huge mass of agents in a standoff, weapons drawn as Reps. Ilhan Omar, Angie Craig, and Kelly Morrison attempt to conduct congressional oversight at the Whipple Building, which has been HQ for thousands of ICE agents.

@zeteo.com

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 1d

The Alberta 'separatist' movement is so clearly bought and paid for (or at the very least, willing to be).

"The movement is selling itself as pro-American in hopes of securing a C$500 billion loan from the U.S. government that would help facilitate Alberta’s “seamless departure” from Canada."

Canada Playbook

Alberta vs. Ottawa, for real.

www.politico.com

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 1d

Western conservatives have some issues it would seem.

Pollara Strategic Insights @pollara.bsky.social · 2d

Pollara (Dec 2025, n=3800)

% who would vote for their province to separate, by provincial vote intent:

MB NDP 1%
MB PC 18%
SK NDP 8%
Sask Party 31%
AB NDP 4%
UCP 40%
BC NDP 4%
BC Con 21%

www.pollara.com/western-alie...

Reposted by Charles W. Smith

Jim Clifford @jimclifford.bsky.social · 2d

Has anyone in the private sector proposed a project or assembled the capital? Which pipeline are the feds ment to approve? Has anyone identified a market that could absorb more Canadian bitumen in Asia? Who is building the refinery? Where?

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 2d

Or what? Give me a break with these arbitrary deadlines not to mention you still don't have support from the BC government, Indigenous nations, or anyone willing to pay for it.

Vancouver Sun @vancouversun.bsky.social · 2d

Alberta premier demands pipeline approval by fall in wake of Venezuela conflict vancouversun.com/news/politic...

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 2d

Read a book on labour, politics, unions, and with ties to Canada that was published in 2025??

Nominate the book for CAWLS' Leo Panitch book prize.

PRIZE NOMINATION FORM - Canadian Association for Work & Labour Studies

The Canadian Association for Work and Labour Studies (CAWLS) is an academic association for scholars interested in work, workers, and labour.

cawls.ca

Reposted by Charles W. Smith

Vancouver Sun @vancouversun.bsky.social · 2d

Alberta premier demands pipeline approval by fall in wake of Venezuela conflict vancouversun.com/news/politic...

Reposted by Charles W. Smith

Pollara Strategic Insights @pollara.bsky.social · 2d

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 2d

If the American labour (labor!) movement can't start organziing and organizing big time against the regime in this moment, they're not a movement. They need support and assistance to organize. That's what labour is suppose to be good at!

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 2d

Tbh, we had a similar experience here in SK. It is bad on the prairies and neither of the governments seem to be doing much about it.

Skye @simplyskye.bsky.social · 2d

AOC: “I understand that VP Vance believes shooting a young mother of three in the face three times is an acceptable America that he wants to live in, & I do not — That is a fundamental difference between VP Vance & I — I do not believe the American people should be assassinated in the street”

Reposted by Charles W. Smith

𝒱𝒶𝓁𝓀𝓎𝓇𝒾ℯ living her best life 🗡 @swisstatjana.bsky.social · 2d

Folk music has always been about resistance.

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 2d

In the wealthiest province in Canada. This is a UCP problem, through and through.

Edmonton doctors call on Alberta to declare state of emergency as hospitals overflow

Physicians are raising alarms weeks after a man died at a local hospital while waiting hours for treatment

www.theglobeandmail.com

Reposted by Charles W. Smith

Eric Blanc @ericblanc.bsky.social · 2d

People don't realize how much corporations are collaborating with—and making possible—ICE's deportation machine

Reposted by Charles W. Smith

Simon Enoch @simonenoch.bsky.social · 2d

“If Canada “must build” a new bitumen pipeline to the BC coast, the pressure will fall on the federal and Alberta governments to pay for some or all of the cost, and over the strong objections of the BC government and First Nations.” www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...

A new pipeline is the wrong response to the U.S. takeover of Venezuela - CCPA

Immediately after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was apprehended by United States President Trump, the Globe and Mail editorial board quickly pivoted from condemning the action to promoting a new...

www.policyalternatives.ca

Charles Smith @profsmithsask.bsky.social · 2d

Of which he has none.

W. Andy Knight @knight54.bsky.social · 2d

This is a man, a malignant narcissist, who may just be correct when he says, only two things can stop him: his mortality or his mind.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

‘I don’t need international law’: Trump says power constrained only by ‘my own morality’

President says morality ‘the only thing that can stop me’ in New York Times interview on limits to his authority

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Charles W. Smith

W. Andy Knight @knight54.bsky.social · 2d

This is a man, a malignant narcissist, who may just be correct when he says, only two things can stop him: his mortality or his mind.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

‘I don’t need international law’: Trump says power constrained only by ‘my own morality’

President says morality ‘the only thing that can stop me’ in New York Times interview on limits to his authority

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Charles W. Smith

Flash qFiasco @flashqfiasco.bsky.social · 2d

Trump does not view foreign countries as sovereign entities; he views them as real estate he doesn't own yet. The people who live there don't enter into his reckoning, except insofar as they aren't paying him rent. That is why it is a bad idea to elect a (failed) businessman to high office.