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Foucault on Contestivism: A dialogue on power and meaning
Contestivism emphasizes the constant interplay of meaning, power, and existence, proposing that social life is driven by ongoing contestation. It examines the interrelated domains of power, highlighting their instability and potential for resistance. By scrutinizing how truth regimes shape individual and social identities, contestivism encourages continuous critical inquiry into power dynamics.
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Contestivism at the 2nd European Congress on Disinformation
Exciting news! I have been accepted to present contestivism at the 2nd European Congress on Disinformation and Fact-Checking on October 29-30, 2025. At the conference, I will be going over the theoretical framework, its reconceptualization of disinformation and post-truth as products of an innate human meaning-making process, and key principles for designing contestivist solutions to…
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Why political debates remain unresolved: A contestivist explanation
Political debates often fail because participants operate under different value systems and understandings of reality rather than simply lacking information. Contestivism emphasizes that these discussions are not just about facts but deeply tied to human existence and meaning. Recognizing this complexity can lead to more meaningful engagement rather than seeking resolution.
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Canada’s productivity problem: A problem for who, exactly?
“Canada has a productivity problem. It’s a problem for us.” But ask yourself—who’s the “us” in this statement? Because if you’re working class, this so-called problem isn’t yours. It hasn’t been for decades.
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Poilievre’s Corvette moment: Affordability, but make it tone-deaf vroom
Pierre Poilievre, the self-styled everyman crusader against inflation, carbon taxation (now axed), and overpriced lettuce, just released a campaign video where he drove a Corvette C8 around a racetrack. Because nothing says pocketbook issues quite like an E-Ray with 655 horsepower and a base price that starts just shy of $150,000.
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Political tribalism and sacred values: Abandoning reason for identity
Politics used to be about governance. About policies. About making decisions that affected people’s lives. That era is dead. Now, politics is about identity. It’s about belonging. It’s about loyalty. And most importantly, it’s about proving—every waking moment—that your side is good, and the other side is evil. This shift from ideological disagreements to all-out…
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The politics of critical thinking and common sense
A lot of people genuinely believe common sense and critical thinking are the same thing. Worse, they think one can replace the other. Spoiler alert: They can’t. Common sense is the intellectual equivalent of a fast-food drive-thru—quick, convenient, and just enough to keep you going, but not exactly nutritious. Critical thinking, on the other hand,…
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Sacred values and scare tactics: The psychology of fear in political rhetoric
Not everything in politics is up for debate. There are some values so deeply held, so tightly wound into the fabric of identity, that questioning them feels like a personal attack. These are sacred values—the moral cornerstones that transcend compromise and drive people to take seemingly irrational stances. And in the hands of a skilled…
JQCO.PhD 