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The Walrus

Ira Wells

Ira Wells teaches literature and cultural criticism at the University of Toronto. His work has appeared in The New Republic, Los Angeles Review of Books, The Puritan, and elsewhere.
The peace tower, with a Canadian flag and the silhouettes of several people.
Politics

The Notwithstanding Clause: Is It Time for Canada to Repeal It?

December 12, 2022December 12, 2022 - by Ira Wells

Critics say the clause is a threat to Canadian rights and freedoms and should be stripped from our Constitution

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Photo of parliament hill with a stormy sky.
Politics

How an Unstable US Threatens Canada’s National Security

July 20, 2022July 20, 2022 - by Ira Wells

American political violence could lead to unpredictable spillover events in Canada

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A rich man with a monocle wipes his tears with a one-hundred-dollar bill.
Books

A War on the Rich? A New Book Aims to Dispel Anger toward Affluence

May 4, 2022June 9, 2022 - by Ira Wells

We shouldn’t criticize the 1 percent, In Defence of Wealth insists—we should thank them

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A collage of Cher and Nicholas Cage kissing in the film Moonstruck superimposed on top of an outline of the Manhattan skyline and a full moon.
July/August 2021

The Making of Moonstruck

June 28, 2021October 18, 2021 - by Ira Wells

The 1987 rom-com starring Cher and Nicolas Cage seemed doomed to fail. Director Norman Jewison turned it into a modern classic

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Members of the far-right group the Proud Boys gather in E street northwest before marching into Freedom Plaza, in Washington, DC
Politics

Labelling the Proud Boys Terrorists May Do More Harm than Good

February 24, 2021April 13, 2022 - by Ira Wells

The decision may feel like justice, but expanding the designation could have unintended consequences

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Photo of Steve Bannon holding a microphone.
Politics

The Night Steve Bannon Came to Toronto

November 5, 2018September 14, 2021 - by Ira Wells

His Munk Debate with David Frum filled an auditorium with sound and fury, but was anyone listening?

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Kathleen Wynne stands
Politics

The Unpopularity of Female Politicians Has Everything to Do With Sexism

June 5, 2018March 9, 2021 - by Ira Wells

Why voters love to hate leaders like Kathleen Wynne

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Illustration of Brian Mulroney
Politics

The New Life of Brian Mulroney

April 19, 2018June 25, 2021 - by Ira Wells

A new biography reassesses the legacy—and tracks the comeback—of our eighteenth prime minister

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portrait of jordan peterson
Society

The Professor of Piffle

November 27, 2017December 17, 2019 - by Ira Wells

The dangerous underside of Jordan Peterson’s crusade against the humanities

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Illustration by Franziska Barczyk
Politics

Punching Nazis Won’t End Fascism

October 17, 2017April 3, 2020 - by Ira Wells

Antifa argues that violence is necessary, but a rigorous democracy is a far stronger weapon

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