James Laxer facts for kids

James Robert Laxer (born December 22, 1941 – died February 23, 2018), also known as Jim Laxer, was a Canadian expert in politics and economics. He was also a historian, a public thinker, and a political activist. He taught as a professor at York University.

Laxer is best known for helping to start a group called the Waffle. He also ran for the leader of the New Democratic Party in 1971. He wrote more than 20 books, mostly about Canada's economy and history.

Early Life and Family Background

Laxer was born in Montreal, Quebec, on December 22, 1941. His mother was Edna May and his father was Robert Laxer. His father was a psychologist, professor, author, and political activist.

His parents were members of the Communist Party of Canada. They left the party after learning about Joseph Stalin's crimes and the 1956 Soviet invasion of Hungary. James Laxer wrote about growing up during this time in his book Red Diaper Baby: A Boyhood in the Age of McCarthyism. His father greatly influenced his political ideas.

His grandfather on his father's side was a rabbi, a Jewish religious leader. His grandfather on his mother's side was a minister and Christian missionary in China, where Laxer's mother was born. His brother, Gordon Laxer, also became an expert in politics and economics.

Laxer studied at the University of Toronto and Queen's University. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and later a Master of Arts and a Doctor of Philosophy degree. He was a very active student journalist. He was even elected president of Canadian University Press in 1965.

Laxer was married three times. He had two children, Michael and Kate, with his second wife, Krista Mäeots. He had two more children, Emily and Jonathan, with his third wife, Sandra Price.

Political Involvement and Activism

In 1969, James Laxer, his father Robert Laxer, and others started the Waffle. This was a left-leaning group that wanted to change the direction of the New Democratic Party (NDP). The Waffle was influenced by new political ideas, the movement against the Vietnam War, and Canadian economic nationalism. Economic nationalism means wanting a country to control its own economy and resources.

Laxer helped write the "Manifesto for an Independent Socialist Canada" in 1969. This document suggested that Canada should have a more independent and socialist economy. The NDP debated this idea but chose a more moderate path.

In 1971, Laxer ran to become the leader of the federal NDP. Many people were surprised when he won a lot of votes, showing strong support for his ideas. However, the Waffle group was eventually asked to leave the NDP. For a short time, they formed their own political party.

Laxer and other Waffle members tried to get elected to Parliament in 1974 but were not successful. After this, Laxer focused on his work as a professor at York University. He taught political science there for 47 years.

In 1981, he worked as a research director for the federal NDP. But he left in 1983 after he published a report that said the party's economic policies were "out of date."

Academic, Writer, and Broadcaster Roles

James Laxer was a well-known figure in media. In the early 1980s, he hosted The Real Story, a current affairs show on TVOntario. He also wrote columns and opinion pieces for newspapers like the Toronto Star and The Globe and Mail. On CBC Radio's Morningside, he played a character called "Talleyrand," who was a mock political insider.

In 1986, Laxer helped create and present a five-part documentary series called Reckoning: The Political Economy of Canada. This series looked at Canada's economic and political ties with the United States. It also explored Canada's place in the changing global economy. Laxer and his co-writer won an award for their writing on the series.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) refused to show the series. This was because it was critical of free trade with the United States, which was being discussed at the time. Instead, the series aired on TVOntario and other educational channels.

Laxer was a democratic socialist. This means he believed in a society where the government plays a big role in the economy to help everyone. He thought that Canadian economic nationalism was important to stand up against the United States and its influence, sometimes called American imperialism.

He wrote a lot about how American multinational corporations affected the Canadian economy, especially in the oil and gas industry. His efforts helped lead to the creation of Petro-Canada, a Canadian oil company. He also helped bring about the Foreign Investment Review Agency and the Canadian Development Corporation in the 1970s. These groups aimed to give Canada more control over its own economy.

Laxer was strongly against the Canada–US Free Trade Agreement in the 1980s. However, he also believed that trade agreements could be used to help workers and social programs if they included certain rules.

James Laxer died suddenly in Paris, France, on February 23, 2018. He was researching a book about Canada's role in the Second World War at the time.

Selected Works

• James Laxer (1970). The Energy Poker Game: The Politics of the Continental Resources Deal. New Press. ISBN 9780887700316.
• James Laxer (1974). Canada's Energy Crisis. James Lorimer Limited. ISBN 9780888620873.
• James Laxer and Anne Martin (1976). The Big tough expensive job : Imperial Oil and the Canadian economy. Press Porcépic. ISBN 9780888781222.
• James Laxer and Robert Laxer (1977). The Liberal Idea of Canada: Pierre Trudeau and the Question of Canada's Survival. James Lorimer & Company. ISBN 0888621248.
• James Laxer (1981). Canada's Economic Strategy. McClelland & Stewart. ISBN 9780771049866.
• James Laxer (1983). Oil and gas : Ottawa, the provinces and the petroleum industry. James Lorimer Ltd. ISBN 9780888625410.
• James Laxer (1984). Rethinking the economy: The Laxer report on Canadian economic problems and policies. NC Press. ISBN 092005336X.
• James Laxer (1986). Leap of faith: free trade and the future of Canada. Hurtig. ISBN 9780888302977.
• James Laxer (1987). Decline of the Super Powers: Winners and Losers in Today's Global Economy. Paragon House. ISBN 9781557781420.
• James Laxer (1991). Inventing Europe: The Rise of a New World Power. Lester Pub.. ISBN 9781895555004.
• James Laxer (1993). False god: how the globalization myth has impoverished Canada. Lester Pub.. ISBN 978-1-895555-09-7.
• James Laxer (1996). In search of a new left: Canadian politics after the neoconservative assault. Viking. ISBN 978-0-670-85901-6.
• James Laxer (1998). The undeclared war: class conflict in the age of cyber capitalism. Viking.
• James Laxer (2000). Stalking the elephant: my discovery of America. Viking. ISBN 9780670886418.
• James Laxer (2003). The border: Canada, the U.S. and dispatches from the 49th parallel. Doubleday Canada.
• James Laxer (2005). Red Diaper Baby: A Boyhood in the Age of McCarthyism. Douglas & McIntyre. ISBN 978-1-55365-150-5.
• James Laxer (2006). Empire. Groundwood Books Canada. ISBN 9781554980154.
• James Laxer (2006). The Acadians: In Search of a Homeland. Doubleday Canada. ISBN 9780385672894.
• James Laxer (2008). Mission of Folly: Canada and Afghanistan. Between the Lines Books. ISBN 978-1-897071-37-3.
• James Laxer (2008). The Perils of Empire: America and Its Imperial Predecessors. Viking Canada. ISBN 9780670063611.
• James Laxer (2009). Beyond the Bubble: Imagining a New Canadian Economy. Between the Lines Books. ISBN 978-1-897071-55-7.
• James Laxer (2012). Tecumseh & Brock The War of 1812. House of Anansi Press. ISBN 978-0-88784-261-0.
• James Laxer (2013). A House Divided: Watching America's Descent into Civil Conflict. House of Anansi Press. ISBN 9781770894242.
• James Laxer (2013). Travels Through the Golden State: A California Diary. House of Anansi Press. ISBN 9781770894235.
• James Laxer (2017). Staking Claims to a Continent: John A. Macdonald, Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, and the Making of North America. House of Anansi Press. ISBN 9781487002312.

See also

• Canadian Dimension