(The following articles are from the April 1-15, 2011, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1.)

1) ON MAY 2: DUMP THE HARPER TORIES AND BLOCK THE RIGHT!

A message for the 2011 federal election from the Communist Party of Canada

This federal election will be crucial for our country, and the stakes have rarely been so high. If the Harper Conservatives manage to secure a majority in the next Parliament, it will have catastrophic consequences for working people, for Aboriginal peoples, for women, youth and students, pensioners, new immigrants and racialized communities. Canadians need to defeat this Tory government and end the ruinous, pro‑corporate policies it has inflicted ‑ a critical first step in taking our country in a new, peaceful, democratic, sovereign and socially progressive direction.

     Defeating the Tories is paramount in importance. During their two minority terms in office, the Harper Conservatives have attempted to disguise their aims and "soften" their image, concealing their full reactionary agenda from the people. But we've seen enough of their right‑wing program to leave no doubt where they'll go if they get a majority. Over the past five years, they have:

* attacked jobs, wages, pensions and living standards for working people;

* enmeshed Canada even further in an immoral and unwinnable war in Afghanistan, and have now involved us in another dangerous conflict in Libya;

* slashed corporate and wealth taxes for their rich buddies in Big Oil and on Bay Street;

* wildly increased spending on the military and prison construction, while cutting funds to social programs, housing, and Aboriginal peoples; and

* turned Canada into an environmental pariah, obstructing meaningful international treaties on climate change and gutting environmental programs and standards at home.

     They have distinguished themselves as the most arrogant, dictatorial and secretive government in Canadian history.

     At a time when our economy is still mired in deep crisis, the real Tory agenda is to further drive down wages, impose longer hours and harsher working conditions, smash unions, privatize public assets, and gut universal Medicare.

     Unemployment, growing inequality, discrimination and environment destruction are not new ‑ they are inherent features of the crisis‑ridden system of capitalism. But at this crucial moment, the Conservative party ‑ the preferred party of monopoly capital ‑ is the most dangerous threat to peace, democracy, and workers' rights. They must go... now!

     The Liberals under Michael Ignatieff present themselves as the alternative. But despite their criticism of the Conservatives, it was the Liberals who began slashing corporate taxes and increasing military spending. In reality, the Liberals also stand for pro‑corporate policies, especially on the economy, militarism, and the 'law & order' agenda. While the Tories are the worst threat to Canada, defeating one big business party in favour of another one is not a solution.

     Instead, many working people will consider voting for the NDP, the Bloc Québecois, or the Greens. But while these parties occasionally advance progressive policies, they refuse to challenge the domination of big capital (the banks and large transnationals), or to take a consistent, principled stand against the wars in Afghanistan and Libya.

     Dumping the Tories and working to build a powerful and broad People's Coalition of the working class and its allies outside of Parliament can begin to achieve real gains. This is the way to begin moving Canada in a new direction, taking power out of the hands of the transnational corporations.

     The struggle for a people's agenda, bringing together labour, the social justice movements, and all other democratic forces, will strengthen the labour & people's mass fightback and help set the stage to elect a majority to Parliament which will stand up for peace, jobs, democracy, sovereignty, and environmental sustainability. The election of MPs genuinely committed to democratic and progressive reform ‑ especially Communists, the most consistent fighters for working class interests ‑ will be a crucial part of this strategy to win fundamental social change.

     Another world is possible! Another Canada is possible! We can move towards these goals by uniting the labour and people's movements around a genuine alternative program that puts the interests of the peoples of Canada first, rather than those of the monopolies and big banks.

Vote Communist for real change!

    In this election, voting Communist is the strongest message you can send against capitalist globalization and imperialist war. Your vote for a Communist candidate will help make the voice of working people heard in Parliament and open the door for a people's majority which can be the basis of a movement to build socialism.

     Our goal is a socialist Canada, in which resources and economic wealth are socially owned and democratically controlled by the working people, not private capitalists. When you go to the polls, get off the treadmill of right‑wing politics. Vote for fundamental change. VOTE COMMUNIST!

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2) INTERVIEW WITH MIGUEL FIGUEROA

As the May 2 federal election began, People's Voice interviewed Communist Party of Canada leader Miguel Figueroa about the campaign.

People's Voice: What are the most important issues around which the federal election will be fought?

Miguel Figueroa: I heard a political commentator dub this a "Seinfeld" election because - like that famous sitcom - this campaign will be `about nothing', without any pivotal issues or defining themes. But appearances can be misleading.

     Stephen Harper and his stable of advisers in the Prime Minister's Office have been crafting such a scenario since the last election, and especially after their post‑election brush with death when their minority government was almost brought down (saved only by the prorogation of Parliament in December 2008). The Tory game plan is to `low‑ball' their economic and political program and avoid sharp confrontations which would more fully expose their reactionary anti‑labour, anti‑democratic agenda. That is the main reason why power has been so concentrated (and carefully scripted) in the PMO. Their `possum' strategy has been aided and abetted by both the mainstream corporate media, and by the feebleness of the opposition parties in Parliament, which have failed to bring forward substantive alternatives to Tory policies.

     So, of course, this election is not about `nothing'. Far from it. It is all about the most central issue: the consolidation of Conservative political power in the form of a `stable' majority in Parliament. This objective is also what monopoly capital - the oil barons in Alberta, the bankers on Bay Street, and the transnationals - desperately want to put in place.

     This is the crux of the matter. Over the remaining days leading up to May 2nd, workers, youth, pensioners, Aboriginal peoples, racialized communities - indeed the vast majority of Canadians - need to do everything possible to deny Harper and his cronies their coveted majority, and if possible drive them from the government benches entirely.

People's Voice: Could you elaborate on how this election relates to the larger class struggle for fundamental change?

Miguel Figueroa: Defeating the Harper Tories is a fundamental first step for our class in the fight to reverse the social and economic devastation wrought by capitalist governments for decades, and which have intensified over the past five years of Tory rule. This trail of destruction comprises a long list, but here are a few which we consider most central: (1) the accelerating erosion of Canadian sovereignty; (2) de‑industrialization and mounting job losses: (3) privatization and the resulting loss of public services, especially Medicare, public education and the CPP; (4) the increasing concentration of wealth for a small minority, together with declines in the real living standards of most working people, especially those increasingly herded into low‑wage and precarious job ghettos; (5) the growing deterioration of the Canadian and global environment; and (6) and the deepening attack on labour and democratic rights.

     We realize that preventing a Tory majority, or even defeating the Harper Conservatives, will not in itself reverse this disastrous course and take our country in a new direction. The real battle for fundamental change will not be restricted to the ballot booth. It will be fought out across this country, in the workplaces, in our communities and on the streets of our towns and cities. The strategic orientation of our Party is directed to help bring together and unite the many threads of popular and mass resistance into a strong and militant People's Coalition of labour, social and national movements. Centered around a comprehensive alternative program which challenges corporate domination, a People's Coalition would put the interests of working people and our environment first, rather than the pursuit of profit.

     But it would categorically wrong to remain indifferent to the outcome of this particular election, to sit it out or dismiss it as yet another futile exercise in bourgeois `democracy'. The labour and people's forces must be ever mindful of the political terrain that will arise after May 2nd. We need to work hard to expose and defeat the Tory juggernaut as an initial step in creating better conditions for more meaningful advance.

People's Voice: Defence and foreign policy issues are so far receiving scant attention in the campaign. Why is that?

Miguel Figueroa: It is true that the militarist, pro-imperialist Tory foreign policy agenda is not yet high on the campaign radar, despite the concerns of the Canadian people. Take Canada's role in the continuing imperialist war of occupation in Afghanistan - a reprehensible mission which the Harper Tories have extended for another two years (to 2014). The majority of Canadians have never supported this expensive, unjustified and totally unwinnable war. They want our troops brought home now. Canadians also have growing misgivings about the current imperialist aggression against Libya, which our Party strongly opposes. In both cases, the Tories have eagerly promoted these imperialist actions, without any principled opposition from the other parties in Parliament.

     Or take the $30 billion dollar purchase of F‑35 stealth fighters. The Liberals complain that the contract was not properly tendered. The NDP rightly points out that the exorbitant cost comes at the expense of social programs, and both parties (as well as the BQ) are furious that Harper tried to conceal its full cost from Parliament. All these criticisms are valid. But no one, including the corporate media, is asking the more fundamental question: "what are these F‑35s for?" Canada doesn't need stealth fighters to patrol the Arctic or guard our 200‑mile coastal limits. They are for Canada's further involvement in aggression and wars abroad, as a fully integrated `junior partner' of U.S. imperialism.

People's Voice: Can you say a few words about the Communist Party's campaign and its objectives?

Miguel Figueroa: We will be fielding about 20 candidates across the country to put forward our `people's agenda' for a new direction for Canada. Our candidates will also connect the current economic and social crisis with the basic structural injustice and irrationality of capitalism as a system. We will make the case for a socialist Canada. And we'll be fighting for every vote we can win - the best way to send a message for fundamental change. Everywhere, we will work to build the ranks of our Communist Party, the most conscious and organized revolutionary detachment of the working class in Canada.

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3) HANDS OFF LIBYA - NO FOREIGN INTERVENTION!

Issued by Central Executive Committee, Communist Party of Canada, Friday, March 18, 2011

     On Thursday of this week, the U.N. Security Council passed Resolution 1973, authorizing the imposition of a "no‑fly zone" on Libya and the use of "all necessary measures" short of an invasion - including naval blockades, bombardment and air strikes - against Col. Muammar Gaddafi's forces in order "to protect civilians and civilian‑populated areas" in the rebel‑held Eastern part of Libya. The resolution also imposes a ban on all air travel (including civilian flights) in Libyan airspace, toughens the arms embargo, and widens the freeze of offshore Libyan assets.

     In reality, the UN decision hands the U.S. and its NATO allies a carte blanche to launch a full‑scale onslaught against Tripoli and other government‑held areas. Res. 1973 goes far beyond the "no‑fly zone" concept to include attacks on Libyan military units and equipment which "threaten" the population, essentially expanding the scope of potential military action to include virtually every conceivable form of attack. Such a military assault will further inflame the internal conflict which has already exacted a heavy toll amongst the Libyan population, and will put "civilians and civilian‑populated areas" at greater, rather than lesser risk.

     The Communist Party of Canada condemns this Security Council action which was bullied through by the U.S., Britain and France, passing by a vote of 10‑0 with 5 abstentions (China, Russia, Brazil, India and Germany), under the dangerous and thoroughly hypocritical doctrine of "humanitarian interventionism". This doctrine is dangerous because it provides a convenient pretext to override one of the most central and fundamental principles of the U.N. Charter - namely, respect for the national and territorial sovereignty of all member‑states - thus providing official sanction for wars of aggression and occupation by the imperialist powers under the cover of "international humanitarian relief".

     Its invocation by Washington and its imperialist allies is also outrageously hypocritical, when US/NATO forces have inflicted thousands of casualties on innocent civilians in wars of occupation in Afghanistan and Iraq, and continue to do so up to the present day. Where is this burning concern "to protect civilians and civilian‑populated areas" in these countries and in Pakistan, where the U.S. has repeatedly launched unmanned drone attacks causing hundreds additional deaths among unarmed civilians?

     Or take what is happening right now in Bahrain and Yemen, where reactionary and dictatorial governments are slaughtering unarmed civilian protestors in broad daylight - protestors whose only "crime" is that they have peacefully taken to the streets to demand democratic change. Or the repeated Israeli massacres of Palestinians in Gaza and the other occupied territories - surely the most outrageous case of imperialist double standards. Why have Washington, London and Paris remained so conspicuously silent in the face of these outrageous atrocities?

     The answer is very simple: because these are "US‑friendly" client states which faithfully serve imperialist interests in the region. In Libya, on the other hand, the imperialist powers want a "regime change" to replace Gaddafi with a more "predictable" and pliant puppet government, and to strengthen their hegemony in North Africa and the Middle East where their "influence" (a.k.a. their economic interests centred on control of the region's vital oil resources) is increasingly threatened by the rising tide of democratic upsurge throughout the Arab world.

     In response to the passage of the UN resolution, the Libyan government has announced an immediate cessation of military action and is calling for an "open dialogue" to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. Tripoli has also invited the United Nations and other international organizations such as the African Union to send fact‑finding missions to the country to confirm the ceasefire decision, and to pave the way to a negotiated settlement.

     Many may question whether Gaddafi's ceasefire offer is genuine. Unfortunately, the western powers are already dismissing this initiative without even bothering to confirm the intentions of the Libyan regime, and are preparing to launch military action, clearly revealing their true intent to impose regime change through military aggression.

     However bad the current situation, it will be much worse with a foreign invasion. The Communist Party urges all Canadians who oppose war and aggression to speak out to demand that our government withdraw our troops and warships now, and to demand that the imperialist powers, including Canada, refrain from military aggression against Libya and instead support a peaceful resolution to this crisis. Let the Libyan people settle matters themselves with a political solution. "Hands off Libya!"

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4) A SHAMEFUL VOTE FOR WAR

People's Voice Editorial

When Canadians vote on May 2, the issues of war and peace will be critical. On one level, this appears simple. The Harper Tories are the most pro-war party to rule Canada in the past century, and they must be defeated. A Harper majority would waste tens of billions of dollars on deadly fighter jets, heavily armed naval vessels, and other "toys for the boys." As the war against Libya proves, the Tories are eager to be the first on the block to start dropping bombs.

     But sadly, despite some "peace" posturing, the opposition parties in Parliament (and the Green Party) unanimously back the war against Libya. NDP Leader Jack Layton even urged PM Harper to involve opposition MPs in overseeing the operation, which includes six CF-18 bombers and the frigate HMCS Charlottetown. Mr. Harper is happy to preclude future criticism by "including" his opponents in the rush to war.

     Of course, Mr. Layton had already watered down his party's stand against the war in Afghanistan, in favour of hailing the "courage and sacrifices" of the military. Now, his shameful vote for the Libyan war locks the NDP into the drive to spend $30 billion to purchase and maintain a fleet of F-35 stealth fighters. Any objection to the F-35s will be met with a quick response: "You voted for the bombing of Libya. How will Canada carry out similar future missions without modern military equipment?" Touché, end of argument.

     This shocking betrayal calls for a stronger anti-war movement in the streets, and for a much larger vote on May 2 for anti-war candidates. The election of even one Communist MP would open the door to a real debate on an independent Canadian foreign policy of peace and disarmament. Until then, by supporting wars cloaked in the hypocrisy of "humanitarianism", the opposition parties have left Canadians without a single clear anti-imperialist voice in Parliament.

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5) A SPRINGTIME OF RESISTANCE

People's Voice Editorial

     At a time when transnational capital and right-wing politicians call the shots, it can be easy to yield to the cynical idea that "nothing will ever change." But sometimes reality changes in the blink of an eye, historically speaking. That doesn't mean automatic success for progressive movements, and the process of change can be complicated, even contradictory. But the days of unchallenged global domination by the rich and powerful are over.

     For example, the year 2010 saw the largest number of million-strong general strikes in the history of capitalism. In country after country, workers and their allies took to the streets, fighting attacks on their wages, working conditions, pensions, and social programs. That was quite a shock for the big corporations and their governments, including many social democratic parties which have adopted neoliberal economic policies.

     This year has seen the fightback trend continue. The historic uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, where the labour movement has remained active under decades of dictatorship, have fanned the flames of discontent around the world. Huge protests in Wisconsin against anti-labour legislation have spread to other states. Here in Canada, 10,000 workers rallied against the U.S. Steel lockout of Hamilton steelworkers, and a massive protest against the Charest government's new budget brought 50,000 people into the streets of Montreal. An estimated half-million marched in London on March 26, condemning the Cameron government's brutal attack on working people.

     Millions of working people are rising up to demand social justice, freedom, democracy, peace and equality. This is not a time for surrender; it is a springtime of resistance, a time to build mass struggles for a genuine People's Agenda!

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6) APRIL 9 RALLY: "A Toronto for Everyone!"

By Liz Rowley

     Labour and its community allies across Ontario will meet in Toronto's Dundas Square on April 9th to deliver a clear message to right‑wing Mayor Ford and Council: privatization of public services and assets, and attacks on free collective bargaining and the right to strike, won't be tolerated in Toronto or any other Ontario cities.

     The blunt message is backed up by an angry labour movement, galvanized by what's happening in Wisconsin, Ohio and now Michigan. Republican Governors and legislators in those states have pushed through legislation eliminating free collective bargaining, levelling public education and social spending, and selling off public assets in a firesale.

     In March, the Toronto and York Region Labour Council brought in Michael Pyne, a Steel staff rep from Wisconsin, who told delegates about the epic struggle at the State Capitol Building. For weeks, massive demonstrations have opposed the wholesale destruction of public education, public services and public sector bargaining. After years of take‑backs and set‑backs, the working class in at least three US states is on its feet, fighting to push back the tea‑party's "corporate revolution".

     Recognizing the similarities between Wisconsin and the rapid‑fire assaults in Toronto by Mayor Rob Ford and "Ford nation" after just 100 days in office, the labour and democratic movement has issued an urgent call to action.

     The OFL and Labour Councils across the province are organizing buses and carloads for April 9th to protest Toronto City Council's attacks on the right to strike for transit workers, and the privatization of garbage collection in the western half of the city this year and the eastern half next year. Another issue is the wholesale removal of the publicly-appointed Board of the Toronto Community Housing Corporation, and the expected privatization of the largest public housing corporation in Canada, housing 164,000 tenants. Thousands of municipal employees face job losses unless this agenda is reversed, with four more years to go before the next municipal election.

     The OFL is deeply involved because of the depth and breadth of the attack on public sector workers, assets and services in Canada's largest city, but also because the outcome of the battle in Toronto will be the "future normal" across Canada.

     For those wanting to know what cities might look like under a Tory majority in Ottawa, the answer is easy ‑ take a look at the first 100 days of "Ford Nation" in Toronto. And if there's a still a doubt, read the PM's lips: Harper plans to win this election in the GTA ‑ the burbs around Toronto. How? With Ford Nation, he said in an interview just before calling the election. The hidden agenda isn't so hidden.

     The April 9th protest will be an important event during the federal election, and deserves the massive support of all those who care about democracy and the future of Canadian cities. Stopping the Ford‑Harper‑Hudak express in Toronto and the GTA will be a great service to the whole of Canada this spring. 

     Electing MPs who will deliver an agenda for people (not for profits), and an agenda for cities, will be a big step forward. Such an agenda should include building new affordable public and social housing stock, and amassing public lands and assets instead of selling them off. It means expanding public transit and building a publicly‑owned Canadian transportation industry. It requires a new financial deal for municipalities, to provide adequate and stable funding for cities to rebuild infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, sewers and water treatment plants.

     An agenda for people means a Canada-wide child care program, expanded public hospitals and schools, publicly owned and administered long term care facilities, and improved services to women, Aboriginals, youth, and new Canadians. All of these are services delivered in cities and municipalities across Canada.

     Electing MPs who will respect the rights of cities and school boards to local autonomy and democracy is now urgent, in light of the attack by very powerful reactionary forces.

     An injury to one is an injury to all! Dump the Tories! Block the Right! All out on April 9th!

     (Ontario Communist leader Liz Rowley is the Party's federal election candidate in Brampton-Springdale.)

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7) CLC STRUCTURAL REFORM AND THE GHOST OF DEMOCRACY PAST

By Sam Hammond

     Since 1956 and the formation of the Canadian Labour Congress, the labour movement and the society we live in has changed dramatically. CLC affiliate representation has grown from 1 million to 3 million workers, but the percentage of the working class organized has dropped, and public sector unions now represent the majority of union members.

     The cold war, McCarthyism, the attack on left class struggle trade‑unionism, and the escalating barbarity of world imperialism are also part of the transition from 1956 to 2011. The socialist alternative has largely been abandoned by trade union leaders who don't see any real alternative to capitalism.

     Because of this lack of an alternative vision to fight for, the main tactical and ideological response of trade unions in the industrialized states has been defense at best, and capitulation at worst.

     The dominant leadership of social democratic reformism and compliance was the purpose of the state sponsored attacks and witch hunts against the left in the past. The attack on left ideology, with its dedication to mass recruiting, was a blow to trade union democracy and the organizational model which made grass roots involvement primary. Conversely, the vacuum created was a stimulant to the development of "business trade unionism", where perpetuation of the organization and concentration primarily on only the economic welfare of its members. This created a "tunnel vision" that obscured responsibility to the entire working class and a future permanent solution to its exploitation.

     This "tunnel vision" will in time become the main threat to the existence of organized labour. The replacement of a class perspective with the narrow parameters of "our organization" and "our members" stimulated sectarianism and organizing outside of sectors to capture new members and widen the economic base. The inevitable result was organizing in other unions' sectors, and raiding other unions for members who already had established contracts. The success of organizing outside of traditional sectors has created organizations that resemble multi‑sector "mini" labour centres.

     The structural reforms being proposed to the CLC Convention this May are a reflection of the evolution of the Congress from its creation in 1956 to the present, and of the trade union movement in general. The CLC has evolved from a central organization of almost exclusively private sector industrial, extraction, resource and transportation unions, to a central organization of private and public sector unions. The public sector unions are dramatically more highly organized in their sectors, while the multi‑sector mini labour centrals of the private sector are threatened with serious problems.

     The CLC has also evolved from a delegate-driven convention, with nominations and elections from the floor, to a delegate- controlled and caucus-driven creature of the large affiliates. Remember Carol Wall, who ran for president against Ken Georgetti in 2005, but was not allowed to address the convention delegates and was shut out of most caucuses. Even so, the delegates gave her 37 percent of the votes.

     The structural changes that will be presented, and approved, at the May 2011 Convention have been formulated by a Commission on Structural Review mandated from the last convention. The Commission was comprised of three CLC Officers, and eleven of the larger affiliates. Of these, six are private sector and five are public sector unions, although it should be pointed out that most have at least some private and public sector members.

     The recommended governance will be a modification of the present, but radically different from the founding structure. The main body between conventions, the "Canadian Council", will have four "elected at convention" officers (President, Secretary Treasurer, two Vice-Presidents), 52 Vice-Presidents who will be ranking officers of affiliates, 10 Vice-Presidents who will be women from the five largest private and public sector unions, 12 Vice-Presidents from Provincial and Territorial Federations, five members elected from Convention equity caucuses, one youth Vice-President from convention caucus, and one retiree from CURC. This adds up to a council of 85 members who will meet "at least" twice a year. The 52 VPs from affiliates will be the "ranking officers".    Only four positions on the Canadian Council will be elected at convention directly by delegates. All others will be designated either from affiliates or caucuses. There will be no Labour Council representative on the Canadian Council, or anywhere else in the leadership.

     The Executive Committee will be structured as follows and drawn from the Canadian Council: the four Executive Officers; Vice-Presidents from the five largest public and private sector unions (total 10); one VP from the largest building trades union; one woman from each of the private and public sectors, chosen by the Canadian Council (2); one equity VP chosen by Canadian Council; one VP from a union not in the ten largest, chosen by the Canadian Council and the President of the Quebec Federation of Labour. This adds up to an Executive Council of 20.

     The National Campaign Committee will be the Executive Committee, plus the twelve Presidents of Provincial and Territorial Federations.

     This is the opening refrain of the swan song of the democratic rank and file convention. This recommendation has already been accepted and recommended through the participation on the Commission of the ranking officers of the largest affiliated unions, with the exception of CUPW. Their delegates will go with instructions to support. Debate will be only about timing or application. If the Canadian Council is a done deal, the rest follows suit.

     The Canadian Council will be a permanent affiliate-controlled governance, with the exception of four Officers, five equity VPs, and one Youth VP. The Commission recommends in two places that the Canadian Council should function as a "Forum". Not exactly the same as a governing body carrying out convention decisions, is it? Of its 85 members, 75 will be chosen outside of convention. The Canadian Council will be a body of professional trade unionists who only have to meet twice a year as a forum of discussion.

     The Executive Committee, the body that will really govern the CLC, will meet four times a year and has only four elected officers.

     The proof is in the pudding, as the saying goes. It would be very immature to consider these proposals as purely structural. In any sane world, structure should be the instrument of purpose, yet these changes are going to be implemented without any indication of purpose whatsoever. Any observation of the CLC performance during the economic crisis, and especially the latest stroking of the Tory Budget on the eve of an election, would lead one to conclude that the structural changes are to entrench this ideology of non-struggle. After all, unfortunately, this is the status quo.

     With convention resolutions getting merged into watery nothings, 75 of 85 of Canadian Council members appointed outside convention, the Executive Committee chosen exclusively by the Canadian Council, the National Campaign Committee another rubber stamp, and a complete shut‑out of the grassroots Labour Councils, what is left for delegates? What is left of the Convention?

     There is little reason to believe that cash-strapped locals and Labour Councils will be willing to spend $2-3000 to send delegates to a convention of disappeared resolutions, guest speakers and cultural entertainment. This is a very grave threat to the future of Canadian trade union democracy.

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8) 50,000 MARCH IN MONTREAL

By Johan Boyden, Montreal

     Over 50,000 people marched in the streets of Montreal last month against the provincial Charest austerity budget. The March 12 rally was called by l'Alliance sociale, and la Coalition opposée a la tarification et a la privatisation des services publics (the Social Alliance, and the Coalition Opposed to user fees and privatization), which consists of the labour movement, students, environmentalists, women's groups and many other people's organizations in Quebec.

     The Coalition and the Alliance are calling for a radical break with the policies of the Charest Liberals and a sustained government intervention in the economy, "to ensure universal access, without discrimination, to public health services and quality education, social programs ensuring full respect for human rights, and the creation of decent jobs."

     The massive march paraded down some of the main streets of Montreal, gathering outside the office of the Premier. It was a family affair, marshalled and strong, with colourful banners, bubble‑head puppets, an enormous red cloth a block long (symbolizing the red square, a mobilization symbol of the students), and giant letters spelling out "the budget is a matter of choice" in response to the "no alternative" line of the government.

     The Parti Communiste du Québec expressed full support with the mobilizations and called upon the demonstrators to return to the streets and keep up the battle. The PCQ is advocating for a general and political or social strike to boot out the current government and trigger an election.

     The PCQ produced a special issue of its newspaper Clarté for the action, and made almost $400 in street sales. "This shows people are very interested in left‑wing ideas, they are recognizing our paper, and that our capacity to sell is better," a spokesperson from the newspaper said.

     Speakers at the rally demanded the withdrawal of regressive measures, including the infamous "health tax", rising tuition and fees. To pay for this they want a larger tax contribution from the wealthy and businesses, higher royalties on natural resources, and a fight against tax evasion and tax havens.

     "This budget will mortgage our future," said Claudette Carbonneau, the president of Quebec's CSN Labour Federation. "It is a disaster for education, retirement, and the environment." Carbonneau took aim at the government's widely touted plans for industrial development in northern Quebec.

     "Instead of putting up a major project to electrify transport, thus supporting the manufacturing industry in Quebec, the government will be [taking] several small steps, such as the development of ethanol cycling network green or credit tax credit for efficient vehicles" Carbonneau said, noting that the plan was more about mega‑profits than job creation.

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9) B.C. FINALLY RAISES MINIMUM WAGE

B.C.'s lowest-paid workers have finally received a pay increase, but for now, the province still has the lowest minimum wage in Canada. The increase will be in three phases, from the current $8/hour up to $8.75 effective April 1, with further 75 cent increases this fall and then in May 2012.

     The BC Federation of Labour welcomed the announcement by Premier Christy Clark, but expressed disappointed that Clark is considering an abusive "tip wage."

     "$8.75 is a poor start," stated Jim Sinclair, president of the BCFL. "BC will still have the lowest minimum wage in Canada, but we're hopeful that the Premier will keep her promise to reach $10.25 by next May. A minimum wage increase is long overdue, and it's unfortunate BC's lowest paid workers had to wait 10 years for any increase."

     Sinclair thanked the tens of thousands of low wage workers, students, union members, church groups and municipal politicians who have been active in the Federation's "$10 Now" campaign. Pressure on the Liberal government grew stronger every year. "With their help we've seen unprecedented levels of support for a minimum wage increase; together we have finally forced the BC Liberals to act."

     The BC Federation of Municipalities called for an increase, and even groups representing the business sector admitted that the $8/hour figure was unsustainable.

     The change also removes the hated $6/hour "training wage", paid to "starting workers" by many employers during their first 500 hours of employment. Some big corporations were notorious for firing such workers near the end of the 500-hour cheap labour period.

     However, the Liberals may give a concession to restaurant industry employers, by introducing a lower "tip wage" for liquor servers. These workers are routinely forced to pay for items like theft and breakage, or to cover the costs of "dine and dash" customers. They are also frequently made to share tips, sometimes including with management. Such practices are illegal, but employers are rarely punished.

     "With no oversight from the Ministry of Labour, and additional cuts in this year's budget this puts servers at risk of abuse," points out Sinclair. "If the BC Liberals want to introduce a tip wage they should first enforce Employment Standards, poor as they are."

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10) BLOCK REMOVAL OF COKE, DEMANDS USW 1005

USW Local 1005, locked out since last November by U.S. Steel, has condemned plans by the company to use the freighters Atlantic Erie and Laurentien, both owned by Canada Steamship Lines, to load 44,000 tons of metallurgical coke in Hamilton. This Stelco produced‑coke is normally consumed in steelmaking at Hamilton Works. There are some 200,000 tons of coke sitting in Hamilton, with a sale value of some $60 million.

     The continued production of coke at Hamilton Works, even while U.S. Steel shut down steelmaking and shifted production to its plants in the U.S., was accepted by Local 1005 in consideration for the well‑being of the coke ovens.

     Now, Local 1005 says that U.S. Steel is attempting to take advantage of the union's concern for this equipment by removing this valuable commodity for use in its U.S. plants. Instead, the union demands that U.S. Steel should bargain in good faith, sign a collective agreement with Local 1005 without extorting pension concessions, and produce steel in Hamilton, according to its legal commitments to the people of Canada.

     A union statement also stresses the environmental reality that the production of coke is the most polluting aspect of blast furnace steelmaking: "U.S. Steel seems fine with polluting Hamilton and then slapping the city in the face by having the coke removed to add value through steelmaking in the United States. This reeks of a subservient colonial relationship that is unacceptable to Canadians.

     "Even as steelmaking has rebounded along with steel prices, U.S. Steel is telling Canadians that it refuses to recognize the pension rights of steelworkers that it inherited with its purchase of Stelco and will continue its campaign of extortion until Canadians submit to its dictate. This is the ugly face of monopoly right and must not pass. The people of Hamilton are faced with the necessity to rally together to prevent the removal of Stelco coke from their city."

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11) CONNECTING THE DOTS IN WISCONSIN

By Rev. Jesse Jackson

     This weekend [March 12-13] in Wisconsin, some 200,000 citizens rallied to protest the governor's assault on working families. The crowd included farmers and firefighters, teachers and students, parents and children. In Wisconsin ‑ and across the Midwest ‑ they are connecting the dots.

     They realize that the assault on the right of public workers to organize isn't about the budget crisis. Gov. Scott Walker and the right across the country are pushing to weaken the ability of working families to counter what is a brutal assault on the middle class in America.

     The reality of Wisconsin and other states is clear. Wall Street's excesses blew up the economy, causing a global recession that savaged public budgets at the local, state and national levels. Housing prices fell, unemployment rose and tax receipts plummeted while costs increased. Public pensions ‑ and, for that matter, private pension plans ‑ took a huge hit from the implosion.

     Now conservative politicians act as if teachers, cops and nurses caused the budget crisis, not Wall Street. They represent the few against the many. Only over the last 30 years, the broad middle class has declined. The wealthiest 1 percent of Americans now capture nearly one‑fourth of all income, and control more wealth than 90 percent of Americans. The question now is whether we can rebuild a strong middle class, or whether the crisis will be used to reduce it further.

     This is central to a concerted offensive that has two major parts. First, conservatives are intent on rolling back core protections for working families, and virtually every step of progress America has made over the last century. Second, well aware that they are pushing a very unpopular agenda, they are targeting unions and other institutions that can counter the force of money in politics.

     On the first part, look at the combined agenda of the House Republicans and right‑wing governors like Walker in Wisconsin. House Republicans fought to extend tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and then targeted basic supports for working families. They made deep cuts in education from Head Start to elementary education to college affordability, zeroed out job programs, and slashed budgets for every consumer or worker protection agency.

Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are next on the chopping block.

     In Wisconsin, mirrored in other states, Gov. Walker combined tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations with deep cuts for teachers, police and firefighters. Education and health care were hit the most.

     On the second part, organized people are the most effective counter to organized money in politics. So conservatives are pushing to permanently break labor unions, the most powerful counterweight to the flood of corporate money in politics. But unions aren't the only target. ACORN, the most effective organization helping to register poor and minorities to vote, was targeted with a dishonest sting operation. Planned Parenthood is under attack because it informs women of their rights in chapters across 50 states. Efforts are under way to strip students of their right to vote where they go to school. Voter ID measures are cooked up to intimidate Latinos and discriminate against the poor and seniors. This is bareknuckled rollback of democratic rights to protect an unpopular agenda.

     But in Wisconsin, the workers stood up; students and citizens rallied to their side. The Wisconsin uprising touched citizens across the state and activists across the country. They are starting to connect the dots.

     Dr. King once said, "There is nothing more tragic than to sleep through a revolution." Now, in this defining struggle about America's future, people are beginning to wake up. Will we build a new economy that provides opportunity for all out of the ashes of the old? Or will we roll back the progress we have made, and watch as the American Dream becomes a fantasy out of reach of our children?

     The choice will be ours.

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12) AFGHANS FOR PEACE CONDEMN KILLING OF CIVILIANS

The German news organization, Der Spiegel, has released three out of 4,000 photographs showing US soldiers and corpses of innocent Afghans killed in Kandahar last year. The photos expose the crimes committed by a "Kill Team" of U.S. soldiers who randomly murdered Afghan civilians for sport.

     In a March 22 statement, the U.S.-based group Afghans for Peace (AFP) condemned these "appalling and inhumane acts", which are posted at http://afghansforpeace.org/archives/1416. AFP is an alliance of Afghans working for "a democratic, all inclusive, just and peaceful Afghanistan," starting with an end to U.S. and NATO military operations in the country.

     The first photograph shows U.S. soldier, Spc. Jeremy N. Morlock, posing with the bloodied and partially naked corpse of Gul Mudin, grabbing the victim by his hair, and grinning proudly at the camera with his trophy kill. From close observation, the victim's body appears slim and hairless, suggesting he was very young and had not yet reached puberty.

     The second photo shows U.S. soldier, Pfc. Andrew Holmes, posing with the corpse of Gul Mudin, holding a cigarette in one hand and grabbing the victim by the hair with the other.

     The third photo shows two unidentified Afghan male civilians murdered by the "Kill Team". The dirty clothing worn by the victims, unnatural positioning of a foot, blood stains on the back, and bound legs and hands suggest they were possibly dragged by a vehicle and/or tortured.

     January 15, 2010 was the beginning of periodic murders by the "Kill Team". A subsequent investigation shows the military ignored warnings of soldiers committing atrocities against civilians. Spc. Adam Winfield had informed his father about the killings. Winfield Sr., persistently tried to inform the military of his son's warnings, only to be turned away.

     "The guys in my group have murdered an innocent Afghan," Adam Winfield wrote. "They planned everything out. I knew about it - I want to do something about it, but I don't have the courage."

     Many have compared this case to the Abu Ghraib outrages in Iraq. But Afghans for Peace points out that the Kandahar civilians where chosen at random and murdered in broad daylight.

     "These crimes illustrate the means by which the military industrial complex functions through dehumanization, forced inferiority, and occupation both historically and at present," says AFP. "This was the case with Native Americans, Africans, Iraqis, and now Afghans. When the military force is led by a US superpower, with almost 1,000 military bases worldwide, and aided by NATO forces, the murders in Kandahar go unnoticed."

     Afghans for Peace says it hopes that these photographs further encourage the public to seek the truth about targeted attacks against the civilian population of Afghanistan. The group has urged Der Spiegel to release all 4,000 photographs and video footage.

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13) NEW COOKS, SAME RECIPE IN IRELAND

PV Vancouver Bureau

     The Irish general election held on Feb. 25 saw the election of a record 76 new members (TDs) to the Dail, the lower house of parliament. Voters blamed the country's economic meltdown on the right‑wing Fianna Fail party, which fell from 41% of the vote and 77 seats in 2007, to just 17.4% and 20 seats. The Fine Gael and Labour parties racked up big gains, electing 76 and 37 TDs respectively, forming a new coalition with Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny as the new Taoiseach (prime minister).

     The Sinn Fein party, led by veteran republican spokesperson Gerry Adams, benefitted from anger against the former government's disastrous right‑wing policies. Sinn Fein moved from 7% of the popular vote up to 10%, and nearly tripled its representation from 5 TDs up to 14. Several other left candidates were elected, including two from the Socialist Party. Meanwhile, the Green Party was punished severely by voters, losing its six seats in the Dail. As a minority partner in the former Fianna Fail coalition, the Greens had voted to accept the anti‑working class austerity policies imposed on Ireland last year during the financial crisis.

     The Communist Party of Ireland had warned that "the three main establishment parties Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, and the Labour Party ‑ are all committed one way or the other to implementing the four-year budgetary strategy imposed by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. They will continue to pour money into ghost banks; they will continue to lay heavy emphasis on the private sector for creating employment; and they will all hope (but not publicly say) that emigration will continue apace, possibly 50,000 people per year, the traditional safety value that has always released social and class tensions in this country, sapping the strength and energy of the families and communities left behind."

     The Irish communists had predicted that Sinn Fein would be the main beneficiary of the anti‑establishment mood among voters, since its recent economic statements marked a shift to the left.

     The new coalition government has the authority to "sweep away the cobwebs of the discredited coalition and chart a new path for this country," says the Workers' Party of Ireland. But as WP President Michael Finnegan warns, "sadly that this will not be the case... while there may be new cooks in the kitchen, the recipe is exactly the same".

     "The greatest millstone around the necks of the Irish people is the EU/IMF deal with its criminal interest rates and counterproductive deadlines for deficit cutting. Despite all their bluffing and bluster ... Fine Gael and Labour have meekly accepted the rules imposed on us by the EU/IMF last November," warns Finnegan. "Tinkering at the edges with an 0.25% change in the interest rate will not substantially change the picture. Over the next two years, the most vital years to stop the rot and start economic recovery the new coalition has committed itself to exactly the same conditions as Fianna Fail accepted. In the December budget we have seen the devastation which that deal created amongst workers, amongst the unemployed, and amongst those dependent on Social Welfare payments. This devastation will be doubled next December, and further increased in December 2012.

     "What is omitted from the programme for government are as revealing as what is included. Significantly all mention of a wealth tax is excluded, all mention of a third tax rate for high earners is omitted; all mention of the elimination of the rules which allow an elite coterie of super rich to become tax exiles is excluded. It is clear that the tax burden will continue to fall on already stressed workers and households  while the top 5% of income earners and wealth holders remain completely untouched. It is also significant that there is no mention in the agreed programme for government of the proper utilisation of our natural resources. This Dail will convene as oil prices hover at $112 per barrel. Oil and gas are the most valuable and fought‑over resources in the world. Ireland has proven large offshore reserves of oil and gas. Through Fianna Fail corruption these reserves have been signed away with zero benefit to the Irish people. The least we would have expected from this incoming government is a fraud squad enquiry into why those deals were signed, and a commitment to immediately reverse them.

     "The present crisis of capitalism, either globally or nationally, was not caused by low paid workers, by pensioners or carers or the unemployed; was not caused by nurses or teachers or classroom assistants. Yet these are the groups that have been targeted by the state in order to refloat capitalism and to refloat the pre‑existing banking system. It is an outrage that the most vulnerable are being asked to pay for the crimes of the most powerful elite. We will be ever vigilant that this government ceases to target the weakest in society and ensure that the pain is borne by those who caused this meltdown in the first instance," says Finnegan.

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14) BEHIND THE LABOUR UPSURGE OF THE `40S

Our series of articles marking the 90th anniversary of the Communist Party continues with a look at the role of communists in the struggle to build a mass labour movement during the 1930s and '40s.

     The efforts of Canadian communists to build a fighting, militant trade union movement through the Workers' Unity League climaxed with the On to Ottawa Trek of 1935, organized by the WUL‑affiliated Relief Camp Workers Union. The mid‑1930s were a period of similar working class actions in many countries.

     The world‑wide crisis of capitalism forced workers everywhere to fight back in a more conscious and radical way. The growth of revolutionary forces was countered by fascism, supported by the most reactionary sections of the capitalist class. The rise of Hitlerism in Germany was a serious setback, followed by the fascist overthrow of the democratic government of Spain.

     In these conditions, stronger working class unity was desperately needed and increasingly possible. The Seventh Congress of the Communist International in 1935 called for a "united front" against fascism. This position fit the situation created in Canada by the new Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) and its fight within the American Federation of Labour for industrial unionism in the United States. The WUL had led heroic working class struggles almost alone for several years; now, Canadian workers could best advance their interests through rebuilding trade union unity.

     The Communist Party began to campaign among the WUL affiliates to join the AFL and the CIO. This naturally met with some resistance from trade unionists who remembered the bureaucratic, class collaborationist actions of many leaders of the "mainstream" unions. But within two years, the revolutionary unions were affiliated to their respective internationals, and to the Trades and Labour Congress in Canada.

     Now the focus shifted to building the new CIO unions in Canada. One of the most outstanding Communist labour activists was Dick Steele, national organizer for Canada of the Steel Workers' Organizing Committee, forerunner of the United Steel Workers of America. Steele, together with Harry Hunter in Hamilton, George MacEachren in Sydney, Nova Scotia, and other Communists built up the foundation of what later became the Canadian District of the United Steel Workers.

     There were many other successes. The Canadian Seamen's Union was started in Toronto by a group of militant lake seamen, including Communist Party members like Dewar Ferguson and Joe Salsberg. Within a few years the CSU achieved big gains for sailors on the Great Lakes, such as the eight‑hour day and 48-hour week. While cutting their working hours in half, the CSU raised the monthly pay of lake sailors from $35 to $40 minimum, with time and a half for overtime. The CSU established the right of sailors to speak as a collective on board through their union committee.

     Other CIO organizations set up in Canada included the International Woodworkers of America (IWA) and the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE). Unions with a longer history also joined the CIO, such as the Mine‑Mill and Smelter Workers, the United Mineworkers, the Amalgamated Clothing Workers, and the International Ladies Garment Workers.

     Unfortunately, divisions within the labour movement did not disappear. The leadership of the AFL opposed the strategy of building industrial unions, eventually forcing a split with the CIO.

     But the labour upsurge continued. During 1936-37, union membership increased 30 percent in Canada, and more than doubled in the United States. The SWOC, for example, had signed up almost 9,000 members in the bitterly anti-labour steel industry by the end of 1937. In total, the CIO unions in Canada had a membership of 76,000 at this point.

     The most important early struggle of the CIO unions in Canada was the 1937 strike in Oshawa, Ontario, where General Motors and the right-wing Liberal government of Mitch Hepburn tried to prevent workers from joining the United Auto Workers. After a 17-day strike, the UAW was victorious, a turning point for the CIO's organizing drives in Canada.

     These developments laid the basis for a huge expansion of labour struggles following the 1945 military victory over fascism. In that year, working days lost to strikes across Canada nearly tripled, to about 1.5 million, and Ford was compelled to recognize UAW Local 200 in Windsor.

     The next year, strike actions tripled again, with 4.5 million working days lost. In British Columbia, 37,000 IWA members struck to win major gains against the big lumber companies, and 6,000 members of the United Textile Workers conducted a historic strike against the bosses and the Duplessis government of Quebec. Tens of thousands of industrial workers in Ontario achieved higher wages and better working conditions.

     One of the most critical struggles was in Hamilton, when members of United Steel Workers Local 1005 marched to the Stelco plant gates to start the famous strike of 1946. This historic 80-day battle by steelworkers and the entire community won recognition for Local 1005, a 40‑hour work week, and better wages. More significantly, the 1946 Stelco strike forced employers across Canada to accept collective bargaining rights.

     These advances validated the strategy of the Communists to bring the revolutionary WUL unions into the "mainstream". Labour unity and industrial unionism were the keys to building a mass trade union movement, which soon grew to include hundreds of thousands of public sector workers.

     A powerful wave of labour action across North America and Europe was winning important political, economic and social gains for workers. The ruling class responded by launching the Cold War, designed to split the working class and roll back these advances. The Cold War led to the expulsion from the "house of labour" of Communist-led unions which had played major roles in the struggles of the 1930s and '40s... but that's a topic for a future column.

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15) MUSIC NOTES, By Wally Brooker

Toronto's Rhythms of Resistance

Grassroots percussion bands are a welcome phenomenon at demonstrations and rallies these days, providing an uplifting marching beat and lots of noisy energy. Rhythms of Resistance (RoR) is a network of bands advocating "percussive resistance to the march of capitalism." From its roots in the U.K., where it started in 2000, RoR has grown to include sister bands in other countries. RoR Toronto, a "political samba band," has become a powerful presence in local social justice and environmental actions. On February 10, RoR raised the roof inside Toronto City Hall at a protest against the Rob Ford regime's cutbacks, and on March 12 they kept spirits high at the annual International Women's Day march. For more info visit www.rhythmsofresistance.co.uk & http://rortoronto.wordpress.com.

The Milestones: historic recordings

Thanks to the efforts of folk music historian Gary Cristall a near‑forgotten group of Ukrainian‑Canadian musicians is receiving long‑overdue recognition. Cristall's new release The Milestones: Historic Recordings 1960‑1965 is the first commercial recording of a group that was, in his words, "the finest folk music group in B.C. in the sixties." The Milestones were politically engaged. They played in support of nuclear disarmament, labour rights, and solidarity with Cuba, as well as at fundraisers for leading figures of the left, including CPC leader Tim Buck. That they could also sing is stunningly apparent. After all, they'd received excellent training in their local Ukrainian choirs. The story of the band is admirably told in the album's notes by Cristall and founding member Jerry Shack. Order from Peoples Co‑op Bookstore (http://www.peoplescoopbookstore.com/) or from www.folkmusichistory.com.

Montreal rapper "The Narcicyst"

Montreal hip‑hop artist Yassin Alsalman ("The Narcicyst") is one of many artists of the Arab diaspora in solidarity with the revolutionary upsurge in the Middle East and North Africa. On March 2 Alsalman was interviewed on the popular alternative news program Democracy Now! He discussed the effect of the 2003 invasion of Iraq on his music, and the role of hip‑hop in the contemporary Arab world, where young people use it as a "vocation and a social mediation to translate their experience into music." The Narcicyst was born in Dubai in 1982 and grew up in Montreal, where he attended Concordia University. His latest release, Hamdulillah, features Palestinian hip‑hop artist Shadia Mansour and incorporates video clips submitted by Arabs and Muslims from around the world. Watch it on his website: www.iraqisthebomb.com.

Detroit Symphony strike update

Detroit Symphony Orchestra musicians (AFM Local 5) are in the sixth month of their strike against downsizing and massive cuts in salaries and benefits. On Feb. 19 they rejected management's "final offer," countering with a proposal to submit to binding arbitration before a three‑person panel, with one member chosen by each side and the third mutually agreed upon. When management rejected this offer the musicians e‑mailed board members, asking for support. In a display of contempt for the board of this tax‑exempt institution, the DSO instructed members to stonewall the union and await further orders. The union is now planning visits to board members' homes. Meanwhile musicians at the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony and elsewhere are wearing bracelets at their concerts bearing the words "AFM Solidarity." For more info: http://detroitsymphonymusicians.org/.

Music in the Wisconsin uprising

Anyone watching alternative news coverage of the uprising in Wisconsin against the union‑bashing regime of Governor Scott Walker will notice plenty of drummers, numerous horn players and even a firefighters pipe band. Folk singers, rock bands and hip-hop artists are also lifting their voices in solidarity. "Rock For Your Rights," a free Feb. 21 concert in Madison, featured Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello, MC5 legend Wayne Kramer and Boston punk band Street Dogs. A few days later, in the midst of a snowstorm, Peter Yarrow (Peter, Paul and Mary) led the crowd in a version of "Which Side Are You On?" The solidarity continues. Pittsburgh rapper Jasiri‑X has released "American Workers vs Multi‑Billionaires" featuring video clips from the Wisconsin uprising. Look for it all at YouTube or http://artistsforwisconsin.blogspot.com.

Middle East rebel songs

The myths that feed Islamophobia in the English‑speaking world are being challenged by a new music website. Mideast Tunes is a project of Mideast Youth (www.mideastyouth.com), a non‑profit digital network that seeks to promote social change by helping young activists develop websites using inexpensive open source software. The goal of Mideast Tunes is "to expose talented activist musicians to the world." Sample songs on the website reveal a wide variety of contemporary music. Genres include alternative, electro/experimental, heavy metal, hip‑hop, punk, traditional/classical, trance and techno. Visitors to the site can keep up with new releases and select bands by genre or by country. This month's feature is "Not Your Prisoner", a new release from Egyptian band Arabian Knightz featuring singer Shadia Mansour. Check it out at http://mideasttunes.com.

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