|
|
| Theoretical and Discussion Bulletin of the
Communist Party of Canada |
|
The Spark!
The
latest issue of The Spark! theoretical journal, is now on sale for $5 at Communist Party offices (see p. 8) or People’s Co-op Books, 1391 Commercial Drive, Vancouver.
Articles
include
- “Introduction to a General Theory of Culture” (Barry Lord);
- “Political & Economic Realities Behind Colombian Labour Relations” (Sacouman, Moore & Brittain);
- “Treaty Process & Indian Nationalism” (Ray Bobb);
- “Lenin: Heritage of the Socialist Market Economy” (C.J. Atkins);
- “Nature of the State Under Bush & Harper” (Stephen Von Sychowski);
- plus reviews, editorials, and more.
|
People's
Voice deadlines:
SEPTEMBER 1-15
Thursday, August 19
SEPTEMBER 16-30
Thursday, September 9
Send submissions
to PV
Editorial
Office,
706 Clark Drive, Vancouver,
V5L 3J1, pvoice@telus.net
You can call the editorial office at
604-255-2041 |
People's
Voice finds many "Global Class Struggle" reports at the "Labour Start"
website, http://www.labourstart.org. We urge our readers to
check it out!
|
*
* * * *
People's Voice
Canadian
Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement #205214
ISSN number
1198-8657
People's Voice is
published by
New Labour Press
Ltd
PV Editorial Office
706 Clark Drive,
VANCOUVER, B.C.
V5L 3J1
Phone:604-255-2041
Fax:604-254-9803
email: pvoice@telus.net
Editor:
Kimball Cariou
: Business Manager:
Sam Hammond
Editorial
Board: Kimball
Cariou, Miguel Figueroa,
Doug
Meggison, Naomi Rankin, Liz Rowley, Jim Sacouman
* * *
* * *
Letters
People's
Voice welcomes your letters
on
any subject covered in our pages.
We
reserve the right to edit for length and clarity,
and
to refuse to print letters which may be libellous
or
which contain unnecessary personal attacks.
Send
your views to:
"Letters
to the Editor",
706
Clark Dr., Vancouver, BC V5L 3J1,
or pvoice@telus.net
People's
Voice articles may be reprinted without permission,
provided
the source is
credited.
* * * * * *
The
Communist Party of
Canada, formed in 1921,
has a proud history of fighting for jobs, equality, peace,
Canadian independence, and socialism.
The CPC does much more than run candidates in elections.
We think the fight against big business and its parties
is a year-round job,
so our members are active across the country,
to build our party and to help strengthen people's movements
on a wide range of issues.
All
our policies and
leadership
are set democratically by our members.
To find out more about Canada's party of Socialism,
give us a call at the nearest CPC office.
*
*
* * * *
Central Committee CPC
290A Danforth Ave Toronto, Ont. M4K 1N6
Ph: (416) 469-2446
fax: (416) 469-4063 E-mail
info@cpc-pcc.ca
Parti Communiste du
Quebec (section du
Parti communiste
du Canada)
5359 Ave du Parc,
Montréal, Québec,
H2V 4G9
B.C.Committee CPC
706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, V5L 3J1
Tel: (604) 254-9836
Fax: (604) 254-9803
Edmonton
CPC
Box 68112, 70 Bonnie Doon P.O.
Edmonton, AB, T6C 4N6
Tel: (780) 465-7893
Fax: (780)463-0209
Calgary
CPC
Unit #1 - 19 Radcliffe Close SE
Calgary AB, T2A 6B2
Tel: (403) 248-6489
Saskatchewan
CPC
mail@communist-party-sk.ca
Ottawa
CPC
Tel: (613) 232-7108
Manitoba
Committee
387 Selkirk Ave., Winnipeg, R2W 2M3
Tel/fax: (204) 586-7824
Ontario
Ctee. CPC
290A Danforth Ave., Toronto, M4K 1N6
Tel: (416) 469-2446
Hamilton
Ctee. CPC
265 Melvin Ave., Apt. 815
Hamilton, ON.
Tel: (905) 548-9586
Atlantic
Region CPC
Box 70 Grand Pré, NS, B0P 1M0
Tel/fax: (902) 542-7981
http://www.communist-party.ca/
* *
* * * *
News
for People, Not for Profits!
Every
issue of People's Voice
gives
you the latest
on the
fightback from coast to coast.
Whether
it's the struggle for jobs or peace, resistance to social
cuts,
solidarity
with Cuba, or workers' struggles around the world,
we've
got the news the corporate media won't print.
And
we do more than that
- we report and analyze events
from a revolutionary perspective,
helping to build the movements for justice and equality,
and eventually for a socialist Canada.
Read
the paper that fights
for working people
- on
every page, in every issue!
People's
Voice
$30
for 1 year
$50
for 2 years
Low-income
special rate: $15 for 1-year
Outside
Canada $50 for 1
year
Send
to: People's Voice, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC,
V5L 3J1
You can call
the editorial office at 604-255-2041
REDS
ON THE WEB
http://www.communist-party.ca
http://www.ycl-ljc.ca
http://www.solidnet.org
(Contents)
(Home)
1) A LOOK AT THE FUTURE: MASS
OPPOSITION, BRUTAL STATE REPRESSION
(The following
article is from the August 1-31, 2010 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.)
PV Commentary
Defying a
barrage of threats and
warnings against exercising their democratic freedoms, tens of
thousands of people from across southern Ontario and the rest of Canada
rallied in Toronto leading up to and during the weekend of June 26-27.
A wide range of protests during the G8 and G20 Summit meetings
expressed mass opposition to the anti-people policies being imposed by
right-wing and social democratic governments.
The message
in the streets was a
powerful demand for a change of policies, such as the call by the
Canadian Peace Alliance and its affiliates for an end to the war in
Afghanistan and a shift from militarism to civilian priorities. Other
participating groups urged protection of labour rights rather than
corporate profits, just settlement of indigenous peoples' demands, and
a swift reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
But the
corporate mass media
largely ignored these actions, which were organized by labour and
popular movements representing millions of Canadians. Instead,
attention was focused on the torching of several police cruisers
conveniently left unguarded by the massive security forces surrounding
the G20 meetings.
Since the
events of June 26-27,
heated debates have raged around the issues of police responsibility
(or lack of such), and the implications of the biggest mass arrests in
Canadian history.
The position
within the popular
movements is that the G20 leaders, and the major imperialist powers in
particular, are responsible for crimes against working people and the
planet far outweighing the relatively minor property destruction in the
streets of Toronto.
Most of the
same movements have
been sharply critical of the so-called "black bloc" tactics used by
some groups which were infiltrated by security forces. This criticism
is based on the view that such tactics are welcomed or even encouraged
by the ruling class, since they provide a handy excuse to convince
working people that protests against corporate policies are carried out
by forces which have no interest in the needs of "ordinary citizens."
But there
has also been nearly
universal condemnation by such critics of the brutal, arbitrary use of
police powers to attack people in the streets of Toronto. The "police
riot," far from being an aberration, is seen by many as an exercise in
crushing dissent, a deliberate message to Canadians that mass
opposition to the corporate agenda - or even curiosity about witnessing
such opposition - is de facto an illegal act which will be met with
violent state repression.
For this
reason, the same
movements which rallied thousands in Toronto have called for a full,
independent public inquiry into the police attacks and the attempt to
criminalize protesters and onlookers.
This demand
is critical, because
the brief period of "pump priming" in response to the economic crisis
appears to be over. Most G20 states have indicated their determination
to make deficit reduction the main goal - at the expense of social
programs. There will be no reduction of military spending or warmaking,
no stopping the expansion of the prison system, no end to
billion-dollar "security" operations surrounding capitalist summits.
Instead of raising taxes on the wealthy and the corporations, working
people can expect more and more of the "Greek solution" - major cuts to
the public sector, wage reductions, attacks on pensions, further
privatization of public assets.
This all-out
attack across the
capitalist world is intended to drive down wages and shift even more
wealth into the hands of the tiny minority of billionaires who control
the global economy. The G8 and G20 leaders expect a response similar to
that of the workers in Greece and other countries: massive protests and
general strikes. Defeating such opposition will call for full use of
the state's forces of repression. As Canadians saw in June, this means
removing the "obstacles" of legal protections for the rights of free
speech and assembly. The traditional concept of "bourgeois democracy" -
which the working class and its allies have struggled for decades to
expand - will increasingly be reduced to a mere shadow.
In this
ominous direction lies
the threat of fascism, the open, terrorist dictatorship of the most
reactionary sections of the ruling class, no longer cloaked with
limited electoral rights and constitutional protections.
That's the
warning of the summit
protests in Toronto. The tactics of window-smashing and hiding faces
are of little use in this situation; if anything, such tactics only
confuse and divide the millions of people who can and must be moved
into action against the capitalist attack.
On the other
hand, attempts to
confine the resistance movement to purely symbolic and ineffective
actions are doomed to fail.
The response
of the labour
movement and all others who reject the corporate agenda must be to
build more powerful and united mass struggles.
In a
statement issued leading up
to the June summits, the Communist Party of Canada noted that "this
savage attack is being met by heroic resistance across the European
continent, especially in Greece and Portugal where the left,
Communist-led unions and popular movements are mounting escalating
general strikes and other forms of mass resistance."
At the heart
of a similar
resistance movement in Canada, we need a genuine, progressive
alternative to pro-capitalist "solutions" such as the mantra of
"deficit reduction." To capture the imagination of the peoples of
Canada, such an alternative must include sweeping measures which
challenge the rule of monopoly capital, such as nationalization of the
banks, the big energy monopolies, and other key sectors of our economy.
These steps need to be combined with expanded access to healthcare,
public and post-secondary education and childcare, a $16/hour minimum
wage, a shorter workweek with no loss in take-home pay, and improved
public pensions. We need sweeping tax reforms to shift the burden from
working people onto the corporations and the wealthy, and a 50% cut in
military spending, which would save $10 billion every year.
In the wake
of the Summits, the
issues before us are clear. The big monopolies and banks want to make
working people pay for the economic recovery through lower wages,
higher unemployment, and huge cuts in social spending. We say: those
who reap billions in profits must pay! Unite and build the fight to put
people's needs, peace, and the environment before corporate greed!
2) BIG BUSINESS
BENEFITS FROM POVERTY WAGES
(The following
article is from the August 1-31, 2010 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.)
By Stephen Von
Sychowski
On July 1,
the lowest minimum
wage in Canada fell even further behind when Newfoundland raised its
level to $10/hour. It has been almost nine years since British
Columbia's minimum wage was increased to $8/hour in 2001, at the same
time that the ageist "training wage" was instituted at $6/hour.
In late
June, young workers and
other volunteers from the BC Federation of Labour and the Employee
Action & Rights Network protested at a McDonald's restaurant in
East Vancouver.
"McDonald's
and other low-wage
employers in BC are real beneficiaries of the minimum wage freeze,"
said BC Fed president Jim Sinclair, in a media release sent out to mark
the demo. "McDonald's will pay as little as possible and our low
minimum wage means McDonald's workers in BC earn the lowest starting
wages anywhere in Canada."
McDonald's
highlights the way in
which huge corporations profit from BC's below-poverty level
wages.
While a part time worker starting at McDonald's in St. John's would be
paid $10.25 by law, in BC the same worker would be paid as little as
$6.75 and could legally be paid as little as $6. Contrary to the claims
of right wing economists and politicians to the effect that higher
wages automatically mean higher prices, the cost of eating at
McDonald's is the same in St. John's as in Vancouver. Meanwhile, a
minimum wage worker in BC would have to make $13.21/hour to have a
comparable standard of living to that of their Newfoundland
counterparts. In other words, big business in BC is simply pocketing
the "savings" from paying lower wages as higher profits.
The
McDonald's protest was far
from the only action against the Liberal government's wage freeze in
recent months. Both the BC Fed's $10 NOW campaign, and the Living Wage
campaign, have mobilized in different ways for increased wages. Many
activists on these campaigns have been young workers. Some of the most
exciting developments recently have been the adoption of a living wage
policy by municipalities including New Westminster, and the formation
of the Employee Action & Rights Network. EARN is educating
non-union workers about their rights and fighting to ensure that those
rights are respected at work.
The
situation of wages in BC,
and the living conditions of those who make those wages, may be dismal.
But it looks like Gordo and the Liberals could have a rocky couple of
pre-election years in store if these movements continue to grow, and to
build towards involving the masses of non-union workers who are most
directly affected by these issues into these excellent struggles that
organized labour has launched.
(The following
article is from the August 1-31, 2010 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.)
People's Voice
Editorial
At first glance, the Conservatives'
new-found righteous anger against the long-form census seems bizarre.
After all, big business uses census results in countless ways to refine
marketing strategies. And for a government which happily spends
billions to track and harass its critics, the sudden concern over
"privacy rights" is a bit strange, to say the least.
But there is
a method to this
Tory madness. It is often said that the Harper government aims to
downsize the Canadian state, a view which is only partially correct. In
fact, the Conservative goal is to expand the repressive apparatus of
the state - prisons, military, police, "security" agencies - while
eliminating its "redistributive" functions, especially universal social
programs. From this perspective, scrapping a reliable method of
tracking poverty or the impact of social spending makes complete sense.
People's Voice often prints articles based on accessing
Statistics
Canada reports, which present a fairly reliable picture of developments
such as the accumulation of wealth by upper-income earners at the
expense of workers. Put simply, the ruling class in Canada is sometimes
embarrassed by revelations that its policies are robbing the poor to
fatten the rich.
There's
another side to this
uproar. After more than four years in office, Mr. Harper still
languishes deep in minority territory. Discontent over the ongoing
economic crisis, the endless war of occupation in Afghanistan, cuts to
health care and other urgent priorities, all combine to hurt the PM in
the polls, despite the lacklustre efforts of his Parliamentary rivals.
This helps explain the use of "wedge tactics" to divert attention from
serious issues. High unemployment? More deaths in Kandahar? No matter -
let's vent about the "outrage" voters feel when asked how many
bathrooms are in their mansions.
Once again,
the Harper gang stand exposed as hypocrital bullies. We're counting the
days until their welcome defeat.
(The following
article is from the August 1-31, 2010 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.)
People's Voice
Editorial
The reaction from the ruling class
and its bootlickers to the latest WikiLeak revelations of the military
occupation of Afghanistan are predictably self-serving.
Foreign
Affairs Minister
Lawrence Cannon warned that such leaks "endanger the lives of our men
and women in Afghanistan." Without a hint of irony, the Minister went
on to assure Canadians that "we are extremely transparent" and that
adequate information about the Afghan mission is passed on to the
public.
Earth to Mr.
Cannon: over 150
Canadians have already died in Afghanistan, not to mention many
thousands of Afghan civilians. The only way to save lives is simple:
bring the troops home. As for "transparency," perhaps the Minister was
subconsciously referring to the fact that most Canadians see right
through the feeble justifications for this brutal war.
Then there's
Christie
Blatchford, chief flagwaver for the Armed Forces at the Globe and Mail.
"There's no doubt," wrote Blatchford, "this is a dirty, costly,
horrible war being waged in a country inured to death and corruption
and hopelessness.... The truth is, no one who paid the slightest
attention to the war in Afghanistan could be surprised by the latest
WikiLeak." Of course, Blatchford remains stubbornly confident that this
is an honourable war, despite the nasty realities.
In fact,
many Canadians, like
citizens of other NATO countries, have been paying close attention to
the war, and we are not surprised. Despite frantic efforts to promote
the Armed Forces by the mass media and politicians (even the NDP's Jack
Layton, sadly enough), some 60% of Canadians want to exit Afghanistan
and end this shameful chapter of our history. The WikiLeak files are a
valuable tool for the anti-war movement, which has heroically struggled
for nearly a decade to achieve this goal.
5) THE COMMERCIAL MASS MEDIA AND THE G20
WARRIOR NATIONS
(The following
article is from the August 1-31, 2010 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.)
By Roy L. Piepenburg
The Canadian Peace Alliance, renowned
for its reliability in reporting peace movement news, released some
stunning figures concerning the spending of G20 nations in preparation
for war, and/or actual participation in war: "The G20 nations account
for 87% of global military spending, with $1.29 trillion spent in 2009,
95% of arms production, possession of 98.5% of nuclear weapons and
96.5% of troops in Afghanistan."
Keep those
statistics in mind as
you recall some of the recent excellent articles in People's Voice
about the gross disparities in the `have not nations' when it comes to
the poor quality of health and education services, meagre per capita
income, intolerable longevity and decimation of the environment, just
to mention several facets of their privation. These dire circumstances
can all be attributed to the continued colonization and exploitation of
those nations by the imperialist G20 nations, whose only real interest
is their selfish national economic interest.
Historically, the U.S.A. has
been foremost in its imperialistic bent. Their involvement in
Afghanistan is a case in point. The future construction of a
trans-Afghanistan pipeline to tap the rich oil resources in the Caspian
Sea region clearly serves American interests. A recent media story
about the vast strategic mineral resources in the same nation was based
on the assessing of that wealth by none other than the U. S. Geological
Survey. The corrupt Afghan puppet government complicates the U. S.
strategy to reap economic benefits through bloody militarism.
But, the U.
S. strategy has
ancient historical roots going back to the period of American
imperialistic expansion in the late 19th century. Woodrow Wilson, U.S.
president, 1912-1920, said in 1907: "Since trade ignores national
boundaries and the manufacturers insist on having the world as a
market, the flag of the nation must follow him (e.g. Latin America),
and the doors of the nations which are closed against him must be
battered down.... Concessions obtained by financiers must be
safeguarded by ministers of state, even if the sovereignty of unwilling
nations be outraged in the process. Colonies must be obtained or
planted, in order that no useful corner of the world may be overlooked
or left unused (e.g. Afghanistan)."
At the G20
summits, there are
always hollow commitments made to better the quality of life in the
`have not nations,' and billions of dollars are earmarked for that
purpose. The unfortunate reality is that those commitments are not
honoured. Why not? The obvious answer is that, collectively, they spend
so much on their military, that only crumbs are left over for poor
colonized nations' needs.
The
challenge exists for all
human beings on the left to reverse this unfair, inhuman circumstance.
When we have a socialist global village, the inequities will disappear.
The warrior nations will be subdued and drastically reoriented for
Earth peace and universal social justice.
6) COMMUNIST LEADER
CALLS FOR INQUIRY INTO G20 POLICE REPRESSION
(The following
article is from the August 1-31, 2010 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.)
Communist Party of Canada leader
Miguel Figueroa has sharply denounced the wave of police repression
which swept over downtown Toronto on June 26-27 during the G20 Summit.
Figueroa has called for a comprehensive independent public inquiry,
including a thorough investigation of those politically responsible for
giving a "green light" for the police thuggery and the unprecedented
number of detentions and arrests.
"Most of the
900 people - mainly
youths - arrested on Saturday and Sunday were not engaged in any
unlawful activity. Nor were they anywhere near the perimeter fences.
They were expressing their democratic right to dissent in public,"
Figueroa said on June 28. "Even media workers and curious bystanders
were victimized when the police charged and began indiscriminately
beating, bloodying and detaining all those in the vicinity."
This outrage
has been compounded
by the ill-treatment of the detainees, added Figueroa, noting reports
that the arrested were herded into cold, dirty and cramped quarters,
and denied even basic access to food, water or bathroom facilities, in
violation of their rights.
"The police
`riot' and the mass
arrests did not come about spontaneously, or result from the
overzealous behaviour of individual officers," the Communist Party
leader added. "It is obvious that the police tactics had been carefully
worked out well in advance, provided with legal `cover' by Ontario
premier Dalton McGuinty's secretive Order-in-Council measure, and
vetted by the Office of Prime Minister Stephen Harper."
"All three -
Harper, McGuinty
and Toronto Police Chief Blair - are culpable for this `reign of
terror' on the streets of Toronto," said Figueroa. The Communist Party,
along with many other labour and democratic organizations, are also
furious about the mounting evidence that police sent in undercover
agents provocateurs to mingle among the protesting anarchist groupings,
and instigate property damage and the torching of police vehicles in
order to provoke clashes and justify the heavy-handed police attacks.
"These
tactics are not new - the
use of police provocateurs masquerading as members of the anarchist
`Black Bloc' or similar `direct-action' groups was well documented in
the 2007 SPP protests in Montebello, Quebec, and at other summit
protests around the world," Figueroa noted. "And their purpose is
all-too-clear - to discredit and delegitimize genuine mass protests
against the capitalist policies of the monopolies, the banks and their
governments; to create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation to
frighten others from openly expressing their opposition; and to pave
the way to ever more authoritarian limits on civil liberties and
political rights. Such repugnant tactics have no place in our society.
Those responsible for organizing and authorizing these proto-`police
state' actions must be identified and brought to public account."
The
Communist Party leader also
criticized the adventurist policies and actions by various anarchist
groupings - especially the Southern Ontario Anarchist Resistance (SOAR)
and the "Black Bloc" - for playing into the hands of state repression.
"It is high
time that the
anarchists and their misguided and counter-productive policies be
publicly repudiated and condemned. Their infantile antics pose
absolutely no threat to the ruling class and its state apparatus,"
Figueroa said.
"Such
actions are extremely
harmful in that they scare away the masses of working people from
political struggle, and provide a convenient cover to those trying to
further curtail the democratic rights of the people."
The
Communist Party leader
concluded by reiterating his Party's demand for immediate measures to
guarantee the rights of the detained people, including their speedy
access to a court hearing; for a full and independent public inquiry
into this appalling incident; and for stepped-up efforts to build a
broad, militant and united Canada-wide campaign to defeat the Harper
Conservatives.
7) STRATEGIES TO
CONFRONT THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT
(The following
article is from the August 1-31, 2010 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.)
By Wayne Madden,
Edmonton
In Texas and
other states,
Republicans adopt key policies suggested by "evangelical" conservatives
on health, education, human rights, environment, the role of
government, and international relations. In Canada, key members of the
Harper government (as well as provincial governments in Alberta,
British Columbia and Saskatchewan) have close ties with religious
fundamentalist organizations. For fear of being accused of opposing
religious freedom and rights, politicians (of all parties) and media do
not question political activities or fundraising undertaken by
religious groups. It is just not politically correct.
The growing
power of religious
conservatives is well documented. Although a minority in society, they
influence government by organizing their supporters to lobby for social
conservative policies. While claiming they do not seek to establish a
theocracy, they work for government policies that reflect
Judeo-Christian values on which they claim both Canada and the United
States were founded. (In fact, both countries were founded on
principles of separation of church and state, and free exercise of
religious beliefs, unencumbered by government interference.)
This
movement is not going away. How do we respond?
Be informed.
Scan news and their
websites for information on evangelical political activities. Do not
assume stated goals are their ultimate goals. Their strategy is
incrementalism. On reproductive rights for example, they begin by
pushing to end public funding for abortion, but their ultimate goal is
recriminalizing abortion. Another example: In state referenda to
restrict marriage rights they claimed their "only goal was to protect
marriage". After winning several referenda, they moved on to try and
prevent local and state governments from passing laws protecting LGBT
people from discrimination or including sexual orientation in hate
crimes laws.
While
monitoring religious
groups, also monitor political leaders and representatives. It is
reasonable for them to meet with and listen to Christian groups, but
many then ignore secular (and religious) groups who do not share the
fundamentalist agenda. Pay extra attention when controversial issues
arise. Be prepared to expose hypocrisy, for example, politicians who
preach family values, but are unfaithful in their own relationships.
To defeat
the "evangelical"
political movement, we must copy their strategies. Religious
organizations get legislation they want (and block laws they do not
want) by engaging in sophisticated strategies of lobbying, that
includes motivating their supporters to contact political
office-holders through letters, e-mails and telephone contacts. We must
do likewise.
It is
essential to have an
organized response both to conservative religious organizations and to
political representatives. Build coalitions of activists that include
Christian and religious moderates who support separation of church and
state. Such coalitions work on issues as they arise, but must be
proactive, working to prevent governments from developing policies
based exclusively on religious beliefs.
We know
coalitions work.
Remember, coalitions of peace activists opposed to United States
military involvement in Indo-China, eventually helped to force U.S.
withdrawal, allowing the people of Vietnam and Cambodia to find their
own solutions.
Respond on
key issues both to
religious groups and politicians. It is particularly important for
progressive Christians to express their views to leaders of evangelical
organizations, confronting their pretensions these groups present "the
Christian" point of view.
Engage in
boycotts when
necessary. Boycott corporations and businesses that publicly support or
give encouragement to right-wing religious agendae or organizations.
Write to CEOs and business owners and make it clear you will boycott
them and why. Obviously boycotts are more effective when led by
organized groups.
Keep up
pressure even when
progressives are in power. In fact it is more important to keep
pressure on politicians and political parties that have won election on
socially progressive policies. Public pressure gives them power
to
stand up to conservative religious organizations. If we fail to give
that support and public pressure, then our representatives may feel
they have no choice but to accommodate or submit to the will of
religious pressure groups on various issues.
Above all,
focus on the issues
on hand. Whether you are defending teaching evolution in schools,
demanding stronger hate crimes laws, or supporting Palestinian rights,
do not attack their right to personal beliefs. Our goal is preventing
public policies from being set by fundamentalist religious agendae, not
interfering with democratic religious freedom and rights.
Unfortunately, space in one
article does not permit more complete discussion of strategies to
confront the religious right. Progressive political, religious and
social organizations need to discuss how they can get involved in
preventing any further slide to domination of our political
decision-making process and definition of public policy by social
conservative religious groups.
A good place
to start is by
working at issues in your own community. For example, if religious
groups are demanding the that parents have the "right" to withdraw
children from classes in school on evolution or human sexuality,
respond by making representations to school boards and officials
defending the right of children to have a complete education on all
issues, including controversial issues.
8) NORTHERN B.C.
BIOSOLID DUMPING FACES RESISTANCE
(The following
article is from the August 1-31, 2010 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.)
By Stephen Von
Sychowski
Biosolids
are processed human
waste derived from sewage. In some parts of the world, they are widely
used as fertilizer for crops. In other countries they are banned. All
around the world, where biosolids are used there are reports of health
problems, sometimes severe, attributed to them. So it isn't surprising
that when residents of the Red Rock/Stoner community in northern B.C.
were outraged to learn that without any consultation, biosolids would
soon find a home at a dump site in their area.
In late
2009, signage appeared
on a lot on East Patterson Road in Red Rock, stating that it would soon
become a biosolids dump. The biosolids, from the nearby city of Prince
George, are purported by the project's supporters to be safe, but no
conclusive proof has been provided, and $40,000 for basic tests to
prove the safety of the biosolids was put on hold last May. At a
community meeting in February 2010, Prince George Mayor Dan Rogers
attempted to quell fears about the potential dangers of the dumping,
but local residents were unconvinced.
Meanwhile,
dozens of cases have
been reported around Canada of symptoms ranging from rashes and sore
throats to difficulty breathing and severe digestive problems in areas
where biosolids are present.
Red
Rock/Stoner residents have
additional cause for concern in that all drinking water in the area
comes from underground wells which could easily be contaminated by
seeping biosolids. Livestock, wildlife, and pets could also be put at
risk if they come in contact with the substances.
Bob
Headrick, Regional Director
for Red Rock and one of the leading figures in opposition to the
biosolid site, had the following to say in a media statement: "This
site is less than one kilometer from residents and is near the Red Rock
Creek. After researching the use of Class B bio solids there are
concerns in the community that contamination in the form of heavy
metals, pathogens and other contaminants may affect surface and
underground water ways, may dry and become airborne and may affect game
such as moose, deer grouse, etc."
Another
community leader, Sheila
Coburn, backed Headrick up. "You don't have to be the guy who lives
next door to be concerned," she said. "They're not working it in, it's
a surface application. It's going on a open field on top of a hill.
Where is it going to end up? In our backyards and our wells."
While
residents await testing
which will supposedly prove or disprove concerns about the project,
dumping remains on hold. If the dump site is stopped, it could send a
message to local and provincial governments about the need for
environmentally practices and for a respectful consultative process
with those potentially affected. In the meantime, many community
members maintain their opposition and willingness to fight the
establishment of the dump site which could threaten their health and
livelihood.
9) MUSIC NOTES, by Wally
Brooker
(The following
article is from the August 1-31, 2010 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.)
Solidarity with Korean guitar workers
Unjustly dismissed workers at Cort
Guitars, a South Korean-based company that manufactures musical
instrruments for such well-known brands as Gibson, Ibanez and Fender,
have taken their case to the South Korean supreme court and the world.
After forming a union in 2006, the workers were illegally fired and the
company relocated to non-union environments in China and Indonesia.
Musicians in the USA, Germany and Japan have participated in solidarity
actions with the Korean workers, including Rage Against the Machine
guitarist Tom Morello and System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian.
Morello and Tankian are co-founders of The Axis of Justice, a nonprofit
organization whose purpose is to bring musicians and fans of music
together to fight for social justice. For information visit
http://cortaction.wordpress.com/about/
and http://axisofjustice.net/.
Seeger's new album: Tomorrow's
Children
In 1997 folk music legend Pete Seeger
became a regular visitor to a fourth-grade music class in his hometown
of Beacon, New York. The 91-year-old singer's latest album, Tomorrow's
Children, features, among others, a group of those students called The
Rivertown Kids. Given the kind of artist Seeger has been, it's not
surprising that the kids had a hand in writing and adapting some of the
album's songs. "The future of the entire human race lies in the hands
of children so I felt this was an important collaboration," said Seeger
in a recent interview with American Songwriter magazine. Watch a video
of Pete with fellow musicians Dar Williams, David Bernz and The
Rivertown Kids performing their new song Solartopia on YouTube. Just
enter "Solartop 12" in the search box.
Raging Asian Women at Massey Hall
Raging Asian Women (RAW), a
Toronto-based taiko drum ensemble, made a dramatic impression on a
packed house at historic Massey Hall on June 25. The group's two sets
were the only performances in a program otherwise packed with prominent
speakers at the Council of Canadians-sponsored "Shout Out for Global
Justice" rally on the eve of the G20 summit. RAW combines intricate and
vigorous rhythms with dramatic choreography. The eight-member
non-profit collective of East Asian and Southeast Asian women was
founded in 1998 to carry on the Japanese-North American taiko drumming
tradition and promote social justice while making music. Learn more
about this impressive ensemble at http://www.ragingasianwomen.ca/
and look
them up on YouTube to see a powerful clip from their Massey Hall
concert.
Rapper Drake fights offshore
drilling
Drake, the 23-year-old Toronto
hip-hop phenomenon, is campaigning for environmental justice. On June
13 he headlined a "Stop the Offshore Drilling" rally in Washington,
D.C. sponsored by the Hip-Hop Caucus and Green the Block. "Everywhere
you turn, pollution and poverty are hurting our communities," Drake
told the rally. "We can change that. Going green is the solution. I'm
green on my tour, I am greenin' the block and you can too." While some
may find this opportunistic, consider who Drake has partnered with. The
Hip-Hop Caucus claims 700,000 members. Its stated aim is to foster
"civic engagement among young people of color on issues of social and
economic justice, human rights, the environment, and international
peace, so they can attain increased opportunities for themselves and
their communities." Green the Block is a national campaign and
coalition aimed at "helping low-income communities of color become
driving forces of the clean-energy economy." Check these movements out
at http://hiphopcaucus.org
and http://www.Greentheblock.net.
Norman "Otis" Richmond's
Diasporic Music
Many of this paper's readers in the
Toronto area are aware of broadcaster, journalist and activist Norman
"Otis" Richmond (a.k.a. Jalali), host of the long-running radio program
Diasporic Music (and several other shows) on Toronto's campus-community
radio station CKLN FM 88.1. Diasporic Music covers the immense world of
African music from a progressive perspective, often with a special
emphasis on the music of African-Canadians. The two-hour show airs live
on CKLN every month, but there's no need to be in Toronto to listen.
For details check the station's website at http://www.ckln.fm/.
It's also
possible to subscribe to a podcast, thanks to Richmond's recent
affiliation with Uhuru Radio. That link is
http://uhurunews.com/radio/show?show_id=dm.
The Killers play the White House
Is it just me or was there something
thoughtless, ironic, even sinister, in President Obama's choice of a
rock band called The Killers to play at the White House for a Fourth of
July "Salute to the Military" concert? Might this act be interpreted by
the world as an intentional message to U.S. troops overseas? What would
people in occupied countries like Iraq and Afghanistan think of it? The
U.S. military, with more than 700 bases in 156 countries, does kill an
awful lot of people, including many innocent civilians. The Killers'
lead singer Brandon Flowers called the gig "a monumental honour" and
closed the band's set with that old nationalistic flagwaver God Bless
America.
10) INFO LEAKS REVEAL
SCOPE OF AFGHAN WAR DISASTER
(The following
article is from the August 1-31, 2010 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.)
This is a slightly
abridged version of a widely-circulate report by U.S. blogger Kevin
Gosztola
Classified information on the war in
Afghanistan has been released by the New
York Times, The Guardian, and
Der Spiegel. Nearly 92,000
documents were provided to the three sources
by Wikileaks, and have been published in the form of "war logs."
The
documents illuminate
disturbing realities: a US-assassination squad in Afghanistan operates
with a "kill-and-capture list," drones used by the US are prone to
system failures, computer glitches and human error, Pakistan actively
arms the Taliban even as the US works to keep the country an ally, CIA
has expanded its paramilitary operations, intelligence agents are awash
in data they don't know what to do with (a conclusion that the
Washington Post's "Top Secret
America" digital journalism project
probably demonstrates as well), how killings of civilians by forces are
going unreported, how the US has covered up certain Taliban activity,
and how Iran is likely aiding the Taliban.
Der Spiegel characterizes
the
US-assassination squad as "the Secret Hunters." The squad, known as
Task Force 373 to the NATO coalition in Afghanistan, is a "black unit
of forces" that has been hunting "down targets for death or detention
without trial." The targets come from the joint priorities effects list
(JPEL), a list of more than 2,000 senior figures believed to be drug
barons, bomb makers or part of the Taliban or al-Qaida. Forces set out
to "seize" targets on these lists for "internment" but in many cases
the targets are killed instead.
The force
includes "U.S. elite
soldiers" from the "Navy Seals and members of the Delta Force." They
receive orders "directly from the Pentagon and are independent of the
chain of command of the international ISAF Afghanistan security
forces." The decision to arrest or kill is often up to those hunting
the targets down.
The
existence of an
assassination squad is not surprising to those who remember it was
revealed in 2009 that former Vice President Dick Cheney ordered "a
highly classified CIA operation hidden from Congress because it pushed
the limits of legality by planning to assassinate al-Qaida operatives
in friendly countries without the knowledge of their governments."
Pakistan
Documents
indicate Pakistan, a
US ally, have "directly with the Taliban in secret strategy sessions to
organize networks of militant groups that fight against American
soldiers in Afghanistan, and even hatch plots to assassinate Afghan
leaders." The intelligence files suggest Pakistan's spy agency ISI has
been supplying, arming, and training insurgents in Afghanistan since
2004.
The Obama
Administration
provides $1 billion of military aid to Pakistan. There is significant
doubt about much of the information concerning ISI. The recorded
allegation of a plot against Hamid Karzai is sourced to the National
Directorate of Security (NDS), which is Afghanistan's premier spy
agency and an agency with a history of hostility toward the ISI.
However, the documents do indicate the ISI is engaged in some level of
collusion with the Taliban.
Also
illuminated is the reality
that US forces are getting into battles on the Pakistan border and in
Pakistan. US troops have been "disregarding Pakistani sovereignty to
fire on Taliban fighters" being sheltered by Pakistanis in the
country's tribal belt.
Civilian deaths
The
existence of CIA
paramilitaries isn't much of a secret to Der Spiegel, which reported on
America's use of CIA paramilitaries in Iraq. However, the
paramilitaries' role in civilian deaths has likely gone unreported due
to the nature of the paramilitary forces.
Around 144
entries in the war
logs indicate so-called "blue on white" events involving assaults on
Afghans resulting in hundreds of casualties. The logs indicate civilian
casualties come from the shooting of individual innocents or air
strikes.
The Guardian's assessment is
that "the logs demonstrate how much of the contemporaneous US internal
reporting of air strikes is simply false." The source notes this in
conjunction with the reality that "US and allied commanders frequently
deny allegations of mass civilian casualties, claiming they are Taliban
propaganda or ploys to get compensation, which are contradicted by
facts known to the military."
Taliban missile strike
The leaked
documents indicate
the Taliban has been using portable heat-seeking missiles. The
documents show that the US military covered up "a reported
surface-to-air missile strike by the Taliban that shot down a Chinook
helicopter over Helmand in 2007 and killed seven soldiers, including a
British military photographer."
The CH-47
Chinook was shot down
on 30 May 2007 after dropping troops at the strategic Kajaki dam in
Helmand where the British were leading an anti-Taliban drive. Witnesses
reported that a missile struck the left rear engine of the aircraft,
causing it to burst into flames and nosedive into the ground. All on
board died.
NATO and US
officials suggested
the Chinook was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) but the logs
show they were certain it was a missile from a Manpad - the military
term for a shoulder-launched surface-to-air missile.
Altogether,
about 10 near-misses
by missiles show up in the documents. They suggest that some of the
same technology used against Russia in the 1980s (which the CIA
supplied) is being used against US troops and coalition forces.
Notes in conclusion
The above
summaries provide a
glimpse into the nearly 92,000 documents posted on Wikileaks.org. There
is much more to be said about the contents, and no doubt there are
details missing in the previous portion of this article that probably
should not have been left out.
Julian
Assange told The Guardian
(in a video that appears on the source's website), "The significance of
this material is both the overarching context - that is it covers the
entire war since 2004 - and the individual events" detailed like the
incidents with Task Force 373 and the information in the logs
concerning the way "the political class interfaces with US military and
intelligence." In the video, Assange notes the release is
analogous to the Pentagon Papers, in some respects, and notes how this
leak is much different.
"The
situation is different in
that it's not just more material and been pushed to a bigger audience
and much sooner - like everyone has the book, the whole log at once -
but rather that [the situation is different because] because people can
give back. So, people who are around the world who are reading this are
able to comment on it and put it in context and understand the full
situation. That is something that has not previously occurred and can
only be brought about as a result of the Internet."
Indeed, any
person can look over
these files by downloading them or by media sources who have done their
journalistic duty by reporting on the documents. The people of the
world can respond and give back to the people who are bearing the brunt
of this war and its abuses by engaging in a conversation about the
leaked materials - first by sharing what is detailed in the contents
and then by commenting on what the content's details mean and what the
proper response to those details should be.
The White
House already is
actively working to smear the leak and downplay the publication of the
documents and the incidents that can be found in the leaked documents.
An official statement released reads: "We strongly condemn the
disclosure of classified information by individuals and organizations,
which puts the lives of the US and partner service members at risk and
threatens our national security. Wikileaks made no effort to contact
the US government about these documents, which may contain information
that endanger the lives of Americans, our partners, and local
populations who co-operate with us."
The White
House misunderstands
or, in effort to protect US interests, makes a seriously flawed
argument. As Assange says, "militaries keep information secret to
prosecute their side of a war but also to hide abuse." There is a
military argument for keeping secret information on "where troops are
about to deploy" from. But, since the information is all from
2004-2010, none of the information is particularly sensitive.
It is not
the job of any
journalist to contact governments and ask permission to report
something (even though that is how the majority of US press operate).
As Assange said at the TED Conference this month, "there's a lot of
information organizations are spending economic effort into concealing.
That's a really good signal that when information gets out there's a
hope for doing some good."
The US
government cannot get and
will not get the value of the leaked documents. It's not in the
government's interest to find value in them. That doesn't mean the
people of the world, especially Americans, cannot appreciate access to
documents that show the truth of what is going on and use the release
of classified information to catalyze a change, to shift perceptions on
the Afghan war by spreading the contents of the documents far and wide.
11) CENTENARY OF
COPENHAGEN SOCIALIST WOMEN'S CONFERENCE
(The following
article is from the August 1-31, 2010 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.)
This month marks the 100th
anniversary of the historic meeting which launched International
Women's Day. On August 26-27, 2010, the Second International Conference
of Socialist Women was held in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The lively
proceedings included
the adoption of a resolution drafted by Clara Zetkin, the famous German
revolutionary leader:
"In
agreement with the
class-conscious, political and trade union organizations of the
proletariat of their respective countries, the Socialist women of all
countries will hold each year a Women's Day, whose foremost purpose it
must be to aid the attainment of women's suffrage. This demand must be
held in conjunction with the entire women's question according to
Socialist precepts. The Women's Day must have an international
character and is to be prepared carefully."
The date of
this Women's Day varied in early years, but soon it settled on March
8th.
The First
International
Conference of Socialist Women had been held in Stuttgart, Germany, in
1907, when "the women's socialist movement was still in its infancy,"
as Russia's Alexandra Kollontai wrote some years later.
Kollontai
noted that "the growth
of the women's proletarian movement over the last three years was
noticeable at the opening of the Copenhagen Conference. In Stuttgart
the delegates numbered 52, in Copenhagen they already numbered around
100 and represented 17 countries... Socialist parties and trade unions
were represented, together with clubs, societies, and unions of women
workers adopting a class position."
The
Copenhagen meeting naturally
included discussions on ways to establish closer links between the
growing numbers of organised socialist and trade union women from
different countries.
But two
major issues were also
on the agenda, avoiding what Kollontai described as the "sickly-sweet
feminine flavour" of some other women's conferences.
First was
the campaign to
achieve votes for women. As was often the case during this era, the
debate revealed sharp political and tactical differences.
On one side
were the
representatives of English workers' organisations who worked together
with the suffragettes; this section called for "qualified electoral
rights," a strategy of gradually extending the vote, starting with
wealthier women. The British delegation won support from the Austrian
social democrats.
But the
"battle" on the floor
was completely unequal. Led by the more radical German delegates, the
overwhelming majority of women in Copenhagen supported a resolution
demanding universal suffrage. Their argument was that "qualified"
suffrage meant abandoning the rights and interests of the overwhelming
majority of working class women. The English were fighting for a lost
cause, as Kollontai pointed out. Women's universal suffrage became a
reality in most capitalist countries within a decade, with exceptions
such as the racist practices of many U.S. states.
Another
critical set of issues
at Copenhagen revolved around social security and protections for women
and children. The conference adopted a set of demands largely developed
by the German Social Democrats, including an 8-hour working day, the
prohibition of female labour in dangerous industries, 16-week leave for
expectant and nursing mothers, and the introduction of compulsory
maternity insurance.
But there
were sharp differences over the question of so-called "legitimate and
illegitimate" mothers.
Alexandra
Kollontai heaped scorn
on those who supported such a division. "It is precisely such a fuddled
mode of thinking that dominates in the West, sadly even among women
socialists, that preference for legalised marital cohabitation, which
made it desirable to debate this fundamental point more thoroughly,"
she wrote. "It was important to emphasise with all the authority of the
conference that maternity is to be recognised as a social function
independently of the marital and family forms it assumes..."
A related
battle erupted over a
Danish proposal on night work. Introduced by women type-setters, this
resolution pointed out that prohibiting night work for women but
permitting it for men hindered the working woman in her struggle to
gain access to better-paid jobs and better working conditions. The
resolution was defeated by delegates who argued that "night work must
be abolished simultaneously for both men and women, as it is equally
harmful to both." But the debate illustrated the importance of
developing a serious overall approach to the equalisation of labour
conditions for women and men.
Another
resolution, put forward
by the English, reminded women of their obligation to oppose chauvinism
and bring up their children in a spirit of anti-militarism. The
resolution was adopted with warm applause. Tragically, four years later
the majority of Social Democratic and labour deputies in most European
parliaments betrayed this promise, voting in favour of credits to allow
their bourgeois governments to launch the First World War.
"Whatever
may have been the
superficial failings of the second international socialist conference,"
wrote Kollontai, "its work will undoubtedly have a major and beneficial
influence upon the further success of the workers' movement," including
"the comprehensive emancipation of women."
12) NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT
- PRINCIPLES, PRACTICES AND PROSPECTS
(The following
article is from the August 1-31, 2010 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.)
Based on an
intervention by Darrell
Rankin at the second North American Trilateral meeting of the World
Peace Council, Mexico, the United States and Canada, in October 2009.
It is published to mark the 65th anniversary of the atomic bombing by
U.S. imperialism of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
U.S. imperialism is the largest
proliferator of nuclear weapons, having aided and protected nearly all
the states that have developed nuclear weapons since the
Non-proliferation treaty was signed in 1969 - Israel, India and
Pakistan.
The United
States has led,
pushed and dominated the nuclear arms race from the start. It used two
atomic bombs on Japan and targeted Russia, China, Iran and North Korea
with multiple nuclear threats.
The main
purpose of U.S.
imperialism's nuclear strategy throughout the Cold War was to preserve
its domination of the non-socialist world and to threaten socialist
countries. Britain, France and the NATO military alliance played a
supporting role.
The history
of the World Peace
Council, formed in 1949, roughly coincides with both the establishment
of NATO the same year and the signing of the United Nations Charter in
1945. The United Nations Charter is humanity's main democratic
achievement in international law, flowing directly from the defeat of
fascism in the Second World War. The U.N. Charter cost fifty million
lives, the price paid for imperialism's appeasement of fascism.
Under the
hegemony of the United
States, NATO was formed as an alliance of empires such as the U.S.
itself, Britain, Netherlands and France, each with possessions
stretching around the globe. As such NATO violated the U.N. Charter's
ban against global military alliances. Today, NATO's nuclear weapons
and the alliance's first strike doctrine are the most dangerous threats
facing all other members of the United Nations.
U.S.
imperialism's nuclear
strategy is inherently divisive and racist, starting with the criminal
use of atomic bombs against Japan. The U.S. has a long history of
sparking nuclear tensions far from its shores, in Asia and the Middle
East, half way around the globe.
In our own
hemisphere, the
Caribbean and South America were declared nuclear weapons free in 1967,
by the Treaty of Tlatelolco. The activation of the U.S. Fourth Naval
Fleet in this zone is a crude violation of the treaty. Ports harbouring
U.S. warships carrying nuclear weapons are sure to be targets of
protests as a result. We are in solidarity with the peace movement in
the Caribbean and South America to kick out the U.S. Fourth Fleet and
to respect the nuclear weapons free zone. No harbours for U.S. warships!
Nuclear
disarmament and arms
control treaties often reduced stockpiles of outdated and surplus
weapons. The treaties gave hope. They signalled decreased tensions and
realistic prospects for averting a new world war.
Yet the
treaties still preserved
the sharpest spears, the newest and more deadly weapons. Regrettably,
humanity still faces the prospect of weapons in space, new weapons from
the sea, and ever more deadly conventional weapons.
The reason
these weapons are not
the subject of disarmament talks is because imperialism wants them.
Humanity will be in danger from these weapons until imperialism and its
unjust world order are gone.
Recently
U.S. President Obama
gave his support for the principle of abolishing nuclear weapons. This
is a remarkable statement considering U.S. imperialism's recent
history. Why is President Obama making such a statement now?
It is not
just President Obama
making these statements. Some of the most reactionary hawks in the
United States like Henry Kissinger are declaring they support nuclear
disarmament and abolition. Kissinger argues we have reached a tipping
point because nuclear weapons could fall into the "wrong hands."
This is a
dubious argument
considering that the U.S. nuclear confrontation with the Soviet Union
posed a far greater and real danger than proliferation. It does not
answer why some prominent elements of U.S. imperialist circles are
starting to raise the prospect of nuclear disarmament at this time.
The vast,
hegemonic size of the
U.S. military and its development of new so-called conventional weapons
that rival nuclear weapons for their destructive power are insufficient
reasons for this new development.
Another and
more reasonable
explanation for President Obama's support for disarmament comes from
the fact that imperialism is experiencing multiple crises that it
cannot hope to resolve without first trying to reassure the world's
peoples that it can fix the problems.
Put another
way, the imperialist
beast is wounded from its many crises and wants to make overtures to
the world's peoples. At the same time, it doesn't want to lose all its
claws or teeth. It just wants to have people believe and hope that it
is no longer carnivorous.
That is the
power of hope,
because a wounded beast generally likes to escape the spotlight of
public scrutiny for a while, retreat to its cave, lick its wounds and
pounce on some prey when it feels a bit better and hungrier. We are all
in favour of beasts losing claws and teeth.
It is
actually a good problem
when the two main nuclear weapons states - the United States and Russia
- pledge to abolish these weapons. The key question is, can we trust
them and what can we do to make that happen?
For an
answer, it is useful to
look at the record of détente in the 1970s, when the U.S.
displayed a
hopeful nuclear policy towards the Soviet Union. The greatest
historical gains in nuclear disarmament and arms control were made
during détente, including the strategic arms reduction talks
(START)
and the anti-ballistic missile (ABM) treaty.
The crises
in the 1970s were not
as serious as today. Environment problems were not prominent. The
imperialist countries were in shock from losing their colonies in Asia
and Africa. The U.S. was losing in Vietnam. There was the dirty float
of the U.S. dollar in 1969, the 1973 recession, the rise of OPEC as an
anti-imperialist oil cartel, and the growth of the crushing debt burden
in the former colonies.
Naturally,
imperialism at that
time wanted the world to stop, to freeze, for there to be no further
setbacks. It needed time to gather its strength and launch a ferocious
counter-attack, as it did in the last years of the Carter
administration, under Margaret Thatcher in Britain, and with the push
for free trade integration with the U.S. in the final years of the
Trudeau government.
The answer
by the world's
peoples at that time was to continue the struggle, to win the war in
Vietnam, to liberate the colonies from Portugal, to continue building
the anti-imperialist peace movement, to rise against the deployment of
U.S. Pershing and cruise missiles in Europe.
It is clear
that today the
world's peace forces must continue to mobilize and to unite with all
the global forces seeking solutions to the great problems confronting
humanity today. None of these problems can be solved by war. The
struggle for peace and progress must continue until victory. Our
demands must be combined, our efforts must be united.
(In our next issue we will
publish the second part of Darrell Rankin's commentary, examining the
prospects for today's struggles for disarmament.)
13) ITUC CONGRESS
RESOLUTION SETS OCTOBER 7 MOBILIZATIONS
(The following
article is from the August 1-31, 2010 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.)
By Kimball Cariou
The month of
June saw an interesting contrast of strategies expressed by the two
main global federations of trade unions.
On June 16,
the general
secretary of the World Federation of Trade Unions, George Mavrikos,
spoke at the International Labour Conference in Geneva. Excerpts are
reprinted below; the WFTU leader gave a searing critique of global
capitalism, and announced that the body, which has affiliates in 95
countries with over 70 million members, will hold a world-wide day of
action on September 7th.
A few days
later, over 1,000
delegates gathered in Vancouver for the second Congress of the
International Trade Union Confederation. The ITUC was formed in 2006
ago by the merger of the Cold War-era International Confederation of
Free Trade Unions and the World Confederation of Labour. Today, the
ITUC has affiliates in 156 countries with 175 million members,
including the Canadian Labour Congress and the
Confédération des
Syndicats Nationaux in Québec. Another affiliate is the
Christian
Labour Association of Canada, notorious for cooperating with employers
to undermine collective bargaining rights.
The
newly-elected general
secretary of the ITUC is Sharan Burrow, the former leader of the
Australian labour movement, who served as ITUC president for the past
three years. Coming out of the Australian teachers' union, she built a
reputation as a militant labour leader during years of struggles
against that country's right-wing governments.
The ITUC
Congress was marked by
divergent views around the current economic crisis and the fightback.
While the leadership is dominated by social democratic forces which are
reluctant to name and condemn capitalism, ITUC affiliates include a
number of national trade union bodies where Communists and other
left-wing activists have a powerful influence.
Interestingly, many delegates
from these unions were delighted to meet Canadian communists at a June
22 public rally called by the ITUC outside the Vancouver Convention
Centre. Delegates from Chile, France, Namibia and other countries posed
for photos with a Communist Party of Canada banner, and copies of
People's Voice and the CPC's leaflet on the economic crisis were
snapped up quickly.
Inside,
there were some sharp
debates around strategy and policies. Many delegates gave enthusiastic
applause when the Spanish unions announced plans for a general strike
in September, and some urged similar actions on a wider scale.
The ITUC
leadership instead
called for a "mobilisation of affiliates on key international issues."
This means following up on the "positive experience of the first two
World Days for Decent Work," events which saw actions in many countries
in 2008 and 2009. A resolution adopted at the Congress instructed the
ITUC General Council "to build on this so as to make the World Day on
October 7 a strengthened, expanded and truly global event..."
The choice
of different "days of
action" by the WFTU and ITUC is paralleled in Greece, the flashpoint of
confrontations between the working class and the global bosses in
recent months. The impetus for a series of general strikes and mass
demonstrations against the neoliberal policies of the social democratic
government of Greece has come from the All-Workers Militant Front
(PAME), a communist-led labour body affiliated with the WFTU. Under
pressure from their memberships, the larger Greek labour federations
which represent public and private sector workers have extended support
to some of these actions, while trying to maintain close links with
their allies in the PASOK government. This "balancing act" is seen in
other countries where social democratic parties are imposing the
demands of big capital, such as Spain.
The ITUC
Congress also reflected
this dichotomy. For example, in its main resolution, the Congress
deplored "the enormous damage inflicted on working people by the
gravity of the current crisis which comes after decades of the
operation of a model of globalisation that has been anti-worker,
anti-poor, and anti-development. The current direction of government
policies threatens to lead to a fundamental and reactionary change in
the nature of our societies, dismantling hard-won achievements of union
struggle and collective bargaining. Congress calls on the ITUC and its
affiliates to redouble their resistance to this deeply regressive
trend."
The
resolution hints at the
policies of social democratic parties in power with the following
sentence: "The inability or unreadiness of governments to subject
finance to effective regulation would mean an intolerable subjugation
of the democratic process to the powers of finance."
The
resolution never names the
"model of development" as capitalism or imperialism. Instead, it
assumes that this model can be modified: "Now the people must benefit
from globalisation. It is time now to move forward from the crisis to
global justice."
Even better,
it goes on to claim
that "the crisis also offers new opportunity to realise the objective
set out in the ITUC's founding programme of changing globalisation
fundamentally to make it fair and sustainable."
How this
goal could be achieved
without a fundamental transformation of the capitalist economy is never
spelled out. Instead, the resolution identifies "seven priorities in
the ITUC's strategy for global social justice."
These
include the following
campaigns: promotion of "jobs-intensive anti crisis strategies";
universal observance of fundamental workers' rights and an end to all
forms of gender inequality at work; defence of public services against
austerity policies aimed at satisfying financial markets rather than
the needs of people; "effective and adequate regulation of financial
markets" and an international tax on financial transactions; a
"sustainable low carbon future" for the global economy; a new
development model to ensure that all countries benefit fairly from
social and economic progress; and initiatives for governance "which
replace today's market fundamentalism with a commitment to policy
coherence for a social dimension in globalisation, with decent work as
the overriding policy objective..."
To achieve
these goals, the
resolution urges the labour movement to become more inclusive of women,
youth, migrant workers, and those in the informal sector. It also
stresses that the "maintenance and strengthening of peace is closely
related to the achievement of social justice," and calls for an end to
"the high and growing levels of military spending which divert
resources from meeting pressing human needs."
14) WFTU CALLS INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION
ACTION DAY
(The following
article is from the August 1-31, 2010 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.)
From a speech by
George Mavrikos,
General Secretary of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), at
the 99th International Labor Conference, held on June 16 in Geneva
In 2009-2010, we live in a period of
global crisis of the capitalist system. This crisis is deep and
embraces all areas of the system: the economy, politics, society,
culture, environment, even personal relations among people.
All
governments are either
neo-conservative or social-democrat and follow the recipes and the
directions jointly decided in Brussels and Washington. Take a look at
the governments of Ireland, Greece, Portugal, Italy, Spain. Everywhere
they follow the same policies: to attack workers and remove trade union
and labour rights. Redundancies, poverty, privatization. The ILO data
have shown a big rise in unemployment and poverty rates.
In Greece,
the social-democratic
government reduced the wages of civil servants by 25%, it doubled the
lay-off percentages and increased the retirement age by five years for
women and three years for men. It reduces all pensions by 40%. It is
selling public assets, abolishes collective contracts, increases
taxation on ordinary people, etc.
In Britain,
the conservative
government follows the same policy. Two weeks ago they announced cuts
on public spending by 7 billion euros.
In Spain
already the salaries of civil servants were decreased by 5% as a first
step and other measures will follow.
In Germany,
the famous car firm
OPEL announced 8000 layoffs in Europe and reduction of 265 million
euros during 2010 in the annual salaries of workers. The same situation
exists in Portugal, Romania, Denmark, everywhere. The situation is the
same in the USA, in Asia and all continents.
This
financial crisis of the
system is very deep. We believe that in the years to follow the crisis
will further worsen and become deeper. This situation creates and
exacerbates the competition between monopolies and multinationals.
Between states. Between the EU and the USA. The conflicts on the
exchange rate between the euro and the dollar are hard and will
continue.
The strong
inter-capitalist
rivalries embrace the roads and pipelines of gas and energy, the
control of new markets for new spheres of influence, etc. You all
follow the confrontation that takes place between Germany and France
about who will capture Africa and Middle East.
You see what
happened in Haiti
immediately after the recent earthquake. Socialist Cuba has sent 1,600
doctors. The USA sent 16,000 soldiers. Take a look in Latin America,
the militarization of Colombia to strike at the Bolivarian processes in
Venezuela, in Ecuador, in Bolivia and elsewhere.
Look at the
brutality and the
crimes of Israel against the Palestinians, against the Gaza Strip,
against all Arab people. Crimes are done with the tolerance and the
hypocrisy of international organizations.
Look at
Mexico, where the
government is attacking SME trade union (Sindicato Mexicano de
Electricistas). This is in the headlines, it is the picture of the
capitalist system today.
Is there a
cure? Is there a way out?
International capital is
attempting to control the anger of the people by changing governments,
by changing people and putting businessmen as Prime Ministers. With
paid propaganda they are trying to convince workers that the IMF has
labour-friendly, social purposes. The ruling class tries to convince
them that the crisis and the difficulties are temporary.
We, the
World Federation of
Trade Unions, do not believe this kind of analysis. We use the analysis
done by Karl Marx that cyclical crises keep coming back. Because crises
exist deep in the DNA of capitalism. Even the slightest development,
any development rates may occur in the coming years, will be low and
temporary and weak. And most of this development will be based on the
bleeding of workers, on the poverty of the unemployed, on the
uncertainty of youth for the future. Any little development will be
based on social ruin.
So far as
World Federation of
Trade Unions is concerned, we have organized many seminars, meetings
with specialists and we also have organized major struggles.
The hope for
workers lies at the
struggles, at involving young people, women, immigrants, indigenous
people in these fights. In Europe, Asia, Latin America, the people
march on the streets and demand.
Today
everybody understands that
the crisis concerns everyone. The crisis is everywhere. So the
coordination should be generalized. Coordination, cooperation -
internationalism and solidarity. Not each one alone but all together,
in all countries, all workers, all the unemployed. All together to
fight with modern demands to respond to the current needs.
Based on
today's data we demand:
- The workers must not pay for the
crisis. Dismissals must be prohibited.
- Stop the expenditure on military
equipment. This money must be redirected to the unemployed and the poor.
- Act now to erase the debts of Third
World countries.
- Free and public health, education,
food and water for all.
Our
organization, with these
main objectives, but also with others corresponding to the needs of
each continent and each country, is going to hold on September 7 the
International Day of Action of the trade union movement.
We urge all
fighting trade
unions to act, to participate, to join us. Through small and big
struggles, the international working class will understand that the
future of humanity can be drastically improved only through the
abolition of the exploitation of man by man.
(The following
article is from the August 1-31, 2010, 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 and overseas readers - $50 per year. Send to:
People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 706 Clark
Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1.)
VICTORIA, BC
Hiroshima-Nagasaki
annual lantern ceremony - Friday, Aug. 6, 7:30 pm, Craigflower Park/Kosapsom, at Admiral’s Road and Gorge Road West, Saanich. Sponsored by Raging Grannies, Victoria Peace Coalition, Physicians for Global Survival, Nikkei Cultural Society,
250-665-7788.
VANCOUVER,
BC
Luis Enrique Mejia
Godoy and Tierra Fertil, presented by La
Trova Nuestra - 7 pm, Sat., Aug. 21, Peretz Centre, 6184 Ash St., tickets $25 from Los Guerreros (3317 Kingsway) and other locations, call Hugo Rojas for info, 604-436-5599.
Left Film Night - returns Sunday, August 29, 7 pm, Free, donations welcome, Centre for Socialist Education, 706 Clark Drive. For film information, call 604-255-2041.
BURNABY, BC
Peace Lantern Ceremony
- Sat., Aug. 7, 7:30 pm, at
South Pond of Central Park.
Organized by Lanterns for
Peace and Veterans Against
Nuclear Arms.
SURREY, BC
Celebrate
the anniversary of the independence of Pakistan and India, Fraser
Valley Peace Council and South Asian Network for Secularism and
Democracy present a two-day event.
- Forum with Dr. Hassan Gardezi, “Discovery of Independence: South Asia at 63”, Sat., Aug. 14, 2 pm, Newton Library, 13795-70th Ave.
- “The Sky Below,” documentary by Sarah Singh on the partition of India and Pakistan, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2 pm, SFU Surrey Campus (SUR 2600), 13450-102 Ave. For info: Shahzad Nazir Khan, 604-613-0735.
People’s Voice Walk-AThon- Sunday, August 22, (NOTE DATE CHANGE!), Bear Creek Park (by parking at 140 St. & 88 Ave.), walk starts 11 am, food and cultural program at 1 pm. For details, call Harjit, 604-543-7179.
TORONTO, ON
Salsa in the City
Square, celebrate the 15th annual Toronto Cuba
Friendship Day - Sat., Aug. 28, 1-8pm. Live music with 3 Latin bands: Yani Borrell y los Clave
Kings, Sonido Cubano and Pablo Terry’s Sol de Cuba.
Messages
from City Hall and the Ambassador of Cuba in Canada. Enjoy
authentic Cuban food, beer
garden, info tables. Come and
show your support for Cuba!
Free admission. Call Sharon
at 905-951-7629 or Ardis at
416-534-5340.
COBOKONK, ON
Friends of Cuba
Corn Roast & BBQ, Sat. - Aug. 7, 3 pm, drop-in, no charge. 205 Shuttleworth Road, near Burnt River, call Doug at 705-454-8859 for directions and info.
MONTREAL, QC
Palestinians And Jews United,
vigil against the occupation - every
Friday at noon, Sainte-Catherine and Union (near Metro McGill).
Solidarity with the
Greek workers!
Support the
PV 2010 Fund Drive!
