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March 1-15, 2011
Volume 19 - Number 5
$1
Prolétaires de tous les pays, unissez-vous!
Otatoskewak ota kitaskinahk
mamawestotan!
Workers of all lands, unite
1) WOMEN'S RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS
2) "NEVER AGAIN FOR ANYONE
3) HISTORIC EVENTS IN THE ARAB WORLD
4) TUNIS TO BAHRAIN TO WISCONSIN.... (Editorial)
5) ODIOUS EVENTS, SCARY IMPLICATIONS (Editorial)
6) NEEDED: AFFORDABLE, QUALITY, ACCESSIBLE, PUBLIC,
NOT-FOR-PROFIT CHILDCARE
7) FIGHTING BACK DURING THE DIRTY THIRTIES
8) BAHRAIN: THE SOCIAL ROOTS OF REVOLT
9) DORISE NIELSEN: CANADA'S FIRST COMMUNIST MP
10) VENEZUELAN WORKERS BACK CHAVEZ GOVERNMENT
11) BLOCKING PEACE ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA
12) MUSIC NOTES, By Wally Brooker
13) THE REVOLUTIONARY REBELLION IN EGYPT
14) PV FUND DRIVE STARTS MARCH 1
15) WHAT’S
LEFT
16)
CLARTÉ (en français)
17)
THE SPARK! (Theoretical and Discussion Bulletin of the Communist Party of
18) INTRODUCING MARX
19)
PV MOBILE
PEOPLE'S VOICE MARCH 1-15,
2011 (pdf)
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The Spark!
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, Articles include
plus reviews, editorials, and more.
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Theoretical
and Discussion Bulletin of the Communist Party of |
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People's Voice deadlines: March 16-31 April 1-15 Send submissions to PV Editorial Office,
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REDS
ON THE WEB |
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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! |
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(The following articles are from the
March 1-15, 2011, issue of People's
1) WOMEN'S
RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS
International Women's Day 2011 Greetings from the
Communist Party of
This year, the 100th Anniversary of
International Women's Day comes amidst inspiring new struggles for democratic
rights in
Across the capitalist world, women are
disproportionately paying the price for government bailouts of the banks and
major corporations. Across
In
This year's IWD follows a groundbreaking vote in the
House of Commons, adding gender identity and gender expression as prohibited grounds
for discrimination and harassment in both the Canadian Human Rights Code and
the Criminal Code. While it still must pass the Senate, Bill C‑384 is a
major advance for human rights in
March 8 has always been a day to honour
women's struggles, take stock of hard‑won gains, and put forward demands
to promote full equality.
IWD is particularly significant for working class
women, oppressed by the "double burden" of exploitation in the
workplace and the major share of domestic labour.
Despite the growing numbers of women in
Statistics
While about 73% of employed women worked full‑time
in 2009, another 27% worked fewer than 30 hours per week, more than double the
12% of men who work part‑time. Nearly 7 out of 10 part‑time workers
are female, a total of 2.2 million women, a pattern which has changed little in
recent decades. Low‑paid women are increasingly compelled to hold more
than one job. By 2009, about 56% of multiple job holders were women.
Meanwhile, the percentage of women in unionized jobs
has risen dramatically, from 22.3% in 1976, to 32.6% in 2009, while men's
unionization has fallen from 39% to 30.3%. Women now make up a majority of
organized workers in
The majority of employed women (67% in 2009) still
work in "traditional" sectors: teaching, nursing and related health
occupations, clerical or administrative positions, or sales and service,
compared with 31% of employed men.
Young women, and immigrant and aboriginal women,
have higher unemployment rates.
The unequal economic status of women in
The fight for equality
Despite the claim that women have achieved
"equality," they still face under‑funding of emergency shelters
and support services for victims of family violence. Economic and social
conditions are shameful for Aboriginal women and girls, who are particularly
vulnerable to racism and inequality, and hundreds of whom have been murdered or
disappeared. The shameful decision by the Harper Tories to deny funding for the
Sisters in Spirit progam is yet another attempt to
silence the voices of Aboriginal women.
Internationally, trillions of dollars are wasted on
war instead of development efforts to provide women and girls with education
and economic opportunities, clean water, adequate health care, and more human
rights protection, including personal security, choice in marriage, and
reproductive choice.
Global environmental devastation impacts women and
children, from those living downstream from
The Communist Party expresses our full solidarity
for all women involved in the struggle for survival under difficult conditions.
We demand that the state of
International Women's Day 2011 takes place in a time
of ongoing economic crisis. Government and corporate reassurances of recovery
are exposed as lay‑offs, plant closures and attacks on pensions continue.
The corporations, and the governments which serve them, are increasing economic
disparity by cutting social programs and giving bailouts to wealthy
shareholders and CEOs. Rather than pay for the crisis which their system
created, the capitalists want to roll back workers' gains and set the stage for
ever‑deepening exploitation.
The demand for a country‑wide child care
system, a key issue in election after election, has again been abandoned by the
minority Harper government. Incredibly, pay equity is actually under attack,
and even the opportunity for complaints through the courts is denied. The
Tories ignore calls to improve the Employment Insurance system paid for by all
workers. As the majority of part‑time and minimum wage workers, women are
disproportionately under‑protected; only three women out of ten in the
workforce are eligible to collect EI. Even those who meet the requirements
can't survive on benefit rates set at 55% of their low previous earnings.
Needed: a working class response
The response to the economic crisis by working
people, women and men, must be a massive campaign to build a People's Coalition
for a genuine alternative to corporate greed. Such a campaign, led by the labour movement and its allies, should fight to restructure
the economy, to provide sustainable jobs and to improve social services such as
health, education and universal child care, to provide increased opportunities
for women in the work force. To protect jobless workers and their families, EI
payments must be set at 90% of previous earnings for the full duration of
unemployment. Evictions and utility cutoffs against all families affected by unemployment
must be banned. The labour movement must put much
greater emphasis on organizing unorganized women, the most important way to
combat poverty and income disparity.
But as long as capitalism continues, it will
continue to generate poverty, inequality, exploitation, environmental
degradation and war. These are not accidental side‑effects, they are
necessary ingredients of a system designed to maximize profit in private hands.
Under capitalism, the women of the world face tremendous struggles to win new
progress, or to hold on to gains already won. Every step forward will be
threatened by the next economic downturn, and the danger of war is never
absent. Only socialism, based on democratic, collective ownership and working
class power, can permit the enormous creative and productive potential of the
world's workers to be used constructively for human needs.
Communists have played a leading role since the
inception of International Women's Day, which was unanimously adopted by a
Socialist International women's conference in
On IWD 2011, the Communist Party of
By Liz Rowley
"Never Again For Anyone" is the
message of a 13‑city tour across
The United Jewish People's Order in
On the platform with Dr. Meyer were Khaled Mouammar, President of the
Canadian Arab Federation, and Lee Maracle, First
Nations writer and advocate, whose early political awakening was in the battle
against apartheid in
Meyer eloquently talked of his childhood exile
in
Khaled Mouammar spoke about the Palestinian struggle to achieve
statehood, and implementation of UN Resolutions 242 and others which explicitly
call for creation of a Palestinian state. Lee Maracle spoke of First Nations' fight to survive centuries
of genocidal policies by both Tory and Liberal governments in Canada, including
denial of education, which she characterized as "slow genocide".
A lively question and answer period followed,
and much appreciation was expressed to the UJPO by panelists and audience
members. The event was the only one on the tour to be held in a Jewish hall.
Everywhere else the panel had been black‑balled by the powerful Zionist
lobby.
The day before the meeting, the Toronto
Section of the UJPO received a letter from the Canadian Jewish Congress (CJC)
and the United Jewish Appeal (UJA), threatening to "sever ties" with
the Winchevsky Centre (the building housing the
UJPO'S offices, a school, and Yiddish cultural programs). Organizations housed
in the centre receive grants and funding for their activities from the United
Jewish Appeal.
Not surprisingly, UJPO members were shocked
and angered by the letter, but refused to cancel the meeting. UJPO Toronto President
Marsha Solnicki said later the meeting had been co‑sponsored
"to provide a space and a forum for discussion with people of varying
political positions. We didn't feel this association would be anything more
than an educational opportunity to hear a wide range of viewpoints. Now we are
dealing with the aftermath, not only in our organization but also in the wider
Jewish community and among the progressive left and Jewish communities."
"We have a proud 85‑year history to
draw on and a record of speaking out on issues where injustice and bigotry
threaten our democratic and humanist values, no matter where they occur. These,
we can be sure, are values shared by our membership," Solnicki
said in a letter to members.
After the event, the CJC and UJA were sharply
criticized in letters to the Canadian Jewish News, and responded by saying they
were willing to discuss the matter. The UJPO responded favourably,
but has heard nothing since.
Feeling the heat, the CJC has tried to justify
its actions by quoting Dr. Meyer at the Feb. 1 meeting. In answer to a question
posed by this writer about the strength and effectiveness of the anti‑Zionist
forces inside
The CJC contends that Dr. Meyer is calling for
David Abramowitz, President of the UJPO, said
the CJC had expelled the UJPO in the 1950s, alleging its campaign against the
rearmament of
In Hamilton, a Feb. 19 speech on
Israel/Palestine issues by Dr. Norman Finkelstein was forced to relocate to
Centenary United Church, after Zionists demanded that Mohawk College either
cancel the meeting or give them equal time to speak. The College responded by
slapping a $1500 "security" fee on top of the $519 rent for a 190
seat meeting room. The fee put the rental out of reach of organizers (Canadians
for Peace and Justice in the
Two years ago, the
What's clear from all of this is the intent of
the Zionist lobby in
3) HISTORIC EVENTS IN THE ARAB WORLD
From remarks by Communist Party of
What we have been witnessing over the past
weeks, first in
U.S. Imperialism, the Zionist state of Israel,
and the constellation of client Arab despotic regimes have all been caught
flatfooted by these rapidly unfolding events. Clearly, the CIA, Mossad, and the local intelligence services in
But it is more than that alone; it is a
failure of the bourgeois worldview in general in an important sense ‑ its
static, metaphysical conception of social reality which views change as an
anomaly rather than a constant; which overconfidently relies on the 'stability'
of the oppressive state (and its courts, police and army), and which discounts
the power of the masses when aroused.
I want to say a few words about the character
of these developments, particularly as they pertain to
It has been a genuinely mass revolt, with
remarkably little manipulation form abroad, despite such claims form Mubarak
and co. Some initially were suspicious about who was behind this mass movement,
because of reports that organizers were using Facebook,
Twitter and other social networking services to communicate and mobilize
actions. This was not a colour revolution organized
by imperialist agents like what was witnessed in
It was primarily a secular uprising, and while
followers of the Islamic faith and Coptic Christians were prominent in the
street and in the strike movement, their demands were almost universally around
democratic and class‑based issues, not religious themes. In fact, the
Islamic and Coptic Christian establishments, both of which have been closely
ties to the Mubarak regime are among the big losers in the uprising. This of
course also applies to religious‑political organizations like the Muslim
Brotherhood.
Clearly, the uprising across Egypt has been
cross‑class in nature ‑ workers, professionals, small shop owners and
business people, all were drawn into the streets in mass revolt, and while
their respective class interests differ, they were united in their opposition
to the repressive, corrupt and dictatorial Mubarak regime. Particularly
significant was the fact that the front lines of the struggle were taken by the
country's youth and students, and also by women. What we need to underline here
has been the increasing role of the working class of
So are we witnessing a revolution in the
making, or just a popular revolt? I would argue that the uprisings in Tunisia
and Egypt share many features of a classic revolutionary process ‑ the
masses are no longer prepared to live in the old way; the ruling class can no
longer rule in the old way.
What is missing is the presence of the third
ingredient in any revolutionary situation which best guarantees its success ‑
that of an organized and politically advanced revolutionary vanguard. The
relatively spontaneous nature of the uprising and the relative absence of a
vanguard organization, especially one based on Marxism‑Leninism ‑
is without a doubt an `Achilles heel', if you will, of the process.
But we are in only the opening acts of this
unfolding process ‑ an unfinished revolution. It is true that while the
regime has been pulled down, the state, while wobbly, is still in place. And
the U.S.‑sponsored generals and army brass which controls the interim
Military Council want nothing less than to snuff out the embers of revolution
and restore `stability'. But it is an open question whether or not they will
succeed.
No one has a crystal ball here, but my
personal view is that the confidence and maturity of the masses of the Egyptian
people has grown tremendously over these past three weeks ‑ more so than
during the previous 30 years at least. They have shed their fear, and felt the
strength of their united action. The revolutionary genie is out of the bottle,
and with the people's vigilance and perseverance, and with our solidarity, it
will continue to grow and develop into a full‑blown national democratic,
anti‑imperialist and ultimately socialist alternative.
4)
People's Voice Editorial
Held just three months ago in South Africa,
the annual meeting of the world's communist parties called the current global
crisis "a particularly severe capitalist downturn." The Tshwane
Declaration issued by that gathering pointed to the decline of
The first weeks of 2011 have absolutely
confirmed the Tshwane Declaration. The ruling class and their pundits exclaim
that "nobody could have foreseen" the explosions of anger in the Arab
world or in the streets of
Outraged by the corruption of dictatorial
cliques and "elected" politicians, and unable to feed their families,
millions of desperate working people are in open revolt. The old rulers are
either fleeing with their stolen riches, or turning the police and military on
the people.
Any idea that this "year of
revolutions" would bypass the "developed" capitalist countries
is challenged by the massive rallies against the anti-union governor of
Of course, there is no guarantee of victory
for any of these struggles. But we reject the nay-sayers
who look for every flaw to denigrate the emerging movements, even as working
people sacrifice their lives to win a better future. We stand with their
courageous struggles, which will ultimately open the doors to a world of peace,
democracy, equality and socialism.
5) ODIOUS
EVENTS, SCARY IMPLICATIONS
People's Voice Editorial
As calls for Bev Oda's
dismissal get louder, one response hurled back by the Tories is the accusation
of "sexism" among the opposition parties. There may be a grain of
truth in this charge. After all, Tony Clement was the Minister responsible for
the scandalous billion-dollar assault on civil liberties during the G20 summit,
and also for the long-form census fiasco. Yet few demanded his resignation,
perhaps reflecting a sexist double standard.
But the fact remains that Oda's
resignation is long overdue for many reasons, starting with her eager support
for the vicious attacks on women's equality programs by Harper's Tory minority
in 2006. The minister is also notorious for racking up tens of thousands of
dollars in limousine charges. Imagine the howls from the Tories if a Liberal
was caught in such a spending outrage! But this elitist behaviour
is simply shrugged off by Mr. Harper.
Now, Ms. Oda has
admitted misleading Parliament about the Kairos
affair. The efforts to deflect this scandal lead in a frightening direction.
Essentially, the Tories are saying that the federal cabinet cannot be held
responsible to the people of
Such systematic abuse of power further weakens
democracy in this country. Even if Mr. Harper is defeated in the next election,
his actions set ominous precedents for future prime ministers to simply ignore
the will of Parliament and the voters. This dangerous trend must be reversed,
starting with the resignation of cabinet ministers who lie to Parliament.
6) NEEDED: AFFORDABLE,
QUALITY, ACCESSIBLE, PUBLIC, NOT-FOR-PROFIT CHILDCARE
By Johan Boyden and Marianne Breton Fontaine
International Women's Day has always been an
important event for young women, an occasion to celebrate past victories and focus
on the struggles ahead.
The fight for accessible, affordable,
universal, quality, public child care has especially been brought into focus
for us, as young parents. Like other issues, it is clearly a gendered problem.
But childcare is not only a women's issue, nor the only issue facing young
women.
Consider violence against women, where it is
young women are especially vulnerable, or young women's control over their bodies.
On campuses, women's student organizations have made a bold effort to ban anti‑choice
groups that terrorize women students.
Body‑pride campaigns have also pushed‑back
against the plague of stereotypes aggressively promoted by big corporations in
their marketing, making young women feel disempowered and uninformed about
their own person. Formerly taboo sexual education classes have also made cracks
in the wall of silence about healthy sexuality, but sex ed
still suffers from cutbacks, and is often homophobic or trans‑phobic.
One of the most basic class issues is pay
equity. The CLC released a study a few years ago that showed the wage gap
between young men and women, for the same work, had narrowed slightly. Not
because young women were making more, but because young men were making less!
Women still make about 73 cents on the dollar every man earns.
The issue of women's wages brings us back to
the question of child care. Although we had already started thinking about
childcare, our baby was born prematurely. Months later, as our world began to
re‑stabilize, we realized we had a problem. Marianne had to go back to
school, maternity benefits were ending for both of us, and somebody we trusted
had to look after our new baby boy.
Affordable, accessible, quality, public, not‑for‑profit
child care may seem like a mouthful. But each demand makes sense. For us, the
problem wasn't affordability, it was access. The waiting list that our little
boy is on is very long. He will probably only find a placement when he reaches
kindergarten age. Other options would have cost a lot more. If Marianne had
returned to work to pay for day care at "market rates", her wages
would have been eaten up by just the child care bill.
In the end, we get by (with the help of family
and friends, adjusting life, bringing baby everywhere). Meanwhile, workers at
child care centres are some of the lowest paid in the
country, and they often are not unionized. Only recently did
For decades, corporate politicians have
promised action. Even Brian Mulroney had a better plan (though never
implemented) than the current Tory tax credits. Hopes for a Canada-wide child
care plan were dashed by the election of Harper in 2006. This fact itself shows
the sexism promoted by the system.
In our view, to eliminate sexism we need to
overturn the basis of capitalist society, and win socialism. But public
childcare would not be incompatible with capitalism. It would be a major
victory, opening more possibilities for advancing a real people's agenda.
Shortly after IWD we may be into a federal election. It will be another
occasion to advance the issue of child care.
7) FIGHTING BACK DURING THE DIRTY THIRTIES
In our Feb. 15-28 issue, we examined the
activities of the Trade Union Educational League (TUEL) during the 1920s. Our
series of articles marking the 90th anniversary of the Communist Party
continues with this look at the Workers' Unity League.
By the late 1920s, the efforts of the
Communist-led TUEL to help unite Canadian workers faced enormous obstacles,
forcing a major shift in strategy. Some historians claim this change was simply
a tactic ordered by the Communist International. But in fact, the leaders of
the Trades and Labour Congress and the All-Canadian
Congress of Labour blocked the emergence of a united
working class fightback. The TLC stubbornly refused
to admit industrial unions, and the ACCL believed that the economic crisis made
it nearly impossible to organize workers or win strikes.
As a result, the TUEL became the Workers' Unity
League in January 1930, with a mandate to organize the unorganized and the
unemployed into powerful industrial unions under rank and file control. Led by
Tom McEwen, the WUL brought together industrial unions in the mining, clothing,
lumber and textile industries, with an aggressive, militant approach towards
the class struggle.
The WUL provided the leadership for the most
important labour struggles of the early 1930s,
including the strikes by miners in several communities and by furniture workers
in
While the TLC only admitted affiliates of the
American Federation of Labour, and the ACCL was
limited to Canadian unions, the WUL accepted "all wage workers, regardless
of race, creed, colour, sex, craft or political
affiliations." The WUL combined a strong central leadership, able to
respond quickly to events across the country, with the maximum of membership
involvement and democracy.
Although it never formally represented the
majority of trade unionists in
The first major test of the WUL came on Sept.
8, 1931, when 600 coal miners at
On Sept. 17, the companies tried to open three
mines with scab workers, only to be defeated by a mass picket line. The
struggle continued, with Annie Buller speaking to a
mass rally on Sept. 27. The next day, a peaceful parade of miners and their
families in Estevan became the target of a police
riot, with the RCMP murdering three workers and injuring fifty people. Several
workers were charged, and Sam Scarlett and Annie Buller
received lengthy jail sentences for "unlawful rioting."
While the miners did not achieve union
recognition, they did win other key demands, proving that labour
struggles could win gains despite the capitalist economic crisis.
Another important battle took place in
Other important strikes took place in
By 1935, the WUL had built up a membership of
over 40,000. From 1933 to 1936, the WUL led 90 percent of the strikes across
Perhaps the most significant event came in
1935, with the historic On to
Finally the workers decided to travel to
The vicious attack was a turning point of the
Great Depression. Within months, the Bennett government was defeated at the
polls, and the next several years saw a series of important victories for the
working class movement.
But the sharpening class struggle, in
In an upcoming
issue, we will look at the role of Communists in the drive to organize steel,
auto, and other mass production industries.
8)
By Finian Cunningham, Global
Research
Many Bahrainis, like the young taxi man, have
witnessed huge wealth sloshing around their diminutive country of less than
600,000 indigenous people (perhaps another 300,000 are expatriates, official
figures are vague). But so little of that wealth - especially in the last seven
years of high oil prices when
All the while, these people have come to feel
like strangers in their own land, with their squalid conditions in inner‑city
areas and villages being in sharp contrast to the mega shopping malls and multi‑storey
buildings that have sprung up to attract US and European investors, financiers,
companies and rich tourists.
The Gulf island's oil wealth has been
channeled into diversifying the economy away from dependence on oil and gas
revenues into other sectors such as property development and international
banking. The self‑styled kingdom, which is sandwiched less than 30
kilometers on either side between the oil and gas giants of Saudi Arabia and
Qatar, has leveraged its hydrocarbon wealth to earn a reputation as a finance
and trade hub in the Middle East on a par with Dubai located further south
along the Arabian Peninsula in the United Arab Emirates.
But that reputation for being a cutting‑edge
capitalist hub -
In the early hours of Thursday, up to five
thousand Bahraini protesters were forced from the main demonstration site at
the Pearl Roundabout, a landmark intersection in the capital,
At the centre of the site is the
Within view of the monument are the iconic
skyscrapers of
However, this vast reclamation and development
drive has, according to local environmental groups, devastated the island's
marine ecology and fish stocks in particular. The rampant development - which
has made fortunes for the country's elite - has had an equally devastating
effect on local communities who have depended on the sea for their livelihoods.
While these communities have suffered the blight of unemployment and poverty,
they also have witnessed roaring property development, land prices and profits
benefiting the ruling elite.
These communities have watched their country's
oil wealth being directed to serve elite interests with development plans that
are geared to lure international capital. This has led to swathes of coastal
areas being confiscated by members of the extended Al Khalifa
royal family, to be earmarked for future reclamation and skyscraper
development. That is how
Once again, another uprising against another
US‑designated "important ally" seems to be underway in the Arab
world. And once again, the contradiction of elite rule and widespread poverty -
all the more glaring in oil‑rich countries - is ultimately undermining
Cunningham is a
journalist and musician: www.myspace.com/finiancunninghammusic
9) DORISE
NIELSEN:
By Kimball Cariou
A few years ago, one of
Born in 1902, Dorise
Nielsen emigrated in 1927 from
Nielsen and other Communists and left-wing CCF
members in
Despite this opposition, Communists and CCF
members continued to cooperate, and Nielsen was elected to Parliament from
Nielsen arrived in Ottawa during a period of
political repression, made more difficult by the complications of arranging for
the care of three children. The Communist Party was banned in June 1940, and
the Liberal government correctly suspected that she was a "Red."
Maintaining contact with Montreal‑based leaders of the Communist Party
who had escaped internment, Nielsen became a popular advocate for the party's
views through her speeches in the House of Commons. She was widely known as a
militant voice for women's equality and the interests of poor farm families.
When the Labour
Progressive Party was formed as a legal party in 1943 by the Communists,
Nielsen declared her affiliation with the LPP and was elected to its national
executive. She was joined in the Commons by Fred Rose, elected as an LPP
candidate in a byelection in the riding of
Montreal-Cartier. (Rose defeated David Lewis, for the CCF leadership never
forgave the Communists.)
Nielsen ran for re-election in 1945, but
placed third with 13% of the vote. She went to work for the LPP, drawing large
crowds across
In 1957, Nielsen left
10) VENEZUELAN WORKERS BACK CHAVEZ GOVERNMENT
By Juan Reardon, Venezuelanalysis.com, Feb. 11, 2011
(abridged)
Nearly ten thousand workers marched in downtown
Members of health, education, electricity, oil
and other sectors marched to the National Assembly to demand, among other things,
the signing into law of labour legislation which has
been under discussion since 2003. National Assembly President, Fernando Soto
Rojas, met with marchers personally to receive their written statement and
demands.
"Never in the political history of this
country has the working class had such possibilities for social
inclusion," declared Wills Rangel, President of the United Federation of
Oil Workers.
Since the start of the Bolivarian Revolution,
Venezuelans have seen a five-fold increase in pensions, a large decrease in
unemployment and one of the highest minimum wages in Latin America,
according to Correo del Orinoco International. As cited
by Minister of Foreign Affairs Nicolas Maduro, 60% of
the country's national budget is now spent on social services.
Pedro Rojas, Secretary General of Petroleum
Workers' Union, described the purpose of the Feb. 10 march.
"The objective [of this march] is to
support the revolutionary process and to dismantle the current international
media campaign that says here in
"Quite the contrary, here in Venezuela working people have been
guaranteed more inclusion, more opportunities than ever... in addition, more
than 3,000 unions have been born in these 12 years of revolution," he told
teleSUR reporters during the march.
"Today we will present - as a
`Legislature of the People' - our support for the revolutionary
parliamentarians who we count on," said Wilmer Nolasco,
President of United Construction Industry Workers'
One of the proposals referred to by Nolasco is the removal of Article 125 from the Organic Labour Law currently under discussion, since it establishes
"poverty‑inducing" compensation for workers fired without
justification.
In addition, marchers called for all
Venezuelans over the age of 80 to be guaranteed social security benefits,
regardless of their contributions or lack thereof. Maduro
on confirmed that plans are underway for food tickets benefits to reach the
elderly before May 1, 2011.
The most popular elements of the proposed labour law include abolishing the so‑called
"subcontracted worker" position, requiring employers - both public
and private - to incorporate all workers as fixed, benefit‑assured
workers; reducing the legal workday from eight to six hours; allotting paid
time for workers' councils as well as political education; and the establishing
of a national fund for worker stability that would include payments to
thousands of workers denied their legal rights by former employers.
The governing United Socialist Party of
Earlier in February, less than a thousand
people responded to the opposition-aligned Venezuelan Workers' Federation (CTV)
call to march against nationalizations by the Chavez government as well as what
they called a "criminalization of dissent." They received support
from opposition student groups and the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD). The
CTV has also received financial support from the National Endowment for
Democracy (NED) and the
During open air discussion of the pending labour law in
11) BLOCKING PEACE ON THE
By Sean Burton, February 2011
The past year was certainly tense, due to
confrontations between the forces of the Democratic People's Republic of
There have been repeated clashes between the
navies of each country in the waters of the
The Cheonan and Yeonpyeong events
have been reported in western news media completely out of context, as random,
unexpected and irrational acts of a desperate
Particularly vexing is that the ROK navy
regularly conducts military exercises in this disputed area. In the case of Yeonpyeong, the South Koreans had numerous ships in the
area, and were also performing an artillery drill, firing into waters claimed
by the North. Korean People's Army forces contacted the South and demanded the
firing cease. That was not forthcoming, and the North fired back a few hours
later, leading to a South Korean response that may have killed several North
Korean soldiers. Whether or not it was "excessive" of the North to
target the island, Yeonpyeong nonetheless is a
military base in a tense location.
Given all this tension, it was pleasant to
hear that the DPRK proposed talks involving the defence
ministers of both countries late in January, with the explicit purpose of
putting forward its opinion on the Yeonpyeong attack
and the Cheonan,
as well as discussing the maritime border and South Korean/U.S. military
exercises in the region. The DPRK has proposed such talks several times, but
It is therefore all the more disappointing
that the preparatory meetings quickly fell apart. The South Korean delegation
refused to budge on the agenda, insisting that no further measures could be
discussed until the DPRK takes "responsible measures" with regard to
the Cheonan
and Yeonpyeong incidents. The DPRK sought to ensure
discussion of the Northern Limit Line and joint South Korea‑US military
drills, as well as
What the South considers
"satisfactory" probably means the North taking full responsibility.
But one can scarcely talk about either incident without bringing up the maritime
border or the South's military exercises. Yet the South seems to think these
related matters are separate issues, which goes well with the media reporting
the events out of context. This will make it easier for
Speaking of psychological warfare,
Making matters worse, South Korean and
The North has regularly condemned these
massive drills as provocative dress rehearsals for an invasion. Conducted in a
sensitive region, they are as much a statement to the "enemy" as a
means of training. In recent years the drills include plans for dealing with
"political instability" in
Inter‑Korean dialogue must resume
immediately, in the interest of reducing border conflicts and improving
relations. Long term peace will not be forthcoming if
12) MUSIC
NOTES, By Wally Brooker
Faith Nolan & the CUPE Freedom Singers
Singer, songwriter and activist Faith Nolan is well‑known to readers
of this newspaper. She's been inspiring working people across
Sounds of the Arab revolution
Events in
Popular Haitian musician Michel ("Sweet Mickey") Martelly is contesting right‑wing candidate Mirlande Manigat in the March 20
presidential election runoff, following the ouster of President René Préval's designated successor, Jude Célestin.
The dubious removal of Célestin was announced Feb. 3
by
Belafonte to Obama supporters: "No more
retreat"
In a Jan. 26 interview on Democracy Now, Harry Belafonte was asked to
assess the presidency of Barack Obama. The occasion was the Sundance Film
Festival, where "Sing Your Song," a new film about the 84‑year
old star's life receivrf accolades. While Belafonte
acknowledged that the election of Obama says something about "
Patti Smith's National Book Award
Patti Smith is the 2010 non‑fiction recipient of the
Leon Rosselson
coming to Canada
Leon Rosselson, a prominent figure in British
folk music since the early sixties, is planning a rare visit to
13) THE REVOLUTIONARY REBELLION IN
Reflections by Comrade Fidel
Several days ago I said that Mubarak's fate
was sealed and that not even Obama was able to save him.
The world knows about what is happening in the
After 18 days of tough struggle, the Egyptian
people achieved an important objective: overthrowing the main
The Armed Forces of Egypt, under the command
of Gamal Abdel Nasser, had thrown overboard a
submissive King and created a Republic which, with the support of the USSR,
defended its Homeland from the Franco‑British and Israeli invasion of
1956 and preserved its ownership of the Suez Canal and the independence of its
ancient nation.
For that reason,
What was the significance of the
At Camp David, with the mediation of then‑President
of the
At the end of arduous and complicated talks,
As a product of the first treaty, in the term
of one year,
By virtue of the second agreement, both
parties committed to negotiate the creation of the autonomous regime in the
West Bank and the
The Arab countries were offended by that
treaty where, in their opinion,
Their reactions reached such a level of
indignation that many broke off their relations with
The Arab population of
The
When the population was asking for respect for
their most basic rights and the resignation of a president whose policy
consisted of exploiting and pillaging his own people, the repressive forces
trained by the US did not hesitate for a second in shooting at them, killing
hundreds and wounding thousands.
When the Egyptian people were awaiting
explanations from the government of their own country, the answers were coming
from senior officials of the
Could it possibly be that the leaders of the
Before the people were to protest en masse
from Tahrir Square, neither the government officials
nor the United States intelligence bodies were uttering one single word about
the privileges and outrageous thefts of billions of dollars.
It would be a mistake to imagine that the
people's revolutionary movement in
The poverty rate was now affecting the vast
majority of a militant people, young and patriotic, with their dignity, culture
and beliefs being trampled.
How was the unstoppable increase of food
prices to be reconciled with the dozens of billions of dollars that were being
attributed to President Mubarak and to the privileged sectors of the government
and society? It's not enough now that we find out how much these come to; we
must demand they be returned to the country...
Despite what is happening in
The
On the other hand, as a consequence of the
climate change originated basically by the developed and wealthy countries, a
shortage of fresh water and foods compatible with population growth at a pace
that would lead to 9 billion inhabitants in a mere 30 years is being created,
without the United Nations and the most influential governments on the planet,
after the disappointing meeting at Copenhagen and Cancun warning and informing
the world about that situation.
We support the Egyptian people and their
courageous struggle for their political rights and social justice.
We are not opposed to the people of
We are not in favour
of war, but in favour of peace among all the peoples.
Fidel Castro Ruz, February 13, 2011
14) PV FUND
DRIVE STARTS MARCH 1
Nothing good ever came easy, as the old saying
goes. That has been true for every gain achieved by the working class over past
centuries of organizing to win shorter hours, better pay, pensions, workers'
compensation, public education, or universal health care.
It's the same story in the arena of ideas.
From the moment the printing press was invented, right up to the birth of the
Internet, the wealthy have had a powerful monopoly over the mass media... with
occasional important exceptions. Today in
Adjusting the zoom, we know that big transnationals dominate the world‑wide news and
entertainment business, exercising nearly total control over the flow of ideas,
imposing their capitalist, right‑wing analysis on every facet of the
media.
Fortunately, the working class and its allies
have always found ways to combat this attempted form of thought control. In one
way, the labour press and radical publications like
People's Voice have an edge over the monopolies - we don't have to invent lies
to prop up the profit system. In our pages, readers find stories and facts
which mesh with their own daily experience. We help clarify a confusing world
and bring working people together, instead of muddying the waters to create
divisions.
But don't take our word for it. Check out the
comments on this page by several well‑known activists in a wide range of
people's movements. They value the role of People's Voice as a source of
progressive news and ideas, and we hope you agree.
If you think it's important to have a Canada‑wide
newspaper which supports the locked‑out
You need us, and we certainly need you to help
us raise $50,000 yet again in 2011. With your help, we can keep our voice for a
socialist future alive in the fight against the capitalist media giants!
Once again this year, your mail appeal letter
will offer a gift in appreciation of your solidarity. For each donation of
$100, contributors will have their choice of a PV 2011 Calendar, a framed
portrait of a revolutionary fighter, or a copy of "Great October," a
DVD dedicated to the Great October Socialist Revolution of 1917.
COPE Winter Gala, Sat., Feb. 26, 7 pm, COPE
Masquerade ball at
Left Film Night, “GARBAGE DREAMS,”
documentary on
March Against Racism, Sunday, March
20, 2 pm, from Waterfront Skytrain (601 W. Cordova),
604-715-6990 for info.
Pasta Dinner for People’s Voice, 6 pm, Sunday,
March 27, tickets $12, followed by Left Film Night at 7 pm,
Assembly to protect pensions - expand CPP, Wed., Mar 2,
7-9:30 pm. Speaker Paul Moist, CUPE. Plumbers and Pipefitters
Hall, 34 Higgins. Info 942-0522.
Norman
Bethune Day Dinner,
Sat., Feb. 26, 7 pm, 290 Danforth
Ave., tickets $5. Media sponsor People’s Voice. Door prize; one-week
all-inclusive trip for two to
National Child Care Now!, flash mob
& rally, Tue., March 8, 3:30 pm, Yonge
& Dundas. For into, email nationalchildcarenow@gmail.com.
Global Crisis, Fiscal Restraint and Public-Private
Partnerships, 2011 Clarke Memorial Lecture with John Loxley. 7 pm,
Thur., March 10, Ryerson University, Oakham Lounge,
2nd floor, 63 Gould St. Co-sponsored by Ryerson CUPE Locals, Ontario Council of
Hospital Unions/CUPE. Info: Bryan Evans at 416-979-5000 x4199.
Feminism: The Other “F” Word, Tue., March 8,
12:30 pm, panel followed by “World Café”, Univ. of Ottawa, Desmarais Building, Rm 3120,
organized by Amethyst Women’s Addiction Centre.
Palestinians And Jews United,
boycott/disinvestment/sanctions picket, every Saturday, 1-3 pm, outside
Le marcheur, at
****************************************
IWD
EVENTS
BURNABY - March 8, 7.30-9.30 am,
IWD breakfast sponsored by BC Federation of Labour,
at Firefighters’ Banquet Hall, order tickets at 604-430-1421.
FREDERICTON - March 6,
12:30-2:30, IWD Potluck and information sharing, 811 Charlotte St., co-hosted
by NB Coalition for Pay Equity and Fredericton Peace Coalition.
HAMILTON - March 8, 9 am-4 pm,
conference for CAW Local 555 sisters on women’s issues and the prospects
ahead,
KINGSTON - March 6, 11 am-5 pm,
IWD Fair at City Hall 2nd floor, International Women’s Week Organizing
Committee.
NIAGARA FALLS - March 6, 1-6 pm,
IWD Festival at the Greg Frewin Theatre, in support of Gillian’s Place
and Women’s Place of South Niagara.
NORTH VANCOUVER - March 12, 7 pm,
Crimson Cabaret at Centennial Theatre, to support North Shore Women’s
Centre, tickets from 604-984-6009.
PRINCE GEORGE - March 5, 8 pm,
IWD Masquerade Dance, at the Twisted
REGINA - March
4, 9 pm, viewing of Women’s Rights: Raising the Glass Ceiling,
presentation and multi-generational panel, Language Institute Theatre (LI 129),
U of R. For info call 757-4669, U of R Women’s Centre.
SASKATOON - March 6, 1-4 pm,
Strong Women, Strong World,, celebrate the contributions of Aboriginal women in
Saskatchewan, and march to bring awareness to exploited and missing Aboriginal
women, Oskayak High School, Univ. of Saskatchewan.
SUDBURY -
March 6, 1-4 pm, IWD celebration hosted by Sudbury & District Labour Council, Howard Johnson Hotel,
TORONTO - March 3, 7-10 pm, Live
Music night at Toronto Women’s Bookstore, $5, tel. 416-922-8744; 73 Harbord St. - March 12, IWD rally starts 11 am, OISE
Auditorium, 252 Bloor West, march 1 pm to Info Fair at Ryerson Student Centre,
55 Gould St.
VANCOUVER - March 3, 6-10 pm,
dinner with presentation on the history of IWD and women in the trade union
movement, music by Solidarity Sisters, bhangra
dancing, Fraserview Hall (8240 Fraser), VDLC
Women’s Committee. - March 5, gather 12:30 at
Commercial
Dr., to IWD Festival at WISE Hall (1882 Adanac),
2-4:30 pm, www.iwdvancouver.ca.
VICTORIA, BC - March 8, Noon-1
pm, Happy 100th Birthday IWD with Raging Grannies, corner of Fort and
WINNIPEG - March 8, speakers 4:30
at Union Centre (Smith & Broadway), march 5:30 to
community feast and events at U of
YELLOWKNIFE - March 7-9,
Celebrating Northern women conference to eliminate gender inequality, Explorer
Hotel, organized by Status of Women Council of the NWT.