|
|
October 1-15 , 2011
Volume 19 - Number 17
$1
Prolétaires
de tous les pays, unissez-vous!
Otatoskewak ota kitaskinahk mamawestotan!
Workers of all lands, unite
1) QUEBEC SOVEREIGNTY MOVEMENT FACES CRISIS
2) A SYSTEM IN CRISIS WITH NO SOLUTIONS
3) COPE KICKS OFF 2011 CIVIC CAMPAIGN
4) WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO PROTEST CHENEY'S VISIT
5) B.C. FAMILIES FIGHT COMMUNITY LIVING CUTS
6) FLAWED CPCCA REPORT PUSHES BAN ON CRITICISM OF ISRAEL
7) SALUTE TO PALESTINE! - Editorial
8) STOPPING HARPER'S STEAMROLLER - Editorial
9) LESSONS FROM OUR HISTORY
10) MUSIC NOTES
11) CAPITALISM IS BAD FOR CHILDREN
12) "WE NEED A JOINT STRUGGLE FOR LIBERATION"
13) "THEY FOUGHT TIRELESSLY FOR WORKING
PEOPLE"
14) WHAT’S LEFT
15) CLARTÉ (en français)
16)
THE SPARK! (Theoretical and Discussion Bulletin of the Communist Party of
17) INTRODUCING MARX
PEOPLE'S VOICE
OCTOBER 1-15, 2011 (pdf)
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
Theoretical
and Discussion Bulletin of the Communist Party of |
|
|
People's Voice deadlines: OCTOBER 16-31 NOVEMBER 1-15 Send submissions to PV Editorial Office,
|
|
REDS
ON THE WEB |
|
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
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",
or pvoice@telus.net
People's Voice articles may be reprinted without permission,
provided the source is credited.
*
* * * * *
The Communist Party of
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
give us a call at the nearest CPC office.
* * * * * *
Central Committee CPC
290A
Ph: (416) 469-2446
fax: (416) 469-4063 E-mailmailto:info@cpc-pcp.ca
Parti Communiste du Quebec (section du
Parti communiste du
5359 Ave du Parc, Montréal,
B.C.Committee CPC
Tel: (604) 254-9836
Fax: (604) 254-9803
Tel: (780) 465-7893
Fax: (780)463-0209
Unit #1 - 19 Radcliffe Close
Calgary
Tel: (403) 248-6489
Tel: (613) 232-7108
Manitoba Committee
387 Selkirk Ave., Winnipeg, R2W 2M3
Tel/fax: (204) 586-7824
290A
Tel: (416) 469-2446
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
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
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
Send to: People's Voice,
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/
(The following articles are from the
October 1-15, 2011, issue of People's
1)
Special report to the Central
Committee, Communist Party of
The defeat of
the Bloc Québecois in the federal election has lit a powder keg within the
Parti Québecois and the sovereignty movement. The broad consensus around the
strategy of "sovereignty governance" proposed by PQ leader Pauline
Marois and adopted at the PQ convention in April 2011 has now evaporated. This
current crisis, which has in fact been brewing below the surface ever since the
sovereignty camp's defeat in the 1995 referendum, burst into the open with the
resignation of five PQ MNAs in early June, barely a month after the federal
election. These resignations immediately provoked, both within and outside the
PQ, a protest movement against the strategy endorsed by the convention.
This
strategy, similar to the one adopted by PQ under the leadership of Pierre‑Marc
Johnson in the mid-80s, is to gradually repatriate powers from Ottawa to
Québec, while deferring indefinitely a new referendum on Québec independence,
the raison d'etre of the party. This strategy is actually a compromise
to prevent the party from being torn between its two main trends, ensuring that
both remain at the head of the sovereignty movement if and when it forms a
provincial government. To accomplish this, the PQ must adopt policies capable
of winning the support of the bourgeoisie.
Meanwhile,
the Coalition for the Future of Québec created earlier this year by two
capitalists, former PQ minister Francois Legault and a former Liberal adviser,
Charles Sirois, is recruiting heavily in the ranks of the PQ and is becoming a
serious threat. Polls show that this coalition, which for the most part is
associated with the line put forward by former Premier Lucien Bouchard in his
2005 "lucid" manifesto, could well sweep Québec in the next election
if it turns itself into a political party. The PQ would be relegated to third
place behind the completely discredited Liberals.
This
Coalition reflects the views of the big bourgeoisie in Québec and has won the
open support of some of its most important elements, such as the Lemaire family
(Paper‑Cascade), Marcel Dutil (Canam‑Manac) and Jean Coutu
(pharmacies) as well as others ‑ most of the same elements which in the
past had also supported the rise of the ADQ. It is further supported by several
forces from the far-right, as Eric Caire, who had run for the ADQ leadership on
the platform that the ADQ was not far enough to the right.
Like the
"lucid" Lucien Bouchard, the Coalition proposes to `table' the
national question for at least the next ten years. The real reason for this
strategy is that the bourgeoisie wants to prioritize the "class
struggle" against the working class and its interests. This desire is
reinforced by the economic crisis.
Indeed, the
program it offers of dismantling the so‑called "Québec model"
of social benefits is not conducive to establishing the necessary collaboration
of classes required for the realization of the sovereignty of Québec. In
addition, the Coalition believes that the slogan of sovereignty undermines the
unity of the Québec bourgeoisie itself, unity which is needed to fight the
working class and popular forces. Finally, the bourgeoisie needs a new
political vehicle because the current Charest Liberal government is so
discredited.
On the other
hand, the so‑called "hardcore" separatists, including many
elements outside the PQ, see this crisis as an opportunity to strengthen their
position within the sovereignty movement and remove the monopoly of its PQ
leadership. For example, a New Movement for Québec (NMQ) has just been created
at an August 21 gathering of separatist forces. 450 people attended, including
three resigned PQ members, other former PQ deputies, representatives of SPQ
libre, etc. Other elements outside the PQ, such as former FLQ members,
representatives of the Québec Network of Strength (QPP) and members of Québec
Solidaire also participated. Other groups are also involved in public debate
for a spot at the helm of the movement, like the new Independence Party, Gilbert
Paquette, a former PQ member who in 2007 launched a movement called "Focus
on Independence", Option Québec, the new party led by Jean‑Martin
Aussant (another PQ MNA who resigned in June; this party was formally
launched on Sept. 20 as Option Nationale), and even André Parizeau and his
nationalist group.
Their
positions largely reflect the view of a petty bourgeoisie eager to maintain
class collaboration to achieve sovereignty at the earliest possible date. They
strongly criticize Legault for his "betrayal" of the sovereignty
cause, and the PQ due to its inconsistency in its promotion. One proposal that
receives a lot of support among this group is "the convening of the
Estates General of the sovereignty movement" where all the separatist
forces, including the PQ, would be required to negotiate the terms of a new
strategic alliance. The PQ immediately rejected this proposal stating that it
alone must define such guidelines.
The PQ says
that "the new movement for Québec" is "populated by" a lot
of extremists and radicals" and is therefore reluctant to join it in any
way whatsoever.
This crisis
is certainly the worst experienced by the PQ and threatens its very existence.
It could result in a significant redeployment of political forces in Québec.
2) A SYSTEM IN CRISIS WITH NO SOLUTIONS
Excerpts from the Main Political
Resolution adopted by the Central Committee, Communist Party of
The
political, economic and social situation in our country can only be fully
understood if viewed in the wider context of the deepening systemic crisis of
capitalism as a whole ‑ both domestically and internationally. Capitalism
is mired in irreconcilable contradictions which are maturing rapidly, reflected
in growing economic volatility and political instability around the world. In
their desperate attempts to shore up their economic interests and maintain
political hegemony, ruling capitalist classes are reverting to an extreme right‑wing,
reactionary agenda ‑ an intensified assault on the economic conditions of
the working class; the accelerated dismantling of public services and programs;
a sharpening attack on labour and democratic rights; the increasing promotion
of racism, sexism and anti‑communism; and a stepped up drive to
militarism and war. While the pace and intensify varies from country to
country, the essence and direction of this reactionary drift is evident in all
capitalist states, including
This systemic
crisis, and the attendant policies which the ruling classes are imposing in the
hope of resolving it in their favour, are continuing to erode the living
standards and quality of life of the masses of working people everywhere, and
especially in the so‑called "Third World". The social divide
between the super‑rich and the vast majority of the people ‑ most
of whom 'sell' their labour‑power in order to survive ‑ is growing
by leaps and bounds. Household debt levels are ballooning; young people are
being denied the hope of a reasonable future; the 'wage gap' between women and
men is once again growing; poverty and insecurity is swelling among seniors and
pensioners, many of whom are compelled to compete with young workers for the
worst jobs available just to survive; and an ever‑larger segment of the
working class is being permanently marginalized, forced to survive on part‑time,
temporary and precarious forms of employment, or driven into the 'shadow
economy'...
The
rollercoaster ride on global stock markets witnessed over the past several
weeks has been chalked up to 'investor uncertainty' about the world capitalist
economy and concern that leading economies will slip into another recession.
Such fears are not without basis; indeed another recession/depression ‑
or more correctly, a continuation of the same economic crisis which broke out
in 2007‑08 (which we have more accurately called "phase two" of
the same crisis) ‑ is a virtual certainty. Stagnant and even 'negative'
growth in the leading imperialist economies (Germany, France, the U.S., etc.),
high consumer/household debt levels and correspondingly poor consumption
figures, persistently high levels of unemployment, and the real prospect of
government defaults in so‑called "sovereign debt" payments in a
number of European countries (Greece, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Portugal, and even
possibly France and the U.S.) have sent finance capitalists scurrying for
cover.
But a narrow
focus on market jitters over another economic downturn conceals more
fundamental structural contradictions in global capitalism, flowing from the
long‑term consequences of neoliberal economic policies, and the
intensifying struggle for markets by imperialism and also emerging economies
such as
Back in the
1970s the rate of profit began to fall precipitously for monopoly capital,
dragging down growth rates in the
That the
banking and the financial service sector began to expand rapidly following the
introduction of neoliberal policy was hardly coincidental. This sector has
overtaken basic industry and manufacturing and non‑financial services
(where value is actually produced) in virtually all of the advanced capitalist
economies today. Neoliberalism was the structural instrument facilitating the
movement of capital from 'value‑producing' to non‑value
producing" (parasitic) forms of investment.
Neoliberal
policy ‑ the economic dogma sometimes referred to as the '
This house of
cards began to fall apart in 2007‑08, and it is far from over. The
massive government bail‑out packages over the past three years protected
the financial holdings of monopoly capital, but at the expense of running up
massive levels of public government debt. One left‑wing economist,
Richard D. Wolff, commented recently on the sick irony of all this:
"Capitalist
governments bail out big business by going into deep debt. And who do they
borrow these funds from, that they must now pay back with interest? Big
business ‑ the same monopoly capitalists that they bailed out in the
first place."
Now, these
same finance capitalists are worried that their security holdings in government
bonds are not so secure after all, if governments are forced into default.
Hence the unanimous and strident demand from 'the market' (i.e., finance
capitalists) that governments cut 'discretionary spending' (a euphemism for
healthcare, education, public sector wages, pensions, etc.) to the bone so that
governments can meet their credit obligations and avoid default. The
contradiction however (which even bourgeois economists are forced to concede)
is that cutting 'entitlements' and other government programs ‑ as seen,
for instance, in the vicious austerity measures imposed in many European
countries over the past year under pressure from EU and IMF mandarins ‑
has stymied economic recovery, and further 'restraint' will contract demand
even further, sending economies into a deeper downward spiral.
The worsening
global economy has ignited a fierce debate within bourgeois circles about how
to extricate themselves from the crisis, preserving their interests intact. All
of the traditional fiscal and monetary economic 'tools' ‑ interest rates
changes, currency devaluation, stimulus spending, etc. ‑ have been tried
without success. Even the relatively buoyant Chinese and other Asian economies
have failed to stem the global downturn, centered in the
Their only
remedy (sic) therefore is to intensify the exploitation of the working class
(and working people in general) to maintain the transfer of wealth into their already
swollen coffers, to further inflate the debt 'bubble', to ramp up the
repressive security apparatus to quell spontaneous outbursts of discontent (as
witnessed recently in London and other English cities) and especially organized
class resistance and struggle, and to the accelerate the growth of
militarization and war. Canadian finance capital has also embraced this agenda,
and has mandated the Harper Conservatives to oversee its imposition on the
working class of our country.
But this
sharpening capitalist offensive is being met by increasing working class
resistance and struggle around the world. The clearest example of this is of
course
The current
situation brings into sharp relief the most fundamental contradiction of
capitalism ‑ that is, between the increasing social character of
production, and the private appropriation of the wealth it produces ‑ and
the bankruptcy of social‑democratic, reformist `solutions' aimed at ameliorating
the impact of its excesses while preserving intact this crisis‑ridden
system.
3) COPE KICKS OFF 2011 CIVIC CAMPAIGN
PV Vancouver Bureau
A turnout of
almost 1,000 Coalition of Progressive Electors members and supporters (by far
the largest nomination meeting in this year's
"We're
not only proud of our new slate of amazing candidates," said COPE External
Chair Marcus Youssef after the event, "but we're also proud to be the only
COPE members
voted in Ellen Woodsworth, Tim Louis, and R.J. Aquino as their council
candidates, and Brent Granby and Donalda Greenwell‑Baker for Parks Board.
For school trustee, the members picked incumbents Jane Bouey (Vice-Chair of the
The surprise
of the afternoon was the defeat of veteran city councillor David Cadman, who
finished fourth in the race for three nominations. Cadman, a prominent leader
of the global movement for urban environmental sustainability, often missed
council meetings due to his international travel, a factor which may have cost
him some support from COPE members.
COPE also
announced co‑managers Kate Van Meer Mass and Nathan Allen for the
upcoming campaign. "Kate and Nathan are seasoned organizers and have
already hit the ground running," said Youssef. "We have a great slate
of candidates, a great campaign team, and a great message. We want to build a
By the terms
of their electoral cooperation agreement, COPE and Vision
Vision
Vancouver's slate of candidates includes Mayor Gregor Robertson, incumbent city
councillors Andrea Reimer, Raymond Louie, Geoff Meggs, Tim Stevenson, Heather Deal
and Kerry Jang, as well as newcomer Tony Tang.
For park
board, Vision has nominated incumbents Constance Barnes, Sarah Blyth, and Aaron
Jasper, plus Trevor Loke and Niki Sharma. Vision's school trustee candidates
are School Board Chair Patti Bacchus, incumbents Ken Clement and Mike Lombardi,
and newcomers Rob Wynen and Cherie Payne.
In another
twist to the campaign, about 20 members of
Ironically,
the NPA campaign is boasting an influx of donations from big business,
including the forestry and mining sectors, where corporate interests have
devastated much of the west coast landscape. The chief NPA fundraiser is Peter
Armstrong, head of the Rocky Mountaineer rail service which locked out its
on-board attendants back in June. During the summer, the Vision and COPE city
councillors sent a letter to the company condemning the use of strikebreakers
in the labour dispute.
4) WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO PROTEST CHENEY'S VISIT
The fall
book-signing season took a strange turn when accused war criminal Dick Cheney was
invited to speak to a $500 dinner held by the Le Bon Mot Book Club at the
upper-crust
At the Sept.
23 news conference, Vancouver Kingsway NDP MP Don Davies, the official
opposition critic for immigration, demanded that Immigration Minister Jason
Kenney bar Cheney from entering Canada. Three days later, hundreds turned out
at the
The following
commentary from Rabble.ca on the Cheney visit is by protest spokesperson
Derrick O'Keefe, who is co-chair of StopWar and a member of the Canadian Peace
Dick Cheney
is a war criminal. We intend to organize a "welcome" for him here in
An injury to
one is truly an injury to all. That is a slogan that motivates our actions here
in
A familiar
talking point of the current
In our effort
to hold Cheney to account and have him arrested for war crimes, the peace
movement wishes to address a few different audiences:
First, to
Dick Cheney, we say: Rethink your visit to
To the
organizers of this book club event: you call yourselves "le bon mot"
book club, but there is nothing witty about your name. Le mot juste for
your honoured guest is criminal. We know that the founder of your book club, Leah
Costello, is an active member of the West Vancouver Electoral District
Association of the Conservative Party of
To all
elected officials in
To our fellow
citizens of
5) B.C. FAMILIES FIGHT COMMUNITY LIVING CUTS
PV Vancouver Bureau
The families
of developmentally disabled people in
Much of the
dispute centres on Community
CLBC
cost-cutting measures include closures of about 60 group homes, often
considered by families as the best living arrangement for developmentally
disabled adults, in favour of private homeshare arrangements. This shift is
called an "expansion of options" by the Liberal government, but the
personal impact is often deeply traumatic. Many disabled adults have been
deprived of close friends and trained staff support, and left instead in homes
where their well-being is not a top priority.
Students
enrolled at the Consumer and Job Preparation Progam at
In yet
another scandal, more than two dozen people employed at a Maple Ridge recycling
plant were told that CLBC cuts would leave them without jobs at the end of
2011.
Within days
of these two announcements, public anger compelled CLBC and the Liberal
government to retreat, promising funding would continue. But the fumbling
response by Social Development Minister Harry Bloy has added to the public
perception that he is utterly incompetent. Bloy was the only MLA to back
Christy Clark's campaign to replace Gordon Campbell as Liberal leader, and his
cabinet post is widely regarded as payment for political services.
On Sept. 14,
Bloy claimed to have found an extra $8.9 million to help developmentally
disabled people. But family groups and opposition New Democrat MLAs said the
money does little to help those struggling after group home and service cuts.
"It's
discouraging," said Faith Bodnar, chief spokesperson for the B.C.
Community Living Action Group. "It's a start, but it is an immediate Band‑Aid
rather than a solution. We need the government to give a much more substantial
lift."
A BC-CLAG
analysis of CLBC projections shows that at least $70 million is needed
immediately to address the existing support backlog. Each year, hundreds of
youths with developmental disabilities reach the age of 19 and turn to CLBC as
they age out of supports funded by the Ministry for Children and Families. Yet
the CLBC operating budget remains static from 2010 through 2014 at $681 million
annually.
The
increasing gap has severely strained CLBC's system of community-based
residential and support services, resulting in a growing number of crises as
highly vulnerable young adults and families struggle to cope. The CLBC's
"service redesign" initiative has included forcibly transferring
group home residents to lower cost alternatives, saving the government $20
million per year.
For more information, visit www.clbcstopthecuts.org
or
http://communitylivingaction.org.
6) FLAWED CPCCA REPORT PUSHES BAN ON CRITICISM OF
PV Vancouver Bureau
On July 7,
after a long delay, the so-called "Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to
Combat Antisemitism" (CPCCA) released the report of its inquiry. Canadians
for Justice and Peace in the
The CPCCA
Report argues that antisemitism is on the rise, both in Canadian society
generally, and particularly on campuses. But after a review of the testimony,
the CJPME found that most of the senior Canadian law enforcement officials who
appeared before the inquiry stated that antisemitism in their respective
provinces and cities was either not on the rise, or had in fact dropped.
All 12
university administrators who appeared before the Inquiry testified that
antisemitism was not a problem on their campuses. Yet such testimony was
ignored or even distorted in the Report to make it appear as if the opposite
was the case.
"It is
upsetting and unethical that the CPCCA's Report essentially ignored the most
authoritative testimony presented to it," said CJPME director, Thomas
Woodley. "In general, the work of the Inquiry does not seem credible, as
it sought to highlight only those voices which supported its premises, while
ignoring all contrary voices."
Although the
Inquiry claimed to have received 200 written submissions, less than half of
those are acknowledged in the Report, or on the CPCCA website. At least one
Panel member refused to put her name on the report; Liberal MP Joyce Murray
told Embassy Magazine that CPCCA members were never brought together to
discuss the Report or consider revisions.
The CPCCA
decided to hear from selected persons and groups, mainly representing pro‑Israel
organizations. Groups and individuals who challenged the assumptions of the
CPCCA were, in the main, excluded from the Inquiry, and the Report refuses to
acknowledge their submissions.
As the CPJME
notes, "the principal aim of the CPCCA, apparent from its initial news
releases, comments made by members of the Inquiry Panel throughout its
hearings, and in its final Report, is to widen the definition of antisemitism
to include criticism of Israeli government practices and policies, particularly
those that have come to be labelled `Israeli Apartheid'".
The key
recommendation of the Report is that
This appears
to be the direction of the Harper Tory government. Federal cabinet ministers
John Baird and Jason Kenney recently signed the Ottawa Protocol on Combating
Antisemitism, one of the steps suggested by the CPCCA report. Legislation
relating to criticism of
People's Voice Editorial
The next step
in the long Palestinian struggle for freedom and independence has been taken
with the historic speech by President Mahmoud Abbas at the United Nations on
Sept. 22. Debate within the Security Council on
But
shamefully,
It remains to
be seen how the process at the U.N. will play out. Enormous pressure by the
But sooner or
later, the state promised to Palestinians in 1948 will be achieved, and the era
of Israeli occupation and apartheid will come to an end. The people of
Here in
8) STOPPING HARPER'S STEAMROLLER
People's Voice Editorial
The
post-election warnings of Stephen Harper's agenda are coming true in spades,
from the Tory assault on collective bargaining rights, to the signals of an
"austerity package" aimed at gutting social programs. The Canadian
Wheat Board is being destroyed (illegally!), and the Tories are preparing a
formal review of foreign policy, with the goal of further undermining Canadian
sovereignty and promoting global capitalist integration. Canadian military
bases are being established in several countries, and the NATO occupation of
One of the
most frightening steps by the new Tory majority is the Omnibus Crime Bill.
Among other things, this legislation will impose mandatory minimum sentences,
end pardons for serious crimes, expand the capacity of the state to conduct
surveillance and access private information, and reinstate so-called "anti‑terrorism"
provisions that expired back in 2007, including three‑day detentions
without cause, known as "preventative arrests."
Aimed at
criminalizing youth and Aboriginal peoples, this legislation has a distinct
racist edge. Civil liberties groups condemn these serious violations of
constitutional rights and freedoms, and Budget watchdog Kevin Page estimates
that the measures will increase the Corrections
In short,
this government is hell-bent on removing civil liberties and democratic
freedoms, despite the fact that they won less than 40% of votes in the recent
federal election. This steamroller won't be stopped by speeches in the House of
Commons; only a massive, Canada-wide fightback in our streets, communities,
workplaces and campuses can block the Tories. The leadership of the labour
movement must assume its responsibility help launch such a fightback... before
it's too late.
Resolution adopted by the Central
Committee, Communist Party of
This year marks
the 90th anniversary of the birth of the Communist Party of
As we
celebrate this anniversary, we remember the many contributions and achievements
of our Party over those ninety years. Whether it was in organizing the
unorganized, forging most of the industrial and public sector unions which
exist today in our country; building and leading the farmers' movements
for survival and dignity; organizing the ranks of Canada's unemployed during
the Great Depression, launching the famous On‑to‑Ottawa Trek;
mobilizing thousands of young volunteers to fight against fascism in Spain and
later across Europe during WWII; building the peace & disarmament movement
in the post‑war years; leading the historic struggle within the labour
movement in English‑speaking Canada to recognize the national rights of
Quebec; helping to forge the pan‑Canadian student movement in the 1970s;
helping to build broad movements for civic reforms, universal health care, and
defense of Canadian sovereignty; all of these and many other episodes in our
history we remember with pride.
And we
remember too that our revolutionary activities were carried out in
circumstances of unrelenting hostility and attacks from
It is in this
context that we mark another anniversary of sorts this year ‑ it has been
two decades since the inner‑party struggle which almost liquidated our
Party. In the late 1980s, George Hewison assumed the Party leadership and
shortly thereafter a motley group of right opportunists, careerists and
Trotskyists gradually gained ascendency within the Central Committee of the
CPC. They were able to do so by concealing their liquidationist agenda and by
taking advantage of confusion and disorientation within Party ranks due to
developments in the former Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) where
under Gorbachev's stewardship the clouds of counter‑revolution were
gathering. In due course, the Hewison clique set about dismantling our Party
piece by piece, starting with the dissolution of the Young Communist League and
layoffs of Party cadre, and then the closure of the party's print shop and
publishing house, and progressive bookstores across the country.
As their
liquidationist project gained momentum, this group began to openly break with
the ideological principles and political line of our Party. They began negating
the history of our Party (and that of the international communist movement in
general) as having been "sectarian", "vanguardist" and
"doctrinaire". They advanced reformist ideas about "incremental
change" in place of, and as a substitute for, the concept of revolutionary
transformation from capitalism to socialism‑communism. They decreed that
"imperialism" was an outdated concept (!) which no longer
characterized "post industrial capitalism". And they attacked
democratic centralism, the organizational principle of our Party, and set about
dismantling Party clubs and other organizational structures. Over time, their
denunciations of "Stalinism" led to attacks on Leninist ideas, and
ultimately to a refutation of the postulates of Marxism itself. And they
proposed that the Party change its name, dropping all reference to 'communist'
from our banner.
Behind the
scenes, this liquidationist faction began holding secret meetings with social
democrats and 'independent leftists' to dissolve the Communist Party with the
goal of forming a new 'united party of the socialist left', using party assets
to finance their new venture.
Following the
1990 Convention, opposition to the increasingly obvious abandonment of Marxist
theory and practice by the Hewison leadership grew across the country. When
detailed evidence surfaced of their secret plans to dissolve the Party and
steal its assets, and as expulsions of members began, the majority of the party
membership demanded an emergency Canada‑wide convention to resolve the
issue. But the liquidators refused and instead set about dissolving party clubs
and provincial committees that opposed their conspiracy. Members were told to
sign loyalty oaths to Hewison et al or else face a refusal to renew
their memberships.
Ultimately
however the membership defeated their plans and saved the Communist Party from
destruction, but at a heavy political, organizational and financial cost.
Ours was not
the only Communist Party to go through such a convulsive experience; other
parties around the world went through similar and sometimes worse trials during
those difficult years. To our south, a liquidationist faction attempted to gain
control of our sister party the Communist Party
The lessons
drawn from that painful episode in our history are important for the Communists
in
It is
in this context that we now comment on recent developments and debates which
have been taking place in our neighbouring party, the CPUSA. For several years
now, our Central Committee has received inquiries from many concerned members
about political and organizational changes in that party, and the renunciation
by leading cadres of such fundamental Marxist concepts as "the dictatorship
of the proletariat", "democratic centralism" and
"proletarian internationalism."
The concerns
raised have dealt with a number of interrelated issues, such as various
statements issued by the CPUSA dealing with international questions, especially
on the Palestinian struggle, and on the U.S. wars of occupation in Iraq and
Afghanistan; on trade union policy which many feel is insufficiently critical
of class collaborationism in the leadership of the AFL‑CIO (which has a
direct bearing on Canada given the large presence of AFL‑CIO affiliates
in the Canadian Labour Congress); on the assessment of the role and class
position of the Obama Administration and the Democratic Party and the absence
of any independent electoral presence of the CPUSA in its own name; on various
pronouncements by leading figures of the CPUSA on changing the party name, in
describing the multi‑trillion dollar government bail‑outs as
"a dose of socialism", etc.; and in organizational decisions to cease
the print editions of People's Weekly World and Political Affairs, the layoffs
of Party and YCL organizing staff, the internet‑based 'open door'
approach to party recruitment, etc.
Although
deeply concerned about many of these developments, our Central Committee has
until now refrained from comment. However, in light of the publication earlier
this year of the article "A Party of Socialism in the 21st Century"
by CPUSA Chair Sam Webb, our Central Committee finds it necessary to clarify
our Party's views on certain critical questions which have been raised.
Although the various theses presented in this article refer, in the first
place, to a proposed reorientation of the CPUSA itself, its title and text read
as if these ideas should form the 'template' of the political approach of Communist
parties in general, or certainly at least in other advanced capitalist
countries such as Canada. This assumption was confirmed when comments from
other fraternal parties were actively solicited by the CPUSA, a highly unusual
practice.
We are aware
of the formal responses given to this article by the Communist Parties of
Based on our
90 years of struggle, on our Party program "The Road to Socialism",
our Constitution, and on the decisions reached our conventions, the Communist
Party of Canada understands its nature and role, and undertakes its political
activities, as guided by the following general considerations and conclusions
(among others):
* that the main contradiction
underlying capitalism in Canada today remains the class contradiction,
reflecting in the class struggle between the two main classes ‑ the
ruling capitalist class (especially its core, monopoly capital) and the working
class of our country, a contradiction which can only be resolved through the
revolutionary transformation of our society from capitalism to socialism.
* therefore that as a revolutionary
party, the main task of the CPC is to defend and advance the long‑term
interests of the working class in pursuit of this ultimate objective, and
"strives to be the leading political party of the working class, of all
who labour by hand and brain... [a party which] arises out of the working class
and is an organized political detachment of that class... [and which] has no
interests separate and apart from those of the working class as a whole."
* that our Party supports the struggle
for immediate reforms to improve the conditions of the working class and the
people under capitalism, and seeks unity with all other forces which support
and will fight for such advances; at the same time, our Party never loses sight
of the ultimate goal of socialism nor the fact that there can be no other
course to socialism other than through the revolutionary overthrow of the
existing order. In this regard, we consider a correct understanding of the
dialectical relationship between reform and revolution to be of paramount
importance;
* that in pursuing the broadest
possible unity with other class and social forces to achieve immediate
advances, it is absolutely imperative for our Party to studiously safeguard its
independent role as a revolutionary party of the working class and oppose
tendencies or pressures ‑ either from within or without our ranks ‑
to efface or submerge our independent role. The CPC considers it vital
that it speak directly, visibly and openly in our own name, and engage in
ideological struggle ‑ the 'battle of ideas' ‑ against bourgeois,
reformist and class collaborationist concepts that weaken, disarm and divide
the movement;
* that the "world outlook of
[our] Party is based on Marxism-Leninism, which embodies the theory of
scientific socialism first developed by Karl Marx, Frederick Engels and V.I.
Lenin. Marxism-Leninism is not a dogma; it is a living, developing theory, tool
of analysis and guide to action. It incorporates the concentrated experience of
all the struggles of the working class, both in
* that the CPC is imbued with a
proletarian internationalist outlook, reflected in both our struggle to achieve
socialism in Canada, and in our active solidarity with anti‑imperialist
and revolutionary struggles, and efforts to build socialism around the world. A
critical aspect of our internationalist responsibility is the ideological
struggle against bourgeois slanders and distortions of the history of the
international working class movement and its efforts to forge socialism, both
in the past and in the present day; and
* that in terms of our organizational
principles as a Communist Party, these "are determined by its political
aims... to guide the working class to the achievement of these aims, and to
lead the people's struggle, the Party must be founded on firm ideological,
political and organizational unity, and on the continuous organized activity of
its members in close contact with the working people, knowing their views and
needs, and able to explain Party policy. Democratic centralism is the
organizational principle which ensures this." [from our Party
Constitution]
This is where
we stand, and these are the principles which we unwaveringly defend.
10) MUSIC NOTES, by Wally Brooker
Celebrating Woody's centennial
Preparations are underway for the celebration
of legendary troubadour Woody Guthrie's centennial in 2012. The great
folksinger died of Huntington's Disease in 1967, leaving an indelible mark on
generations of musicians and activists. A host of concerts, programs and
special events are being planned by the
Bagpipes and guitars in Wisconsin
Musician‑activist Tom Morello,
co‑founder of Rage Against the Machine, was treated to a hero's welcome
by the bagpipers of Fire Fighters Local 311 when he returned to
There are always new initiatives to report
about musicians acting in solidarity with
Our second item concerns a young
Growing call to boycott Fender
Fender Musical Instruments, the
world's largest guitar manufacturer, is under criticism for its outsourcing of
sweatshop labour and its de facto support of
El Sistema comes to Canada
11) CAPITALISM IS BAD FOR CHILDREN
By W.T. Whitney, Jr.
U.S. children
are threatened, especially poor, Black, and Hispanic children. Hazards mount in
tandem with child poverty, as wealth ends up in fewer and fewer hands.
Capitalist rule makes children victims of class war.
The Children's
Defense Fund's (CDF) report "The State of
Findings are
correlated with children's ethnic origins. That emphasis takes on additional
meaning from the suggestion of Vicente Navarro and others that race often
serves as proxy for class. Child poverty
increased 28 percent between 2000 and 2009 ‑ 10 percent between 2008 and
2009. While one in 10 white children were living in poverty that year ($22,050
for a family of four), one in three Black and Hispanic children were poor. Of
15.5 million poor children under age 18 ‑ 20.7 percent of all children ‑
11.9 percent were white, 35.7 percent Black; and 33.1 percent Hispanic. For
children under five, comparable figures were 14.7 percent, 41.9 percent, and 35
percent respectively. By contrast, 8.9 percent of persons over 65 were poor.
The CDF
report relies upon statistical associations between poverty and race and harm
to done to children. For example, the
The
Children
suffer from loss of their mothers. Amnesty International recently reported that
the
Only 60
percent of Black and Hispanic students graduate from high school; 81 percent of
white students do. Almost 80 percent of minority students function well below
grade level in reading and math. Homeless preschool children are up 43 percent
over two years. Black, Hispanic, and American Indian youth make up two thirds
of those entering the juvenile justice system.
In 2009, 80
percent of
The wealthy
run the show. Citing admittedly non‑exact data, The Center for Responsive
Politics reports in 2009 that 79 of 100 senators and 229 of 435 representatives
were millionaires. President Obama was worth $4.96 million, Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton, $31.24 million. The average senator's 2008 net worth was
$13.99 million, that of House members, $4.67 million.
What, one
asks, is the
U.S. rulers
look to the future, but not to a future for children, which depends entirely on
thriving in the here and now. They would fight wars without end, free
grandchildren of government debt, educate to compete, keep seniors from
freeloading, and they speak of jobs. They quashed the idea of universal health
care. Too bad: some of the babies and mothers would have survived. Instead,
millionaires and their hangers‑on shore up the military industrial
complex and subject working people to fear and divisions.
With children
under siege and many of them dying preventable deaths, the time for action and
organization is now. Marxists, experienced in the history of class conflict,
are surely fit to educate and lead in this struggle and many others.
Socialists, including self‑proclaimed Marxists, need no longer to wait
around to be admitted into establishment circles, or for stages of struggle to
evolve. They should break off from capitalist power brokers and an ideology of
greed. Victims cry out.
A leading
option for socialists is independent political action, initially education and
agitation. Struggle for the children is one of many inviting scenarios. The
fate of children teaches about the realities of class antagonism. Fighting for
their survival becomes a crash course on combativeness. Inquiry into and
advocacy for programs serving children's needs prepares socialists for the time
of assuming responsibilities.
12) "WE NEED A JOINT STRUGGLE FOR LIBERATION"
In an
unprecedented event, a large group of left-wing Palestinian and Israeli
parties, unions and civil society groups has issued a joint statement in
support of the Israeli struggle for social justice, and against the Israeli
state's occupation of
This
development follows the launch over the past summer of the J14 social justice
movement in
Perhaps for
the first time in regional history, official Palestinian parties and NGOs are
showing their support for an Israeli civilian struggle against neo‑liberalism
and capitalism.
Alongside
their general statement of support, signatories mentioned the influence Arab
revolutions have had on the Israeli movement, and stressed the importance they
see in the ground-breaking widespread cooperation between Jewish and Arab
citizens of
In addition,
the signatories call upon J14 to connect their struggle with the one against
the illegal settlements and the occupation, and to stop Israeli governments
from attempting to sideline the struggle in the face of "outside security
threats" such as the upcoming vote on recognition of Palestinian statehood
at the United Nations.
Beyond these
messages of support, the statement reaffirms the signatories' commitment both
to the Palestinian Authority's attempt to gain UN recognition for a Palestinian
state, and to the joint popular struggle against the occupation. Yet another
notion on the agenda is the message of solidarity with all peoples of the
region who are currently fighting for freedom and independence from totalitarian
regimes.
The full
statement of this historic text reads as follows:
Together for
putting an end to occupation and racism, in support of the struggle of the
Palestinian people to attain their national rights and against national and
social oppression.
Even in light
of the encouraging developments in the Middle East, the wave of social protests
and the awakening of the peoples' struggles for freedoms and the right to live
in dignity, the Palestinian people still live under the yoke of the Israeli
occupation, despite their persistent and ongoing struggle for freedom. The
international community, for its part, demonstrates its helplessness and does
not lend a hand to support the Palestinian struggle for liberation and justice.
The protest
movements and the winds of change blowing in the Arab world have aroused
excitement throughout the world amongst freedom seekers, encouraging many to
adopt the model of popular struggle. These protest movements have had a deep
impact on various groups in
Moved by our
aspiration to attain a just and fair peace in the region, a peace that is truly
essential for the peoples of the region and can assist in promoting the
struggle for justice and progress for everyone, we - Palestinian and Israeli
social and political forces, representatives of women's associations and young
people from both sides of the Green Line - emphasise the need for a joint
struggle, with the goal of liberating the peoples of the region from
colonialism and hegemony, particularly that of Zionism, halting the occupation
and Israeli military aggression and supporting the just struggle of the
Palestinian people for fulfilment of its right for self‑determination in
accordance with the decisions of the international community.
We look
forward to the liberation of all the region's peoples from dictatorship, ruling
tyranny and from all forms of national, social and economic oppression.
Therefore, we the signatories on this document, emphasise:
1. We support the Palestinian
September initiative in the United Nations, the body which carries
responsibility for laying the foundations of peace internationally, in order to
demand full membership for Palestine in the UN and recognition of a Palestinian
state in the borders of 4 June 1967 with East Jerusalem as its capital, and to
strengthen the efforts to end the occupation of the Palestinian people's lands,
with preservation of the right of the Palestinian people to oppose the
occupation and the right of return of the refugees in accordance with United
Nations Resolution 194. In this context, we emphasise that the Palestinian
Liberation Organisation (PLO) is the sole and legitimate representative of the
Palestinian people, deriving its legitimacy both from the Palestinian people in
the homeland and exile and from the recognition it received from the Arab
League and the United Nations.
The UN
initiative is a legitimate step. The United Nations must fulfil its
responsibility to realize its responsibility to establish peace and justice on
the international level. This is a step that strengthens the rights of the
Palestinian people and in no way represents a threat to Israel, despite the
great efforts of the Israeli government to present this step to the Israeli
people as a declaration of war or harming the legitimacy of the existence of
Israel.
2. We understand that one of the
primary reasons for the social and economic distress of citizens in Israel, in
addition to the capitalist economic policies, is the continuation of the
occupation and excessive security budgets, which Israel's government seeks to
justify as needed for defending the security of the settlements on the one hand
and the state borders on the other. We therefore believe that an end to the
occupation and establishment of a fair and just peace are essential for a life
of peace and welfare.
We welcome the participation and integration
of the Palestinian population in
3. We recognize the right of the
Palestinian people, living under occupation, to make use of all the legitimate
forms of resistance in accordance with international norms for removing of the
occupiers from its land and for self‑determination. In this context, we
emphasise the importance of the joint popular struggle of Palestinians and
Israelis. A popular joint struggle is one of the central guiding principles in
the struggle against the occupation, the settlements, racism, colonialism,
against policies of exclusion, weakening, impoverishment, and racist separation
within
SIGNATORIES:
Association of Palestinian Democratic Youth (
Communist Party of Israel; Democratic Front
for the Liberation of Palestine (Palestine); Democratic Front for Peace and
Equality - Hadash (Israel); Democratic Teachers' Union (Palestine); Democratic
Union of Professionals in Palestine (Palestine); Democratic Women's Movement in
Israel (Israel); National Campaign for Return of the Bodies of Arab and
Palestinian Martyrs Captured by the Israeli Government (Palestine); Palestinian
People's Party (Palestine); Popular Campaign for the Boycott of Israeli
Products (Palestine); Progressive Workers' Union (Palestine); Tarabut‑Hithabrut
- Arab-Jewish Movement for Social and Political Change (Israel); The
Alternative Information Center (Palestine/Israel); Union of Palestinian
Farmers' Unions (Palestine); Union of One World for Justice (Palestine); Union
of Palestinian Working Women (Palestine); Workers' Unity Bloc (Palestine).
13) "THEY FOUGHT TIRELESSLY FOR WORKING
PEOPLE"
As part of a People's
Voice tribute to this year's 90th anniversary of the Communist Party of Canada,
this is a brief sketch of the unique lives of William (Bill) and Mary Kardash,
long-time elected officials in Winnipeg, who combined electoral and
extra-parliamentary struggles for a better world for over seven decades.
Born in 1912
in
With the
outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936, he joined the Mackenzie-Papineau
Battalion, serving in the tank corps of the anti-fascist International
Brigades. Wounded at the battle of Fuentes de Ebro (October 1937), Kardash lost
a leg and returned to
Touring the
prairies at the same time was Mary Kostaniuk, on behalf of the
In that
period,
Then
During his 17
years as a Communist MLA, Bill Kardash was a determined and relentless fighter
for the interests of the working class in
One episode
from 1947 illustrates the tenor of Cold War politics. Berry Richards, a radical
CCF MLA who was once suspended from his party for urging a coalition with other
left‑wing parties, rose in the Legislature to warn that "
An MLA salary
in those days was not enough to support a family, and Bill Kardash also worked
at the People's Co-op Dairy, serving as general manager from 1948 until 1982
when he retired. Throughout his life, he remained active in the Ukrainian
community and in campaigns for peace and on behalf of veterans of the Mackenzie‑Papineau
Battalion.
Born in
During the
post-war years, Communists were a leading force in
In 1950, Mary
Kardash ran her first campaign for School Board, trying several times until
winning in 1960. She was re-elected until 1970, and then again from 1977 to
1986, topping the polls three times. As a school trustee, Mary was a tireless
fighter for a high-quality education for all children, especially those from
low-income families. She was on the cutting edge of struggles for school
breakfast programs, better child care, and many other reforms. Her efforts
focused particularly on working with Aboriginal groups to tackle the poverty
faced by thousands of Aboriginal children in
One of the
final political contributions of this remarkable couple came in the early
1990s, when the Communist Party of
Even
political rivals of the Kardash's had to acknowledge their huge contributions
to the lives of working people in
COPE
Election Office, now
open at 585 E. Broadway. To volunteer for the campaign, drop in or call
604-255-0400.
People’s
Co-op Books AGM, Friday,
Sept. 30, 7 pm. For membership and info, visit the store,
Will
The Real Terrorist Please Stand Up?, Saul Landau’s new film (see this page for details), Wed.,
Oct. 5, 6:40 pm and Fri., Oct 7, 3:00 pm at Empire
Granville 7 Theatre; Tue., Oct. 11,
1:30 pm at Pacific Cinematheque (1130 Howe). Sponsored by Canadian-Cuban Friendship
Association.
Left
Film Night, 7
pm, Sun., Oct. 30, Centre for Socialist Education, 706
Indigenous Young Women: Speaking our
Truths, Nov. 18-21 conference. Info:
1-888-948-1112 or Natasha@girlsactionfoundation.ca,
or google “Girls Action Foundation”.
David Rovics concert, University of Ottawa Alumni Auditorium, Sunday, Oct. 2, 7 pm. Tickets
$10-$20 sliding scale, proceeds to Canadian Boat to
3rd
Annual International Festival of Poetry of Resistance, opening dinner and programme Friday,
Oct. 14, 5 pm, Steelworkers Hall, 25 Cecil St. For info on full weekend of events,
see story on page 10.
Michael
Parenti forum, hear
the author of The Face of Imperialism,
Tue., Nov. 1, time and place TBA. Parenti will also speak in
What
are our real choices?, forum
with Saleh Waziruddin (Communist candidate in
Meet the candidate, discuss the
politics, with Brampton-Springdale Communist
candidate Liz Rowley, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2 pm, Soccer Centre Community Room 2,
Palestinians
And Jews United, boycott/disinvestment/sanctions picket, every Saturday, 1-3
pm, outside Israeli shoe store “NAOT”,