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October 16-31 , 2011
Volume 19 - Number 18
$1
Prolétaires
de tous les pays, unissez-vous!
Otatoskewak ota kitaskinahk mamawestotan!
Workers of all lands, unite
1) OCCUPY (YOUR CITY)
- Editorial
2) TOUGH TIMES FOR NEO-CONS? - Editorial
3) WHAT'S BEHIND THE WALL STREET PROTESTS?
4) McGILL STRIKERS TURN UP THE HEAT ON EMPLOYER
5) TENTATIVE DEAL IN U.S. STEEL LOCKOUT
6) UNEQUAL TREATMENT DERAILS MISSING WOMEN INQUIRY
7) MANITOBA NDP ELECTED TO FOURTH TERM
8) "COPE WILL CONTINUE TO DEFEND PUBLIC EDUCATION"
9) ANTI-FRACKING ACTIVISTS ARRESTED IN ALBERTA
10) GROUPS DEMAND TO PROSECUTE BUSH FOR TORTURE
11) PROFUNC QUESTIONS REMAIN UNANSWERED
12) CUBAN FIVE PRISONER RELEASED "UNDER
SUPERVISION"
13) REGIME OF THE "SUPREME RELIGIOUS LEADER"
SLIDES DEEPER INTO CRISIS
14) THE COLD WAR AND THE "REDS" IN THE UNIONS
15) CALL TO CANADIAN PEACE CONGRESS CONVENTION
16) WHAT’S
LEFT
17) CLARTÉ (en français)
18)
THE SPARK! (Theoretical and Discussion Bulletin of the Communist Party of
19) INTRODUCING MARX
PEOPLE'S VOICE
OCTOBER 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: NOVEMBER 1-15 NOVEMBER 16-30 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
October 16-31, 2011, issue of People's
1) OCCUPY YOUR CITY
People's Voice Editorial
To paraphrase
the famous Russian Nikolai Chernyshevsky, the road to revolution takes many
unexpected twists and turns. Who could have predicted a year ago that
In both
cases, circumstances were ripe for a popular upsurge. In every capitalist
country, even the
Starting
without a declared political aim, the
The
challenges faced by this openly anti-capitalist but extremely diverse crusade
are enormous. But the decision to rise up together against corporate domination
is a powerful and liberating act, with enormous potential. Through their bold
attempt to defeat the system, the "99 percenters" will learn more about
social change than any textbook could teach.
This movement
deserves the unhesitating support of all progressive activists. More
"occupations" will begin in cities across
People's Voice Editorial
The
ultra-rich are getting a tough ride these days, although their bloated profits
will do much to soothe hurt feelings. Some even complain of being
"demonized"! Typical of these whiners is Daphne Guinness. Profiled
recently in the New Yorker,
Daphne is famous for her wardrobe of 2,500 garments, 450 pairs of shoes, 200
handbags, and vast quantities of the finest gold, silver and jewels. No doubt
the sight of Ms. Guinness has helped spark the ire of thousands who support
On the
political side, the Harperites and their ilk have taken a few good whacks this
fall. First it was Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, whose bombast has been popped like a
balloon by the red-hot needle of public opinion. The Mayor's sudden implosion
helped drag Tory Tim Hudak's far-right gang to defeat in the Ontario provincial
election, just two days after the Manitoba Tories were rejected by voters in
that province. We also note the interesting victory of "red Tory"
Alison Redford in the race for her party's leadership, becoming the first woman
premier of
A few
swallows do not necessarily make a spring, of course. There is little sign that
the right-wing
3) WHAT'S
BEHIND THE
From the Australian-based New Matilda
independent media website
Protesters
have been occupying Wall Street and dodging mace‑wielding police since
Sept. 17. Why are they there? Commentators looking for one single demand are
missing the point.
Young women being pepper‑sprayed
by cops on Wall Street? A protest movement claiming to represent 99 percent of
the population? Missed it? The #occupyWallStreet campaign was initially
organised by the magazine Adbusters, but is now administered by a vertical
cohort of groups and individuals on social media. Groups in more than 40 cities
across the
The protests
have been getting bigger and bigger, and they've been graced by progressive
luminaries such as Susan Sarandon and Michael Moore, but unless you closely
follow alternative media the protests might have escaped your attention.
They haven't
been widely reported in the mainstream media, and when they have, reports have
turned on police brutality rather than what the protest is all about. This
isn't altogether surprising. One protester told the NY Daily News "I was shocked
because it seemed like one person after another was being brutally tackled, and
it wasn't clear why". The many videos in circulation of protesters getting
zapped with pepper spray provide clear evidence of police zealotry - but have
also served to distract media outlets from why the protesters were there in the
first place.
The New York Times has been criticised
for missing the point in the article. Gina Bellafante wrote: "The group's
lack of cohesion and its apparent wish to pantomime progressivism rather than
practice it knowledgably is unsettling in the face of the challenges so many of
its generation face."
Some
progressive media outlets have been less than enthused too. Lauren Ellis in Mother Jones says the campaign is
"lacking traction" and lists four reasons why - including police
brutality being in the spotlight rather than the protesters' concerns, and for
a "kitchen‑sink" approach she summarises thusly: "First
make noise, then decide what the noise is all about."
National
Public Radio Ombudsman Edward Schumacher‑Matos explains why the radio
network hadn't given the protests any coverage in this post. He quotes NPR's
executive director for news, Dick Meyer: "The recent protests on Wall
Street did not involve large numbers of people, prominent people, a great
disruption or an especially clear objective."
Inadvertently, Bellafante and Meyer might have got it right. It's very apparent
that there is no one single reason drawing protesters to Wall Street and to
other protests. One "clear objective" and group cohesion just isn't
the name of the game - so perhaps it's not surprising that the media has taken
a while to twig to what's going on.
The protests
started very small and not all the protesters who turned up have the same
reasons for doing so. As Eli Schmitt wrote a few days after it all started:
"We still don't know exactly what the demands are. One of the members of
our group, in discussing the criteria for a good demand, noted that Americans
like to `get something' out of a political action. Repeal, enact, ban. We want
visible, measurable outcomes."
The 99
percenters did get around to issuing a list of their "one demands" in
response to the media's desire for "one clear demand". It's not one
objective, but many - some of which are extremely abstract.
As Schmitt
observes, the protests underway in Wall Street and across
Ed Pilkington
in UK Guardian concurs,
writing, "The protests were a lament for a nation in which, despite the
2008 meltdown, the financial system remains largely unregulated, where 46 million
Americans live below the official poverty line, and where inequality is greater
now than at any time since 1929."
David
Weidner, writing in Market Watch,
is in touch with the same rage and desperation; he just placed a slightly
different emphasis.
"If you
want to know how a nation supposedly by and for the people has become uprooted,
one only needs to see how common young people, who are suffering so badly in
this recession, were humiliated further by trying to exercise their given right
to peacefully protest. If this is justice, I'd rather break the law.
"The
bankers who brought us this mess not only walk free, they drive free in
Bentleys paid for by money looted through toxic mortgages, trading debacles and
derivative madness. Regulators, prosecutors and an administration patsy to big
finance do nothing except hand out US$1.3 trillion in bailout cash and
guarantees."
4) McGILL
STRIKERS TURN UP THE HEAT ON EMPLOYER
PV Montreal Bureau
Montreal's
prestigious McGill University, often ranked number one among Canadian post‑secondary
institutions, is denying justice for non‑academic staff, says the union
for the workers, who have been without a contract for almost a year and
fighting a difficult strike since September 1st.
The
"These
conditions are not conducive to education," MUNACA president Kevin
Whittaker told People's Voice,
accusing the university of trying to wear down the strikers at the expense of
students and research.
McGill has
declared the campus a "no free‑speech zone" according to the
union. A Quebec Superior Court injunction, demanded by the administration and
recently extended, restricts picketers from speaking to students and faculty
about their concerns, pushing them away from campus and instructing them to
keep quiet.
"McGill
is also sending out emails to students with misleading information about the
strike," says Jessica Rozon, a student at McGill. Rozon's mother is a
member of MUNACA (almost eighty per cent of MUNACA's members are women). The
strike impacts her family, as well as her academic life.
"One
computer lab I use now only has about 24 functioning computers with just four
working printers, creating problems for students" Rozon told PV. "The
people who work in the library, and really [all campus workers] are overloaded.
McGill is not fairly negotiating and this is a big issue for people."
"Their
working conditions are our learning conditions," says Jamie Burnett, a
member of the McGill student's union (SSMU). Burnett helped draft a SSMU
council resolution backing the strikers and has joined in numerous actions in
support of the MUNACA.
The strike
particularly impacts students with disabilities and those relying on financial
aid. "It is a real concern how seriously the administration actually takes
what student's think," he says, noting that student's are also fighting
steep tuition increases.
A group of biology professors also
recently publicly backed the strikers, citing serious concerns about the
deterioration of McGill's academic standards, especially on research funding
and the quality of education.
"MUNACA
is the largest and strongest union on campus," said Faridudin Attar, the
president of the Association of McGill University Support Employees which
represents casual, part‑time and temporary workers. "Many of our
demands [in negotiations] are very similar."
"We've
had students, professors, community members and the labour movement out in
support," Whittaker says. The union is now turning up the heat by
organizing surprise "flash mob" actions outside the offices of
members of McGill's Board of Governors, which includes representatives from
major corporations. Kathy Fazel at the Royal Bank of Canada, Martine Turcotte
at Bell Canada, and Thierry Vandal at Hydro
"If our
union can take on Diamond Mines,
McGill has
repeatedly been rated as one of
5)
TENTATIVE DEAL IN
As this issue
of People's Voice went to the
printer, active members and pensioners of United Steelworkers Local 1005 in
Hamilton were preparing for an information meeting to discuss a tentative
agreement reached between the union and U.S. Steel on Oct. 10.
A news
release to Local 1005 members, locked out by the company since November 2010,
says, "As you know, the union has stayed united as one behind its
negotiating committee in its opposition to company attempts to dictate
concessions and its refusal to take up its social responsibilities towards its
Hamilton Works labour force. Local 1005 has stood as one behind the steadfast
attempts of the negotiating committee to reach a negotiated settlement with
"Finally, on Monday, after eleven months of a phony lockout and repeated
decreed `final offers', some headway was made and negotiations finally took
place producing a tentative agreement. This will be provided for your
consideration at the information meeting on Wednesday, October 12, 2011.
"If this
entire experience has given us anything at all, it is the confidence that today
Hamilton steelworkers can proudly and confidently exercise an informed vote,
fully aware of the situation they face and of their responsibilities towards
not just themselves and their families, but also towards the retirees, the
future generation of workers, their union and their community, as well as the
plight of Canada itself whose steel industry is now in foreign hands. We are
also confident that this experience has prepared us further for the challenges
which lie ahead.
"See you
all on Wednesday to that together we can deliberate on whether or not this
tentative agreement meets our needs at this time."
Our next issue will report on further developments in this important working
class struggle.
6) UNEQUAL TREATMENT DERAILS MISSING WOMEN INQUIRY
PV Vancouver Bureau
"Sisters
in Spirit" vigils in dozens of locations on October 4th drew attention to
the hundreds of missing and murdered women across
One
flashpoint of this crisis has been in
On Sept. 28,
20 of the 21 organizations which had been granted standing to appear before the
inquiry, and another ten supporting groups, sent the following joint letter to
Premier Clark.
"We
write to you as organizations directly interested in the crucial human rights
concerns at the heart of the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry, established
by your government's September 27, 2010 Order in Council. Regretfully, we write
to advise you that this Commission is in serious jeopardy. We are asking for
you to intervene in this broken process, meet with our organizations, hear our
concerns, and take steps to ensure that the Commission lives up to its vital
mandate to determine why so many women's lives were lost and what can be done
to prevent a recurrence of this tragedy.
"... All
of our organizations share the goal of ending violence against girls and women.
This Commission has as a key mandate identifying the systemic failures that led
to brutal violence against women from
"Our
concerns are simple but fundamental: that those with information critical to
the inquiry are assisted and supported so that their information can come
before the Commission; that the hearings, when held, provide a fair and safe
opportunity for those with evidence to share their information and be heard;
that groups granted standing have representation by legal counsel of their
choice, just as the police do, so that they may probe and engage with the
evidence that comes to light; and that, when the hearings are concluded,
government will act in a constructive way in reforming policy based on the
information collected...
"We urge
you to appoint someone senior within government to hold an emergency meeting
with every group granted standing in this Inquiry, either in a group, or
individually, to determine how this Commission of Inquiry may be fixed. We urge
your government to repair the inquiry process based on these consultations so
that we may all move forward."
7)
By Darrell Rankin, Leader, Communist
Party of Canada-Manitoba
Convinced
that the Tories were the worse threat, voters in
The NDP made
minimal promises to improve health care, expand jobs, education and training,
and to fight crime with more police officers. They were able to keep the Tories
on the defensive as untrustworthy and likely to privatize
Fear governed
the short stampede to the polls, but the NDP's slogans managed to reassure
voters û "Progress families can count on," "Let's keep
building" and "Let's not risk it."
The NDP,
Tories and corporate media all covered up the economic crisis û poverty and the
loss of better‑paying jobs û and the impact of global warming to create
worse, perhaps catastrophic floods in the province. The NDP's reassurances
can't last long.
The idea that
"elections are not the time for complex discussions" was
dutifully enforced by the corporate media throughout the campaign. There was a
near total blackout of the Communist platform, and scant comment on the Green
Party's platform which contained some gestures to the "People's Agenda for
One editorial
writer in the
So what are
we left with? After the election,
The debate on
real solutions for
The Communist
Party carried out a vigorous campaign which had four candidates on the ballot,
reached tens of thousands door to door, and brought many closer to our
positions. We were greeted with curiosity, warmth, support and recognition at
many doors.
Affected by
the blackout and the short campaign, Communist votes dropped slightly, ranging
from 0.6% to 1.0% of the votes in the four ridings. But the Communist Party has
full confidence in its People's Agenda and will be around in the next election.
We have much work to do to make sure the stampede is different the next time.
8)
"COPE WILL CONTINUE TO DEFEND PUBLIC EDUCATION"
By Jane Bouey
COPE candidate for
When my son
began school, he faced serious learning challenges. Teachers, extraordinary
champions for my son, shared tears with me as they explained that if he had
just started a few years earlier he would have received the support he needed.
When I successfully advocated for such supports, I soon realized these scarce
resources would be taken from another child. I began to see the big picture.
Gradually I
understood that thousands of students ‑ those living in poverty, students
for whom English was an additional language, Aboriginal students, lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgendered and questioning (LGBTQ) students ‑ all faced
barriers to having their unique learning needs met.
I joined others
in the community advocating for full funding of public education. We were
angered by NPA school boards who were reluctant to stand up for our students.
Those Boards looked to corporate funding, fundraising and fees to make up the
shortfall. But we saw we could count on COPE to defend public education.
Working
people ‑ over time, and around the world ‑ have struggled for free,
democratically controlled, quality public schools. One of the fathers of public
education in
This election
is taking place with the backdrop of the teachers' job action, provoked by a
premier trying to relive her "glory years". As minister of education,
she presided over massive funding cuts. Students who face barriers to learning
were hurt the most. Parents fled the public system. Teachers' collective
agreements were stripped. COPE and Vision trustees have done our best to keep
the cuts out of the classrooms, but public education has yet to recover from
Christy's shock treatment.
This is a
"make‑it or break‑it" moment in BC. We cannot afford a
I am proud to
currently serve as Vice Chair of the School Board. Vision and COPE have worked
well together ‑ disagreeing sometimes, but always keeping our eyes on the
big picture. We have been vocal and visible advocates for public education.
Together we have helped force the province to come up with a bit more money for
education and seismic upgrades. Together we have worked with the Aboriginal
community to move ahead with bold new ideas.
With COPE at
the table, we have continued the groundbreaking LGBTQ work begun under the COPE
Board in 2002‑2005. We have spoken out against child poverty and stopped
the closure of five eastside schools.
Whether part
of a majority, or in opposition, and no matter who is in power provincially, I
will continue to fight for well resourced schools so that every student can
learn to the best of their ability. You can count on COPE trustees to stand up
for public education ‑ just like we have for 40 years.
9)
ANTI-FRACKING ACTIVISTS ARRESTED IN
PV Vancouver Bureau
In recent
issues, People's Voice has reported several times on the growing controversy
around "fracking", the process of injecting water, chemicals and sand
under high pressure, causing underground shale rock to "fracture",
releasing natural gas to flow through pipes to the surface.
As the
documentary film Gasland
reveals, this process is held responsible for devastating impacts to the health
of humans and animals across the
In the autumn
of 2010, Kainaiwa Resources Inc. - a corporation owned by the Blood Tribe, part
of the Blood Confederacy in southern Alberta - signed an agreement with Murphy
Oil and Bowood Energy. Opponents say the five year lease deal netted the Blood
Tribe at least $50 million and potentially more revenue in the future, in
return for allowing the companies to access 129,280 acres of land on the Kainai
(Blood) reserve, for oil and gas exploration.
Blood Tribe
members who fear the consequences of this deal have been raising questions and
engaging in various forms of peaceful opposition. On Sept. 9, three women from
the Tribe were arrested for standing on a road to block company vehicles. We
reprint here excerpts from a statement by Elle‑Maija Tailfeathers, who
was arrested together with Lois Frank and Jill Crop Eared Wolf.
"On
September 9, 2011, we gathered peacefully on the road leading to a newly built
Murphy Oil well on the Blood Reserve. After nearly a year of doing
everything in our power to stop hydraulic fracturing from occurring on our
land, we felt that time was no longer on our side.
'With the
imminent threat of hydraulic fracturing about to begin on Blood Tribe land, we
decided that we had to act immediately. Over the last year, we have written
letters and created petitions, we have tried to raise awareness both within our
community and beyond including founding Kainai Earth Watch and the Protect
Blood Land website, we have repeatedly contacted the Blood Tribe Chief and
Council, Kainai Resources Incorporated, the gas and oil companies, the media,
the Energy Resources Conservation Board, and various levels of government
including Indian and Northern Affairs Canada but still our rights were
violated. Countless times, we were told that this was a matter between members
of the Blood Tribe and the Blood Tribe Chief and Council.
"But as
members of the Blood Tribe, we were never asked whether or not we wanted these
wells built in the first place. There was no referendum, no vote, and no
transparent consultation process. If any objective body were to look at the
facts, they would see that the actual people who live on this land were both
ignored and lied to.
"The
fact is that we are a marginalized population that has, once again, been
exploited by those in power. We have been cast into a legal no man's land and
were left with few other recourses at that particular moment but to exercise
our right as members of the Blood Tribe to peacefully gather on our land and
demand justice. We were an unarmed group of people who numbered less than
twelve at any given time. We remained on Blood Tribe land and did not step foot
on the well site. We treated those working on the well along with the security
personnel with respect.
"After
being told by the law enforcement officers present that the Blood Tribe Chief
and Council refused to meet with us, we were given no other option but to stand
our ground and refuse that any of the Murphy Oil vehicles carrying these
harmful chemicals be allowed to leave the well site and enter tribal land.
"At this
point, Lois Frank, Jill Crop Eared Wolf, and myself were all arrested and
handcuffed by the Blood Tribe Police while RCMP officers stood by. Just after 9
pm, we were all placed in a Blood Tribe holding cell and held without charge
for approximately four hours. After we were charged with violating Section 423
(1)(G) of the criminal code for "intimidation", we were not released
until 7 am the next morning. One of the conditions of our release is that we do
not attend any gas or oil site on the Blood Reserve.
"Recently,
"I do
not feel as though what we did was heroic. We were a handful of people,
including a couple of kids who gathered for a common purpose; to prevent any
further desecration of the land. For us, this place is more than just
land; it is the place that has given life to our people since time immemorial.
Our culture, our language, our identity comes from the land and it is to the
land that we owe our very existence...
"We, on
the Blood Reserve, have reached a point where we need to set aside politics and
family ties and look at the very real issue at hand. We are about to kill the
one thing that has given us life since the very beginning. How can we look our
children and grandchildren in the eye and say that we have let such a thing
happen?
"We are
nothing without this place. There is no simple solution to the greater social
issues that come as a result of colonization. However, there is a simple
solution to this one problem and that is just to do the right thing. Set aside
your fears and protect what we have, the land, our mother..."
10) GROUPS
DEMAND TO PROSECUTE BUSH FOR TORTURE
PV Vancouver Bureau
Just weeks
after hundreds of people held a loud, angry rally outside a $500 dinner in
Bush's ideas
on "economic development" remain a closely-guarded mystery, but a
lively protest is planned outside the Sheraton
In an open
letter to
Watts insists
the event will proceed, despite growing public outrage about the invitation to
Bush.
Meanwhile, on
Sept. 29, the New York‑based Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) and
the Canadian Centre for International Justice (CCIJ) lodged a detailed
indictment, urging the Attorney General of Canada to open a criminal
investigation against Bush for his role in authorizing and overseeing his
administration's well‑documented torture program.
Earlier this
year, CCR, supported by CCIJ and more than 60 international human rights
organizations, called on Swiss authorities to prosecute Bush, based on evidence
setting out his role in the
"George
Bush has openly admitted that he approved the use of torture against men held
in
"
According to
the indictment, ex-President Bush bears individual and command responsibility
for the acts of his subordinates, as well as for his failure to prevent or
punish illegal acts. In particular, he is alleged to have authorized or
overseen enforced disappearance and secret detention, exposure to extreme temperatures,
sleep deprivation, punching, kicking, isolation in "coffin" cells for
prolonged periods, threats of bad treatment, solitary confinement, and forced
nudity.
11) PROFUNC QUESTIONS REMAIN UNANSWERED
By Kimball Cariou
The latest
attempts to get the full truth about the RCMP's anti-communist PROFUNC
operation, which lasted from 1950 until 1983, have run into a brick wall, as
federal Conservative cabinet ministers fail to provide any useful information
about the program.
PROFUNC - or
"PROminent FUNCtionaries of the Communist Party" - was set up at the
height of the Cold War witch-hunt period to track leaders, members and
supporters of the Communist Party of
Under the
direction of RCMP Commissioner Stuart Taylor Wood, this blacklist grew to
include some 16,000 "suspected communists" and 50,000 "communist
sympathizers" to be observed and potentially interned during a state of
emergency. The identities were filed at Mountie detachments across the country,
with a separate arrest document for each potential internee. These forms were
updated regularly, including descriptions, photographs, vehicle data, and even
notes on "escape routes" from the residences of those on the list.
The children of detainees were to be sent to relatives or interned with their
parents.
Prominent non‑communists
were on the PROFUNC list, such as Saskatchewan Premier Tommy Douglas, who
campaigned for universal Medicare in
During the
early 1980s, Solicitor General Robert Kaplan introduced changes to remove
barriers which Communists and others faced in trying to cross the Canada‑U.S.
border. These changes effectively ended PROFUNC by forcing the RCMP to scrap
the list.
The
background of PROFUNC was first revealed about a decade ago, and then covered
extensively in a CBC program last year. Since then, the Communist Party of
The CPC
sought the assistance of
Davies raised
several questions, including whether the government would disclose names on the
PROFUNC list upon request, and asking what was done with the data after 1983. In
particular, was the database turned over to the newly-formed Canadian Security
Intelligence Service (CSIS), or to the government of the
The responses
provided three months later are brief and unhelpful.
In other
words, yes, the PROFUNC information went somewhere.
The reply
from Toews is slightly longer, indicating that the PROFUNC materials were
either destroyed, transferred to CSIS "for custodial purposes only,"
or sent to Library and Archives
As for the
other questions raised by Davies, the answers are equally vague. Some RCMP
Security Service members who had worked on PROFUNC remained with the RCMP,
others were transferred to CSIS, but details are not available. Regarding
"information sharing" with
As the
leadership of the Communist Party pointed out in October 2010, episodes such as
the arrest of over 1,100 protesters during the G20
The Party has
demanded an official apology, extending to the families of all those
individuals who were targeted under the PROFUNC plan. And it continues to urge
the entire labour and democratic movement ‑ the main target of the drive
to criminalize dissent in Canada ‑ to demand a complete and final end to
the policy of drawing up plans for the mass crushing of opposition forces.
12) CUBAN
FIVE PRISONER RELEASED "UNDER SUPERVISION"
Special to PV
The first of
five Cubans imprisoned in the
Rene Gonzalez
was released from the Marianna federal prison in
"He has
no family in the
Upon his release,
Rene was met by his two daughters, and his father and brother. U.S. authorities
denied a visa to allow his wife, Olga Salanueva, to be present for the
occasion.
Gonzalez was
arrested in 1998 with Gerardo Hernandez, Ramon Labanino, Antonio Guerrero and
Fernando Gonzalez, and convicted on espionage charges in
Typically,
foreigners are deported from the
Cuba has
demanded Gonzalez's immediate return, accusing the Obama administration of
waging a political vendetta. Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro has expressed
fears that Gonzalez will be kept "at the mercy of unpunished murderers for
three long years." Fidel called the order for Gonzalez's supervised
release "brutal, clumsy and expected," accusing Washington of
"engendering monsters like (Luis) Posada Carriles and Orlando Bosch,"
Cuban exiles who are responsible for blowing up a Cuban airliner in 1976,
killing all 73 on board.
13) REGIME
OF THE "SUPREME RELIGIOUS LEADER" SLIDES DEEPER INTO CRISIS
By T. Sam
Since Iran's
2009 presidential election and the popular uprising, where according to the
Mayor of Tehran three million people hit the streets to protest the electoral
fraud committed by the government, the regime of the "Supreme Religious
Leader" Ayatollah Khameini has been sliding more and more into crisis.
The
conservative forces, which in the face of the protests had remained united, are
now deeply fractured. It all erupted last April, when President Ahmadinejad
decided to remove Heydar Moslehi from his post as the "Minister of Information"
(Iranian Secret Police). This action was opposed by the "Supreme
Leader", who issued a "State Order" to reinstate Moslehi in his
position. Ahmadinejad went on "strike" and for more than ten days did
not show up at work. After some "behind closed doors negotiations",
Ahmadinejad returned to the presidential palace. Since then the rift between
the President and the opposing block of conservatives is growing deeper.
The recent
scandal in the corrupt Islamic Republic - the embezzlement of close to $3
billion from the Iranian banking system - is turning into a quagmire for
Ahmadinejad. The main perpetrator is Amir Mansoor Arya, whose relation to
Esfandiar Rahim Mashaee (Ahmadinejad's Chief of Staff) is known to everybody
but Mashaee, who denies knowing Mr. Arya.
A few years
ago, Arya was a cattle breeder in northern
When
Shamsaddin Hosseni, the Minister of Economy, was summoned by the parliament to
answer questions regarding this embezzlement, he called Arya "an
industrial hero." The General Manager of the Central Bank of
So far
Mohammadreza Khavari, the General Manager of the National Bank of
An important
point to note is that seven years ago, when Ahmadinejad first ran for
president, he entered the political arena as the champion of poor, fighting
corruption in the country. He accused Hashemi Rafsanjani and his family of
being the ringleader of corruption. Now, Iranians are in a better position to
assess his claims.
The regime of
the "Supreme Religious Leader" has shown a heavy hand in suppressing
the Green Movement (the popular movement against the electoral fraud and more
in
14) THE COLD WAR AND THE "REDS" IN THE UNIONS
Our tribute
to this year's 90th anniversary of the Communist Party of
For the
Canadian and
The
anti-communist campaign in the unions began in 1947 with the
The first
waves of this attack came in western
Within the
TLC, the Cold War drive began with an attack on the communist-led Canadian
Seamen's
By this time,
UE and Mine-Mill were outside the mainstream of the Canadian labour movement,
and right-wing social democracy achieved hegemony over the organized working
class. Other unions were expelled from the TLC, including the International Fur
and Leather Workers Union in 1951, and the United Fishermen and Allied Workers
This
witch-hunt had serious consequences, as
But the
attempt to drive the "reds" out of the labour movement and to impose
"business unionism" met with stubborn opposition. Communists and
other left-wing activists remained a significant force in many union locals and
labour councils. In 1972, the CLC was finally compelled to readmit the UE and
the UFAWU into the "house of labour." One by one, the "red
clauses" which barred communists from membership or executive positions
were removed.
This process
paralleled the renewal of labour militancy during the 1960s, leading to the
historic
Later that
month, 2,000 angry workers came out when Trudeau spoke to a business gathering
at the Royal York Hotel in
While NDP
provincial governments in BC,
The episode
proved that despite the legacy of the Cold War years, the Communists and the
left still had the capacity to help mobilize a powerful working class
fightback.
15) CALL TO
CANADIAN PEACE CONGRESS CONVENTION
The
Canadian Peace Congress has issued a call for its next convention, in
As the Call
points out, "this meeting occurs at a time when Canadian foreign policy is
taking an increasingly aggressive approach that is based on imperialist
expansion, deeper integration with the United States military and security
apparatus, increased subordination to NATO expansionism, and war. As the
economic crisis continues to intensify in domestically and globally, the Harper
government continues to promote an economic policy that is centred around
accelerated military spending on the one hand and, on the other, severe
austerity measures that threaten jobs, working conditions and social programs.
"At the
same time, we are witnessing a strong and militant surge in popular resistance
to imperialism around the world. These struggles are an inspiration,
demonstrating the breadth of opposition to militarism and war, and they demand
our solidarity.
"Our
convention is an important event for strengthening and building the anti‑imperialist
peace movement in
The meeting
will convene at Metro Hall on November 25 at 7 pm, and continue on Nov. 26 at
10 am. Metro Hall is located at
The
convention will have three main agenda items: a Main Resolution which will
assess the international situation, and the work of the World Peace Council and
Canadian Peace Congress; amendments to the Constitution and Principles of the
Congress; and election of the executive.
Delegates are
responsible for their own travel expenses to
The Congress
website is www.CanadianPeaceCongress.ca.
For information, contact Dave McKee, President, Canadian Peace Congress, 416‑535‑6586,
email dmckee@canadianpeacecongress.ca.
COPE
Election Office, 585
E.Broadway. To volunteer, drop in or call 604-255-0400.
Senate
page Brigette DePape, forum
on social change, Sat., Oct. 22, 3 pm, Rio Theatre, 1160 E. Broadway.$5-10, no
one turned away. Sponsored by Peace and Global Educators, Check Your Head, StopWar
coalition.
From
Devastation to Salvation, speaker Dr. Jorge Balseiro on Cuban
health solidarity work in Haiti, Fri., Oct. 28, 7 pm, Maritime Labour Centre,
1880 Triumph. Donations to Cuban Medical Team welcomed. Sponsors: Canadian
Network on
Left
Film Night, screening
of “Will the Real Terrorist Please Stand Up,” 7 pm, Sun., Oct. 30, Centre
for Socialist Education,
Revolution
Banquet, great
food and program, speaker CPC leader Miguel Figueroa, Sat., Nov. 12, doors 6
pm, Peretz Centre, 6184 Ash St. Tickets $20. For details, call Sam at 604-254-9836.
Rally
Against George Bush, Surrey
Economic Forum, gather 11 am, Thur., Oct. 20, SW corner of 152
Four
Directions Walk to End Poverty, Sat., Oct. 22, walks from the city’s perimeter will meet 3 pm at
the Legislature for rally and discussion of the Justice Charter to End Poverty.
Call 204-792-3371 for details.
Imperialism
Today and the 99% Solution, forum
with Michael Parenti, Wed., Nov. 2, McKinnon Arts Bldg, U of
Indigenous Young Women: Speaking our
Truths, Nov. 18-21 conference. Info:
1-888-948-1112 or Natasha@girlsactionfoundation.ca,
or google “Girls Action Foundation”.
The
People vs. Harper! “People’s
Court” trial of Stephen Harper and his collaborators, Thur., Oct. 20,
5:30-8 pm, Oakham House, Student Centre, 55 Gould St. Sponsored by Our Times
Magazine.
Imperialism
Today and the 99% Solution, forum with Michael Parenti, author
of The Face of Imperialism, Tue., Nov. 1, 7 pm, Steelworkers Hall,
Palestinians
And Jews United, boycott/disinvestment/sanctions picket, every Saturday, 1-3
pm, outside Israeli shoe store “NAOT”,