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September 16-30 ,
2011
Volume 19 - Number 16
$1
Prolétaires
de tous les pays, unissez-vous!
Otatoskewak ota kitaskinahk mamawestotan!
Workers of all lands, unite
1) UNITE AND FIGHT TO BLOCK THE RIGHT!
2) B.C. TEACHERS REFUSE "NET ZERO"
3) HEALTH COALITION PUTS THE HEAT ON ONTARIO PARTIES
4) NATIVE WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION REJECTS OPPAL'S
"INDEPENDENT COUNSEL"
5) SUPPORT SISTERS IN SPIRIT
6) TRILLIONS AND COUNTING - Editorial
7) DUMP RITZ, NOT THE WHEAT BOARD - Editorial
8) BC VOTERS DUMP HST: TIME FOR PROGRESSIVE REFORM
9) COPE NOMINATIONS: SEPT. 18
10) MANITOBA COMMUNISTS CAMPAIGN FOR PEOPLE'S AGENDA
11) CONDITIONS IMPROVING FOR UNITED MASS ACTION
12) VISION OF THE "NEW LIBYA": VISIT THE "NEW
IRAQ"
13) SLOVAK GOVERNMENT ON ANTI-COMMUNIST RAMPAGE
14) REMEMBERING A HERO
15) TEN YEARS OF IMPERIALIST OCCUPATION AND WAR IN AFGHANISTAN
16) NEGOTIATE A JUST SETTLEMENT WITH LOCKED OUT
STEELWORKERS
17) MALEMA HEARING CONTINUES IN SOUTH AFRICA
18) WHAT’S
LEFT
19) CLARTÉ (en français)
20)
THE SPARK! (Theoretical and Discussion Bulletin of the Communist Party of
21) INTRODUCING MARX
PEOPLE'S VOICE
SEPTEMBER 16-30, 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: OCTOBER 1-15 OCTOBER 16-31 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
September 16-31, 2011, issue of People's
1) UNITE
AND FIGHT TO BLOCK THE RIGHT!
Election message from the Communist
Party of
Working
people are justly angry at the McGuinty Liberal government for protecting
corporate wealth and privilege while wages and living standards are falling,
real unemployment is rising and the real economy is tottering on the edge of another
deep recession. But electing the Tories to punish the Liberals would be like
jumping from the frying pan into the fire.
Working
people can see what the Tory agenda will do to by looking at Mayor Ford's
actions in
In August, PM
Harper told Mayor Ford he hoped to "complete the hat trick" by
turning
A Hudak government
will be Mike Harris on steroids, with the federal Tories as enforcers. HudakÆs
Tories will drive down living standards, dismantle universal healthcare,
education and social programs, eliminate public services and sell‑off
public assets. They will starve cities, divide communities, and fill up new
super‑jails with the poor, the young, Aboriginal peoples, migrants,
women, trade unionists and protestors like those detained at last year's G20.
Without any
doubt, the Tories are the main danger in this election, and pose the greatest
threat to working people and to civil, social, labour and democratic rights.
The best
outcome of
The election
of Communists and other progressives committed to fight for a People's Agenda
aimed to meet people's needs, not feed corporate greed, is the surest way to
block the Big Business parties, their right‑wing agendas, and their
reactionary corporate sponsors.
(To read the
2) B.C. TEACHERS REFUSE "NET ZERO"
By Kimball Cariou
The school
year has started with BC Teachers' Federation members engaged in job actions,
including refusal to do certain types of administrative work and supervision.
But classes are underway, despite dire warnings of chaos by anti-teacher
forces.
Premier
Christy Clark has directed the BC Public School Employers Association to refuse
any net increases in the current round of bargaining, This "net zero"
strategy means that any improvement must be balanced by giving up existing
conditions in other areas of the collective agreement.
Back in 2002,
when Clark was education minister during Gordon Campbell's first term in
office, the Liberals stripped from the collective agreement many provisions that
would presumably have been on the table to trade under the "net zero"
directive.
Many of these
working conditions clauses were achieved as a trade off in bargaining during
the 1990s, for lower class sizes, limits on class composition, and staffing
formulas for learning specialists like librarians and special education
teachers. This put B.C. teachers further behind in salaries, and left no
contractual provisions that could be traded.
A zero
increase would widen the huge gap between the salaries of teachers in the
prairies and
As BCTF
President Susan Lambert points out, "Salaries for B.C. teachers rank
eighth in
The current
"Phase 1" job action by the teachers is expected to continue during
efforts to advance the collective bargaining process. But the inside word is
that BCPSEA is blocking attempts to begin negotiations on the substantial
issues in this dispute.
Recent
statements by the Premier and Finance Minister Kevin Falcon indicate that the
defeat of the Harmonized Sales Tax by B.C. voters will be used as a club to
impose further "belt-tightening" on education and health care, and
new tax hikes on working people. It appears that teachers will be the first
targets of the new regime. In fact, given her history, Premier Clark may well
be hoping to use the teachers as a political punching bag to bolster her
sagging support in public opinion polls.
The result
could be another sharp confrontation between the government and the teachers,
who fought the Liberals to a standstill with their courageous two-week strike back
in 2005. The BCTF had strong support from other unions during that dispute;
even greater solidarity will be needed this time around.
3) HEALTH
COALITION PUTS THE HEAT ON
Special to PV
Moving to
make health care a priority issue in
Polls show
that health care ranks at the top of the public's agenda. But while every
political party will promise to fund and improve health care, "lip‑service
is not enough," warns the OHC.
The Coalition
says that Ontarians need clear commitments on key issues. These include: full‑service
local hospitals safe from fear of service cuts, closed ERs and rural hospital
closures; the right to access comprehensive chronic care whether a patient is
in hospital, a nursing home or home care; action to address severe front‑line
staffing shortages; improvements and new capacity built in public and non‑profit
agencies and institutions.
Comprehensive
health care for Ontario patients and seniors, says the OHC, means chronic,
rehabilitative, long term and home care that Ontarians can rely on to be there
when we need it. The Coalition has been campaigning for equitable non‑profit
and public care; rather than P3s, this means building capacity in public non‑profit
hospitals and long term care homes, and restoring public/non‑profit home
care.
Earlier this
year, the Health Coalition circulated over 100,000 leaflets which made powerful
points about health care and taxes:
"Since
1990,
Ontario
Communist leader Elizabeth Rowley, a candidate in the Brampton-Springdale
riding, was at the OHC rally to campaign for her Party's health care platform.
"People
in
Rowley noted
that the Communist Party has championed the cause of public health care since
the party's formation in 1921. "In the 1930s Dr. Norman Bethune, a leading
member of the Communist Party of
The Communist
platform includes emergency and long‑term action to preserve and expand
public health care in
* Stop privatization and end Public
Private Partnerships;
* Enforce the
* Reverse delisting of services and
expand health coverage to include dental and eye care, drugs and long‑term
care;
* Deliver needs‑based funding for
public hospitals and health care, and rescind balanced budget legislation;
* Recognize the credentials of
internationally trained physicians and health care workers;
* Make abortion services universally
accessible in free standing clinics and all hospitals;
* Act now to improve health, education
and living standards of Aboriginal Peoples.
4) NATIVE
WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION REJECTS OPPAL'S "INDEPENDENT COUNSEL"
Vancouver, BC, Sept. 6, 2011 - The
Native Women's Association of
NWAC is
effectively shut out of the Missing Women Commission of Inquiry as a result of
the
President
Corbiere Lavell said, "The `independent counsel' arrangement does not give
Aboriginal women real representation at the Inquiry. It does not remove the
discrimination inherent in our exclusion, but rather adds to it."
Now
Aboriginal women are only be able to provide suggestions to the
"independent counsel", but there is no obligation for this lawyer to
follow the advice of Aboriginal women. The "independent counsel" is
free to develop her own objectives and strategies.
None of the
interactions between the "independent counsel" and Aboriginal women
are confidential, as she may be required to disclose all information from these
conversations to the Commission or other parties.
And, if the
"independent counsel" says or does something with which Aboriginal
women disagree, or fails to do her job in a manner that represents the
interests of Aboriginal women, we have no recourse.
NWAC provides
no comment on the personal qualifications or experience of the lawyers
appointed by Commissioner Oppal. The concern we are raising is the inability of
the "independent counsel" to enter into a solicitor‑client
relationship with either individual Aboriginal women or the organizations that
represent them. Aboriginal women need to be able to give binding instructions
and confidential information to our own legal counsel.
The
"independent counsel" was not chosen by Aboriginal women, NWAC points
out, nor is she authorized to speak on their behalf.
Resolution adopted by the Central Committee,
Communist Party of
The Native
Women's Association of Canada has made public the issues of violence
confronting Aboriginal women and girls through the research findings of the
Sisters in Spirit Research Initiative, which showed concrete evidence that
Aboriginal women and girls continue to be the highest risk group in Canada
relating to violence. These research findings point directly to the impacts of
government policies and colonization historically, but also to the state
violence perpetrated upon the groups of Aboriginal women, men and their
families The violent impacts of colonization plus a controlling Canadian state
have brought about the results we have seen from the residential schools,
discriminatory laws and the Indian Act, which lead to low education and few
employment opportunities. The NWAC contends that "ending violence against
Aboriginal women and girls lies with both men and women, with both Aboriginal
and non‑Aboriginal communities. It ends with recognition, responsibility
and cooperation."
The Canadian
government had promised to begin a ten million dollar programme to help locate
the missing Aboriginal women and solve the murder cases of so many, by funding
the Sisters In Spirit initiative, encouraging the involvement of the families
and friends of the missing and murdered women, and financing intense
investigations aimed at ending the death and destruction. This financing would
assist in providing services which are not always available to those who need
help; it would allow investigation of the complexity of factors related to the
missing women and girls; the services would be long‑term, culturally
appropriate, supportive and accessible. The Aboriginal women and girls'
families need practical guidance and information plus the ability to connect
with other families, which gives comfort and support when needed.
While the
financing was announced by Rona Ambrose, Minister for the Status of Women, it
was made clear by the state that the vast amount of monies would be handed over
to the RCMP to specifically deal with "missing persons". No reference
was made to Aboriginal missing persons at all. Further, the federal government
has attempted to eradicate the Sisters in Spirit campaign altogether, and there
will be no more federal funding to continue research for the Sisters in Spirit
initiative. The families and friends of the Aboriginal women and girls
disappeared or murdered are devastated that they will not have the financial
means or support to complete the investigations so necessary to solving these
crimes.
The impact of
lack of funding also extends to provincial levels. In
"The
Government of
Communities
across
NWAC has
asked that all Canadians value and support their Aboriginal communities and
join the struggle to bring equality to the social status of Aboriginal women.
NWAC asks that all Canadians become effective allies who listen to the stories
regarding these women, and take seriously the violence being perpetrated
against Aboriginal women and girls daily. Due to historic discrimination by the
state, Aboriginal women do not have voice or status to advance in workplaces.
There are no employment advocates for Aboriginal women, who are unable to
access desperately‑needed unionized jobs.
The Communist
Party of Canada supports Aboriginal women and girls in Canada, and calls upon
our members and the working class movement to organize and support the October
4th Sisters in Spirit events and campaigns. We support stronger, united pressure
on the federal and provincial governments to directly fund and involve the
families, friends and other Aboriginal organizations to end the violence once
and for all, and to bring about full equality and human dignity for all
indigenous peoples.
People's Voice Editorial
Amidst all
the TV specials and acres of newspaper pages commemorating "the day that
changed everything," many terrible questions were rarely asked. Most
important: what has been the human, economic, and social cost of the
imperialist world's response to the events of September 11, 2001? And what has
the world gained from this tragic expenditure of lives and resources?
Those in
power tell us that such costs should not even be considered, since "any
price" must be paid to protect our alleged "freedom and
security." But Canadians and people in every country need to have the full
picture.
For example,
the wars in
Here in
Canada, a recent Rideau Institute report says that
Has any of
this made people safer and more secure? Or should these vast sums have been
invested in housing, clean water, better schools, environmental sustainability,
and job creation? To ask the question is to answer. The "war on
terror" of the past decade has in fact been a terrorist war against the
peoples of the world, spreading death, disease, poverty and fear. It threatens
all of us, and it must be ended.
7) DUMP RITZ, NOT THE WHEAT BOARD
People's Voice Editorial
In the latest
example of Tory arrogance, Federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced on
Sept. 12 that he will ignore the will of farmers and legislate the Canadian
Wheat Board's single desk marketing system out of existence by August 1, 2012.
The
Minister's edict was issued on the same day that results of a CWB-sponsored
plebiscite were revealed. Sixty-two percent of grain farmers backed the CWB
single desk system for wheat and durum, which historically has provided higher,
more stable prices for most farmers. A smaller number - 51% but still a
majority - backed the CWB sales monopoly for barley. The voter response among
prairie grain farmers was a strong 56 percent, similar to the turnout for
federal elections.
Speaking for
the farmers who elect the CWB Board of Directors, chair Allen Oberg responded
that "We will not sit back and watch this government steamroll over
farmers. We cannot stand back and watch politics trample business interests. We
intend to stand our ground and uphold the farmers' decision."
Ritz, on the
other hand, speaks only for the transnational private grain monopolies and the
largest operators, who hope use their size in an "open market" to
wipe out smaller farms. So much for the Conservative claim to speak for rural
Canadians!
The Harper
Tories cannot be allowed to ram through this odious legislation without a
fight. Farmers and rural Canadians are not the only people affected by the Tory
attack on the CWB. In the long run this agenda will accelerate the depopulation
of rural areas, driving thousands of families into poverty, and strengthening
the grip of agribusiness on the food we eat. We urge PV readers to take up this
issue everywhere, from union locals and labour councils to community
organizations. Urban-rural unity can still save the CWB!
8) BC VOTERS DUMP HST: TIME FOR PROGRESSIVE REFORM
By Kimball Cariou
In a historic
political shake-up,
The final
result of a mail-in referendum was a resounding 54.7% "Yes" vote to
"extinguish" the HST and revert to the former PST/GST, with just
45.3% voting "No". About 1.6 million ballots were sent in, over 50%
of registered B.C. voters.
The outcome
defied a massive pro-HST ad campaign by the corporate "Smart Tax
Most media
coverage of the opposition campaign focused on the anti-HST coalition headed by
ex-Social Credit premier Bill Vander Zalm and NDP commentator Bill Tieleman.
The mainstream media has called the result an "anti-tax" vote, giving
it a right-wing spin.
But the
referendum totals, broken down by constituency, show that working class voters
were far more likely to oppose the HST than those in wealthy areas. The highest
anti-HST votes came in working class ridings in east
While the
B.C. Federation of Labour was slow to enter the fray back in 2009 (leery of
association with Vander Zalm) the trade union movement did much to mobilize for
a "Yes" vote. From this perspective, the popular revolt against the
HST was a huge success for the working class and progressive forces.
One immediate
effect was a decision by new Premier Christy Clark to drop plans for an early
election call. The B.C. Liberals are now far behind the NDP and even the new
provincial Conservative party in the polls. Unfortunately, this means British
Columbians are likely stuck with the Liberals until the spring of 2013.
The
referendum result is already being used by the Liberals as a stick to clobber
public services and the labour movement. On Sept 8, Finance Minister Kevin
Falcon released a "financial update", using inflated figures for the
transition back to the combined PST/GST.
Well known as
a hard-right corporate attack dog in the Liberal caucus, Falcon projects that
the treasury will suffer a loss of $2.8 billion more over the next three years
than the previous estimates. He claims that $2.3 billion of the loss will be
due to the return to the PST/GST system.
As a result,
Falcon says, "We're going to be very tough on operating
expenditures."
This, of
course, is Liberal-speak for a new round of vicious cuts to health care, public
education, and social programs, which have been repeatedly cut since
But the
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives suggests that the Liberals are
dramatically exaggerating the fiscal impact of removing the HST. For one thing,
Falcon's numbers ignore revenue losses which would have resulted from the
Liberal promise to lower the HST by two percent over the next few years.
The CCPA
calculates that "the provincial treasury would have faced a shortfall of
$800 million even if the HST had survived the referendum. The real net costs of
reverting to PST/GST are $1.5 billion, not $2.3 billion." Even the lower
figure, the think tank points out, is highly speculative.
The CCPA's
research shows that the HST is simply one element of a tax system which allows
the richest 20 per cent of British Columbians to pay "a lower
overall/total effective tax rate than the rest of us." The transition away
from a "progressive taxation" system began shortly after
Meanwhile,
working people endure a higher cost of living and higher unemployment rates
than the rest of
The fight now
shifts to the need for a genuinely progressive tax system, including repeal of
Most
immediately, the Liberals are now directing their fire against B.C. teachers,
who are engaged in limited job actions to press for pay increases to catch up
to other provinces. "Can't afford it," is the Liberal mantra, even as
they refuse to consider reforms which would "tax the greedy, not the
needy."
With this
confrontation underway, and the next provincial budget looming, the battle
lines are drawn. The next few months will be critical for the future of
"How We See It" commentary
With
As always,
there will be a lively contest for the COPE nominations. Under the terms of an
electoral cooperation agreement strongly backed by its members last June, COPE
will nominate three candidates for City Council, four for School Board, and two
for Park Board. Vision Vancouver, the centrist party which holds a majority on
Council, has already nominated Mayor Gregor Robertson and seven candidates for
council, five for School Board, and five for Park Board.
In our view,
the crucial struggle in
With this in
mind, we urge COPE members to support the nomination of candidates who are
strongly committed to the COPE‑Vision electoral cooperation agreement,
and to building COPE as the progressive political arm of working people in
For City
Council, these candidates include incumbents David Cadman and Ellen Woodsworth,
and Rafael Aquino, a young activist from the city's Filipino community who has
been involved in COPE for several years (visit his website at rjaquino.ca for
more information).
At the School
Board level, incumbents Allen Blakey, Jane Bouey and Alan Wong have worked
closely with Vision trustees to build a strong fightback against the B.C.
Liberal attacks on public education. They deserve full support, along with Gwen
Giesbrecht, a former chair of the city's District Parent Advisory Council and
an outspoken campaigner for better schools.
There are
three candidates seeking COPE's two Park Board spots, and all have excellent
credentials as defenders of working people and the environment. They include
10)
By Darrell Rankin, leader of the
Communist Party of
The Communist
Party is pushing for a People's Agenda in
The Communist
Party is warning that the election of a Conservative majority would mean even
more reactionary measures for working people and the needy, such as ignoring
Aboriginal views on development and privatizing
The NDP
government has turned off supporters by cutting public service wages and
corporate taxes, by ending a tuition freeze, by supporting the war in Afghanistan
‑ most importantly ‑ by failing to halt growing poverty and the
decline in better‑paying jobs.
If the NDP
vote drops because of this anti‑working class record, the Conservatives
will form the next government. Comments at
Real change
is needed now to fix huge, festering social problems such as housing and
growing poverty.
We are urging
a massive program to build quality, public housing that would create good‑paying
jobs, 4,000 homes per year, and erase the failures of the private housing
market.
The Communist
Party's People's Agenda is a broad platform that deals with the real issues,
such as jobs, education, creating a just society and saving the environment.
The platform calls for raising social assistance rates above the poverty line,
and the creation of thousands more good‑paying jobs with a 32 hour work
week with no loss in pay.
Manitoba has
not yet recovered from the loss of 12,000 manufacturing jobs in 2008, a rate
higher than in
The Communist
Party's stance on Aboriginal peoples is a prominent part of our campaign, and most
candidates are Aboriginal. Injustice towards Aboriginal peoples is a key reason
why
Most
importantly, the Communist Party's political message in the campaign connects
the need for socialism with capitalism's global crisis. The capitalist class
that built the railways and colonized
The People's
Agenda is a beginning sketch of a future socialist society. It is the best
beginning.
11) CONDITIONS IMPROVING FOR UNITED MASS ACTION
Special to PV
Meeting on August
27-28 for the first time since last May's federal election, the Central
Committee (CC) of the Communist Party of Canada called for "united mass
action at the Canada-wide level directed against the main political instrument
of the capitalist offensive, the Harper majority government."
Looking at
the international scene, a wide-ranging report adopted by the CC stresses that
the systemic capitalist crisis which broke out in 2007 continues to erode the
living standards of working people everywhere.
As the report
notes, "the worsening global economy has ignited a fierce debate within
bourgeois circles". Various policies - interest rate changes, currency
devaluation, stimulus spending - have been tried without success. A progressive
option would need a radical redistribution of wealth from the banks,
corporations and the super-rich, to increase wages and benefits and to expand
public services and programs. But the ruling class refuses to contemplate any
"reform" which involves higher taxes on profits and wealth,
preferring instead to intensify exploitation, inflate the "debt
bubble" and accelerate militarism and war.
At other
meetings over the past several years, the CPC leadership has welcomed the
growing popular movements in
The most
significant of these struggles, says the report, has been the revolutionary
upsurge which swept away the Ben Ali regime in
On the other
hand, events in countries such as
Addressing
the situation in Cuba, the CC report notes that recent changes in that country
do constitute a tactical economic retreat, but also that these reforms are
intended to increase efficiency and stimulate growth. "We are confident
that the Cuban Communist Party and the Cuban state will do everything possible
to mitigate the negative impact of these changes, and to safeguard Cuba's
socialist character now and into the future," the report says, calling for
further study of these developments.
This global
situation is the context for post-election moves by the Harper Tories,
including aggressive attacks on the right to strike and bargain collectively;
the impending "austerity" social cuts; the push to deprive the
Canadian Wheat Board of its single-desk selling authority; the racist
"crime bill" which criminalizes Aboriginal youth; and the announcement
of a foreign policy review to entrench the militarist policies adopted in
recent years.
This
dangerous situation, warns the Communist leadership, requires a wider fightback
and a comprehensive set of progressive demands and alternatives to unite the
labour and democratic movements. The CC report is critical of arguments that
"nothing has really changed" under a Conservative majority, or that
Canadians can "ride out" the Tory assault.
But as the
report states, there are two opposing tendencies within the labour movement.
One is a top-down strategy imposed by the class collaborationist Georgetti
leadership of the Canadian Labour Congress, which focuses on preparing the
conditions for an NDP election victory in 2015.
However,
reports from around the country indicate that the demand for stronger
resistance is gaining momentum at the local and provincial levels. In
These
developments, estimates the CC, improve the possibilities to map out a united
and comprehensive fightback plan, with a focus on opposing Harper's budget cuts
and defending public services. Communists in the labour and people's movements
will play an important role in building pressure on the CLC leadership to move
in this direction. As several provincial elections begin this fall, Communists
will be on the ballot in
The CC
meeting also looked at progress in party-building efforts across the country,
such as big changes to the CPC's website which have been met with many
compliments. Other improvements have been made in the party's ideological and
educational work, and in the functioning of important commissions and other
bodies.
The federal
election interrupted plans for celebrating the Party's 90th anniversary this
year, but these activities will resume in the fall, including a speaking tour
by CPC leader Miguel Figueroa. The CC agreed that the deepening economic crisis
opens up new opportunities to win members, calling for increased public
visibility but also greater efforts to maintain political and organizational
unity.
At the same
time, the CC noted the rising anti-communist offensive by the ruling class,
aimed at dividing working people at this critical time. One example was
provided by
Several
special resolutions were also adopted by the CC meeting, including a call for
increased anti-war actions on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the
imperialist occupation of
One important
resolution expresses the CC's view on the difficult situation within the
Communist Party USA. The resolution, "Lessons from our History",
outlines the struggle two decades ago to block an attempt by the Communist
Party of
The full documents of the CC meeting are available on the Party's website, www.communist-party.ca
or www.parti-communiste.ca.
12) VISION
OF THE "NEW
By Felicity Arbuthnot, Global
Research, September 3, 2011
Patriotism is the virtue of the
vicious. (Oscar Wilde, 1854‑1900)
As Eid, the
great post Ramadan celebration of that month of abstinence, self sacrifice and
reflection, dawned on
Queues of
cars now wait for petrol in another oil rich country; other queues form,
carrying containers for water. The multibillion dollar development of
The all is:
"absolute disaster", according to an eminent legal observer, very
familiar with the country.
And with
electricity largely off, those seeking knowledge as to whether friends and
relatives are alive, injured, fled, dead, find internet, and phones dead.
As the
terribly injured overwhelm hospitals, many are bombed, damaged or without power
and pharmaceuticals. No power: no incubators, life support machines or surgery.
Another
country with a modern, developed infrastructure reduced to a pre‑industrial
age - with the rebuilding contracts reportedly already being divvied out in the
West.
NATO Members,
however, eat, as their bombs destroy humanity and vital necessities for the
living. Over a "working lunch", on the 14th of April, they
"deplored violence" and underlined the "need ... to restore
water, gas, electricity and other services."
Still
depriving others of the means to cook, or of any semblance of normality, at
another "working lunch" (June 8, 2011) they further discussed their:
"clear mandate to protect civilians (and) populated areas ...taking the
utmost care to avoid civilian casualties." This as: "
As they
masticated and munched, they vowed to bring "a speedy resolution ... to
put an end to the violence", under "Operation Unified
Protector." They are delusional and arguably psychotic.
Just twenty
four hours later, on the 9th of June, the decade long destruction of
A number of
lunches later, on August 23, NATO spokeswoman, Oana Lungesco, re‑affirmed
their "mandate to protect civilians."
How this
squares with hitting: "over five thousand [official figures] legitimate
targets [in a] 24/7 operation [with] over twenty thousand sorties", is
confusing.
The actual
number of strikes has not been reported. Its in the tens of thousands.
Equally so is
how destruction of services essential to maintaining life, State institutions,
schools, hospitals, archeological sites and treasures, attacking of all which is
illegal under swathes of international law, are included in this
"legitimacy."
By September
1, NATO operations from March 31 had reached: "a total of 21,090,
including 7,920 strike sorties."
In context,
this latest "shock and awe" brigandage is being rained down by a
28-country alliance, on a country of 7 million. The population of
Coincidentally, the considerably Western backed and funded "uprising"
in
The invaders
though, have "learned from past mistakes." The "New
Further, if
the US and
Just prior to
the
At the
"Friends of Libya" gathering in Paris on September 1, hosted by Prime
Minister Cameron and President Nicolas Sarkozy, a gloating, unnamed British
official is quoted in The Economist
as saying that: "NATO's involvement in the Libyan uprising means that now
we own it."
(For the omen‑prone,
watching Western threats to an ever rising number of countries,
Sarkozy -
recipient, claims Qaddafi's son, Saif al‑Islam, of his family's funding
for his 2007 French Presidential election campaign ‑ is widely reported
to have been promised one third of Libya's oil by the insurgents, the
"National Transitional Council", prior to NATO involvement. With
"Friends" like these,
"The
international community will be watching and supporting"
When it comes
to the rebuilding of
It also
transpires that the UK's surely mis‑titled "International
Development Minister", former oil trader, Alan Duncan, allegedly, had a
hand in, and connections to Swiss based energy giant Vitol, which established
links with the NTC rebels, whilst starving Qaddafi's troops of transportation
fuels.
Vitol
President, Ian Taylor, has allegedly donated very large sums to Cameron's Tory
Party. Opposition MPs are citing a possible covert "Libyan Oil Cell",
an allegedly billion dollar deal, questioning whether
As to the
Conference, there was one dissenting voice. Bertrand Badie, an expert on
international relations, told Xinhua: "I think this conference is a very
bad sign, because [it consists in] starting a process of state building by an
international conference dominated by western powers ... "
But even he
did not mention mind‑bending illegalities.
The half day
carve up (sorry, "Meeting") regarding assets of another sovereign
land, was followed by "a dinner", according to a
Incidentally,
the
"You are
either with us, or you are with the terrorists", said George W. Bush on
November 1, 2002. Ten years is certainly a long time in politics. There are
many who would say they are now funded by the same US and protected by the
might of NATO.
Activist
Sandra Barr has compiled just a small snapshot of a vast tragedy. A few
incidents amongst uncounted others, "collateral" humanity, to add to
a pitiless twenty year rampage through mortality, legality, basic values and
all the normal hold precious:
"13 May 2011: The murder of 11
Muslim Imams in Brega.
30 April 2011: The bombing of the
30 April 2011: The bombing of a
Gaddafi residence, murdering Saif Gaddafi, his friend and 3 Gaddafi children.
12 June 2011: The bombing of the
22 July 2011: The bombing of the Great
Man-made Waterway irrigation system, which supplies most Libyans with their
drinking water.
23 July 2011: The bombing of the
factory which makes the pipes for the water system, and the murder of six of
its employees.
8th August 2011: The bombing of the
Hospital at Zliten. Resulting in the murder of a minimum, of 50 human beings,
many of them children. The bombing of hospitals is against all international
laws, and a most grievous crime.
9 August 2011: The bombing of the
The
persistent ongoing bombing of the civilian population in Zliten and
David Cameron
has admitted that UK special services have assisted the terrorists on the
ground, in defiance of the UN mandate. Today, Cameron has gone further,
admitting that British forces played a "key role."
Ms Barr
demands that the ICC take a stance. Sadly, it would amaze if they did.
On May 1,
Muammar Qaddafi's youngest son, Saif al‑Arab, and three grandchildren
were reported killed in an allied air strike on
One can only
fervently pray that we do not hear another sickening, "Viceroy" Paul
Bremer wannabe, declaring: "Ladies and gentlemen, we got 'im." With
accompanying kangaroo court and lynchings.
The "New
This full
page advertisement by Medicins sans
Frontieres (Doctors without Borders) appeared in the Mail and Guardian (
"
MSF URGENTLY NEEDS: Trauma surgeons, Orthopaedic Surgeons, ER Doctors, OT Nurses,
Obstetricians and Midwives. Available for short term contracts (3‑4
weeks) ‑ able to leave IMMEDIATELY.
MSF has been working in eastern
Another
"Liberation", another unimaginable, international, criminal tragedy.
13) SLOVAK
GOVERNMENT ON ANTI-COMMUNIST RAMPAGE
By Emile Schepers, People's World
The
government of the
The law would
criminalize any promotion of, or professions of sympathy for, communism, as
well as denial of the crimes of the previous socialist governments of the
former
This is not
the first attempt by the Slovak right to legitimize fascism by attacking
communists. A 2006 law makes opponents of the former communist‑led
government eligible for special government financial aid and includes anti‑communist
actions going back to Oct. 6, 1944.
Alexander
Rehak, Emeritus Professor at the University of Bratislava, explains why this is
troubling. After the
In 1944,
communists, Slovak military personnel and others organized the Slovak National
Uprising against the German occupation and the collaborationist government of
Tiso. On October 6 of that year, Czechoslovak and Soviet troops attempted to
force the Dukla pass in the Carpathian Mountains, so as to move from
Because of
this, opponents of the 2006 law complain that people who were basically on the
pro‑Nazi side toward the end of the Second World War, even perhaps Tiso
(who was hanged after the war), could end up being exonerated and even given
material rewards.
The new anti‑communist
law in the
The World
Federation of Democratic Youth issued a statement on the Slovak anti‑communist
law, which summed this up: "Aware that the current system is unable to
provide the people of Slovakia the `well‑being, justice and democracy'
that was promised during the early nineties, the dominant classes need to chase
and eliminate all forces that, in an organized way, can fight against the
destruction of social, political and democratic rights that the capitalist
restoration has meant... On this occasion, we express our solidarity with all
democratic formations in
Progressive
people everywhere are asked to raise their voices in protest against this anti‑democratic
measure.
(NOTE: The
Slovak experience is similar to the situation in
By Gurpreet Singh
Even though
terrorism entered the sensibilities of North Americans after 9/11, over 300
leftists lost their lives fighting against this menace in
Born as
Darshan Singh Sangha, he came to be known as Canadian even after he returned to
The
insurgency launched by the Sikh militants was being sponsored by the Pakistani
spy agency, ISI, which had the patronage of the CIA. Clearly, it was a proxy
war against
Ironically,
both
Darshan Singh
Canadian came to
Darshan's old
associates in
Canadian also
wrote many thought provoking articles that challenged religious fanaticism. He
was equally critical of the ultra-leftists and pulled no punches while
criticizing them in his essays. He clearly saw imperialistic designs behind the
extremist forces that were getting support both from
If he wished,
he could have stayed in
15) TEN
YEARS OF IMPERIALIST OCCUPATION AND WAR IN
Resolution adopted by the Central
Committee, Communist Party of
October 7,
2011, will mark the tenth anniversary of the U.S and British missile attacks
which launched the imperialist occupation of
The Central
Committee of the Communist Party of
The views of
our Party have been confirmed repeatedly by the events of the past decade. We
called for an immediate halt to military aggression in favour of a meaningful
search for political and peaceful solutions involving all forces in Afghanistan
‑ a demand which today is widely backed by international and Afghan
public opinion. We rejected the hypocritical claims that the western military
actions were "humanitarian" in nature, as proven by the subsequent
deaths of many thousands of Afghan civilians at the hands of the occupation
forces. We pointed out that the Taliban and Osama bin Laden were largely the
creations of massive CIA intervention in Afghanistan during the 1980s, and that
their rivals for power were equally pro‑imperialist and reactionary, a
view which was confirmed by the corrupt, brutal record of the Karzai warlord
regime in Kabul.
Despite an
unrelenting militarist propaganda campaign, a solid majority of Canadians have
consistently agreed that
That deadly
mission has now officially ended, only to be replaced by deployment of 1000‑plus
Canadian troops for so‑called "training" of Afghan military and
police forces. But the 2014 date for this extension remains open‑ended
and vague, and Canadian troops will be stationed across the country, not just
in
The costs of
this imperialist blunder have been enormous, from the huge numbers of deaths
among the Afghan people themselves, to the 157 deaths of Canadians. Well over
$2 billion has been wasted by the Canadian military, and there have been
increasing political pressures to silence dissent against the war. Canadian
forces have been involved in the abuse of prisoners, and the Harper Tories have
done their best to block public scrutiny of such scandals. Despite media
reports of new hospitals, clinics and schools supposedly built in
Just a
significantly, the war in
The tenth
anniversary of the October 2001 aggression is a time to renew calls from all
anti‑war and democratic forces in
16) NEGOTIATE A JUST SETTLEMENT WITH LOCKED OUT STEELWORKERS
Statement adopted by the Central
Committee, Communist Party of
Steelworkers
in
Since
negotiations began last year,
To their
credit the locked out Local 1005 members have stood firm through more than 300
days on the picket lines, as well as through company provocations and bad faith
bargaining, including:
* closing two blast furnaces in
* price fixing
* taking coke out of Hamilton to
working mills in the US, while lying that the coke was for Canada's Lake Erie
works
* ignoring City of
* refusing to bargain a collective
agreement for 10 months
* attacking the union's bargaining
committee
* threatening to close the Hilton
Works, which would leave thousands without jobs or income
One of the
first acts of the Harper government after the federal election was to end the
lock‑out at the post office with back to work legislation, and to
threaten similar legislation against striking workers negotiating with Air
We demand
that the federal government use its authority to uphold Canada's interests, and
the rights of unionized workers at US Steel in Hamilton, by directing US Steel
to immediately commence negotiations for a collective agreement with Local 1005
USW; and further to take over US Steel's Canadian operations immediately if it
fails to negotiate in good faith, and to resume operations at full capacity
with the same size workforce, investment, productive capacity and production
levels as existed when US Steel took over the steel mills four years ago. This
means rebuilding the two blast furnaces shut down last winter, maintaining the
coke ovens, and restoring basic steel‑making in
We stand 100%
with Local 1005, its locked out members and retirees, and with the people of
Hamilton who have stood up to US Steel's bullying, lying and economic terrorism
with courage and tenacity. We call on the labour and democratic movements to
close ranks in support of Local 1005, and to increase the pressure on the
federal government and on US Steel to get back to the bargaining table and
negotiate a just settlement now.
17) MALEMA
HEARING CONTINUES IN
PV Vancouver Bureau
Disciplinary
hearings conducted by the African National Congress against a controversial ANC
Youth League leader resumed nearly two weeks after violent protests by
supporters of Julius Malema.
Malema is
accused of violating ANC policies by calling for South African intervention to
overthrown the government of neighbouring
The August 30
protests outside Luthuli House, the ANC's Johannesburg headquarters, included
the burning of the ANC flag, T-shirts bearing President Jacob Zuma's face, and
posters of South African Communist Party leader Blade Nzimande. Demonstrators
hurled bricks at police and journalists, and smashed nearby shop windows.
Police fired back with rubber bullets, water cannons and tear gas.
In a
statement on these events, the South African Communist Party noted that it has
tried to avoid comment on internal ANC processes. But the party was compelled
to respond, considering the "well orchestrated desperate campaign in the
media to link the SACP leaders" to the disciplinary processes against
Malema and other ANCYL executive members.
"This
lie is extremely unfortunate and indicative of apartheid era operatives tactics
that sought to always portray the ANC leadership as being controlled by the communists,"
said the SACP. "This is the work of those who have caved in politically
and are prepared to perfidy the SACP and its leadership at all cost."
The burning
of Nzimande posters, the statement said, "feeds into this anti‑communist
agenda. This is an extreme form of provocation that can only be spearheaded by
reactionary and counter‑revolutionary forces who have no space in our
movement."
To those who
seek to splinter
The statement
also criticised supporters of Malema who use the Polokwane struggle to justify
their conduct, referring to a pivotal 2007 conference which elected Zuma and
shifted the ANC's strategy to the left: "The run up to Polokwane was
characterised by a principled fight and mobilisation against the abuse of state
institutions to settle political scores."
The SACP
urged "calm and total respect of the ANC process," and warned that
"We should not confuse militancy for anarchy or disorder for democracy. We
hope the ANC will act decisively to quell this and restore the authority of the
organisation as opposed to individual and personality cult."
The South
African Young Communist League has taken a similar position, rejecting attempts
to impose policies through violence. In an August 17 statement, the YCL
condemned any "media trial" as a violation of Malema's legal rights.
But the same statement urged full investigation of a detailed list of
corruption allegations facing the Youth League leader, warning against
"those who speak popular language to hoodwink the masses of our people for
the benefit of the few."
An evening of your
favourite songs, with
musicians Tom Hawken, Linda Chobotuck and Joyce Holmes, plus full turkey dinner
and dessert, Sat., Sept. 24. Doors 6:30 pm, Program 8 pm,
Annual Women’s Housing March, Sat., Sept. 17, 1:30 pm, from Cordova and Columbia, organized by
Downtown Eastside Women Centre Power of Women Group. Followed at 4 pm by street
party to stop condos on the 100 Block, music and food.
COPE policy and nomination meeting, Sunday, Sept. 18, John Oliver Secondary, 41st & Fraser (note
location change). Register 1 pm for nominations starting 2 pm. For info ph.
604-254-0400 or www.cope.bc.ca.
Left Film Night, “GASLAND”, documentary on the impact of natural gas
“fracking” industry, 7 pm, Sun., Sept. 25, Centre for Socialist
Education,
Protest Dick Cheney, ex-US Vice President book event, Monday, Sept. 26, 6 pm, Vancouver Club,
915 West Hastings, organized by StopWar peace coalition.
People’s Co-op Bookstore AGM, Friday, Sept. 30, 7 pm. For membership and info, visit the store,
Indigenous Young Women: Speaking our
Truths, Nov. 18-21 conference. Info:
1-888-948-1112 or Natasha@girlsactionfoundation.ca,
or google “Girls Action Foundation”.
Radical BookFair & DIY Fest, Friday Sept. 23, 7 pm, panel discussion in Mondragon, and music show.
Sat., Sept. 24, 11 am-5 pm, book tables on
David Rovics concert, University of Ottawa Alumni Auditorium, Sunday, Oct. 2, 7 pm. Tickets
$10-$20 sliding scale, proceeds to Canadian Boat to
Stop Ford’s Cuts, Monday, Sept. 26, 5:30 pm, rally at City Hall to defend communities,
public services, and good jobs!
Meet the Communist Candidates in
Globalization and world
inequality, ten-week
study course, Mondays, 7-10 pm, Sept. 27-Dec. 6 at the Labour Education Centre
(LEC), cost $120, for info visit www.laboureducation.org
or www.mlec.org.
What are our real choices this
election?, 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”,