MANITOBA NDP TARGETS CHILDREN TO GLORIFY AFGHAN MISSION

(The following article is from the February 16-29, 2008 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St. Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3).

PV Manitoba Bureau

The Manitoba NDP government has formed an alliance with Wal-Mart, Sears and Rona to carry out a yellow ribbon campaign in support of troops going to Afghanistan. Local governments in other parts of Canada are placing yellow ribbon stickers on government vehicles, but here students will sign ribbons in schools across the province.

     The Communist Party of Canada-Manitoba charges that the campaign supports the Afghan war, not the troops. "Canadian soldiers must return immediately from Afghanistan," said Manitoba's Communist Party leader, Darrell Rankin. "Not one more soldier should be killed or injured by perpetuating Canada's shameful and unjust role in Afghanistan."

     Premier Gary Doer launched the campaign on Feb. 5 ostensibly to honour the dedication and bravery of the troops from Manitoba being deployed in the next few weeks to Afghanistan. Wal-Mart and other big retail stores are offering ribbons to shoppers to sign.

     "This campaign must be stopped and especially blocked from gathering signatures in schools - a terrible error by the provincial government. The campaign will promote militarism and glorify the war in young minds. Such an unbalanced approach to youth must be opposed," said Rankin. "The NDP is collaborating with big corporations to carry out this campaign because their traditional supporters do not support the campaign's pro-war orientation."

     "Most Canadians call for the immediate return of Canadian soldiers from Afghanistan. They want the troops back because they do not support the war. The best way to support Canadian troops going to Afghanistan from Manitoba over the next few weeks is to say they should not go at all," said Rankin, a past chair and treasurer of the Canadian Peace Alliance. "No just, humanitarian or legal reason exists why tens of thousands of people have been killed and injured by Canadian and allied forces in Afghanistan."

     Premier Doer spoke against withdrawing Canadian troops from Afghanistan at and after the federal NDP convention of September, 2006. Close to 90 per cent of delegates voted in support of immediate withdrawal.

     In April 2007 the federal NDP caucus voted with the Conservatives, defeating a Liberal motion to end Canada's Afghan combat role in February, 2009. The federal NDP then moved a resolution, defeated by all the other parties, to "begin withdrawing" Canadian troops, a position far short of convention policy.

Found at: http://www.peoplesvoice.ca/articleprint12/04_MANITOBA_NDP_TARGETS_CHILDREN_TO_GLORIFY_AFGHAN_MISSION.html