|
|
People’s Voice August 1-31, 2016
Volume 24 – Number 12 $1
1) ON THE BREXIT AND THE FIGHT FOR REAL AND FUNDAMENTAL
CHANGE
2) NO NATO WARMONGERING IN EUROPE
3) HOUSING CRISIS: GROUND ZERO IN BURNABY
4) RACISM - IT’S A CANADIAN THING - Editorial
5) A PREDICTABLE CATASTROPHE - Editorial
6) THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE LATIN AMERICAN UNION...DREAM
7) TRUDEAU’S PENSION REFORM: WHERE’S THE BEEF?
8) WORLD PEACE COUNCIL MEETS IN TORONTO
9) TRILATERAL PEACE CONFERENCE PROPOSALS FOR COORDINATED
ACTION
10) WOMEN’S RESISTANCE AGAINST INDIA’S MODI GOVERNMENT
11) “ONLY THE PEOPLE CAN DEFEAT THE ENEMIES OF HUMANITY”
12) “WORKING POVERTY IN METRO VANCOUVER”
13) MUSIC NOTES, by Wally Brooker
PEOPLE'S VOICE AUGUST
1-31, 2016 (pdf)
|
People's Voice deadlines: September 1-15 September 16-30 Send submissions to PV Editorial Office, |
|
|
REDS
ON THE WEB
http://www.communist-party.ca
www.peoplesvoice.ca
www.ycl-ljc.ca
www.solidnet.org
|
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! |
* * * * * *
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
* * * * * *
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
<pvoice@telus.net>
REDS ON THE WEB
www.communist-party.ca
www.peoplesvoice.ca
www.ycl-ljc.ca/
http://solidnet.org/
http://www,rebelyouth-magazine.blogspot.com
(The articles below
are from the August 1-31, 2016, issue of People's
1) ON THE
BREXIT AND THE FIGHT FOR REAL AND FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE
Statement from the Central
Executive Committee, Communist Party of
In the lead up to the June 23 Brexit vote, Canadian media reported almost daily
on the line-up of right-wing, anti-immigrant, racist and fascist
organizations that were campaigning in support of Britain’s withdrawal
from the European Union: the Brexit referendum.
The message to Canadians was clear: Brexit is dangerous; the European
Union is safe. To nail down that assessment with working people, the
leader of Britain’s TUC, Frances O’Grady, confirmed that maintaining
Britain’s labour rights and standards hinged on enforcement by the European
Union - not the British government which she said, would first erode and
then eliminate workers’ rights and standards.
The Tories and the EU: divisions
in the ruling class
In fact both the British government and the EU have been working for decades to
slash workers’ rights and standards. It was Margaret Thatcher who brought
neo-liberal economics and social and trade policies to
The EU is a supra-national body that represents the interests of the
largest European, German and transnational corporations. Financed by the
privately owned European banks, with the enforcement powers of the European
Commission, it has single-handedly subjugated the national sovereignty and
independence of states across the continent, waged war on the African states
and refugees trying to escape wars in Africa and the Middle East, while also
waging war on the working class and peoples of Europe with the imposition of
austerity, mass impoverishment, joblessness, and harsh restrictions on
labour, democratic, civil and social rights. The EU has also fanned
the flames of racism, xenophobia, and hatred, leading to the growth of fascist
parties and movements in every part of
The division in the ruling class over the EU, was not about content, but about
the pace of capitalist globalization in
Urging governments and corporations to “avoid hysteria” following the Brexit
vote, Obama reminded his audience that “NATO and the transatlantic alliance
still exist”. To enforce capitalist globalization, exploitation and
continuing super-profits.
The EU is an opponent of the working class and working people, and its complete
break up would be an important step in curbing the power of the monopolies and
the big corporations in Europe, and in creating the conditions for an effective
struggle to restore national sovereignty and democracy to the peoples of
Europe.
A victory for the working class
And so the decision of the British working class, by a margin of just 2%, to
“leave” the European Union was an important and courageous decision in face of
a massive “remain” campaign led by Tory PM David Cameron. The Communist Party
of
The Communists argued that the Brexit opened the door for the working class to
take on the IMF and the World Bank, and to expand the Lexit to include an exit
from all supra-national capitalist blocs and trade deals.
However the immediate job is to prevent the betrayal of the Brexit vote: by
Conservatives bent on transforming the referendum result into “advice” that
Parliament can accept or reject; and by the Labour Party caucus which is attempting
to dump its Leader Jeremy Corbyn for his socialist views and his unwillingness
to campaign to overturn the referendum result. Scottish nationalists, hoping to
re-open the issue of a referendum on Scottish independence, are campaigning to
keep
British Communists are demanding that the government trigger the 2-year exit
negotiations by informing the EU that Britain is leaving the EU, and then call
an election so that new MPs, committed to negotiating Britain’s exit, can be
elected. British Communists are also demanding that the trade union movement
and the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn, regain leadership of the anti EU
campaign, linking
Pulling Britain out of the EU raises important new questions and possibilities
for Canada to also break free of the corporate trade deals and blocs that have
cost this country its sovereignty and independence, a million jobs, a large
part of its manufacturing base, and transformed its multilateral trade policy
into a unilateral trade deal with the US; and a foreign policy made in the USA,
putting Canada on a permanent war footing, waist deep in US dirty wars.
The British working class has shown that another way is possible,
necessary, and urgent.
In the
Move the TPP to the garbage heap
The Liberals’ commitment to the TPP may well be waning as a result of the Brexit
and the US elections, which means that mass independent political action by
labour and the democratic movements before November could decisively move the
TPP off the government’s agenda, and onto the garbage heap of history where the
MAI and FTAA already lie.
For Canadian workers, the most important response to the Brexit would be to
kill the TPP, and knock another block out of the imperialist fortress in
The tide is starting to turn.
2) NO NATO WARMONGERING IN
Central Executive Committee,
Communist Party of
Since the United States-orchestrated coup d’état in
The Communist Party of
NATO’s military buildup and posturing are part of a comprehensive political and
military campaign – including pressure to increase military spending – in the
lead-up to NATO’s
These objectives relate to the overall increased aggressiveness of imperialist
countries, in the context of the deepening capitalist crisis and the lingering
effects of the 2008 financial meltdown. As the dominant imperialist centres –
particularly the US and the European Union – scramble to preserve and advance
their individual interests at one another’s expense, they are maneuvering to divide
and re-divide the world in a desperate and dangerous rush for profits,
resources and markets. This explains the rapid eastward expansion of the EU,
and the related expansion of NATO, right up to
In order to justify such a costly and dangerous expansion, Western powers have
launched a renewed Cold War as the vehicle to ideologically bombard the people
in their own countries. This propaganda aims to demonize
In
The narrative from the Canadian government and corporate media talk about
increased Russian military buildup, but this also avoids an unsettling reality:
military spending by NATO states accounted for $920 billion USD in 2014, over
half of the entire world total. The
Clearly, NATO and its member states are the biggest provocateurs, the most
dangerous aggressors, and the fundamental problem when it comes to global
militarism and war.
But there is an alternative. The people of
The Communist Party of
3) HOUSING
CRISIS: GROUND ZERO IN
By Kimball Cariou
With public anger growing against the escalating housing crisis in Metro
On July 9, activists from the Stop Demovictions Burnaby Campaign, the
In recent years, similar struggles have taken place in
Both cities have councils dominated by NDP supporters. Vision Vancouver, and
the
In
Next door in
On that logical basis, the BCA has rejected Vision-style interventionist
strategies, with one important exception: backing the push by developers to
keep rezoning neighbourhoods for condominiums. In both cases, the result has
been a faster pace of destruction of existing housing stock rented by working
class families, especially indigenous people and racialized communities, and
people on social assistance and disability.
Governments at all levels are looking for easy scapegoats for this situation,
with foreign speculators a favourite target. But the provincial government and
municipalities also bring in huge revenues from the boom, making them reluctant
to take action, especially since any decline in the housing price bubble could
have negative impacts on the economy of
Most of the debate in the corporate media has focused on the unaffordability of
homes and condos. Detached houses now sell for an average of nearly $1.3
million in east
But the real crisis is hitting those who could never afford the deposit on a
$400,000 condo, let alone a house. Ground zero for this social disaster is now
the Metrotown area, where the mega-mall is surrounded by blocks and blocks of
relatively affordable walk-up apartments. Many of these decades-old buildings
are falling into disrepair, but could easily be upgraded. Instead, the
bulldozers are knocking down one after another, with the cranes putting up new
high-rises visible in every direction.
On May 16, the Stop Demovictions Burnaby Campaign presented
Three of those buildings are being “demovicted” by corporate developer Amacon
in order to build a 30 storey condo tower. The tenants were understandably
terrified for their futures, and that fear has been intensified by the
subsequent evictions and cut-off of hydro and water services.
The Stop Demovictions Burnaby Campaign presentation was based on a door-to-door
survey of households in fifteen buildings being demovicted from the square
block north-east of Dunblane and Imperial Streets in Metrotown.
The survey found that about 73% of apartments were one-bedrooms, but 28% of
units had three or four occupants. With an average of two people per apartment,
nearly five hundred people will lose their homes in the Dunblane demovictions.
Currently, in Metrotown, 684 apartment units are scheduled to be demolished,
affecting about 1,400 people.
The survey found that 55% of tenants pay more than 30% of their incomes to
rent, an indicator of being at-risk of homelessness. About one-quarter of
residents have only lived in their apartment for one or two years, and these uprooted
tenants tend to come from other demolished or renovicted buildings. One-quarter
are long-term residents who have lived in their apartments for five to ten
years. Largely seniors or people on pensions or disability, they will be
hard-hit by a forced move into a much more expensive housing market.
Those evicted residents who had found a new place in the Metrotown area were
going to be paying 25% more for rent (about $250 more per month). But 62% had
still not found a place to live, only two or three weeks prior to eviction day.
Most planned to crash on friends’ couches, live in a camper, or move in with
family or with a partner with who they would otherwise not cohabitate. Some
were filing BC Housing applications, despite waitlists as long as ten-years for
social housing.
The survey found “not one single person who reported receiving support, a
visit, or any contact from representatives of the City of
The Community Under Attack report made several recommendations: a moratorium on
rezoning properties currently used as residential rentals; municipal action to
find housing for those displaced by demovictions; use city funds to buy a
building for emergency housing; cancel Burnaby Council’s proposed “downtown”
Metrotown plan, and begin a community planning process that involves residents
most vulnerable to displacement; and dedicate existing City-owned lands for
social housing.
(For a copy of the report, email organize@stopdisplacement.ca,
or download it at http://www.stopdisplacement.ca/burnaby/)
In response, Mayor Corrigan said “Thanks for the report, we’ll send it to staff
for their consideration, and they will engage Council in a conversation and a
report will be issued, which we’ll pass along to you.”
Not surprisingly, such comments by the Mayor and the BCA, and the support for
Corrigan coming from NDP MLAs and MPs, have been viewed as dismissive and even
hostile by residents facing evictions. Some observers speculate that the BCA
simply doesn’t care, since voter turnouts in this neighbourhood are usually
low. But by choosing to align with developers, both the BCA and Vision
Vancouver risk alienating the NDP’s traditional working class voter base just
months before the May 2017 provincial election.
4) RACISM - IT’S A CANADIAN THING
People’s Voice Editorial
Amid the debates over tactics used by Black Lives Matter activists at this
year’s Pride Parade in
To those who may be uncomfortable with the blunt statement that racism is as
Canadian as maple syrup or three-down football, here are a few sobering facts,
courtesy of the Canadian Labour Congress and other sources.
Half of First Nations children live in poverty compared to 17% for other
Canadians. Indigenous workers earn an average of $19,000, compared to $33,000
for other Canadians. The infant mortality rate is 1.5 times higher for First
Nations than other Canadians. Black males living in
Perhaps unaware of these realities, 55 percent of Canadians are satisfied that
we have ”overcome” racial discrimination. It’s time to get over the smug
attitude that
People’s Voice Editorial
On July 6, seven years after it was commissioned, the report of the Chilcot
Inquiry into
Without stating it directly, the Chilcot Inquiry provides ample evidence that
the Bush and Blair governments were guilty of launching a war of aggression,
which the post-WW2 International Military Tribunal at
Of course, leaders of NATO powers still have a free pass to commit war crimes
against millions of people; even so, the world must grasp the lessons of this
predictable catastrophe, which reverberates today with deadly consequences in
all corners of the planet. The roots of the illegal war against Iraq go back
decades, to the 1970s when US imperialism reached around the world to stoke
internal conflicts in Afghanistan as part of its Cold War attack against
socialism. This strategy produced multiple, cascading effects, including the
provision of massive weapons stockpiles to groups which formed the basis of
6) THE
EUROPEAN UNION AND THE LATIN AMERICAN
By Nino Pagliccia
If you can’t fix it, Brexit. This has been at least in part the sentiment that
led to the success of the Leave campaign on June 23. Contrary to the
nationalist message of the right-wing camp in the
The mainstream media has been reporting that a Leave vote was a vote for
racism, xenophobia and against immigration. There may have been some truth
there from very conservative sectors of the
Suddenly, many Europeans now show a great deal of interest on this issue,
including those who usually don’t pay attention to foreign affairs. And they
should. Had the vote been for the Remain campaign, two outcomes would have gone
unnoticed: the Cameron Conservatives working hand-in-hand with the far-right
sector of Boris Johnson, despite differences; and no possibility of a move
towards more progressive pro-labour policies in the
The replacement of Cameron by a new Prime Minister, Theresa May, has already
pushed a recovery of the speculative financial markets after the doom-and-gloom
following the Brexit vote. Everything will go back to normal in the financial
world, which highlights the fact that the EU is mainly an economic union.
Something appears to be different, though. The following statement from a Tory
government would have been unthinkable before Brexit. “[Theresa] May announced
several policy proposals that were pure Miliband. As reported overnight, she
called for workers to be represented on company boards (going slightly further
than Labour did in its 2015 manifesto). She also called for action on excessive
executive pay and on cartels.” (The Guardian, July 11). Will the Labour party
heal its internal differences and push the much-needed reforms for workers now
that the pressure from the EU is out of the way?
However, let’s cross the
Why the obsession about maintaining a EU in spite of its failures, and the
determined intent to destroy any attempt of
The Latin American integration vision is as old as the emergence of sovereign
states following the wars of independence from
The Organization of American States (OAS) was born at the time of the Cold War
in 1948 for the purpose of collective security and reciprocal assistance. The
fact that it includes
In 2011 the Community of Latin American and
In 2011 as well, UNASUR became a legal intergovernmental regional organization
comprising 12 South American countries.
But perhaps the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA),
founded initially by Cuba and Venezuela in 2004 and now with a total of eleven
member countries, represents more fully the vision of Simón Bolívar as
suggested by its name. (Member states include
That is quite a different goal from that of the EU, and conceivably the reason
why it must not succeed under the
While the
Margaret Kimberley wrote in her column, “The
The OAS has provided the proper venue for the
The EU, a creation of corporate interests, has been sold as the ultimate peace
guarantor in
In contrast, the long-time dream of a Latin American union has been frustrated,
because it has a strong popular will to make it come true, based on sincere
partnership and solidarity among the member states without foreign
interventions.
In order to undermine the integration attempts, the
It’s only when we start contrasting positions such as the EU and the Latin
American aspiration for a union that we have a better understanding of the
political forces behind them, and reveal the double standards of neoliberal
ideology.
Unions and partnerships are not malicious per se. Only those formed to promote the
interests of corporations over the interests of people must be questioned. I
will always prefer entities that have blood running through their veins, not
cash.
7) TRUDEAU’S PENSION REFORM: WHERE’S THE BEEF?
Statement from the Central
Executive Committee, Communist Party of
The best thing about the federal government’s pension reform is its pending
decision to restore the age of eligibility for Old Age Security (OAS) to 65. It
was Harper who raised the age to 67, citing the OECD countries which had re-set
the pension age to 67, and in one case to 68. Canadians were living too long,
was the argument, and ought to be working - not retiring at 65 – like the
Europeans.
These are the same governments that imposed vicious austerity measures right
across Europe, that in
In
But the CPP reform, touted by federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau as an
agreement that will make “a real difference in all our children’s future lives
and I hope for many of you… It’s a historic day”, won’t make any
difference at all for today’s pensioners whose incomes won’t rise by a single
nickel.
Nor will it help future retirees who will see a maximum annual benefit rise
from $13,110 to $19,900, effective 2065 – that is 49 years from now. And
they’ll have to work 40 years before that to qualify, and have an income of
$82,700 before retirement to qualify for the maximum $19,900.
And what will be the purchasing power of $19,900 or $14,500 (based on an income
of $54,900) in 2065?
Canadians know right now that they can’t live on $19,900 a year in 2016. That’s
$1,658 a month, before taxes – and it’s the maximum payout. What about the
“middle income” pension of $14,500 a year, or $1,208 a month (before taxes)?
You can’t eat and pay the rent in
The federal government is offering current pensioners nothing at all, and
future pensioners a rooming house (provided their pre-retirement income is at
least $54,000).
What this “reform” is really about is to stall and if possible, prevent a real
fight for livable pensions from breaking out across the country. This is
a fight the CLC was supposed to lead according to its own statements, though
it’s now inexplicably lauding the Liberals for this pension “reform”.
The hard truth is that only about 25% of workers currently have defined benefit
pension plans – that is plans that provide any real old age security, and all
of these are under pressure from both private and public employers, as witness
the current postal negotiations. Less than half of workers have accumulated any
retirement savings at all.
The ugly truth is that Canadians aged 45 or younger with incomes between
$50,000 and $80,000 are going to arrive at pension age, without a defined
benefit pension plan from employment, without adequate savings, and unable to
retire. This is the current situation for many low-income retirees who never
had the opportunity to work in a unionized workplace, or in a job with benefits
or a private pension plan.
The impact on youth will be to substantially increase youth unemployment, and to
drive down wages, benefits, and conditions of work, while increasing precarious
work everywhere.
The impact on seniors will be to force the great majority to work until they
die, and – worn out from overwork - to die at a younger age.
Real pension reform is urgently needed, for this generation of pensioners and
for future generations. The Communist Party calls for strengthening of the CPP
as a vital universal social program that meets the retirement needs of all
Canadians:
* Immediate and substantial
increase to pension benefits; CPP benefits must be livable benefits
* reduction of the pension age
(CPP, OAS, and GIS) to 60 for access to full benefits
* Pension funds to be
non-contributory by workers, and to be fully funded by employers
Regarding private pension plans, the CPC calls for restoration of defined
benefits plans in the private and public sector; pension holidays for
corporations to be made illegal; and for pensions to be protected in any
corporate bankruptcy, closure or sale.
8) WORLD PEACE COUNCIL MEETS IN
Delegates from
PV Ontario Bureau
Peace activists representing 12 countries across the western hemisphere met in
Participating in the meeting were leading peace activists from the host
organization, the Canadian Peace Congress, the Brazilian Peace Council
(CEBRAPAZ), the Cuban Movement for Peace and Sovereignty of the Peoples (MOVPAZ),
the Peace Council of the United States, the Mexican Movement for Peace and
Development (MOMPADE), the Peace Movement of El Salvador, the Dominican Union
of Journalists for Peace (UDPP), Venezuela's Committee for International
Solidarity, the Caribbean Peace and Integration Movement of Barbados, the
School of Peace in Colombia, the Jamaican Peace Council and the Committee in
Defense of the National Patrimony of Sovereignty and Dignity (CODEPANAL) of
Bolivia.
The World Peace Council's President, Socorro Gomes, and Executive Secretary,
Iraklis Tsavdaridis, were present, as was the
The participants noted that the meeting occurred in the context of a complex
political situation, both in the world and in the region, that combines the
general crisis of capitalism and the aggressive military escalation of the
United States, the European Union and NATO in the Middle East, Eastern Europe
and Asia. In its renewed drive for political and economic control over Latin
America and the Caribbean, the
The regional meeting stated its deep concern for the increased political and
military interference by
The meeting identified the recent NATO Summit in Warsaw, Poland is an
expression of increasingly aggressive policies vision that are aimed at
surrounding Russia and extending NATO's military arena to all areas of the
world. Participants declared their support for the campaigns of the Canadian
Peace Congress and the
Several participants spoke of the increased imperialist interventions against
the people and governments of
The Regional Meeting expressed its unwavering solidarity with the peace-loving,
patriotic and popular forces who are mobilizing in defense of the social gains
they have achieved and of their independence and sovereignty. The participants
in the meeting also reiterated their support for the Proclamation of Latin
America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace, which was approved by all Heads
of State and Government of the region at the Second CELAC Summit held in
Havana, Cuba, in January 2014.
The meeting expressed its genuine joy at the recent signing of a peace accord
between the Colombian government and the FARC-EP guerrilla, which is a strong
step toward a definitive and sustainable peace for the people of Colombia and
for the opening of a new period of democracy in that country.
The meeting discussed the expansion of foreign military bases, mostly US,
throughout the region. They noted that the current trend is toward a smaller
overall number of foreign military bases, but with a greater number of host
countries. The meeting participants reiterated the WPC's longstanding demand
for an end to all foreign bases and military enclaves in the region.
Participants also discussed the struggles Indigenous peoples against genocide
and in defence of their sovereignty, and expressed a commitment to build more
effective and visible solidarity.
The Regional Meeting ended with a report on preparations for the World Peace
Council Assembly, to be held in
9) TRILATERAL
PEACE CONFERENCE PROPOSALS FOR COORDINATED ACTION
PV Ontario Bureau
Immediately following the WPC Regional Conference in
1 - Prepare a joint statement in
the name of the peace movements in the three countries, that exposes the link
between current wars and social needs of peoples in all countries; that
identifies xenophobia, the militarization of the police, and the widespread and
violent repression in Mexico, as components of current war and aggression; and
that calls for a joint day of action against war across the three countries.
2) Organize a report-back in all
three countries, from the upcoming peace tour to
3) Prepare a declaration against
foreign military bases, including reference to policies and programs like
Merida Initiative which allow US military to function through national police,
and to seek endorsements from broad range of peace and progressive
organizations, and to work toward a joint day of action against foreign
military bases.
4) Help mobilize youth in three
countries for the 2017 World Festival of Youth and Students in
5) Issue a letter, in the name of
the Trilateral Peace Conference, to the Canadian government that encourages the
government to endorse and support OPANAL and the Zone of Peace in Latin America
and the
6) To increase our work, in the
name of the Trilateral Peace Conference, for nuclear disarmament – including
participation in the Keep Space for Peace Week, October 1-8, 2016; building
opposition to NATO; helping to build existing campaigns against nuclear arms
and promoting an anti-imperialist analysis to the broader peace movement; and
building joint actions for days like the anniversary of the bombing of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
7) To work together to oppose
colonialism in the
- actively supporting and
promoting the struggles of Indigenous peoples against genocide and in defence
of their sovereignty;
- exposing and opposing the
reality of state violence and repression of human rights in
- supporting the struggle of the
Puerto Rican people for self-determination; and
- helping to mobilize against the
Trans-Pacific Partnership in all three countries, in particular for the
November 4, 2016 Continental Day of Action for Democracy and Against
Neo-liberalism.
10) WOMEN’S RESISTANCE AGAINST
During the recent 38th Central
Convention of the Communist Party of Canada in Toronto, Marxism-Leninism Today editor
Greg Godels interviewed Noor Zaheer Zaheer, a leader of the National Federation
of Indian Women and a prominent member of the Communist Party of India. The
complete interview is online at mltoday.com.
What
is the situation facing the Indian working class today?
The private sector has done away with trade unions and where they are not able
to they have brought in puppet trade unions sponsored by the owners. These
stooge trade unions function to suppress workers movements and their high
handedness has led to violence and rioting in which the workers are at the
receiving end. In the Maruti Udyog, about thirty kilometers from the capital
Though it was a victory the government is now in process of making
participation of contract workers in strikes illegal. Since most of the workers
are now contract workers, pressurizing the employer and making the government
aware of the plight of workers through this process is taken away. the National
Rural Employment Guarantee Act has been rolled back in the last two years. This
Act gave 100 days of work in a year to unskilled labour in rural areas thus
uplifting their financial status and increasing their bargaining power for the
rest of the 260 days. Taking away this support means forcing migration to urban
and industrial region for work.
What
is your assessment of the Modi government?
The Modi Government has come to power with the support of the big
industrialists of the country. He and his government are thus obliged to pay
them back for their support. While land of the small farmers is being
confiscated, industrialists are getting millions of dollars of Income Tax
exemption, allotment of highly subsidized land for setting up industries,
waiver of bills of electricity and other infrastructural costs. This is
resulting in a deficit in the national resources which the government is trying
to overcome with lowering interests of bank deposit, suspension of pension and
Provident Fund, hiking of bank loan interests to small businesses, increase in
the number of working hours to boost productivity and most importantly laws
that guarantee no workers agitation and protests. In short the government is
following a policy of 'support the rich, deprive the poor.'
Modi himself is travelling round the globe, presumably for trade and business
deals but so far no beneficial outcome is visible. The condition of agriculture
is particularly worrying with all subsidies on seed, fertilizer, irrigation and
electricity being withdrawn, declared drought in 12 provinces out of 29
provinces of the country and genetically modified seeds approved for cash crops
for example BT Cotton and GM Mustard. Not having any plan for development as
they had promised in their election manifesto the government is inciting
violence between communities to divert the attention of the masses from the
real issues of the failures of the government and focus it on day to day
security and safety. Prices of essential commodities are rising every day,
corruption is rampant and the government is sure that it is not going to be
elected again so is hurriedly pushing through decisions like relaxing of FDI
norms in some key sectors.
What
special problems do Indian women face in capitalist
A process of continuous change if it is undertaken would necessarily bring the
masses to a level of questioning the society, norms, economic, industrial
decisions of the state and a level of rationality which is detrimental to
capitalism. Capitalism is always supportive of right wing politics because it
propagates conservatism and a policy of 'no change'. To maintain stagnancy in
thinking capitalism promotes male dominance in work places and in decision
making. The most glaring example of this is the fall in the percentage of
elected women representatives in both the house of the Parliament which is the
lowest ever in the present regime. Most decision making bodies have a nominal
count of women, which reduces their say in the decision to almost negligible.
As a base for itself capitalism develops religion and gives utmost importance
to rituals and traditions. Being patriarchal in its very texture religion [all
religions] promotes segregation of women and uphold the patriarchal perception
of working women or 'women outside homes'. In the present regime the insecurity
of women has grown; there is emphasis on the inherent 'weakness' of the female,
the greatness of women who stay at home and look after their husbands and
family. In the last two years there has been in a reduction in scholarships and
fellowships for women for higher education, fewer women as heads of
institutions, promotion of lesser qualified women to important positions so
that they can be manipulated by the powers that be. The best example is
the HRD Minister Smriti Irani who does not possess even a basic degree yet
decides the policy for higher education, research and technical institutions.
Protest is one of the means to initiate change and women have been using it for
several decades to put forward their demands and persuade the Government to
discuss important issues. But since
How
does the National Federation of Indian Women address the question of women's
equality and freedom in
At the moment NFIW is in the process of preparing the Draft of a Uniform Civil
Code that would give equal rights to Muslim and Christian women, who are at the
moment covered under the Personal Law of respective religions, depriving them
of several benefits of a Common Civil Code. Once this draft is ready we shall
circulate it to important lawyers, religious heads, women's groups and initiate
a discussion on it. Though several victories have been achieved, the question
of equality for women is an ongoing and multi-pronged struggle. In NFIW we base
the struggle on discussions on issues, charting out decisions and persuasion of
the Government to accept, validate and formalize our recommendations.
11) “ONLY THE PEOPLE CAN DEFEAT
THE ENEMIES OF HUMANITY”
From the July 19 statement of the
Central Committee of the Communist
The July 15th coup attempt involved at least two and even more state cliques,
which have identical class identities and ideologies. It is not possible that
these cliques would be totally unaware of each other’s plans and actions, just
as it is impossible to dissociate them. However, the attempt on 15th of July
was not a bloody scenario totally planned by Erdoğan as some claimed, but
was a real coup attempt.
There are two dimensions of the path leading to the coup. First is the “fight
for power” between Erdoğan supporters and the Gülen Community [Ed. a
liberal Islamic movement led by Turkish theologian and preacher Fethullah
Gülen], which has gained a new dimension after the large purge of Gülen
followers. This fight is getting deeper in both the political and economic
context, and also has an international dimension and different trends within
the imperialist centers supporting those factions.
It is the reality that most of the officers who took part in the coup attempt are
members of the Gülen Community (which) has deep and strong connections in
This support has been reduced recently for various reasons. Some with ties to
the
Coup plotters having connections abroad does not make Erdoğan a patriot or
anti-imperialist. As a politician, Erdoğan is largely servile to the
The coup attempt, the powers behind it, the methods which were used and the
ideological fundamentals, do not hold any point of interest for the people. The
opinion that the country would have got out of difficulties if the coup had
been successful is groundless. It is obvious what a pro-American, anti-people
coup would mean.
It is also nonsense to present the suppression of the coup as a victory for the
people and/or celebrate it as a democracy fest. This is approach does not
question the legality of the AKP regime and ignores the class fundamentals of
events in the country.
The argument that Erdoğan gained more power after this coup attempt is
true to a certain extent. Without doubt, Erdoğan got a chance to inflict a
heavy blow to the Gülen Community; showed himself as a victim one more time,
consolidated his crowds and tested the power of some organisations associated
with him. However he ended up with a seriously damaged state apparatus, and he
also had to face that there is no safe bureaucracy anymore because of the
transitory nature of integral cliques.
Under these circumstances Erdoğan may prefer to stick to his own sources
within the critical body of the state apparatus, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK)
and Judiciary, and to purge not only the Gülen community members but also some
Kemalist constituents who used to be in alliance with him. There are serious
difficulties to stick totally to one’s own sources in TSK and the Judiciary, even
if it is easier than in other parts of the bureaucracy. Erdoğan cannot
make this move – which means to decelerate an Islamic state - without avoiding
final and absolute revenge on both political and social levels. On the other
hand, Erdoğan doesn’t have any other way out to consolidate his own
crowds.
It is possible that Erdoğan will go to great lengths to mend relations
with the
In each situation there is a multi-dimensional crisis regarding the dissolution
of the hegemony of capital. It’s not this dissolution, but the unorganised
state of the working class, which is actually dangerous.
Another danger is the opinion, which has become popular after the coup attempt,
saying Erdoğan is undefeatable. Scary scenarios are emerging and a panic
environment is being created with speculative news which are not based in
reality. The AKP government has always been dangerous, and they are even more
dangerous now. Additionally, the panic environment which is created makes the
aggression of AKP legitimate. However, neither the AKP and Erdoğan are as
powerful as they claim, nor is
AKP and the fundamentalist threat must not be underrated. The period started
with the AKP claim that “secularism is not in danger” carried the country to
the edge of an abyss. There is a mission for a better organised and more
effective opposition of the people against that considerable threat. This
mission can not be performed by creating panic. It is not acceptable that the
opposition is creating panic.
Under these conditions, the major power of AKP and Erdoğan continues to be
his opponents in the political system. The politics of the system formed its
policy based on normalising, transforming, convincing the AKP. The attitude of
politicians who claim that they are the “left” wing in the parliament is
remarkable and worrying.
Experiences during and after the 15th July exposed how cruel the factions in
the government can be. We watched the cruelty of the coup plotters. We saw the
barbarism staged by the government. These cannot be handled by the approach of
“let them kill each other”. An unknown number of citizens have been killed, and
private soldiers who don’t have any idea what is going on have been lynched.
People will hold accountable all who perpetrated lawless actions, lynching,
torture of suspects and surrendered officers, and how the leaders of the two
factions cooperated together for years until now.
It is not correct to describe these cruelties as “strength”. On the contrary
there is dissolution, fear and confusion on the side of the government.
Spreading fear can only be surpassed by strong, solid and consistent steps, not
with unplanned actions. This dissolution can be turn into an opportunity for
the people.
Turkey can only get out of woods by the united struggle of the working class
against the class hegemony presented by dark powers, but not through the dance
of dark powers. We refuse all analysis and positioning ignoring this reality.
Communists will not give credit to slogans such as, ‘all come together against
Erdoğan’ – ‘followers of sharia will cut our heads off’ –
‘victory of democratic powers’ – which reveal the many dimensions of
confusion. We would never come together with representatives of the capitalist
class,
...We can say that everybody who are side with humanitarian ideals, a classless
society without exploitation, must work together. To fail to do so is to be an
enemy of the people, legalising carelessness and laziness. It is
necessary to organise, improve, empower class struggle, free from religious
sects, fundamentalism, capitalist and imperialist centers. The people don’t
need politicised reactions of unorganised masses. Those gathered together,
aimless and formless under the slogan of “Gezi pluralism,” surely must have
been learned their lesson.
It is the aim of the Communist Party to become an independent revolutionary
organisation which can change the balance of power in the country, spoil the
game, strangle reactionist lynching campaigns. Our ultimate call is for working
people to trust their own power, move together, take the initiative and stop
helplessly following this nightmare.
12) “WORKING
POVERTY IN METRO
”Working Poverty in Metro Vancouver” is the title
of a new report by Iglika Ivanova, a senior economist and the Public
Interest Researcher at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives–BC. We
reprint here the summary of the report, which can be read at https://www.policyalternatives.ca.
In a province as rich as BC, and in an area as economically diverse as
Metro Vancouver, the contradiction between massive wealth and rising
economic insecurity is particularly stark.
Not only are deep poverty and homelessness highly visible on the streets of
We are often told that the solution to poverty is for the poor to “get a job”
or for various sectors to create more jobs, but the reality is that having a
job is not a guaranteed path out of poverty. Increasingly, the story of poverty
in BC is becoming a story of low-paid and precarious jobs. Many of the new jobs
created since the 2008 recession have been part-time, temporary and low
paid. Metro
Canada’s two richest cities, Greater Toronto and Metro Vancouver, have the
highest working poverty rates in the country. They are outliers among other
large urban areas, where working poverty rates are considerably lower. Worse
still, Metro
Though this study focuses on Metro
Who are the working poor? In Metro
• Just over half (54 per cent) of
the working poor were married or living common law.
• 42 per cent had dependent
children (32 per cent were living in couple families with children and 9 per
cent were single parents).
• One in four (24 per cent) was
between the ages of 18 and 29.
• The majority (61 per cent) were
between the ages of 30 and 54, or what economists consider prime working age.
• 9 per cent received employment
insurance (EI) benefits at some point during the year.
These numbers are similar across the entire
In Metro
Working poverty is not confined to a few municipalities; it is a regional
problem in Metro
Worse still, working poverty has grown in most municipalities since 2006, with
the largest increases occurring in suburban neighbourhoods in
A look at working poverty by neighbourhood further underlines how widespread it
is across Metro
Working poverty can be reduced and eventually eliminated with a combination of
labour market reforms, more generous income supports, and better public
services. The report makes detailed policy recommendations for how this can be
achieved, including action to:
• increase the minimum wage;
• strengthen employment standards;
• make sure all British
Columbians have access to safe, affordable housing;
• provide access to high quality,
public child care;
• make training and education
more accessible to low-income earners;
• reform employment insurance;
• enhance the Working Income Tax
Benefit;
• make all levels of government
living wage employers.
Every level of government has a role to play, but the provincial government is
uniquely positioned to take the lead. In the end, working poverty is only
a part of the complex story of poverty in BC. To improve the lives of all poor
British Columbians, we need a comprehensive poverty reduction plan with targets
and timelines. Reducing poverty will help not just those who are poor. Better
public services and income supports enhance quality of life for all British
Columbians and build more inclusive, vibrant and healthy communities we can all
be proud to LIVE IN.
13) MUSIC NOTES, by Wally Brooker
A music video written and
performed by teenagers from
"Cubanacán: A Revolution of Forms"
DVDs of the first new Cuban opera
in 50 years have been sent to American promoters in hope of attracting interest
in a
Four Tenors all-star game fiasco
When The Canadian Tenors, a
Juno-winning vocal quartet that purveys operatic pop music, signed on to
perform "O
Dave Swarbrick 1941-2016
English fiddler Dave
Swarbrick, a key figure in