|
Socialist Action/Ligue pour L'Action Socialiste is a cross-country revolutionary socialist organization
with members and supporters actively fighting for a Workers' Agenda in the
unions, in the labour-based New Democratic Party, anti-poverty and feminist
movements, against the global corporate trade deals, and for environmental
protection and solidarity with the struggles of working people and the
oppressed worldwide. Socialist Action is in political solidarity with the
Fourth International, the global Trotskyist movement active on every
continent and for over 65 years in the forefront of workers' struggles against
imperialism and Stalinism.
Socialist Action is based on the democratic principle of full membership
debate on programme and strategy, followed by unity in action. We are
fighting for a world fit for human beings, and for a mass revolutionary
party to lead the struggle to victory. If you agree with what we stand for,
we invite you to join us!
LINK: Click
here to check out Socialist Action’s Blog!
[Starting in May 2009 this
website will no longer be updated.
Feel free to browse here for listings of older articles, but all new
materials will be posted on our new blog!]
 The Definitive
Fidel: If you are interested in the life of Fidel Castro, his role in the
Cuban Revolution (now in its 50th year), and in many major events that
shaped the second half of the 20th century, this is the book you have long
awaited. continued
Ignatieff,
Choice of the Elite: A little joke currently
circulating goes like this: "Stephen Harper took 4 years to unite the
right. He took 4 days to unite the left. He took 1 1/2 days to find the
Liberals a new leader." Setting aside the error about what constitutes
"the left", we could add: "And at the same time, Harper
killed the Liberal-NDP coalition."
continued
Quebec Liberals
Eke Out a Majority: The Dec. 8 Quebec provincial
election saw the return of a majority Liberal (PLQ) government after 18
months of minority rule by that party. Liberal Prime Minister Jean Charest’
decision to call a snap election risked alienating voters just weeks after
a federal election campaign. While opinion polls predicted a Liberal
majority, it was the looming economic depression that lay behind the snap
election call. continued
50 Years of the
Cuban Revolution: From Dec. 27 to Jan. 3, I was in
Cuba for the 50th-anniversary celebration of the revolution that overthrew
the U.S.-backed Batista dictatorship and opened the way for socialist
transformation of that society. There was a celebration in Santiago de Cuba
on Dec. 31, where President Raul Castro spoke to a huge crowd. This was a
fitting commemoration of the anniversary because, in many ways, Santiago is
the birthplace of the revolution that toppled Washington's puppet and his
brutal military machine. continued
Reggae-Fest
Reflects Obama-Mania in Jamaica: It was our third visit to Rebel
Salute, the world's largest annual roots
reggae music festival. The weather cooperated, with
dry, cool breezes stroking the huge evening crowd of over
35,000. The show was superb -- a solid twelve hours of performances by
the top talent in the field. The spectacle unfolded on a giant stage
at Port Kaiser cricket oval, hugging the south coast of St. Elizabeth
parish, Jamaica,
January 16-17. continued
Defeat Harper
Tories: The parliamentary crisis, provoked by Stephen
Harper's sheer arrogance and his utterly reactionary policies, plunged
Canada into a political crisis – which was prolonged by the suspension of
Parliament. continued
Genesis of a
Crisis: Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper told
the G20 countries he favours an economic stimulus plan, even if it takes a
deficit to do it. But on November 27 his Finance Minister, Jim
Flaherty, presented to Parliament a fiscal update full of cuts to achieve a
balanced budget. Flaherty proposed to cut programme spending by $2
billion next year, to sell $2.3 billion worth of public assets, and to
squeeze $600 million out of public service wages by suspending the right to
strike for federal workers. He also pledged to stop pay equity
settlement payments to women, announced he would cut by $2.4 billion
transfer payments to poorer provinces, and said he would scrap public
subsidies to political parties based on the number of votes they get. continued
Depressing
Conditions – Before the Depression: The
current market tailspin was preceded by a so-called ‘boom’ in which
workers’ wages actually stagnated or declined, and social benefits
shrank. Studies and statistics about that period are now
appearing. They make it look more like a ‘bust’ than a ‘boom’
time. And they cast frightening shadows across the future, so far as
the vast majority is concerned. Here is what we are learning about
the early years of the new millennium.
continued
Successful
Toronto Trotsky School: Thoughtful, timely, quality
presentations. Stimulating discussions. Over thirty people
attended, with an average of about 22 per session, during the November
14-15 educational conference at the University of Toronto. The topics
addressed were: “How Marx became a Marxist”, “Introduction to Marxist
Economic theory”, “Is Trotsky’s Marxism relevant in the 21st
Century?”, and “The Revolutionary Party in the Struggle for
Socialism”. Enjoyable social gatherings occurred each evening at a
nearby pub. One long time contact joined SA-Canada. Other
friends and contacts drew closer. We sold a pile of literature, one
new subscription to the monthly paper, plus one renewal. continued
The
Revolutionary Party in the Struggle for Socialism: We
are witness to a major economic crisis, possibly the biggest since the
1930s. About a quarter of the total wealth in the major stock markets
has vanished. Credit has seized up. Some call it a global
recession, but in much of the world it is already a depression. Mass
unemployment, loss of pensions and savings, cuts to services – it’s all
coming to your neighborhood. continued
Oct. 14 Vote
Trips Up Tory Agenda: The October 14 federal
election in Canada produced a murky result – which, under the
circumstances, is not so bad. It certainly is not what the country’s
corporate elite wanted. continued
‘Unwinnable’
Afghan War to Cost $18 Billion: The Canadian cohort of
the NATO military occupation of Afghanistan will cost up to $18 billion,
according to Parliament’s new budget officer, Kevin Page, in a report
released on October 9. To date, direct military costs alone total
nearly $8 billion, Page estimates. By 2011, the year Ottawa pledges
to bring Canada’s troops home, between $14 billion and $18 billion extra
will have been spent when incremental military costs, aid, and veterans
benefits are included. continued
RCMP Criticized
on Taser Use: An independent report ordered by the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police said the force did not do “due diligence” when it
approved the Taser stun gun for use as a less-than-lethal weapon by its
officers. continued
Defeat the
Liberals & Conservatives! Vote
NDP! “The worst Liberal campaign ever.” That was the
headline one Toronto Star political columnist employed. And he’s not
alone. Former Liberal Party president Stephen LeDrew, writing in the
National Post, predicted that his party is “going to take a drubbing in
this election, which is exactly what they need...” The
recriminations, hand-wringing and gnashing of teeth by elite pundits and
Grit partisans is almost audible from coast to coast to coast. continued
$22 Billion Spent
on Afghan Occupation: The Canadian component of the
imperialist military invasion and occupation of Afghanistan will cost more
than $22 billion, according to a yet-to-be-released study by David Perry, a
former deputy director of Dalhousie University’s Centre for Foreign Policy
Studies. His findings were discussed at a conference on maritime
affairs attended by military leaders and analysts from Canada, the United
States and several Asia-Pacific countries on September 17, according to the
Ottawa Citizen. continued
A Proper
‘Returns Policy’ for Archbishops: The Roman Catholic
archbishop of Montreal is returning his Order of Canada because
abortion-rights activist Henry Morgentaler received the same honour. continued
The October
Election Looms – Fight for an NDP Government and Socialist Solutions: As we
go to press, a Canadian federal election in October seems likely. Conservative
Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his minority government have grown weary
of tepid resistance from the Liberal official opposition—despite surviving
more than 40 confidence motions and passing three budgets. The Tories are
prepared to disregard their own ‘fixed election date’ law, and risk their
tenuous grip on the steering wheel in favour of a chance at driving the
ship of state harder and faster to the right. continued
RCMP Spied on
Feminists: After numerous revelations that the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) systematically spied on, harassed, and
disrupted labour, socialist, student, gay liberation, and Quebec
nationalist organizations, it hardly came as a surprise to learn that the
RCMP Security Service infiltrated the women’s movement in the early 1970s.
They monitored marches and rallies to keep an eye on feminists, including
celebrated Cape Breton singer and songwriter Rita MacNeil. continued
As Afghanistan
Heats Up: March on Oct. 18 – Out Now! From
the standpoint of Canada’s ruling elite, the war in Afghanistan is not
going well. It’s not just that the death toll of soldiers of the occupation
is rising sharply (as of Aug. 20, cumulative deaths of foreign military
personnel were 574 U.S.; 116 Britain; 90 Canada; 26 Germany; 23 Spain; 22
France; 16 Netherlands; and 65 others). It’s not just that their puppet
government in Kabul is manifestly corrupt and incompetent, or that
Afghanistan leads the world by far in opium production and the illicit drug
trade. continued
Death by Air
Pollution is Soaring: A major medical report warns
that the number of deaths related to air pollution is set to soar in the
coming decades, with a cumulative death toll of 800,000 Canadians by
2031. continued
Appeal for Cuba
Hurricane Relief: As you
already know, Cuba has once more suffered the fierce attack of a hurricane.
This one, Gustav, is considered to be the most devastating in the last
forty years. Having caused severe flooding in its early stages in eastern
Cuba, it grew in strength and size in the warm Caribbean waters and, after
demolishing the special municipality of the Isle of Youth with its awful
force, invaded Pinar del Río, Cuba's most westerly province. By this time
it had achieved a diameter of some 450 kilometers with the most destructive
winds and rains packed into the eastern side of the monster. Although Pinar
del Río bore the brunt of the damage, ravaged by sustained winds of 240
kph, with gusts as high as 350 kph, the area of damage extended to include
the provinces of Havana, City of Havana and Matanzas. continued
U.S. Deserters
Welcome in Canada, Eh? On July 15, Robin Long, a
British Columbia resident since 2005, became the first U.S. army deserter
who sought asylum in Canada to be deported to the United States. Now
he resides in a military prison in Colorado – despite majority public and
parliamentary opposition to the war in Iraq and to the deportation of war
resisters. continued
Drop the
Undemocratic Entry Fees! The executive of the
labour-based New Democratic Party of Ontario opened the race to replace
provincial Leader Howard Hampton by imposing a $15,000 entry fee on
candidates seeking the office. By comparison, the federal NDP in 2002
required a payment of $7,500 by each candidate for the federal party
leadership, and the politically competitive British Columbia NDP recently
asked contestants for the BC NDP leadership to pony up $3,500. continued
The Social Cost
of Crime & Punishment: While the federal
Conservative minority government continues to clamour for mandatory minimum
sentences (for gun-related crimes, assault, robbery and impaired driving),
several U.S. jurisdictions are moving away from that practice, which is
deemed costly and ineffective. Michigan, which spends more on
incarceration than higher education, has eased such laws and California
plans to free 22,000 non-violent convicts before their release date to
relieve overcrowding and save more than $1 billion. continued
Anti-Mining
Protesters Freed: Just a day before the second
annual Aboriginal Day of Action across the Canadian state, an Ontario Court
of Appeal judge released native leader Bob Lovelace and six members of the
Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI). continued
Mega Profits
for Big Oil: Petro-Canada, Royal Dutch Shell and BP collectively
amassed $17.8 billion in first-quarter profits -- exceeding all
expectations as the price of crude oil continued to hover above $135 (U.S.)
a barrel. continued
More Lower
Taxes for Business: After many years of tax
cutting, Canada provides the third lowest tax rate for business, according
to a study by KPMG of 10 western countries. Only Mexico and the
Netherlands have lower taxes, the accounting firm stated. Australia,
the United States, the U.K., Japan, Germany, Italy and France all impose a
higher corporate tax load. continued
Report on the
National Assembly: Efforts to unite the U.S.
anti-war movement in mass protest actions received a big boost at a
conference held in Cleveland, Ohio on the June 27-29 weekend. Stats
tell part of the story of the National Assembly to End the Iraq War and
Occupation: over 500 organizations and individuals sponsored the
gathering; 416 registered participants converged from across the U.S. --
which was double the anticipated attendance. (Four people from
Toronto were there too.) continued
To read an evaluation
of the conference put out by some of the conference organizers click here. And to view photos of the event, click here.
“A World in
Revolt” Really Rocks! I asked Cuban scientist,
writer, and educator Celia Hart what she thought of the international
conference “A World in Revolt – Prospects for Socialism in the 21st
Century” held in Toronto, May 22-25.
continued
Celia Hart
Speaks: Literature sales were brisk at “A World in
Revolt”, with close to a thousand dollars spent on the purchase of mostly
small booklets, newspapers and magazines. Of the five newest titles
issued by Socialist Action, the best seller was “The Cuban Revolution and a
World in Revolt – Celia Hart Speaks, Selected articles and interviews
2005-2008". This was followed in popularity by “An Injury to One
is an Injury to All! – What’s at Stake in the Fight for Immigrant Rights?”
by James Frickey and Andrew Pollack, “Stop the Occupation of Iraq!
Bring the Troops Home Now!” by Jeff Mackler and Andrew Pollack, “The End of
the Blue Collar ‘Middle Class’ – Ramifications of historic UAW surrender” by
Bill Onasch, and “Revolutionary Socialist Politics Today” by Jeff
Mackler. continued
CLC Convention
‘08 – Another Dog & Pony Show: In the lengthening
shadows of economic recession, debilitating labour concessions, and a
global food crisis, the 25 Constitutional Convention of the Canadian Labour
Congress convened, and was marked mostly by platitudes, policies and plans
devoid of action. continued
Labour’s
Retreat is Built on Concessions: Today, concessions
bargaining is the norm in the face of employer aggressiveness. In the
de-regulated private sector (where, for example, the World Trade Organization
(WTO) swept aside the U.S.-Canada Auto Pact rules that tied market access
to investment levels), major industrial unions like the Canadian Auto
Workers (CAW) now lobby government to subsidize the auto giants in order to
attract investment. This perspective undermines workers’ independence
from management, and weakens arguments against speed-up and wage/benefit
concessions demanded in the interest of ‘global competitiveness’. continued
NDP Federal
Convention Postponed to August ‘09: New
Democratic Party officials present at the CLC Convention told this reporter
that the party’s federal convention, originally slated for Halifax, Nova
Scotia in September 2008, is now postponed to occur in late August 2009 in
Halifax. continued
Canadian Jewish
Groups Challenge Zionist Monopoly: More than a hundred
people answered the call of the Alliance of Concerned Jews of Canada (ACJC)
to attend its first-ever conference, March 28-30 at the Steelworkers Hall
in Toronto. It was a long-awaited sign of a small but important
change in the Jewish community. continued
May Day 2008 in
Toronto: Over 70 people crowded into the Free Times Cafe
on the evening of May 1 for the 22nd Annual Toronto Socialist Action May
Day Celebration. A joyous evening of words and music, of political
solidarity and song ensued. The occasion was dedicated to the memory
of Norm Hacking, Toronto folk music legend and a mainstay of recent SA May
Days, who passed away at age 57 last November. continued
CUPW (re)Turns
Left: The nearly 700 delegates to
the 23rd tri-ennial convention of the Canadian Union of
Postal Workers at the Ottawa Congress Centre elected a new president on
April 17 who promises to turn the page on concessions bargaining. He
is Denis Lemelin, originally from Sherbrooke,
Quebec. He served as the Union's 2nd National Vice President
since 1999. continued
“Terror” Case
Disintegrates: The Canadian cops’ “poster”
case in the “war on terrorism” is falling apart. During the week of
April 14, 2008, charges against four more of the " Toronto 18" were stayed. Along with the
three men who were previously released, the case of the "Toronto 18" has
now been whittled down to the "Toronto 11". continued
Ethnic Shift
May Force Tory Retreat on Immigration: As if
they didn’t already have enough trouble over the Chuck Cadman affair,
NAFTA-gate, the cover-up of torture of Afghan detainees, 20 year old Canadian citizen Omar Khadr
still held in Guantanamo Prison after nearly five years, and the RCMP raid
on Conservative Party headquarters in Ottawa over
allegations of violating the election expenses law, the federal Tories seem
to be cruising for a bruising on their proposed changes to the Immigration
Act. They aim to empower the Immigration Minister to increase
discrimination against Muslims, Arabs and South Asians, while
simultaneously promoting a “guest worker” programme to intensify the
exploitation of migrant labour. continued
Solidarity With
KI 6 & Ardoch Algonquin First Nation: In
February 2008, leaders of the Ardoch Algonquins were sentenced for contempt
due to their unwavering opposition to uranium exploration on their traditional
territory in eastern Ontario. Bob Lovelace, a Queen’s University
professor and an Ardoch spokesperson, was sentenced to six months detention
and fined $25,000 (with further costs against him and other community
members pending). Chief Paula Sherman was fined $15,000.
Leaders of the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation also face contempt
charges. continued
Thousands
Protest Afghan “Mission”: Despite
best efforts by the Conservative government to keep it under wraps, news
that the Canadian military intervention in Afghanistan is more than $1
billion over budget leaked out just before Parliament voted to approve a
two year extension of the “mission.” continued
Federal
By-Elections – A Warning to the NDP: Despite
best efforts by the Conservative government to keep it under wraps, news
that the Canadian military intervention in Afghanistan is more than $1
billion over budget leaked out just before Parliament voted to approve a
two year extension of the “mission.” continued
Harper’s Tories
More Blatantly Pro-Zionist: When the UN Human Rights
Council voted in March to condemn Israel for a recent armed invasion of the
Gaza Strip that claimed more than 120 lives, many of them civilian, and
accused Israel of war crimes, the lone dissenter was Canada. The vote was
33 to 1, with13 countries abstaining. (Israel and the U.S. are not members
of the UNHRC.) continued
Ontario Owes
$78 Million to Pay Equity: Canada’s richest province is
shortchanging female workers to the tune of $78 million, leaving its
government open to another Charter of Rights challenge on pay equity, says
the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. continued
La Lutte
Palestinienne Toujours A L’Ordre Du Jour: La
lutte de libération nationale palestinienne est encore à l’ordre du jour
malgré la férocité et la brutalité de la machine de guerre israélienne
largement financée par l’impérialisme américain. Au cours de l’été 2006, la
bande de Gaza a été soumise à une attaque militaire de grande envergure de
la part de l’armée israélienne qui a détruit notamment l’unique centrale
électrique de Gaza en plus de tuer un grand nombre de civils palestiniens.
La guerre d’Israël contre la bande de Gaza a été quelque peu occultée par
les médias bourgeois occidentaux à cause de la guerre contre le Liban qui a
été également profondément meurtrière et destructrice. Encore une fois
l’État sioniste a joui d’une impunité totale en perpétrant ses innombrables
crimes de guerre. continued
Federal Budget
& the Afghanistan War:
Paralyzed by fear of electoral defeat, and out-maneuvered by the
Conservative Party, the Liberal Party displayed cowardice, and ‘principles’
made of play dough. continued
Canadian
Corporate Profits Soar: Not
in the least deterred by the widely predicted North American recession, Canadian
corporations recorded operating profits of $262.5 billion, led by banks,
retailers, wholesalers and petroleum refiners. continued
NATO Projects
Biggest Heroin Harvest of All Times: Just
to remind its U.K. readers of the ‘noble cause’ for which British troops
are occupying, killing people and getting killed in Afghanistan,
London’s “The
Daily Mail” reported in February: continued
Trade Unionists
Must Be the Agents for Human Survival: It is
easy to forget that this ‘universal agreement’ you speak of is in fact only
very recent. It was the IPCC’s 4th Assessment Report, published less than a
year ago, which drove the final nail into the coffin of climate skepticism.
Up until then public opinion was seriously divided on the issue, even among
sections of the left, and this was mainly due to the massive PR effort of
the fossil fuel and auto industries.Of course, the vested interests that promoted
climate skepticism for so many years still exist, and they are as rich and
powerful as ever. Only the other day, Royal Dutch Shell posted profits of
£13.9 billion for 2007 (which works out at over £1.5 million per hour) – the biggest profit ever
recorded for a UK company. continued
Canadian Sweatshop Operator in Haiti
Reports Banner Year: The Canadian government's
involvement in the ongoing United Nations' military occupation of Haiti, the
poorest country in the western hemisphere, is not confined to picking up
the slack of its imperial allies, and it is certainly not about
humanitarian aid. But it is at least
partly about fostering conditions conducive to Canadian corporate
profiteering. continued
CAW Sell-Out Spreads: A news release issued on
January 15 by the Service Employee's International Union reveals that an
organization funded by the CAW has reached a Magna-style sweetheart deal
with Hallmark Housekeeping Services Inc, a large janitorial company. The deal could thwart the SEIU's Justice
for Janitors campaign which had signed up over 1000 Hallmark workers in the
Toronto area in a legitimate unionization bid. continued
Che Lives: To commemorate the fortieth
anniversary of the death of Ernesto 'Che' Guevara in 2007, and the
eightieth anniversary of his birth in 2008, author Richard L. Harris, a
professor of global studies at California State University, persuaded his
publisher to issue a new edition of “Death of a Revolutionary – Che
Guevara's Last Mission” (W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 2007, 315
pages, $20 in Canada). continued
Norm Hacking 1950-2007:
Toronto’s folk music scene lost a living legend when Norm Hacking passed
away on November 25. The songwriter, performer, poet, columnist and
irrepressible romantic died of heart failure at his home in Toronto. continued
CAW Delegates Drink the Magna Cool-Aid:
Following a four-hour debate, delegates to the Canadian Auto Workers
Council voted in Toronto on December 7 to endorse the union's 'Framework of
Fairness' Agreement with auto parts giant Magna. The company's
voluntary union recognition deal sees the CAW abandon the right to strike
and give up the election of local worker reps. in Magna plants in favour of
a 'selection' process in which management has an equal say. continued
The Mounties Almost Always Zap Their
Man: The stun gun death of a Polish immigrant on
October 14 at the hands of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has
drawn worldwide condemnation. At least seven official investigations
are underway into the electronic weapon and its increasing use by
cops. continued
NDP Defeated in Saskatchewan:
Sixteen years of New Democratic Party government in the western prairie
province of Saskatchewan
ended on November 7 when the right wing Saskatchewan Party captured 37
seats to the NDP’s 21. continued
What Happened to Employment Insurance? The
workers’ movement fought for and won employment insurance (E.I.) some 50
years ago to help workers survive bouts of unemployment. But by
making it much harder for unemployed Canadians to qualify for benefits, Ottawa
turned E.I. into a rich revenue stream that contributed more than 70 per
cent of the funds required to balance the budget in the 1997-98 fiscal
year, according to a new study. continued
Momentum Grows in Bid to Free the Cuban
5: The largest North American conference yet held in the
ongoing campaign to free the five Cuban political prisoners, imprisoned
nearly a decade in the United States for their anti-terrorist activities,
took place in Toronto, November 9-10. Participants
came from across English Canada, Quebec, the U.S., Argentina and Cuba. continued
CAW Surrender to Magna Endangers Right
to Strike: Widely seen as a shameless dues-grab, the deal between
the Canadian Auto Workers’ Union and the Canada-based auto parts giant
Magna International to ‘unionize’ the employees minus the right to strike,
and sans shop floor elections, has rocked the labour movement. It is a
tragic sign of where the CAW is going, with profound implications for the
entire workers’ movement. continued
Behind Tory, NDP Gains in Quebec: Political
spin-doctors have been busy since the three federal by-elections in
Quebec. On September 17 the Conservative Party and the New Democratic
Party won one seat each, and the pro-independence Bloc Quebecois held on to
Saint Hyacinthe-Bagot. continued
Nunavut’s Housing Crisis Causes Lung
Disease: The housing crisis in Canada’s
northernmost territory, Nunavut, has been blamed for a range of social
problems from poor school performance to family violence. Now a new
study points to it as the cause of the highest rate of hospital admissions
in the world for infants with respiratory infections. continued
Unionization Rate in Canada 2.5 Times
U.S. Rate: Statistics Canada reports that
during the first half of 2007, union membership in Canada increased by
72,000 to 4.2 million. The rate of unionization remained at 29.7 per
cent, with a wide disparity between the public sector (71.7 per cent) and
the private sector (17 per cent). Overall, decreases were seen in
Quebec, Saskatchewan and in Alberta (despite its current oil-based economic
boom), while increases in union strength were registered in the seven other
provinces. continued
Bitter Fruits of Afghan War: Heroin
from Afghanistan, a country where over 2500 Canadian soldiers serve in an
imperialist occupation, is increasingly making its way to Canada and poses
a direct threat to the public, according to documents obtained by The
Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act. continued
Bahman Moayedi 1944-2007: Over
120 friends, family and political comrades of Bahman Moayedi gathered to
celebrate his life on April 1 at an Iranian restaurant in Richmond Hill,
north of Toronto.
We were drawn together by the stunning, sudden loss of someone so animated
by love, honesty, human solidarity and a relentless drive for social
justice. continued
Black Lacks the Discreet Charm of the
Bourgeoisie: It’s
not so much that he stole. It’s that he did it with unbridled
arrogance, unapologetic zeal, and lavish ostentation. Now that Conrad
Black, a.k.a. Baron Black of Crossharbour, former CEO of Hollinger
International, is a convicted felon four times over, facing up to 35 years
in an American jail, the capitalist media chooses to dwell on... his
hubris. continued
‘Soft Cop’ Harper Fools Few in Haiti
& Latin America: When Canada’s Prime Minister
Stephen Harper
completed his tour of Latin
America and the Caribbean with a brief stopover in Haiti on July 20, he yielded a revealing
photo-op. The picture published in the Toronto Star showed Harper
posing with a wan smile amidst a number of Haitian patients and relatives
at a Canadian-funded hospital in the impoverished slum of Cite Soleil.
The Haitians seem to be completely ignoring Harper, fixing their weary gaze
in other directions. continued
Harper’s Worthless Concession on Afghan
War: Conservative Prime
Minister Stephen Harper’s pledge not to extend the Canadian military
intervention in Afghanistan beyond the February 2009 deadline without the
agreement of all parties in Parliament, isn’t worth the proverbial paper on
which it is printed. continued
Grim Forecast for Canada-U.S. Climate: By the
end of the 21st century, fires will destroy twice as much forest every year
in Canada, 20 per cent of the icy Arctic will be greened by tundra, and
Great Lakes water levels will be significantly lower. All this is according
to the second report this year from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC), issued in April. continued
York Univ. Protester Wins Free Speech
Fight: Pro-Palestinian activist
Daniel Freeman-Maloy will be back at Toronto’s York University this fall, louder
and more determined than ever to build a movement against war and
occupation, following a dual victory over university officials. continued
Farmers Squeezed by Rising Costs: Canada’s
farms are dwindling in number and almost half of those that remain cannot
cover their expenses, according to Statistics Canada. The number of farms declined by
7% in the past five years, leaving 17,550 fewer farms and 19,140 fewer
farmers, according to a census agriculture report released in May. The drop
was most pronounced in Newfoundland and Labrador, which lost 13% of its farms,
and Saskatchewan,
where the numbers fell by 12%. However, the total farm area in the
country remained virtually unchanged at 67.6 million hectares. The report
attributes that consistency to the “resilience” of farmers finding new ways
to work, and to the growth of larger farms.
continued
Female Graduates Get Paid Less: Nowadays, women
outnumber men at universities, overall they get better grades, and yet women
get paid less than men after graduation.
Surprising to many is not the well-documented existence of the
income gap, but that it starts so soon. continued
NDP Wins Historic 3rd Majority
in Manitoba: The labour-based New
Democratic Party in Manitoba
won a historic third majority government in the province's 39th general
election on May 22. The NDP, under
Leader Gary Doer, elected 36 members, equaling a record set by the
Conservatives under premier Duff Roblin in the 1960s. continued
Canadian Corporate Profits Reach Record
High: When
defenders of private enterprise tell you business cannot afford to pay
decent wages and benefits today, please tell them this: Canadian
corporations achieved record-high operating profits of $231.7 billion in
2006, according to Statistics Canada
data released on February 22. continued
Minimum Wage Campaign on the Rise: The campaign to raise
the minimum wage, long advocated by socialists and anti-poverty groups, and
now spearheaded by the New Democratic Party and local labour councils, is
registering important gains. continued
Review of “The God Delusion”: Although humanity is more secular in outlook than
ever before, religious fundamentalism remains an ideological bulwark of the
imperial agenda, and sadly, also a refuge for the oppressed. Christian
opponents of abortion and stem cell research in the U.S. are in the front
ranks of enthusiasts for the Iraq war, capital punishment, and George W.
Bush. continued
Ammunition Against the Empire: Need a crash course on the present state of the
world? Want to untangle the terminology, separate the victims from the
victimizers, understand the dynamics of unilateralism, and deduce what can
be done about it all? I'd like to introduce you to a small literary
arsenal. A good place to begin is
the book Hugo Chavez recommended to the world from the podium of the United
Nations last September. continued
James P. Cannon As We Knew Him: This re-discovered book
is a very pleasant surprise indeed. I heartily recommend it to anyone
interested in the connection between revolutionary socialist principles, programme
and organization. During my vacation reading time, I approached it as a
light literary bridge between weightier tomes. I imagined it as a
collection of tributes and accolades by admirers, but found it to be much
more than that. continued
Le Québec et La
Question Nationale dans L’État Canadien: L’ACAE, l’Alliance canadienne
des associations étudiantes, le groupe fédéral étudiant de pression, a été
fondée dans un effort de diviser le mouvement étudiant, alors que la
Fédération canadienne commençait à montrer son pouvoir réel dans ses
mobilisations étudiantes. L’ACAE a initié sa première campagne, intitulée
« L’éducation construit une nation », autour de 1994. Elle voyait
ça comme un moment crucial pour avoir une « unité nationale ». continuez
L’Indépendence du Québec Encore à
L’Oordre du Jour: Quoique
incompréhensible à de nombreuses personnes au Canada anglais, la question
de l’indépendance nationale du Québec continue de peser lourdement dans la
vie politique de cette province et du Canada tout entier. Que les élections
fédérales du 23 janvier amènent ou non un autre gouvernement minoritaire,
une chose est claire : le Québec et le reste du Canada vivent dans des
univers politiques différents et le gouffre entre eux va en
s’élargissant. continuez
[labour donated by union labour]
Issues From 1996-2003:
Click here for info on how to subscribe to Socialist Action
newspaper.
|
