News and views from SA Canada
2016 2016-03Read it in the scan (PDF at ETOL), page 10 →
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The venal Erdogan regime in Turkey has pretended to fight ISIS while allow ing many would-be “jihadists” to pass through its territory to areas controlled by ISIS. Ankara’s main concern is its war against the Kurdish people, which is used domestically to repress freedom of expression, trade unions, student groups and the left. Social patriotism in Turkey is used to try to whip the ma jority into accepting the attack on what little “democracy” is present there, in the name of fighting “terrorism,” in much the same way as it is employed in Canada.
The crimes of ISIS are outrageous, website: http://socialistaction.ca deal. And as public awareness grows, the same will be the case with regard to Trudeau’s decision to triple the num ber of Canadian troops on the ground in Iraq and Syria, and consideration now being given to renewed Canadian mili tary intervention in Libya—a country wrecked in 2011 by NATO bombing un der the command of a Canadian Forces general.
It’s time for the antiwar movement, unions, and the labour-based New Democratic Party to step up efforts to educate and mobilize public opinion against the deceitful policies of the Liberal federal government. The halo of humanitarian aid provider and refu gee host cultivated by Justin Trudeau should be exposed as cover for a devil’s pitchfork that’s pushing profitable arms sales, domestic repression, and foreign military intervention. Self-determina tion for the oppressed peoples of the Middle East and Africa! Canada out of NATO! n (Photo) Canadian servicemen carry coffin of a soldier killed in Iraq by “friendly fire” in March 2015.
“Respect between the Party and Caucus, and spe cifically respectful dialogue, will make us stronger.” Now this looks like an opportunity for frankness. Ex actly how was this respect lacking? Do tell us, Tom. And what about respect owed by the Leader for ad opted policy, and for the right of members to seek to be nominated as a candidate without being censored, blocked, or removed for such crimes as quoting Am nesty International on the plight of Palestinians in Gaza or the West Bank?
We’re told, “The campaign lacked an over-arching narrative that could easily communicate our progres sive proposals.” The truth is that a campaign theme was not lacking. It was clearly present and plainly re actionary. A balanced budget. No major new taxes. In centives to big business, and a foreign policy to match. Mulcair’s brain trust offered the Trudeau Liberals a bar so low that it was easy for the latter to hurdle it, however disingenuously. Canadians wanted a sharp break with the hated Harper regime. Instead of a LEAP forward, the NDP brass offered a cautious, awkward stagger towards a hazy horizon.
Newly appointed officials in the Leader’s suite, how ever super-enthusiastic they may be, won’t make a dime’s worth of difference if they are cut from the same cloth as their predecessors.
What’s really needed is policy decided from the bottom up, with plenty of time for debate at conven tion, and enforced adherence to the policy priorities decided by the mass membership. Really required is a Workers’ Agenda, socialist policies, and new lead ership. A so-called “strong role for government” just won’t do, up against a violent, wasteful, and irrational system dominated by gargantuan greedy corporations and banks. The problem is capitalism, not misman agement of the deck chairs on the Titanic.
The importance of the Leader should not be exag gerated to the detriment of other factors. Let’s keep in mind that big change almost always comes from the bottom up. But in order to open the doors and windows to a more democratic and socialist process, there is no choice now other than to vote for Leader ship Review at Edmonton in April. n difference to addressing global injustice, climate change or endless war, we would have seen it by now.
Unfortunately, there’s no field socialist to vote for in the upcoming presidential election. Nor do we in the U.S. yet have a mass labor party rooted in the working class and linked to militant, fighting trade unions— which could serve as a real alternative to the parties of the 1%. Given this void, It’s not surprising that those fed up with the status quo might put their hopes in Bernie Sanders, a house social ist seeking to be the leader of a big-business party. But beware: while a vote for the house socialist candidate of a capitalist party might make some people feel good, no one should expect it to change much. n