Resist Newsletter, Feb. 1991

Trinity College Trinity College Digital Repository Resist Newsletters Resist Collection 2-28-1991 Resist Newsletter, Feb. 1991 Resist Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/resistnewsletter Recommended Citation Resist, "Resist Newsletter, Feb. 1991" (1991). Resist Newsletters. 231. https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/resistnewsletter/231 Inside: Erik Larsen, GI Resister Newsletter #233 A Call to Resist Illegitimate Authority February, 1991 ELAINE BERNARD '{EA',)T'S CALLED DEMCCRACY. I Even if you carefully followed the media this past summer and fall, most Americans heard very little about a rather remarkable election just after Labor Day. Canada's social democratic labor party, the New Democratic Party (NDP), won a surprising provincial election victory in the industrial heartland, Ontario. This first ever NDP government in Ontario has and union staff. It rather fits the real mean Premier Bob Rae rejected the far fetched national significance and marks a dramatic ing of the description, "for the people, by attempts to link his government with the altering of the political landscape in the people." Not a banker in their midst, failed regimes in Eastern Europe. "Like Canada. and only seven lawyers, as one Canadian millions of others around the world," Ontario is unquestionably Canada's economist lamented. commented Rae, "I have cheered the tri most important province, accounting for In light of the significance of the umph of popular democracy in Eastern more than one third of the population and election of a social democratic govern Europe. But I refuse to interpret those producing close to half the country's GNP. ment directly north of New York, Michi astonishing events as a vindication of While the NDP has won provincial gan and Minnesota, it is interesting to note capitalism, or a repudiation of anything I elections in Western Canada, governing at the silence in this country. While proudly would call democratic socialism." Small different times the provinces of Saskatch proclaiming the fall of "socialist" govern wonder the US media would prefer to ewan, Manitoba, British Columbia and men ts from Prague to Managua, the ignore Rae and the NDP victory. currently the Yukon, the Ontario victory national media prefers to keep people in In Ontario and the rest of Canada, the has made the party a serious contender for the U.S. in the dark about the rising popu media could hardly ignore this election power nationally at a time of growing larity of a democratic socialist alternative victory. But in this case the game is uncertainty and crisis within the country. in Canada. The newspaper of record, the slightly different. The Canadian media Of the 74 Members of the Provincial New York Tunes, for example, did not even immediately attempted to undermine the Parliament that make up the newly-elected mention the election victory until almost a mandate of the new government by NDP government, 27 are trade union month later. The Wall Street Journal, on suggesting that its election reflects "a activists and 20 are women. They are steel the other hand, quickly queried the intelli simple, unfocused, protest vote." Echoing workers, teachers, auto workers, hospital gence of Ontarian voters asking if "they a similar trend attributed to U.S. voters, workers, communications workers, pulp get their news from Eastern Europe by dog the Canadian media argued that the workers, public employees from sled?" Ontario election did not reflect a vote for municipal, provincial and federal agencies, Back in Ontario, the newly elected continued on page two continued from page one political system where governments have the NDP, but a vote against the Liberals. the power to call elections before their Have you seen our new Rae and the New Democrats rejected this term runs out, politicians are often brochure? analysis arguing that "it was an election ... tempted to go to the polls while things not a sneak attack." look good. Our new brochure will be going attempting to label the election a In At the beginning of the summer, out to about 90,000 people over the protest vote, the media is seeking to under Peterson had the highest voter approval next few months. (We're looking mine the party's mandate for change. In a rating of any government in Canada, over to pick up between 500-1000 new remarkable editorial in Canada's national 50%. The NOP was trailing far behind Resist supporters.) Many of you will weekly magazine, Maclean's, entitled with 26% of the vote, and the Conserva probably get a copy in the mail, by "The Road To Anarchy," editor Kevin tives, burdened by their association with being on one or more of the lists Doyle linked the Ontario election to a the highly unpopular Conservative federal we will be renting/trading. The general malaise throughout the country. government, were behind the NOP. But, reality is, it's much cheaper to take Quoting Yale political scientist Robert though there were two years left in his the chance of sending out duplicate Dahl, anarchy is explained as "a society term, Peterson decided on a summer mailings than it is to use the consisting only of purely voluntary election. He did this because, with a expensive computer technology associations, a society without a state." scandal over a Liberal fundraiser's misuse necessary to purge the lists of Canadians, Doyle tells us, "feel they can of charitable donations for political duplicates. So, after you've looked now protect their own interests better than influence about to go to court, and Ontario it over, why not pass it along to a governments can and, in fact, that about to enter a recession, he was betting friend who isn't familiar with our government, in the traditional sense, is no on another five year mandate before things work? Thanks. longer necessary." This he assures us, "is turned sour. not anarchy - but it is an exceptionally From his first election press serious concern." In the post Cold War conference, which was disrupted by activ period, when anti-communism does not ists from Greenpeace, to failed attempts at appear to worlc its old magic, the specter redbaiting during the last few days of the of anarchism has been resurrected in an campaign when the NOP had surged attempt to frighten an increasingly poli ahead of the Liberals in the polls, the five tically active citizenry. week election was a tribute to the popular In a good sense, the warning about movements and a disaster for Peterson. the "threat" of "voluntary associations" The growing dissatisfaction with the replacing the state is not as off-the-wall as Ontario Liberals and Peterson was not it might first appear. In the case of the because they were a particularly bad or Ontario victory, the popular movements irresponsible government by recent stand and voluntary associations, including ards. In fact, through an accord with the unions, environmentalist, women's NDP in the mid 1980s, they had passed organizations, native people, minorities, some progressive legislation. But they and people of color, all contributed to the were the first government caught in the demise of the provincial Liberal govern growing political awareness and opposi ment. One hopes that the many activists tion developing in Canada since the who have been elected as part of the new passage of the Canada/U.S. Free Trade government will maintain their links to the Agreement and the failed attempt at popular movements, and insist that the constitutional restructuring proposed in the public policy of the new government Meech Lake accord ILLEGITIMATE AUTHORITY strengthen and expand the role of grass Fu,,,"-""' (,o1:4-,J cltMtge. "'1ee /'67 roots movements so vital to social trans Debating the Social Contract For information and grant guidelines write lo: Resist, One Summer St ., Somenille, MA 02143 fonnation. Ongoing public debates throughout the country over the last few years have The Resist Newsletter i5 published ten Peterson Missed a Bet forced Canadians into a far ranging dis times a year by Resist, Inc., One Summer Street, Somerville, MA 02143. (617) When the Liberal government of cussion about the nature of their society, 623-5110. The views expressed in articles. David Peterson called a summer election social programs, the constitution, econo other than editorials, are those of the in Ontario, no one, including the NOP, mic treaties, and indeed, the social con authors and do not necessarily represent expected such a dramatic conclusion. tract that underlies Canadian society. From the opinions of the Resi st staff or board. Peterson had lead the Liberals (the left of the continuing discussion of Free Trade center party of business) in two other and its implications for the economy, Resi st Staff: Nancy Wechsler Nancy Moniz provincial election campaigns, first kick through the Meech Lake Accord and the Tatiana Schreiber ing out the Progressive Conservatives (the restructuring of the Canadian state, to the right of center party of business) who had dramatic 3-month Native barricade at Oka, Typeselling: Wayne Curtis ruled the province for 42 years, and then Quebec, (spurred by anger over decades of Gay Community News in a subsequent election in 1987 winning a government indifference to the indigenous Printing: Red Sun Press O "' Printed on Recycled Paper decisive majority. But in a parliamentary continued on page seven Page Two Resist Newsletter February, 1991 It Just Opened My Eyes ... GI Resister Lance Corporal Erik Larsen has told the Marine Corps Reserve that if ordered to the Gulf, he will refuse. For the last sev eral months, he has been speaking around the country and the world about GI resistance to the Gul/War. ERIKLARSEN Throughout my whole childhood I had this feeling of duty or service to my com munity and country.

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