SocialistWorker www.socialist.ca $2 no. 560 March 2014 HANDS OFF UKRAINE Russia and NATO out!

Colonial FNEA sparks resistance Page 2 Valerie Lannon examines the “First Nations Educa- tion Act” and the resist- ance it has sparked Women in Iraq Page 3 Shayma Bashawieh exposes violence against women in the aftermath of Western intervention Intersectionality and resistance Page 4 Faline Bobier looks at the strengths and limits of intersectionality Quebec election Page 5 Chantal Sundaram sur- veys the Quebec election and the left-wing alterna- tive Anti-oppression Page 6-7 Hanan Jibril discusses the threat of Islamophobia The current crisis in the Ukraine is at roughly 20 per cent and under The US is concerned that a Neither Washington and the need to build is a product of decades of employment is also rampant. rival economic and military bloc nor Moscow meddling by both the West The people of the Ukraine have is being created with the Russian For the left in the west our tasks movements against racism and Russia in the affairs of the fought numerous times to try and and the Chinese governments are clear. We need to stop our gov- and sexism country. find a government that will do signing pacts under the Shanghai ernments from interfering in the After the collapse of the Eastern more to take care of the people, cooperation organization. The affairs of the Ukraine. We know Motherhouse Bloc, NATO countries were keen but both the Western sponsored SCO is also expanding and has that when the Johns—that is Baird, to exercise as much control as opposition and the Russian sup- invited both India and Pakistan Kerry and McCain—speak about Page 8 possible over the economics of the ported government of Yanukovich to join. This new bloc is the main bringing democracy and rule of former soviet satellites. The initial were incapable of meeting those reason that US president Obama law, that they are only doing so to Pam Johnson reviews IMF “shock treatment” for the demands. has called for a pivot to Asia to advance their own states strategic David Fennario’s latest Ukraine was devastating for the This is the immediate context curtail any expansionist designs interests. play against militarism economy and the current EU and for the uprisings against the from the SCO. We also need to support the left IMF sponsored “rescue packages” government that have resulted in At this point it seems unlikely in the country that is attempting to for the Ukraine will no doubt the current situation. that NATO will use military force build an alternative vision for the follow a similar pattern of gutting against Russia but that may future. They are doing so under Workers rights social services and privatization. Inter-imperial rivalry change. The main European huge pressure from the far right Page 11 Russia, for its part, was deeply Russia was not imagining things partners in NATO have extensive fascist groups and in the context concerned about a NATO drive to when it perceived that NATO economic ties with Russia, and of the legacy of Stalinism, which Carolyn Egan describes surround it, and has exerted what intended to surround the country. western European countries are makes their jobs even harder. the growing campaign to influence it can over the Ukraine The plans by the US to build reliant on Russia for 40 per cent of But they are organizing and the confront the Tories and and the other former Soviet states. missile defence installations in their natural gas. In fact, it seems current political crisis provides an Russia has done this through a Ukraine were an attempt to isolate that western Europe isn’t even opening to advance different ideas. rebuild unions series of mechanisms but the Russia militarily. interested in sanctions. Each of the left groups has their chief weapon in its arsenal is the The end of the Cold War may But this could change; economic own interpretation of the current manipulation of gas supplies. In have been heralded as the “end of integration isn’t always a deter- events but many have raised the 2006 and 2009, Russia cut off gas history” but it didn’t stop the drive rent to war but frequently ends up slogan “neither Washington nor to the Ukraine, causing economic towards imperial accumulation stoking tensions. Moscow.” crisis. by either the West or Russia. We It is a central dynamic in As Russia feels more confidence have seen many flashpoints over capitalism that competition for re- in challenging the West, and the Ukraine the years such as the Russian war sources and markets drives conflict economy of the NATO countries The result of all this is that the to take south Ossetia in 2008. That between states. As economic crisis continue to deteriorate, that slogan CPMA No. 58554253-99 Ukraine is bankrupt and facing a inter-imperialist rivalry is still continues around the world there will be ever more important. ISSN No. 0836-7094 social crisis. Youth unemployment going strong. will be more flash points. Harper’s “Fair Primer: Elections Act” Quebec’s oil/ by ALLAN WOOD gas turnaround Stephen Harper’s latest as- It’s as if suddenly, just a sault on democracy is the few months ago, Quebec Orwellianly-named “Fair suddenly realized it had Elections Act”, which the struck oil. And this despite Conservatives are trying to making real progress rush through Parliament over the past decade with as little (or no) debate in renewable energies, as possible. They recently sustainable transportation killed an opposition mo- and mass transit. tion to hold two months of How did we get here? hearings on the bill. Three interconnected strands Far from making will help better understand Canadian federal elections the public conversation on more fair, Bill C-23–which oil and gas in Quebec over Canada’s Chief Electoral the past few years. Officer has called “affront to democracy”–will likely Anticosti Island disenfranchise large groups Hydro Quebec’s oil and gas of voters while preventing division owned the explora- the Commissioner of tion rights for this pristine Elections from making full island in the Gulf of Saint investigations into future Laurence, and sold them cases of vote fraud. to two private companies, Junex and Petrolia. Less than Tory strategy a year later, the companies Opposition groups state announced they had found that C-23 violates Section oil, now estimated at about 3 of the Charter of Rights 40 billion barrels (potential and Freedoms, which Colonial FNEA sparks resistance gross revenues in the hun- gives every Canadian dreds of billions). Evidence citizen the right to vote. suggests that Hydro Quebec Jessica McCormick, by VALERIE LANNON per year since 1996 despite (First Nation to Canada) ium where the dignitaries may well have known there National Chairperson of the need having increased by agreements. were.” Singer was ejected was oil on Anticosti, before the Canadian Federation Stephen Harper’s February 6.3 per cent per year, creat- According to Chief for tweeting from the event ceding the rights. of Students, states the bill 7th announcement of the ing a $1.5 billion shortfall Patrick Madahbee of the and within days, a “sacred “aims to suppress the vote First Nations Education between 1996-2008 for in- Union of Ontario Indians blue dot” appeared on social Mining Act reform of groups that may not vote Act has sparked resistance. structional services alone.” “The proposed First Nations media, with people posting In 2011, the NFB released Conservative including The legislation itself has And, “unlike their provincial Education Act (FNEA) is pictures of themselves, or Trou Story, about Canada’s students, Indigenous people, not yet been shared with counterparts, First Nations about control and false ac- historical figures, with a blue mining industry, alongside seniors, and people on First Nations, even though schools receive NO fund- countability. It is a colonial dot on their hearts. an interactive website that low-incomes by eliminating reclaiming authority for ing for library books, librar- document and makes no at- Dr. Pamela D. Palmater, illustrates how Quebec’s the vouching system.” The education has been at the ian’s salaries, construction or tempt to close the gap on in- a Mi’kmaw lawyer and one Mining Act works. “vouching” system allows forefront of First Nations’ maintenance of school librar- equality in education. Firstly, of the spokespeople for Idle Portraying the history of people who may not possess demands at least as far back ies, nor funding for vocation- it gives our citizens, parents No More, described the draft mining and its ravaging ef- the necessary documentation as the Red Power movement al training, information and and students no say in their legislation within the federal fects on the environment and to cast their vote if they of the 1960s and 70s. These communication technologies, own education… This is the government’s and corpora- workers, the film appeals go to their polling station assertions are hardly surpris- or sports and recreation.” same mentality as the govern- tions’ ongoing priority to to Quebeckers to reform with a friend or neighbour. ing, given the horrific and The funding “commit- ment-run residential school have First Nations “be the the Mining Act and reclaim Marc Mayrand, the Chief ongoing impact of govern- ments” announced by Harper disaster that had a history lit- pick and shovel labourers control over our natural Electoral Officer, believes ment-supported and church- include $1.252 billion over tered with genocide and acts for mining companies and resources. at least 100,000 Canadians operated residential schools. three years, beginning in of inhumanity. Secondly, it other extractive industries. would be disenfranchised 2016-17 (post-election), ignores curriculum needs that This is about creating a new Maitre chez nous if the vouching system is Background $500 million over seven experts agree are essential to kind of dependence for First 21E Siecle trashed. The negative educational out- years for infrastructure, the academic success of First Nations—dependence on Daniel Breton, former While the Conservatives comes continue to this day. and $160 million over four Nations learners – curriculum labour jobs from extractive Green Party activist, cur- claim C-23 will “increase In the blog âpihtawikosisân, years starting 2015/16 for that talks about our culture industries to undermine at- rently PQ deputy and briefly democracy,” it would Indigenous writer Chelsea an Implementation Fund and beliefs, and an accur- tempts by their leaders to de- Environment Minister in actually prohibit Mayrand Vowel quotes the statistics: or Education Enhancement ate account of our historical fend their territories and the this minority government, from engaging in any public 40 per cent of Aboriginal Fund. contributions. And thirdly, resources on them.” was the spokeperson for this education or democratic people aged 20-24 do not this government starts their As for the “promised” coalition that adopted a de- outreach to groups that are have a high school diploma, Colonial document so-called educational reform funding, it is not available tailed manifesto on Quebec’s less likely to vote. It would compared to 13 per cent The announcement of the with a threat to First Nations until 2015/16 (after Harper’s energy independence also eliminate Elections of non-Aboriginal people, legislation was staged at the that if they don’t meet current term); nothing to ad- Then Liberal Minister of Canada’s civics-outreach with rates of 61 per cent on Kainai High School auditor- Canadian standards they dress the crisis in post-sec- Natural Resources, Nathalie Student Vote Program. reserve (which is where the ium on the Blood Reserve will be put under third-party ondary education; nothing to Normandeau, responded After committing wide- legislation is to apply) and in Alberta, featuring Harper, management, despite the fact indicate whether the funding to the manifesto by saying spread voter suppression 68 per cent among Inuit in Bernard Valcourt (Minister that First Nation schools are will be additional, new mon- that it was not the job of the and fraud during the 2011 remote communities. Nine of Aboriginal Affairs and largely underfunded and are ies, or simply reallocations of government to take risks election, the Conservatives per cent of the Aboriginal Northern Development) and unlikely to meet standards funds that used to go to much- in the exploitation of our want to deny Elections population have a university Shawn Atleo, Grand Chief of set by other, better funded needed existing programs or natural resources. Canada the power to compel degree compared to 26 per the AFN. schools.” other needed services. testimony in fraud cases. cent among non-Aboriginal But very few Chiefs were As Palmater says, And back to C-23 would also place the people. The lack of opportun- properly consulted. As a re- Blue dot resistance “Remember what was prom- Anticosti? office of the Commissioner ity is one factor contributing sult, most Nations are not Tribe member Twila Singer ised today: nothing. But we In February 2014, the PQ of Elections Canada under to the epidemic of Indigenous supporting the announcement described to CBC how “We stand to lose a great deal in announced joint ventures the Director of Public youth suicides. because of lack of consulta- were separated at the door supporting this legislation. with those private compan- Prosecutions, putting the One of the biggest hurdles tion, lack of certainty about and given either a blue dot or *Recognize First Nation ies allowing them to exploit agency’s independent and has been inadequate funding. what the legislation entails, a yellow dot. The blue dots jurisdiction over education. Anticosti Island and offshore non-partisan investigative Again, according to sources and mostly because the an- were uninvited guests and *Implement the treaty oil and gas potential--with powers under political party noted in Vowel’s blog, “the nouncement says nothing of were ushered to the gymna- right to education. $100 million in public control. federal funding formula for First Nations’ control over sium and the invited guests *Properly fund First investments. Duff Conacher of on-reserve schools has been education, to be negotiated were the yellow dots and they Nation education. But this “turnaround” Democracy Watch says the capped at 2 per cent growth through nation-to-nation were brought to the auditor- *Say not to FNCFNEA.” can be turned around, like bill also “hikes donation it was in the St. Lawrence limits, removes the ban on Lowlands, where popular unlimited secret gifts to opposition to shale gas election candidates, and No more stolen sisters! fracking forced the PQ into allows banks to make un- a moratorium. The same can limited loans to candidates.” by JOHN BELL be true for Anticosti. Canada, despite making up inquiry. They know what vince you of the need for an Tory weakness The latest First Nations only 3 per cent of the female an inquiry would find: inquiry have failed. Further, Harper’s hostility to woman found murdered population. While Canadian that violence against First the tears and sadness of the Socialist Worker democracy is a sign of is Loretta Saunders. police forces solve about 85 Nations women is rooted in families left behind have not The young Inuk woman weakness. His pro-war, per cent of all homicides, systemic racism, sexism and moved you to any position e-mail: [email protected] anti-environment, austerity- from Newfoundland and nearly half of those involv- poverty. of compassion. We have web: www.socialist.ca driven agenda does not Labrador was a student in ing Aboriginal women First Nations activists therefore resolved that we lphone: 416.972.6391 have the support of the Halifax, writing her thesis remain unresolved. have had enough. Shawn will take whatever and fur- majority of people—so he on murdered and missing Much of the data on this Brant, an activist from ther actions that are deemed All correspondence to: aboriginal women. Socialist Worker has to resort to supressing violence has been compiled Tyendinaga First Nation necessary, to compel you to P.O. Box 339, Station E votes in order to get elected. According to the Native by Indigenous women them- served notice to Stephen call a National Inquiry into Toronto, ON M6H 4E3 This is masked by the fact Women’s Association of selves. In 2010, the group Harper in a letter, warning the crisis of Murdered and Published every four weeks in that the Liberals share the Canada, more than 800 First Sisters in Spirit, which has of direct action if no inquiry Missing Aboriginal Women Toronto by the International Socialists. Printed in Hamilton at a union shop; mem- Conservatives agenda and Nations, Métis and Inuit done so much to gather was called by March: and Girls.” ber of the Canadian Magazine Publisher’s the NDP leadership has not women and girls have gone information, raise aware- “Your unwillingness Demands for a real inves- Association / Canadian Publications provided an alternative. missing or been murdered ness and call for a serious to consider this first step tigation, one directed and Mail Agreement No. 58554253-99, Post Office Department, Ottawa / ISSN But movements across in the past 20 years. inquiry, had its funding cut at reconciliation is well designed by First Nations 0836-7094 / Return postage guaranteed the countrycan challenge Aboriginal women and girls by the Harper Tories. The documented and understood. people themselves, will only Harper’s agenda and expose represent over 10 per cent Tory government is resisting It is our opinion that all increase. This racist and sex- the democratic deficit. of homicides of women in all calls for an independent diplomatic means to con- ist violence must end. 2 Socialist Worker March 2014 Women in INTERNATIONAL “liberated” Iraq by SHAYMA BASHAWIEH

A Human Rights Watch (HRW) report entitled “No one is safe: Abuses of women in Iraq’s criminal justice system” published in February of this year details the arbitrary arrests, unlawful detaining, collective punishment, torture and sexual abuse female prisoners endure at the hands of Iraqi security forces. Although there are far fewer female prisoners presently in Iraq compared to their male counterparts, HRW says “women suffer a double burden.” The report mentions on a number of occasions that women are arrested not only for the crimes they are suspected to have committed but also for the crimes of male relatives or other tribal and family members, effectively target- ing women for collective punishment. Female prison- ers are also at a greater risk of experiencing some form of sexual harassment during their detention. Although the knowledge of the abuse of male detainees in Iraq’s prisons is wide- spread amongst Iraqis in gen- eral, the report states that the current accounts regarding the unlawful detention and abuse of female detainees was shocking to the public- -prompting one human rights activist to tell HRW “normally, in Iraqi society, a man beating a woman in public is impossible…What’s happening to women shows that no one is safe.” Bahrain: third anniversary of the revolution The horrific experiences female prisoners have to en- by YUSUR AL-BAHRANI dure include electric shocks, in several cities and villages on hardly cause any harm to armed riot However, as the demonstrations be- cigarette burns on their body, Hundreds of thousands of February 13, 2014. Stores were police, army and other members of came frequent and regular, people a torture method known as protestors took to the streets of shutdown and many workers the government’s forces. The re- in several parts of Saudi Arabia “falaqa” (which is when a Bahrain on February 14, the third did not go to their workplaces. pressive state has used those minor have been demanding an end to the “victim is hung upside down anniversary of the revolution. On February 14-15, hundreds of attacks by the outraged youths as oppression exercised by Al-Saud and beaten on their feet”), Faced with international hyp- thousands of protestors took to the an excuse to detain and torture monarchy. Groups demanding beatings and sexual assaults- ocrisy, peaceful protests continue in streets. As usual, they faced attacks. children in the name of “combating women and minority’s rights have -sometimes in front of family Bahrain and the Eastern Province In addition to attacking participants, terrorism.” also received encouragement and members. The report details of Qatif in Saudi Arabia despite the government forces attacked houses solidarity by other pro-democracy accounts of prisoners raped ongoing oppression. with teargas. Movements in Saudi protestors. by prison guards during Arabia As the Saudi government sense detention, interrogations and Resistance in Bahrain Western weapons for a At the same time, people in the the threat of the pro-democracy arrests. Three years ago, small protests regime that tortures Eastern Province of Qatif are also movements. In addition to attacking After beating, torturing began on the eve of February 14, Compared to the other revolutions celebrating their third anniversary pro-democracy movements in and sexually abusing women, 2011. The next day, peaceful pro- in the Arab region, protests in of the revolution by continuing to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Al-Saud the interrogators threaten testors and activists left their homes Bahrain (home to US fifth fleet), resist the Saudi forces that continue monarchy played a counter- their loved ones with the at dawn to march in the several have faced silence and fewer to attack protestors and raid homes. revolutionary role in several Arab same fate. cities and villages in Bahrain. On condemnations and outrage from Several activists have been detained countries such as Syria, Egypt and their way to the Pearl Roundabout, the “international community.” and some, including Sheikh Nemer Yemen. The Saudi state has realised “Operation Iraqi they gathered men, women and The Western-backed AlKhalifa Baqir AlNemer and other political that any real democratic change in Freedom” children. monarchy has continuously been detainees, are at imminent risk of the region will shake the pro- All this is happening than The number of protestors talking about dialogue with the crucifixion by the Saudi authorities. Western monarchy. a decade after Western increased to around 600,000, which opposition. However, promin- AlNemer remains in solitary military intervention--dubbed is more than half of the population ent opposition leaders and other confinement, suffering from his Solidarity “Operation Iraq Freedom.” in Bahrain. Authorities demolished political prisoners, including injuries. In the past three years, While being in solidarity with the Is this what liberation looks the Pearl monument, which was children, remain detained. Despite hundreds have been killed, injured revolutionaries is essential, it is like? Have they been liber- encircled by protestors. Although the repression, arms from several and arbitrarily arrested in Qatif. equally crucial to demand Western ated? For one thing the report it was demolished, protestors places, including Canada, have The protests in Qatif began governments and other weapons’ states that “security forces who camped in the roundabout been exported to Bahrain. in solidarity with the peaceful exporters halt any arms deals to carry out illegal arrests and call their revolution as the “Pearl While protests remain peaceful, Bahraini demonstrators demand- dictatorships such as the Bahraini other due process violations Revolution.” there have been recent incidents of ing the Western-backed Saudi and Saudi monarchies against women at every stage Marking the third anniversary, youths attacking armoured tanks government to withdraw its forces of the justice system.” Bahrainis held a general strike with Molotov cocktails that could from the small island of Bahrain. Following mass protests over the treatment of women in detention, Prime Minister al-Maliki announced in January of 2013 that there Egypt: strikes continue would be reforms made to the justice system. But a year has passed Leaders of the bus workers and Tareq el-Beheiry, one of the lead- activist Haitham Mohamedain. turning their workers and technicians and HRW says desperately doctors strikes joined workers’ ers of the strike by Public Transport “Over the next few days we are to their jobs, then you’re lying to the needed reforms have still delegations from Tanta Flax, Authority workers spoke about the going to hear a lot about how ‘the people and lying to the workers.” yet to be passed while the Shibin al-Kom Spinning, the bus workers’ struggle to win the wheel of production must start turn- Workers’ protests are also spread- criminal justice system is as Egyptian Iron and Steel Company minimum wage. ing’”, said Haitham. ing in other sectors. Employees of corrupt as ever and women in Helwan, and Samanoud Mohamed Shafiq, a member of “If you’re talking about the ‘wheel the Egyptian Navigation Company continue to be abused. The Textiles near Mahalla at a the Revolutionary Socialists and one of production’, what about the sev- were among the latest to take the to report quite accurately states conference in Cairo, 2 March. of the leaders of the current national en factories which the courts ruled streets, organising a demonstration “the failings of the criminal Workers who have been at the strike by doctors, dentists and phar- should be re-nationalised and re- outside the Naval Headquarters in justice system documented forefront of recent struggles for macists, spoke from the platform opened? Why isn’t the ‘wheel of pro- Alexandria in protest at the sale of in this report show that the the minimum wage and against about healthworkers’ battle to win duction’ turning at Tanta Flax, Shibin the company. Prime Minister al-Maliki’s privatisation packed into the meet- better pay and conditions and more al-Kom Spinning, Omar Effendi government has so far failed ing, which was organised by funding for the health service. and the Steam Boilers Company? This is republished from global. to eliminate many of the abu- the Freedoms Committee of the Other speakers included labour If you’re talking about starting the revsoc.me, the international version sive practices that Saddam Journalists’ Union to voice workers’ lawyer, Khaled Ali, journalist Wael ‘wheel of production’ without re- of revsoc.me--the website of the Hussein institutionalized demands of the new government. Gamal, and Revolutionary Socialist opening these companies and re- Egyptian Revolutionary Socialists and the United States-led Coalition Forces continued.” March 2014 Socialist Worker 3 IDEAS FOR STRUGGLE Faline Bobier INTERNATIONAL intersectionality and resistance In the context of resistance movements--from the anti-globalization movement of 1999, to the anti-war movement of 2003, to the Arab Spring and Occupy movements of 2011 and then the Quebec student strike and Idle No More--A new generation of activists is looking for ideas to guide them in the struggles ahead. Just as the ideas of postmodernism became hegemonic in the 1980s and 90s, a period where it seemed that the revolutionary tide of the late 1960s and 1970s had failed, the ideas of intersectionality are becoming common cur- rency on many campuses today. Postmodernism was a set of ideas that basically argued that it was impossible to really understand the world in which we live and that the best we could hope for was a partial description from our own perspective or subjectiv- ity. Many post-modern theorists had been disillusioned by events in Paris after the failure of 1968 to break through and create the new society. Revolution had failed and therefore it was necessary to look to other ideas. The problem was that much of postmodernist theory was incoherent and inaccessible to most ordinary people. It was also on many levels a new “idealism,” that argued that there was nothing outside the “text” and no basis on which to distinguish between one course of action and another.

Intersectionality The interest in the ideas of intersectionality in academia, as a way of dealing with questions of oppression, seems to be a much more positive development, in the sense that it is an attempt to give voice to the real experience of oppression. Intersectionality emerged from Black feminism in the US. The term was first coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989, and several other Black feminist writers (such as bell hooks and Barbara Smith) used these ideas as a chal- lenge to white feminists in the 1970s and 1980s—as the mainstream women’s movement moved further and further away from its radical roots in the revolutionary movements of the 1960s and took on much more of a reformist project. This project appealed mainly to white middle class women, Olympics, politics and resistance who could hope to gain equality with their white male counterparts, but which would do little to improve the lives of poor or working class women, or women from racial- ized communities, who faced the double burden of racism The Sochi Winter Olympic games Athletes took pictures with the the state as well as the famous black and sexism. have wrapped up now and the Russian President and the Canadian power salute by medalists John Carlos As Audre Lorde wrote, “there is no such thing as a world’s attention has shifted Olympic Committee chief Marcel and Tommie Smith. Pro-Tibetan single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue elsewhere. When the Russian Aubet heaped praise, stating “fantastic protestors made several successful lives.” Intersectionality highlights the multiple forms of government passed its now venues, fantastic atmosphere, and attempts to extinguish the Olympic oppression that interact to shape an individual’s experi- infamous anti-gay laws, which great Games, probably the best ever.” torch as it headed to Beijing prior to ence. So racialized women experience both racism and criminalized “gay propaganda,” That Putin would begin rounding up the 2008 Olympics. There were also sexism, the sexism they experience is reinforced by racism, most of the world expressed anger protestors and opponents once the significant protests raising issues of af- and vice versa. For example, the Quebec Charter is both and there were public calls for games were over doesn’t seem to fordable housing during the Vancouver racist and reinforces sexism against Muslim women, a fact boycotts of the games. really concern the likes of Aubet. Olympics. ignored by some feminist organizations supporting the Many governments sent depleted Even in Sochi, Canadian snow- Charter. contingents to the games’ opening Olympics Not Political? boarder Michal Lambert spoke out The focus on the intersectionality of various oppres- ceremonies, with the Obama adminis- So what happened? Part of the against the praise that the likes of sions can bring to light research and experience that has tration including legendary and openly problem is this idea that the world of Marcel Aubet were giving the games: been hitherto ignored by academia, which has often been gay tennis player Billie Jean King as sports and the Olympics is apolitical. “A perfect Games isn’t someone the preserve of white men. This is an attractive option an official representative for the US. The IOC’s charter waxes poetic who blows the budget through the for young women interested in the ideas of feminism and There were even public statements language about opposing discrimina- roof for no reason, has people suffer, wanting to connect the fight against sexism with the fight from athletes and some sponsors tion, but officials regularly speak out shuts people up. How is that a perfect against racism, disability oppression, homophobia and condemning the laws. against athletes or officials who try to Games? Spends ungodly amounts of transphobia. Heading into Sochi there was also politicize the games. money and then we are all going to As a theory which can explore and highlight the huge amount of criticism directed to This of course is a fiction. watch it rot over the next 10 years.” experience of oppression, intersectionality can be a useful the spectacle. The price tag for the Governments use the Olympics to Most amazing, however, is the level tool. This is no small achievement, given how much of event reached $50 billion, more than ratchet up national chauvinism, whip of anger and protest that is engulfing people’s real experience has been marginalized or erased, the combined costs of all previous up the patriotic furor, and get the Brazil as the country prepares to host particularly for those at the sharp end of various forms of Winter Olympics. Regular articles and country behind their national team. the World Cup and Summer Olympics oppression. news stories pointed out the tragedy Countries have also used hosting over the next two years. The govern- of spending so much on the sporting the Olympics to announce to the ment has invested billions to host Class and revolution event, when poverty and inequality ran world that they are now (or still are) these events, while insisting that work- However, we must also recognize the limits of inter- rampant in Russia. geopolitical powers to be reckoned ers accept austerity and low wages. sectionality, in terms of pointing a way forward. While it with. This was not only the case when Brazil is a country that loves sports describes the experience of reinforcing forms of oppres- Silence During the Hitler’s Germany hosted the summer but as radical sports writer Dave Zirin sion, it does not explain where these oppressions come Games games in 1936, but continues to be points out “This isn’t a movement from come from and how we can end them. Despite the anti-gay laws, however, a common theme. Beijing in 2008, against sports. It’s against the use of This is related to its tendency to conflate class as just an- most of the biggest sponsors kept London in 2012, Sochi this year, and sports as a neoliberal Trojan horse. It’s other “identity,” and of “classism” as another intersecting quiet. Coca-Cola, the largest advertiser the next summer games in Brazil are a movement against sports as a cudgel form of oppression. But class society and capitalism, based condemned the laws but did little to examples of the Olympics being used of austerity.” on economic exploitation, is also the source and driver of lobby the IOC or the Russian govern- as strategic political events. Olympic games tend to be a disaster oppression—from LGBT oppression and sexism to racism. ment to take a stand. In fact the IOC But try to introduce critical politics, for ordinary people whose countries The working class, which unites all oppressed groups, warned athletes about protesting. The like speaking out against racism, and host the events. Developers walk away has the revolutionary potential to win real liberation from audacity of the budget for the games the IOC cracks down, sometimes to rich, while everyone else pays the exploitation and oppression by overthrowing its source. was forgotten in the midst of the the point of absurd. In Sochi, the IOC price. Hopefully Brazil and the history As Marxists we want to be a part of the new movements events. Vladimir Putin has success- went so far as prohibiting freestyle of resistance of protest at Olympic that are fighting for social justice. We have much to learn fully used the games to announce skiers from wearing small decals games will show that athletes and from their experience, and we want to connect this to the return of Russia as a major world on their helmets honouring the late workers do not need to be silent. the revolutionary potential of that class in society which power and it is no accident that shortly Sarah Burke, insisting that it was a We don’t need to accept the encompasses all of us—women, men, people of colour, after the games, his government has political statement. Unfortunately neoliberal Trojan horse that the Games LGBT, people with disabilities. the confidence to engage in an imper- most Olympians, amateur athletes represent. Sports doesn’t need to be As the Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin wrote, ialist adventure in the Ukraine. dependent on sponsorship and govern- wrapped in a flag of chauvinism to be “Revolutions are the festivals of the oppressed and the After the games had started the ment funding, sometimes lack the entertaining. We can offer an alterna- exploited. At no other times are the masses of people in a once vocal opposition and media confidence to speak out. tive that values athletics and sports but position to come forward so actively as creators of a new acknowledgments of the laws or the doesn’t come with weight of national- social order as at a time of revolution.” The Bolsheviks costs petered away. Small protests A History of Resistance ism and austerity. built a revolutionary organization, not based on the were cracked down on. Pussy Riot This doesn’t mean that there haven’t suppression of the many identities encompassed in the members were arrested and whipped been valiant acts of opposition that co- Join a discussion of “Capitalism, struggle (women, national minorities, Jews, Muslims, by Cossack soldiers. When Vladimir incided with or were part of Olympic Sports and Resistance” on Sunday, lesbians and gays), but on the understanding that the only Putin dropped by the Canada House in Games. March 30 from 5 pm to 8 pm in West way to win true liberation was to unite these struggles into the Olympic Village, he was greeted The 1968 Olympics in Mexico saw Toronto. For more information contact one powerful enough to overturn the system as a whole, like a celebrity. mass protests that were crushed by [email protected] based on the class that could break the chains where they were forged. 4 Socialist Worker March 2014 Quebec election and the fight against racism, austerity and oil

Chantal Sundaram looks at the politics of the upcoming Quebec election, and the one party that expresses the fight for social justice:Québec solidaire

The current PQ minority government, brought in on a wave of anger that swept the provincial Liberals out at the tail-end of the Maple Spring, is about to fight an election on what defines Quebec. On the one hand, there is the so-called Charter of Values that aims to prohibit the wearing of religious symbols, notably the Muslim headscarf, by public servants. Playing this racist card has demon- strably boosted the PQ in the polls. On the other hand, there is the economy. Quebec growth projections are abysmal. The PQ budget, characterized by the opposition and pundits as an “election budget,” is equally abysmal. But be- cause it doesn’t come close to balancing the budget or slashing public spending as much as humanly possible, it’s viewed as a budget to garner votes. PQ Finance Minister Nicolas Marceau himself told the Quebec national assembly that they are not slashing spending because: “Our government prefers prosperity to austerity.” The first two were difficult another game of smoke and Killing child care to deliver. The Liberals were mirrors: there may in fact be The real “nous”: vote In fact, it’s a game of smoke booted out in no small part little or no oil under Anticosti. QS and mirrors. No new income by the rebellion by students But the “Masters of our own From “our” values, to “our” tax hikes is supposed to be a against one part of the auster- oil” argument will have done North, to “our” oil, there is vote winner, but the real story ity agenda, the tuition fee hike. its damage both electorally only one party to support in in this budget is the end of The first PQ budget tried to and environmentally by the the upcoming Quebec election: subsidized daycare in Quebec. pursue the austerity agenda, time exploration is done. In Québec solidaire (QS). Parents across Canada have but they suffered in the polls the words of Amir Khadir, one QS is a party that emerged marveled at the initial $5 until the Values Charter gave of two elected members of the out of the three key move- (and now $7) daycare. There them a bounce. most progressive party in the ments that address the issues is in fact a social consensus Plan Nord, revamped as upcoming election, Québec at stake in this election and in Quebec that daycare, like “Un Plan Nord pour nous” (a solidaire, if this pristine island in Quebec society in gen- education, is a social good, Plan Nord “for us”) attempted is destroyed it will be “because eral. They are a merger of the and should not be subject to to play on the Quebec na- deer don’t vote.” movement against globaliza- user fees. This consensus is tionalist “Maitres chez nous” The PQ budget suggests tion/neoliberalism—starting what underlies the ongoing (“Masters in our own House”) partial nationalization of any with the Summit of the struggles against post- slogan with a plan that in fact viable oil and gas supply America protests in Quebec secondary fee hikes, which aimed at selling off national which might be discovered City in 2001 and continuing in were ultimately supposed to resources to mining companies under Anticosti Island. Finance the Maple Spring of 2012— be phased out completely in with very little coming back Minister Marceau also said in with the World March of Quebec. into public coffers, and with his budget speech that “Being Women and the environmental Similarly, the $5 parental transportation contracts that masters and prosperous in our movement. contribution to daycare was promised to continue patterns own house is ensuring that we They are a party that wants seen as a stepping-stone to a of government corruption with Quebecers are the first to bene- an indefinite moratorium on all universal system that would be little real job creation and fit from the eventual discovery drilling activity on Anticosti, fully paid for by the Quebec much environmental destruc- of resources. Quebecers will a complete turn to sustainable government. The PQ has now tion along the way. benefit from a minimum of energy and nationalization unforgivably betrayed that Then, the market collapsed 60 per cent of benefits from of windmill production, not consensus by proposing to for the mined materials prom- whatever is discovered beneath oil drilling; a refusal to use raise the cost to $9 over the ised by Plan Nord. The only Anticosti.” women’s rights as a pretext next two years and then index other resource “solution” the Some of the old PQ brass to scapegoat religious and it to inflation, effectively put- PQ could draw on was oil. who do not support the Charter racial minorities and distract ting an end to the promise of This had begun under of Values as too extreme from austerity, along with a universal daycare. the Liberals in the form of are perfectly comfortable principled position against In addition to the lie about fracking for shale gas. In their with the oil and gas agenda, imperialist war; and an active shunning austerity, the PQ’s Like the Values Charter, first few months in power, the such as Bernard Landry, the involvement between elections “prosperity” proposal is based PQ banned gas fracking for PQ premier who preceded in the fight against all forms of on oil and gas exploitation on this election card turns five years in the St. Lawrence Jean Charest. In January, a austerity. Quebec soil. Like the Values Lowlands, largely as a result manifesto signed by Landry They are for sharing the Charter, this election card the legitimate demand for of popular protest there, but and other powerful former wealth of Quebec with the real turns the legitimate demand the tide has changed on frack- politicians and employer rep- “nous”: the 99% of students for Quebecois self-determin- Quebecois self-determin- ing for shale oil. resentatives argued that those and working-class Quebecois. ation into its self-destructive Since fracking first emerged who say that oil energy is a Today in Quebec, that’s what opposite. ation into its self-destruc- in Quebec as a viable source of thing of the past are “dreaming being “Masters in our own energy extraction, oil and gas in colour.” house” ultimately means: Quebec & resources: tive opposite. lobbyists have begun to circle And yet, the PQ itself com- disenfranchising the 1% who “Maitres chez nous”? like vultures. Now the spectre missioned a report that came are putting the whole house at In 2012, the PQ inherited three of major oil exploration on the to opposite conclusions, iron- risk. supposed “solutions” to the Island of Anticosti, first raised ically titled “Maitriser notre economic challenge from the by the Liberals, has been given avenir energetique” (Masters On April 3 there will be a Liberals: public sector auster- new life by the PQ. Although, of our Energy Future), which demonstration against the ity, exploitation of mining as some ecologists insist, it is counsels diminishing reliance Libeals. For more information resources, and oil. entirely possible that this is yet on fossil fuels. visit www.manif3avril.org

March 2014 Socialist Worker 5 The fight for women’s liberation The Triangle Shirt-waist fire: women’s liberation and rank-and-file mobilization By Octavian Cadabeschi of The World had began recruiting ennergetically, and had headway with women workers unless they opened the door to already secured major victories against New York employers. rank and file decision making and organizing. The history of women liberation, the beginning of In 1909, the first major strike in the New York garment The women making up the organizing teams worked the North American industrial unionism, and rank and industry had already broken out under the auspices of the same jobs as the others, and experienced extreme repression file organizing were all very closely intertwined in the ILGWU called the “Uprising of 20,000” for the number of for their actions. They were beaten up, arrested, and thrown massive strike wave of 1909-1913—motivated to a large women who had participated. Considering that just one year down stairs, and often employers would hire thugs from the degree by the Triangle shirtwaist factory fire. before the union had only consisted of few hundred mem- mob in order to target, intimidate and attack the organizers. The textile industry of New York in the first few decades bers, this was a major success. At the same time in 1909 there But despite these pressures, the women persevered, and of the twentieth century—and one of the international centres was another major strike in Hoboken, organized under the developed a reputation as courageous and talented organ- of early industry—relied almost exclusively on immigrant auspices of the IWW but led largely by rank and file women izers—successfully organizing non-union shops and bringing and Jewish women for labour. Whereas in many cases being who had organized themselves and built alliances across tens of thousands of new workers into the unions time and a seamstress was a position of some prestige for women, gender and ethnic lines with allied textile workers. again. the growth of industrialization and the shift to factory-made As a result, the time period of 1910 to 1913 was a period clothing gradually transformed a highly skilled cottage indus- Triangle Shirtwaist fire of major labour uprisings. In Laurence, Patterson, Chicago, try into a largely deskilled industrial process. Many working The strikes of 1909 had specifically identified the Triangle etc. Garment workers rose up in tens of thousands in class women therefore worked in sweatshop conditions in Shirtwaist Factory for hazardous working conditions, and sympathy strikes, and general strikes. Mass demonstrations “light” industry. thus, when the building went up in flames in 1910, the sometimes consisting of over a hundred thousand workers response of New York garment workers was overwhelming. took place. Not only was the number of participants high, but Women’s resistance This anger was due to the fact that the fire was able to spread so was their level of militancy. In the 1913 garment worker’s These difficult working conditions, long hours, and low pay because flammable oil that was kept close to fabric cuttings, strike for example, a group of several hundred women Indigenous women lead the way meant that women were often at the forefront of early indus- the fact that every single exit except for one was locked by attempted to occupy a factory in Manhattan. They broke trial labour struggles. In fact, women workers of the period the employer in order to limit the worker’s movement. The through police lines armed with umbrellas, and according to by Valerie Lannon very strongly considered their struggles in the workplace fire escape was also not maintained, and it immediately col- the press “fought like furies” once inside. intertwined with their struggles for liberation as women. lapsed when women attempted to climb down it. The factory Much of the leadership of many civil rights and liberation movements of the 1960s and 70s was male-dominated. Women leaders in the public eye, like Rosa Parks, Angela Davis and Anna Mae According to academic Jennifer Gugliemo, some Italian was essential a death trap. Aftermath Aquash, were the exceptions. But by the 1990s, women like Naomi Klein, Maude Barlowe, Arundahti Roy, and others were prominent in anti-globalization struggles. women migrant workers would use the word femminismo In the end, 146 garment workers, mostly women of Jewish Ultimately, the strike wave came to an end through a com- to refer to their work, but most preferred the word eman- and Italian descent died in the fire. Dozens of women died bination of some key defeats, general economic downturn This shift is also seen in indigenous struggles in Canada where today we see women playing pivotal roles. The resurgence of pride and confidence in indigenous communities has provided a cipazione, because it described the all-encompassing nature jumping out of the ninth story to avoid the flames, shattering and unemployment, and in some cases, the efforts of upper cultural foundation for women to reclaim their leadership roles, and for indigenous men to support them. of the freedoms they desired. the concrete below with their impacts. The charges brought union leadership to undermine the rank and file process. Even before the fire, rank and file resistance in the work- against the owners—who had survived the fire by immediate- However, the mass mobilization of 1909 to 1913 irrevoc- Here are just a few examples of today’s better-known leading activists: place was a daily fact for women working in the garment ly running up to the roof before things got too bad—resulted ably changed the socio-economic landscape for women, and • the founders of Idle No More (Jessica Gordon, Sylvia McAdam, Sheelah McLean, Nina Wilson), prominent spokesperson Pamela Palmater and, of course, Chief Theresa Spence from industry. Often, a single woman being harassed by manage- only in a fine of a few hundred dollars. workers in North America. Attawapiskat ment would result in her co-workers walking off the job, and It was the birth of industrial unionism in the region, it • Cindy Blackstock of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, which has a case proceeding with the Canadian Human Rights tribunal to expose the federal government’s under- ultimately to entire spontaneous strikes. Women also shared From mourning to organizing made the International Ladies Garment Workers Union funding of child and family services for First Nations stories of resistance with one another both in the workplace The ensuing rage convinced many women working in the one of the largest in the country, and brought the IWW the • Filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin (who has documented everything from “Kanehsatake: 270 years of Resistance” about the 1990 uprising in Kanehsatake and Oka, to today’s “Hi-Ho Mistahey! and in the home, and they stole time from management by garment trades that joining unions and fighting was the only notoriety it needed to successfully organize in the west. about the fight for First Nations education coordinating together to slow down their pace of work. way to improve their situation. Membership in the ILGWU Many strikes during the period were won, and conditions • Chelsea Vowel, whose blog apihtawisosisan provides regular commentary on current campaigns. rose from a few thousand before 1909, to several hundred for garment workers tangibly improved as a result. Finally, • Leading activsts opposing tar sands and fracking: Eriel Deranger of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Melina Laboucan-Massimo of the Lubicon Cree First Nation, Vanessa Gray of Unions thousand by 1913. legislative reforms that came out of the period of mass mobil- Ammijwnaang First Nation, and Suzanne Patles of the Mi’kmaq Warrior Society Trade Unions in the garment industry were quite small to This mass mobilization was led entirely by rank and file ization also significantly improved working conditions and start off with, though unions like the International Ladies’ women workers. Though men made up the upper leadership ultimately in 1917 led to woman’s right to vote in New York These are in addition to the countless number of women who lead campaigns for justice in their communities, in their trade unions, in health and educational institutions, and in climate justice Garment Workers’ Union and the International Workers of both the ILGWO and the IWW, they were unable to make state, the first state to do so in the US. struggles. Raising the minimum wage: a women’s issue Racism, sexism and the fight for women’s liberation by Hanan Jibril To quote, the editorial writer for France’s journal Le Point, current leading women like Malalai Joya. After 13 years of by Kaye C. Stewart The minimum wage – a women’s issue have helped Ontario’s NDP over the years – the Workers’ Action Claude Imbert, “ One must be honest. I am something of an brutal occupation women in Afghanistan are no better off. The There’s no doubt about it – raising the minimum wage is a Centre, labour, students, to name a few). Women have been subjected to discrimination and Islamophobe and I’m not embarrassed to say so I have the right same is true in Iraq, which was “liberated” by war and a dec- Here we are in 2014, decades after the first pieces of women’s issue. How so? A whopping 60 per cent of minimum After numerous articles calling Horwath out on her silence violence for centuries—and this oppression is sharpened to think, and I’m not the only one in this country to think that ade of occupation. The result: huge levels of violence against legislation targeting women’s equality were tabled, with wage earners in Canada are women. In Ontario, women make up regarding the minimum wage as well as rumblings from with- by racism and Islamophobia. Islam and I’m talking of Islam as a religion, not just Islamists women. a national gender pay gap of roughly 32 per cent. That a strong majority of the over 530 000 minimum wage earners. in their base (notably the labour movement, which has been Women of colour not only get discriminated against but par- is backward looking and unhealthy. It has a way of viewing Groups like Femen often claim to speak for women of colour, means, that as International Women’s Day rolls around So, raising the minimum wage is not only a down payment on outspoken in their support for the $14 an hour campaign), the ticularly immigrant women of visible minorities. Between 2001 women, of systematically downgrading women and wants but they do not understand their experiences or their perspec- again this year, women are still working to earn as much reducing poverty levels and inequality, it is a down payment on ONDP recently announced that they will be calling for a $12 an and 2006, 81 per cent of newcomers arriving in Toronto identi- Quranic law to supplant the law of the state. All this makes me tives on sexism and racism. Rather than challenging oppression, as their male counterparts earned by December 31, 2013. closing the gender pay gap. hour minimum wage by 2016, and then be pegged to inflation. fied themselves as visible minorities. The unemployment rate Islamophobic.” Femen reinforces it. Muslim Women Against Femen has since In fact, they’ll have to work well in to April to attain it. There’s no doubt that indexing the minimum wage to the cost Not only are there pennies between these proposals, the for recent newcomer women was more than 50 per cent higher Islamaphobia also exists in social movements and even in been launched to make it clear that Femen does not speak for In the weeks surrounding IWD, politicians will no doubt pay of living is important in addition to a much-needed raise. The ONDP plan would still keep the minimum wage well below the than the rate for new coming men. some organizations that identify as feminist. One well-known Muslim women. lip service to this fact, and potentially even make some (likely freeze at $10.25 for the last three years has effectively lowered poverty line, which for 2014 sits at an hourly wage of $13.18. As we can see from the Temporary Foreign Worker Program— example is Femen, who in the name of liberating Muslim insignificant) promises. Here in Ontario, the Equal Pay Coalition the income of minimum wage earners by 7 per cent – widening $12 in two years? Not exactly a life saver. By 2016, when the which allows Canadian corporations to pay migrant workers less women was extremely racist, drawing unibrows on themselves Self-determination is running its second annual Equal Pay Day campaign – with the gender pay gap. ONDP propose the minimum wage move to $12 an hour, the and to deny them basic rights—racism is used to increase the to depict themselves as Middle Eastern men. The women of Historically, when people talk about feminism, they have fo- the goal of having the province declare April 16 Equal Pay Day. Even if Ontario’s Liberal government doesn’t want to take poverty line will be up to $13.66. Just like their counterparts in exploitation of workers. Racialized (visible minority) immigrant femen have recently become well known for Topless Jihad Day, cused mainly on the experiences of white middle-class women, Equal Pay Day, which marks roughly the point into the New action directly related to the gender pay gap, for fear of draw- the Liberal party, Ontario’s NDP is perfectly ok with the fact men in Canada earn 68.7 cents for every dollar that non-racial- which includes topless protests in front of religious institutions. often at the expense of racialized women from working-class Year which women must work to earn as much as men took ing attention to its shameful existence or perhaps coming across that those working minimum wage jobs will continue to live ized immigrant men make. Sexism adds to this exploitation, The group claims that staging protests while topless is the “only backgrounds. The fight for women’s liberation must include home in the previous year, is intended to raise awareness about as radical feminists, raising the minimum wage would have a in poverty. with racialized immigrant women earning 48.7 cents for every way to be heard” in their native country of Ukraine—which the experiences of ALL women and must address all forms of gender inequality and promote action to close the gap. dramatic on the lives of low income women and their families. dollar that non-racialized men make. One might wonder if edu- recent mass protests clearly disprove. Femen’s ‘Topless Jihad oppression. Women of colour from working-class backgrounds Considering the success of last year’s campaign, and Premier It seems like a win-Wynne situation – reducing inequality and Want equality for women? Join cation has anything to do with this. Well, it turns out that 40 per Day’ is said to be in response to death threats that were made have a long history of leading their own struggles and of building Kathleen Wynne’s desire to appear progressive and fair, it is raising families above the poverty line while taking decisive ac- campaigns, don’t depend on politicians. cent of female new comers (less than 5 years in Canada) had a to Amina Tyler – a Tunisian woman who posted nude photos the fight for women’s liberation, and can speak for themselves. quite likely she or her government will recognize the day. While tion to close the gender pay gap. Clearly these aren’t priorities While one could hope that with two ‘progressive’ parties hav- university education as compared to a quarter of longer-term of herself on Facebook with the words “I own my body; it’s Struggles differ from place to place, but it’s important to note it was not officially recognized at Queen’s Park in 2013, many for the Ontario Liberals. ing women leaders and a growing social movement calling for immigrants and a third of Canadian-born residents of European not the source of anyone’s honor” written on her bare chest. that Muslim women have been at the heart of every struggle, MPPs in both the Liberal and NDP caucuses (including Wynne In late January of this year, Wynne announced that her gov- change, not to mention the economic evidence that this is just descent. Topless Jihad Day claimed to be a protest against Islam and like the Arab Spring for example. In Bahrain, if you see the and Andrea Horwath) wore red to mark the day. It would be a ernment would introduce legislation that sees the minimum plain good for Ontario, that raising the minimum wage would Islamist “oppression of women”. White women wore towels photos of protests, the numbers of women and men protestors political mistake to miss the opportunity to recognize this year. wage indexed to inflation and increased this year to $11 an hour. be a no brainer. But it’s moments like these that reveal the true Islamophobia on their heads, black skinny jeans and scrawled ‘FUCK YOUR are equal. There are women activists and men activists at the And yet, behind the statements and banquets or recognition While the news of tying the minimum wage to inflation is colours of politicians (and the parties they represent). It is no secret that Islam is constantly scrutinized and under MORALS’ and ‘FREE AMINA’ on their bare chests. In Paris, same time. Women have been at the centre of the Egyptian revo- of women’s equality campaigns, what is Premier Wynne’s (or well received, the increase falls far short of what is needed. $11 The Ontario Liberals have stayed true to form – offering a siege by the Western world, and Muslim women are often its topless protesters burned a Salafist flag in front of a mosque. All lution—from the women textile workers of Mahalla who started NDP leader Andrea Horwath’s for that matter) record on taking an hour is still a poverty wage, tying it to inflation only means ‘compromise’ to pander to both political sides of the spectrum. most frequent targets. Having to deal with the covert racism but of this, in the name of “liberating Muslim women.” The racism the strike wave leading up to 2011, to Asma Mahfouz who’s real action to address women’s inequality in Ontario? that minimum wage workers will remain under the poverty line. And the NDP in Ontario have decided to be the NSBP – the New also the overt racism, stares and attacks on religious headwear was almost too much to bear, from the unibrow to ridiculing of video calling on Egyptians to demand their human rights and A report released by the Canadian Centre for Policy And where are our trusted New Democrats in all this? Long- Small Business Party. are more common than ever. This includes France’s ban on the the Islamic prayer. voice their disapproval of the regime of Hosni Mubarak went Alternatives last year outlined 10 steps to close Ontario’s gender time supporters of gender equality, closing the gender pay And so – the gender pay gap remains, and women in Ontario niqab, Canada’s ban on the niqab during citizenship ceremonies, This Islamophobia echoes the justifications for wars and viral—helping spark the revolution on January 25. pay gap. Aside from enforcement of pay equity laws, improving gap and fighting for the working class (which I’d assume in- continue to work harder than ever and remain under the poverty and Quebec’s racist charter of values—which if passed might occupations which have increased women’s oppression. The Women of colour face multiple forms of oppression, and access to affordable child care, one of these steps is particularly cludes those working for the minimum wage)? Absent. Silent. line. Want change? Join the campaign for a $14 an hour min- exclude Muslim women from public sector jobs like teaching, war in Afghanistan claimed to be liberating Afghan women, must be able to develop their own demands, and fight their own relevant to Ontarians today – raising the minimum wage. Ignoring the hugely successful campaign for a $14 minimum imum wage; the parties, and the women that lead them, clearly working at hospitals. Muslim women will be even more isolated but silenced the long history of women’s groups (like the struggles, but in a way that allows all women and men to join wage (which, by the way, is being led by the very people who aren’t listening. and put down Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan), and forces in a common cause.

6 Socialist Worker March 2014 March 2014 Socialist Worker 7 OPINION

Social democracy Why vote NDP?

With the potential of a provincial election in Ontario this year, and a federal election in 2015, there is once again growing debates about election tactics. Talk of “strategic voting”--to defeat Harper’s Tories in Ottawa and Hudak’s Tories in Ontario--is again coming to the fore. Nothing strategic about voting Liberal “Strategic voting, at least conceptually, is premised on the idea that you should vote for whichever candidate seems to have the best chance of defeating the party you don’t want to win. In practice, however, strategic voting inevitably seems to mean nothing more than NDP supporters casting their votes for Liberal party candidates in the name of defeat- ing Conservatives. The only strategy being helped by this approach is the strategy of the Liberal party--the twin party of Canadian capitalism. Federally the Liberals imposed massive cuts to social services, launched the invasion of Afghanistan and helped overthrow Haiti’s democratically elected government, and completely ignored the Kyoto protocol on climate change. Provincially the Ontario Liberals attacked teachers, froze the minimum wage for years, and massively increased tuition. NDP record Does it then follow that we should all vote NDP? Federally the NDP have been silent on massive military spending, sup- port the tar sands and are increasingly distancing themselves from social movements--from the Quebec student strike to Idle No More. Provincially, Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horvath has had conspicuously little to say on the issue of raising the Motherhouse: political theatre minimum wage, a strategic blunder which has allowed by PAM JOHNSON Liberal Kathleen Wynne to position herself as the progres- sive candidate on this issue. NDP provincial governments Motherhouse is designed to be divide within Canada. Motherhouse as a have a long history of betraying their supporters once in used as a political intervention by But, this is no earnest polemic or political intervention office, with Nova Scotia’s NDP premier Darrell Dexter the anti-war movement, but it can kitchen sink drama. Fennario sees Motherhouse as a being simply the most recent of numerous examples of NDP also hold its own on mainstream revival of the idea that theatre can be governments reducing spending on education, attacking stages as a good night-out of Brecht and revolution a political intervention designed to the rights of public sector workers and imposing austerity entertainment. Inspired by Brecht’s Marxism and his provoke thought or action and not just politics in order to balance budgets. The same goes for NDP Fennario is considered by many the concept of non-illusionary “epic” the- something to be consumed. governments in BC (which attacked a First Nations blockade preeminent working class playwright atre, Fennario tells this tale with wit, He has thread politics through at Gustafsen Lake) and Ontario (which imposed cuts under in Canada. He is an anglo-Montrealer humour, music and, through Lillabit the writing, through the environ- Bob Rae. from the suburb of Verdun. He is in particular, the vernacular speech of ment of rehearsal and the context of With the record of the NDP in government being so poor particularly known for writing the first working class Verdun. performance: incorporating the current and the current version of the NDP in Ontario so lacklustre, play that featured both anglophone He also intertwines two characters political milieu and historical events. should we still vote for them? and francophone working class representing the recent Quebec Fennario also sees this play and characters, Balconville, in 1979. He is student strike, the Carré Rouge, who his method as a challenge to the Confidence a life long revolutionary socialist and only speaks French, and a traditional trend in Canadian theatre training The short answer is yes, but not because of the NDP’s poli- activist. Quebecois fiddler. that character is about creating a full cies or track record once in office. We vote for the NDP not The Quebec student strike happened Brecht had a profound impact illusion. Although this play is very because of what they say or what they may or may not do as he was writing this play. He was on Western theatre. His writing, his far from “social realism” or natural- once in power, but in spite of it. The crucial reason for vot- attending “casseroles” protests in his ideas about how to train actors, and ism, the actors are encouraged to be ing for the NDP is not what sort of government they might working class Montreal neighborhood his unique approach to staging and non-illusionary to “show what they are form but rather the effect that a vote for the NDP potentially and writing his play about that same production, have been seminal in the showing.” has on the confidence of ordinary people themselves to fight neighborhood one hundred years ago development of Western theatre. Fennario has involved political back against austerity. during WWI. These ideas were formed in a comrades and friends from Verdun in The NDP is historically the only mass party in the Motherhouse is the story of Lillabit, volatile historical period in Germany, the development of the script and re- country that is not explicitly a party of big business. It is who works in the British Munitions when it was in the throws of a hearsal process--and done promotional structurally connected to the organized labour movement Supply factory making mortar shells. revolutionary upheaval, inspired by outreach to francophone Cegeps, and is seen by people all over the country and across the Two francophone women are killed in the Russian Revolution, that birthed a working class anglophones, and the political spectrum as a party of the political left. So when the a factory accident and because their republic after WWI. anti-war coalition Échec à la guerre. NDP makes electoral gains, it is taken as a sign that more families are not anglophone, receive The main dynamic in this struggle Political theatre has been making people share progressive ideas and want to see change. The inferior compensation. Lillabit decides was the role of ordinary workers a return in this era of war, austerity “Orange Wave” in 2011, which swept the federal NDP to it’s to protest this and finds herself the struggling in mass numbers to throw and climate chaos. Sadly much of it, largest vote in history and status as Official Opposition, was leader of her co-workers. She gets off an autocratic government. Many of although well-intentioned, is naïve interpreted by many as a rebuke to the politics of austerity. thrown in jail for her actions and these workers were socialists who held and anecdotal. What sets Fennario and An increase in the NDP vote makes all progressive-minded branded a “Bolsheviki.” Marxist politics. Brecht apart is a clear set of political people in Canada feel more confident, it tells us that we It is a profoundly anti-war play Brecht embraced these politics—es- ideas that offers a critical analysis of are less alone, and tells the conservative think tanks and intended to counter the glorification pecially the idea that theatre was not the world we live in and the intention opinionmakers that large numbers of people oppose their of WWI. Fennario brings the story something to be consumed by an audi- to insert this into the actual political agenda. An increased vote for the NDP can have the effect of the radicalization of Lillabit to life ence but that it should be an interven- debate and struggle going on today. of helping convince ordinary working people that we’re not by interweaving the unique political tion into the politics of the day. isolated and that we have the power to change things. history of Quebec and war and the “I wanted to take the principle that David Fennario will be speaking in ongoing political division of franco- it was not just a matter of interpreting Toronto at Maxism 2014: Resisting a Politics phone and anglophones, illuminating the world but of changing it, and apply System in Crisis, June 14-15. Register The common sense on voting is that it is the supreme act both the class divide and the national that to theatre,” said Brecht. at maxism2014.ca of political participation by the population in the political system. One may criticise voting all one wants, but what this means is that for many people, the act of marking their ballot is the one act they feel free to perform that expresses Capitalism and sport how they see the world and what direction they want society by Gurkirat Batth and Amrit Koonar to take. When people have voted Liberal or Conservative all Sports for the average person are tion and profit-making. Now sports are equipment. These same events now their lives and make the decision that, this time, they will something to enjoy—whether they a stunning $440 billion dollar venture athletes train day and night for four cast their ballots for the NDP, this is a shift to the left. It may are watching it to relieve stress in North America alone. years, and cost the host city billions be the first time in their lives that they have begun to see or playing them to lead a healthier We now have people who make of dollars--$50 billion in the case of society as being divided between the rich establishment and lifestyle. But capitalism’s pursuit their living by playing sports and the Olympics in Sochi. The events the rest of us. Casting their ballot for the NDP is a way to of profit has turned sports into a make more money in a few years than that have become more of a corpor- give that shift in ideas some expression. money making machine. most of us will in our lifetime. The ate spectacle with sponsorships and Revolutionaries must welcome such a change in people’s Soccer, the most famous sport in system has glorified these athletes advertisements all made possible ideas, endorse it and work to make it grow. We turn our the world, started out as just a game based on the number of goals they by the taxpayers money to fund the backs on the potential radicalisation of all sorts of people if played by school boys in England. score or home runs they hit. Due to infrastructure to hold the games. we don’t see that, for many, voting NDP is the first step they When it started, there were no pos- incentives attached to this, athletes will take in developing a more progressive and thorough- itions or fancy equipment, just normal have adopted steroids and other sub- Who pays? going critique of society. people playing a game they enjoyed. stances to enhance their performance Golden goals are often remembered A larger vote for the NDP, then, has the potential to Originally sports were not competi- and make more money. This creates more than the blood, sweat and tears strengthen the vital work of increasing the confidence of tive, but rather more about culture, a false perception for the society of of the working class that make the ordinary people in their own ability to defeat austerity. So healthy living and pleasure. what it means to be healthy. But most games possible. Brazil is hosting the vote NDP, but do it with no illusions. Vote NDP because it’s athletes have very short careers, with upcoming FIFA World Cup, building a vote for our class, a vote that will be interpreted as a vote Competition and profit little fame or glory, and when they are stadiums instead of schools, hospitals against austerity and the politics of inequality and division. During the industrial revolution, injured they are tossed aside like used and accessible public transit. Qatar is But don’t conclude that the NDP will deliver on any of companies started many of today’s big machinery—while the millionaire hosting the 2022 World Cup, spending those things. They will not. Vote NDP, but also be working clubs—like Arsenal and Manchester sports CEOs keep making money. $100 billion to build the infrastructure today, tomorrow and the day after any election to build the United—which pitted workers against The Olympics originated from while paying workers pennies. networks of ordinary people whose own activity will be the each other. Over time, sports have Athens where Greek citizens tested We need to challenge capitalism to key to building a more just society. been integrated into a system to pro- their strength, agility, endurance and reclaim sports as a pursuit of pleasure mote working class rivalries, competi- mental ability, with minimal gear and and health instead of profit. 8 Socialist Worker March 2014 LEFT JAB REVIEWS John Bell Dance of the Generals

At first I thought news Mercenaries that the Harper Tories It didn’t take long for the were lambasting a retired spotlight to briefly fall on general for his exorbitant disgraced former general moving expenses was an Dan Menard. The $40,000 internet hoax. The Tories claimed by Menard to move are old hands at screwing to the United Arab Emirates retired soldiers, but at least is almost a bargain next to the rhetorically they pretend cost of Leslie moving a few to honour them. Especially Ottawa blocks. But Menard is generals. no bargain. Yet there they were slam- Formerly Canada’s military ming retired General Andrew commander in Afghanistan, Leslie for claiming $72,000 Menard was court-martialed of taxpayers’ money to move for having an affair with a from one Ottawa address to subordinate and engineering a another. Leslie had served as cover-up. From his new home general in charge of communi- in UAE, Menard could com- cations in Afghanistan and mute to his job as managing then Chief of Land Staff for director of the Kabul office of the Canadian Forces. GardaWorld, a “global private security firm.” The Tory/Liberal Oh, for the good old days dance when a mercenary was proud Leslie is a “star candidate” to call himself a mercenary. for Justin Trudeau’s Liberals, According to GardaWorld’s FILM Trudeau’s chief security and website, Menard headed their military advisor, and a shoo “commercial, operations in for cabinet if the Grits win and projects throughout the Reproductive justice and indigenous sovereignty the election. Leslie admits he country, including existing and shopped himself around for a new contracts with the U.S. political job. He told a press government, non-government- conference that there were “a al and commercial clients.” variety of discussions between While the Tories are loudly Directed by Rose Rosenblatt and Cecelia Fire Thunder, the first fe- their sexism and the influence of rigid myself and a variety of critical of General Leslie, they Marion Lipschutz male President of the Oglala Sioux religious beliefs. political parties, of which the have been less vocal about Reviewed by Maureen Aslin Tribal Council, responded by saying, In 2008 Law 6 was put to a statewide Conservatives were one.” The Menard. Perhaps the reason is “To me, it is now a question of sover- referendum vote which Sunny and Tories outed his outrageous that Menard is not a Liberal Young Lakota documents eignty; I will personally establish a Serena actively campaign to defeat. expenses, he claims, because Party supporter. Or perhaps it the tumultuous struggle for Planned Parenthood clinic on my own The film follows Sunny campaigning he turned their offer down. is due to his arrest in January reproductive justice in South land which is within the boundaries of for Cecelia’s bid for re-election to “Quite frankly, over the by Afghan police on charges Dakota’s Pine Ridge Indian the Pine Ridge Reservation where the tribal council. course of the last couple of of gun smuggling. Reservation from 2006 to 2008, State of South Dakota has absolutely Sunny resolves to continue to work years, depending on what Menard spent almost a through the lives of three young no jurisdiction.” She added that the for better lives for young women and level, people approached me month in a Kabul jail be- Oglala Lakota members; twin centre will offer abortion to both na- men on the reservation. Sunny says and, as you get higher up the fore being released in mid sisters Sunny and Serena Clifford, tive and non-native women. “I’m a woman and a native American food chain, you’re talking to February. What was going on? and Brandon Ferguson, their Conflict with the Christian right and too. I am at the bottom of the bot- them and you’re approaching As the CTV news story put neighbour. anti-choice was anticipated, but inter- tom. Cecelia gave me a feeling of like, them and it’s a bit of a back it, “It is not uncommon for In 2006 the Republican governor nal council opposition acted swiftly as you’re not at the bottom, you are some- and forth, much akin to a foreign contractors to be jailed of South Dakota signed a bill mak- well. Cecelia was impeached by Oglala one who deserves to be respected and dance.” due to government corrup- ing it illegal to preform and abortion Sioux Tribal Council and accused treated right.” So Leslie opted for the tion.” This is a pretty churlish with the exception of when the life of of not getting consensus to have a Young Lakota takes an unflinching Liberal lambada over the Tory way to describe Canada’s ally. the woman is in danger. The law was Planned Parenthood clinic on reserve. look at the intersection of reproduct- two-step. So the Tories reacted And we all know that foreign designed as a provocation to force the In addition the Council issued a ban on ive justice and the fight for indigenous like a dumped bad boyfriend. contractors (SNC Lavalin, issue back into the Supreme Court in all abortions on tribal land. Interviews sovereignty. So Leslie is right in saying CGI, et al) are never guilty of an attempt to overturn Roe v. Wade. with tribal council members expose that if he had gone to the prom corruption. with Harper we would never The trend to “private secur- BOOK have heard a word about it. ity contractors” is not new. Corporations like Blackwater Privatization used the Iraq war to hit pay Building Sanctuary for US war resisters But it wasn’t just political op- dirt. Even at the occupation’s portunists inviting the General height, there were as many (Ret.) to cut a rug. Following former special forces mercen- Written by Jessica Squires The first groups to offer assistance Canada.” In some cases, after refusing his 2011 retirement, Leslie aries on the ground as those Reviewed by Allan Wood to Vietnam War resisters formed in entry into Canada, Canadian officials hooked up with a private serving in the actual militar- late 1965 and early 1966 in Montreal, then called US border guards to inform company, CGI Group. CGI ies. These are highly trained Many Canadians wish to think of Toronto, and Vancouver, publishing them that a military deserter was on is an IT and consultancy killers, in on a global market their country as a peaceful nation, pamphlets with information on hos- his way back. After this information corporation specializing in worth $100 billion per year. but that vision is an oversimplifica- tel accommodations, tips on securing became public—and the government privatized health care informa- And while Canadian mil- tion, if not an outright fabrication. cheap housing and finding employ- was flooded with letters and telegrams tion technology. itary privatization has tended Author Jessica Squires writes that if ment, information on immigration law, of complaint (some of which Squires You might remember it as to specialize in communica- Canada was ever a refuge from mil- and how to apply for landed status in quotes)—the government relented and the corporation at the centre of tion and intelligence, former itarism, “it was a hard-fought and Canada. made the announcement in May 1969 the eHealth Ontario scandal, members of commando force bitterly defended refuge as well as a In August 1967, Pierre Trudeau’s that military status was irrelevant at when it failed to deliver prom- JTF2­ are in demand. Those contingent and partial one, at best.” White Paper on Immigration intro- the border. ised technology, doled out with long memories will Building Sanctuary is Squires’s de- duced a new points system for estab- Building Sanctuary also reports that no-bid contracts to friends and recognize Joint Task Force 2 tailed academic study of the Canadian lishing the eligibility of potential im- most anti-draft groups were under con- consultants, and squandered as the repackaged Airborne anti-draft movement and its fight to migrants. Applicants were awarded stant surveillance for years by both the millions of taxpayer dollars. regiment that was disgraced in allow Vietnam War resisters from the points in a variety of categories, in- RCMP and local police forces, even How does a retired gen- Somalia in the 1990s: deliber- United States to legally cross the bor- cluding age, level of education, voca- after the border was opened in 1969. eral fit into such a company? ate murder of civilian children der into Canada and apply for perma- tional training, occupational demand, There were widespread assumptions in CGI hired Leslie to head up and evidence of a culture of nent residence. Squires relies on inter- and destination. Even with a system the movement that the RCMP shared its new “Defence, Public racism and white supremacy views with both activists and resisters, in place that was intended to elimin- information with the FBI. Safety and Intelligence unit.” forced a name change. as well as newspaper accounts, police ate bias from the process, there were Squires also discusses some of the Privatization of military The shuffle of generals records, and government documents reports of “conscious and explicit internal debates within the movement “services” is a major growth from the national military (both public and internal), to present a obstruction by immigration officers.” at the time, including whether some industry. service to private boardrooms detailed history of the movement. Squires reports that false informa- men were avoiding the draft because Contracting out communica- is no accident. There is even Squires defines a war resister in tion was regularly given out at border of anti-war sentiment or personal rea- tions and information technol- a government body, the this context as “any American immi- crossings, airports, consulates, and im- sons, whether it was a better strategy ogy was a major feature of Canadian Forces Contractor grant who came to Canada to avoid migration offices. for Americans to remain in the US and Canada’s invasion and oc- Augmentation Program, complicity in, or out of opposition In early 1968, proof of military dis- work to end the war from there, and to cupation of Afghanistan, with designed to facilitate the to, their government’s actions in charge was not required for applicants what extent should resisters assimilate the lion’s share of contracts process. General Leslie just Vietnam”. Squires favours this broad, inside Canada, so deserters would into Canadian society. going to scandal-plagued SNC wants to add a stopover in inclusive definition, because it takes in come to Canada as visitors and apply The academic writing style of Lavalin. If Leslie is elected elected office to the revolv- draft dodgers as well as deserters, and for landed immigrant status once they Building Sanctuary lacks the narra- CGI will find doors open to ing door. Harper is anything women who came north in protest of were inside the country. In July 1968, tive drive of a conventional history, them. but opposed, as long as that the US’s murderous foreign policy. the Trudeau government secretly but it’s an important work of Canadian When the Tories raised a revolving door leads into his As Squires expertly explains, sup- ended this practice and allowed im- political and anti-war history. As the stink about Leslie’s $72,000 own caucus. port and acceptance of Vietnam War migration officers to use their own movement to allow Iraq War resisters moving bill, they took a From a general’s exorbitant resisters in Canada was neither auto- “discretion” on whether to consider from the US to remain in Canada be- gamble. How long before moving expenses to corruption matic nor unproblematic. While the or disregard military status. gins its second decade, the hard work investigators began turning in the multi-billion dollar mar- US was still regarded as a source of Squires notes that “internal depart- and successes of a previous generation over other rocks, to see what ket of military privatization in skilled workers, the Canadian govern- mental memos indicate that this regu- of activists in shaping Canadian immi- other retired general officers a few easy steps. This is the ment did not want to be seen as en- lation change was specifically intend- gration policies can offer inspiration had stuck taxpayers with big real dance of the generals, a couraging war resisters. ed to prevent deserters from entering and hope. bills? military ball. We may pay the piper but they call the tune. March 2014 Socialist Worker 9 international WHERE WE STAND socialist events The dead-end of capitalism The capitalist system is based on violence, Capitalism, Sports and oppression and brutal exploitation. It creates Resistance hunger beside plenty. It kills the earth itself Sunday, March 30 with pollution and unsustainable extraction 5 pm to 8 pm of natural resources. Capitalism leads to west Toronto imperialism and war. Saving ourselves and the For more information planet depends on finding an alternative. contact torontowest.is@ gmail.com Socialism and workers’ power Any alternative to capitalism must involve Marxism 2014: replacing the system from the bottom up Resisting a System in through radical collective action. Central to Crisis that struggle is the workplace, where capital- June 14-15, Toronto ism reaps its profits off our backs. For more information and Capitalist monopolies control the earth’s to register, visit resources, but workers everywhere actually marxism2014.ca create the wealth. A new socialist society can only be constructed when workers collect- ively seize control of that wealth and plan its production and distribution to satisfy human needs, not corporate profits—to respect the environment, not pollute and destroy it.

Reform and revolution Every day, there are battles between exploited and exploiter, oppressor and oppressed, to reform the system—to improve living condi- tions. These struggles are crucial in the fight for a new world. To further these struggles, we work within the trade unions and orient to building a rank and file movement that strengthens workers’ unity and solidarity. But the fight for reforms will not, in itself, bring about fundamental social change. The Spy palaces in the age of austerity present system cannot be fixed or reformed as NDP and many trade union leaders say. It has to be overthrown. That will require the mass action of workers themselves. by EVAN JOHNSTON Elections and democracy As the most recently leaked docu- social safety net is reduced, capital- Elections can be an opportunity to give voice The revelations over the past year ment reveals, CSEC has set up spying ism creates a crisis of legitimacy: if peace & to the struggle for social change. But under about the US government’s global posts around the world – “approxi- the state is not there to provide social justice events capitalism, they can’t change the system. The spy network has provoked intense mately 20 high-priority countries” – provisions, how does it maintain the International Women’s structures of the present parliament, army, po- reactions from individuals and and has conducted espionage against consent of those it claims to govern? lice and judiciary developed under capitalism Day Toronto and are designed to protect the ruling class governments around the world, trading partners at the request of the Increasingly, it does so by relying Saturday March 8 against the workers. These structures cannot and has sparked a critical debate NSA. on force in order to justify its very *rally 11am at OISE, 252 be simply taken over and used by the working on the status of privacy in the age Former Guardian journalist Glenn existence, and we can see this most Bloor Street West class. The working class needs real democ- of social media. Greenwald – the collaborator of clearly in the increasing militariza- * march 1pm racy, and that requires an entirely different Thanks to documents leaked Edward Snowden who first broke the tion of Canadian police forces, more * info fair at Ryerson, 55 kind of state—a workers’ state based upon by NSA whistle-blower Edward story of the NSA spy program – has draconian crime bills, and the expan- Gould Street councils of workers’ delegates. For more information visit Snowden, we also know that the stated that there is still more informa- sion of its surveillance infrastructure. http://iwdtoronto.ca Canadian state has been oper- tion on CSEC’s spying operations to Crucially, this expansion of the Internationalism ating its own independent spy come. Considering Harper’s decision security state relies heavily on the The struggle for socialism is part of a world- wide struggle. We campaign for solidarity agency, Communications Security to build a new $1.2 billion spy pal- production of fear: fear of immi- with workers in other countries. We oppose Establishment Canada, which has ace for CSEC in Ottawa, information grants, fear of “Islamicism,” fear everything which turns workers from one worked closely not only with the exposing how CSEC operates can’t of racialized youth. Internationally, country against those from other countries. United States, but with the United come soon enough. we are made to fear China, Iran, or We support all genuine national liberation Kingdom, Australia, and New Russia. Most recently, we have seen movements. Zealand as part of the “Five Eyes” Rise of the neoliberal security state the resistance of the Elsipogtog First The 1917 revolution in Russia was an surveillance network. So how did we get here? We could Nation labeled as “domestic terror- inspiration for the oppressed everywhere. But Many have rightly drawn attention start by looking at the RCMP spy ism,” which serves to delegitimize it was defeated when workers’ revolutions to the role played by new technolo- operations against communists (and their struggle, justify an increasingly elsewhere were defeated. A Stalinist counter- revolution which killed millions created a new gies in facilitating the transfer of pri- their suspected sympathizers) dur- militarized response to their demands, Powershift Atlantic form of capitalist exploitation based on state vate data to government agencies, but ing the cold war, or at the surveil- and to re-inforce the notion that First March 28-31 ownership and control. In Eastern Europe, have left unanswered the question as lance of Muslim communities that Nations communities are suspicious Halifax/K’jipuktuk, China and other countries a similar system to why our governments have been resulted from the state-sanctioned and deserving of surveillance. Mi’kmaqi Territory was later established by Stalinist, not socialist expanding their surveillance infra- Islamophobia in the post-9/11 period. For more information visit parties. We support the struggle of workers in http://www.wearepower- structure. What is the relationship be- Or, at the most basic level, we Austerity and resistance shift.ca/powershift_atlantic these countries against both private and state tween austerity and the drive toward could start by analyzing Canada as We are living through an age of capitalism. an expanded security state? And what an imperialist nation-state with its austerity – an age of cuts, privatiza- role does fear and racism play in jus- own set of economic and geostra- tion, and fundamental attacks on the Canada, Quebec, Aboriginal Peoples tifying that expansion? tegic interests. As a state looking to rights of workers. From the G20 to Canada is not a “colony” of the United States, maximize investment opportunities Elsipogtog, from Bill 78 in Quebec but an imperialist country in its own right that A spy palace of one’s own for its own capitalist class, the move to Bill 42 in Alberta, we are witness- participates in the exploitation of much of While spying on First Nations, en- toward cooperative spy operations is ing an aggressive clampdown on re- the world. The Canadian state was founded vironmentalists, and anti-war activ- a logical way to remain included in sistance that requires an ever greater through the repression of the Aboriginal ists has been a favourite pastime of the circulation of valuable informa- capacity on the part of the Canadian peoples and the people of Quebec. CSIS and the RCMP for decades, tion, and to remain positioned as a state to police, monitor, and imprison. We support the struggles for self-determin- 2014 budget: the rich what is striking in these new revela- key ally to the United States. As we continue to learn more about must pay their fair share ation of Quebec and Aboriginal peoples up tions is how widespread the practice However, the expansion of the sur- Canada’s role in international spy net- to and including the right to independence. Thursday April 3 Socialists in Quebec, and in all oppressed has become. veillance apparatus externally cannot works, it is important that we be able 2pm at Berri Square, nations, work towards giving the struggle In June, the Globe and Mail broke be divorced from the changes to the to read the $1.2 billion price-tag as- Montreal against national oppression an internationalist the story about the Canadian govern- Canadian state internally, specific- sociated with CSEC’s new spy palace For more information visit and working class content. ment’s secret “metadata” surveillance ally those changes that relate to the as representative of Harper’s overall www.manif3avril.org/en/ program run by the Communications repressive state apparatus as a whole. strategy: the rich get richer and the Oppression Security Establishment Canada We need to contextualize the growth police get a palace, and you can’t Within capitalist society different groups suf- (CSEC). CSEC and the defenders of of spying in relation to the growth of have one without the other. fer from specific forms of oppression. Attacks its spy program claim that the collec- prisons, police, the military, and – But in spite of the fear and atom- on oppressed groups are used to divide work- tion of metadata does not constitute most of all – to the changes in social ization that the security state seeks ers and weaken solidarity. We oppose racism and imperialism. We oppose all immigration an invasion of privacy. However, provisioning that have been the hall- to impose, people have been fighting controls. We support the right of people of as several commentators and hu- mark of the neoliberal period. back in large numbers. Hundreds of colour and other oppressed groups to organize man rights experts have pointed out, This double movement of de- thousands of Quebec students defied in their own defence. We are for real social, phone records, IP addresses, and creased social spending, on the one the anti-protest laws of Bill 78 and economic and political equality for women. other online data can reveal patterns hand, and increased funding for the took down a government, and the We are for an end to all forms of discrimina- of who knows whom, and how well. security state (prisons, the military Elsipogtog First Nation continues tion and homophobia against lesbians, gays, The B.C. Civil Liberties and spying) on the other, is exactly to defend their land from fracking in bisexuals and transgendered people. We Association and OpenMedia have what the late French sociologist the face of RCMP intimidation. As oppose discrimination on the basis of religion, filed a lawsuit against CSEC, char- Pierre Bourdieu meant when he con- journalist Glenn Greenwald reminds ability and age. ging that the spy program violates trasted the “left” and “right” hands us, “courage is contagious,” and it is The Revolutionary Party the Charter of Rights and Freedoms’ of the state. As the left hand of the by generalizing from these courage- To achieve socialism the leading activists in protections against unreasonable state becomes weaker, the right hand ous actions against surveillance and You can find the working class have to be organized into a search and seizure and infringe on grows in importance. state intimidation that we can break the I.S. in: revolutionary socialist party. The party must free expression. As the capacity and reach of the through the climate of fear. be a party of action, and it must be demo- Toronto, Ottawa, cratic. We are an organization of activists Gatineau, Vancouver, committed to helping in the construction of OPEN SATURDAYS, 12-3pm Victoria, Montreal, such a party through ongoing London, St. Catharines, activity in the mass organ- 427 Bloor Street West, suite 202, Toronto Mississauga, Scarbor- izations of the working ough, Halifax, Belleville & class and in the daily RESISTANCE Kingston struggles of workers and PRESS e: [email protected] the oppressed. www.socialist.ca If these ideas make w: sense to you, help us in BOOK ROOM this project, and join the International Socialists. For more event listings, visit www.socialist.ca.

10 Socialist Worker March 2014 [email protected] SAVE ROSARIO MONTANA ARTICLE TITLE STICKING WITH THE UNION by YUSUR AL-BAHRANI Carolyn Egan On February 16 people from the Romanian com- munity and their support- ers in Toronto celebrated Steelworkers 1882 years of Rosia Montana, a proposed UNESCO site, and raised awareness of the threat of against Hudak Canadian mining. Historic Rosia Montana Over 160 Steelworker where workers stood their in Romania will soon be activists crowded ground for many long exploited if the mining into their union hall months before they were project is passed. Rosia in downtown Toronto forced to take the roll Montana Gold Corporation checking their state of backs, primarily affect- (RMGC) is owned 80 per readiness if Tim Hudak, ing new and younger cent by Gabriel Resources, leader of the Tories, workers. a Canadian mining becomes the next premier Steelworkers have been company that is planning of the province. Even on strike now at Crown to implement the greatest though he has backed Packaging in Toronto for opencast mine in Europe. down on his threat to role over six months. Recently According to Save Rosia back the Rand Formula, they rejected by 100 per Montana, the project will ‘14 now!’ Fight continues for minimum wage hike which would have allowed cent another conces- permanently endanger 6000 workers to opt out of sions agreement and are people from the neighbour- By Athar Khan wage workers earn their liv- Sid Ryan, President of paying union dues, no one standing firm not only for ing areas, four mountains ing. Protesters occupied the the Ontario Federation of felt that they could trust their own future but for will be blasted away, 2064 There is a burgeon- mall to chant, explain the Labour, criticized Ontario anything he said. every working person in private properties will be ing labour movement campaign, and leaflet. NDP leader Andrea Horwath These members came this country. Whenever relocated, 975 houses will in Ontario, and one key “We’re here to continue for not supporting the cam- from primarily private but a company wins it is a be torn down (out of which component of it is the fighting for the working paign to raise the minimum also public sector work blow against the entire 41 houses are considered Campaign to Raise the poor,” said Beixi Liu of the wage. “If we are the party of places and discussed how working class. Solidarity national heritage sites), Minimum Wage. Workers’ Action Centre. working people, why are we Hudak’s policy paper on is crucial. seven churches will demol- On February 15, hundreds “Eleven dollars is a good not speaking up to raise the creating “One Million The reason that Hudak ished (blown up or covered of people attended the Rally direction but is not enough,” minimum wage? That’s not Jobs” was a frightening should not be believed is by the cyanide pond), 11 for a $14 Minimum Wage at said Liu. Tim Vining said: acceptable.” outline of his intention that he made it clear he is cemeteries will be relocated Yonge-Dundas Square in “People work and play by to declare all out war on ideologically committed and 12,000 tons of cyanide Toronto. This was just one the rules and end up living Good for business? public sector workers. to doing away with the will used annually. rally among many held all in poverty.” Horwath is not supporting He promised to do away Rand Formula. He wants At the beginning of the around the province to de- It is also important to the campaign out of concern with 10,000 education to make sure in any way event, Celebrating Rosia mand a $14 minimum wage. note that certain groups are for small businesses, though jobs, and freeze wages he can that workers do Montana, at Beit Zatoun, Anti-poverty and labour disproportionately affected Liu argued that increasing for every government not have union protection the organizers (who are groups have been organ- by low wages. Hailey King the minimum wage to $14 worker. in their work places. He leading members of Canada izing this province-wide pointed out that most of the would not only be good for A recent article in the backed down because Save Rosia Montana) campaign for almost a year people on minimum wage individual workers, it would New York Times showed there has been a real push screened short videos of now. Although the Wynne are women. Marcelle, who be good “for the economy, the devastation that has back on his proposal, locals sending messages government has promised works in a factory, stated: the community and busi- taken place in the state even from within the to those in solidarity with to unfreeze the minimum “Most people of colour have ness.” A $14 minimum wage of Wisconsin. State ranks of the Tory party. them. The messages were wage, proposing to increase less opportunity.” Nadia, would generate about $5 bil- employee unions now can This same scenario took showing the strength of it by only 75 cents to $11 currently unemployed, re- lion in economic stimulus. only negotiate wage rates place in Michigan where those resisting in Rosia and tie it to inflation starting called working at Wendy’s As Liu notes, when work- and this is tied to infla- the present Republican Montana— “Rosia June 1, these measures fall a few years ago on min- ers have more money, they tion. Seniority provisions, governor promised that Montana will exist and we short of the central demand imum wage. “I used to cry spend it in local businesses. grievance procedures, he would not introduce will not leave.” Save Rosia for $14. A $14 minimum and say to myself, what am I just cause for termina- such legislation if elected. Montana, one of the largest wage would put full-time working for?” She also said Next steps tion, health and safety Surprise, surprise once in social and environmental minimum wage workers 10 she sometimes went hungry The upbeat demonstration regulations have all been power it was introduced movements in Romania, per cent above the poverty because she had to pay the sent a clear message that gutted. Members have to and is now law. has been successful in line, whereas the proposed bills and rent. union and non-union work- pay a much greater share We have to listen to attracting hundreds of thou- $11 still leaves them about ers will continue to mobil- of their benefits and in the concerns of workers sands of active members, 16 per cent below it. Liberals and NDP ize for decent work and most instances this as about what their issues supporters, and protestors As Andy Lomnicki, Vice- fair wages. Next month, resulted in a 10 per cent and concerns are, and talk in Europe and different Demonstration President of the Elementary the Campaign will be mo- reduction in wages. about how we can change parts of the world. The lively Toronto demon- Teachers of Toronto said: bilizing its members and Hudak is trying to our unions from the bot- Solidarity with people stration took to the streets “We’re here to protest the supporters to join all those drive a wedge between tom up. We have to talk in Rosia Montana means to deliver a message that minimum wage not go- marching on International public and private sector about the need for rank exposing the plans of the workers deserve a fair day’s ing up to a level where it Women’s Day on March 8. workers by denouncing and file controlled unions Canadian mining company pay for a fair day’s work. should. The Liberals have One of the slogans for this defined benefit pension where the members are and showing support to- After marching down Yonge suggested that $11 is a good year’s march is “$14 min- plans and other hard won setting the agenda. We wards those resisting there. Street, the demonstrators place to land, but I think a imum wage now!” along gains. He recognizes have to have the face Helping to make Rosia took their message to the lot of people that are out with “Public services are that trade unions are the to face conversation Montana to be a UNESCO Eaton’s Centre – a centre here today are saying that women’s services!” and strongest defence that with our fellow workers World Heritage Site is of retail activity and a site that’s not anywhere near “GenSqueezed: We demand working people and the about the need for union one tactic to stopping the where hundreds of low- close enough.” our future!” poor have to fight back representation and how destructive mining project. against the so called “aus- their union must represent MARXISM CONFERENCE MI’KMAQ WARRIORS SPEAKING TOUR COMES TO TORONTO terity agenda.” Hudak’s their interests. plan is to smash the union Working people and the From recession to climate On February 20 member imposed on her community, “If we all work together movement. poor could loose the only disasters, it’s clear capital- of the the Mi’kmaq surrounded by petrochem- we can defeat the Only 15 per cent of organized force that could ism is a system in crisis, Warrior Society spoke ical companies. oppressor” private sector workers push back the “austerity and the response of the 1% to a packed crowd at Coady Jipol described how are unionized in Ontario agenda,” working along is to make the rest of us pay the Toronto Council Fire “Normalize resistance” colonization affected him and the corporations are side community move- for it--with austerity, op- Native Cultural Centre, This became the backdrop personally—from drugs and doing all they can to ments. We need to rebuild pression, and imperialism. the latest stop on their for the Mi’kmaq warriors, incarceration to his friends’ demand concessions and our unions in every But there are also resist- tour that started on the highlighting the import- suicides—and the urgency bring in two tiered wages. workplace and use the ance movements resisting west coast. ance of their resistance in of changing the world. As We have seen long fights collective power that is uniting people for climate The evening began with Elsipogtog against fracking. he said, “I don’t want my at Vale Inco, U.S. Steel our as workers to build a justice, economic justice, a welcome and drumming, Suzanne Patles (who will son burying his friends.” and other corporations better world. and liberation. and heard from activists be a keynote speaker at First inspired by the On June 14 and 15 in about the impact of poverty next month’s Powershift Mi’kmaq blockade at Burnt Toronto, join us for a on the Downtown East Side conference in Halifax) Church in 1999, he joined weekend-long political con- what people are doing to described the generational the blockade at Elsipogtog Join the ference of ideas to change resist. Then members of the continuity of resistance, and described how it the world. Topics include Native Youth Sexual Health from her parents and grand- renewed cultural pride International Socialists anti-imperialism, workers’ Network talked about the parents who had resisted and stopped the fracking struggles, climate justice, impact of environmental residential schools, to her company despite police Mail: P.O. Box 339, Station E, Toronto, ON M6H 4E3 www.socialist.ca [email protected] indigenous sovereignty destruction on women’s and her children who would brutality. Website: E-mail: and resistance, combating bodies, and the way climate resist ongoing colonization. He described the process oppression, socialists and and reproductive justice are As she described the media of radicalization, where the elections, understanding intertwined. portrayal has tried to isolate more people get involved Name: capitalism and more. An activist from Grassy resistance when in fact it the more they see injustice, Address: Register now so you can Narrows spoke via skype was the whole community and appealed to people to join the discussion about about the recurring threats that was united against frac- join the struggle: “if we City/Province: how to build a better world, of logging on their territor- king. As she said we need all work together we can and so you can help us ies and the need for solidar- to normalize resistance, and defeat the oppressor.” Phone: organize the conference. ity, and Vanessa Gray from demand those Mi’kmaq Suzanne Patles will Visit marxism2014.ca to Aamjiwnaang described Warriors still incarcerated be a keynote speaker at E-mail: register online today! the environmental racism be released. Powershift Atlantic.

March 2014 Socialist Worker 11 SocialistWorker Powershift, divestment and ecological revolution by ANNA ROIK Green jobs now On March 28-31, These campaigns are an hundreds of youth will join excellent way to get more the Powershift Atlantic people involved in the cli- conference in Halifax/ mate justice movement, to K’jipuktuk, Mi’kmaqi publicize the need to shut Territory, to build the down the fossil fuel industry climate justice movement. and to discuss alternatives. Since Powershift BC, in Today the technology, October 2013, there have knowledge and will of the been many developments/ people exist to implement On the one hand there is policies that can lead us on more proof of climate chaos, the path towards minimiz- from Typhoon Haiyan in the ing environmental damage. Philippnes to the ice storm However, these policies in Ontario. There is more would challenge the profits, that the officially santioned wealth and position of the methods of addressing ruling class. This is why a climate issues are failing- campaign that calls for gov- -with approvals for the ernment spending on climate Northern Gateway and Line jobs which can reach out to 9 pipelines. working people, including But there is also increas- those in the fossil fuel indus- ing resistance and solidarity- try, is a must. -from the Elsipogtog As we build the divestment blockade, the Solidarity campaigns we must continue Accord against the Northern to build the broader campaign Gateway pipeline, and for climate justice, that is, a a growing campaign of campaign uniting the 99% divestment. in favour of eliminating the fossil fuels industry, build- Divestment ing renewable alternatives, Students at hundreds of and supporting indigenous Canadian and American uni- sovereignty. versities have started fossil fuel divestment campaigns, Revolution demanding their universities These campaigns can be in- divest from companies with corporated as part of a wider holdings in coal, oil and gas struggle against climate reserves. change with even more rad- Divestment means get- ical demands. ting rid of stocks, bonds and The roots of the current investment funds that are cott, divestment and sanc- demands on the approxi- Websites like gofossilfree. of investments in fossil fuel climate crisis lie within the unethical or morally ambigu- tions (BDS) campaign to mately 200 publically traded org show divestment cam- companies” to date. capitalism system driven by ous. As fossil fuels are a dir- pressure Israel to end the oc- companies holding the ma- paigns on over 400 univer- According to Fossil Free growth and profit, true solu- ect cause of environmental cupation and colonization of jority of fossil fuel reserves sity campuses worldwide. Canada there are active tions can only lie with the destruction in both their ex- Arab land. (which in 2012 spend over According to a January New campaigns to get Canadian elimination of this system. traction and burning, they The fossil fuel divestment $500 billion searching for York Times article the di- universities and colleges to There must be debate on how are damaging the health of campaigns are based on cur- fossil fuel reserves): to im- vestment campaigns have divest from fossil fuel com- we can organize the world in humanity and the planet. rent climate science that says mediately stop exploring new seen numerous successes in panies including at McMaster, a different way and use its re- These campaigns follow in order to limit global tem- hydrocarbons, stop lobbying the US as 17 foundations, SFU, UBC, UVic, Lakehead, sources rationally. the model of the anti-apart- perature increase to 2 degrees governments to preserve spe- “22 cities, two counties, 20 Laurentian, the University We must fight to create a heid divestment campaigns Celsius approximately two- cial considerations, and to religious organizations, nine of New Brunswick, U of T, truly sustainable society that of the 1980s, the tobacco thirds of fossil fuel assets pledge to keep 80 per cent of colleges and universities and the University of Ottawa, will preserve the planet, not divestment campaigns of the must remain in the ground. current reserves underground six other institutions have Langara College and McGill. destroy it. It’s either system 1990s, and the current boy- The movement has three forever. signed up to rid themselves change, or climate change. Never miss From Keystone XL to Line 9: stop pipelines!

an issue. by JESSE MCLAREN Mail in this form with a cheque February 2013 saw the national movement now. And Keystone is being sold as ily populated corridor in the or money order largest climate justice it is about getting our univer- a job creator, but as Shelly country, including through made payable to protest in US history, as sities and the institutions that explained, “even Obama has more than a dozen First “Socialist Worker”. 50,000 people surrounded we belong to to remove their admitted that the jobs that are Nations that have not given the White House to endowments from holdings purported are temporary and consent. Toronto activists Prices per year oppose the Keystone XL in the fossil fuel industry, are very few. And there’s no have written a comprehen- (CAD dollars): pipeline. A year later this because it’s wrong to profit reason that those jobs have to sive report, “Not Worth the movement has not gone from climate change. It’s be in dirty and expensive oil. Risk,” exposing the risks of Regular subscription: $30 away, as 400 youth were wrong for anyone to profit This isn’t an issue. You know, Line 9, and opposition will Institutions, First Class arrested in front of the from climate change, and America is ready for a clean, continue—uniting indigen- delivery and U.S.: $50 White House. that’s exactly what our uni- green economy, and we need ous, environmental, faith and Other international: $60 Students from over 80 versities are doing.” to start somewhere. And the labour groups. colleges joined the largest place to start is saying no to But federal NDP leader youth sit-in in a generation, Keystone XL this dirty pipeline.” Tom Mulcair has called Name: including a mock oil spill and Obama will soon announce pumping tar sands east a people chaining themselves his decision on Keystone Line 9 “pro-business, common sense Address: to the White House fence. XL, following the State After Harper shredded en- solution,” and former NDP Democracy Now spoke with Department’s ridiculous re- vironmental regulation and Premier of Manitoba Gary Phone: Deirdre Shelly, one of the port claiming the pipeline the Ontario Liberals have Doer now pushing Keystone students who was arrested, will have no major climate refused an environmental XL as Canada’s ambassador E-mail: who explained the growing impact. assessment, the National to Washington. climate justice movement on This takes for granted that the Energy Board—a rubber We need to continue build- Mail to: Socialist Worker, PO Box 339 campuses: tar sands will continue to be stamp for pipelines—is sup- ing the climate justice move- Station E, Toronto, ON Canada, M6H 4E3 “The student divestment developed, but opposition to porting the Line 9 pipeline ment, and demand the NDP Website: www.socialist.ca / E-mail: [email protected] movement has spread to over pipelines is part of stopping that will pump toxic tar speak out against pipelines 400 universities. It’s an inter- the tar sands. sands through the most heav- and the tar sands themselves.