Focus on the Tri-Lateral Peace Conference: US Military Bases

A nuclear powered and nuclear weapon-equipped submarine in Nanoose Bay, BC

By J. Boyden

There’s an upcoming Peace Conference from October 2-4 in Toronto that any youth and student activist opposed to imperialist should check out. One of the major topics will be US military bases overseas. Click on these three interesting maps of US military bases to get a picture of the dangerous scope of what is at issue here:

BASES MAP ONE (note there is a problem with the display for Europe and the Middle East)

BASES MAP TWO (from early 2000’s)

BASES MAP THREE (from 2007)

These maps are shocking. The image is of an octopus, reaching its imperialist tentacles across the planet. It is easy to agree with the sentiments of the youth and student activists who, in a Facebook discussion of these maps today, said they showed how “Imperialism grows and spreads like a tumor.” Another comment was more direct: its “crazy shit.”

In fact, however, these maps don’t display nearly a complete picture. For example, new bases, such as the four bases recently announced in Colombia not on the maps. As the World Peace Council has recently stated, “These new Bases [aim at] the transformation of Colombia into a tactical operational center in Latin America.” A ten year bi-lateral agreement will allow 1.400 civilian and military operatives in Colombia, a relatively high figure for US bases, and on top of the recent announcements of the reactivation of the 4th Fleet of the US Navy in the region.

According to the Peace Council, “US Imperialism is aiming in creating a “belt” around certain states in the region of South America […] escalating the threats against the peoples, the peace and security on the whole continent.”

What goes on in these bases? The brutality of imperialism’s record is damning.

Likewise, Canadians should not be content with the existence of bases in Nanoose Bay, British Columbia (US submarine base) as well as bases in US in Ontario and Quebec which are not identified on the map. Distinctions between the US and Canadian military are increasingly blurred. I first heard the phrase ‘interoperability,’ meaning components of the Canadian military are directly placed into US units, in the context of the Security and Prosperity Partnership discussions.

Already we have Canada Command, the Canadian army working under direction of US generals in Afghanistan, and Canadian military support of US operations. Former ultra-right chief of defence Rick Hillier actually won promotion to that office from support by Washington, gained while working with other Canadians alongside the US military in Iraq.

The Tri-Lateral Peace Conference in Toronto Ontario Canada, October 2-4, 2009 aims to “address these problems, analyze the threats posed to peace, sovereignty, democratic and economic rights and present alternative solutions and programs to strengthen the anti-imperialist movements of the people.”

It looks to be an important and informative discussion, with representatives from Mexican, US, Canadian and Cuba peace organizations. Save the date!

A conference registration form can be found here.

Action Alert: Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement

Friends:

We have learned that the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement is to be the first order of business when the House of Commons reconvenes on Monday. There are strong indications that the Liberal Party are intending to support the bill.

We managed to back them off once before - we need to do so again.

Below is contact info for the Liberal leader, some influential Liberal MPs, Liberal members of the trade committee, and some Liberal MPs who narrowly won their ridings in the last election. Please send them messages urging them to oppose the CCFTA.

Ask your friends and family to do likewise.

1- Michael Ignatieff, Etobicoke-Lakeshore, ON, Tel: 416. 251.5510, Fax: 416.251.2845; Tel: 613.995.9364, Fax: 613.992.5880 IgnatM@parl.gc.ca

2- Bob Rae, Toronto Centre, ON, Tel: 416.954.2222, Fax: 416.954.9649, Tel: 613.992.5234, Fax: 613.996.9607 RaeB@parl.gc.ca

3- Maria Minna, Beaches-East York, ON, Tel: 416.467.0860, Fax: 416.467.0905 Tel: 613.992.2115 Fax: 613.996.7942 MinnaM@parl.gc.ca

***Here is list of Liberal MPs that are Members of the CIIT

Vice-Chair: John Cannis, Scarborough Centre, ON Tel: (416) 752-2358, Fax: (416) 752-4624; Tel: (613) 992-6823, Fax: (613) 943-1045 CanniJ@parl.gc.ca

Members:
1- Scott Brison, Kings-Hants, NS
Tel: (902) 542-4010, Fax: (902) 542-4184, Tel: (613) 995-8231, Fax (613) 996-9349 BrisoS@parl.gc.ca

2- Mario Silva, Davenport, ON Tel: (416) 654-8048, Fax: (416) 654-5083; Tel: (613) 992-2576, Fax: (613) 995-8202 SilvaM@parl.gc.ca


***Here are 12 Lib.MPs that won in 2008 with under 5% margin:

1- Ujjal Dosanjh, Vancouver South, BC, Tel: 604.775.5323; Fax: 604.775-5420; Tel: 613.995.7052, Fax: 613.995.2962 DosanU@parl.gc.ca

2- Keith Martin, Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca, BC Tel: 250.474.6505, Fax: 250.474.5322; Tel: 613.996.2625, Fax 613.996.9779 MartiK@parl.gc.ca

3- Alexandra Mendes, Brossard-La Prairie, QC, Tel: 450.466.6872, Fax: 450.466.9822; Tel : 613.995.9301, Fax : 613.992.7273 Mendes.A@parl.gc.ca

4- Andrew Kania, Brampton West, ON, Tel: 905.846.0076 Fax:905.846.3901 Tel: 613.995.5381 Fax: 613.995.6796 Kania.A@parl.gc.ca

5- Ruby Dhalla, Brampton - Springdale, ON, Tel: 905.874.6868, Fax: 905.874.1415; Tel: 613.995.4843, Fax: 613.995.7003 DhallR@parl.gc.ca

6- Siobhan Coady, St. John's South - Mount Pearl<, NL Tel: 709.772.4608, Fax: 709.772.4776; Tel: 613.992.0927, Fax: 613.995.7858 Coady.S@parl.gc.ca

7- Justin Trudeau, Papineau, QC, Tel: 514.277.6020, Fax : 514.277.3454; Tel: 613.995.8872, Fax: 613.995.9926 Trudeau.J@parl.gc.ca

8- Frank Valeriote, Quelph, ON, Tel: 519.837.8276, Fax: 519.837.8443; Tel: 613.996.4758, Fax: 613.996.9922 Valeriote.F@parl.gc.ca

9- Brian Murphy, Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe, NB, Tel: 506.851.3310, Fax: 506.851.3273; Tel: 613.992.8072, Fax: 613.992.8083 MurphB@parl.gc.ca

10- Paul Szabo, Mississauga South, ON, Tel: 905.822.2111, Fax: 905.822.2115; Tel: 613.992.4848, Fax: 613.996.3267 SzaboP@parl.gc.ca

11- Joe Volpe, Eglinton-Lawrence, ON, Tel: 416.781.5583, Fax: 416.781.5586; Tel: 613.992.6361, Fax: 613.992.9791 VolpeJ@parl.gc.ca

12- Wayne Easter, Malpeque, PE, Tel: 902.964.2428, Fax: 902.9

Ignatieff, War & Quebec

The "large policy" for English Canada, the "home rule" for Quebec
by Pierre Dubuc

We consider this article important in the context of a coming election. Reprinted from www.lautjournal.info. We apologize for mistakes in translation.

The Liberal Party of Canada has unveiled its pre-publicity campaign to promote their new leader. In the English version, Michael Ignatieff is presented as a head of state. In the Quebec version, the emphasis instead is on the Harper government's record. In other words, the "high politics" for English Canada, the "home rule" for Quebec.

The arrival of Michael Ignatieff is the sign of a recovery in the hands of the Liberal Party in accordance with the ambitions of the most reactionary elements of the Canadian ruling class who want Canada to play an active military role alongside the United States. In this scheme, there is a necessity to marginalize Quebec, considered too pacifist.

In recent years many books have been published in English Canada developing this perspective. For example, in Whose War is it? How Canada Can Survive in the post-9/11 World, J. L. Granatstein argues this Quebec's pacifism is an obstacle to Canada's international ambitions. After recalling the crisis of conscription during the two world wars and, more recently, opposition to the Iraq war and anti-missile shield the U.S., the author writes that "if Quebec can claim its own jurisdiction in international relations, English Canada would also have its own foreign policy, especially an international role that goes beyond that of peacekeepers to maintain peace and political advocacy in support of a more active role." In other words, UNESCO Quebec, Canada for the NATO-English.

Granatstein accuses that Quebecois pacifism has more or less plagued Canadian politics, and more specifically the Liberal Party, making it responsible for Jean Chrétien's decision not to participate in the war in Iraq. "The key to this opposition, he wrote, was the opinion vehement anti-war Quebec Prime Minister Chretien apparently shared."

In "The Unexpected War, Canada in Kandahar," the authors Janice Gross Stein and Eugene Lang describe the vicissitudes of foreign policy and defense of Canada that led to this decision by the Chrétien government and the Martin government to reject the Shield missile. They speak of a pacifist Liberal drift, whose cause lies primarily in their opinion in the Quebec caucus.

In these circumstances, Michael Ignatieff is the man designated to bring all the Liberal Party into a trajectory more consistent with interests of the Canadian ruling class and military establishment.

As a star reporter for the BBC, Michael Ignatieff supported the NATO bombing in Yugoslavia. Later, as director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard, he spoke publicly in support of the invasion of Iraq and the policies of restriction of civil liberties by the Bush administration, even going so far justification of torture.

In cases where these safeguards do not suffice, he may invoke the fact that his father, George Ignatieff, was Canada's ambassador in Yugoslavia and Canada's representative to NATO. Michael Ignatieff has also found it necessary to publish True Patriot Love, in which he recalled the services rendered to British imperialism and Canada by his maternal ancestors.

His great-grandfather on his mother's side, George Monro Grant, was distinguished for having participated in the first expedition to establish the route of the first transcontinental railroad and supported the crushing of the Metis Rebellion led by Louis Riel. In the late nineteenth century, he enlisted in the armed forces to respond to the call for Britain to go and quell the rebellion of the Boers in South Africa.

Later, at the outbreak of the First World War, it was the turn of his son, William Lawson Grant, responding to this call to England with the publication of "Our Just Cause", a full and enthusiastic bellicose pro-war pamphlet.

No wonder that with such a pedigree, Michael Ignatieff is the man designated to bring all the Liberal Party in the right way. Three months after his election to the House of Commons, when Stephen Harper presented in the spring of 2006, a motion for extension of the Canadian mission in Afghanistan, he supported.

Ignatieff, gathered around him two dozen Liberal MPs to support the motion, the voices that are needed to have the motion carried. Harper was not deceived. He crossed the room to shake hands with Ignatieff.

Two years later, when Stephen Harper presented a new motion to extend the mission in Afghanistan until 2011, once again Michael Ignatieff [maneuvered around] Stéphane Dion, who opposed the war, and drafted an amendment that Stephen Harper is quick to incorporate the motion for adoption.

Stephen Harper and Michael Ignatieff walk hand in hand to increase military budgets and to involve Canada in imperialist adventures in the United States. Both think they can sell the idea of Canada to English-Canadian electorate, but not to Quebec voters.

Also, unless the Bloc Quebecois has finally decided to make the issue of the war in Afghanistan - a war that costs us $200 million per month - an election issue, the Liberals and Conservatives will not talk about it in Quebec. They will campaign only on "domestic" issues.

This did not prevent, however, to send Quebec soldiers be maimed and die in the Kandahar region for the greater glory of Canada.

Power Shifft Youth Conference

This video is quite hilarious but the topic is serious.



On the weekend of September 8-10, 2006, 48 youth organizations from across Canada came together to form the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition - to stand united for a sane climate future. We are a non-partisan coalition demanding immediate and meaningful action on climate change by governmental and private sector leaders. Founding members of the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition include labour unions, indigenous groups, green energy groups, student unions, environmental groups, faith-based groups and more. Representatives from across Canada are uniting to speak with one voice and take back our future by stopping the climate crisis.

The Canadian Youth Climate Coalition is a united front of youth from across Canada tackling the biggest challenge of our generation, the emerging climate crisis. In the absence of significant action by industry and government, we will make climate destabilization a priority that all Canadians need to address. Acting locally, provincially, federally, and internationally, we combine our forces to organize actions, influence government and implement concrete solutions. Working in schools and communities from coast to coast to coast, we are calling for and building a just and prosperous transition to the new Canada we all need to see.

a look back at The Young Worker: images

Below you will find images from the pages of the Rebel Youth's predecessor publication, The Young Worker.

YOU CAN READ THESE PAGES BY CLICKING ON THEM

Above: the first issue. "Rebel Youth" ominously appears as a title to come.

Above: first anniversary issue.

Above: Sacco And Vanzetti on front page.

Above: News of the government ban of the YCI publication from Canada. This would be the equivalent to banning the WFDY News.

Rebel Youth will post selected articles of interest from the Young Worker archives in times to come as many issues of today's youth are the same issues that have been fought by the youth of yesterday.

Video review: Gilbreth time motion, social condition series 3

Taylorism and Scientific Management.

In this film, Gilbreth shows how more productivity can be made by doing as few motions as possible. Gilbreth (actually both of them as they were married) were early pioneers of time motion studies. The book and movies Cheaper by the Dozen were based on the family of the Gilbreths.

What was at first an idea of simply finding the easiest and best way to do a work process, became a hated and feared management style in the wrong hands of greedy capitalists along with other ideas like Fordism and assembly line speed-ups. It became not an easy way to do things, but a way to de-humanize and control workers to produce so fast that they could barely stop to scratch or rub one's eyes for fear of falling behind.

This film was made in the era of scientific management, and the drive for efficiency.

Taylor's methods were mentioned by Lenin is his book, Immediate Tasks of the Soviet Government. Later, the Five Years plans of Stalin also were influenced by faith in progress by science and technology as was common both in communist and capitalist systems.

The dystopic novel Brave New World takes these ideas to the extreme, predicting that capitalism with it's drive for efficiency would plan, control every aspect of life on the planet for the sake of the economy.