Note to the Superintendent and others on the pro-war rally

This is a letter from a high school activist in Ontario.

by Mike Oosting on Wednesday, 15 September 2010 at 16:23

To whom it may concern,

Recently on September 10th at Bayside Secondary School it was decided to hold a "Support Our Troops" day on which students were encouraged to wear red in support of Canadian soldiers fighting in Afghanistan. Our school has been holding this event for several years now.

I am not against the event in itself, which is non-partisan in nature however the way in which the event was managed has for the past two school years resulted in a huge infringement upon the rights that I as a Canadian take great pride in.

One of the most blatant violations was the forced participations which students were subjected to. The major event during "Support Our Troops Day" was a picture taken of the entire school in the bus loading area, the photos of which for the past two years can be seen below:

[Both Photographs, With a Caption]

These photos were taken on break, between first and second period. Students were told, not encouraged, to go out and have the photo taken. Those who objected on reasons of objection to the war in Afghanistan and / or the military were in several cases told to go out anyway. During the first year this happened to me personally however this year I managed to abstain from standing in the crowd, though only after a lenthy and ardent refusal backed by my friends. During that day all teachers patrolling the halls became immediately defensive and irate once you refused to participate, even politely and with an explanation.

Such blatant indoctrination is an affront to the values of freedom of thought, belief and opinion as laid out in the Canadian Charter of Rights and freedoms, a document which as a free and democratic country is supposed to ensure that no higher authority can abuse us ideologically. This was also an affront to a student's right to refrain from participating in non-academic activites in the school community.

As if that wasn't enough, during that Friday and the days leading up to it the death statistics for 9/11 and slogans such as "support our troops, they're fighting for our freedom" were aired on the announcements every morning. These are indirect justifications for the war and an attempt not to imbue student with the ability to think for themselves and develop their own beliefs, but a deliberate attempt to foster pro-war sentiments among the student body. This is against several board policies, in particular those on Character Development (Procedure 225) and those that mention Responsible Citizenship (145).

I, the undersigned, would like to politely ask for the school board intervention in this matter, as your receiving of this letter means that the loca head of staff, the principal, has refused to take this matter seriously. If it would be at all within your powers I would like to suggest that this event be removed from future curriculum, or at the very least the more partisan aspects of it be removed. As someone who is personally involved in the anti-war movement I take this as a personal insult to my rights and freedoms. Below is a list of 25 members of the school community who agree with me on this matter:

[List of 25 signatures, with emails]

We, the undersigned as well as the 25 above, would please like to ask that this matter be dealt with as it is an affront to the purpose of the education system. Please feel free to contact me at [phone number and email address].

Sincerely,

[signature]

Michael Oosting,

Bayside Secondary School

British Union says boycott Israeli goods

TUC votes to extend Israeli boycott

Tuesday 14 September 2010

by John Millington in Manchester

Printable

Email

TUC votes to back sanctions against companies which profit from illegal Israeli occupation and settlements

Britain's trade union movement has sent its strongest ever message of support for the Palestinian people by calling for boycott and disinvestment from firms that profit from the occupation and illegal settlements.

The TUC Congress unanimously passed the composite motion moved by transport union TSSA and seconded by GMB.

Delegates denounced the Israeli government for the continuing occupation of Palestinian lands and the assault on the Mavi Marmara flotilla in May, in which nine solidarity activists were killed.

Delegates were also unequivocal in condemning Israel's Histadrut trade union federation, which backed the murderous attack on the flotilla.

The TUC general council will now stand shoulder to shoulder with the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unionists and Britain's Palestine Solidarity Campaign in pressing for an end to the siege of Gaza, a full inquiry into the flotilla attack and progress towards a "free Palestine."

Moving the motion, TSSA president Andy Bain accused the Israeli government of "ethnic cleansing" against the Palestinians and urged delegates to go out and "make the boycott work."

He said: "The occupation has seen industries taken over. You are moved off your land and walls are built to divide people from their land."

But Mr Bain made clear his opposition to any anti-semitism, insisting: "We are not against Jews - we are against the actions of the Israeli state."

GMB general secretary Paul Kenny said the two-state solution was the only way to secure peace in the region.

"But we must do more than pass resolutions or spout pious words to ease our guilt," he said.

Although welcoming a subclause in the motion supporting dialogue with the Palestinian trade unions and Histadrut, Mr Kenny made no apology for calling for "targeted boycotts" against companies benefiting from the occupation.

"There are household names making profits on the backs of a war of oppression. Their hands are very dirty and we will demand that these companies verify their supplier," he said to multiple applause.

Supporting the motion Unison delegate Mike Kirby recalled his experiences of being on the STUC delegation to Palestine last year.

Mr Kirby said: "We condemn the disproportionate use of force by the Israeli state and the Histadrut decision not to join the court of international condemnation."

Partway through the debate, several delegates made a visual show of support for Palestine workers, with many holding Palestinian flags in solidarity.

PCS delegate Hugh Lanning praised the TUC for bringing a "better composite motion than last year," identifying it as a "clearer policy because we are united in our position."

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber expressed the support of the general council for the motion, demanding that the "siege of Gaza must end."

An international convoy bound for Gaza will set off on Saturday to bring much-needed aid to the region.

Some Things Change, Some Things Stay the Same

Stephen Von Sychowski,
Special to Rebel Youth

Cuba has been the subject of a barrage of media attention over the past few days. First, a media firestorm was sparked when a misinterpreted quote by comrade Fidel Castro found its way from an interview with US journalist Jeffery Goldman, to the capitalist mass media, in the form of a supposed admission of the failure of the Cuban socialist system.

Fidel was quick to correct the mistaken interpretation of his words, stating clearly that world capitalism, not Cuban socialism, is the failure. But the media unsurprisingly failed to give his correction the same kind of fanfare that the original story carried.

Next, the capitalist media, and the French government, attacked Fidel for his criticism of France’s racist attacks on Roma’s living within its borders. Fidel stated that the Roma were “victims of the cruelty of the extreme right wing in France," and that they were "victims of another kind of racial holocaust,” being perpetrated by the French government. French foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero shot back, making highly dubious claims that Fidel was ignorant of history, and stating ironically "that Fidel Castro shows an interest in human rights is truly revolutionary.”

As usual, Fidel was absolved by history shortly thereafter when the European Union condemned France’s treatment of the Roma people and threatened possible legal action against the French government. "This is not a minor offence in a situation of this importance. After 11 years of experience in the Commission, I even go further: this is a disgrace," said EU Commissioner Viviane Reding.

Finally, a statement by the Cuban Workers Confederation, Cuba’s trade union centre, regarding reforms to the Cuban economy, was hailed by corporate media as the death of socialism in Cuba and proof that Fidel meant what he said he didn’t mean in his interview with Goldman.

The statement of the Confederation explained that 500,000 Cuban government workers would be “laid off” in the coming year. The media gleefully reported that these workers will be told to become self employed, or take up work in the private sector which some reports claimed would soon explode. It appears that other changes to compensation, unemployment assistance, and other aspects of Cuban working life may also be facing reforms. Some reports estimated that this was the death knell of socialism in Cuba and that capitalism and “democracy” would soon triumph. Other reports suggested instead that Cuba was now well on its way to Chinese-style “market socialism”.

The media’s jubilant anti-socialist proclamations with regards to Cuba’s reforms are undoubtedly aimed at striking a blow against the inspirational role, and moral authority, of the Cuban revolution which enjoys the solidarity and friendship of working and oppressed people the world over. While future analysis and clarification of these reforms will undoubtedly be fascinating and useful, a few points can be easily clarified.

First of all, it should be said that the reforms which have been announced came about after an extremely long and serious process of debate, discussion, and consultation between the Cuban government, the Cuban Workers Confederation, the Communist Party of Cuba, and other organizations. Unlike the uncertain, potentially perilous, fate faced by workers who become laid off in the capitalist world, Cuban workers who are undergoing transition will have the effects of such change mitigated substantially.

Some other workers will be encouraged to take up new employment in sectors of the economy which are set for significant expansion in the coming months such as construction, agriculture, oil, tourism, biotech, and pharmaceuticals. Some workers will become self employed. Cuba’s socialist system provides free education and re-training for workers who are required to change occupations for any reason.

Many small and midsized enterprises will become worker owned and run co-operatives. While this does appear to mark a shift towards some market based production and distribution, it is safe to say that the Cuban leadership has carefully studied the experiences of other countries and does not intend to dismantle the socialist economy but rather to explore new methods to boost, grow, and strengthen it. It is also interesting to note that one of the major economic building blocks of Venezuela’s “21st Century Socialism” is the co-operative sector, and that Cuba and Venezuela are currently exploring a possible economic union.

To the chagrin of free marketeers, there is no sign of the establishment of “free trade zones” or of unfettered private or foreign ownership. The socialist state, based on the power of the Cuban working class, remains intact as does the Cuban government, and Cuba’s highly democratic political system.

The coming days and weeks will be exceptionally interesting ones as more information on these changes comes to light, particularly from sources outside of the anti-Cuba corporate media. While change may be the word of the day in Cuba, corporate media attacks against Cuban socialism and its leaders remain as virulent as ever.

The infinite hypocrisy of the West

Reflections of Fidel
The infinite hypocrisy of the West

ALTHOUGH several articles on this subject were published before and after September 1st, 2010, on that day the Mexican daily La Jornada published one of great impact entitled "El holocausto gitano: ayer y hoy" (The Gypsy Holocaust: yesterday and today) which reminds us of a truly dramatic history. Without adding or removing a single word from the information contained in the article, I have selected some lines referring to certain events that are really moving. Neither the West nor -most of all- its colossal media apparatus have said a single word about them.

"1496: the boom in humanist thinking. The Roma peoples (gypsies) from Germany are declared traitors to the Christian nations, spies in the pay of the Turkish, carriers of the plague, witches and warlocks, bandits and kidnappers of children.

"1710: the century of Enlightenment and reason. An edict orders that adult gypsies from Prague be hanged without trial. Young people and women are mutilated. In Bohemia, their left ears were cut off; in Moravia, their right ears

"1899: the climax of modernity and progress. The Bavarian police found the Special Section of Gypsies’ Affairs. In 1929, the section is promoted to the category of National Central section and is moved to Munich. In 1937, it is established in Berlin. Four years later, half a million gypsies die in the concentration camps of Central and Eastern Europe."

"In her PhD thesis, Eva Justin (assistant to Dr. Robert Ritter of the Racial Research Section of the German Ministry of Health), asserted that gypsies’ blood was extremely harmful to the purity of the German race. And a certain Dr. Portschy sent a memorandum to Hitler suggesting that gypsies should be submitted to forced labor and mass sterilization because they jeopardized the pure blood of the German peasantry.

"Labeled as inveterate criminals, the mass arrest of gypsies began and, from 1938, they were interned in special blocks at the Buchenwald, Mauthausen, Gusen, Dautmergen, Natzweiler and Flossenburg camps.

"In a concentration camp he owned in Ravensbruck, Heinrich Himmler, chief of the Gestapo (SS), created a space to sacrifice gypsy women who were submitted to medical experiments. One hundred and twenty Zingari girls were sterilized. Gypsy women married to non-gypsy men were sterilized at the Dusseldorf-Lierenfeld hospital.

"Thousands of gypsies were deported from Belgium, the Netherlands and France to the Polish concentration camp of Auschwitz. In his memoirs, Rudolf Hoess (commander of Auschwitz) wrote that among the gypsies deported there were elderly people almost one hundred years of age, pregnant women and a large number of children.

"At the ghetto of Lodz (Poland) […] none of the 5,000 gypsies survived."

"In Yugoslavia, gypsies and Jews were equally killed in the forest of Jajnice. Campesinos still remember the screaming of the gypsy children who were taken to the places of execution."

"At the extermination camps, only the gypsies’ love of music was a source of comfort to them on some occasions. In Auschwitz, starving and infested with lice, they gathered together to play music and encouraged the children to dance. But the courage of gypsy guerrillas who fought as part of the Polish resistance in the region of Nieswiez was also legendary."

Music was the factor that kept them together and helped them to survive, just as much as religion was for Christians, Jews and Muslims.

The successive articles published by La Jornada from the end of August onwards have reminded us of events that were almost forgotten about what happened to the gypsies in Europe. After having been affected by Nazism, they were consigned to oblivion after the Nuremberg trials in the years 1945 and 1946.

The German government headed by Konrad Adenauer declared that the extermination of the gypsies prior to 1943 was a result of the state’s legal policies. Those who had been affected that same year did not receive any compensation. Robert Ritter, a Nazi expert in the extermination of gypsies, was released. Thirty nine years later in 1982, when most of those affected had already died, the government recognized their right to compensation.

More than 75% of gypsies, whose total number is estimated to be between 12 and 14 million, live in Central and Eastern Europe. Only in Tito’s socialist Yugoslavia were gypsies recognized as having the same rights as the Croatian, Albanian and Macedonian minorities.

The Mexican newspaper described as "particularly perverse" the mass deportation of gypsies to Romania and Bulgaria ordered by the government of Sarkozy –a Jew of Hungarian descent-; these are the exact words used by the newspaper. Please do not take this as an act of irreverence on my part.

In Romania, the number of gypsies is estimated to be two million.

The president of that country, Traian Basescu, a US ally and an illustrious member of NATO, called a woman journalist a "filthy gypsy." As can be observed, this is an extremely delicate person who speaks politely.

The website univision.com posted some comments about the demonstrations against the deportation of gypsies and the "xenophobia" in France. According to AFP, around "130 demonstrations were due to take place in France as well as in front of the French embassies in several European Union countries, with the support of tens of human rights organizations, trade unions and left wing and environmental parties". The extensive report refers to the participation of well-known cultural personalities such as Jane Birkin and the film-maker Agnes Jaoui and reminded readers that Jane "together with Stephane Hessel, a former member of the resistance against the Nazi occupation of France (1940-1944), was part of the group that later on met with the advisors to the minister of Immigration Eric Besson.

"‘The conversation fell on deaf ears, but it is good that it took place, for it showed that a large part of the population was enraged at that nauseating policy’, said a spokesperson of the network ‘Education Without Borders…"

Other news about this thorny issue are coming from Europe: "Yesterday the European Parliament put France and Nicholas Sarkozy on the spot for having deported thousands of Romanian and Bulgarian gypsies during a tense debate in which the attitudes of José Manuel Durão Barroso and the Commission were described as scandalous and ridiculous for their apparent pusillanimity and for failing to condemn the decisions by Paris as illegal and contrary to community rights", according to an article by Ricardo Martínez de Rituerto published by El País.com.

In another article, La Jornada published the astonishing social data that neo-natal mortality among the gypsy population is nine times higher than the European average and their life expectancy rate barely exceeds 50 years of age.

Prior to that, on August 29, it had reported that "although there has been plenty of criticism –from the European Union institutions as well as from the Catholic church, the United Nations and the broad spectrum of pro-immigrants organizations – Sarkozy insists in expelling and deporting hundreds of Bulgarian and Romanian citizens – and therefore, European citizens – using as an excuse the alleged ‘criminal’ nature of these citizens."

"It is difficult to believe that in the year 2010 – concludes La Jornada – after Europe’s terrible past with racism and intolerance, it is still possible to criminalize an entire ethnic group by labeling them a social problem."

"Indifference, or even consent towards the actions carried out by the French police today and the Italian police yesterday – more European, in general terms – leave the most optimist analyst speechless."

Suddenly, while I wrote this Reflection, I remembered that France is the third nuclear power in the planet, and that Sarkozy also had a briefcase with the keys required to launch one of the more than 300 bombs he had. Is there any moral or ethical rational in launching an attack against Iran, a country condemned for its alleged intention of manufacturing this kind of weapon? Where is the good sense and logic of that policy?

Let us assume that Sarkozy goes crazy all of a sudden, as seems to be the case. What would the UN Security Council do with Sarkozy and his briefcase?

What will happen if the French extreme right decides to force Sarkozy to maintain a racist policy, contradicting the laws that prevail within the European Community?

Could the UN Security Council respond to those two questions?

The absence of truth and the prevalence of deception is the greatest tragedy in our dangerous nuclear age.

Fidel Castro Ruz
September 12, 2010
6:57 p.m.

Fidel calls on young people to fight to prevent a nuclear war

COMANDANTE en Jefe Fidel Castro confirmed today that it is possible to win the great battle to save the world from a nuclear war that would destroy it completely and also to defend the right of all human beings to live.

Almost 65 years after his entry into higher education, the Cuban leader returned to the University of Havana where, as he has already said on previous occasions and reaffirmed once again this morning, he became a revolutionary and discovered his true destiny. He then went on to call on governments and peoples to safeguard peace, life and the future.

The time available to humanity to wage this battle is incredibly limited, warned the first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, referring to the real and imminent danger of another war in the Middle East, the consequences of which are unforeseeable for the world and could be catastrophic.

Dressed in olive green, standing at the foot of the Alma Mater statue and before an enthusiastic crowd that filled the historic staircase and surrounding areas, Fidel read out his message to Cuba’s university students, which is also a call to fight against those who have imposed on the world a system that is currently threatening the very survival of the planet and the human race.

"We are here to convince, persuade and prevent a war that would bring an end to hope, in order to demonstrate that love for life is the commitment of all of us," affirmed Maydel Gómez Lago, president of the Cuban Federation of University Students (FEU).

"Right up until the end, we will be demanding the right to life. We do not want to die in this absurd way, we want to fulfill our dreams," the young woman emphasized. Calling on U.S. President Barack Obama, she insisted that he use the power that he has to prevent war from becoming a tragedy for all of us.

She called on university students all over the world to join this fight and stated: "We have the right to fight for our future, we have a duty to build it. We still have time. We will fight for peace, we could not forgive ourselves for doing anything less."

Yoerky Sánchez Cuéllar, editor of the Alma Mater magazine – the voice of Cuban university students – also spoke, but in verse, demanding that the current occupant of the White House does not pull the trigger and also insisting on the destruction of all nuclear weapons.

"You must listen to Fidel/who is not being alarmist/or a catastrophist/ but who sees that this world/could be gone in a second/if peace does not conquer," reflected – in rhyming verse – the young man who is also a National Assembly of People’s Power deputy.

"Here we are, Comandante/here are your youth/who feel grateful/to see you the picture of health/to hear you every moment/to read your Reflections/to understand the reasons/why you are concerned/and to have accompanied you in these new missions," he concluded.

Translated by Granma International

Tea Party president jokes about murdering GLBTQ people

by: AFY_EmilyB

Saturday, September 4, 2010 at 5:51:00 PM EDT

Comments (16)
Share this entry: del.icio.us | Facebook | MySpace | Digg It! | Tweet This

The President of the Montana Big Sky Tea Party, Tim Ravndall, thinks it's funny to joke about murdering gays.

A Facebook exchange:

Dennis Scranton: "I think fruits are decorative. Hang up where they can be seen and appreciated. Call Wyoming for display instructions."

Tim Ravndal: "@Kieth, OOPS I forgot this aint(sic) America no more! @ Dennis, Where can I get that Wyoming printed instruction manual?"

(A reference to the torture and murder of Matthew Shepard in Wyoming in 1998). Randval has apologized. But the organization has not yet met demands to remove himl from office.

What's it going to be, Tea Party and sympathizers? Are you going to have the guy who thinks murdering gays is hilarious as your president? Any official denunciation of violence coming our way anytime soon?

I was in college and had just come out when Matthew Shepard was murdered. His death was such a horrifying and unexpected tragedy that it left its mark on everyone I knew, even though none of us had ever met him. To read the exchange between Scranton and Ravndal makes me wince as if from a physical blow.

Matthew was my age - he'd be almost 34 now. Is the world now, no better than the world that he left? Is this truly where Tea Party and other anti-gay types want us to be? Because this is where the road of homophobia and discrimination against GLBTQ people ends. This is where the fractured discourse, alarmist propaganda, and fearmongering ends. In violence and death.

It's not funny to me. Is it funny to you, Tea Party?

Canada's Lagging Child Labour Laws

With some of the lowest age thresholds for paid employment in the world, Canada has a lot of growing up to do when it comes to child labour legislation.

Angelo DiCaro

Last week, thousands of young Canadians traded in their supermarket smocks, dusty brooms, and store greeter vests as they headed back into the classroom.

But for many, these part-time jobs will continue. In fact, the burden of balancing work and school life is present at an increasingly younger age – in some cases, shockingly young.

British Columbia, for example, gained international notoriety in 2003 for dropping its minimum age of work to 12 years old (i.e. Grade 8 students) – one of the lowest age thresholds for paid employment in the world. In some cases even lower than in developing countries.

Shortly after, the province of Alberta made similar changes, albeit with stronger legislated restrictions attached. Most other provinces have set the bar as low as 14 years.

The stress borne on young Canadians to balance work and school life, especially those in elementary school, can be damaging. For younger workers, the risk of injury and death in the workplace is high. Very few are aware of their employment rights on the job.

Not many know that Canada is an international laggard on child labour laws. One might think that given our country’s vast wealth and decent standard of living, a debate around child labour would be a non-starter.

In fact, Canada is one of only 29 countries that have failed to sign on to the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Convention 138 (Minimum Age Convention), which outlines basic child labour standards and thresholds for the minimum age of work.

Convention 138 is one of eight core international labour conventions, aimed at protecting the fundamental rights of workers globally. C138, established in 1973, is an amalgamation of prior conventions on the topic. Among other items, it requires all countries to peg minimum age laws at a level that is no less than the age of compulsory schooling, with few exceptions.

This is a common sense approach to regulating the minimum age of work. It recognizes the important role education plays in developing young people.

It also implicitly acknowledges the need to protect young workers from injury while on the job. Countless studies have shown that risk of workplace injury and death rises for younger workers.

Unfortunately, this is something Canada has not yet fully grasped.

A 2004 tripartite workshop entitled the Minimum Age of Admission to Employment in Canada and International Standards concluded that substantial legislative changes are required in all jurisdictions. A more recent research report prepared by the Canadian Labour Congress further validated those conclusions, noting that every Canadian jurisdiction that oversees labour standards is in breach of C138.

Human Resources and Social Development Canada rightly points out that minimum age laws across the country are complemented by a range of additional regulations aimed at preventing the exploitation of children and protecting against unsafe working conditions. All jurisdictions in Canada attach specific caveats to their minimum age laws – many aimed at maintaining the primacy and integrity of schooling.

However, it seems in Canada scoring a weekly paycheque is equally as important as scoring good grades on a report card.

There is no good reason why child labour laws in Canada should be on the slide. If we believe the rhetoric about the importance of building a knowledge economy, how can we then justify policies that undercut the integrity of education and contribute to the exploitation of young people?

Sadly, this discussion has evolved well beyond the more traditional paper route and baby-sitting gigs most associated with child workers. Today, our country’s youngest workers are landing dead-end jobs in the broader retail, hospitality, and food service sectors. This simply cannot go on unchecked.

Canada has been given until 2020 to fully comply with the eight core labour conventions under the ILO, including C138. Full compliance requires each of Canada’s provinces and territories to amend existing minimum age laws. Certainly this won’t happen overnight, but it is a goal that is well within our reach and that will benefit our society for years to come.