I know socialists claim to be “progressive”, but this is ridiculous.
The latest email newsletter from one of my favorite sources of humor, the socialist labor unions’ “The Bullet” (hey why do they call it “The Bullet”?) newsletter, claims that the Canadian Labour Congress voted positively on a declaration for Canada to surrender the war in Afghanistan. They did this next year, in a May 2009 vote.
I suspect that’s how lots of union votes go. Very presciently.
And by the way, the newsletter’s author, a researcher at York University in Ontario, twice claims that the war is “illegal”, and that it’s about —and this is a new one on me —“Canadian imperialism”.
I’m sure all those mistakes are simply typos rather than outlandish extremist lies (except the first one re the date—that’s an outlandish extremist lie).
~~~~~~~~~~~~(((( T h e B u l l e t ))))~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Socialist Project e-bulletin …. No. 113 …. June 14, 2008
________________________________________________Canadian Workers Demand Immediate End to War in Afghanistan
Michael SkinnerOn 29 May 2009, the delegates at the national convention of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), representing more than three million workers from every region of Canada and Quebec, voted overwhelmingly to demand that the Government of Canada immediately end its participation in the illegal war in Afghanistan.
This CLC demand represents a significant consolidation of labour power. Several national unions, notably the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) had already adopted policies to oppose Canada’s participation in the war in Afghanistan. However, some powerful unions whose members work in the rapidly expanding Canadian military and development industries could profit from continuing the war. The women and men of these unions made the difficult decision to stand in solidarity with the working people of Afghanistan rather than act on self-interest.
[…]
This is an illegal war that cannot be justified by a few extra jobs for Canadian workers.[…]
Now that the workers of Canada and Quebec have officially declared our solidarity with Afghan workers, it is time to begin building bridges to join our struggles against the new authoritarianism and theocracy in Afghanistan and Western and Canadian imperialism. …
Over at The Bullet‘s “socialist project” web site, they list some helpful links to Marxist and feminist web sites among others, for you Canadian communists:
• Activist Network – The UK’s Radical Cyberspace
• Marxsite.com – Marxist Documents and Information Page
• Victory is Certain: Leftist Links Archive
• Global Solidarity Dialogue Links
• Marxmail links
• Resist!
• “Capital and Class: provides a critique of global capitalism in the Marxist tradition, reaching out into the labour, trade union and other radical movements…”
(Official site logo on that web site: Karl Marx).
• “Rethinking Marxism: engages and sustains critical conversations about the tremendous challenges and exciting opportunities facing Marxism and the global Left. Founded in 1988.”
• “Upping the Anti: is a radical journal of theory and action which provides a space to address and discuss unresolved questions and dynamics within the anti-capitalist, anti-oppression, and anti-imperialist politics of today’s radical left in Canada. Founded in 2005.”
(They accept cash via the capitalist PayPal system!)
• “Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA): is an independent, non-partisan research institute concerned with issues of social and economic justice. Founded in 1980.”
(I still laugh at the name “Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives” every time I hear it because clearly the alternative they have in mind is socialism. Why don’t they just say it?)
• “Climate and Capitalism: aims to present a wide range of Marxist perspectives on climate change, and to provide socialists with the information and analysis they need to understand and respond to the crisis.”
• “In Defence of Marxism: website of the International Marxist Tendency.”
• “Institute For Globalization and Social Movements: news and analysis from Russia.”
• “People’s Voice: Canada’s leading communist newspaper – latest news on the fightback from coast to coast.”
• “Rabble: built on the efforts of progressive journalists, writers, artists and activists across the country. Launched on April 18, 2001, just before the protests against the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City, and leapt onto the Net with the kind of coverage you could only get from the point of view of the rabble.”
(This is the popular far-left Canadian web site and discussion forum which the state-owned CBC “tech” expert Jesse Hirsh once blithely explained to Canadians, on CBC Newsworld, presents a “a real pulse” in terms of how people are thinking across our country.)
• “Socialist Voice: is a forum for discussion of today’s struggles of the workers and oppressed from the standpoint of revolutionary Marxism. It is based in Canada but is international in scope.”
Their links to organizations includes all the usual extreme far-left left organizations in Canada and abroad:
(That image at left is part of their web page. “Profits” are not the answer…. to communists!)
• Venezuela We Are With You Coalition
• (…and countless women’s organizations)
• International Association for Feminist Economics
• International Gramsci Society
• Canadian Auto Workers
• Canadian Union of Postal Workers
• Canadian Union of Public Employees
PTBC was founded by Mr. Johannesen in 2000.
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