SPC Newsletter 1st Dec 2015

[Socialist Party Head Office]

The Socialist Party of Canada

Secretary's Report for December 1, 2015

Email Report

– WSPNZ meeting minutes for September and October received with thanks.

– WSP India Report on the Autumn School and membership meeting received with thanks.

Good of the Movement

– Four introductory packages sent out.

Finances

– Secretary's expenses for November, $36.98

Karl's Quotes

-On surplus value, Marx writes, "Surplus value in general is value in excess of the equivalent. The equivalent, by definition, is only the identity of value with itself. Hence surplus value can never sprout out of the equivalent, nor can it do so originally out of circulation; it has to arise from the production process of capital itself. The matter can also be expressed in this way; If the worker needs only half a working day in order to live a whole day, then in order to keep alive as a worker, he needs to work only half a day. The second half of the labour day is forced labour; surplus labour. What appears as surplus value on capital's side appears identically on the worker's side as surplus labour in excess of his requirements as a worker, hence in excess of his immediate requirements for keeping himself alive. The great historic quality of capital is to create this surplus labour, superfluous labour from the standpoint of mere use value, mere subsistence; and its historic destiny is fulfilled as soon as, on one side, there has been such a development of needs that surplus labour above and beyond necessity has itself become a general need arising out of individual needs themselves – and, on the other side, when the severe discipline of capital, acting on succeeding generations, has developed general industriousness as the general property of the new species – and, finally, when the development of the productive powers of labour, which capital incessantly whips onward with its unlimited mania for wealth, and of the sole condition in which this mania can be realized, have flourished to the stage where the possession and preservation of general wealth require a lesser labour time of society as a whole, and where the labouring society relates scientifically to the process of its progressive reproduction in constantly greater abundance; hence where labour in which a human being does what a thing could do has ceased." (The Grundisse in The Marx-Engels Reader, page 249).

Food For Thought

– As an example of the lies that are put out in advertising, take the Volkswagen case. Before the news broke that the company had installed software that shut off emission controls until tested and otherwise polluted badly, it had portrayed itself as an environmental steward in a relentless campaign on which it spent $77million. It is beyond belief that that kind of money spent on any campaign would be accompanied by such barefaced lying. Even worse, we know that Volkswagen is by no means the only one. Clean Tar Sands and Clean Coal campaigns are just two more examples. (New York Times, Oct 25)

– A report in the same paper focused on malnutrition in India, far worse than that encountered in Africa or Haiti although India is generally not as poor. Thirty-nine per cent of Indian children are stunted physically and mentally. In the state of Uttar Pradesh, home to some two hundred million, stunting is observed in the majority of children. Two factors appear to be the cause – the low position of women, who eat last in the household and are below weight during pregnancy, and the fact that half the population does not use toilets leading to parasitic invasion of stomachs that do not absorb nutrients properly. The report states, "This is a life-or-dealth matter. Governments invest in tanks and fighter aircraft to defend their people, when the greater threat to their citizens comes from their own poop."

– The Canadian economy added 12,000 jobs in September, but the unemployment rate rose to its highest level since February, 2014 as more people entered the workforce. The gains were due to increased part-time work that added 74,000 jobs while full-time employment fell by 62,000.In other words, we are still experiencing a recession and no juggling of figures can hide the fact.

– Plan Canada's newly released study, "The Unfinished Business of Girls' Rights", found that girls across the world are feeling' the pain of inequality'. Welcome to the world of capitalism. Interviews with 4,000 girls in Ecuador, Nicaragua, Pakistan, and Zimbabwe revealed they have little control over the decisions that shape their lives, including access to knowledge that can prevent pregnancy, and are powerless to fight back against early marriage. They do not feel safe in public places or at school where 'using the toilet is a perilous venture.' Every day, 39,000 girls under eighteen worldwide, are forced to marry. There can be no real solution in capitalism as inequality and insecurity of all kinds is experienced by both genders and all ages.

– On October 6, the US military took responsibility for an airstrike on a hospital in the Afghan city of Kunduz, calling it a mistake and vowing to hold those responsible accountable. Twenty-two people were killed at the hospital run by Doctors Without Borders, who have demanded an independent investigation into the attack. US Defence Secretary, Ash Carter, said, "We will do everything we can to understand this tragic incident, learn from it, and hold people accountable as necessary." General John Campbell, the American commander in Afghanistan, called the strike a mistake made within the US chain of command. We may accept that it was a mistake but when wars are fought 'collateral damage', or better described as killing innocent people in the way, is a consequence and a good reason to stop wars altogether by abolishing its cause, competitive capitalism.

– According to a Toronto Star report (November 2), there has been an overall decrease in the overall level of hunger in the world over the last fifteen years. That still leaves nearly one in nine people worldwide who are chronically undernourished, and 3.1 million children die of malnutrition annually. In addition, forty-four countries have a 'serious' level of hunger. Oil rich Kuwait is the only country that has seen its Global Hunger Index increase. How long will these people have to wait to simply get enough to eat? At the rate of improvement, how long will it be until hunger is eliminated altogether? Given that none of this is necessary in a world with plenty of food, this is an indictment of the current economic system.

– When it comes to attempting to improve life within capitalism, we can always rely on our friends at the Toronto Star to come up with some 'golden goody'. The latest was in their issue of October 10 in which they blatantly urge Canadian electors to vote for the Liberal Party in the October election. The headline read, "Why This Country Needs Trudeau" (Liberal leader). The sub heading stated that Trudeau has crafted an alternative vision for the country that deserves the support of those who believe Canada can be more generous, ambitious, and successful. One radio ad of Trudeau's touted taxing the rich (over $200,000 per year) 1% more and giving the proceeds to the 'middle class'. He finishes the ad with, "Now that's real change!" As if the Liberals can bring back the jobs that have fled along with capital to cheaper zones, get Canada out of debt, and keep it out of wars. The whole history of capitalism has shown that no individual, party, or country do nothing but grapple with the economic realities. In a few years, the demand will be to change to someone else who promises, 'real change' once again. Only 46.29% voted in this 'hotly contested' election, a sure sign that many have given up hope and belief in politicians and their parties. Let's hope that disillusionment leads to the realization that capitalism must go.

– Scotiabank office support workers are the latest casualties in a round of industry-wide job cuts as banks seek to boost profits, The bank will cut jobs but did not say which, or how many, employees would lose their jobs, increasing anxiety and feelings of insecurity of the employees. Nor is it just at Scotiabank. In fact, Canada's six biggest banks are cutting expenses including wages because in the prolonged economic downturn they aren't doing as well as expected The affected employees are largely doing paper-based processing now completely directed by customers on-line or by automated systems. So now we have the situation where major employers admit that to keep profits up, they have to cut staff and automate their systems more. Unfortunately, in the capitalist mode of production this is a disaster for the fired workers. In socialism it would be a bonus to reduce work so surplus workers could help out elsewhere. Then again, that sounds like common sense!

Survivors recently told a Christian News outlet that ISIS militants severely beat and cut the finger tips off a twelve-year-old boy to persuade his father, a Syrian minister, to convert to Islam. When the torture did not work, the terrorists killed ten members of the ministry, including the boy, according to The Morningstar News Outlet. Also, two women were raped in front of a crowd for refusing to renounce Christianity, then killed, and their bodies were crucified for display. As Isis conquers territory throughout Syria and Iraq, attacks on Christians have been particularly barbaric. As socialists, we are appalled, not because the victims are Christians as we have no religious faith and certainly none in its ability to solve any of the world's major problems, but because they are human beings and life is precious. Let's hope we soon have a world without religion and continual conflict, replaced with compassion and understanding reigning supreme – in short, socialism.

– Two recent headlines on the Toronto Star business section's main page read, "Pharmaceutical Price Gouging Probes Turn Market Darling into Cautionary Tale", and "How To Protect Yourself From Phone Fraud And Scammers." What a wonderful world capitalism has delivered!

– Continuing in the same vein, the new Nigerian government has alienated its elite by cracking down on corruption. The Rolls-Royces, Range Rovers, and Jaguars, and luxury villas in fine Italian marble are remaining unsold. Many public projects are under review to root out corruption. Meanwhile the article states, "Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, is one of the biggest oil producers in the world. Yet corruption has undermined the nation helping to keep 68% of its population living on less than $1.25 a day. What a wonderful world capitalism has delivered!

– The oil companies that have invested $200 billion in the tar sands in Alberta are in a quandary. Do you cut your losses and get out or ride out the recession in oil prices? Walking away from such an investment is not an option, so they cut back on production and hope that losing money will be temporary. In the meantime, 35,000 oil jobs have disappeared so far. As usual, the workers will be the ones to bear the brunt of the situation.

– In a new study published in October, three scientists studying rising sea levels calculated that more than four hundred American cities and towns, and potentially millions of people will one day be submerged. There is no hope for Miami or New Orleans even if we halt greenhouse gas emissions today. Nothing could emphasize any clearer what a crazy system capitalism is. The whole premise of the system is to make a profit now and the future be damned. If the damage done is irreversible, then the sooner we get rid of this system, the better and minimize the damage.

– How about this for the quote of the month? In his efforts to become the Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump told a town hall meeting in Atkinson, New Hampshire, that he overcame hardship to build his empire. He said,"It has not been easy for me. I started off in Brooklyn. My father gave me a small loan of a million dollars." The workers struggling through life to pay the bills and worrying about losing their jobs must feel very sorry for the guy. Doesn't it go to prove that capitalism is a dysfunctional society where some have it so easy, like Trump, and others exist on a dollar or two a day.

– Every cloud has a silver lining for the entrepreneurs. Villa Braviera, Chile, is infamous for collaborating with the regime of Augusto Pinochet to torture and sexually abuse anyone unlucky enough to find themselves there. Paul Schafer, a German evangelical preacher who fled to Chile in 1961 to avoid sodomizing charges in his home country, was the leader who continued his life's work in this secluded spot. Now it has been turned into a tourist destination. The communal dining hall of the camp is now a restaurant and there is a small lagoon with paddle boats, hot tubs and bikes for rent. Perhaps we can open Dachau and Auschwitz for development as holiday camps?

– In a similar vein, the sites of the development of the nuclear bomb in 1945, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Hanford, Washington, and Los Alamos, New Mexico, have been declared a National Historic Park to explain (the unexplainable) use of nuclear weapons on humans!

– A mansion in Mumbai that formerly served as the US consulate and the home of the an Indian Maharaja, has been purchased by a pharmaceutical magnate for $US110 million. It has 50,000 square feet of space, probably enough to house Mumbai's poor! A street vendor parked near the front gate selling cold drinks and snacks and sleeping on top of the alcove he operates from, remarked that he was pleased to have such esteemed neighbours!

– Canada's iconic coffee shop, Tim Hortons has, over the years, tried to replicate its success in the USA. It has fallen far short of the level reached in Canada but did report a profit of $US 49.6 million. Apparently, this was not good enough because just two weeks after the announcement, multiple locations were closed. At least one manager learned of his/her fate over the phone with no advance warning and then had to call employees to tell them there was no work tomorrow, or any time. A spokesperson for the chain said, "As we build the foundation for accelerated growth in the US, we have decided to close some restaurants in New York and Maine." How to turn failure into success in just one sentence of Bullshit!

Have a great holiday season,

For socialism,

Steve and John

[Author]

Posts