[Socialist Party Head Office]

If you call in at 52 Clapham High St on the way you will be able to collect some of those leaflets. We won't have a stall at this event but there will be at least one other comrade handing out our leaflets.

[Socialist Party Head Office]

THE SOCIALIST PARTY OF CANADA General Secretary's Report for March 2017 Email Report – WSP (India) EC meeting minutes No. 172, February 5, 2016, received with thanks.- General Secretary, Binay Sarkar, WSP (India): Announcement of WSP (India) Spring School 4 March, Saturday, 2PM – 8PM & Annual Conference 5 March, Sunday: In two sessions: 2PM – 8PM- The World Socialist Party (India) Discussion Forum and the website February 2017 standing at 1,896 membership: http://www.worldsocialistpartyindia.org- Academia.edu WSP (India) growth 36,882,115 academics May 1, 2016 to 47,416,419 February 2017 – World Socialist Party (US) seeking application for membership template for WSPUS records: forwarded.- Cormade Matt Culbert (SPGB Blog Committee) requests SPC members to use our Imagine Blog, dormant since November 2010. Suggestion is for members to post several times per week, including some of our well appreciated. Food for Thought comments from Steve, as the blog is well positioned for internet traffic. Members, please write in and use this free site, which can be found at The Imagine Blog http://imaginespc.blogspot.co.uk/- Imagine Winter 2016. Visit our website for downloadinghttps://www.worldsocialism.org/canada/Good of the Movement- Two introductory packages and one member application sent out.- Toronto Branch public meeting held Wednesday, February 22nd 6:30pm to 8:30pm.- Spring socialist discussion meetings until May 2017, Toronto Branch: February 22, March 29, April 26, May 24, The Second Cup Coffee House, 324 Bloor St., Toronto. Communications to: spctorontobranch@gmail.com– see Toronto Branch Facebook for further details: https://web.facebook.com/Toronto-Branch-Socialist-Party-of-Canada-1120836671294008/ & our website https://www.worldsocialism.org/canada/- Socialist Party of Canada Facebook public page https://web.facebook.com/socialistpartycanada/ & members' page https://web.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100012582758245- Letter from Penelope White, USA. Seeking connection with SPC and support her disability. General secretary replied, including WSPUS website and contact details.- Imagine Spring 2017: expected distribution May 2017 – (members, please send in your submissions and ideas!).- Socialist education site for redistribution & hyperlinking, S. Shenfield (WSPUS) http://www.whatissocialism.net/Finances – Stationary, nil; photocopies, $3.71; post, $3.60. Special renewal cost for SPC post box: $170.10. A second post forwarding expenditure of $250.95 for 12 months and $161.65 for 4 months, due March 1, 2017, was recommended and resolved by the treasurer and general secretary to not be renewed as our new post box address has been active for well over a year.Dues – Several dues have been paid, but most stand in arrears. Members in financial circumstances inhibiting dues payment may seek waiver – please contact our treasurer and/or general secretary. Other members please note dues are a modest $25 per year, or $2 per month and are required for post, photocopies, public meeting expenses, and internet services.Food for Thought● In a recent episode of "Foyle's War" on TV Ontario, the main protagonist, Foyle, has to investigate the production, in the U.K., of German war materials – Yes, you read it right! Based on a true story, and English-based subsidiary of, American-owned, Standard Oil, was producing fuel for German planes, both before and after Pearl Harbor. They shipped it in barrels, labeled 'whisky' to Tenerife, from where they were loaded onto German ships. The Luftwaffe needed the fuel to continue bombing Britain. As one of the company's owners said, "We don't care how we make a profit, business is business."● According to an issue of Canadian Jewish News, February 2, 2017, a few hours before Trump's inauguration, Obama ordered $221million to be given to the Palestinians. One needn't be brilliant to figure how they'll spend it. Then 'genius-head' Trump, bans immigration from countries whose populations he dislikes. The fact that these deals may not go through, isn't the point, which is, they would like them to. So, we have two guys working at the most important job in the world, one after the other, taking action that will harm people. This is clearly indicative to how low things have sunk under capitalism. So, let's help it sink a little lower – right into the garbage can of history.● On CBC News of February 8, 2017, they announced that in the last four years, seventy thousand jobs in manufacturing and farming, have been lost to technology, in Canada alone. One forty-seven-year old sheet metal worker, who had once made $37.00 an hour, was struggling to support his two daughters on Employment Insurance and struggling even more, with his self-esteem, or lack of. As Charlie Chaplin said in, The Great Dictator, "Machinery that creates abundance has left us in want." The trouble is, it needn't be that way and we "can" do something about it.● For eighteen years, "Dangerous Dans" has been selling burgers in Toronto's east end, but will close on May 28, 2017, because its landlord, Pizza Nova, raised its rent 80%. To quote owner, James McKinnon, "If I opened seven days a week, four in the morning until late at night, I would generate enough revenue, but it would kill me." A spokesman for Pizza Nova said, "Any proposed increase is in line with market rates." This writer is so bewildered. They told me, anyone can become his/her own boss, under capitalism and make it. Do you think I was conned?● The Canadian capitalist class, is not optimistic about Ontario's economic future. The annual report of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, released on February 7, 2017, said, "There is a confidence gap between our members organizational and provincial economic outlooks". Only 24% of their members, who were surveyed last fall, expressed optimism; to quote, "Diminished profitability, lower labour market participation and sluggish market activity have resulted in a risk-averse atmosphere in which businesses are disinclined to grow production." So if the capitalists have little optimism, why should we have any?● Soon it will no longer be a crime in Russia to beat a family member, as long as you don't cause bodily harm. On January 27, 2017, the state duma, voted 380 – 3 to decriminalize battery on family members that doesn't cause bodily harm. Instead it will mean a fine, or a 15 day sentence. Critics of the new law, said it would encourage domestic violence, (no kidding). Statistics show that 40% of all violent crimes in Russian, are within the family. Russian police are reluctant to react, regarding their intervention as meddling in family matters. It would be easy enough for socialists to advocate harsher measures in dealing with those guilty of spousal and child abuse, but that wouldn't be the point; which is the establishment of a society where the economic pressures that cause families to break down (of which this is a symptom) won't exist.● Canadian officials are now seeing a sharp increase in the amount of refugees illegally crossing the U.S. Border to avoid deportation from the U.S. In Quebec alone, the amount has tripled in the last year to 1,280 from 424. Some who crossed into Manitoba in freezing weather have been treated for frostbite. A pregnant woman said she was afraid to deliver in the U.S. Under the U.S. – Canada pact introduced in 2004, refugees cannot make asylum claims in both countries. As the weather gets warmer more are expected to cross into Canada. So too put it bluntly, Canada will soon have a refugee crisis like some European countries have now. Once again, capitalism creates problems it can't solve.● Increases in the cost of transportation and shelter, drove the inflation rate up 1.5% in Canada in December, according to figures released by Statistics Canada on January 20th. A decrease in the cost of food in December (the third consecutive month) helped keep the overall increase in consumer expenses lower than expected. Economists had predicted a 1.7% increase. The Consumer Price Index in Ontario was up 2% from 2015, driven by an 11.2% surge in prices for electricity and a 7.4% increase in the cost of buying a home. So, there it is folks, slight improvements like the decline in the cost of food do minimal good. We socialists want to do maximum good, such as, abolishing the source of the above figures.● It is generally assumed that unemployment and homelessness go hand-in-hand, but it ain't necessarily so. An article in the Toronto Star of February 11, 2017, which focused on homeless shelters, reported that four men, who sleep at the Bloor Street West Shelter, in Toronto, have jobs. One said, "We just can't afford to rent." With the average one-bedroom apartment rent in Toronto at $1,130.00 a month, it's no wonder. The wait-list for Toronto Community Housing, has topped 180,000 and is in massive need of repairs. Mayor, John Tory, has pressed Ottawa and the province to each kick-in a third of the repair bill of, $2.6 billion, but, "No firm commitments have materialized." Councillor, Kristyn Wong-Tam, said that, "Emergency shelters are at best a Band-Aid solution. When that becomes their permanent address, that is a system fail. They have given up hope on affordable housing and are living in shelters." There are different estimates of how many sleep on Toronto's streets, but it is known, that 80 died on them in 2016. Our well-meaning friend is right, it is a system-fail. The only solution is a better one.● Almost every day the Toronto Transit Commission is in the news and it's never anything positive. At present passengers pay a flat-rate fare, which TTC spokesman, Brad Ross, said is "Very user-friendly." It won't stay that way if the recommendation in a 2016 report is enacted, which is to pay by the distance travelled. This is being considered by Metrolinx, the provincial organization that oversees transit in the Greater Toronto Area. At present, the matter is under discussion. Mayor, Tory, said the present price-structure is unfair, which implies that paying by distance is fair. This must be of concern to people with low incomes, but of one thing we can be absolutely sure – if this deal goes through, it will make life harder for the workers affected.● In July, commuters in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, will still be taking taxis, but those that fly. Passenger drones capable of carrying a single rider, will fly above the skyscrapers at the push of a button. This is part of the city's plan to increase driver-less technology. The city already operates the world's longest driverless subway system. In October, the city signed a deal with the Los Angeles-based, "Hyperloop One", to study the potential for a Hyperloop, which is a vacuum-like tube, through which a vehicle travels faster than airliners, between Dubai and Abu Dhabi. It sounds great and the technology is great, but its affect won't be when, like so many of capitalism's inventions, it puts the working guy out of a job.● For months now, the Federal Government has been considering selling Canada's major airports to private investors as a way to raise billions of dollars. Airports and airlines are against such moves, saying it would drive up passenger's fares, like they really care. The National Airline Council of Canada, representing airlines, such as Air Canada and WestJet, said, airport privatization," would fail the most elementary test of stewardship of the public interest." In all probability some of their highly-paid executives would be out of a job, and in all certainty many members of the lower income groups of the working class would be out of a job and would be affected a lot worse.● On Valentine's Day, the RCMP appropriately warned anyone using APPS or websites in their search for love, to be cautious. Last year, 748 people lost more than $17 million to on-line dating scams. Some were cheated out of more than $100,000 and many were too embarrassed to report it. Scammers create on-line profiles to gain someone's trust, then ask for money, often claiming to be faced with an emergency, the RCMP said. It is despicable that the de-humanizing aspects of life under capitalism, would make anyone so devoid of conscience, they would prey on people's loneliness and then hurt them, but nevertheless, let's bear in mind that this is illegal robbery – there's enough legal robbery going on, every moment of every day.● On February 14, 2017, Toronto judge, Edward Belobaba, found in favour of survivors of the round-up of Indian children, in their suit against the Federal Government. Between 1965 and 1984, 16,000 Indian children on reserves, were placed in non-indigenous care. In his report, Belobaba said, "The uncontroverted evidence of the plaintiff's experts, is that the loss of their aboriginal identity left the children fundamentally disoriented, with a reduced ability to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. The loss of identity resulted in psychiatric disorders, substance abuse, unemployment, violence and numerous suicides." Belobaba's next step will be to, "assess the damages the government owes to the plaintiff." The real damage has already been done. The capitalist class forces everyone to conform to their scheme of things, regardless of the misery it causes. When Robert Tressel referred to capitalism as, "That atrocious system," it was a masterpiece of under-statement.● Starbucks much – ballyhooed mobile ordering system has brought a painful side-effect to the coffee giant – traffic jams at the pick-up counter. Because customers are now able to order and pay for coffee via their phones, many head straight to the part of the cafe where it's handed out. This has created pile-ups and frustrated some customers enough that they've cancelled their orders. The company's management had predicted sales would rise from eight to ten percent in the last quarter, instead, it was 3% which isn't considered good enough. This is very small potatoes as far as these things go, but nevertheless, it's always amusing to see capitalists cause stupid problems for themselves.● On April 16th, Turkey is set to hold a referendum on switching to a presidential system – a move critics fear would put too much power into the hands of Mr. Erdogan. The Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muiznieks, said Turkey's lack of media freedoms and freedom of expression has reached "alarming levels." He also criticized the imprisonment of journalists, the erosion of the independence of the judiciary, the use of defamation laws used to silence critics, censorship on the internet and the use of state resources to favour progovernment media. Shades of Hitler and his thugs, subverting the Weimar Republic . . .Though political and parliamentary democracy has its uses, in the final analysis, there is only one form of democracy worth working for – economic democracy. To achieve that, you must first abolish capitalism. ● We've all heard about the allegations that the Russians interfered with the U.S. election and we know that Trump fired two guys in his cabinet. What the media haven't covered much is what he's done for the "little guy" who voted for him, considering, his was a populist victory. Farmers and ranchers, though not little guys, did vote for him in hopes of less regulation and lower taxes. Trump's decision to pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which would have reduced tariffs and strengthened economic ties with the capitalist class in eleven other countries, will costthe agriculture industry $4.4 billion a year in potential sales, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the biggest U.S. farmer group. As for the "real" little guy, let's hear from California-Based Worker's Rights advocate, Carmen Rojas, who says "If we had been living in an overcast period for working people in the U.S., we are about to enter into a dark, dark, period."Gone is Trump's first pick for labour, Secretary, Andrew Pudzer, who withdrew his nomination on February 16th, after hearing Trump trash minimum wage hikes and overtime protections. A review of the Department of Labour's website reveal that many posts about protecting precarious workers, enforcing labour laws and cracking down on wage theft, have vanished from the website. Other disappearances are an executive order from the Obama administration that would have raised the minimum wage of Federal contractors to $10.10 an hour. This would have given 200,00 low wage workers a raise. Other links to the Department of Labor blog posts, also appear to be broken, especially on issues related to wage theft and employee misclassification, which is the practice of wrongly classifying workers as independent contractors to avoid legal obligations, like paying minimum wage. No one at the White House has asked why these pages have vanished. One thing you can be sure of, is that, the self-styled champion of the forgotten American, has forgotten him. GUSTAV'S GEMSIn his work, "The Rise of Capitalism", Dr. Bang effectively deals with the myth that capitalist and worker have anything in common, economically."The claim is false, as are all the claims by which the capitalist class justifies its right to existence. Ignored is the fact that labour power is a nature-endowed possession that cannot be separated from the person of the worker, whereas, capital is dependent and in flux, never attached to any particular person. Labour power and its possessor, the worker, cannot be separated, while on the contrary, capital is only accidentally attached to the person of the individual capitalist. Under the present system of capitalism, the workers cannot do without capital, that is, the means of production. But, they can quite well do without the capitalists! The latter, however, are powerless without the workers, that is, workers who produce surplus value for them.Every struggle by the workers against the introduction of improved means of production is reactionary and doomed to defeat in advance. The struggle against their capitalist application, however, is a natural and essential characteristic of the modern class struggle. The magnitude of surplus value points to the limitations within which the workers can achieve gains under the capitalist system. The socializing of the means of production points the road to their ultimate emancipation."For socialism, Steve and John.Socialist literature for your interest & edification- WSP (India) History of Economics: A Scientigfic Investigation into the Political Economy and Its Swindler 'Economics' published. 50.00 Rupees/CD$1-1.50.Contact E-mail: wspindia@hotmail.com; Website: http://www.worldsocialistpartyindia.org for more information to purchase.- Red Lion Press (re)publishing Bill Pritchard's autobiography, entitled Revolutionary Socialist: Life of the Socialist Party of Canada and the OBU, 1910-1922.  Fred Casey's Thinking: An Introduction To Its History and Science.Method in Thinking: An Introduction to Dialectics.Costs: $3 for Pritchard, $6 each for the Casey's plus postage costs.Contact E-mail: redlionpress@hotmail.com – for more information to purchase or enquire with the publisher: https://web.facebook.com/search/more/?q=Larry+Gambone&init=public

[Socialist Party Head Office]

THE SOCIALIST PARTY OF CANADAGeneral Secretary's Report for February 2017Email Report- Imagine Winter 2016 released December 5. Visit our website for downloading https://www.worldsocialism.org/canada/- WSP (India) EC meeting minutes No. 171, December 4, 2016, received with thanks.- WSP (India) 1000 copies of History of Economics: A Scientigfic Investigation into the Political Economy and Its Swindler 'Economics' published. 50.00 Rupees/CD$1-1.50. Contact E-mail: wspindia@hotmail.com; Website:www.worldsocialistpartyindia.org for more information to purchase.- Red Lion Press (re)publishing Bill Pritchard's autobiography, entitled Revolutionary Socialist:Life of the Socialist Party of Canada and the OBU, 1910-1922; Fred Casey's Thinking: An Introduction To Its History and Science; and, Method in Thinking: An Introduction to Dialectics. Costs: $3 for Pritchard, $6 each for the Casey's plus postage costs. Contact E-mail: redlionpress@hotmail.com – for more information to purchase or enquire with the publisher: https://web.facebook.com/search/more/?q=Larry+Gambone&init=publicGood of the Movement- Three introductory packages and one member application sent out.- Toronto Branch public meeting held Wednesday, January 25th.- Spring socialist discussion meetings until May 2017, Toronto Branch: February 22, March 29, April 26, May 24, The Second Cup Coffee House, 324 Bloor St., Toronto. Communications to: spctorontobranch@gmail.com– see Toronto Branch Facebook for further details: https://web.facebook.com/Toronto-Branch-Socialist-Party-of-Canada-1120836671294008/ & our website https://www.worldsocialism.org/canada/- Socialist Party of Canada Facebook public page https://web.facebook.com/socialistpartycanada/ & members' page https://web.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100012582758245- Imagine Spring 2017: expected distribution May 2017 – (members, please send in your submissions and ideas!).- Socialist education site for redistribution & hyperlinking, S. Shenfield (WSPUS) http://www.whatissocialism.net/GAC Elections 2017-2019- Very low vote turn out re: December 31, 2016 GAC election – votes cast withdrawn by balloting members. Current GAC requesting presently serving GAC members acknowledge intent to serve within 90 days of January 15th, 2017 or seat(s) to be deemed vacant and filled by awaiting members wishing to serve on GAC.- Headquarter location remains Victoria BC.Finances – Stationary: nil; photocopies: $6.78; post: $9.30.Food For Thought• As we are all aware, the dominating event in recent months is that the good citizens of the Divided States of America have seem unfit to elect as president a great brain, who is loaded down with couth and charm. This brief article was written on January 25th; by the time you read it, he may well have done many more stupid things. "Exactly" what will occur, we don't know, because capitalism is an unplanned, anarchic system where sanity is proverbially told to get out of town. Be that as it may, we can make a vague forecast of what decisions Trump may make and what problems he will have to deal with. He may well, as he said, abolish NAFTA and kill the proposed Trans-Pacific partnership, which, since Canada is a big trading partner with the U.S, will cause loss of jobs here. Furthermore, a trade war will harm the interests of American capitalism. Will that stop our lad? Perhaps, even he isn't crazy! Or is he? We'll have to wait and see. There's been plenty of talk about the Trump-Putin mutual admiration society, but Russia is reemerging as a global super-power and economic realities must, inevitably, hit home. Didn't that old lush Winnie Churchill praise Hitler to the skies during the 1930s? Again, we'll have to wait and see. No relationship is more important to the interests of U.S capitalism than China. Yet, no country has been attacked more by Trump. Why? Only he knows that. Trump, recently, spoke directly to the leader of Taiwan and indicated he would scrap the "One China Policy", if the U.S. doesn't get a better deal with China. Challenging China over Taiwan would risk war. Just how gung-ho is our lad? Far right political parties in Europe will probably make election gains by propagating racism. How this will affect the U.S. we don't know but these populist movements may lean towards him, considering he won by playing up to the same sentiments. Trump said, he will scrap America's nuclear agreement with Iran. He obviously doesn't trust Iran and who can blame him? Could this result in a nuclear war? Who at this time can tell? But we can't rule out the possibility. If there is one, it may be started by the North Koreans. Kim Jong Un said, on January 1st, that soon they will be able to fire a long-range missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead into the U.S.- and a very happy New Year to you, sir! Trump's response was a tweet, saying, "This won't happen". Thanks Donny, you're so reassuring.Trump is obsessed by Islamic terror, but has given no details how to deal with it. If he moves the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the Palestinians will go ballistic, both figuratively and literally. Trump has made no secret he doesn't give a 'rat's behind' for the threat of global warming, which is increasing, becoming less of a threat than a reality. So we can't expect anything positive there. On the home front, Trump said he will reduce crime, but again, gave no clear indication how. He said he will reduce unemployment, but if he scraps free-trade, he will make it worse.Trump, like other presidents, has his advisors, but any advice from them will be within the framework of what they consider best for U.S. capitalism. The moot question, is, "To what extent do individuals make a difference?" A smarter guy than me, once said, "Men make history, but from the conditions to hand." Or, something to that effect. Put it this way – the tailor makes the suit, but, not the cloth. Our comrades in the U.K. are only too well aware of this. During WWII, Britain's Interior Minister, Herbert Morrison, could have shut down the British party. They wouldn't have been able to do anything about it and no one would have protested. Morrison was a humane man, attempting to administrate an inhumane system. As a WWI conscientious objector, there was a certain empathy there, so he allowed the SP to propagate and attack both sides in the war. Though individuals make a difference concerning details, they make none concerning fundamentals, nor can they.No one knows exactly what will happen under Donny baby, maybe he doesn't, but we do know what won't. There will be no change in the class basis of society. The capitalist class will continue to own the tools of production, while the working class continue to be exploited by them, (that is, those who still have jobs) with all the consequent misery this causes. Nor, would it have been different if Hillary had won. Trump's ranting "America First", is so much hot air to convince the American working class they have something in common with those who exploit them.The time is long overdue for the working class to stop saying let's vote for this or that candidate. How about making things a whole lot better? This can be done by "not" voting for individuals as such, but electing a majority of socialist deputies, with a mandate to make the tools of production the property of all. Then we could have done with war, poverty, unemployment, planned obsolescence, famine, preventable diseases, epidemics and destruction of the environment. Also, no one would think of electing goofball politicians, or even smart ones, who's sole intention is to keep us exploited.• On Jan. 12 incoming secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, promised a hard-line stance towards Russia, which conflicted sharply with Obama's and Trump's approach. Tillerson, a former CEO with Exxon Mobil, called Russia a danger to the U.S. and said he would keep U.S. sanctions in place and consider new penalties related to Russian meddling in the election, (if they did). He criticized Obama's sanctions on Russia, which cost Exxon hundreds of Millions of dollars – need I say more?• Canadians who want to meet Justin Trudeau during his road tour of town halls are being asked to register their personal details with Liberal M.P.s. To quote Conservative M.P. Candice Bergen,''Do not call it open town hall when its actually a Liberal rally. Its not at all the back-to-the-people tour the Prime Minister described.'' That's what I like about Crapitalism – its so open and democratic.• The province of Ontario ''officially'' gives $61 million a year in grants to help marginalized students in Toronto. A report released on January 12, by ''Social Planning Toronto'', claims that half of that money isn't being spent on them and is instead diverted to cover other expenses, as the cash strapped Toronto District School Board struggles to balance its budget. According to Sean Meagher, director of Social Planning Toronto,''This is the first time we've had absolutely rock solid numbers that no one can refute because they are the TDSB's own numbers''. So as always under Capitalism it comes down to money, which is another good argument in favour of a society without any.• On December 16 Venezuela became a country without cash. The most widely used banknote, the 100 Bolivar, which had previously been worth 2 American cents, went out of circulation. Higher denomination bills which were meant to replace it had not arrived at the banks and no explanation was given. This meant people looking to buy groceries were out of luck as banks had run out of lower denomination bills like 20 and 50 Bolivar notes. There were no political protests as people scrambled to figure a way of fulfilling their needs in a country operating without money, but with a price tag on everything they would want. And this in a country that claims to be a Socialist one – how ridiculous can it get? Its shades of the runaway inflation in Germany in the early 20's, when workers were paid four times a day. Its obvious nothing changes under Capitalism, so why don't we all work for its abolition?• In Toronto, unionized city garbage collectors said they would fight Mayor John Torys efforts to outsource 200 of their jobs. Matt Figliano,Vice-President of CUPE local 416, which represents the affected workers, said they have an anti-privatization,''Kicked To The Curb'', lobbying campaign. Before Toronto amalgamated in 1997, Etobicoke outsourced its garbage. In 2012 the then Mayor, Rob Ford, convinced council to contract out the rest of the city's west half, which saved them $11 million a year. The city is in debt, therefore it wants to save money, but workers don't want to lose their jobs – a typical capitalist situation. Years ago when the economy was buoyant, a job in the government usually meant job security, which today no longer exists.• On December 23, three Canadian soldiers said they had endured years of racist abuse, including slurs about Aboriginals and Blacks that were ignored by their superior officers. The three have filed a lawsuit against the military in Federal court in Halifax. They claim they were exposed to verbal taunts, racial epithets and insults to family members. A Black soldier claimed someone threw bananas at his wife. Their officers brushed aside their complaints and told them not to file any suits. If all this is true, it goes to show that even when one is prepared to fight to defend and advance the interests of the capitalist class he is still treated with contempt. If anything is contemptible it's the capitalist system.• On December 18 the Toronto Star focused on insurance claims made against General Electric in Peterborough, Ontario. Over the last ten years more than half of the 660 occupational disease claims, including brain, bowl and lung cancer, have been denied. Workers at GE are exposed to high levels of cancer causing substances such as Trichloroethylene, Asbestos and Lead. When they try to prove their cases to Ontario's Workplace Safety and Insurance Board they are confronted with delay, bureaucracy, callousness and disappointment. One can hardly expect a Board, created by a government which is there to protect the interests of the Capitalist Class, to be unbiased. This is not to say bias is necessarily a bad thing. Some bias in the direction of a society where the above situation could not exist would be welcomed.• Indian chiefs from Manitoba, Alberta and B.C. said, on January 11, that enviromentalists everywhere were impressed by Justin Trudeau's comments at International talks in Paris, in late 2015. To quote activist Jane Fonda,''we all thought, what a cool guy, what a disappointment. He talked so beautifully of the need to meet the requirements of the climate treaty and to respect and hold to the treaties with indigenous people. Such a heroic stance he took there and yet he has betrayed every one of the things he committed to in Paris." Last year Trudeau approved plans to triple the capacity of the Trans Mountain Line between Edmonton and Burnaby, B.C. And approved plans to replace Endbridge's line between Edmonton and Superior, Wisconsin, but he pushed ahead with a national carbon price and rejected Endbridge's proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline. The compromise did not please Grand Chief Stewart Phillip of the Union of B.C, Indian Chiefs, ''I share the bitter disappointment. He failed to restructure the National Energy Board or environmental assessment hearings into major resource projects''. Fonda added,''There’s going to be more poor people if the likes of your Prime Minister and our President-Elect have their way – a lot of poor sick people''.If the capitalist class and governments which maintain the status-quo consider the extraction and transportation of certain raw materials to be profit yielding they will go ahead and to hell with the environment and all who live there, indigenous or not. Protests wont accomplish anything – Revolution will.• On January 18, on the CBC news, they provided the statistics of drug related deaths, recently in BC. 142 died in December and 914 in 2016, which is an 80 per cent increase from 2015. What a sick, empty, meaningless society we live in that would make anyone turn to and get hooked on narcotics. Its time to get rid of it.• Regular readers of this column may recall an item some while back about the claw on garbage collection trucks which can be operated by the driver making it unnecessary for a guy to lift and unload bins. At the time there were still a two man team on the truck. Recently, in Mississauga, Ontario, this writer noticed there was just one guy. Under capitalism progress is a two edged sword.• About 100 people were missing in December and feared dead after two shipwrecks off Italy raised the total of deaths among migrants on the Mediterranean Sea in 2016 to 5000 – a new annual record, United Nations Agencies said on December 23. Deaths linked to Mediterranean crossings by migrants spiked in 2016. In 2015 more than one million crossed the sea, with 3771 deaths recorded. In 2016 about 360,000 people have crossed, most between Libya and Italy, but there have been far more deaths, probably due to overcrowding on unseaworthy vessels. As long as capitalism lasts folks will always flee from its more troubled spots, hoping to find a place where they can be exploited without a war raging around them.• The recent movie ''Hidden Figures'', which depicts the successful battle of three coloured women for recognition when working on NASA's space program in the early 1960's is excellent. Since one is a mathematician, one an engineer and the other a computer specialist, each have to fight their separate battles. The movie is totally absorbing, especially as its a true story. Though one can applaud the breaking down of barriers and consequently raising the status of people who had previously been dumped on, wouldn't it be better to have a world where there were no barriers to break down because no one was getting dumped on?• The Toronto Transit Commission are increasing security on buses and streetcars in the hope that riders won't spit on drivers. In 2016 there were 285 assaults on transit operators in Toronto, a number that doesn't include verbal abuse. 34 per cent of assaults were by spitting, 31 per cent were a slap on the hand and 37 per cent a punch in the face. In a December pilot project called Bus Stop, constables boarded 400 buses on 400 lines. Most of the disputes were about fares, but nevertheless it's a clear indication that capitalist society is breaking down more and more every day.• In January Toronto officials announced plans to double the amount of cameras at intersections, which is currently at 77. The expansion is part of the city's new $80 million road safety plan, which Mayor John Tory has championed with the aim of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries. Methods of surveillance always start in a way the public as a whole find acceptable. In the U.S. it was supposedly to ''combat terrorism''. All these techniques can and will be used to crush opposition to capitalism, but it won't do them a bit of good when the vast majority vote to end it.• The Earth heated up to a third straight record hot year in 2016, with scientists blaming man made global warming – no kidding! Figures released by the National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration revealed that the average global temperature was 14.84 Celsius, beating the previous year by 0.04,Celsius. This shows that what has been done to decrease global warming is too little too late. As long as profits are made capitalism rushes pell mell to its own destruction and that of the rest of us.Gustav's GemsIn his work "The Rise of Capitalism", Dr. Bang analyzes the collapse of the Chartist Movement. This was the great movement for universal suffrage in Britain in the 19th century."That happened which had to happen. Chartism had to terminate. It had to do so because, historically, it was not in consonance with the evolutionary stage of the period. Capitalism was not sufficiently ripe for overthrow. It was in its ascendancy, both as regards inner and external development. It had barely put the first lap behind, and it was to pass through a series of phases before the germs of its dissolution could manifest themselves. Preparations for its coming collapse could be made, the collapse could be hastened, but this could be done only by the workers gaining in strength, organizationally, tactically, and in consistent progress, and in the measure that the bourgeoisie became weakened. A big victory that in itself, meant a definite step toward a new social order, could not yet be won." Today, capitalism has developed to the extent that it is ripe to be overthrown. Has the world's working class themselves become more educated about how it should be overthrown? Or indeed, do they think it needs to be overthrown?They need to wake up PDQ, before the affects of capitalism destroy life on this planet. For socialism, Steve and John.

[Socialist Party Head Office]

The review of the book by Immanuel Ness has been translated into Russian. Here

[Socialist Party Head Office]

The contribution from our representative here:http://socialismoryourmoneyback.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/james-connolly-and-easter-rising_9.html

[Socialist Party Head Office]

Here's the author's reply:

Quote:

If I understand the question right, the article doesn't say that liberals claim that Moslems are not homophobic. They know perfectly well that homophobia is a big problem, just as it is in many Christian groups. The article took the view that when it comes to criticism of Islamic homophobia there is a tacit 'hands off' policy among western liberals to go easy rather than apply the same criticism they would of other groups. The reasons for this are many and obvious, and to do with notions of 'the greater good'.But workers who are victimised, tortured and murdered, whether it's for their union activities or something as trivial as their sexuality, need to be defended and spoken up for, not smoothed out of polite discussion.  Christian groups like the Church of England are currently torn apart over the gay debate, with common sense at war with scripture, but at least there is some kind of debate. What Orlando has done, apart from putting the LGBT community unwillingly in the front line, is demonstrate the need for that debate in Moslem circles as well. The socialist cause can hardly advance without these basic divisions being addressed in all cultures.

[Socialist Party Head Office]

Sorry the above should have been from KAZ

[Socialist Party Head Office]

In answer to Socialistpunk (if he is not being totally sarcastic) – yes. In relation to money not simply "thou shalt have no money" (which leads to the sort of fruitless and embarassing bureaucratic speculations in this thread) but (if necessary and when prompted) "when the workers as a class control the means of production there will be no need of money – you do not need to buy what you already own". A product, not an aim. A question: As some of the main thinkers and writers in the Partly, do you honestly feel happy with all of the things which have been written here?

[Socialist Party Head Office]

Email received at Head Office:

Quote:

Surely you should be encouraging your readers/voters to vote LEAVE  if only for the sheer malicious pleasure of terminating the careers of Cameron and Osborne, suddenly and in disgrace.. Neither  would survive an 'OUT' vote for more than a few days. If they win – and survive – they are going to be even more      unbearable.

He has been referred to this month's Socialist Standard especially the front cover.

[Socialist Party Head Office]

Email received from someone in the US:

Quote:

Dear Scoialist Party (UK)Reply to yours on  the  General Strike  and Workers Councils (Apr / May 2016  Soc. Standard Mags.) , First, Your article on the General  Strike weapon  (May Pg. 10-11)whilst informative and  useful  is quite   faulty on a few key points .First, you grossly  underestimate, and demean  the importance of workers class  consciousness  growing  which set the basis of the workers advances from mere legal /truncated trade/craft  union actions  . General strikes tend to  move  affected  parts of the class and allies to more militant , anti-capitalist wider fightback and their own demands  and build  socialist clarity ..  Second , you contradict , by your own emphasis on narrow  parliamentary activities  negating that many advances to General Strikes also  incorporate political trends and tendencies, socialists work,  gettting a favorable and influencial hearing from masses of active / combined workers.The workers in  combined actions , working, co-operating, in  spreading support brings more workerst o see in reality the latent power of their own class unleashed from capitalisms legalist jails & electoral illusions, and raising the needed spirit of organizing as a wider , united class. against waged slavery and capitals  wider hegemony over society . . . Third, you try to separate, almost  with a Chinese wall almost the whole  economic struggle from the political conflict with  capitalist rule. In fact at whatever the level of struggle , class conflict needs to raise BOTH  fronts of battle to the the fore, in  the terrain of the worker lives for them  to strengthen their educating and organizing as a class against the bosses rule economically and thru the the capitalist state machine.monopoly  of controls. The is no guarantee of immediate advance to revolution and workers taking the power. But the training of industrial and  bonifide socialistic political education  and action  raises the workers to be serious challengers to the rule of the bosses dominance, exploitation  robbery, racism and wars.. In your snipes on the *Soviets*, (Apr, Reveiw, pg 20),  the  workers  councils advanced  struggles , your prejudice against mass combined industrial political tactics leads you to distrort the history of the workers councils risings.. Your  asserting that workers councils just arise 'spontaneously ' and in less developed countries  is flat out wrong ! The workers councils did not just step onto history in 1905 and 1917 in Russia , but also in rebellion to the imperialist World War 1 in advanced industrial nations as  Germany , Austria and  Italy , etc and played a huge role in forcing the bourgeois rulers  to halt the carnage of WW1  and both the workers, as large sections of the armed forces  in councils  rebelled  against the continuing barbarism.and after. That their efforts went furthest in Russia  but could not advance to full socialism is hardly the western  workers/farmers  fault,  Given the amount of repression , counter revolution, isolation , capitalist intervention and blockades & state capitalist controls resulted  in the  defeat  of the huge revolutionary waves by the early 20s.. In Germany , Austria, Hungary , Italy , etc  the workers councils had not he time to  deepen political understanding assisted  by their new Marxist  revolutionary parties like the experienced  Bolsheviks, as had happened in Russia, The Western European  workers councils  , soldiers/sailors and workers included strong influences of reformists , careerists and fakers in addition to harmful  influences of nationalist  reaction too., Thus these councils occupations , mass actions,  General strikes   and near civil war not achieve the tactical and strategic clarity they  had in Russia, at least  for a few years . Also as a result of illusions in bosses  'democracy' slick parliamentary facades, followed by  political division , repression  , and  isolation , their diffuse  attempts to establish workers rule were  defeated bythe ruling  exploiter classes.  Finally, is not at least a tad of wooden and ossifed thinking for you to say that the workers councils, (albeit in different forms & experiences ) cannot again emergein countries like the UK or the USA, etc.,   especially in periods of capitals  crises/plunder  that will probably be even deeper, bloodier , more global in scope ?

[Socialist Party Head Office]

The separate "What is Socialism" website that WSP members have been planning so as to take advantage of the increase in interest in the concept of socialism sparked off by Bernie Sanders's primary election campaign is now up and can be seen here:http://www.whatissocialism.net/

[Socialist Party Head Office]

 I forgot to add -Submissions from regular contributors to the Socialist Standard and from members of the World Socialism Movement, including those of the World Socialist Party of the United States, are welcome.They can either be emailed to spgb.sspc.ed@worldsocialism.org or sent by post to Head Office.

[Socialist Party Head Office]

Another if belated (only published on polling day after voting had begun) interview with our candidate in Lambeth & Southwark but this time Kevin at least got a chance to correct a misinterpretation (scroll down to comments). The SW Londoner is an online newspaper published from Streatham.http://www.swlondoner.co.uk/4-5m-houses-make-mockery-system-lambeth-southwark-socialist-gla-candidate/

[Socialist Party Head Office]

Socialist Party Head Office wrote:

Here's the Socialist Party statement on the EU referendum adopted by the EC at its meeting on Saturday:

Comment on this received by email at Head Office:

Quote:

To the Socialist Party of Great Britain,I have read the statement issued by your executive committee this month titled "The problem is not the EU… it's capitalism." I believe, too, that the problem is capitalism. But I am absolutely sure that the EU is irredeemably linked to Capitalism, whereas at Westminster we conceivably have the power to make the interests of big businesses a less dominant factor in politicians' decisions. Because the EU Commission is not elected. It is conceived as a capitalists' charter, and acts as such. Westminster, freed from the anti-democratic influence of the EU, will be once more the seat of a democratic government, and with democracy comes the opportunity for people who have the intention and the courage to stand up to the massive power of capitalism to be elected. I urge you to choose the devil that you can get rid of in an election, rather than the devil that you can't. Can we not try to claim Britain for the people rather than surrendering it indefinitely to a group of unelected bankers? I feel like whoever is reading this will think me quite presumptious in airing my views to a political party in this manner, but I am young and optimistic, and I really believe what I just wrote. I'd be very eager to hear your reply to this. I wonder if you'd also be interested in my petition to Jeremy Corbyn? https://www.change.org/p/jeremy-corbyn-vote-with-your-conscience-the-eu-is-a-coup-against-democracy-and-the-working-classes?recruiter=76781477&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink Please reply, I'm being ignored everywhere.Best wishes,Brendan Kjellberg-Motton

[Socialist Party Head Office]

Here's the Socialist Party statement on the EU referendum adopted by the EC at its meeting on Saturday:

Quote:

The problem is not the EU … it’s capitalismOn 23 June you will asked to make a decision on behalf of the minority who own and control the means of production in Britain: should they stay or should they leave the EU?  Perhaps you ought to feel flattered that, for once, they have entrusted you with making a decision of vital importance to them. But our answer, as socialists, is “we are not interested. Settle the matter yourselves”.This is because the problems we and you face as wage and salary workers or their dependents are caused by the capitalist system of ownership by the few and production for profit. This system, which requires that making profits comes before meeting needs, will continue whether Britain is in or out of the EU. Whichever it is to be, the problems will continue. They will continue for as long as capitalism does. The only way out is if you, together with wage and salary workers in the rest of the world, organise democratically to replace global capitalism by a worldwide classless socialist society of common ownership and democratic control, with production to satisfy people’s needs not for profit, and distribution on the principle of “from each according to their ability, to each according to their needs” not by the amount of money you have – or don’t have.The devil you knowApart from a few idealists who want to see a Federal European State, the main group in favour of  staying is Big Business. With good reason, from their point if view. The EU gives them tariff- free access to a vast single market with common standards. And the EU, negotiating as a single body with non-member States over trade and other economic matters and so with more bargaining power, gets them a better deal than if Britain had to do this on its own.Other supporters are the Scottish and Welsh Nationalists who want to protect the EU subsidies their parts of Britain get. More principled is the position of the Green Party which wants to defend the free movement of workers throughout the EU – out of as well as into Britain.Cameron claims to have negotiated some fundamental reform of the EU. Actually, he has done no more than freeze the position of Britain as a non-member of the Eurozone. He hasn’t undone anything. He hasn’t even stopped immigration which some mistakenly see as a problem, only held out a hope that it will be less attractive in a few years. No wonder the Eurosceptics are sceptical.Basically, the Stay campaign are campaigning for the status quo. As is the Labour Party.  In other words, capitalism as we know it, with all the problems it causes, and so not worth supporting even if it is the devil we know.The devil you don’t

[Author]

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