turn left - summer 2011

8/6/2019 Turn Left - Summer 2011

1/28

Turn Left

THE CLASS OF 2011FROM THE EGYPT SPRING TO THE QUEBEC ORANGE CRUSH

HOW YOUNG PEOPLE ARE FIGHTING BACK

Voice of the NDP Socialist Caucus

Voix du caucus socialiste NPDSummer 2011

t 2011$2

www.ndpsocialists.ca


2/28

02 Turn Left

INSIDE

03 An Open Letter to Brad Levigne

Hans Modlich

04 From the Editor: The Class of 2011

05 Profile: Dan Harris, MP for Scarborough Southwest

06 Defeating Harpers Tories in the Parliament of the StreetsBarry Weisleder

08 Battons les Conservateurs au Parlement de la Rue

10 Why the NDP Must Oppose NATO and the Bombing of Libya

12 Right-Wing Coup OverturnsSocialist Win at ONDY ConventionTyler MacKinnon

14 Protecting Our PensionsJohn Orrett

16 Socialist Caucus Resolutions for 2011 NDP Convention

20 An Election Night I Will Never ForgetHans Modlich

22 Build on the Historic Gains for the NDPBarry Weisleder

23 Profit System Fuels World Food Crisis

24 The Case for Equality. A Review of The Spirit LevelSimon Black

25 Postal Workers Deliver 95% Strike MandateElizabeth Byce

26 Profile: CAW Economist Jim Stanford

06

10

26

12


3/28

Open letter to BRAD LAVIGNE,

NDP Election Campaign DirectorMay 11, 2011

Dear Brad,

For 50 years I have worked for thehistoric gains achieved by the NDPon May 2 by putting up NDP elec-

tion signs, pulling the vote on E-day,and contributing handsomely to partycoffers. Being Franco-Canadian, I fol-lowed the Election Night coverage onRadio-Canada only to find, as the tele-cast focused on the Constitution Roomat the Metro Convention Centre, thatour splendid electoral breakthrough wasmarred by an entirely avoidable visual im-age.

A sea of Maple Leaf flags without a single Fleur de Lys in sight greeted the tide of Quebecois voters asa backdrop to Jack Laytons address asleader-elect of the Ocial Opposition.This was an inexcusable faux pas! Wepresume it happened without the priorknowledge of the Leader. In any case

it cannot be ignored lest our break-through in Quebec turn into a one-nightstand. Brad, while I have received e-mailmessages daily from you leading up toMay 2, I have waited for over a week forany kind of public acknowledgment ofthis blunder on election night.

It is for this reason that I am ad-dressing this open letter to you. I havestood up in defence of the Fleur de Lys onseveral occasions, both as a party mem-ber and as a former resident of Quebec.For example, at Brockville at the time of

the Meech Lake Accord, when reaction-aries trampled the Fleur-de-Lys flag, andthe media eagerly transmitted the hate-ful images of anti-Quebec chauvinism inaction.

Brad, I believe I have the rightto ask that the NDP, starting with youas the federal campaign director, publiclyacknowledge the flag error and explainhow it occurred. The party should apolo-gize for it and pledge that at future NDP/NPD events the Fleur de Lys be accordedequal status with the Maple Leaf.

I wish this acknowledgment andcorrection be done expeditiously. I amsure that New Democrats would agreethat we do not want the flag slap in theface of Quebec to mar the proceedingsat the upcoming June federal NDP con-vention in Vancouver. Please respond tothis appeal as soon as possible.

Sincerely yours,

Hans ModlichMember of Federal Steering Committee,NDP Socialist Caucus

Lettre ouverte BRAD LAVIGNE,Directeur de la campagne du NPD pourles lections fdrales

le 11 Mai 2011Cher Brad,

Depuis 50 ans jai travaill pourles gains historiques acquis parle NPD ce 2 mai en mettant des

pancartes lectorales du NPD, incitantau vote le jour de llection, et en con-tribuant gnreusement aux coffres duparti.

tant franco-Canadiens, jaisuivi la soire des lections Radio-Can-

ada seulement pour constater que notreperce spectaculaire tait entache parune image dont on aurait compltementpu se passer.

Cest une mer de drapeauxportant lemblme du Canada, la feuilledrable, sans un seul drapeau fleurdelis lhorizon qui - en toile de fond du dis-

cours de Jack Layton en tant que leaderlu de lopposition ocielle dans la lasalle de la constitution - a accueillit lavague de votes Qubcois.

Ceci tait un impair inexcus-able! Nous doutons que cette erreur aitt commise avec la connaissance pral-able du chef du parti. Dans les cas, cecine peut pas tre ignor de peur de fairede notre perce au Qubec une aventuredun soir.

Brad, bien que jai reu des cour-riels quotidiens prcdant le 2 mai, ja

attendu plus dune semaine pour une re-connaissance publique de quelque typeque soit pour cette bourde la nuit deslections. Cest pour cette raison que jevous adresse cette lettre ouverte.

Je me suis port la dfense dufleurdelis plusieurs occasions dans mavie, autant en tant que membre du partquen tant quancien rsident du QubecPar exemple, Brockville lpoque duLac Meech, lorsque les ractionnaires

Turn Left 03

WHERE WERE THE FLEUR DE LYSAT THE NDP VICTORY PARTY?

continued on page thirteen


4/28

Turn Left

04 Turn Left

Published by theNDP Socialist Caucuswww.ndpsocialists.ca

Editor and Designer: Sean [email protected]

Editorial Board:

Elizabeth Byce

John OrrettBarry WeislederHugo Pouliot

The Class of 2011

By Sean Cain

1968. 1989. 2011.It happens ev-ery twenty yearsor so. Young peo-ple decide theyvehad enough andput their lives onthe line to fight

the oppression and injustices of the past.1968 saw the uprisings of Chi-

cago, Paris and Prague, where studentschallenged the power of political andmilitary authorities. Two decades later,

young people throughout Eastern Eu-rope and the former Soviet Union helpedoverthrow Stalinist tyranny. The sameyear, hundreds of thousands descendedon Tiananmen Square in Beijing to callfor democratic reforms.

This isnt to say that these re-volts were always successful. For yearsafter 1968, the U.S. war machine con-tinued to kill millions in south-east Asia,the global capitalist system carried onits usual record of economic exploita-tion, poverty and injustice, and Chinahas simply went from beinga Stalinist dictatorship to acapitalist one. Out with theold boss, in with the new.

Fast forward to2011. The Arab Springshocked both the West andtheir well-funded oil tyrantsof the Middle East. Yetwhat the corporate mediadidnt report on were thetens of thousands of youngsocialists and labour activ-

ists in Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Libyaand others who were involved in the up-risings. Among these is Gigi Ibrahim, a

young Egyptian socialist who regularlyfeatures on various news programs andcurrently graces the cover page of thisedition of Turn Left.

While dictators were runningfor cover in the Middle East, youngpeople were making waves in Quebecand throughout Canada. The massiveupturn of support for the NDP in Que-bec led to a number of victories of youngworkers and students from the provinceduring the May 2011 election. They in-clude students, a pub manager, a nurse,

a writer and researcher, a teacher, sev-eral information technology workers andsocial activists, and a nineteen year-oldwho was planning to spend the summerworking at a golf course.

The NDP is usually criticized forbeing a party of special interests, suchas young people, workers, women, se-niors, low income Canadians, AboriginalPeople, immigrants and New Canadians you know, essentially everybody. Andwere actually accused of that, like its abad thing.

The May 2nd election showedthat we are the party of both diversityand the majority, and we should start

acting like it. The new, young MPs othe NDP can provide a real leftist edgeto counteract the spectacular failures ofneo-liberal economic and social policy.

The current Tory finance min-ister, Jim Flaherty, was no less than ninemonths ago touting Ireland Ireland- asa low tax economic model for Canada tofollow. One government bankruptcy andmassive IMF bailout later, Mr. Flahertyseems a little more humble about thesupposed benefits of slashing corporatetaxes like Ireland did, yet he still seems

willing to continue this failed policy in hismost recent budget.This is where a youthful and

more forward-looking NDP can make areal difference. After having our backsagainst the wall for almost three de-cades, its time we fight back hard with policies that benefit working peo-ple, students and those living in poverty.

The Socialist Caucus resolutionswe have submitted to convention focuson social ownership, economic democ-racy, workers rights, fair and progressive

taxation, eliminating tuitionfees, calling for an end tomilitary adventurism in theMiddle East, and democra-tizing the NDP.

If young people can risktheir lives fighting againstbrutal military regimes in theMiddle East, than certainlywe can propose progres-sive and socialist policiesto improve lives of workingpeople here in Canada. n

Cover photo by Al JazeeraProduced by union labour

The NDP is usually criticized forbeing a party of special interests,such as young people, low-incomeCanadians, workers, people ofcolour, women, seniors, AboriginalPeople, New Canadians you know,essentially everybody.


5/28

Turn Left 05

Turn Left Editor Sean Cain spokewith the newly elected MP fromScarborough Southwest, Dan

Harris.

SC: First of all, Dan, congratulations onyour electoral victory in ScarboroughSouthwest. Tell us about your campaign

and what is was like to work with somany youth and labour union activists?

DH: Thanks Sean, my feet are firmlyanchored to the ground but I havebeen feeling like Ive been floatingsince election day. Were a long wayfrom June 4th, 1995 when I joined theNDP at age 15. As you well know fromour own work together in the OntarioNew Democratic Youth (ONDY) andthe New Democratic Youth of Canada(NDYC), I enjoy engaging young peoplein the political process.

This election was no differ-ent. I went out to each of the local highschools and recruited students as theywere coming out of school and we hadenough student volunteers to distrib-ute one piece to the entire riding. Itwas incredible having so many youngpeople involved. Ive also always madesure to include students under 18 whenmeeting them on doorsteps or on thestreet to remind them that their issuesare important and that they have a voiceeven if they cant vote.

Organized Labour wasntas involved in my local campaign thistime. Much like the party and workingpeople, labour doesnt have enoughresources to go around and they arebeing stretched more and more. So itscertainly not a rebuke, nor am I upset, Iunderstand the current reality (thoughthat changed a lot on May 2nd) and Ilook forward to working with labourover the next four years.

There were certainly manylabour activists who helped on the

campaign and Ive had tremendous sup-port from labour in previous campaigns,particularly my municipal run in 2006where I got to work closely with JuliusDeutsch, and wish he was here to seethis.

SC: During the past few months, weveseen young people and students fromthe Middle East to Quebec engage inpolitical action like never before andwin huge victories. Why do you think

this is happening now and how can theLeft keep this momentum going? Whatcan the NDP do to allow for more youthactivism in the party?

DH: Well, I think the NDP has donethe biggest thing it could do already,elect a whole bunch of young people asmembers of parliament. As a first step,this shows young Canadians that theirviews are represented in the House ofCommons. As to why its happening?Thats far too complicated to respond

comprehensively, but I think in manycases worldwide there is a feeling fromthe younger generation that they dontlike how things are being run and wantto do it differently.

These things happen fromtime to time when many people feelleft out. Here in Canada, as the OfficialOpposition, we can work to includemore Canadians in the process and topropose legislation that will providemore opportunities to young Canadians

Seniors, protects the environment andmuch more. The spotlight is on us nowand I think its great because our mes-sage will reach more people.

SC: Its clear what the Harper agendawill bring: more tax breaks to the banks,oil companies and his corporate friends,attacks on the living standards of work-ing people, huge cutbacks to social pro-grams like health care and education,

PROFILE:Dan Harris, MP for Scarborough Southwest

continued on page thirteen


6/28

06 Turn Left

New Democrats across the countryworked hard for the big gains ofthe May 2011 election. But as BarryWeisleder explains, the hard work isjust beginning

Good or bad? May 2 cata-pulted the union-basedNew Democratic Partyinto second place, O-cial Opposition, bearinghistoric gains. Good.

But the total seat tally enabledthe Conservatives to eke out a parlia-mentary majority. Not good.

So whats the conclusion?Are we in a four-year holding pattern,doomed to witness the slow train wreckof a century of social benefits? Not if

we choose to resist.Actually, those aicted with acase of post-election blues should takeheart. The workers movement acrossthe Canadian state has rarely had a bet-ter opportunity to seize the time, stopthe bleeding, and take charge of thesituation. Consider the following:

1. The Harper majority is an artificialproduct of an undemocratic electoralsystem. Winning only 39.5% of thevotes cast, less than one-quarter of the

total electorate, Harper has no man-date to carry out his vicious anti-labouragenda. While his appointment of threedefeated Conservative candidates tothe Senate shows his undiminished ar-rogance, Harper is a paper tiger. He canbe stopped. Clearly, it will take mass

labour economic and political action,starting with active support for thepostal workers struggle against conces-sions. But the main point remains: theTory agenda can be halted.

2. The May 2 federal election put to reststrategic voting, bourgeois coalition-making, and all talk of NDP-Liberalmerger. Those examples of blatant classcollaboration, which only confuse theissue and divide working people, are offthe table for four years, and hopefully

forever. But the NDP government inwaiting must prove it is up to the taskof governing in the interests of theworkers, small farmers, oppressed na-tionalities, women, youths and seniors.

3. Spectacular NDP gains in Quebec arevery significant, but very fragile. Que-bec nationalist expectations are high.They are echoed by youthful voicesamong the 59 NDP Quebec MPs. Posi-tive NDP pledges to make French thelanguage of work in federally regulated

industries inside Quebec, and to respecta future vote for sovereignty, fueledexpectations. Thus, NDP Leader JackLayton is riding a bull. He may tame it,or it may buck him. Still, the new politi-cal situation has erected a bridge be-tween the workers movements in both

nations. The Canadian Union of PostalWorkers collective bargaining strugglemay be the bellwether of Pan-Canadianworkers unity against the Canadian cap-italist class and their anti-labour agenda.

4. We can replace Labours retreat ofthe past 30 years with mass resistancetoday to the corporate agenda. Objec-tive conditions for a turnaround are ripe.The main obstacle to the resistance weneed is the pro-capitalist leadership ofour unions and the NDP. At the top of

both organizations is the same group ofprivileged bureaucrats. Theyve beenrowing the boat mostly in one direc-tion backwards for over a quartercentury. To change course the rightwing brass must be removed. For that tohappen, for any hope of a change of di-rection, we need to step up the buildingof a class struggle opposition inside theunions and the NDP. From a little acorngrows a mighty oak tree.

5. A class struggle opposition is based

Defeating Harpers Tories in the

Parliament of the StreetsPhoto: Asmaa Dee


7/28

Turn Left 07

on a clear programme and a firm set ofprinciples reflecting the concrete needsof the vast majority of the population.The NDP Socialist Caucus, founded in1998, with over 500 supporters acrossthe country, is based on the Manifestofor a Socialist Canada. It is elaborated

and amplified by all the resolutionsadopted at its annual conferences overthe past 13 years. The SC commitmentto fight for public ownership of the com-manding heights of the economy, underworkers and community democraticcontrol, to facilitate the transformationtowards green energy eciency at alllevels, from industry and home heatingto mass transportation, is a powerfulexample.

The programme of the Work-

ers Solidarity and Union De-mocracy Coalition, foundedin 1991, and re-launched in2005, provides another good

example. It stands for the following:1. Resist labour concessions and socialcutbacks; 2. Support struggles for uniondemocracy, to make unions more acces-sible, accountable, transparent and par-ticipatory; 3. Take back our unions andturn them into fighting organizations; 4.Rely on our own strength, and renew orcreate our own organizations, from the

bottom up, to fight for the interests ofworking people and against corporateprofit and power.

The operating principles towhich both Workers Solidarity and theNDP Socialist Caucus are committedare basically those of the historic Paris

Commune of 1871, the first workersgovernment in world history: direct de-mocracy, proportional representation ofall currents of opinion, the right of rankand file members to recall and replaceelected ocials, and the rule that oceholders are to be paid no more thanthose whom they represent.

Not everyone belongs to aunion, nor is everyone able to join ororganize a union. But all, regardlessof citizenship or status, can join theunion-based NDP and can support the

fight of the Socialist Caucus to turn theNDP sharply to the left. What mattersis the process, the struggle itself, not towhat degree the party turns left. Mostordinary working people who join thelabour-based party do not sign up justto become cheerleaders for the Leader.We join the NDP for the same reasonwe join unions to advance our classinterests.

Without labour, the NDPwould not exist. The NDP belongs to itsdues-payers, to its aliated unions, to

its 100,000 members, to its 4.5 millionvoters. We simply demand that theNDP serve the interests of its vast sociabase, not the system of exploitation andoppression that serves a tiny corporateelite. It is the struggle within our unionsand within the union-based NDP that

will decide the shape of the fight againstcapitalist austerity and war. The currentstruggle will decide the overall relation-ship of class forces.

This is a point worth emphasiz-ing to our friends across the indepen-dent left: Its time to take a stand, toset aside academic abstractions, and tosurpass small sideline campaigns. Theroad to influence over the 4.5 millionNDP voters lies through struggle againstthe pro-capitalist leaders in whom mil-lions have illusions.

Our task is not to prop up theexisting leadership, but to challengeit, especially inside the mass organiza-tions of the working class. Only thosemass organizations have the capacityto educate and mobilize millions. Weshould strive to win those organizationsto mass action against the rulers attacksand in favour of socialist policies thatcan give shape to an alternative to theunfolding economic and environmental

We can replace Labours retreat of the

past 30 years with mass resistance to

the corporate agenda. we can prove

that the most right-wing government in

Canadian history is a paper tiger, that it

can be blown away by a strong wave of

class struggle.

continued on page twenty one


8/28

08 Turn Left

Les No-dmocrates travers le paysont travaill dur pour les gains ma-

jeurs de l'lection du 2 mai 2011. Maiscomme Barry Weisleder l'explique, ledur travail ne fait que commencer.

Bon ou mauvais? Le 2 mai apropuls le Nouveau Parti

dmocratique bas sur lessyndicats la deuximeplace, soit loppositionocielle, produisant ainsi

des gains historiques. Cest une bonnechose.

Mais le dcompte total desiges a permis aux Conservateurs degagner une majorit parlementaire. Cequi nest pas bon.

Alors, quelle est la conclu-sion? Sommes-nous dans une priodedattente de quatre ans, condamns tre tmoin de la destruction lente dunsicle de gains sociaux? Non, si nouschoisissons de rsister.

En fait, les personnes atteintesde dprime post-lectorale devraientreprendre courage. Le mouvement ou-vrier travers ltat canadien a rarementeu une meilleure opportunit de saisirloccasion, darrter lhmorragie et deprendre en charge la situation. Consi-drons ce qui suit:

1. La majorit de Stephen Harper est le

produit artificiel dun systme lectoralantidmocratique. Remportant seule-ment 39,5% des suffrages exprims,moins dun quart de llectorat total,Harper na pas de mandat pour mener bien son programme anti-ouvrier brutal.Alors que sa nomination de trois can-didats conservateurs dfaits au Snatdmontre que son arrogance est intacte,

Harper est un tigre de papier. Il peuttre arrt. De toute vidence, il faudrades actions politiques et conomiquesouvrires de masse, en commenantavec le soutien actif de la lutte destravailleurs et des travailleuses despostes contre les concessions. Mais lepoint essentiel demeure: lordre du jourconservateur peut tre arrt.

2. Llection fdrale du 2 mai a mis dect le vote stratgique, la mise surpied dun gouvernement bourgeois de

coalition et toute discussion sur unefusion entre le NPD et les Libraux. Cesexemples flagrants de collaboration declasse, qui peuvent seulement crer dela confusion et diviser la classe ouvrire,ne sont plus lordre du jour pourquatre ans et esprons le pour toujours.Mais le gouvernement en attentedu NPD doit prouver quil est capablede gouverner dans lintrt de la classeouvrire, des petits agriculteurs, desnationalits opprimes, des femmes, des

jeunes et des personnes ges.

3. Les gains spectaculaire du NPD auQubec sont trs significatifs, mais aussitrs fragiles. Les attentes nationalistesdes Qubecois-es sont leves. Ellessont reprises par les jeunes voix parmiles 59 dputs du NPD au Qubec. Lesengagements positifs du NPD pour fairedu franais la langue de travail dans les

entreprises sous rglementation fdrale lintrieur du Qubec, et de respecterun vote futur pour la souverainet, ontaliments ces attentes. Ainsi le chefdu NPD Jack Layton est mont sur untaureau. Il peut lapprivoiser ou il peutse faire ruer par lui. De plus, la nouvellesituation politique a rig un pont entreles mouvements ouvriers des deux na-tions. La lutte du Syndicat des travail-leurs et des travailleuses des postes lorsdes ngociations collectives peut tre lebaromtre de lunit pancandienne des

travailleurs et des travailleuses contrela classe capitaliste canadienne et sonordre du jour anti-ouvrier.

4. Nous pouvons aujourdhui remplacerla retraite syndicale des 30 derniresannes avec une rsistance de massecontre lordre du jour des grandes en-treprises. Les conditions objectives pourun revirement sont runies. Le principalobstacle la rsistance dont nous avonsbesoin, cest la direction pro-capitalistede nos syndicats et du NPD. Au som-

Battons les Conservateurs de Stephen

Harper au Parlement de la rue


9/28

Turn Left 09

met de ces deux organisations on re-trouve le mme groupe de bureaucratesprivilgis. Ils ont fait ramer le bateausurtout dans un sens - par en arrire depuis plus dun quart de sicle. Pourchanger le cours, la bureacratie de droitedoit tre jecte. Pour que cela arriveet pour tout espoir dun changement dedirection, nous avons besoin dintensifier

la construction dune opposition delutte de classe lintrieur des syndicats.Dun petit gland pousse un grand chne.

5. Une opposition de lutte de classe estbase sur un programme clair et un sol-ide ensemble de principes refltant lesbesoins concrets de la grande majoritde la population. Le Caucus Socialistedu NPD, fond en 1997, avec plus de 500partisans travers le pays, est bas surle Manifeste pour un Canada socialiste.Il est labor et amplifi par lensemble

des rsolutions adoptes lors de sesconfrences annuelles au cours des 14dernires annes. Lengagement du CS lutter pour la proprit publique dessecteurs prdominants de lconomie,sous le contrle dmocratique des tra-vailleurs et travailleuses et des commu-nauts, afin de faciliter la transition verslecacit nergtique verte tous lesniveaux, de lindustrie et du chauffagersidentiel jusquau transport en com-mun, en est un exemple puissant.

Le programme de la Coalitionpour la Solidarit Ouvrire et laDmocratie Syndicale (WorkersSolidarity and Union DemocracyCoalition), fonde en 1991, et

relance en 2005, fournit un autre bonexemple. Il dfend les points suivants:1.Rsister aux concessions syndicales etaux reculs sociaux. 2. Soutenir les luttes

pour la dmocratie syndicale, rendre lessyndicats plus accessibles, plus respon-sables, transparents et participatifs. 3.Reprendre nos syndicats et les trans-former en organisations de combat. 4.Sappuyer sur nos propres forces, etrenouveler ou crer nos propres organ-isations, de bas en haut, pour lutter pourles intrts de la classe ouvrire et con-tre les profits et le pouvoir des grandesentreprises.

Les principes de fonc-tionnement auxquels Solidarit Ouvrire

et le Caucus Socialiste du NPD se sontengags sont essentiellement ceux delhistorique Commune de Paris de 1871,le premier gouvernement ouvrier danslhistoire du monde: la dmocratie di-recte, la reprsentation proportionnellede tous les courants dopinion, le droitdes membres de la base de rvoquer etde remplacer les reprsentants lus, etla rgle selon laquelle les titulaires dunefonction ne doivent pas tre pays pluscher que ceux et celles quils reprsen-tent.

Ce nest pas tout le mondequi appartient un syndicat, ni tout lemonde qui est capable de se joindre ou de former un syndicat. Mais tous, in-dpendamment de leur citoyennet oude leur statut, peuvent adhrer au NPDbas sur les syndicats et peuvent soute-nir la lutte du Caucus Socialiste pourque le NPD se tourne rsolument vers la

gauche. Ce qui importe est le processusla lutte elle-mme, et non dans quellemesure le parti tourne gauche. Laplupart des travailleurs et des travail-leuses ordinaires qui adhrent un partibas sur les syndicats ne sincrivent pas

juste pour devenir des cheerleaders pourle chef. Nous adhrons au NPD pourla mme raison que nous nous alions un syndicat - pour faire avancer nosintrts de classe.

Sans les syndicats, le NPDnexisterait pas. Le NPD appartient

ses membres cotisants, ses syndicatsalis, ses 100.000 membres, ses4.5 millions dlecteurs. Nous deman-dons simplement que le NPD serve lesintrts de sa grande base sociale et nonle systme dexploitation et doppressionqui est au service dune minuscule litecapitaliste. Cest la lutte au sein de nossyndicats et au sein du NDP bas sur lessyndicats qui dcidera de la forme de lalutte contre laustrit capitaliste et la

Suite la page vingt-et-un

Photo: Jon (Toronto


10/28

10 Turn Left

The NDP Socialist Caucusfederal conference held onMarch 17 at U of Torontodeclared its opposition tothe imperialist interven-tion into Libya (the bomb-

ing and rocket attacks to impose a no-flyzone, and impose regime change). TheSC will campaign across the country for

the anti-intervention position, reflectedin our resolution (see page 16) forthe 2011 NDP convention.

Sadly, NDP MPs joinedthe business class parties in Par-liament in support of the west-ern military intervention in Libya,which now is conducted by NATO,under the command of Cana-dian Lieutenant-General CharlesBouchard. The lessons of historyseem to be lost on Leader JackLayton and his NDP Caucus.

For generations, theCanadian state has been consis-tently on the side of Israel, andagainst Egypt and the Arab countries.That includes during the Israeli warsagainst Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Leba-non. Ottawa has condoned (sometimeswith mild criticism) Israeli atrocities com-mitted repeatedly in Gaza and the WestBank, the construction of the Apartheidwall, the ongoing confiscation of Palestin-ian homes and farms, and the threats tobomb Iran.

Whether Conservative or Liber-al, the federal government has overseen,promoted and facilitated Canadian mili-tary exports to 16 countries in the Mid-dle East and North Africa. Those coun-tries included Mubaraks Egypt, GadaffisLibya and Netanyahus Israel. Between1990 and 2006, the value of these ex-ports of weapons, munitions, armoured

vehicles, jets, helicopters, drones, sur-

veillance equipment and more, wasabout $1.8 Billion.

This has greatly profited Ca-nadian manufacturers like Advantech,Airboss, Astra International, CanadianAirmotive, CEL Aerospace, DEW Engi-neering, Field Aviation Co. Ltd., (just toname a few from the first six letters of thealphabet), and the omnipresent SNC La-valin (which is presently building a super-

prison in Libya).Look at Canadas participation

in so-called peacekeeping missions,such as in Congo in 1960 when U.Nforces isolated revolutionary nationalistleader Patrice Lumumba, facilitating hismurder by a right wing, pro-colonialistpro-mining, secessionist movement. Itfits the pattern. As did Canadas peace-

keeper role on the Golan Heights, inCyprus, in Somalia, in Yugoslaviain Haiti, and for the past decadein Afghanistan. The latter was ini-tially touted as a peacekeepingalternative to participation in theU.S.-led second invasion of Iraq in2003.

Meanwhile, Canadian warshipsply the waters of the Persian Gulfin support of the U.S. occupationof Iraq, and in support of the USembargo and its military threats

against Iran. Now the HMCSCharlottetown is anchored in wa-ters off the coast of Libya, in sup

port of a bombing campaign involvingCanadian CF18s, in the name of a no flyzone. It is a prelude to an armed occupation by US/NATO forces (or their con-trol of the rebel regime by other means)which is why socialists oppose it.

The truth is that Canadianpeacekeeping is a myth, from start topresent. It is political camouflage for imperialist intervention. Increasingly, Cana-

Why the NDP Must Oppose NATO and the Bombing of Libya

Turn Left takes a look at the history of Canadas not-so peaceful pastand the disastrous foreign policies of the Harper Government

The uprisings in Egyptand across the Arabworld show that thedays of imperialist ruleare numbered.

A new day is dawning.


11/28

Turn Left 1

dian state officials speak openly in favourof military intervention. They couch it interms of the duty to protect innocentcivilians.

In opposing imperialist inter-vention, and the diplomatic charade thatusually accompanies it, socialists do notargue for an isolationist policy. Indeed,our policy can be summarized in thisway: Injustice knows no boundaries. Soli-darity knows no borders. But solidaritystarts with opposition to our own capital-ist rulers, including their interventions for

power, plunder and profit abroad.

Bringing Canadians Home

In terms of Afghanistan, there are stilloccasional political relapses at the top.NDP MPs will sometimes say Canadi-an forces can play a role as trainers orinfrastructure builders in Afghanistan even though that would mean supportingthe corrupt, U.S.-imposed Karzai regime.Canadian Forces would still be engaged

in combat outside the wire, since insur-gents do not, as a rule, recognize militarytraining or building by an occupyingpower as friendly activity.

Sometimes NDP MPs, includingthe Leader, speak wistfully about rede-ployment of Canadian Forces to Darfur,or to elsewhere in Africa where oil orgold or other valuable commodities can-not be harvested due to obstruction bypesky nationalists who want to controltheir own resources.

That brings us to the current

wave of uprisings across the Arab world.In early January, when the Tunisian mass-es launched their revolt, after a youngman protested the spike in food pricesby burning himself to death, the federalNDP issued a statement.

It supports the Tunisian people.It says Canada is well positioned to usediplomacy (Really? Remember the elec-tion for U.N. Security Council? Ottawawas punished for its pro-Zionist policies,views shared by most NDP leaders). Itsays stop attacks on civilians. But what

about demanding that then-dictator BenAli step down?

The lessons of history shouldnot be forgotten. NDP parliamentariantend to be caught in a life-long contradiction. Their interests as politicians canconflict with the interests of the millionsof workers who look to the party for social justice, equality, human rights, peaceand environmental sustainability... in other words, for socialism.

The Socialist Caucus is dedicated to shining a light on that contradiction

to winning the fight for socialist policiesand to challenging the cancerous globasystem known as capitalism. In short, theSC strives to replace capitalism with aglobal cooperative commonwealth. Thastarts with opposing the war makers athome.

The uprisings in Egypt andacross the Arab world show that the daysof imperial and capitalist rule are numbered. A new day is dawning. NDP members want to be part of that awakening.n

Photo: Douglas Spro


12/28

12 Turn Left

Many of the young delegates never beforeattended an ONDY convention

...and probably never will again.

Former Ontario New DemocraticYouth (ONDY) Executive MemberTyler MacKinnon looks at the recentundemocratic move by the partyestablishment to silence young, left-wing members

O

n the first weekend of No-vember 2010, up to seventy

students and young workersmet in a small hall in Ham-ilton to make big changes. It was theconvention of the Ontario New Demo-cratic Youth (ONDY). It occurs oncea year to debate, discuss, and resolveissues within the Ontario New Demo-crat Party, and ensure a strong voice for

party members under the age of 26.Although the aim of the

conference was a united voice for thepartys youth, from the moment oneentered the room a clear division wasevident. This was mainly due to theeffort made by right wing social demo-crats to deprive the Toronto YoungNew Democrats (TYND, a downtown-

Toronto-based group) of its club charter.Why? It was due the hostility of theoutgoing ONDY Executive to socialistideas, which they claim misrepresentedthe party, and to the alleged TYND al-legiance to a Marxist magazine, Fight-back.

This clear violation of demo-

cratic principles fostered great tensionsthroughout the weekend and shapedthe debates that took place. Due to theattack on internal democracy, mem-bers of TYND, Fight Back, supportersof Socialist Action and the broad NDPSocialist Caucus rallied youth to theconference and worked together to seeevery pro-democracy and pro-Socialistresolution passed.

This included support forpolicies favouring free post-secondaryeducation, free dental care, condemn-ing both the G20 Summit and the policebrutality that accompanied it, as well asreversing the attempt to exclude TYND.By the end of the conference, everyleftist resolution was adopted. On the

Sunday of the conference, it was time tovote for a new executive to lead ONDY.Under the banner of a United Slate fora Democratic and Activist ONDY, theleftist youth worked together and wonevery position on the executive.

Alas, the win was short-lived.The losers complained to senior partyocials, who overturned the results on

a technicality. They claimed that a fewof the voters and candidates joined theNDP less than 30 days prior to the vote,although the party staff doing registra-tion at the Youth convention did notraise this concern until the very lastminute. Their demand to re-register allseventy participants was a delay tactic

designed to scuttle the election on No-vember 7, and was rejected as such.

Subsequently, the partys topAdministrative Committee imposed aNov. 28 re-vote on the ONDY. It wasconducted at the site of the ONDPProvincial Council, to which most of theoriginal voters could not afford to travelto vote again. There, right wing socialdemocratic youth took 17 out of 20 posi-

tions on the ONDY Executive. The mar-gin favouring the right wing was about50 to 20 for most positions contested.

Many of the 50 never before at-tended an ONDY convention, and prob-ably never will again. They were ralliedby the party establishment to return theYouth wing to the role of a subordinate

election training school, as opposed toa year-round campaigning organizationthat fights alongside young workers andstudents against capitalist rule and forreal socialist change.

To put the ONDY back on anactivist footing, and to win the NDP toan activist, anti-capitalist perspective,groups like Fightback and the TYND

cannot do it alone, as the coup in theONDY demonstrated. They need to

join with radicals, young and veteran,in the Socialist Caucus, the commonfront of the NDP left. In any event, theshameful right wing coup that seizedcontrol of the ONDY will not be soonforgotten.n

RIGHT-WING COUP OVERTURNS

SOCIALIST WIN AT ONDY CONVENTION


13/28

Turn Left 13

and an environment at greater risk. As official opposition,how will the NDP confront these policies? What alterna-tives will we put forth?

DH: The NDP is starting with our five priority commitmentsfrom the election. They were the reason a lot of peoplevoted for us this time. Everything you mentioned in the abovequestion are examples of a Government headed in the wrongdirection. The NDP will be there proposing a change in direc-tion on all those fronts.

SC: The NDP has always been the party of new ideas. Re-cently, proportional representation, a national pharmacareprogram and a national child care program are popularamong supporters. What will the party do as official oppo-sition to make progress on these issues? What other newpolicies will it bring forth in the House of Commons?

DH: It is still very early days. Weve had one face to facecaucus meeting so far and its too early to be able to get intoexactly how were going to be advancing those important is-

sues. You can be sure that part of it will be doing what we dobest, which is to organize and create a broad base of supporton those issues to aid the legislative front.

SC: What are some of the most surprising realities youvefaced so far as a first-time MP?

DH: Where to even begin, its been a whirlwind since May 2ndof events, trips to Ottawa, hiring staff, finding office space, etcIt has been a crash course in learning. The House of Com-mons has a fantastic orientation program for new MPs, butwith the House resuming so fast its all been condensed into ashort period of time.

I think the most surprising reality is just the fact thatIm now an MP. Ive been working towards this for a longtime, but its what I do with it that counts. Theres also beenthe happiness and joy Ive seen around me lately, from ridingmembers, constituents, family and friends.

There is a sense of hope that things might actuallychange. Its been wonderful and I will work diligently to keepthat alive through achieving results for my constituents, andtogether with all 102 other NDP MPs who make up the Of-ficial Opposition, to achieve positive results for Canadians.n

DAN HARRIS, CONTINUED FROM PAGE FIVE

ont pitins sur la scne publique ledrapeau fleurdelis; et que les mdiasont avidemment ces images haineusesdanti-Qubec chauvins dans le feu delaction.

Brad, je crois tre en droit dedemander que le NPD, en commen-

ant par vous, en tant que Directeurde la campagne au Fdral, reconnaissepubliquement cette faute de drapeauet fournisse une explication. Le partdevrait sexcuser et sengager ce quele drapeau fleurdelis ait un status gadans toutes les autres fonctions futuresdu NPD/NDP.

Je souhaite que cette reconnais-sance et correction soit faites rapide-ment. Je suis certain que les NouveauxDmocrates seraient davis que nous nevoulons pas que cette claque inadmis-sible inflige aux Qubcois entache lesdbats lors la convention fdrale duNPD Vancouver en Juin prochain. Jevous serai gr de bien vouloir rpondre cette demande le plus tt possible.

Sincrement,

Hans ModlichMembre du comit directeur ducaucus socialiste du NPD

Letter to Brad Levinge,continued from page three

Photo: tienne Ljni Poisson


14/28

14 Turn Left

Pensions havebeen an impor-tant issue in theclass struggle forgenerations. In1880, GermanysChancellor Otto

von BismarckintroducedEuropes rstcomprehensive

system of income security that includedretirement benets. ese programs,supposedly to promote the well-being ofworkers, were introduced to stave o farmore radical socialist measures proposedby a rapidly growing workers movementembodied in the then-Marxist GermanSocial Democratic Party.

In Canada, the rst government

pension plan was introduced in 1966.Along with Old Age Security and theGuaranteed Income Supplement for lowincome seniors, this regime has served asthe cornerstone of Canadian retirementpolicy to the present. But it has neverbeen sucient. It was never intended toreplace more than 25 per cent of a retireesformer average income.

ings have gotten worse inrecent years. Millions of Canadianshave no workplace pension. e averageworker approaching retirement has only

saved enough through RRSPs to providea monthly income of $250. In 2005 themedian RRSP portfolio of older workersaged 55 to 65 was just $65,000, hardlyenough to generate a decent retirementincome.

Workplace pensions are under

attack. In the 2010 Toronto MunicipalStrike, the industrial strike at Vale Inco,the present lock-out at US Steel in Ham-ilton, and now at Canada Post, the bossesdemands are for pension concessions tocreate a two tiered work force with newhires having poorer quality pensions.

We arent living in an era of capi-talist expansion, as when the CPP started.Now, capitalism is imploding under theweight of debt. Global competition isputting wages and benets under attack.Prot margins are shrinking. Stock and

bond markets are increasingly volatile.Scepticism surrounds thedream of freedom 55, investing in shakymarkets, and leaving pension plans up tonancial experts and planners. ere iswidespread distrust of company pensionplans aer the 2008 nancial collapse ofsuch large companies as General Motorsand Nortel. ese events exposed therisky nature of company benet plans andrevealed that workers, who build a com-pany for years, and contribute pensionpremiums, nd themselves at the bottom

of the creditor totem pole.Only a serious reform of publi-

cally run pensions can secure workersretirement income. No wonder that JackLaytons election policy for increasingCPP and GIS benets was so popular inthe recent campaign success.

Much of the NDP policy comesfrom the Canadian Labour Congress dis-cussion paper, Security, Adequacy, Fair-ness: Labours Proposals for the Futureof Canadian Pensions. e NDP-CLCplan calls for a doubling of CPP monthlybenets over a seven year period fundedby increased premiums payable by bothemployer and employee.

It calls for an immediate 15%increase to the Guaranteed IncomeSupplement to Old Age Security to giveour poorest seniors a better life. Finally,

the plan advocates protecting Canadianpensions through a federal system of pen-sion insurance that would provide a oorof $2,500 in pension benets per monthwhen an employer faces bankruptcy andhas a pension plan solvency decit.

e NDP-CLC plan is animprovement, but it leaves a lot to be de-sired. First of all, reform of the CPP andOAS requires near unanimity among theprovinces and the support of the FederalGovernment. But Finance Minister JimFlaherty takes his lead from the banks,

PROTECTINGOUR

PENSIONS

Hundreds of thousands of seniors are falling into poverty as pensions are being eroded. As NDP Socialist

Caucus activist John Orrett explains, its time for the Left to step up and rescue the Canada Pension Plan


15/28

Turn Left 15

Only a serious reform of publicly runpensions can possibly secure workersretirement income. No wonder that JackLaytons election policy for increasing CPPand GIS benets was so popular.

insurance companies and investmentdealers. He opposes any plan that isntunder the auspices of private enterprise.He stonewalled Federal Provincial meet-ings on this issue by insisting on a privateenterprise, voluntary buy-in schemethat would skim o billions of dollars inworkers savings through administrationcosts (read: prots and high salaries) fornancial institutions.

With the election of a Harpermajority, this issue will be put on the backburner. A modest increase in the GISmay be forthcoming, but like the NDPplan, it will not be adequate. A smallincrease will not li seniors living inpoverty out of their misery. e NDP So-cialist Caucus calls for doubling the GISto li all seniors out of poverty. A 15 %increase in the CPP would also increasea retirees monthly benet, but would notrequire as steep an increase in premiumsas the NDP-CLC plan proposes.

e main problem with the CPPis that it invests in big business, whichis against workers interest, whereas theOAS and GIS are paid from General Rev-enue. Just as debt should be eliminated asthe main support for liquidity and invest-ment, savings should not be the majorrequirement for future expenditures byseniors. Retired people should simplyparticipate in the current consumption ofthe Gross Domestic Product.

In 1997 Liberal Finance MinisterPaul Martin created the Canada Pension

Plan Investment Board. Previously, theCPP invested almost entirely in Govern-ment Bonds. Under the CPP InvestmentBoard, billions of dollars in the Plan wereinvested in international and domesticstock markets.

In the last 14 years the wholemake up of CPP Investments has radi-cally changed. e Plan has assets of$148 billion. Over 53% of this is investedin public and private equities. Over $37billion is invested in companies outsideof Canada -- a total of 25% of the Plansinvestments. How can this be consideredinvesting or saving for our retirement fu-ture when the money is not even investedin local jobs.

Many of these companies arein the arms industry. Others like Exxon,Shell and Suncor are major polluters.Some of our pension savings are investedin companies like Vale Inco, which re-cently forced its employees to make con-

cessions in their company pension plans.Our money is used to prop up the NATOwar machine, ruin our environment andmake gains through losses in other non-government pension plans. How doesany of this make sense?

e Socialist Caucus demandsthat the CPP Investment Board disinvestfrom these industries. Instead, companieslike US Steel that have locked-out workersshould be nationalized under workerscontrol, and should be supported by pub-lic investments.

We need to invest in greentechnologies like mass transportation,with our steel going into new rail linesand electric locomotives. We shouldinvest in a publically owned auto industrythat builds the most fuel ecient cars andtrucks possible.

Even this will not be enough.e system of using workers savingsin the form of pension contributions asa major prop of capitalism must end.Pension plans rarely have any say in therunning of the company. Our pensionfunds are managed by economists and so-called nancial experts who are ideologi-cally and materially wedded to monopolycapitalism.

Take for example the recent bidby the Maple Group Acquisition Corpo-ration to buy the Toronto Stock Exchangeand prevent its merger with the LondonStock Exchange. e Maple Group ismade up of Canadas four largest banks,

and ve of its largest pension plan funds,including the CPP Investment Board, andthe Caisse de Depot de Quebec.

So the banks are in collusionwith the pension funds to make sure thatthe TSX is under their control. is is acomplete subordination of the CPP to thehighest nancial structures and institu-tions of Canadian corporate capitalism.

What it shows is that our eortmust be both for a better Canada PensionPlan, and for public ownership of the bigbanks. n

Photo: Cecilia (lastagionebuona


16/28

16 Turn Left

The following resolutions wereapproved by the SocialistCaucus Federal Conference inToronto. They have been circu-

lated for adoption at meetings of NDPriding associations, Youth clubs andaffiliated unions for debate and vote atthe Federal NDP Convention. We hopeyou speak out and support them on thefloor.

1. Make CPP Benefits a Decent, LivingIncome for Retirees

Whereas ongoing pension problems atNortel and General Motors are indica-

tive of far reaching problems in both theliquidity and accessibility of many pri-vate company pension plans in Canada,and

Whereas sucient savings to ensure anadequate pension through an RRSP isbeyond the capacity of most Canadians,andWhereas the Canada Pension Planinvolves the least risk and has the lowestadministration cost of any pension plan,

Therefore be it resolved that the NDPactively campaign for: An immediatedoubling of the combined Old Age Se-curity and Guaranteed Income Supple-ment minimum benefit, An increase of15% to the Canada Pension Plan benefit,phased in over five years and supportedby an adequate increase in Employer andEmployee Premiums; Creation of a Fed-eral Pension Insurance Fund to guaran-tee pensioners personal benefit incomeof up to $2,500 per month, ensuring

that all benefit pension programmes beindexed to the real cost of living, Reformof the Federal Pension Insurance Boardto ensure that a majority of the Boardmembers are working class peopleselected by unions and progressive grassroots community organizations, and areform of the Canada Pension Plan In-vestment regulations leading to divest-ment from companies that are involvedin the arms industry, that pollute theplanet, or that are involved in unfairlabour practices.

2. NATO Hands off Libya!

Whereas the mass uprising of the people

of Libya that began on February 15, 2011which seeks to oust dictator Muam-mar Gaddafi and end his police state, ispart of the wave of popular democraticrevolt sweeping the Arab world;

And whereas Gaddafi for the pastdecade has cooperated with Washing-ton and NATO, been compliant withthe U.S.-led wars of occupation, whileprivately pocketing billions of dollars ofoil revenue,

And whereas Washington and its NATOallies seek to control Libyas future,and could use the claim of providinghumanitarian aid, including a no flyzone that is accompanied by extensivebombing and inevitably massive civiliancasualties, to launch an armed invasionof the country,

Therefore be it resolved that the federalNDP actively campaign against any U.S.or NATO intervention in Libya, againstthe imposed no fly zone, and demand

the withdrawal of Canadian war shipsand jet bombers from Libyan watersand air space, and demand an end to

Canadian firms selling/exporting militaryequipment, munitions and supplies tothe region.

And therefore be it further resolved thatthe NDP actively encourage the openingof Libyas borders with Tunisia and Egyptso that partisans of the Arab democraticrevolt can come to the aid of the Libyaninsurgency, and that the NDP organizesolidarity with the movement of theLibyan and Arab peoples for democracyand self-determination.

3. Nationalize U.S. Steel

Whereas U.S. Steel has locked out Local1005 of the United Steelworkers as it at-tempts to force them to agree to a newcontract with an inferior Pension Planfor all new hires and to put an end toindexing of pensions for present retirees

And whereas U.S. Steel has renegedon commitments for production andemployment levels it made when it

Socialist Caucus Resolutions for2011 Federal NDP Convention

The Tar Sands are creating untold destruction to the environment as well as animaland human life in Alberta. They must be phased out as soon as possible.


17/28

Turn Left 17

took over the former Steel Company ofCanada, Stelco, in 2007.

And whereas the labour of generationsof Hamilton area steelworkers createdmany of the conditions of prosperity forall of Ontario since 1910, with spill over

jobs in the railway, construction andauto industries, just to name a few.

Therefore be it resolved that the Hamil-ton Works-U.S. Steel Canada be broughtunder public ownership, with labourand community control, and that theCanada Pension Plan divest itself of allU.S. Steel shares it holds, and instead beused as the vehicle for this purchase ofU.S. Steel at no more than the price of$1.2 Billion for which it was sold in 2007.

4. Phase-out the Alberta Tar Sands

Whereas the Alberta Tar Sands are thefastest growing source of greenhousegas emissions in Canada and are the sin-gle greatest obstacle to Canada meetingits global climate change responsibilities.And whereas producing a barrel of TarsSand oil emits three times more green-house gases than producing a barrel ofconventional oil, making Tar Sands oilsome of the dirtiest on the planet. Ifcurrent development plans proceed, by2020 the Tar Sands will release twice asmany greenhouse gases as are currentlyproduced by all the cars and trucks inCanada.

And whereas the boreal forest is oneof the largest, most intact old-growthforests left on Earth, containing morecarbon per hectare than any other eco-system, it provides ecosystem servicesthat are globally important in mitigat-ing climate change. The more forestdisturbed for the Tar Sands, the morestored carbon released.

Therefore be it resolved that develop-ment of the Alberta Tar Sands be halted

and rapidly phased out, that publicsubsidies cease, and that profits fromthe tar sands industry be conscripted todevelop and implement environmental-ly-friendly, green energy alternatives.

5. Proportional Representation Within

the NDP

Whereas elections within the partyoften reveal the existence of differentpolitical tendencies and currents, but alltoo often such elections produce winnertake all results, excluding or marginaliz-ing minority currents and points of view,thus minimizing vital and ongoing de-bate in the leading bodies of the party,

and alienating activists from the party;And whereas the NDP position for pro-portional representation in Parliamentwould be consistent if the party prac-tised proportional representation withinthe party;

Therefore be it resolved that partydemocracy be strengthened by makingconstitutional provision for propor-tional representation within the councilsand executive bodies of the party fordistinct, self-declared, policy-basedtendencies, slates and caucuses withinthe party. This means that a majority ofseats on party councils and executiveswould be reserved for members of com-peting slates of candidates apportionedon the basis of the percentage of votesreceived by each slate at the electionvenue.

6. Repeal the Clarity Act

Whereas the Liberal governmentsfederal Clarity Act, which arrogates

to Parliament the unilateral right todetermine, after the fact, whether afuture referendum vote for Quebecsovereignty has a sucient majority,and a suciently clear question, andthus constitutes a grossviolation of Quebecsnational right to self-determination;

Therefore Be it Re-solved that the NDPactively campaign for

repeal of the ClarityAct.

7. Support the Cocha-bamba Protocols

Whereas thousands of

environmental and aboriginal activistsgathered in Bolivia in April 2010 at theWorld Peoples Conference on ClimateChange and the Rights of Mother Earthand issued a declaration aimed at ad-dressing the threats posed by capitalismand its so-called free market to natureand to the survival of all species on thisplanet,

Therefore be it resolved that the NDPactively campaign for implementation ofthe Cochabamba Protocols, including:the establishment of an InternationalClimate Court to prosecute polluters;rejection of the market mechanism ofReduced Emissions from Deforesta-tion and Forest Degradation (REDD),which violates the sovereignty ofpeoples; rejection of the carbon marketas a lucrative business of commercial-izing Mother Earth, instead of tacklingclimate change; recognition, imple-mentation and integration of the UNDeclaration on the Rights of IndigenousPeoples in climate change negotiations;that leading industrial countries cutcarbon emissions by 50 per cent of 2010levels by 2030; that natural resources beprotected and used rationally throughpublic ownership and democraticcontrol; and adoption of the Andeanpeoples concept of living well insteadof wanting to live better by consum-ing more, regardless of the cost to ourneighbours and to our environment.

8. Legalize Cannabis

Whereas simply decriminalizing mari-juana would still leave possession as anoffence punishable by a fine, and would

Right: Democracy, anyone? If the NDP believes in proportionalrepresentation for our House of Commons, why cant we haveproportional representation in the NDP for the partys executivebodies and councils?


18/28

18 Turn Left

leave all the other harms associatedwith prohibition intact,

Therefore be it resolved that the federalNDP actively campaign for the elimina-tion of all fines and criminal penalties forpersonal cultivation and possession ofcannabis, for an amnesty for all personsconvicted of same, and for the establish-ment of a taxed and regulated frame-

work for production and distribution ofcannabis to adults;

Therefore be it further resolved thatthe NDP actively campaign for a broadfederal review of the impacts and harmscaused by current drug prohibition poli-cies, to select the best model for thegovernment to implement a non-crimi-nal, regulatory approach to psychoactivesubstance use that is based on reducingrisk and harm, by emphasizing preven-

tion, public education, health promotionand safety.

9. Canada out of NATO, NATO out ofAfghanistan

Whereas NATO is a relic of the ColdWar and a tool of US aggression inpursuit of corporate interests and mili-tarism;

And whereas Canadian forces in Afghan-

istan are engaged in combat againstnational resistance forces, to prop up aUS-puppet government of human rightsabusers, drug trackers and warlords,to occupy and control a region of thecountry for the purpose of constructingthrough it a lucrative oil/gas pipeline,and to justify aggressive militarism in-creasingly allied to Washington s globalcorporate agenda;

Therefore be it resolved that the NDP

actively campaign to get Canada out ofNATO, to get NATO out of Afghanistan,and to disengage Canadian forces fromany support role for the U.S. and its cli-ent regime in Iraq, from the training ofIraqi soldiers in Jordan, and policing theshipping lanes of the Persian Gulf.

10. Canada Out of Haiti

Whereas the people of Haiti have en-dured persistent human rights abuses,including the internment of politicalprisoners and deadly military raids bythe Canadian-trained Haitian NationalPolice and the United Nations forces;

And whereas the people of Haiti are suf-fering a deep economic and social crisis;

And whereas under pressure from

foreign governments and lending in-stitutions, the Haitian government hasembarked on a program of privatizationof public enterprises;

And whereas foreign governments,including Canada, bear a heavy respon-sibility for the crisis and abuses in Haitidue to their participation in the removalof Haiti s sovereign government in 2004;

Therefore Be It Resolved that the NDPwill actively campaign for:

The release of political prisoners andthe wrongfully detained.

Substantial and meaningful assistanceto social and economic developmentin Haiti, with such aid to be deliveredto, and extended in cooperation withthe duly-elected and sovereign Haitiangovernment.

The withdrawal of the foreign policeand military presence from Haiti.

An independent investigation of theraids by United Nations military forcesinto Cite Soleil on July 5, 2005 andDecember 22, 2006 that resulted in thedeaths of dozens of Haitians.

An independent inquiry into Canadasrole in the overthrow of Haitis electedgovernment in 2004, with such inquiryto release the full documentation of

the Ottawa Initiative on Haiti meetingheld at Meech Lake, Quebec on January31 to February 1, 2003.

11. Justice for Palestinians, BoycottApartheid Israel

Whereas there can be no lasting peacein Palestine/Israel, or the surroundingregion, without social justice;

Therefore Be it Resolved that the NDPactively campaign for the Right of Re-

turn for all refugees, an end to the Israelsettlements and Israeli occupation ofPalestinian lands, a halt to the armedaggression, the bulldozing of homes, thedestruction of olive groves and farms,the assassination of political leaders andactivists by the Zionist state, and theremoval of the apartheid wall, still underconstruction across the West Bank.

Therefore Be it Further Resolved thatthe NDP call for restoration of aid

Photo:AriMoore

By taking major industries under social ownership, we can democratize workplacesand provide workers and citizens with real influence in economic decision making


19/28

to the Palestine Authority, demanda halt to military aid, investment andeconomic trade with Israel until all theabove demands are met, and that theNDP campaign for an end to the rule ofapartheid laws that make Israeli Arabsand Palestinians second and third classcitizens under occupation.

12. Nationalize the Auto Industry

Whereas the Big 3 North Americanauto companies have ignored consumerneeds, shown reckless disregard for theenvironment, and squandered enormouswealth, workers pension funds andcommunity well-being;

And whereas corporate CEOs demand,and get, government bail out money inthe billions, huge labour concessions,while arrogantly expecting to maintaincontrol, at public expense, of an industrythey drove into the ground;

Therefore Be It Resolved that the NDPactively campaign for nationalization ofthe Big 3 auto companies, to be oper-ated under workers and communitycontrol, and advocate a shift towardsbuilding small, fuel-ecient, affordableand environmentally sustainable carsand other vehicles designed to meetsocietys transportation needs.

13. Nationalize the Big Banks and Insur-ance Companies

Whereas the giant banks are a centralpillar of the failed world capitalist sys-tem, substituting lies and manipulationfor genuine production, squanderinguntold wealth, and plunging millionsinto destitution and misery;

And whereas banks and insurancemonopolies in Canada are preoccupiedmaximizing profits and dividends forshareholders at the expense of citizens,small business persons and farmers;

And whereas private ownership ofbanks and insurance companies gener-ates wasteful advertising, duplication ofservices, higher transactions costs, andthus higher costs for consumers;

Therefore Be It Resolved that the NDPactively campaign for nationalization ofthe big five Canadian banks and majorinsurance companies (including life,

home and auto insurance firms), to beoperated under public democratic con-trol, with compensation to the formerowners in the form of low-interest,long-term bonds;

Be it further resolved that democraticmanagement be exercised by an electedcouncil of bank workers, consumers,small business folk, family farmers andthe labour movement as a whole.

14. Nationalize Big Oil and Gas

Whereas giant oil and gas corporationsin Canada have reaped billions in profit,while despoiling the environment, andignoring the urgent need to invest sub-stantially in making the shift towards anew green energy eciency;

Therefore Be It Resolved that the NDPactively campaign for nationalization ofthe energy industry, under workers andcommunity control, to guarantee do-mestic supply and to furnish the basis torebuild industry, and to create hundreds

of thousands of jobs, especially in re-newable energy and mass public transit.

Turn Left 19

NDP Conventions must be made more accessible and democratic, with more timefor discussion of policy and member-driven debate

For More Policy Discussionat Convention

No NDP coalition withBusiness Class PoliticalParties

End One Member One VoteSuperficial Decision-Making

Democratic Control ofthe TelecommunicationsIndustry

Hands off Migrant Workers Fair and Democratic Trade Elimination of Tuition and

Student Debt Raise the Minimum Wage Build Social Housing Share the Work, Shorten the

Work Week Defend and Extend the Right

to Strike Building the Party as a Mass

Movement of the Working

Class and Allies Party Internal Financing Solidarity with Cuba Defend Venezuela and

Bolivia Restore Food Safety; Rebuild

the Public Service Social Ownership and

Economic Democracy Social Ownership of Primary

Industries Gender Identity

Photo:UnionDocs

Other Socialist Caucus Resolutions


20/28

20 Turn Left

There have been three abortiveattempts so far in my politi-

cal lifetime to find a properhome for the Quebecois na-tion inside in a pan-Canadian

framework.In 1958, the year after I had

stepped off the boat in Quebec City atthe age of fourteen, Diefenbaker sweptla belle provence. He could hardlypronounce the words deux nationslet alone fathom the implications. Lessthan ten years later, not to be outdone,Pearson had brought in the Maple Leafafter the heated flag debate finally got

rid of the Union Jack.Then came the anti-nationalist, intellectual Trudeau,who put relations into a deepfreeze in October 1970. After adecade of jingoism, he outfoxedLevesque. The latter had set May1980 as his referendum deadlinefalsely assuming Mr Just watchme had retired from the politicalarena. Claude Morin, Levesquesintergovernmental minister, waseventually unmasked as an RCMP

operative. So much for the brokenpromise of a federal renewal, which had

carried the first referendum.When I lived in Quebec, I

had voted for sovereign but associ-ated statehood, having returned froma two-year engineering stint in Europe,where an economic union of six princi-pal nations was starting to bite into thebi-polar duopoly of the Cold War world.

Yet another decade later, whocould forget the Irish crooner Mulroneyand Levesques beau risque of support-ing the Tories (along with free trade)?That all ended with the aborted Char-

lottetown Accord on Oct 26, 1992. Un-

like Meech, I opposed it, but the partyfell for it. Most of Canada seemed to

have thought like me. But the NDP hadto pay for this mistake with the emer-gence of the Reform Party who justnow have bestowed upon us a Harpermajority!

Quebec also harvested a mixedblessing from the 1993 total collapse ofthe PCs. On one hand, Lucien Boucha-rd had formed the Bloc Quebecois, buton the other had reaped the svengali

Jean Charest, Mulroneys Meech Lakeman on the job. Charest is now on histhird term as neo-liberal Quebec pre-

mier! And now comes the orangetsunami of the May 2 election.What happened? The bestanalysis I have yet read was anop-ed by Philippe Bernard Arcandin the May 4 Le Devoir titled LesOranges Bleues. He writes fromthe vantage point of an ENAstudent, Europes top school ofpolitical science in Strasbourg.Arcands take is that the NPDovertook the BQ from the left.

An Election Night I Will Never Forget,or Why Oranges Grow Blue in Quebec

NDP Socialist Caucus activist Hans Modlich gives a historical account ofQuebec politics - and how special that night on May 2 really was for all of us

Photo: Brian Lapu

So after fifty long years of beingon the receiving end of Canadasarchaic first-past-the-post system,Quebec had finally rewarded us witha resounding mandate probationary,yes, and totally out of the blue butresounding just the same.


21/28

Turn Left 2

disaster that is global capitalism.May 2 ushered in a new situ-

ation, brimming with new opportu-nities that warm the heart of everyworking person. While the CanadianLabour Congress tops say wait fouryears to replace the government,

while they amalgamate labour coun-cils to make them even more remotefrom local unionists, we need not bebound to their prescriptions.

When Jack Layton says hewants to be more about propositionthan opposition, we need not swal-low that pill. The task of socialists,radicals and worker militants is tounite behind the postal workers, tosupport Quebecois and aboriginaldemands for national liberation, todemand money for jobs, for green

energy conversion, not for jails, jetsand imperial wars of occupation.Together, we can prove that

the most right-wing government inCanadian history is a paper tiger. Wecan show that it can be blown awayby a strong wave of class struggle.Lets force the labour leadership tolead the fight, or get the heck out ofthe way.

This entails the construc-tion of a militant, well-organizedleft wing in the unions and the NDP.The time is now. n

guerre. La lutte actuelle dcidera delensemble des rapports des forces declasse.

Il y a un point sur lequel il vautla peine dinsister nos amis traversla gauche indpendante: Cest le tempsde prendre position, de mettre de

ct les abstractions acadmiques, etde dpasser les campagnes de petitesactivits secondaires. La voie pourinfluencer les 4.5 millions dlecteursno-dmocrates se trouve dans la luttecontre les dirigeants pro-capitalistesenvers lesquels des millions de per-sonnes ont des illusions.

Notre tche nest pas desoutenir la direction actuelle, maisde la dfier, en particulier au sein desorganisations de masse de la classeouvrire. Seules ces organisations de

masse ont la capacit dduquer et demobiliser des millions de personnes.Nous devons nous efforcer de gagnerces organisations laction de massecontre les attaques des dirigeants eten faveur de politiques socialistes quipeuvent donner forme une alter-native au dsastre conomique etenvironnemental en cours quest lecapitalisme mondial.

Le 2 mai a marqu le dbutdune situation nouvelle, pleine denouvelles possibilits qui font chaud aucur tout travailleur et travailleuse.

Alors que les dirigeants du Congrsdu Travail du Canada nous disentdattendre quatre ans pour remplacerle gouvernement, tout en fusionnantles conseils syndicaux pour les rendreencore plus loigns des syndicalisteslocaux, nous navons pas besoin dtrelis leurs exigences.

Lorsque Jack Layton dit quil

veut tre plus une proposition quuneopposition, nous ne devons pas avalercette pilule. La tche des socialistes,des radicaux et des militants ouvriersest de sunir derrire les travailleurset les travailleuses des postes, poursoutenir les revendications des Qub-cois et des peuples autochtones pourla libration nationale, pour demanderde largent pour les emplois, pour laconversion de lnergie verte, non paspour les prisons, les avions de chasse etles guerres imprialistes doccupation.

Ensemble, nous pouvonsprouver que le gouvernement le plus droite dans lhistoire canadienne est untigre de papier. Nous pouvons montrerquil peut tre emport par une fortevague de lutte de classe. Forons lesdirigeants syndicaux diriger la lutte,ou sinon dtre jects de leur poste.Cela implique la construction duneaile gauche militante et bien organissdans les syndicats et le NPD. Cestmaintenant le temps. Joignez-vous nous. n

Continued from page seven Suite de la page neuf

Fatigue had set in amongst the Sover-eignist forces after six sweeps of thebulk of 75 seats. Also a protracted lead-ership crisis in the PQ and a rightwardpolicy drift toward centrist populismaway from social democracy had sowncynicism among labour, youth and activ-ist ranks,.

Other indicators of this passingon the left or doublure a gauche were

the NDPs clear programmatic NON toan Afghan War extension (enjoying an82% approval rating) and the clear rejec-tion of the F35 fighter purchase.

For me, the seminal moment inthe debates came in a one-on-one be-tween Duceppe and Layton. Duceppehad just declared the certainty that hewould never become PM, and had asked

Jack to fess up that the same would bethe case with Monsieur Layton. At thatvery point the gears started clicking inthe minds of Quebec voters from Na-tashquan to Abitibi-Temiscamingue.

With Quebecs forestry industryin the doldrums, oil and housing priceshitting the roof and a dissident grass-roots movement just having forced theLiberal Premier to call off the rapaciousfracking exploration (gas de schiste),what did they have to lose ?

Was it not worth taking agamble on smiling Jack, swinging hiscane Fred Astaire like, in defiance of hip

surgery just weeks earlier (a la LucienBouchard who had emerged triumphantafter an attack of flesh eating disease)?

One journalist-pundit reportedafter an exit poll in Val dOr that theyoung working class voter he was cer-tain would have voted Bloquiste had infact voted NDP while biting his finger-nails to the last minute in the booth.

Meanwhile back in my BeachesEast York riding on Election Day, I hadbeen pulling the vote in a couple of ourstaunchest working class polls. I pickedup the last bubble sheets at 9 pm and

made a few more voter calls. If everin the last 40 years you have consid-ered voting for us so was my pitch then this is the time to make yourNDP vote count. And it did. MathewKellway had turned the table on peren-nial Liberal winner Maria Minna with adecisive 4,000 vote margin. The orangewave had resonated even in gentrifiedBeaches East York!

But I was to find this out onlyan hour later after crashing before myown TV to watch the results comingin on the French network. Quebecsforemost spin-doctors were at it: Jean-Francois Lysee, media guru for Parizeau,Lisa Frulla, perennial Liberal commenta-tor, Ann Lagace-Dowson, 2008 NDPcandidate for Westmount, was sparringfor the NPD point-de-vue.

My fatigue soon gave way toexhilaration. I had suspected all along

continued on page twenty five


22/28

22 Turn Left

Voters in Canada madehistory on May 2 whenthey catapulted the la-bour-based New Demo-cratic Party into O-cial Opposition status.

Relegated to distant third place is theformer main party of business rule, theLiberal Party. Its head, Michael Ignatieff,lost his own Toronto seat and resigned as

party leader. And despite a mere 1.8 percent increase in its share of the vote, andwith over 60 per cent cast against them,the autocratic right wing Stephen HarperConservatives gained a majority of seats.

This result, flawed as it is, stillexpresses a seismic shift. Stunning gainsachieved by the NDP, nearly doubling itsshare of the vote, more than tripling itsseat total to an historic high, gives thefederal NDP Ocial Opposition statusfor the first time in history. It comes fiftyyears after the birth of the party resulting

from the partnership of the CooperativeCommonwealth Federation and the Ca-nadian Labour Congress.

In terms of class politics, theNDP electoral breakthrough places anobstacle in the path of the capitalistausterity drive. The orange crush raisesworking class expectations for bettertimes in a situation of growing economicpolarization amidst crumbling physicaland social infrastructures. But the real-ization of those expectations depends onclass struggles outside Parliament, with

which the NDP can and should be totallyidentified and involved.

But the biggest change factor,arguably, was popular disgust with fro-zen wages, shrinking pensions, shrivellingsocial benefits, and the disappearance ofhundreds of thousands of full-time jobs.While the rich got richer from tax cutsand obscene CEO bonuses, and by pil-laging the treasures of nature, the rest of

us did a slow burn, watching as our livingstandards sank.

At the same time, the NDPshould be credited for positive moves.Leader Jack Layton, unlike his predeces-sors, campaigned openly to form a gov-ernment, not just to win a few moreseats. He fought to reverse gigantic Toryand Liberal give-ways to big business.He promised that greater revenues fromthe rich would pay for better health care,pension improvements and post-second-ary education access. The NDP tax plank

(despite its limitations) resonated so wellwith the population that the Liberalsnearly copied it.

But Laytons most adept movewas to tap the leftist sentiments of theQuebec electorate. French-speakingQuebecois, particularly workers, have acollective consciousness shaped by na-tional oppression and a keen aversion tothe strictures of the Canadian state. Foronce, the English-Canada-based NDPtook this into account.

After years of dithering and

policy reversals, Layton asserted that hewould repeal the undemocratic ClarityAct, recognize a declaration of Quebecindependence after a sovereignty refer-endum win, and support asymmetricafederalism. That means Quebec will betreated as a nation, and not just anotherprovince in Confederation. It includes aguarantee that Quebec will have no lessthan a quarter of the seats in Parliament

after re-distribution.The NDP Leader committed to

ensure that French would be the work-ing language in federally-regulated in-dustries in Quebec, such as railways andbanks. Layton pledged to fight for rulesthat would require future judges ap-pointed to the Supreme Court to be flu-ent in French. He promised to supportefforts to plug the loop hole that allowsEnglish private school students in Que-bec to skirt Language Law 101 and, aftera couple of years, transfer to an English-

language publicly funded school.While it is wrong to read mas-sive NDP gains in Quebec as signalingthe end of the sovereignty movementthey do reflect a disconnection by pro-independence Quebecois from the strat-egy and economic policies of the capital-ist Parti Quebecois and the Bloc. Theshift may presage big gains by the leftistpro-sovereignty Quebec Solidaire at thenext provincial vote.

In the meantime, a majority ofthe NDP Parliamentary Caucus, 59 of 102

Buildingon the HistoricGains for theNDP

e Le has been on the defensive for the better

part of the last three decades. Yet aer years of

neo-liberal economic disaster, nows the time

for working people and the NDP to build real

socialist alternatives. Barry Weisleder explains.


23/28

Layton should insist on taxing the rich,cutting the military, and transforming eco-harmful private monopolies into publicly-owned, green industries run democratically

underworkers and community control.

MP s, consist of francophone Quebecois.One is 19 years old, another is a formercommunist candidate, and most arestrong Quebec nationalists completelyunfamiliar to the federal party apparatus.

Jack Layton may, or may not succeed intaming this corral of tigers.From the start, the NDP Leader

issued excuses to forestall the imple-mentation of NDP policies. Investmentin rapid transit, social housing and urbaninfrastructure would be contingent onanticipated revenue from a new cap-and-trade carbon tax (a bad environmentalpolicy in any case). The proposed dou-bling of Canada Pension Plan benefits,and the much-touted promise to trainnew doctors would be dependent on the

cooperation of the provinces.Instead, Layton should insist on

taxing the rich, cutting the military, andtransforming eco-harmful private mo-nopolies into publicly-owned, green in-dustries run democratically under work-ers and community control. The place

to start is with Big Oil, auto, mining andthe banks. Use their billions to meet theneeds of millions.

Clearly, the right has made gainsby moving to the right. The left, to makegains, must move to the left. Not just inwords, but in deeds.

That means challenging thepro-capitalist direction of the labour andNDP leadership. It means opposing anytalk of NDP merger with the Liberal Par-ty, or any coalition for government witha capitalist party. In a bourgeois coalition

the NDP would have to carry the can forwar abroad and austerity at home. A

merger with the Liberals would furthedilute the NDP programme. Instead weneed an NDP government committed tosocialist policies. Thats what many othe thousands of new members who are

likely to stream into the newly buoyanlabour party will seek.Historic gains for the NDP make

it time now to step up the fight for aWorkers Agenda and a Workers Government. On the crest of rising hopes andexpectations, the socialist left can organize to gain a bigger-than-ever hearingfor a class struggle programme inside theunions and the NDP. Dont make excuses. Make waves. Join the NDP SocialisCaucus and fight for socialist policies athe NDP federal convention in Vancou

ver, June 17-19.n

Globally, more than 935 millionpeople go hungry every day. Thedramatic rise in food prices addsmillions monthly to the starving mass. It

precipitated the Arab Awakening fromTunisia to Egypt. It sparked food riots inBangladesh, and now confronts Afghani-stan with a 50 per cent shortfall in fund-ing for food operations.

Food prices soared 36 percent over the past year, according to theWorld Bank.

Why? Severe weather and cropdiseases certainly took their toll.

But other causes are man-made(even if you think climate change is not).Market speculation and the diverting

of farm land to bio-fuels are two of thecauses, and they are no freaks of nature.They are the products of capitalist greed.

Corn, cassava, canola and sugar

are increasingly used to make ethanol topower cars and trucks.

Global maize prices rose about73 per cent in the six months after June2010, said the World Banks Agricultureand Rural Development Team. Forty percent of the U.S. corn crop now goes intoethanol.

Using food to make fuel is profit-able for business, but as a substitute foroil, its like flipping humanity from thefrying pan into the fire with no reduc-tion of the impact of carbon-burning on

nature.Since world population is pre-

dicted to top 9 billion by 2050, the urgency of increasing food production cannot

be overstated. At the same time, thehypocrisy of the capitalist rulers shouldnever be underestimated. In 2008,leaders of the G20 countries pledged$22 billion over three years to help poorcountries increase food production. Ac-cording to the World Bank fund set up toadminister this money, only $400 millionhas so far been received.

How long will the starving wait?How long can capitalism get away withmurder?n

Profit System Fuels World Food Crisis

Turn Left 23


24/28

24 Turn Left

THE CASE FOREQUALITY

The Spirit Levels argument is sim-ple: In rich countries, a smaller

gap between rich and poor meansa happier, healthier, and more success-ful population. Along a range of socialindicators, including teenage pregnancy,mortality, reported happiness, obesity,drug use, and the incidence of violence,more equal countries perform better.Overall quality of life for all citizens is

thus deeply relatedto levels of eco-nomic inequality.

Wilkinson andPickett producedata from 23 richcountries and 50states to make theircase. Using scattergraphs, regressionanalysis, and short,

punchy chapters organized around thevarious social indicators, The Spirit Levelshows that increases in social inequalityare the source of many contemporarysocial problems. More equal Scandina-via and Japan consistently score betterthan the highly unequal US and the UK.Canada sits somewhere in the middle,flanked by the likes of France and Swit-zerland.

With socialists searching for

new answers to old questions in thewake of the global economic crisis, TheSpirit Level marks one contribution tosomething of a social democratic redux.With Third Way social democracy utterlydisgraced by its aliation with neoliber-alism, social democratic soul searchinghas produced some lively polemics oflate, from Tony Judts Ill Fares the LandtoWill Huttons Them and Us. Ed Miliband who keeps a copy of The Spirit Levelclose at hand may be the first leaderof a major European social democratic

party to openly question the nostrumsof the Third Way project and commit

to closing the gap between the rich andpoor.This rethinking of social de-

mocracy is important. Third Way socialdemocrats werent overly troubled byeconomic inequality; they committed toreducing absolute poverty but left wid-ening disparities untouched. Their focus

on targeted social in-vestments in humancapital development(through policies likeearly childhood edu-

cation and job train-ing) was grounded inpredilections aboutthe inevitability of glo-balized capitalism and

the need for workers to adapt to the newcompetitive environment.

And Third Way disciples such asTony Blair praised financial deregulationand innovation for the role it could playin growing the economy. A bigger eco-nomic pie, they argued, meant a biggerslice for workers, just a disproportion-ately smaller one than was dished out tothem under the post-war compromise,with CEO salaries and investmentbanker bonuses reachinggrotesque levels underneo-liberalism.

The beautyofThe Spirit Levelis that it putseconomic equal-ity back at thecenter of socialdemocratic poli-tics. The books

drawbacks arein failing to ad-equately addressthe political limitsto economic equalityunder capitalism. Policiesthat will affect the distribu-tion and redistribution of wealth, fromincreasing trade union bargaining powerto more progressive income taxes, arerecommended by Wilkinson and Pick-ett. But their argument that policiesthat create equality should receive broad

support across class lines, as it standsto benefit all, is naively optimistic; classstruggle still matters.

The rich may fear the type ofviolence that characterizes highly

unequal societies, but theyare more likely to build

bigger walls aroundtheir gated commu

nities than raisethe red flag ofegalitarianism inresponse. It isthe hard work oeveryday politics from commu

nity organizing topolitical education

that will bringabout more equal so-

cieties.While The Spirit Leve

doesnt pretend to be a how toguide for political action, it does confirmwith hard science what we on the lefthave known intuitively for years: equalityis not only morally right, but good for themind, body and soul as well. n

The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies AlwaysDo Better, by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett(Penguin, 2010).

A Review by Simon Black

ThirdWay social

democrats werentoverly troubled by

economic inequality;they committed toreducing absolute

poverty but leftwidening disparitiesuntouched.


25/28

Turn Left 25

that Harper would get his majority, butI had never dreamed that we wouldbecome the ocial opposition. Was thisnot a near optimal outcome? This timewe would be first in the limelight ofmedia spin doctors. This way, too, therewould be no coalition hanky-panky todetract us. (The 1972 Lewis-Trudeauwheeling-dealings had only decimatedour votes in the following election).

So after fifty long years of beingon the receiving

turn left - summer 2011

Documents