THE POLITICS OF CAPITALISM: DEADLOCK

vol. 2, no. 3, March 2009, $ 1.00

si vous voulez lire en français, : http://www.laviereelle.blogspot.com/

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS to Tim Pelzer, tpelzer@shaw.ca, for his precious help in correcting this bulletin from a somehow written in english draft copy into a presentable publication. Tim, living in Vancouver (Canada), is also correspondent for People's Voice and People's Weekly World (USA).

How come more and more analysts turn to socialist ideas? “As Engels wrote, Marx told him on more than one occasion later that it was his study of the law on thefts of wood and of the condition of the Mosel peasant that prompted him to turn from pure politics to the study of economic relations and, thus, to socialism"(Collected Works, Karl Marx-Frederick Engels, volume 1, International Publishers, New York, 1976, Preface, p. XXX).

In Canada, the coalition opposed itself to the Conservatives until they introduced their new budget in January 2009. As the Communist party declared: “The Liberals under their new leader Michael Ignatieff have decided to support the budget, hoping to regain their position as the ‘favoured party’ of big capital. This decision finishes the Liberal-NDP coalition which millions of working people had hoped would defeat the most reactionary, pro-business, militaristic, sell-out government in Canadian history.”

The Québec Confederation of National Trade Unions (CSN) criticized the new budget in the January 29th issue of Webdo Info because it does not include: a “change of direction towards a green economy, greater access to unemployment insurance; income protection for aging workers, fair equalisations’ payments for Québec; pay equity for women and free collective bargaining rights for public servants.”

The situation is even more critical when one looks at a recent study done by researchers at the University of Montréal revealing that 14 per cent of Canadian children live in chronic poverty. “Childhood poverty has been linked to more hospitalization and illness […] Other studies have shown consequences of childhood poverty in adults, who are also more at risk for chronic ills, from diabetes, to cardiovascular disease and dementia,” according to the study, reported in The Gazette of January 20th 2009.

Nevertheless, The Gazette concluded in an editorial at the beginning of December 2008 that “the proper way to choose a government for Canada is at the ballot box, not by cabal and closed-door deal. Yes we’re all tired of elections, and yes Harper brought this on himself.” The pro-big business Conservatives supported by the Montréal newspaper wanted to remain in office.

By January, the editorial board of this publication also started to temper public expectations after the election of Barack Obama. “Certainly, Obama’s accomplishments will not live up to the most optimistic of the expectations that are so sky-high in this country, and around the world.”

In contrast, the CSN’s Métro Montreal Central Council magazine Unité observed that “the election of Barack Obama to the American presidency […] shows that the power for changes is rooted in the strength of ideas supported by progressive people and the actions they take to enlarge the number of those who are soon going to believe in them.”

Crisis or no crisis

At the same time, The Gazette wrote that Bloc Québecois leader Gilles Duceppe and Parti Québecois leader Pauline Marois met and affirmed that, “despite a period of economic turmoil in which Quebecers are mostly concerned about bread-and-butter issues, cranking up the sovereignty machine now makes sense because they can show how much better off Quebec would be in a recession if it was not part of Canada…”

However, French Canadians are not gullible so much so as they think. At the same time, Gilles Duceppe had started a war of words with English speaking Canada. The majority of French Canadians do not stand for the separation from Canada. Quebec is a diverse province where opposites live together: rich people, workers, English speakers, and so on. Gilles Duceppe, who claimed in the past to be Marxist, should read what Lenin said: “We could not be, I think, more explicit: Marxists borrowed surely from Marx methods without which it is impossible to understand social relations: thus, their appreciation of these relations is not based on abstract schemes and other absurdities, but on the strict conformity with the reality.” (Works, Volume 1, Editions sociales, Paris, p. 211).

The 5 of Cuba

La Vie Réelle in English receives regularly news from Antonio Guerrero Rodriguez, one of the 5 of Cuba jailed in the USA under the alleged accusations of spying. Antonio is a poet. His poetry moves his readers and soothes our hearts and souls. In his letter of January 19, 2009, he claimed: “Let us sow peace for all times for all parts of the Earth, for the rivers and the seas for all love that join us. Let us come together to make a better world, pregnant with light… like the spring.” He added: “On behalf of the 5, I wish you, your family and friends peace, love and happiness today and forever.”


“Invitacion a la paz

A todos: ninos, hombres y mujeres
A lo ancho y a lo largo del planeta
Hago una invitacion, un grand llamado :
Por igual repartamos las riquezas!

To all men, women and children
Throughout the whole of the world
I make an invitation, a heartfelt call:
Let us share the wealth equally!”

As he underlined, “it is nice to hear that my poems touched you deeply. It means they are useful. They can give hope, joy and peace and, of course, love.”

Hoping to hear from you soon, Antonio!

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