Canadian steel and globalization (The following article is from the September 16-30/2005 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, Canada, V5L 3J1.) By Sam Hammond      A topic that pops up more and more frequently is the need for a global response from the trade unions to the globalization and cross border movement of capital and industrial holdings. The need for higher development in this area was raised by both sides in the AFL‑CIO fracture, and in Canada by staff reps of the USW (United Steel Workers) in reference to the more than eighteen month Stelco bankruptcy protection debacle which has attracted vulture capitalists from all over the world.      Ten years ago the world's steel industries were largely national, especially in North America and particularly in Canada. In the United States a group of Wall Street investment bagmen formed International Steel Group (ISG) and started buying up distressed steel mills that were under bankruptcy protection. Through refinancing on the backs of the workers (concessionary bargaining, mass lay‑offs, ruined pension plans and terminating retiree benefits), ISG managed to rebuild and become the second largest American steel producer.      ISG itself was gobbled up in late 2004 by the giant Mittal Steel operating from Holland under LNM Holdings and Ispat International. This allowed Mittal to pole vault over the Luxemburg based Arcelor Group and become the world's largest steel producer, operating on four continents and in fourteen countries.      Earlier in 2004 Arcelor had gained control of Comanhia Siderurgica de Tubaro (CST) the number two Brazilian steel company. With its other Brazilian holdings, this made Arcelor the top steel producer in Brazil. Last year, Brazil produced about 25% of the world's iron ore, although her steel industry produced mostly slab steel for finishing in other countries. Arcelor immediately started to move some of its finishing operations to Brazil from high labour cost European plants. This resulted in significant job loss in Spain, France and Luxemburg. Production costs in Brazil are about one fifth those in western Europe.      At this time the top ten global steel producers are supplying only 30% of the global market, but the move from regional to global has only just begun and will surely accelerate. As far as the international working class is concerned, this can only be viewed as a race to the bottom as far as national interests, wages, working conditions, quality of life and social programs are concerned. A global response is certainly needed, but exactly what does, or will, this entail?      The World Federation of Trade Unions has issued the call for its 15th Congress to be held in Havana, Cuba, November 1 to 4, 2005. In the "Call of the Preparatory Committee" document their position is crystal clear:      "Cold war strategies are still continuing under the guise of `globalization' as advocated by the World Bank and the IMF, to destroy countries that are committed to build a social alternative. A major aspect of this strategy is the continued offensive against such countries as China, Cuba, Syria, the DPRK, Venezuela, Belarus and others that refuse to accept the economic and social policies advocated by the World Bank and IMF from their headquarters in Washington.... It is high time to stop and eliminate these dangerous imperialist policies and begin the process of formulating and implementing a democratic alternative." Good stuff.      The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions also flags globalization on their web page and in appearances at international consortiums and conferences. They talk more of the need to make globalization more user friendly and less a threat to workers and their wages. They do not go to the heart of the matter the way the WFTU does, but there is obviously grounds for unity. Unity will of course be a large topic of discussion in Havana at the 15th Congress. The positions of these two bodies, their affiliations and programs and their contact and co‑operation should be good subject matter for future articles. Hopefully our readers will get in on this as well.      The history of the AFL‑CIO and in some parallel ways the British Trades Union Congress contain some very dismal periods where the global response was partnership with the imperialist states and their corporations in the anti‑communist crusade and plunder of the Third World. This was done at the expense of workers in the capitalist states as well, and leaves the legacy of a shrunken labour movement, particularly in the US, fighting for a fresh start. That will include a fresh look at internationalism and the need for global labour programs to raise the standards of all workers and present a common front to the offensive of corporate globalization.      The Canadian steel industry is still in Canadian hands, with the potential at least of serving Canadian social, political and industrial needs. The president of USW Local 1005, Rolph Gerstenberger, has consistently pointed out the importance of the steel industry remaining in Canadian hands. He has also consistently coupled this with the importance of public control. Buying Canadian steel would be a gateway into Canadian resources, Canadian energy and Canadian water. Steel is one of our last industries and the warning bells are ringing. Mittal and the other top ten are circling high above like turkey vultures. (Contents) (Home) Nationalize the oil and gas industry! (The following article is from the September 16-30/2005 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, Canada, V5L 3J1.) Statement of the Central Executive Committee, Communist Party of Canada, Sept. 12, 2005      Several factors have brought the control of energy resources to the forefront in Canada, to a degree not seen since the debates over the National Energy Program in the 1980s. The role of oil in the US/UK war against Iraq; growing fears that the world is nearing "peak oil" (the moment when extraction begins to decline); this summer's fuel price spikes; the shutdown of refineries by Hurricane Katrina; and the growing significance of the Athabasca oil sands; all have combined to make more Canadians aware that control over this vital resource is crucial to our economic future.      Almost half of Canadians now support public ownership of the oil and gas industry, a policy been advocated for decades by the Communist Party of Canada. A survey conducted in late August, even before fuel prices hit record highs, found that 49 per cent of respondents wanted petroleum resources nationalized, and that 43 per cent favoured the same option for gas companies. The Central Executive of the CPC urges all parties in Parliament to act upon this demand, which is crucial to stop corporate profit-gouging, to stop the further erosion of living standards for working people, and to save Canadian sovereignty and independence now and for future generations.      The Communist Party calls for immediate action to cap energy prices, especially for home heating, for emergency assistance to truckers facing huge increases in operating costs, and for a substantial "windfall profit tax" on large oil and gas companies, which have amassed unconscionably high profits at the expense of working people and small businesses. During the second quarter of 2005 alone, for example, Shell, Imperial Oil and Petrocanada reported a total of $1.5 billion in profits in Canada.      The present situation also poses another danger - the fanning of reactionary, western separatist ideas by the largely US-dominated energy industry, which wants to head off any government action which could halt their profiteering. Alberta's Tory government cynically hopes to use this sentiment and its resource wealth as weapons to force right-wing policies upon the rest of Canada, such as opening the door for wider privatization of health care and education.      Therefore, the Communist Party calls for policy initiatives designed to strengthen Canadian sovereignty, to break the domination of the energy transnationals, and to improve the lives of working people. As the price of oil skyrockets, the vast Athabasca oil sands, as well as other oil and natural gas deposits (mainly in western Canada) become increasingly valuable resources, which must not be left in the hands of the transnationals and the provincial governments. Canada's natural energy resources are the common wealth of the Canadian people as a whole, and resource sharing must be an integral part of the resolution of land claims of Aboriginal peoples, from whom lands and resources were seized.      We demand nationalization and democratic control of the oil and gas industry, starting with reversal of the privatisation of PetroCanada. Energy sellouts such as the impending takeover of Terasen by Texas-based Kinder Morgan should be blocked by the federal government. The drive to privatize Ontario Hydro and other public utilities must be decisively blocked.      The Communist Party believes that Canadian resources should be used to build strong and sustainable industries which can be the cornerstone of the economy, shifting from the export of raw materials, towards job creation through adding value to such products. Instead of north-south hydro grids which lock Canada into the U.S. economy, we should expand power flows between provinces, shifting towards an east-west power grid serving the needs of the Canadian economy.      Revenues from public ownership of the oil and gas industry would allow scope to develop made-in-Canada policies designed to reduce fossil fuel consumption, such as a massive expansion of public transit systems coupled with lower fares, and greatly increased funding for publicly-owned alternative, reneweal energy sources. Such programs could allow Canada to surpass our Kyoto targets and become a world leader in reduction of ozone-depleting gases and hydrocarbons.      To achieve these goals, Canada must break out of pro‑corporate trade deals. The treacherous NAFTA agreement, which prevents Canada from reducing oil exports to the United States or from setting lower domestic prices, must be abrogated immediately. Instead of integrating further into a U.S.-dominated "Fortress North America", Canada needs diverse, sustainable, and mutually beneficial trade based on respect for the economic, political, social and cultural sovereignty of all countries.      Canada is reaching a critical moment in our history. Failure to bring energy resources under public ownership could soon spell the end of any meaningful degree of Canadian sovereignty and independence. We urge the labour movement, and all progressive and democratic forces, to press Parliament for nationalization of oil and gas, before it's too late! (Contents) (Home) Rally backs Telus workers (The following article is from the September 16-30/2005 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, Canada, V5L 3J1.) By Kimball Cariou      Close to 3,000 trade unionists and supporters came out on Sept. 5 for the biggest Labour Day rally the Vancouver area has seen in years. Held across the street from "the Boot," the Burnaby headquarters of Telus, the demonstration showed support for the locked-out workers at Telus and the CBC, as well as Steelworkers in Trail, on strike since mid-July.      The rally was kicked off with rousing labour songs by west coast singer/songwriter Valdy, sounding in excellent form. As passing drivers honked support, a wide range of labour leaders addressed the crowd. Many local politicians were also on hand, from New Democrat MLAs and MPs to COPE city councillors and school trustees from Vancouver.      "There's something wrong in Canada today when the citizens and the owners of this country are being treated the way they are by people who should know better," said CLC President Ken Georgetti. "I say it's time to push back a lot harder in this country with our resources. I'm frankly tired of people who have too much telling us we should work for less."      B.C. Federation of Labour president Jim Sinclair blasted corporations that "keep saying it's all about modernizing collective agreements, it's all about global competition and market‑based employment... It's a return to the same old crap we had to fight for 50 years, and we're not going back there."      Sinclair drew a loud cheer when he announced that unions at the Pacific Newspaper Group, which publishes the Vancouver Sun and The Province, will put Telus ads on the "hot list".      Speaking for Canadian Media Guild members locked out by the CBC, Colin Preston gave a moving description of the changed thinking of media workers in recent weeks. Trained to consider themselves "neutral," he said, they have quickly come to identify with the labour movement in their struggle for an end to short-term, contract employment.      The rally also heard from Doug Jones, president of United Steelworkers Local 480, which represents 1,300 workers at the Teck‑Cominco plant in Trail. Members of this historic local (originally part of the left-led Mine-Mill union) struck on July 19 for the first time in 15 years.      Evidence continues to mount that the Telus bosses may have bit off more than they can chew by locking out the Telecommunications Workers Union, and by refusing to negotiate for a new contract.      British Columbia's NDP members of Parliament have urged the federal government to intervene in the dispute. But to much surprise, Tory MP Paul Forseth (New Westminster-Coquitlam) made a similar point on Sept. 6. Forseth called on federal Labour Minister Joe Fontana to invoke the federal labour code to stop Telus from using scabs (he called them "replacement workers"). He also told Fontana to ask the federal cabinet to appoint a judge for an industrial inquiry commission to look into the dispute.      Telus argues that the federal labour code allows a company to hire replacement workers "if it is not an attempt to undermine the union." The company also opposes an industrial inquiry commission, and denies that its final offer would weaken job protection for the 13,700 TWU workers.      But Sid Shniad, research director for the TWU, told the media in response that Telus's proposed language on job protection would "open the floodgates" for the contracting out of jobs. The union believes that Telus is using far more scabs than it admits, including as many as 30 "outside contractors" in Nanaimo.      Speaking on CKNW Radio on Sept. 1, business analyst Michael Levy said he was "starting to sense a bit of a sea change" in the dispute.      "The union, which I think was almost down and out some three or four weeks ago," said Levy, "seems to be regaining a toehold, when I talk to people. But I also see signs of a bit of cracking within the management of Telus."      He noted that many retired managers have been hired to do repairs and installations, at such expensive rates that the company has now been forced to cut back on services. "If you are a corporate client of Telus and you want to do a hook‑up, you want to get a new line in, you want to business with them, it's practically non‑existent," said Levy. Some customers are turning to local competitors, which could inflict severe long-term damage on the corporation.      Reports from around B.C. and Alberta also indicate that union solidarity with the TWU workers is having a positive impact. One case took place in Prince George recently, when scabs pulled a copper cable and a fibre cable into a construction site. TWU members began picketing, and members of the Carpenters Union refused to cross the picket line, shutting down the site. A couple of days later, Telus sent another crew out to the site. Four vehicles loaded with scabs showed up, to comply with the construction company's request to remove the cables declared hot by the TWU.      But Telus also continues use bullying tactics. Seven TWU members were arrested on Sept. 11 while picketing the cell site atop the Coast Hotel in Nanaimo. The seven were held for at least an hour receiving very heavy-handed treatment by the cops, even though they were clearly picketing a Telus worksite.      Video footage has been circulated of a Sept. 9 assault against TWU picketers in Edmonton. The film clearly shows security goons from AFI International roughing up union members, but the Edmonton police refused to press charges.      A similar case took place in Vancouver, when AFI guards monitoring the Telus building on Kingsway attacked a union member who has Multiple Sclerosis and is partly paralyzed on one side. The brother was grabbed, thrown to the ground and kneed in the back by a security guard when he put his hand in front of a video camera, in full view of several union members. Women workers have been the particular target of abuse by AFI guards.      For information on how to support the Telus workers, check the TWU website, www.twu-canada.ca. (Contents) (Home) COPE sets civic election strategy (The following article is from the September 16-30/2005 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, Canada, V5L 3J1.) By Kimball Cariou      After weeks of intense membership debates, the Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE) has adopted policies and a campaign strategy for Vancouver's Nov. 19 civic election.      Crammed into a hotel meeting room on Sept. 10, almost 250 COPE members voted by a 142-71 margin to nominate five candidates for City Council. That leaves five spots for Vision, the group formed after Mayor Larry Campbell was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Paul Martin. COPE also decided not to run for mayor, leaving that contest to Vision candidate Jim Green, and the pro-developer NPA candidate - either NPA councillor Sam Sullivan, or ex-Liberal B.C. education minister Christy Clark.      This was a tough decision for COPE members, who felt betrayed when Campbell and three councillors (including Green) elected on the COPE slate in 2002 quit the labour-backed party. While that group and the five remaining COPE councillors had voted together on most occasions, sharp differences emerged over several important issues. The Campbell group favoured expansion of gambling facilities, and backed the controversial RAV rail line, a project which most transit experts say will drain valuable funds from the regional bus system.      At a COPE meeting in July, a narrow majority voted down a "framework agreement" for electoral cooperation between the two groups. But the prospect of defeat at the hands of an NPA with huge corporate funding led many COPE members to reconsider tactics.      This time around, Trustee Jane Bouey presented a motion from the COPE School Board members to nominate five for council, eight for School Board (leaving one for progressive Green Party incumbent Andrea Reimer), and five to seven for the 7-member Park Board.      The resolution was supported by the COPE executive and elected officials (with the exception of councillor Fred Bass), and a wide range of labour leaders and veteran COPE activists. A statement calling for such a strategy had been circulated early in September by the Vancouver Civic Caucus of the Communist Party.      Councillor Tim Louis, widely known as a fighter for left policies at City Hall, told the meeting that his shift since July was based on the change from an integrated COPE/Vision campaign, to separate campaigns which will allow each group to focus on their own issues. The new strategy allows COPE to maintain its independence, he said, while also promoting unity against the NPA.      The election will now move to the phase of formal nominations by each party. The NPA mayoralty race became a heated battle in late August when Christy Clark joined the fray. Never a resident of Vancouver, she is remembered here for her right-wing policies and her antagonism towards teachers, parent groups and school trustees. Her entry is seen by many as a move by federal and provincial Liberals to seize the reins of power during the critical years leading up to the 2010 Olympics hosted by Vancouver.      Clark's candidacy dispelled any impression that there is "no difference" between the NPA and Vision. As the Communist caucus statement said: "The NPA has dominated our city for almost seventy years, and for a very good reason: they are the preferred vehicle of the big developers and the wealthy elite... Vision is essentially a centrist group, composed of those who want to `balance' the interests of big business and working people... On occasions when the people's movements were able to mount strong campaigns, this group (and even the NPA at times) were compelled to adopt progressive positions on Council - recall the Wal-Mart decision, or funding for the World Peace Forum."      It has also been clear for months that the Vision group has support from certain sections of the trade union movement, such as the building trades. An electoral strategy based on COPE taking on both Vision and the NPA would have completely divided the city's labour movement, with potentially catastrophic consequences at the polls, and then for the future of Canada's oldest progressive civic party.      The COPE nomination meeting takes place on Sept. 25. Most COPE incumbents have announced they will run again, but there will be room for some new candidates. (Contents) (Home) Defang the beast Sept. 24 - editorial (The following editorial is from the September 16-30/2005 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, Canada, V5L 3J1.) People's Voice Editorial      The tide appears to be turning in the United States against the illegal occupation of Iraq. As U.S. casualties mount ever higher, without progress towards the Bush regime's cynically stated goals of bringing "freedom and democracy" to Iraq, a growing majority of Americans say they've had enough. That sentiment was crystallized by the audacious decision of Cindy Sheehan to camp outside Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, waiting for the president to explain himself.      The Katrina disaster drove another nail into the occupation policy. It was immediately clear that much of the equipment and personnel needed on the Gulf Coast was deployed on the other side of the world, killing and oppressing Iraqis.      U.S. imperialism is running up against very difficult objective limitations. At the peak of its military strength, the Empire is also the most heavily debt-ridden country on the planet, facing political and economic challenges from a wide range of sources. It appears less and less likely that the Bushites have the capacity to subdue Iraq, let alone pull off a successful invasion of Syria, the DPRK, Cuba, or Venezuela.      But a cornered beast can be extremely dangerous. That's why the Sept. 24 anti-war rally in Washington is so crucial. We wish the U.S. peace movement every success in mobilizing hundreds of thousands for this event, enough to make it politically impossible to continue Bush's war policy. Wherever solidarity rallies are being held in Canada on that date, Canadians should join to send a similar message, not least to Paul Martin's increasingly pro-war government in Ottawa. (Contents) (Home) Scrap "Security Certificates"  -editorial (The following editorial is from the September 16-30/2005 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, Canada, V5L 3J1.) People's Voice Editorial      In a welcome announcement late last month, the Supreme Court of Canada said it will consider the constitutionality of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act's security certificate process, under which non‑citizens can be detained indefinitely without charge under secret evidence.      Five men are currently being held on the basis of "Security Certificates" and secret evidence. This fascist law is a fundamental attack on the rule of innocence until proven guilty. Such detainees can be held for years without charge, kept in the dark about the precise allegations against them, and deported, even if their lives are threatened. Several of the detainees have been conducting hunger strikes. One of them, Hassan Almrei, has been on hunger strike for over two months, demanding the right to one hour a day of exercise outside of his cell.      Canada's participation in such facets of the so-called "war on terror" does nothing to make us safer. In fact, support for the racist, imperialist oppression of other countries (as expressed so crudely by General Rick Hillier), and attacks on the democratic and civil rights of the Muslim and South Asian population in Canada, are more likely to result in "blowback" against people in this country.       We urge readers to contact Members of Parliament to support the following demands: Release the five detainees! If any case against them exists, allow them open, fair and independent trials with full disclosure! No deportations! Abolish the security certificate process! (Contents) (Home) Hiller, Robertson statements should not be ignored (The following article is from the September 16-30/2005 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, Canada, V5L 3J1.) "It seems that `open season' has been declared lately for blurting out redneck, gung‑ho and thoroughly irresponsible remarks, at least in some quarters", Miguel Figueroa said in a recent PV interview.      The Communist Party of Canada leader was asked to comment on recent statements by Canadian Chief of Defence Staff General Rick Hillier, and by U.S. tele‑evangelist Pat Robertson.      In mid‑July, General Rick Hillier stated that Canadian troops in Afghanistan would now be aggressively targeting "detestable murderers" and "scumbags" who "detest our freedoms, detest our society, detest our liberties." Despite a public outcry denouncing Hillier's rabid remarks, Defence Minister Bill Graham and PM Paul Martin have both defended him in public.      Then on August 22, religious broadcaster and founder of the Christian Coalition, Pat Robertson, called for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez: "If he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it," Robertson told viewers on his 700 Club television show. "It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war."      White House officials quickly distanced the Bush Administration from the Robertson remarks, calling them simply the opinions of "a private citizen," but have refused to take any action against Robertson for inciting violence and advocating international terrorism, in violation of both U.S. and international law.      "It would be dangerously naive to dismiss these as isolated rants by blundering idiots or wackos," Figueroa said. "The fact that Hillier is a senior Defence official, and has been defended by both the Minister responsible and by the Prime Minister himself, signal that Canadian foreign policy has taken a further reactionary and bellicose turn, in lock‑step with the militarist adventurism of U.S. imperialism."      "The same can be said of Robertson, who is intimately tied to Bush and his ruling clique in Washington, part of a coven of Pentagon advisors, military contractors, energy and other corporate executives, ultra‑right intellectuals and Christian fundamentalists who advise the Bush Administration virtually on a daily basis," Figueroa added.      "Robertson's comment was a trial balloon in a scripted campaign by this inner circle to neutralize and effectively negate the Congressional ban on `extrajudicial executions,' the polite term for political assassination. This in turn reflects the desperation to overthrow the popular Bolivarian Revolution currently underway in Venezuela under the leadership of Chavez and his followers, who enjoy majority and growing support among the people.      "The Venezuelan oligarchy, with the active support of Washington has tried everything - from the aborted coup d'état, the so‑called `general strike,' and then the failed recall referendum - to defeat the people's forces, and have been decisively defeated at every turn," Figueroa stated.      "In fact, the Bolivarian Revolution is gaining strength and sinking deeper roots among the people, and President Chavez is now openly saying that socialism is the only alternative to neoliberal, capitalist domination and war, as he did at the recent World Festival of Youth and Students in Caracas."      "This is why U.S. imperialism is so desperate to end this `nightmare' and return Venezuela to its neo‑colonialist status and secure its energy resources for itself."      "And that is why it is more important than ever for Canadians to use every opportunity - including the coming September 24 actions - to demand that Canadian troops be immediately pulled out of Afghanistan, and to build the widest support possible for the Venezuelan Revolution, and in defence of its national sovereignty and independence," Figueroa concluded. (Contents) (Home) Ripping away the facade (The following article is from the September 16-30/2005 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, 706  Clark Drive, Vancouver, Canada, V5L 3J1.) By Kimball Cariou      Hurricane Katrina has altered the world situation even more dramatically than the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Two weeks later, the outlines of this new reality are just emerging. But several themes are already evident.      First, the delayed, botched response to this terrible crisis has dealt a huge blow to U.S. imperialism's claims of moral and political superiority. Even before Katrina, it was obvious that the "superpower" which launched an illegal war of aggression against Iraq is not capable of achieving its stated goals of bringing "democracy and freedom" to that country. Even the real U.S. agenda - control of Iraqi oil and long-term military occupation of the region - seems increasingly a pipe dream, even to many supporters of those neo-colonial aims.      Now, the hurricane has revealed that despite its awesome firepower, the U.S. empire is unable to provide urgent relief assistance to its own citizens. It would certainly be exaggerating to talk about a "paper tiger," but the newly visible limits to U.S. power will have long-term implications for international relations. Most immediately, demands for a quick U.S. withdrawal from Iraq have become much louder since Katrina.      The world can also see that socialist Cuba (and other Caribbean islands) have a far better approach to mitigating natural disasters than their neighbour to the north. This raises a second dimension to this event: the growing realization that socialism, far from being "finished," offers the only real hope for humanity as we face the potential for global catastrophes and barbarism.      In the wealthy United States, the "profit first" capitalist system led to a dangerous expansion of homes and buildings along the entire Gulf Coast, where residents were left to fend for themselves during Katrina. Contrast this to Cuba, which is hit with powerful hurricanes on a regular basis. While these storms cause enormous damage to crops, housing and infrastructure, very few lives are lost, thanks to a social system which places human lives ahead of private gain. In the wake of Katrina, millions of people saw that socialist Cuba offers the world doctors and emergency medical relief, while the U.S. exports guns and bombs.      Within the United States itself, the hurricane ripped away the facade of "equality". The most "advanced" capitalist state is based on an enormous divide between rich and poor, and African-Americans remain an oppressed and exploited section of the population. The images of President Bush cutting Senator John McCain's birthday cake, and his lame "humour" about drinking escapades at Mardi Gras, while tens of thousands of Black residents of New Orleans were fighting to survive, will never be forgotten.      Another angle to this catastrophe concerns the deeply racist "security state" policy of the U.S. empire. The Katrina crisis, made far worse by the bungling response of FEMA and other agencies, brought into question the legitimacy of the empire. Instead of acting decisively to bring relief and help to the affected areas, the U.S. state went into "anti-terrorist" mode.      Many observers have commented on the chilling parallels between occupied Iraq and the post-hurricane situation in Louisiana. Whipping up hysteria about so-called "looters" (desperate people finding food and water for their families and neighbours), the U.S. military imposed virtual martial law. The results range from absurd (blocking relief shipments) to horrifying (firing over the heads of crowds of people trying to walk across bridges out of the flooded city). To the far-right occupants of the White House and other key centres of power, Baghdad and New Orleans are cities where the orders of the empire must be imposed at gun-point upon the non-white population.      The implications of this strategy are frightening. Faced with further natural disasters or terrorist attacks, the U.S. regime will increasingly trample on civil rights and democratic freedoms. Only the united power of labour, the organized Black and Latino communities, the anti-war movement, and other progressive and democratic forces, can block this trend towards fascism.      Finally (for now, at least), the ominous scope of environmental dangers is being more fully understood. As Frederick Engels wrote, "Let us not flatter ourselves overmuch on account of our human victories over nature. For each such victory nature takes its revenge upon us."      These words are strikingly appropriate today. Nature was "tamed" by building a huge city and seaport at the delta of the Mississippi. But the acts of building Superdomes and levees, drilling for offshore oil, etc., were accompanied by New Orleans sinking deeper below sea level, and the rapid erosion of delta lands south of the city. This disaster was widely foreseen, but the warnings went largely unheeded.      The time for action to deal with natural disasters and to reverse environmental destruction is limited. In coming issues, we will examine the policies which must be adopted to avert similar catastrophes in Canada and around the world. (Contents) (Home) Dock security program put "on hold" (The following article is from the September 16-30/2005 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, 706  Clark Drive, Vancouver, Canada, V5L 3J1.) Responding to widespread union and industry criticism of its proposed program for port security, the federal government has put the controversial Marine Transport Security Clearance Program "on hold" for the time being. As reported earlier this year in People's Voice, the proposed program would subject port workers, their families and relatives to intrusive security, credit and other checks before being issued new security IDs necessary to maintain employment in certain waterfront jobs. In a speech to the Western Transportation Advisory Council on August 23, International Longshore Workers Union Canada President Tom Dufresne reiterated his union's call for the federal government to conduct a meaningful dialogue with stakeholders before attempting implement such a policy. Dufresne pointed out that the proposed program announced last year was seriously flawed by an "unacceptably low standard ... for denying employment" and the "absence of an independent appeals procedure". These were just two of the "ongoing concerns that the  ILWU had with Transport Canada's proposals for port security", said Dufresne. In October 2004, the Vancouver and  District Labour Council added its voice to a growing chorus of criticism when it adopted a resolution opposing the program and calling on Ottawa to consult widely with affected workers to "create a more workable security program for Canadian ports." "I believe that with goodwill and openness to ideas we can have a security regulation in place that is workable, effective and respectful of Canadian values," said Dufresne. On August 26, Transport Canada spokeswoman Irene Marcheterre announced that federal Transport Minister Jean Lapierre "has decided to take a little more time ... and take a closer look at the program." Ms Marcheterre stated that "We have to find a process that is appropriate and respects the rights of everyone." (Vancouver & District Labour Council) (Contents) (Home) PROFITEERS ON THE LOOSE   (The following article is from the September 16-30/2005 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, 706  Clark Drive, Vancouver, Canada, V5L 3J1.) Advocates of a U.S.-style "two-tier" health system regularly call for more "freedom of choice" for "consumers." What they don't say is that the element of private profit in the health care system places tremendous additional costs on patients. Nowhere is that more obvious than in the realm of prescription medication. The pharmaceutical industry has become one of the most lucrative investment areas in North America, thanks to jacked-up prices for commonly used drugs. A recent study in Life Extension compared the costs of active ingredients in prescription medications with the prices charged by drug companies. The report did a search of offshore chemical synthesizers that supply the active ingredients found in drugs approved by the U.S. FDA, since a significant percentage of drugs sold in the United States contain active ingredients made in other countries. Here are a few of the results, based on 100 tablets of each drug, with costs and prices in U.S. currency. CELEBREX  (100 mg size): the active ingredients in 100 tablets cost a pharmaceutical company just 60 cents, while the consumer price is $130.27. The resulting price markup is 21,712%. (Yes, that's twenty-one thousand, seven hundred and twelve percent!) CLARITIN  (10 mg size): active ingredients cost 71 cents, with a consumer price of $215.17, for a markup of 30,306%. KEFLEX  (250 mg): ingredients cost $1.88, consumer price $157.39, markup of 8,372%. LIPITOR  (20 mg): ingredients cost $5.80, consumer price $272.37, markup of 4,696%. NORVASC (10 mg): ingredients cost 14 cents, consumer price $188.29, markup of 134,493%. PAXIL (20 mg): ingredients cost $7.60, consumer price $220.27, markup of 2,898%. PREVACID (30 mg): ingredients cost $1.01, consumer price $44.77, markup of 34,136%. PRILOSEC (20 mg): ingredients cost 52 cents, consumer price $360.97, markup of 69,417%. PROZAC (20 mg): ingredients cost 11 cents, consumer price $247.47, markup of 224,973%. TENORMIN (50 mg): ingredients cost 13 cents, consumer price $104.47, markup of 80,362%. VASOTEC (10 mg): ingredients cost 20 cents, consumer price $102.37, markup of 51,185%. XANAX (1 mg): ingredients cost 2.4 cents, consumer price $136.79, markup of 569,958%. ZESTRIL (20 mg): ingredients cost $3.20, consumer price $89.89, markup of 2,809%. ZITHROMAX (600 mg): ingredients cost $18.78, consumer price $1,482.19, markup of 7,892%. ZOCOR (40 mg): ingredients cost $8.63, consumer price $350.27, markup of 4,059%. ZOLOFT (50 mg): ingredients cost $1.75, consumer price $206.87, markup of 11,821%.  (Thanks to Vancouver reader John Beeching for sending us this very revealing information!) (Contents) (Home) US Communists demand full support for Katrina victims (The following article is from the September 16-30/2005 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, 706  Clark Drive, Vancouver, Canada, V5L 3J1.) Statement by the CPUSA National Board, Sept. 2, 2005 (abridged) Hurricane Katrina has inflicted an immense and unspeakable tragedy on the people of the Gulf Coast... The Communist Party, USA expresses its fullest sympathy and solidarity with all the people who are suffering from the effects of the hurricane, especially the infants, children and seniors, who are the most vulnerable. We, along with national organizations and local government, demand that the Bush Administration throw the full weight of the Federal Government behind rescue and recovery efforts... Could this tragedy have been avoided? The US Congress, at Bush's request slashed $70 million from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers budget for strengthening the levees that protect New Orleans. For years, engineers have warned that a breach in the levees is a "disaster waiting to happen." Bush and Congress turned a deaf ear. They needed that money to pay for the occupation of Iraq. They needed that money to pay for Bush's tax cuts for the rich. Environmental degradation along the coast and malign neglect of rural and urban communities of colour turned a natural disaster into a man-made catastrophe. We demand that Congress reverse Bush's tax cuts and slash the insane $500 billion Pentagon weapons budget. Use those revenues to rebuild New Orleans and other impoverished cities and towns across our nation. We condemn corporate price gouging at the gas pumps and in all sales and services in the region. Gas prices should be rolled-back at once. Corporations have done very well in recent years due to the policies of the Bush Administration . It is time for them to pay for the cleanup and reconstruction of the region. No sweetheart deals for rebuilding from Katrina! ... There could be more devastating storms in the six weeks remaining in the hurricane season. Global warming is heating up the south Atlantic and the Caribbean making for ever more ferocious hurricanes. Yet our know-nothing President vetoed the Kyoto Agreement aimed at curbing global warming, calling it "unproven science." Bush is bought and paid for by the energy conglomerates that reap enormous profits from the burning of fossil fuels. His recently approved Energy Act guarantees that millions more tons of greenhouse gases will be pumped into the biosphere. It's time to say enough! We demand that the U.S. immediately ratify the Kyoto Agreement and implement an energy program that reduces greenhouse gases. We applaud the efforts of the NAACP and the AFL-CIO and other organizations that have mobilized to send material aid to the region. The efforts of hundreds of individual volunteers, aid and rescue workers, and courageous neighbours saved countless lives. We stand with the suffering people of the Gulf Coast and join with the people of the world in offering assistance. Yet personal generosity is not enough. Only the federal government has the resources to end and reverse this tragedy. The best way to help is to force George W. Bush to provide the federal assistance owed to the victims. Call the White house. Demand full federal funding to reconstruct the Gulf Coast states and to rebuild New Orleans! And let's turn out everyone we can to join the Sept. 24 anti-war march on Washington. Bring the National Guard home! (Contents) (Home) Cuba offers medical solidarity (The following article is from the September 16-30/2005 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, 706  Clark Drive, Vancouver, Canada, V5L 3J1.) Excerpt of remarks by Cuban President Fidel Castro, at a Sept. 4 meeting withh doctors assembled to offer assistance in areas affected by the hurricane: Hardly 48 hours ago I concluded my remarks on the Round Table broadcast where I once again explicitly offered the United States to send a medical force with the necessary means to offer emergency assistance to the tens of thousands of Americans trapped in the flooded areas and the ruins Katrina left behind after lashing Louisiana and other southern states. It was clear to us that those who faced the greatest danger were these huge numbers of poor, desperate people, many elderly citizens with health (problems), pregnant women, mothers and children among them, all in urgent need of medical care... Cuba, a short distance away from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, was in a position to offer assistance to the American people. At that moment, the billions of dollars the United States could receive from countries all over the world would not have saved a single life in New Orleans and other critical areas where people were in mortal danger. Cuba would be completely powerless to help the crew of a spaceship or a nuclear submarine in distress, but it could offer the victims of hurricane Katrina, facing imminent death, substantial and crucial assistance. And this is what it's been doing since August 30, at 12:45 pm, when the winds and downpours had barely ceased. We don't regret it in the least, even if Cuba was not mentioned in the long list of countries that offered their solidarity to the US people. I took the liberty of reiterating our offer three days later, promising that in less than 12 hours the first 100 doctors, carrying the necessary medical resources in their backpacks, could be in Houston; that an additional 500 could be there 10 hours later and that, within the next 36 hours, 500 more, for a total of 1100, could join them to save at least one of the many lives at risk from such dramatic events... Here we are, and not 1100 but 1586 doctors, including 300 additional doctors, in response to the increasingly alarming news that keeps coming in. In fact, another 300 doctors, approximately, have joined this group at the last minute. They were called in and we've already announced that we are willing to send thousands more if it were necessary. But these 300 doctors are in other halls (than) the Convention Center, taking part in this function. In just 24 hours, all of the doctors summoned to carry out this mission, coming from all parts of the country, met in the capital. We have shown the utmost punctuality and precision.... These doctors, I mean you, could already be there, offering their services. 48 hours have passed and we have not received any response to our reiterated offer. We shall patiently await a reply, for as many days as necessary. In the meantime, our doctors shall use the time to take intensive epidemiology courses and improving their English. If, ultimately, we do not receive any reply or our cooperation - your cooperation - is not needed, we shall not be demoralized, not you, not us, not any Cuban. On the contrary, we shall feel satisfied for having complied with our duty and extremely happy knowing that no other American, of the many that suffered the painful and perfidious scourge of hurricane Katrina, shall perish from lack of medical care, if that were the reason our doctors were not there. (Contents) (Home) "For Peace and Solidarity, We Struggle Against Imperialism and War!" (The following article is from the September 16-30/2005 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, 706  Clark Drive, Vancouver, Canada, V5L 3J1.) From the Final Declaration of the 16th World Festival of Youth and Students, held August 7-15 in Caracas, Venezuela. More than 17,000 delegates from 144 countries took part, representing millions of young people and students. The Festival took place at a historical moment for mankind, in a continent that has made imperialism taste decisive defeats, in a country that blazes a path of hope, within the framework of the tradition of solidarity and struggle of the Festival movement, reaffirming its firm position between the two main trends confronting each other: on the one side, imperialism with its interventionist and war policies and, on the other, the peoples who struggle for their inalienable rights. The events of September 11, 2001, have been used by the US government and its allies as a pretext to launch an escalation of its imperialist campaign of world domination, disguised as a supposed "war on terror" and "struggle for freedom" against a fictitious "axis of evil", through which it strives to impose its social, economic, cultural and ideological laws. Such events and their consequences have marked imperialist tactics during the past four years... Despite imperialism's ideological offensive, progressive and peace loving forces grow stronger and emerge again with more determination. We, conscious young people and students of the world, are aware of the historical role we play, and we have been gathering in the World Festivals of Youth and Students since 1947 to reaffirm the principles of our struggle, to exchange ideas and set down referential bases to guide our regional and international actions, for the liberation of humanity from all types of oppression, discrimination and imperialistic domination, to have justice and freedom prevail for all peoples. The organization, awareness and mobilization of world youth and students have been on the rise. Wherever imperialism has intervened, encroaching on liberties and rights of the peoples, it has met with worthy resistance. The more it tries to encroach upon peoples' independence, sovereignty and right to self-determination, the more forms of resistance the peoples find to oppose its interests. Thus, our first commitment has been and will always be with the people, with the young people and students that suffer the most as a result of imperialist policies. Every day, the resistance against imperialism and capitalism gains more supporters before the evidence that this system is nonviable and in light of its inability to solve and meet the problems, necessities and interests of young people and students. ... The 16th WFYS broke through the censorship and lifted the blockade on information imposed by imperialism, which could not prevent us from sharing experiences, strengthening our bonds, reaching agreements, getting to know each other better, having a clearer and more global understanding of our problems and their causes, and assuming the collective commitment of uniting all of our efforts to eliminate those problems; defending and fighting for the rights of the people, youth and students wherever they are at risk, improving the organization and mobilization of the youth and student movement, and raising its political and social consciousness through concerted actions... In coming years, prior to next Festival, we will continue to struggle and to expand the scope of our actions on many occasions, with ever greater strength and determination. This is, more than anything, what guarantees the success of the 17th WFYS and the continuation of its glorious history in this century that begins and that shall become the century of the peoples and the youth, the century of the people's victory over imperialism. For Peace and Solidarity, We Struggle against Imperialism and War! Delegates to the 16th World Festival of Youth and Students, Caracas, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, 15th August 2005. For the full Declaration, see http://www.politicalaffairs.net/article/articleview/1720/1/115. (Contents) (Home) THE GULF WARS (The following article is from the September 16-30/2005 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, 706  Clark Drive, Vancouver, Canada, V5L 3J1.) Statement from United for Peace and Justice, Sept. 2, 2005 The effects of Katrina are tragic, causing death, the disruption of lives, and the loss of property on an unimaginable scale. Although Katrina was a natural catastrophe, its effects were largely avoidable and parallel another tragedy unfolding daily near another Gulf, 7000 miles away. Both disasters flow from the criminal behavior of the Bush administration and are closely related. Much can be said about how long-term policies - from denying the existence of global warming to permitting greedy developers to destroy protective offshore islands and wetlands - may have contributed to the severity of Katrina. But now there are more immediate concerns. FEMA and President Bush have failed to provide timely aid for the poorest people of New Orleans. They had no way to escape. They have been virtually abandoned for days in waist-deep polluted water, (in) the Convention Center, or the Superdome, sharing space with the already dead, surrounded by stinking garbage and human waste, without potable water, food, or medical care. This reminds us of Iraq, where the infrastructure has been destroyed by blockade and war causing people to endure sweltering heat, without electricity, medical care and jobs. Both disasters were predicted. Numerous studies anticipated that a major hurricane could flood New Orleans, while many predicted that the invasion of Iraq would punish millions of innocents, bringing resistance and possibly civil war. However, these studies were ignored by federal administrations, hell-bent on domination and profit. In both the Persian and American gulfs, the poorest people suffer most. In both places, people of color are neglected and brutalized by racist policies. This ugliness is reflected in graphic images of neglect that come bursting daily from the TV screens. People desperate for necessities are now criminalized as looters. The New Orleans police were ordered to stop rescue efforts and instead protect property, and the National Guard has been given "shoot to kill" orders. The war in the Persian Gulf impacts directly on the unfolding catastrophe in our Southern states. Budgets for flood control, strengthening the levees, evacuation, and relief have been inadequate and have actually been reduced. Last year $71 million was cut from the budget for flood control in New Orleans alone. Meanwhile more than $200 billion has been squandered in Iraq. Where are the giant helicopters that could rescue stranded people? Where are the giant air conditioned tents and the ready-to-eat meals that could house and feed refugees - the same tents and meals that Halliburton provides so expensively in Iraq? Why are 35-40% of the Louisiana and Mississippi National Guards in Iraq, on missions of death, instead of back home where they are so desperately needed? Disruption of Middle East oil production (by the Iraq War) and refining capabilities on the Gulf coast (by Katrina) are forcing gas prices to spiral upward. These shortages are already being used by the big oil, pipeline and refining companies as pretexts to extort ever greater profits from the working people of the U.S. Because of this exploitation, the economy will be globally affected, potentially bringing inflation together with joblessness, a re-enactment of the "stagflation" that punished us during the Vietnam War. (United for Peace and Justice, is playing a leading role in building the Sept. 24 anti-war rally in Washington, DC. See http://www.unitedforpeace.org for more information.) (Contents) (Home) Dark day for Australian workers (The following article is from the September 16-30/2005 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, 706  Clark Drive, Vancouver, Canada, V5L 3J1.) For the first time, Australian workers will be subject to imprisonment for refusing to inform on fellow workers who take part in industrial action. John Sutton, construction national secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) said the new laws, designed to destroy unions in the building industry, established principles that would undermine rights for all Australians.  Just passed by the Senate, the Building and Construction Industry Improvement Act outlaws the right of workers to take industrial and political action, curtails the right to ensure a safe place of work, subjects workers to surveillance and harassment in an attempt to de-unionise the building industry, and introduces enormous fines and uncapped damages claims against ordinary workers. The legislation establishes a government body, the Australian Building and Construction Commission, with powers to jail workers who refuse to give evidence about statements fellow workers make at industrial meetings. "While the government claims the laws are necessary because of the $66 million Cole Royal Commission, the reality is that this inquiry has led to a single, solitary prosecution," Sutton said. "The reality is, this is publicly funded union-busting by an extremist government pushing an ideological agenda. To meet its objective, government officials will be empowered to spy on workers, develop a series of secret fifes on their industrial activity and even jail them if they refuse to dob in [inform on] workmates. All Australians should be concerned about these changes as the government has already made it clear they are the future blueprint for the whole workforce." (Contents) (Home) Korean unions to merge (The following article is from the September 16-30/2005 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, 706  Clark Drive, Vancouver, Canada, V5L 3J1.) Korea's two major labour unions are looking into ways to integrate and kick off an era of "one country, one union" by February 2006, with the goal of strengthening their voice and preventing division among workers. In a preliminary step towards forming an integrated organization, the Federation of Korean Trade Unions and the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions plan to establish a negotiating body this month, which will carry out a joint campaign for labourers. Leaders of both unions hope that the campaign will help overcome fears from some members about the integration process. Corporate analysts warn that once the two unions merge and become larger, they will demand significant changes in Korea's labour-management relationship. (Contents) (Home) Deep Throat and freedom of the press (The following article is from the September 16-30/2005 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, 706  Clark Drive, Vancouver, Canada, V5L 3J1.) The Secret Man: The Story of Watergate's Deep Throat, by Bob Woodward. New York, Simon & Schuster, 2005, ISBN-13:978-0-7432-8715-9, $31.75 Can. 249 pages. Reviewed by Steve Gilbert In 1972 and 1973 Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein played a major role in cracking the Watergate scandal and forcing the resignation of Richard Nixon. For 33 years the identity of their confidential source (nicknamed "Deep Throat") was a secret known only to a few Washington Post insiders. Deep Throat himself had taken great pains to conceal his identity. He had lied to his colleagues, his friends and even his relatives. The secret was finally revealed on May 31, 2005, in a Vanity Fair article written by Deep Throat's family lawyer, John O'Conner, and Deep Throat's daughter, Joan Felt, who had persuaded her father - at age 91 - to reveal his identity. Deep Throat was in fact W. Mark Felt, former No. 2 man in the FBI. On numerous occasions from October 1972 to November 1973 Felt met with Woodward in an underground parking garage safe from electronic surveillance. During these meetings he passed on crucial information relating to Nixon's role in Watergate and other illegal activities. In The Secret Man Bob Woodward chronicles his sometimes stormy relationship with Felt, from their first informal meeting in the Nixon White House in 1969 to their final interview in Santa Rosa, California. Felt told Woodward that the scope of the illegal activities and dirty tricks directed by the Nixon White house extended far beyond the Watergate burglary, including "bugging, following people, false press leaks, fake letters, canceling campaign rallies, planting spies, stealing documents, planting provocateurs in political demonstrations." The Department of Justice and the FBI knew all about these illegal activities but - on orders from the White House - had taken no action to stop them. "If it all came out, it could ruin the administration," said Felt. In 1972 the discovery of secret tapes confirmed that Nixon had ordered the CIA to block the FBI's Watergate investigation on the pretense that it was a threat to national security. As a result, some 20 FBI agents threatened to resign. Woodward writes that "the atmosphere around the FBI and the attitude of the agents shouted one message: The Nixon men are lying and the White House is covering it up," and further: "It was the Nixon administration that presented the most serious challenge to the Bureau, because it was an attempted takeover from that top... So the FBI was at war with Nixon and his men." Why did Felt break the law and endanger his career by conveying secret information to a young and inexperienced reporter? Woodward speculates that Felt expected to be named FBI director upon J. Edgar Hoover's death in May 1972. Instead, Nixon named L. Patrick Gray, a political appointee and long-time loyalist who had worked for Nixon during his presidential campaign, but had no experience in the FBI. Felt resented the fact that an outsider was taking over. To make matters worse, Gray snubbed Felt, who found it almost impossible to get his attention for more than a few minutes. Gray told Felt: "I'm expecting you to run the day-to-day operations of the FBI until I become more familiar with procedures." "In other words," writes Woodward, "Gray got to be director of the FBI, and Felt did the work." Woodward further speculates that Felt believed he was protecting the Bureau by making public the contents of certain FBI files and grand jury testimony which would incriminate Nixon. Woodward writes: "Felt was increasingly contemptuous of the Nixon White House and its efforts to manipulate the FBI for political reasons... Nixon was trying to subvert not only the law but the Bureau. So Watergate became Felt's instrument to reassert the Bureau's independence and thus its supremacy". The exposure of Nixon's involvement in illegal activities would have been impossible were it not for Woodward's promise to protect Felt's identity. Woodward defends the right of journalists to keep their sources confidential: "The Deep Throat Legacy was a foundation for establishing the compact: I would never tell... It is critical that confidential sources feel they would be protected for life." Woodward also states that on many later occasions, he interviewed individuals who "cited my willingness to protect a source such as Deep Throat for nearly 30 years as a reason they were willing to talk about some of the most sensitive and top secret deliberations in the U.S. government." In Both the US and Canada today, the protection of confidential sources has become one of the hottest issues of press freedom. The recent jailing of New York Times reporter Judith Miller for failing to reveal the identity of a confidential source has caused a storm of protest. According to Anne Kothawala, President of the Canadian Newspaper Association, this ominous precedent "turns back the clock and hurts efforts to protect journalists in Canada." "Journalists are vulnerable in both countries," Kothawala said. "We are supposed to be the world's leading democracies, but we are not sending a good signal to emerging democracies around the world when it comes to press freedom. Information about government decisions is the raw material of the news industry. Blocking information about government blocks our core function." (Contents) (Home) What's Left (The following article is from the September 16-30/2005 issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, 706  Clark Drive, Vancouver, Canada, V5L 3J1.) GRAND FORKS, BC Stop the occupation of Iraq, support war resisters -  gather 10:30 am, Sat., Sept. 24, at Lois Hagan Park for peace walk and rally. KELOWNA, BC Peace Rally - 1 pm, Sat., Sept. 24, at Kerry Park, sponsored by Kelowna Peace Group. Info: Mark Haley@marcos@silk.net VANCOUVER, BC Open House -  to mark 75th Anniversary of Federation of Russian Canadians, 2 pm, Sunday, Sept. 18, Russian Hall, 600 Campbell Ave. Concert program and Russian Zakusky (appetizers), call 604-298-1513 for info. Cafe Rebelde -  7 pm, Friday, Sept. 23, Dogwood Centre, 706 Clark Drive. Anti-War Actions - Sat., Sept. 24, meet 10 am at Grandview Park (1200 block Commercial Dr.) to join roving visual protests across the Lower Mainland. Organized by StopWar.ca, Vancouver's peace coalition. Stepping Out for Peace - "Blues and Muse" featuring stoyteller Dunc Shields, and blues guitarist Barry Hall, 7:30 pm, HR MacMillan Space Centre, 1100 Chestnut St. Proceeds to Kinuko Laskey Hiroshima Project, sponsored by Trade Union Peace Committee COPE Nomination Meeting -  1 pm, Sunday, Sept. 25, Hellenic Community Hall, 4500 Arbutus. "My Union, My Life" -  Jean-Claude Parrot Book Launch, 7:30 pm, Monday, Sept. 26, Public Library main branch. P3s Demystified -  free community workshops on "public-private partnerships", Wed., Sept. 28 (7-9 pm), or Wed., Oct. 5 (2-4 pm). For location and other details, call 604-681-7945. Sponsored by the BC Health Coalition, http://www.bchealthcoalition.ca. Mission Against Terror -  film on the Cuban 5, with co-directors Bernadette Dwyer and Roberto Ruiz Rebo, 2 pm, Sunday, Oct. 2, SFU Harbour Centre, 555 W. Hastings. People's Co-op Bookstore -  60th Anniversary Celebration, 7 pm, Thursday, Oct. 6, WISE Hall, 1882 Adanac. Music and readings by Lydia Kwa, Anne Fleming, Bud Osborn and Karen X. Tulchinsky. For info, call 604-253-6442. WINNIPEG MB Si Khan in concert - doors open 7:30 pm, Friday, Sept. 23 at the Gas Station Theatre, featuring Hugo Torres and guests Winnipeg Labour Choir and the 1919 Insurrection Orchestra. Tickets $10, presented by Boreal Forest Network, CUPE and CUPW, CKUW and Canadian Dimension Magazine. For tickets & info, call 204-947-3081. U.S. Out of Iraq! -  Mass picket, Sat., Sept. 24, 1 pm, at U.S. consulate (Notre Dame & Portage). Info: No War Coalition (Manitoba) 775-8178 ext. 2. Canada-Palestine Film Festival -  award-winning and controversial films, Sept. 29-Oct. 2, Cinemateque, 100 Arthur St. Info: CanPalNet-Winnipeg 942-1588 ext. 1. TORONTO, ON Mission Against Terror  -  film on the Cuban Five, 7 pm, Mon., Sept. 19, at George Brown College, St. James campus, 200 King St. East, Theatre room 128, with co-directors Bernadette Dwyer and Roberto Ruiz Rebo. Sponsored by Free the Cuban Five Committee and CCFA -Toronto. Also Tue., Sept. 20, 7:30 pm, at the GCDO Hall, 290 Danforth Ave., sponsored by People's Voice. Troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan, Let War Resisters Stay -  Rally and March, 1 pm, Sat., Sept. 24, at US Consulate, 360 University Ave. See http://www.nowar.ca for details. Youth Festival Report-Back -  People's Voice Forum with delegates to the World Festival of Youth & Students, 7:30 pm, Thursday, Sept. 29, 290 Danforth Ave. For details, call 416-469-2481. Celebration of Lee Lorch -  dinner and cultural presentation honouring his 90th year and his exemplary contributions to the world. Doors open 7 pm, Sat., Oct. 15, Bloor Street United Church (300 Bloor St. West), tickets $30 (on Lee's request, proceeds go to People's Voice). For info, call Elizabeth at 417-654-7105. 60th Anniversary of Canada-Cuba Diplomatic Relations -  7 pm, Sat. Oct. 22, dinner, speakers, cultural program, at Fountain Dining Room, Queen Elizabeth Bldg., Exhibition Place. Auspices: Embassy of Cuba in Ottawa, Cuban Consulate in Toronto, Canadian Cuban Friendship Association, Free the Cuban Five Committee and Worker to Worker. Tickets: 416-410-8254, 905-951-8499(Sharon) or 416-534-5340 (Ardis) or info@ccfatoronto.ca. OTTAWA, ON Mission Against Terror -  film on the Cuban Five, 7:30 pm, Thursday, Sept. 22, 20th Floor Lounge, Dunton Tower, Carleton University, with co-directors Bernadette Dwyer and Roberto Ruiz Rebo. Sponsored by Ottawa Cuba Connections and the Canadian Network on Cuba, call 613-225-6232. No to Bush's Wars, End the Occupation -  demonstration 12 Noon, Sat., Sept. 24, Ottawa City Hall (Laurier/Elgin). Organized by Ensemble contre la guerre-Together against War, http://www.nowar-paix.ca/sept24. HAMILTON, ON Our Hospitals are Not For Sale,  meeting to plan city-wide referendum to keep hospitals public, 7 pm, Tue., Sept. 20, Unitarian Church. 170 Dundurn St S. See http://www.hamiltonhealthcoalition.com for info. Sept. 24 rally -  November 26 Coalition will provide transportation to the peace demo in Toronto. Buses leave Wentworth House at the Sterling Street entrance to McMaster University, 10 am, Sat., Sept. 24, stopping for brunch at Steelworkers' Hall in Toronto. To reserve seats ($10), call Ann at 383-2156. HALIFAX, NS Peace March - in solidarity with demonstrations in Washington, London and Baghdad, 1 pm, Sat., Sept. 24, at Victoria Park. Visit http://www.halifaxpeacecoalition.ca for more details. PEACE RALLIES For more details of Sept. 24 anti-war actions across Canada, visit the Canadian Peace Alliance website, http://www.acp-cpa.ca. CUBAN FILM Mission Against Terror -  a new documentary film by Bernadette Dwyer (Ireland) and Roberto Ruiz (Cuba), on tour across Canada Sept. 19 through Oct. 8. The film exposes the terrorist acticities of Cuban American extremists, and focuses on the plight of the Cuban Five anti-terrorists jailed in the US. See listing above for Vancouver, Toronto and Ottawa, or call Canadian Network on Cuba, 204-783-9380 or 416-603-9858. (Contents) (Home)

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