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Archive for June, 2006

UN rights body adopts indigenous rights declaration despite Canada’s No vote

Posted by tracy on 30th June 2006

By a vote of 30-2, the UN Human Rights Council approved a declaration that said indigenous people should be free from discrimination and that they have a right “to consider themselves different and to be respected as such.” Only Canada and Russia voted against it.

Posted in Canada, Rights, World | Leave a Comment

Posted by Faiz on 30th June 2006

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Palestinians hit by sonic boom air raids

Some of you may have heard or read about ’sonicbooms’ over Gaza over the last few days. The Guardian had a story on these virtual-explosions last November and it’s worth revisiting.

Posted in World | Leave a Comment

Youth Rights Activists Defend MySpace Access - The NewStandard

Posted by graham on 30th June 2006

–We should all be able to communicate freely. Any policy that limits this ability is not in the interests of the people and is regressive, no matter what age group we are supposedly targeting.

Posted in Rights, World | Leave a Comment

Inco loses bid to have appeal of class-action suit heard by Supreme Court

Posted by tracy on 30th June 2006

The Supreme Court has denied Inco’s appeal, which means that Canada’s largest environmental class action lawsuit to the tune of $750-million filed on behalf of 8000 Port Colborne citizens can go ahead. For more info on Inco and Port Colborne, visit: http://www.incowatch.ca and for more info on Inco around the world (currently under construction but with recent news posted), visit: http://www.jatam.org/english/case/inco/

Posted in Canada, Environment, Rights, World | Leave a Comment

Ron Jacobs, “Gaza: Do the Palestinians Have the Right to Exist?”

Posted by graham on 30th June 2006

–The right to exist is one of the catch phrases in the media right now but what happens when we turn the focus around? Hypocrisy comes through loud and clear.

Posted in Rights, World | Leave a Comment

Australia: Massive protests against government’s industrial relations laws (ICFTU Website)

Posted by graham on 30th June 2006

–Workers united in Australia against regressive policy of Howard. The momentum must continue if we are going to actually push progressive reform not just stand up to moves backward.

More on the rallies and marches here. Lots of colour!

Posted in Unions, World | Leave a Comment

Banning begging will force poor to prostitution, forum hears

Posted by graham on 30th June 2006

–You cannot ‘ban’ poverty. The people of Fredericton need to rally behind the poor and demand that their taxes be spent on helping those really in need instead of being spent on lining corporate quaffers. We have to respond loudly to these reactionary calls and intolerance of the poor if we are going to be heard over the current roar of the conservative media.

Posted in Canada, Economics/Trade, New Brunswick, Rights | Leave a Comment

Posted by Faiz on 30th June 2006

Ron Jacobs: Killing a Nation to Rescue a Soldier | Counterpunch

“The arrests of several elected Palestinians leaders on June 28, 2006 proves even further that the independent Palestinian nation we are told exists by Tel Aviv and its mentors in Washington, DC is nothing more than a sham.”

Posted in World | Leave a Comment

Blair laid bare: the article that may get you arrested | Independent

Posted by Faiz on 29th June 2006

Sure the headline is sensationalist … but selling copies is not likely the only reason why. The continuing degradation of civil liberties is astounding.

Posted in World | 5 Comments

Posted by Faiz on 29th June 2006

Watch Us, Wiretap Us, Search Us, Jail Us … | Counterpunch

One nation … under surveillance

Posted in World | Leave a Comment

Monthly Review June 2006 Ron Jacobs ¦ The New History of the Weather Underground

Posted by graham on 29th June 2006

–A new article from the Montly Review on the Weather Underground. We all need to educate ourselves on the history of these types of movements both to see what went wrong and to make sure that the reactionary revisonists are not able to change history.

Posted in Articles, History | Leave a Comment

Chris Kutalik, “Is the Fight for Union Democracy Corrupt?”

Posted by graham on 29th June 2006

–An important question to ask in democratic organizations. There is always a fight for “democracy” within larger organizations but one must look more closely and the motives of the poeple involved at the top and their political policies to know if they really mean what they say.

Posted in Articles, Socialist Theory, Unions, World | Leave a Comment

Jon Flanders, “Should We Advocate an Election Boycott in the United States?”

Posted by graham on 29th June 2006

–Always an interesting and ongoing debate around the world on whether the Left should ever engage in boycotts of elections. My answer is almost always No.

Posted in Articles, Socialist Theory | Leave a Comment

Washington’s Undeclared War Against Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez

Posted by graham on 29th June 2006

–The right wing continues its regressive and reactionary attacks on the people of Venezuela. Here is part of the continuing analysis of these attacks and a reminder not to believe most of what you read from “official” US sources about Venezuela.

Posted in World | Leave a Comment

College faculty stand on quality education issues vindicated in arbitration award released today

Posted by graham on 29th June 2006

–The fight continues against the regressive policies of the provincial and federal governements on education.

Posted in Canada, Economics/Trade, Unions | Leave a Comment

Guardian Unlimited | Guardian daily comment | I’ve found a perfect new member for the EU. If only it were in Europe

Posted by graham on 29th June 2006

–I have been reading this a lot lately in the liberal media sources. There is something inherently flawed (with a hint of racism) in this analysis. Can you spot it?

Posted in New Brunswick | Leave a Comment

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Half of global car exhaust produced by US vehicles

Posted by graham on 29th June 2006

–There is no reason to think that global warming is going to be dealt with without some massive changes in the US economy… and that is not going to happen with out a change in the system.

Posted in Environment, World | Leave a Comment

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Israel rounds up Hamas politicians

Posted by graham on 29th June 2006

–This seems more than a little illegal.

Posted in Rights, World | Leave a Comment

U.S. policy on Afghan mission costing Canadian lives, think-tank says - Yahoo! Canada News

Posted by graham on 29th June 2006

–This report is being denouced by the Conservatives with nothing but rhetoric. The fact that this is a liberal think tank means that things are probably even worse than they are being reported. Bring the troops home now!

Posted in Canada, World | Leave a Comment

Academics Decry Travel Restrictions

Posted by graham on 29th June 2006

–The Cuba embargo continues to stifle communication between those that are engaged in some very interesting and important science and other accademic ventures. Not to mention that collective punishment should be denounced wherever it occurs.

Posted in Economics/Trade, World | Leave a Comment

Tories may have taken in close to $2 million in illegal contributions - Yahoo! Canada News

Posted by graham on 29th June 2006

–Not really all that surprising but it really needs to be put out there. The Liberals give out money illegally and the Tories take it. I wonder which is worse.

Posted in Canada | Leave a Comment

Posted by Faiz on 29th June 2006

Anti-FTA Rally Shakes Lima | Prensa Latina

A clear message is being sent to President Garcia … that his presidency is contingent on the terms of trade the country agrees to.

Posted in World | Leave a Comment

Israel seizes Palestinian officials

Posted by Dana on 29th June 2006

And the violence continues…

Posted in World | Leave a Comment

GNN: Fear and Mining in the South Pacific

Posted by tracy on 29th June 2006

“A Canadian corporation looks to make billions as indigenous people fight for their rights in French colonial territory.” The 104 year old Canadian nickel mining company is no more. The American company Phelps Dodge just gobbled up Canadian nickel mining companies Inco and Falconbridge. Inco’s friends over the years have included a number of tyrants that reigned over countries like Hitler, Colonel Arana and other dictators in Guatemala, and General Suharto in Indonesia. Falconbridge took over the Noranda smelter that contaminated properties in the Belledune area. The unions representing Inco and Falcobridge employees in Sudbury, Ontario, are rejecting the takeover bid and it still has to get regulatory clearance. One American-based company may soon be in control of much of the world’s supply of nickel, also known as the war metal.

Posted in Canada, Environment, Rights, World | Leave a Comment

N.B. Tories cut Crown timber fees

Posted by graham on 28th June 2006

–A cut by 50%. That is a little more than just cutting fees. The give away of public resources to corporations continues.

Posted in Environment, New Brunswick | Leave a Comment

17 Arrested on Terror Charges in Ontario

Posted by Dana on 28th June 2006

“On the evening of Friday June 2nd, Police and Security Forces arrested 17 men in the Greater Toronto Area on terrorism charges. These arrests have ignited a media frenzy and a wave of racism against Muslims. For Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the arrests come at a convenient time when support is slipping for the Canadian intervention in Afghanistan. The corporate media and right-wing politicians are attempting to use the fear of terrorism to erode civil liberties in Canada. This article attempts to point a way forward for workers and youth seeking a world without war or terror.”

Posted in Canada, Rights, World | Leave a Comment

Out of Left Field - and into the Bush Backyard

Posted by graham on 28th June 2006

–This one would be a nice one to win.

Posted in World | Leave a Comment

Origins of the International Socialists

Posted by Dana on 27th June 2006

“The International Socialists (IS) was founded at a meeting held in Toronto in February of 1975. In the more than three decades that have followed, the left and the workers’ movement in Canada have experienced many ups and downs, successes and failures. The IS has been a part of that experience, and the period of its modest, early beginnings was a moment of tremendous change for the left.”

Posted in World | Leave a Comment

Younger brothers more likely to be gay: study

Posted by Dana on 27th June 2006

This post was brought to us by Duane. Thanks Duane.

I think sexuality is a social construct. Gender attributes could certainly be determined in the womb, but sexuality is a learned identity. I’m not saying someone choses to be gay, it’s just that their life experience leads them to their preference.

Addition by Graham: The whole article is written in the wrong tense and makes it appear that they can predict likelyhood. This is an incorrect assumption. The title should read: Study suggests that increased proportion of youngbrothers self identify as homosexual. The old title and the way that the article is written suggests that the authors of the study have identified a mechanism that predicts gender. This is not the case. The authors have simply carried out a correlation. There is no mechanism tested and there are many things that may or may not correlate with being a ‘younger brother’ that may or may not have an impact on gender identification. The paper does not test or critically describe any analysis into causation or mechanism so anyone that talks of such things within the context of this paper is talking out of their a@# and their motives should be questioned.

Whether it is choice or not there is no rational argument to be made on making a moral judgment about gender or gender identification. Gender as we identify it in Western Society is not the same as people have identified it through history and between cultures. To try to relate some meaning out of correlations such as the one in the article between biological determinism (like the genes that control your eye color) and a social construct like ‘gender identification in (and only in) Western Society’ is absurd, unscientific, and does not stand up to any indepth analysis. I would reject the news article as having any interest other than under the title of “neat correlations between probably unrelated phenomena”.

Posted in Canada, Rights, World | 2 Comments

International Working Women’s Day - By V.I. Lenin

Posted by Dana on 27th June 2006

The Russian revolution produced some important reforms for Russian women durring its early stages.

Posted in History, Rights, Socialist Theory, World | Leave a Comment

Marxism versus feminism

Posted by Dana on 27th June 2006

This might be an interesting read for some. I’m not so sure if the author accurately represents all the different feminisms.

Posted in World | 13 Comments

Dominion: Platinex $10 billion SLAPP suit against Big Trout Lake Nation

Posted by tracy on 26th June 2006

The Toronto-based mineral exploration company Platinex is suing the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation for $10-billion, the expected value of the ore that they anticipate finding. The community is countersuing Platinex for $10-million and have declared their intentions to challenge the constitutionality of the Ontario Mining Act. The reserve has also made a land claim that includes the disputed area.

Platinex also hired a foreign mercenary to provide security for the company after protesters and blockades disrupted their operations.

Posted in Canada, Rights, World | 5 Comments

Tentative agreement at the Ekati diamond mine

Posted by Dana on 26th June 2006

Victory to the workers! Althought the finer details of Ekati workers first collective agreement are yet to released.

Posted in World | 1 Comment

HUD to New Orleans poor: “Go F(ind) Yourself (Housing)!”

Posted by Dana on 26th June 2006

Thoudsands of diplaced Katrina victims will be losing their public housing, unable to return to their cities, refugees in their own country. If socialists and unionists need a foothold in America (which they do), there’s one in every poor neighbourhood around the New Orleans area. Agitate, Organize, Educate!

Posted in World | 1 Comment

Political Conflict and the Mexican Presidential Election

Posted by Dana on 26th June 2006

Some analysis on the up comming presidential elections in Mexico.

Posted in World | Leave a Comment