And the violence continues…

“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.

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

“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.”

–This one would be a nice one to win.

“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.”

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”.

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

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

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.

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

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!

Some analysis on the up comming presidential elections in Mexico.

I think the Bolivarian revolution is more radical than it is described, however, I couldn’t agree more with the historical and political anaylsis put forth here.

The Conservation Council of New Brunswick presents…

DR. SEUSS’S THE LORAX

An animated version of Dr. Seuss’s classic book about the environment and capitalistic greed. “Mister! he said with a sawdusty sneeze, I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues. And I’m asking you, sir, at the top of my lungs –he was very upset as he shouted and puffed– What’s that THING you’ve made out of my Truffula tuft?” -The Lorax.

7:30pm, Monday, June 26
Underground Cafe, 732 Charlotte

Free film showing for children of all ages. 26 minutes. Open discussion follows video presentation.

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” -The Lorax.

Brought to you by the volunteers with the Acadian forest campaign, a campaign of the Conservation Council of New Brunswick, and the Underground Cafe.

To find out more, email forest@conservationcouncil.ca or visit http://www.acadianforest.ca

Black: A Socialist’s Guide To The World Cup | ZNet

The socio-political connotations of tournaments played on an international scale are not buried as easily as they are in domestic play … so go ahead and rally behind that flag (j/k).

Venezuelan news paper director assassinated | Dominican Today

“The newspaper “Ahora” is known to be of pro-government tendency.”

First Indigenous predident of Bolivia (and probably all of South America) pays tribute to Che.

This is a short analysis of what’s going on in Korea and the neo-con hawk agenda.

This article was sent to us by a long time reader of leftnews. Thankyou Alex.

“Tibet’s natural resources belong to the Tibetan people,” said Pema Lhalungpa, Regional Coordinator for Students for a Free Tibet. “Until Tibetans are free to determine the use of their own mineral wealth, as protected by international law and human rights covenants, extraction of Tibet’s resources by HDI/Continental and other Canadian mining companies amounts to looting and stealing.”

–Funny.

“We’re not accusing Irving of doing anything wrong. We are saying that the structure that has been allowed to grow over the years presents an almost classic example of how you could set up the situation where abuses could occur.”

Why not accuse?