An open letter authored by:
Tariq Ali, John Berger, Noam Chomsky, Eduardo Galeano, Naomi Klein, Harold Pinter, Arundhati Roy, José Saramago & Howard Zinn

This catastrophe is only going to get worse.

A tale of two student lobby groups.

I couldn’t believe the article when I read it. This report calls for the curtailment of student aid, grants, and tax breaks in order that they be targeted at poor students, all the while allowing tuition to keep increasing. It’s good to see that the Canadian Federation of Students are on this. Canadian Alliance of Student Associations’ response seems a little mild if you ask me.

Here is Canadian Alliance of Student Associations’ response to the report:

Students Urge Focus on Entire Post-Secondary System
July 24, 2006

(Ottawa, ON) While a report released today by the Educational Policy Institute (EPI) warns of a looming crisis in Canada’s financial aid system, students also urge the government to focus on the overall state of education in Canada.

“The report addresses important issues such as the emphasis on unfocused post-secondary education funding by governments in the form of tax credits and savings programs. As the report states, grants for students in high need and for those from low income backgrounds are important for the affordability of post-secondary education, such as those provided by the Canadian Millennium Scholarship Foundation. However, we must also consider the bigger picture,” said Phillippe Ouellette, National Director of the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA).

While CASA believes that it is of utmost importance to provide funding [read more student loans] for students from low-income backgrounds, it is essential to consider other funding factors such as institutional funding and rising fees. Students from separate demographics, such as those from middle-income families face similar difficulties, receiving inadequate aid and graduating with an average crippling debt load of over 30,000, when considering interest paid.

“An important factor in providing fair and balanced funding for Canadians from all backgrounds is a truly pan-Canadian approach to education. The federal and provincial governments must work together to eliminate disparities that currently exist by developing a Pan-Canadian Accord on post-secondary education. This must be complimented by a dedicated post-secondary funding transfer from the federal government to the provinces. It is through the collaboration of federal and provincial governments that we can ensure a system of increasing accessibility and affordability,” added Mr. Ouellette.

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This is the Canadian Federation of Students’ response

Tuition Fees Are The Real Time Bomb

Canadian Federation of Students, OTTAWA, 24 Jul 06

A study released today by the Educational Policy Institute attempts to distort the legitimate pressures placed on Canada’s student financial aid system to justify tuition fee increases. The study is misleading and intended to influence the Premiers before their meeting this week, according to the Canadian Federation of Students.

“This isn’t research. This is a public relations campaign against affordable public education,” said Amanda Aziz, National Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students.

The study, titled The Student Aid Time Bomb, attacks tuition fee regulation simply because all students benefit from low fees. The authors argue that poor Canadians actually benefit from unregulated tuition fees because such a policy frees up government funding to create more grants. The study ignores the fact that tuition fee increases over the past decade are the primary force driving up the costs associated with delivering student financial aid.

The EPI’s report also ignores a well-known study into tuition fee regulation by economist Hugh MacKenzie. Contrary to the unsupported assertions in Time Bomb, MacKenzie found that tuition fee freezes are a progressive allocation of public funding in support of access for low- and middle-income families.

Instead of pitting the regulation of fees against the disbursement of aid, the Canadian Federation of Students argues a balanced approach is required. Tuition fees must be reduced from their current levels, and assistance must be available for those with legitimate financial need.

“Students and anti-poverty groups have long understood the importance of reducing tuition fees for improving access to post-secondary education,” said Aziz. “Student aid can only be effective if it is delivered in an environment where fees aren’t skyrocketing. The authors of this study fail to understand that simple fact.”

This is disturbing beyond words.

It’s good that an NDP MP is speaking out, where’s Jack Layton on this issue? He should be front and centre, railing on Harper and pointing his finger at him for his lack of respect and value for human lives.

An excellent editorial by two people who have dedicated many years to exposing the abuses of one of Canada’s largest companies. This is just a sampling of Inco’s abuses.

The PM calls Israel’s attacks on Lebanon “measured”, 7 Canadians are among the 300plus civilians killed by the Israeli military; yet it’s this Ottawa area MPP who has to issue an apology. He should be commended for his dissent not ostracised. He can be reached at: pmcneely.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org

The Independent is reporting that Iraq is headed towards political partition along sectarian lines; and the Associated Press is reporting that Turkey (no doubt following Israel’s example in Lebanon) is poised to invade northern-Iraq if this happens (under the pretext of border defense). I just don’t know what prevents the corporate media from connecting the dots in the Middle East.

Sectarian break-up of Iraq is now inevitable, admit officials | Independent

Turkey Signals It’s Prepared to Enter Iraq | Washington Post

no comment.

A rally in solidarity with the International Day of Action to Demand An End to the Assult on Gaza and Lebanon was held today in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.

Click here for articles on the current conflict.

Click here for images and reports of rallies in London.

10,000 to 15,000 protest in Sydney.

Click here for the Canadian Peace Alliance’s call to send a message to Harper.

The latest news is that Israeli forces enter southern Lebanon

Also, there are new reports of major US companies profiting off the killing of civilians (this is not really a new thing):U.S. Arming of Israel:

Click here for the report from CBC of today’s international action. There is basically a corporate media blackout on pictures.

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Some talking points:

Israel’s attacks on innocent civilians and civilian infrastructure in Gaza and Lebanon are a violation of U.S. law, specifically the U.S. Arms Export Control Act and the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act. The U.S. Arms Export Control Act restricts the use of U.S. weapons to legitimate self-defense and internal policing; U.S. weapons cannot be used to attack civilians in offensive operations. The U.S. Foreign Assistance Act prohibits U.S. aid of any kind to a country with a pattern of gross human rights violations.

Israel’s attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Gaza and Lebanon are examples of collective punishment, which are prohibited under the Geneva Conventions. Read the rest of this entry »

Call to Action - Saturday, July 22, 2006
END ISRAEL’S ASSAULT ON GAZA AND LEBANON

FREDERICTON ACTION - Saturday, July 22, 1pm, City Hall
Rally, information, speeches…
…a chance to stand and be counted amongst those opposed to the brutal assault on civilians

STATEMENT FROM CANADIAN PEACE ALLIANCE: Read the rest of this entry »

–For something completely different to what is being blasted by the news media, here is an analysis and descriptive article on what is going on at ground level in Nepal.

–This is the way that the US Government treats those that try to tell the truth.

–Let us not forget the 100s of people that are also being killed in Palestine at the same time that the conflict continues in Lebanon.

–Robert Fisk. Fisk is the only western reporter in Lebanon. The rest of the ‘journalists’ are just war tourists.

–There are a lot of things that are wrong with Canada and the world but how are we going to deal with them if all our media is owned by the same companies with the same interests that are the opposite of the interests of the vast majority of the population? We need a real, independent, labour and socialist focused newspaper and media group in this country. It is going to be the only way that any alternatives will be able to reach the people.

–The link at the bottom of today’s posts show the front page of the Independent. The only countries that do not support a complete and immediate ceasefire are the US, the UK, and Israel. Are we really to believe that the US and its proxy governments know better than the rest of the countries on the planet combined?

–This this a great thing to say, eh? Aid is not the answer…? Only if you are completely anti-historical can you come up with an analysis like this. The idea that countries that have been devastated by the imperial states over the years can just pull themselves out of their current situation is just silly. The people can rebuild but they must be given the resources that the imperialist countries have taken from them. Aid is what should be given… just without the imperial interventions.

–Does Harper think that a full ground invasion is a “measured response” too? There are already reports of Israeli troops on the ground in Southern Lebanon.

–Ya think?

–The idea that we have to check the paperwork on this means that someone out there thought that the Government might want to consider not helping with the evacuation of civilians. The position of the Conservatives around Canada is not a country of people that look after one another it is a country of people that try to get out of helping one another.