–This is a big loser for the people of New Brunswick. It is basically another tax on the working people of New Brunswick.

A server breakdown at our hosting company (and my lack of backing up the database since June 16th) means that posts and comments between June 16th and June 27th have been lost. I apologise for the inconvenience.

Graham Cox
Editor
Leftnews.org

–I like Alexander Cockburn… usually. But recently he wrote a very strange (and rather silly) article outlining why he is a global warming skeptic. I post this for people who might be lead astray by Cockburn’s bad assumptions and logical confusions that seem to be, for the most part, absent from most of his writings on Counterpunch.

–A rather nice article from someone who knows what it is to fight the State about the current nuttiness of Holocaust denial that is going on in Iran. We must demand that history be respected. We must demand that the crimes of history be remembered and the struggle of all peoples against oppression be honoured. To not do so is worse that self deception, it is to doom ourselves to keep repeating the past and to give power to those that would use the revisionist past to justify their oppressive actions of the present.

–A great new article from JB Foster in the new Monthly Review. Always worth a read.

–The new Cold Type publication is out. For those looking for something to read on the weekend: Have a download of the PDF at the top of this page. It is guaranteed to be a good read.

I have to apologize for not posting as consistently as usual. I have been away for the last week and will be away for the coming week and have not had reliable connection to the web. The other contributors to Leftnews have been doing an excelent job of keeping new news on the page and I would like to spend this post thanking them for their dedication to posting. More news soon… so have a read.

Graham H. Cox

This is a comprehensive timeline of the 1917 Russian Revolution, for all those interested! E.g. “October 23 - For several weeks the Bolsheviks have been carrying on extensive campaigns of agitation throughout the country. Though missing great speakers in Lenin, Zinoviev and Kamenev; Trotsky and Sverdlov work tirelessly. Most importantly, however, are the thousands upon thousands of ordinary workers, soldiers, peasants, and sailors who convince their fellow workers that the time has come to seize power in their own hands. The Soviets issue ‘Revolutionary Decree No. 1′: hiring and firing of workers is controlled by the Soviet.”

“Freud’s a fraud and Skinner’s of no use! Read Marx and Lenin; it will really turn you loose!” Download this great mp3!

Do Not Permit Wanton Killings to Disrupt the People’s Political Unity in Action Against Imperialist Plunder and State Terror!

- Statement of Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) on the London Bombings, July 7, 2005

DEVELOPMENT: Think Tank Urges Closer Ties Among NAFTA Trifecta
–Jim Lobe takes a look at the Manley croud that is looking to integrate the US, Maxico and Canada under one flag. A statement has been released from this “you cannot get any more undemocractic” group. The elites are using their authoritarian power to push agendas on the people. We should not stand for it.

ModBlog - Red Between the Lines
–City investigates transit cheats… they should not be able to cheat. It should be free.

BCGEU: BCGEU in Court to Prevent Privatization of …..
–Our unions are having to fight tooth and nail against privatization of the Health Care system. This time it is to do with your medical data. It is our information, we should be looking after it ourselves. Outsourcing has brought us trouble too many times for us to jump into these thing with out looking.

Mount Kilimanjaro Photo Wake-Up Call for Action Against Global Warming
–Need some evidence of Climate Change and Global Warming? These pictures of Mount Kilimanjaro speak volumes.

Brand USA is in Trouble, So Take a Lesson from Big Mac
–Naomi Klein again. Brand America.

ZNet |Venezuela | Who’s Afraid Of Venezuela-Cuba Alliance?
–A look at Rice and her comments about Venezuela and Cuba. Big threat to America? Ideology and energy are two areas that I can think of that are of greatest threat to the current US Administration. How dare the country not act as a client state!

ZNet |Terror War | Jewish Lawyers
–Tom Engelhardt takes a look at the continued abuse of the prisoners in Guantanamo. Yep, it is still there and there are plenty of people still lying in limbo land.

rabble columns:McGuinty is right but he’s gambling with unity
–Linda McQuaig takes a look at the reasons that the Ontario government is using to get money from Ottawa. We seem to have lost some of our federalism of late. All the provinces are looking after themselves more than the country and it is the federal governments fault.

Alternatives : Rooftop Garden Orientation Meeting�: Thursday March 17
–Rooftop Gardening continues to grow in participation in Montreal.

rabble.ca - in his own words: The U.S.: Back to the Crusades
–Are the dark times once again on us. Does the US think that it can wage a religious war against the world and that the people will follow because they live in absolute ignorance of what is going on. Is it really a fight of the Christian Right? I say it doesn’t matter. What matters is the lack of clear intent out there from government and that needs to change if we are going to continue to use the word democracy to describe our governing system.

FINANCE: Staff Accuses World Bank of ‘Cooking the Books’
–World Bank is accused of some fraud. I think it has been committing offences worse than fraud for the last 30 years, but sure fraud works. So long as the way that the institution works is opened up for all to see.

News: Tory surge cuts Labour’s lead to five points
–The only way that neo-Labour is going to hold the power in the UK is by moveing to the left and getting rid of Blair. No one trusts him to make choices for the people any more. Neo-Labour needs to become a little more Labour again.

Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Hundreds arrested in Nepal
–Crackdown on protesters in Napal. The people are fighting for democracy (or at least the type of government they had before) to be returned… the international community should be on the side of the people and letting the government know that we are watching.

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | California judge rules against ban on same-sex marriage
–The fight continues in the US for same-sex rights. The idea that you can ban one group from getting married by the state is something totally insulting to a people believing in freedom.

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | 761,000 accused in Rwanda
–An update on the Rwandan genocide. Three quarters of a million are accused and should face trial… that is hard to imagine… never again, all over again.

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Anti-Syrians outdo Hizbullah in street protests
–This is a funny title. Outdo? This is a “budding” democracy. There is no outdo. There is only what the people want and what strategies are open to the people. If people continue to protest in this manner but no one listens and there are no talks going on between the people and the government then it is all going to lead to something more dangerous than just “outdoing” the other group of protesters.

Guardian Unlimited | The Guardian | Street protests by poor push Bolivia to the brink
–The people are taking to the streets over government plans to impose neo-liberal economics on the country. The people know what this means and they are not going to take it.

CBC - New Brunswick: Doctor filed human rights complaint
–People should not be denied access to treatment in French in NB… They should certainly not be stopping doctors from speaking French to their French patients.

Sorry for the strange format today. Blogger was not responding so I published everything in one post. It is kind of ugly but it will have to do. I am looking to move leftnews.org to a dedicated server so that the problems we have been having with comments and posts (blogger’s problems really) will be a thing of the past. The move will be soon.

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–QFL backs UFCW Canada program to sponsor Wal-Mart workers in Jonquière: The unions are coming to the rescue of the workers of the WalMart that is closing. They will give them financial support and job placement. This is one reason that unions exist.

–Noam Chomsky: Elections Run by Same Guys Who Sell Toothpaste. It has been posted before I think but hey, why not again…

–Nursing Against the Odds: The Workers’ View: An interesting article about nursing…

–World Bank on India’s Fiscal Policy: We are free to elect governments but the World Bank and the IMF dictate the policies. A little history of the World Bank in India and what is going on their now.

–Chavez steps up calls for socialism: He talks the talk but will he walk the walk. We will see shortly, there is talk of nationalizing “unused” land. The demands of the worker must be met at a local level. Any state controlled initiatives are bound to fail. We will have to wait and see what happens.

–It’s a man’s world — a lousy world: A look at Turkey and the treatment of women, Canada and women, and the world and women’s right to not be abused.

–Jim Lobe - Latest Abuse Investigation Report, a Whitewash - Groups: Human rights abuses continue and no one is held responsible. Is it acceptable?

–Jim Lobe - Unipolarity Re-Affirmed: There seems to be no end in sight of the US’ “We do what ever we want” policy.

– Water - Bottles Versus Faucets: Canadian water privatization… are we going to stand by and let the corporations dispense our water for profit? Are you going to have a choice about it?

–Refugees could cut skills shortages and pay £100m tax : Britain is looking to bring in workers from the outside to boost its economy.. People it did not train to work the job the British cannot fill. Sounds fine to me… although I hope that the incentive to help other nations with qualified doctors does not dwindle..

–Judge stalls move to Air Canada Jazz.: The airline forgot its workers again. Consultations with the unions is necessary so that the movement of the workers can be facilitated more easily… it is the company’s choice how to go about it but it seems to me that this way is harder

–Venezuela moves to seize thousands of hectares of ‘idle’ land from British peer: Socialism in action? If the local people get a say in how it is used then I do not see a problem.

–http://www.cbc.ca/story/business/national/2005/03/14/suncor-alberta050314.html: The price of oil goes up and we are looking to new places to get oil. This is not my idea of looking for solutions to the oil crisis.

–Israel decides on route of barrier, to include largest West Bank settlement: Israel has decided to include one of its settlements inside the wall. It strikes me odd that there is a lot of talk about the Israeli government demanding that the settlements be torn down and then it does this.

–Iraqi power blocs fail to agree on government: No deal and no agreement on power in Iraq. There would not have to be a deal if they had some agreement before the elections with regards to how the process is going to work. If the people did not know how the process was going to work during the election how where the people supposed to know who to vote for?

–No full Syrian withdrawal until April, Lebanon announces: Anti-Syria protesters, Pro-Syrian protesters… It is all a power play between the countries that should have nothing to do with the future of Lebanon. Let the people decide. Have a public discussion and then have a vote.

Yahoo! News - Several hundred Quebec students protest against cuts to education grants
–Protests in Quebec over cuts to education.

CBC News: Health Canada issues cough syrup warning
–Consumers be aware of this warning about a generic cough medicine.

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | BBC says sorry to Israel
–Anyone else think that freedom of the press means no sensorship? In Israel it apparently does not mean that.

ModBlog - Red Bewtween the Lines
–Sea hunt fever is on us again.