Occupy Our Food Supply

On this Global Day of Action, called Occupy Our Food Supply, a day about our food and food sovereignty, food supply, and food and planet devastation -- I had the privilege of hearing Vandana Shiva (and guests) speak in person, in Halifax, NS.  The morning was called "A Feast of Conversation about Women , Men and Food".  Sponsored by the EAC, Oxfam and Mount St. Vincent University.



I heard today about the  need to organize to take back our food, our seed and our soil.  I heard that our food system is part of a global system that is hurting the planet and hurting women, in particular.  A system that puts profit, mono-culture and dead seed (terminator seeds) before the needs of people and the planet.  I heard Vandana Shiva be inspiring and call us to action - not necessarily large planet-changing action - but things that we can do here at home.  She did warn us, at the same time,  not to think small! We can take on even the largest corporations and win.

The morning began with a presentation by Marnina Gonick, a Women's Studies professor at Mount St. Vincent University in Halifax.  She talked about sex and gender - that sex is about biological characteristics, and that gender is socially constructed.  She spoke briefly about how we sometimes think we are past gender inequality, in the "west" , but that much inequality remains - women, for example,  still do most of the housework and childcare even while working fulltime.  Men still dominate in business, religion, sports and still make significantly more money than women.  

As we heard later from Dr. Shiva this is a problem in most of the world.   So as we went through the speakers and conversations,  in the morning,  we were asked to think about "what difference does gender make?  And what difference does difference make"  especially when thinking about food.   The overarching question was "How does putting Women's Rights and Gender Justice at the heart of food system conversation help mobilize change?"  and that is what we spent the morning thinking and talking about.

Dr. Shiva spoke of the following, and although not in her words, I am doing my best to paraphrase and precis what she said:  

80% of food worldwide today comes,  not from large agri-business,  but from small farms/plots,  and the majority of them are worked by women.   Women's work though is generally invisible.      Why, Dr. Shiva asked is that work invisible?   Because,  Global Capital assumes that that nature is dead and that women don't work!  The challenge is to make that work visible.

Several times Dr. Shiva mentioned the violence of the green revolution, and the book that she wrote about it, The Violence of the Green Revolution: Ecological degradation and political conflict in Punjab, 1992, Zed Press, New Delhi.  That was about the punjab in 1984 - always described as religious strife but was in fact about land and water and debt.

She mentioned the violence of Union Carbide and the Bhopal criminal disaster that still has meant no justice,  especially for the women that primarily carry on the fight.  Dow bought union carbide and says that they have no liability for the Bhopal disaster - but when you buy a company you buy not just their assets but also their liabilities - but still there is no justice for the victims of Bhopal.  There is a campaign now to remove Dow as a sponsor of the London Olympics as they have refused to actually negotiate (though the Indian gov. is also culpable by accepting, on behalf of the victims, a paltry settlement)   This, Dr. Shiva pointed out, was just a part of the violence perpetrated on the planet by the fertilizer and now giant food production companies, like Cargill.   Fertilizer comes out of munitions research - It is war chemicals used in agriculture and their names reflect that like Roundup- and Dr. Shiva rhymed off others that I cannot recall. . .

Monoculture,  she went on to say, is like war - it is conformist, highly regimented and not at all chaotic, like life. 

She had us imagine the picture of many combines going across a field at once - looks like tanks massing on a battle field. 
 
On the contrary - living soil can only be handled by living hands.

 

She talked about how corporations are given the status of people - but they are NOT people!  They do  not have minds, they cannot think, they don't have ideas and they should not be able to patent life.  As they have no intellect - they cannot have intellectual property.

She talked about not just the sexism, and how women are the ones that have protected the seed, and nurtured the soil, even in the face of monoculture,  but the racism in the multi-national food industry that they call the less nutritious white rice superior and the dark coloured, highly nutritious  millets traditionally used by women in India, inferior.    She went on to talk extensively about the vocabulary of seed and the implications.

She then made several excellent points about productivity.  I have thought a lot lately about how we move to a sustainable economy - how do we stop the insistence on "growth" to be productive?   in this vein Dr. Shiva mentioned that if you consume what you produce it is not considered "productive" - so there is a tendency to want to move to monoculture and exporting food as this is then rated as an improvement in productivity,  though people may have gone from feeding themselves to starving!  In addition, these days a lot of "food" is grown to make bio-fuels and run cars and/or to feed animals.   It is totally untrue, she insisted, that large scale agriculture produces more food, in fact, as she put it:  TLC (tender loving care) produces more yield than NPK (nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium- the ingredients of chemical fertilizers - you know the kind that you can use to make bombs)  Monoculture is NOT more productive. We just count it that way.  (See Who's Counting by Marilyn Waring - just my suggestion,  not mentioned by Dr. Shiva)

So the food system is occupied by the corporations and we need to re-occupy our food. Food should be for people not for profit.   Not just food, either but other agricultural products - as Dr. Shiva said, 95% of all cotton grown in India is BT cotton and the seed is owned and controlled by Monsanto.  The seed once planted cannot be used to gather seed - it must be purchased every year and cannot be saved.  In order to buy the seed, you need to get into substantial debt.   This is a major reason for the increase in the number of farmer suicides in India in the last ten years - 250,000!

The boundary between reality and spin, Dr. Shiva said, has dissolved and we have to work very hard to see reality.   We need to support diversity and women and she drew our attention to a group - Diverse Women for Diversity. - part of her organization - Navdanya for which there were several fundraisers during her visit to Nova Scotia.

Dr, Shiva returned later from some Q & A - but in the meantime there was a presentation about the Local situation by Dr. Patti Wiliams.  She spoke about the  N.S. Participatory Food Costing project.   She talked about how food is too expensive for families that earn a low income (just fyi - almost 30% of Nova Scotians earn minimum wage) - not that food costs too much, she reassured us as farmers have to make a decent living, too.  But that income inequality in society means that women (who earn less) and especially single mothers do not have enough income to feed their children nutritious meals.

She showed a video that is worth taking in - spoken word and typography. . .   It is only a minute long and worth watching. . .


Tim Merry - Kinetic Typography from Jeff Harper on Vimeo.


In Nova Scotia there is a LOT going on -- time to seize the moment - we have a wave of people wanting to buy local,  an explosion of farmer's markets and lots happening with the N.S. Food Security Network.

When Dr. Shiva returned after we had "conversations at our table" I seem to have recorded what sound like a lot of aphorisms -- all of them good - but she was answering questions which I did not record and all of this is great stuff.  So here it is, as well as I could record it:

Silence is not neutral.  It mans that you are taking the side of the oppressor if you do not speak out.

Life is about meaningful work, and serving the community, not about money.

I am part of the web of life - think of us all as microrhizome fungi - (I think I have that right?) spreading out as a network below ground but all networked together - a great picture (and made me want to find out more about it!)

Corporations claim intellectual property - stealing the knowledge from indigenous peoples and then profiting from it.  There is no intellectual property in this area - it is piracy - and is in fact called bio-piracy!

We can fight the corporate control of food - we do not need the billions that they have to win against them - we need solidarity and networking and we can beat them [Hey - we can be like the fungus!]

Through most of history we have eaten food that is good for us, now we are eating food that is a curse for us.  High fructose corn syrup should NOT exist.

The knowledge of sharing is where we create abundance.  the culture of sharing is what we need to build.

Everyday Ghandi said "make me more womanly" .  Women have relationships to each other and to the soil and seed. . . men need to nurture a relationship soil, seed, the eath that is more like women.  To be non-violent is a cultivated trait - men need to be partners, and it is a benefit for them. . .  Men, who have got used to the system of dominance, will ind life more joyful if they engage in partnerships with women.

Conservation can become the basis of production.   (In answer to a question about the Svalbard Global Seed Vault)  We need to keep seed adapting while the climate changes - we need to turn to the women to the soil and the seed, and away from monoculture and chemicals and nurture the soil - that will keep seed and the food supply secure.

Centralized systems of corporate control (a few companies control the world's food, a few companies are the world's retailers etc.) create hunger - not our inability to grow enough.

Monoculture produces commodities, not food. You can have more and more of may or few commodities but still have hunger.  Food distribution systems are driven by subsidy and profit.  50% of the food in the world is wasted - monoculture and shipping long distances creates waste.  Shipping means breeding food for long shelf life instead of taste, quality and nutrition. (breeding for rocks!) "fresh" means that you can eat it right away - not bred for shipping long distances.

Soil organisms are what feed us.

Asked what she recommened that we do/action we should take Dr. Shiva said:

No monoculture of the mind!  We do not all have to take the same action.   We need local activists, people working for organics, to create and nurture farmer's markets, we need research - how can we overcome monoculture and the practice of making high cost, low quality food, cheap?  We need to make corporations pay the real cost of what they produce and sell.  We need to protect seed and soil and build a global seed campaign.

So ends my notes on a talk by Vandana Shiva and others on the Day of Action on food - Let's re-occupy food!

Musings on Valentines Day but not about it.

Have a number of unrelated things to talk about but feeling like a blog post anyway. . .

First the Federal Cons who have today tabled  Investigating and Preventing Criminal Electronic Communications Act and to amend theCriminal Code and other Acts that will let the police (and maybe the government and/or its agencies) get information about your web identity and data about you WITHOUT A WARRANT.  What the hell is this?  As an excuse they are suggesting that if you have nothing to hide it won't affect you (where have I heard this before?   And in addition, yesterday the Minister Vic Toews suggested that if you oppose this act you must be some sort of pedophile/pornographer.   Sheesh . . .  Stand for Civil Liberties and stand  accused of heinous crimes.  Good article in the Globe and mail -- "Stand with Us or with the child Pornographers".

Or this article by John Ibbitson that asks - why  do the Cons supporters want the Long From Census and the Gun registry gone because they are such an invasion of privacy but want to allow such invasive surveillance of citizens on the internet?

You can sign a petition to oppose this bill and "stop online spying"  at: http://openmedia.ca/mp

Then of course we have the so-called "omnibus crime bill" - coming soon to a court near you.  We have a few mandatory sentences already though the new bill expands that -- so judges are bristling about losing their discretion based on the facts of the case, and one has refused to impose a minimum sentence. 

"An Ontario Superior Court judge has refused to impose a mandatory three-year sentence on a man caught with a loaded handgun, putting the courts on a collision course with the federal government’s belief in fixed sentences that provide judges with little discretion."

And from an article by Armine Yalnizyan -- CCPA Senior Economist -- in the Globe & Mail -- comes an analysis of corporate taxes and the issues it raises, along with the list of workers being attacked and asked to take less across the country:

Newly aggressive demands that workers give up income join the decades-old demands that governments give up revenue. The implicit deal is that lower taxes create more investment and competitive cost structures create more demand. Both supposedly create more (good-paying) jobs. Lower taxes, check. Lower payroll costs, check. More good-paying jobs here at home: Insert sound of crickets chirping.

In case that's not clear - the government reduces taxes for corporations so that they will invest in Canada and "create jobs" .  They also attack workers and collective agreements, and support private firms doing so,  so that there is a better "business climate" so that the companies will invest in Canada and "create jobs" but no matter how low the taxes, how educated and reliable and productive the workforce, even how profitable the company -- waddya' know - no jobs - just increasing shareholder profits - and in Canada lots of money flowing to parent corporations in the U.S. and other countries.

If new economic and political realities are not enough to bum you out on this Valentines Day , then think of the planet (not sure why I want you to be bummed out - just finding it hard to be optimistic myself this morning)  graphically - a reprise of the 1972 Big Blue marble photo was taken in January and NASA says:

It was also a good day because of the striking way it could demonstrate to us just how much the planet has changed in 40 years. As Jeff Masters, the web's most widely read meteorologist, explains, "The US and Canada are virtually snow-free and cloud-free, which is extremely rare for a January day. The lack of snow in the mountains of the Western US is particularly unusual. I doubt one could find a January day this cloud-free with so little snow on the ground throughout the entire satellite record, going back to the early 1960s."

We are in deep doo-doo. . . Lots of extreme weather data in the article on Al Jazeera quoted above and then this:

In the face of such data - statistics that you can duplicate for almost every region of the planet - you'd think we'd already be in an all-out effort to do something about climate change. Instead, we're witnessing an all-out effort to... deny there's a problem.

And so it goes. . . Have a great day. 

Letter from Hendsbee Re: Occupy Eviction

Below is the text of an email I received Sunday, Nov. 13th  from David Hendsbee.  I wrote to him on the 12th after the events of the 11th.

I believe that there are at many factual errors in his response.

I have  my own eyes to observe 1) there WAS brute force used on the protesters, I witnessed it myself, (there are a myriad of sites with video and photos - I will try to add some when I have more time.)
2) they were not given enough time to plan to go elsewhere or re-locate.   When I got there at 12:45 (app), tents had already been taken down, by police;   and 3) a suggestion that occupiers had been "bought off" -- all I can say is -- "I wish" and I doubt it - they certainly got some financial and other  support - I took food (hot baked potatoes) and winter jackets down there. . .   but I don't think I was "buying them off. . . !
4) last night, just after the 5:00pm  update on 95.7,  Mayor Kelly said that there was "definitely a vote, at an in camera meeting - and any councillor that says otherwise could have been out of the room - but that there was a vote. . .  Hendsbee says that there was not. . . that councillors, he says,  were simply "informed" that there would be an "enforcement".
5) Mayor Kelly also said last night, on 95.7FM  that they Occupy were not told that they could not  return but that they were not told that they could.  Hendsbee says that they were told that they could NOT return.  I cannot find any evidence of this in the media,  as he suggests.

and I'll just quickly add an objection to a sixth - "their indebtedness to the unions that have co- opted this movement for their own means to rally against the private sector."   I have not seen a "rally against the private sector" - even Jim Stanford (CAW Economist) does not deny that "we need a market".  Auto workers and ship builders rely on the private sector for their good union jobs - why would they "rally against the private sector".

text below is all from an un-altered email from David Hendsbee received by me on Nov. 13th.


________________________________________________________________________________
Margaret Anne - HRM Council did NOT vote to pass nor enact a new bylaw. The Parks Bylaw P-600 has been on the books since May 1999 and only amended twice since then in 2003 & 2006. We were just advised that it was going to be enforced.

The Occupiers camping is in violation of section 8 subsection 1 & 2. When the protest first started we needed clarification of whether or not the Grand Parade is considered 'parkland'. That legal clarification was sought and later confirmed. We offer them ( with municipal permission ) an alternative site of the Commons but they refused. HRM wanted a peaceful relocation prior to Remembrance Day ceremonies to ensure that event went off as planned and uninterrupted. And the Occupiers were also told that they were not welcome back afterwards. That was well reported in the madia too. The Grand Parade is needed for 4 more civic events in the next few weeks : Holiday Parade of Lights, HRM Xmas tree Lighting, the Menorah Candles / Hanukkah festival of Lights, and the New Years Eve celebration. So why should we allow illegal encampments that will dispel other public events that are intended for the greater enjoyment of the general citizenry.? Who is trampling upon whose rights and freedoms ?

After the Remembrance Day service was over, HRM officials provided notice to the occupiers that they are in violation of the Parks bylaw. After the service of the notice, police met with the protesters and asked them to start making preparations to leave. After several hours, HRM saw no effort on their part to start taking down tents. We had sincerely hoped they would abide by the bylaw. Unfortunately, some chose not to comply which required police to begin dismantling and removing the tents. Initially things were going quite well and a number of people took down their tents and left. A small group of people, however, attempted to prevent police from taking the tents down. In the end, 14 people (12 men and 2 women) were arrested for obstruction of justice. Brute Force was not used.

Halifax Regional Police has received over 50 public complaints of every nature regarding the protesters, including noise complaints, drug use, minor assaults, medical emergencies, aggressive and threatening behaviour, and defecating in the bushes. In the last week, we’ve had other citizens refused access to Victoria Park, including a woman in a wheelchair who wasn’t allowed to pass through, another woman who was spat on, and a family who wasn’t allowed to bicycle in the park. That type of conduct is also in violation of the Park Bylaw P-600 Section 3 - subsection 1 (a), (b), and (d). HRM staff cleaned up the garbage left behind by the protesters which is another violation under section 7 . HRM is not infringing on their charter rights. They still have the right to assemble, to demonstrate and to protest at will. However, they do not have the right to camp on municipal public park property unless otherwise designated as a 'campground' or duly granted permission to do so.

May I ask you why don't they - the Occupy NS take up residency on the south lawn of Province House ?. Be at the statute of Joe Howe who won the right of speech and Freedom of the press from his infamous libel case. Also the HRM Parks Bylaw does not apply to provincial property. Take the protest to the level of government that has the direct ability to address corporate greed through taxation and regulations. Also they can address social injustice through welfare reforrn, income assistance, wage parity, rent controls, etc. Etc.

Perhaps the Occupiers have been bought off and lost their moral justice to be a true voice of reform due their indebtedness to the unions that have co- opted this movement for their own means to rally against the private sector. And as you know Democracy is not always pretty or perfect. We still have the rule of law to that needs to be observed too. Best regards - David

Day One - N.S. Federation of Labour 2011 Convention

Today opened with a speech by Rick Clarke President of the N.S. Federation of Labour.   He opened by mentioning a Globe oped piece today -- an attack on public sector workers.  We have all got to be vigilant and speak out, talk back, write letters, but do not let these attacks go without a response.
 He talked about Ships Start Here, and what that 25B contract means for N.S. workers, and the N.S. economy.  He announced that the funding for the Office of the Worker Counsellor had been renewed and how well they had done in a review.   He talked about the need for 1st contract legislation which was also covered in a resolution debated in the afternoon, but referred back to be debated tomorrow.

He talked extensively about the need to fight back against the Harper govenment, and how much that government is attacking the rights of workers.  He also talked about our provincial NDP government and the neeed to work with them but never give up demanding what we need from them.

He spoke passionately about Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and the need for the provincial government to make changes to protect workers.  23 fatalities last year, 7000 compensable injuries -- we need to expand education and awareness to save lives.  We need universal Workers Compensation coverage (not all workers in N.S. are covered by WCB).   We also need regulation changes to ensure that bullying and psychological harrassment are covered under OH&S legislation.

We need government to enforce the  OH&S laws currently on the books.  Lets put those repsonsible for injuries and death at work, in jail, instead of just providing corporations with a fine that is a tax deduction.   NO more carnage at work!

Most of the day was spent debating resolutions.  None of them provoked substantial debate and most were passed unanimously.  All four Labour Council resolutions passed: 1) expanding the CLIFF festival to N.S., 2) Setting up a committee to propse ways of setting up a worker's action centre in NS, 3) Expanding Mayworks and Mayday celebrations to more locations in N.S. and 4) having the NSFL coordinate a munipal election campaign and strategy throughout the province.

In the afternoon we were treated to a presentation by some of the folks from Occupy N.S. who are working on democratic processes and keeping everyone's attention on the fact that greed is the problem, that wealth is concentrated in too few hands and the result is the elimination of democracy and choice for the people.  Everyone is encouraged to go and hang out at the Occupy movement at the Grand Parade . . .  they still have General Meetings every night at seven pm.  Every Friday night is a dance party!

Caucuses were held at the end of the day to elect some General Vice Presidents, but as of this evening only one is reported.   Margaret Anne McHugh, Secretary of the Halifax-Dartmouth & District Labour Council was elected the CEP General Vice President of the NSFL, by the CEP Caucus.

Tonight at Celtic Corner (across from Alderney Landing in Dartmouth) is the CD Launch of Cape Breton Protest Songs.  All welcome.

Opening -- Nova Scotia Federation of Labour 2011

Last night was the kick off of the 2011 Nova Scotia Federation of Labour Convention.   It began with a Call to Order, and the singing of Solidarity Forever. (So glad I had been going to choir and felt in full voice. eat speech welcoming )

Then our own President, Brother Kyle Buott gave a great speech, in part to Welcome delegates to Dartmouth, which you can see below.  He finished up with a quote from Eugene Debs "Speak truth to power and they will call itrevolution"

This was followed by a speech from the President of the CLC - Brother Ken Georgetti which can be seen at:  http://www.youtube.com/tonytracy#p/a/u/1/wMTWhNqCZiM

Brother Georgetti spoke to a number of issues - congratulating NS on the "ships" contract, and urging us all to press the NDP provincial government for first contract legilstion.   He sent us a warning abour the dangers of the Harper
government in Ottawa, and urged us to standup and fight back.  He spoke of Labour's support for the "occupy movement" nationally and internationally, and spoke about how our problems, especially income inequity all do go back to "corporate greed".

The last speaker was the keynote speaker, Mike McBane  who spoke on health care and particularly on the need to ensure a new federal/provincial health accord 2014.  We need to fight against privatization and be wary of giant, for profit, health care corporations . . .  see http://www.healthcoaltion.ca/ for more info.

NDP, BDS and The Canadian Boat to Gaza

Although a certain part of me is screaming "now is not the time". . .  because we have a federal government that is launching a serious attack on working people, the poor,  and families, I know many of you will be saying - Margaret Anne - we should be sticking together now. . . nevertheless,  I am compelled to do the following. . .

Since I could vote,  I have worked for, voted for and donated to the NDP.  I have run as a candidate provincially and federally, for the party. I will continue to vote for them (what choice do I have, other than withdrawing from the process??) and will even remain a member, but today, I have cancelled my monthly automatic donations (PACs) to both the provincial and federal NDP.

I figure there is little point in doing so, unless I publicize why - so this is my post today.

I have cancelled my PACs (automatic monthly donations) over Gaza, Palestinians generally, the Canadian Boat to Gaza and the Nova Scotia Trade Mission to Israel.  I will be explicit and I hope educational in the following.

First the province -- in the news yesterday I heard that Premier Dexter is "leading a Trade Mission to Israel this fall."  I could hardly believe it but I looked it up and sure enough they are actually promoting it on the government website.

Now, here's the thing - there is an International Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement.  According to the website:   http://www.bdsmovement.net/bdsintro

For decades, Israel has denied Palestinians their fundamental rights of freedom, equality, and self-determination through ethnic cleansing, colonization, racial discrimination, and military occupation. Despite abundant condemnation of Israeli policies by the UN, other international bodies, and preeminent human rights organisations, the world community has failed to hold Israel accountable and enforce compliance with basic principles of law. Israel’s crimes have continued with impunity.
In view of this continued failure, Palestinian civil society called for a global citizens’ response. On July 9 2005, a year after the International Court of Justice’s historic advisory opinion on the illegality of Israel’s Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), a clear majority of Palestinian civil society called upon their counterparts and people of conscience all over the world to launch broad boycotts, implement divestment initiatives, and to demand sanctions against Israel, until Palestinian rights are recognised in full compliance with international law.

There are National and International groups helping to enforce and expand BDS in countries around the world.    In Canada there is   http://www.independentjewishvoices.ca/   and  http://www.cjpme.org/  and,  in particular I draw your attention to: http://ijvcanada.org/ijv-vji-statements-enonces/letters-to-the-press/nova-scotia-should-not-be-choosing-sides/  which is specifically about the Premier's trip to Israel and why it is wrong.   I found it compelling enough to take this action - it says in part:

At a time when the world community is working to resolve the situation, when Israeli and Palestinian human rights groups are increasingly vocal and suffering for it, when even U.S. President Barack Obama has challenged Israel’s policies, Nova Scotia should not be going the other way. Sometimes, friends need to tell friends they are wrong and back it up with action. And if Nova Scotia cannot, or will not, do this, it should step to the side and stop making things worse.

I encourage others to cancel your PAC (not your membership/critical support)  and let the provincial NDP in N.S. know why . . .   Would you pay for a government that supported South African Apartheid or segregation in the U.S.?  I didn't think so - if you support this Trade Mission - you are on the wrong side!!!!

Federally, I was appalled to find Jack Layton telling the people risking life and limb on the Canadian Boat to Gaza; like anti-apartheid work in S.A. or freedom riders (some of whom died) in the U.S. . .   that they should abandon this mission and work through "international channels and organizations". . .    Uh?  WTF?

 You can find info on the Tahrir - the Canadian Boat to Gaza - here.

I also enjoyed this video:

Gaza Island from Albino Squirrel Channel on Vimeo.


There have been U.N. resolutions and investigations and reports and they all condemn the actions of Israel for mass punishment of Gaza, breaking International Law at sea,  and in the building of illegal settlements, taking over Palestinian land, and a myriad of injustices done daily to Palestinians in Israel and the West Bank.  I was made to pay attention when the shelling began in late 2009 - remember Operation Cast Lead - the massacre of Gazan women and children?  Gaza ia a little strip of land - bordering Egypt, Israel and the Mediterranean.
It is about 40 km long and about 6-12 km long - smaller in space than many cities.  There are over 1.5 million people live in the Gaza Strip and there is no legal way in or out for most people.   In Operation Cast Lead Israel  began shelling this imprisoned population killing over 1400 Palestinians, over half of them women and children.  At this point I got active in Palestinian support work.  It was like putting people in prison and then shooting at them.   After that Israel will not led all aid in . . .   there is a crazy list of prohibited materials not just building materials like concrete and rebar but also foodstuffs and toys that are randomly prohibited.   Business cannot be carried on and it is the only country in the world where 70% of the population lives on humanitarian aid.



All this condemnation comes from the U.N., it is true,  but then nothing. At some point, "the people" and not governments (since they apparently will not)  have to stand up and say - "We are not going to permit this anymore"!  I am not well organized enough (and have family and work commitments) but in my heart I am on that boat to Gaza. . .     I was on the Mavi Marmara in spirit and felt the repercussions - what if it had been me?

If you had a way to defend people wouldn't you take it?  The NDP press release from June 9th says:

• Statement on Gaza flotillas

  June 9, 2011

  In difficult situations of conflict, it is important to respect people’s right to peaceful protest, and the protection and safety of all parties involved must be a priority.
  Earlier this week, I met with the Israeli Ambassador and urged the government of Israel to lift the blockade of Gaza. I also indicated that it was not New Democrat policy to support the flotilla but reiterated New Democrats’ concern for the safety of protesters and urged that the utmost caution be used.

This is not enough, not strong enough -- perhaps there are some international "niceties" being observed here - but to say that . . .  well we don't think they are doing the right thing ("New Democrats do not support the Flotilla") and we'll ask them to reconsider going?  Safety may be a priority but this has no teeth - so I guess the NDP is OK with letting those Canadians stand up for an (they agree) illegal blockade, on their own with no support, not even a "good on ya", for taking this on. 

So join the BDS movement - educate yourself about Gaza,  the issues of Palestinians generally and the injustices and violence done to them by the "western" and friendly state of Israel.     You can start with: 
http://www.icahd.org/?page_id=76  and some of the Canadian sites/links above.

And then, maybe we can get the NDP leadership onside on this issue -- they should be on the side of the angels.   Check out this letter to Jack Layton from one of the Canadians - David Heap - who will be travelling on that flotilla to break the blockade (an illegal blockade I might add, which Jack Layton says he agrees is illegal) but cannot support the Boat or support the Canadians who will be on it. In part Heap says:

Those opposed to justice will always try to intimidate those who stand on the side of the oppressed: our work must always be to face these risks nonviolently and not give in to intimidation. These risks are greatly reduced (though not eliminated) by solidarity: we are safer when we walk with others on a picket line, and we will be safer on the Canadian Boat to Gaza because of the many Canadians who have contributed to our campaign and who will be following our progress towards Gaza.

Will you stand with us, and with them? Or will you stand on the sidelines of history?
Pulitzer-winning author Alice Walker, who will be on the U.S. Boat to Gaza, has called our Freedom Flotilla the "Freedom Ride of this era”.

So my money will be going to the Canadian Boat to Gaza and not to the NDP.   It is painful but it had to be done.

Democracy and a totalitarian regime of the Mind

I actually wrote this right after the election on May 2nd but never got around to "publish" -- so I did so today although it is really not much more than a link to a document:

I must admit, I am a bit in shock about the Canadian election outcome - a majority government led by a man I cannot see but anything less than a builder of a markets-only-driven, fascist police state.   If you are rich you are worthy - if you cannot make enough to live on ( and we are skewing the ability by giving a very small percentage a lot and the rest nothing) too bad - go directly to jail.  Those jails,  by the way, will be housing those of you too poor, or mentally ill to make a living.   Also, they will be privately owned providing a profit to those who squeeze every last drop of profit from the incarceration of prisoners. I actually feel a little afraid and I have been traditionally one of the fearless.  After the G20 I don't know or believe that my "rights' in this country mean anything at all.

I was reading the Gene Sharp document (From Dictatorship to Democracy: A conceptual framework for Liberation) and thinking about what they had done in Egypt - I thought it should be so much easier here - why is it not, and what can be done about it?

We are trapped, not by guns but by our own minds - however, if we free our minds the guybns willno doubt appear.    In totalitarian regimes it always seems that everyone knows that how they are being governned is "wrong" - but in North America, we are not sure.

Workers that make less than they need to "live" believe that someday they will be rich (myth: work hard and you will prosper) or at least their children will be better off (work hard and your children will be better off than you - second generation in the last three in which this is not true - wages have been stagnant for 60% of the populations for the last thirty years, and 20% - the poorest are worse off)  and that somehow what hurts me economically and helps the rich ( current tax system) will somehow result in more and better jobs (also not true.)

If somehow people could get the info and believe it that the government should be "run" for the majority (say 80%) of people we would have increased taxation of corporations and the rich (Canada is now 2nd or 6th lowest depending on what you look at), reduced spending on jets and other expensive military hardware meant for aggressive wars, a national Daycare program, a national Housing program,a National Energy program, and  regulations to stop speculation on food.  Yes, it takes the the profit out of some things, or at least caps or reduces it - but for the majority to benefit why is that a bad thing?   

NDP Surge - voting is in vogue. . .

I wrote the following a while agao - but never hit publish.   I am even more excited today!

___________________________________________________________

Wow. . .  I feel like something is happening!  and I could not be happier.

As of this morning the NDP is WAAAAAYYYY  up in the polls and there is a "surge".   Ekos is projecting 100 seats after the results of an EKOS poll published yesterday. 

No more strtategic voting, and all those people who always said that they would vote NDP - "but they can't win" have to think about what they are doing in this election.

Look,  I don't think a gentler neoliberal party will solve the world's woes, and I wish they were truly socialist. . . but at least they will uphold parliamentary democracy, defend pensions and regulate the banks and guns.   I don't think I can count on them to nationalize the oil companies but I do think that healthcare will be secure.  . .

So I say - get out there and tell everyone to vote NDP!

The EKOS poll from yesterday -

Fantastic blog at: http://comeuppance.blogspot.com/2011/04/coalitions-are-nothing-to-fear.html

It ends with a list of John McMurty'sunspeakable truths. . .
Here are McMurtry's 30 examples of "unspeakable truths" (written in 1988) which you can test for yourself by asking "how many times do I see this "truth" in the mass media:


1.Taking more out than you put in as a regular practice – as in money profits – is morally wrong.

2.The capitalist workplace is anti-democratic.

3.General Motors, Dupont. IT&T, Standard Oil and Ford Corporations all produced military supplies for the Nazi armed forces during World War II while the United States was at war with Germany.

4.Unearned wealth should be abolished as a matter of just public policy.

5.The government needs to regulate the investment of Canadian/U.S. capital abroad to societies with poor human rights and environmental standards, so as to protect these standards in both North America and the developing world.

6.The free market means that those without money to buy what they need do not have the right to live.

7.The major player in the international drug trade since the Second World War, using drug enforcement laws to maintain its monopoly, has been the United States government to finance internationally illegal foreign interventions.

8.Over 70% of eligible U.S. and British voters did not vote for Reagan or Thatcher "landslides".

9.The arms race and international wars are very profitable for most multinational corporations.

10.The long-term pattern of U.S. and Canadian foreign policy in the non-white world has been alliances with fascist-type governments rather than their opponents.

11.The "free world" is not truly free because its citizens do not have the effective right to criticize the capitalist system.

12.The history of Western civilization is largely a history of genocide against nonwhite peoples and cultures.

13.The greatest danger to Canada's freedom and security comes from the United States.

14.There is no Correlation between people's wealth and their merit.

15.In many cases, social ownership of major industries is sound social policy.

16.The very rich ought not to be admired, but rather condemned for their acquisitive self-interest at others' expense.

17.A small minority's monopoly ownership of society's means of production is an issue that needs to be carefully examined.

18.Pollution/poverty are specially advantageous to the major shareholders of private enterprise.

19.Our major social problems are caused by the profit imperative overriding all other values.

20.The belief that God sanctions our social order or our state at war is a superstition.

21.There may be better alternatives for long-term sexual union than the private property structure of state-regulated marriage.

22.The Soviet Union pays significantly more than the world-price for imports from the countries of East Europe, and charges significantly less for its exports.

23.Socialist revolution has been by and large beneficial for the living standards of most citizens in societies where it has occurred.

24.Over 90% of Canadian citizens are not capitalists but members of the working class who depend for their living on wages or salaries.

25.Unions have historically led the struggle for improvements in health care, working conditions and social security for the population as a whole.

26.The business community has excessive political and economic power in our society.

27.Our schools do not train the young to think critically, but to obey corporate or office authority without question.

28.The President and his leading advisors arc provable war criminals.

29.Christianity calls for the redistribution of wealth.

30.The mass media are essentially a joint-stock company of profit and advertising, for major private corporations.

Election!

Well I was working on FB but there is just too much to say. . . too many links I want to share . . .  so many feelings. . . so much to comment on. . .  so much to worry about. . .

First, my views are NOT reflected by any of the current political parties.   I have voted NDP for 25 years, love Megan Leslie and  will be supporting the NDP in this election.   (and I ask you to do so too )

I was actually impressed by Elizabeth May in the last election,  until she indicated that she was in fact a Liberal - just another opportunist apparently with no ideology/positions to speak of,  just a desire for power.   So although the CBC - find which party you are closest to -  poll today indicated that I was a Green (seems like if you come out on the left socially and economically you end up a Green - though truly I don't think that reflects where they are on the spectrum. . . ) I think that poll was either inadvertently skewed or intentionally telling people that they are Green and not NDP to split the progressive (though many of us holding our noses either way) votes.

I don't think that there is a lot of difference between the Conservatives and the Liberals - although I do think that the Conservatives have "fascist" tendencies, and so I fear them more.  I think that they were less transparent and border on corrupt. They hate women, and immigrants, and anyone who is not an able-bodied white male.  They certainly have no respect for parliament or for process - the only things that protect us in a democracy - along with Citizen participation, of course,  which is ebbing away in every election as people believe it makes no difference which party you vote for. . .

I no longer want armed revolution (aggressive violence seems pointless to me and just results in the death of too many innocent men, women and children) but, I am not sure that it is possible to vote ourselves outside of neo-liberalism.  Even the NDP,  I think, would only be kinder/gentler neo-liberals and ideally I want a whole new system that valourizes public good, that is centred around reproducing people (in reasonable numbers) and not producing "widgets", that is truly democratic and reflects the will of the majority, but defends the rights of minority views and communities. So yea, I am a democratic socialist.

So without another option I am supporting the NDP in this election and ask you to do so. (even though they for example, continue to, too often, defend Israel - what should be a pariah state - among other things)  I ask you to vote.  In fact, I beg you.  I suggested to my oldest son one day that the country had moved right (and it was depressing me) and he said - no it hasn't,  it is just that we have lost 15% of voters in the last 10 years -- please come back. See the table below from Elections Canada and Please vote.

4 September 1984	24,343,181	16,774,941	12,638,424	75.3
21 November 1988	25,309,331	17,639,001	13,281,191	75.3
26 October 19922-3	20,400,896	13,725,966	9,855,978	71.8
25 October 1993	27,296,859	19,906,796	13,863,135	69.64
2 June 1997	27,296,859	19,663,478	13,174,698	67.0
27 November 2000	28,846,761	21,243,473	12,997,185	61.25
28 June 2004	30,007,094	22,466,621	13,683,570	60.9
23 January 2006	30,007,094	23,054,615	14,908,703	64.7
14 October 2008	31,612,897	23,677,639	13,929,093	58.8

So more on this election. . .

I believe that a coalition government is a good idea unless the NDP can actually take power.  Not impossible as LaPresse poll indicates that the NDP is now at 20% in Quebec and the Liberals at 11%!!! (Bloc 38% and Cons 23%)   I don't know why we cannot at least discuss it now and I don't know why Canadians don't like it - perhaps I should blog about how Parliament works - we elect parliament and they elect the government. Once parliament is elected the members that represent the largest party normally become the government and their leader becomes Prime Minister but in a very minority situation many permutations are possible including a "coalition government" which is common in other countires - that's what they have no win the U.K.

Harper is constantly "on" about how this is some sort of "coup" or doesn't reflect the "will of the people". . . but I think that the people should be demanding that the government of Canada be made up of the largest number of  MP's possible and not just one party. . .   that is simply not working.   Harper shows his ignorance and pettiness and meanness and small mindedness and apparently gets away with it - as he himself signed onto a coalition of this sort in 2004.

So, just in case you have not yet got the message - support the NDP - no strategic voting please!  And if you need a history lesson on why Harper is sooooooo  bad - check this out. 10 reasons to oppose the Harper government - the Harperium. . .   those with contempt for Parliament and Canadians and who care more for coporations

Majority of Americans support the legalization of marijuana, Economist says.

According to this article, in the Economist, 

A huge majority of Americans, more than two to one once don’t knows have been excluded, support the legalisation and taxation of marijuana. Even without excluding the don’t knows, a clear majority favours treating the drug equivalently to tobacco and alcohol.

It also concludes that: 

If our poll is right, then it can only be a matter of time before laws start to change, at least in the more liberal states.

The poll is interesting, but I did think of equivalencies from the past. . .

E.g. During the heatlh care debate it was clear that the MAJORITY of  Americans wanted real health care reform, but the law makers - affected no doubt by the lobbyists from big-pharma, private hospitals and insurance companies were convinced, by lobbyists,  that doom and gloom were the only possible outcomes (or maybe American Politicians are literally just corrupt and giving into bribes - esp in the form of donations to their re-election campaigns) See, for example: this article from Physicians for a National Health Program
Once you explain health care reform to Americans - they support it.

So, I suspect that since legalizing marijuana would have a number of positive effects on the general population - fewer people, especially young people with criminal records, fewer people in prison, fewer people gumming up the court system etc. All of these factors reducing costs that must be born by taxpayers.  That is, it is not just the potential tax revenue. . .   Anyway, I can see that "the people" will want to legalize it (personally I wish it were not regulated for personal use - except maybe by limiting what you could grow - to avoid large scale operations - so that one could grow 6-8 plants for personal use without having to resort to buying from the state - but that debate is for another day. . . much like you can make wine and consume it but not sell it.) but that there are "interests" in society that oppose it, in self-interest.

Anyway, the legalization of marijuana has a negative effect on some parts of the economy and might reduce the need for or reduce the expansion of prisons, policing, courts, and even other medications.  So, who do you figure is lobbying against the legalization and regulation of marijuana?  Llikely those companies that build and operate private prisons, those that make a living from the courts and that need or want large volumes of cases  and those that sell drugs that a cheap or home grown marijuana could replace.

As a result I am not expecting legalization or regulation, in the U.S.  any time soon -

Canadians seem to be split on the issue of legalization in most polls, but it seem more likely to happen here first. . . though not with the present government!   They apparently want to lock up as many people as possible and put them into private, for profit prisons - I am guessing owned by their friends or people they want for some reason to impress - the market should not be in the business of prisons!!!!

I remember once before linking to an article by Conrad Black about how private prisons are bad - and I have read information by Marc Emory (Prince of Pot) who is currently incarcerated in an American private prison - which he claims does not operate according to the rules set out for prisons in the U.S. - but since one is a "prisoner" there is no place to complain.

I think legalized and regulated marijuana would be a good thing - unlike most Canadians though I would like to see all drug problems treated like a health problem and not a criminal one -