I seem to have totally sat out the Venezuelan legislative elections. Venezuelanalysis is fantastic on it and Wilpert’s comment in particular was very good.
On other topics.
Author: Justin Podur
Author of Siegebreakers. Ecology. Environmental Science. Political Science. Anti-imperialism. Political fiction.
Fisk: War is the total failure of the human spirit
http://rabble.ca/news/fisk-war-total-failure-human-spirit
Robert Fisk is one of the world’s best known journalists. He has been based in the Middle East as the UK Independent’s Middle East correspondent for nearly 30 years, during which he has reported on two U.S. wars in Iraq, two Afghan wars, the Israel/Palestine conflict, Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, the civil war in the former Yugoslavia.
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Stephen Lewis’s ‘Race Against Time’
Stephen Lewis did the Massey Lectures this year. Previous Massey lecturers (that I’ve read and loved) include Noam Chomsky, Thomas King, and (that I’ve read and found interesting) Richard Lewontin and John Ralston Saul.
For those who don’t know who Stephen Lewis is, he’s the UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. He’s also been a politician in Canada, a very important activist for Canada’s social democratic New Democratic Party (NDP).
Christian Peacemaker Team abductions in Iraq
I have traveled to quite a few places where I’ve encountered volunteers with Christian Peacemaker Teams. I’ve never been to Iraq, so that’s not one of the places. But I can say this, which is what others have been saying since some of the CPTers (as they are known to anglophones) were abducted in Iraq last week. The CPTers might have the word ‘Christian’ in their name, but they are no missionaries. They might have ‘peacemaker’ in their name, but that isn’t a euphemism for imperialism the way ‘peacekeeping’ or ‘peacebuilding’ can be. They are people of conscience who are very much anti-imperialist in the most important way – in their actions.
They should be released unharmed. Sign a petition here.
‘Despicable murderers and scumbags’: Canada in Afghanistan
A Change of Tone
On July 11, 2005, Canada’s Chief of Defence Staff General Hillier discussed the forces arrayed against NATO forces in Afghanistan with great nuance and understanding: “These are detestable murderers and scumbags, I’ll tell you that right up front. They detest our freedoms, they detest our society, they detest our liberties.”
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For those in Toronto in December
An event announcement in which I am personally implicated, below.
I also was, courtesy of some great organizers in Halifax, on the Atlantic Coast of Canada over this past weekend. I gave a talk on Haiti at St. Mary’s University and another on Israel/Palestine at Dalhousie. I was very happy to speak to engaged audiences of awake and interested people, not to mention to spend time with the local activists who made the events happen.
Consolidating a Coup
http://www.flonnet.com/fl2223/stories/20051118001206300.htm
Klein on Rozental’s case
Naomi wrote a piece about Cauca and Manuel Rozental’s case.
The government has recently escalated the violence against the peasants occupying lands in Cauca. See En Camino for ongoing stuff, and also check back here.
I also have a few thoughts about this Canada and corruption Gomery business, which I’ll try to get to when I get the chance.
The Case of Manuel Rozental
He’s a friend and mentor of mine, so this is a matter of personal interest for me as well. Here is a communique from the indigenous movement in Northern Cauca about how Manuel was forced to flee. I did the translation.
The Price of Our Struggle: Individuals and Groups, using threats and dirty war, seek to silence us
Action Alert
Association of Indigenous Councils of Northern Cauca (ACIN)
October 29, 2005
The Association of Indigenous Councils of Northern Cauca (ACIN) –CXAB WALA KIWE, announces the following to national and international public opinion.
Sometimes Why is the Wrong Question
I’ve never met Joe Emersberger, but he’s a tireless letter-writer, relentlessly logical, interested in Canada’s role in the world and the Americas, and so I can’t help but encourage his move towards article-writing and blogging. Here’s a short one he sent as a guest blog for the Killing Train:
WHY WOULD CANADA HELP HAITI’S POOR?
by Joe Emersberger
I’ve often stumbled over a simple question about Haiti – and I’ve seen others either struggle with it or evade it. Why is Canada involved with trampling over democracy and human rights in Haiti? Similar questions about the UN and US role in Haiti have left me sputtering. I haven’t been prepared for the question. I’ve underestimated the importance people would attach to it. Even when you provide compelling evidence of Canada’s crime people still look for a motive. That’s surprised me. Wary of giving a longwinded (and inevitably speculative) reply I’ve been tempted to respond “Why worry so much about the motive when guilt is so evident? If you catch murderers in the act do you worry about establishing their motives more than you do about stopping them?” But a reply like that is condescending and ineffective – as is an overly detailed history or economics lesson. I’ve decided to try something that I hope will make me more succinct and effective by appealing to common sense. I’m going to try to answer the question “why?” with “why not?”.
Why is Canada on the side of a brutal regime in Haiti?
Why would Canada defy the US over Haiti? If the US were willing to let Haitian democracy develop then so would Canada. But in the absence of serious opposition – as existed against the Iraq war or against co-operation with US missile “defense” – Canada will do the bidding of the US. Thanks to the mainstream media, among other actors, Canada pays a negligible price as it helps its largest trading partner crush Haiti. Canada isn’t going out of it’s way. It is following the path of least resistance. Reversing course, especially now, would be costly. It would take quite a public outcry to bring about.
Why does Canada’s mainstream news media cover up what’s going on?
Why wouldn’t they? Why would they stand up for the rights of millions of Haitians who make less than $2 per day, who don’t buy their newspapers, or buy what advertisers sell? Why would they anger wealthy owners and advertisers who are members of the class that is pushing for deeper integration with the US? The media doesn’t even have to put out a large quantity of biased reports to cover things up. It isn’t a story, like the war in Iraq, that is too big to bury. Ignoring Haiti is fairly easy.
Why is the US so eager to support repression in Haiti?
Why should the US allow meaningful democracy to develop in Haiti? Why would the US risk having such a development get out of hand and spread to other poor countries? The bargaining power the US (and Canadian) elite have over their workforce depends largely on the poverty and desperation of people in poor countries. Why would the US elite risk losing any bargaining power because of the dangerous example set in small countries like Haiti? Why take that risk, even if it’s minimal, if they can very inexpensively back the Haitian elite who pose no threat at all? They’ve backed them for over a century. Why stop now? Who is going to stop them?
I’m happy to report that people, even very conservative people, that I’ve encountered aren’t naive about what the Canadian government is capable of. However, they (and I) can easily lose sight of the fact that our government, like any other that exists, is a repression maximizing institution (part of being accountable mainly to profit maximizing institutions). It doesn’t need to be strongly coerced or enticed to do horrible things. All it needs is for the public to look the other way.