harper and the g20: "when does a government decide it's time to become accountable?"

This is painful to watch, and important.

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viva wisconsin libre

Narayan Mahon for The New York Times

As the senators walked around the Capitol square, where one of the largest protests in what has been a daily outpouring of union employees and supporters was under way, the crowd pressed in to shake hands and shout words of encouragement. Many called the senators by name, a fact that caught some off guard.

Senator Timothy Cullen was visibly moved and called it his greatest experience as a public official. “We heard about how strongly they felt,” he said. “But you have to be here to feel it.”

The size of the crowd, which the Madison police estimated at around 100,000, and the amount of positive energy was striking, coming a day after the long battle over the bill was lost, though legal efforts were under way to keep it from taking effect.

For weeks the rhythmic chanting of protesters has filled this city like a heartbeat, proof that despite the lack of legislative power, the political left in this state is still a visible, and audible, presence. At the very moment that the noise was expected to fade in disappointment, that thumping proof of life — the staccato refrain of “This is what democracy looks like,” was the most popular of the chants — continued with renewed vigor.

It's almost enough to make me miss the US. Almost.

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students and farmers join the fight in wisconsin; state senator admits budget is really about hurting obama

If the Wisconsin state senators who cast their surprise votes on Wednesday thought they had fired the last shot in this battle, by now they may know better. The 14 absent Democratic legislators, emboldened by relentless public outcry, are challenging the legality of the vote.

That public outcry is only getting louder and stronger, as more ordinary people recognize that they have more in common with each other than with the corporate-controlled elite. Here are two exciting and inspiring developments of the ever-growing resistance.

Hundreds of students at multiple Madison middle and high schools walked out of class Thursday to participate in protests at the state Capitol.

And students are planning another walkout for 2 p.m. Friday, organizer and East High School senior Jesse Banks said.

"There's been a lot of claims that we're wasting educational times and the student walkouts are counterproductive," Banks said. In response, the walkout is scheduled during the last hour and is expected to include a rally at Library Mall where high school students will discuss a Republican bill that dismantles public sector employee collective bargaining.

"The plan is to use it as a tool for education," Banks said.

Banks joined about 600 students who walked out of East High School around 10 a.m. Thursday to join protests of Assembly action on the collective bargaining bill, which was passed unexpectedly by the Senate Wednesday night.

. . .

As many as 800 West High School students also marched to the Capitol around 10 a.m., senior Jacob Fiksel said. . .

"I want to be part of stopping this," he said, adding that the students at the rally were excused from class by their parents.

Tomorrow, Saturday, March 12, members of the Wisconsin Farmers Union will descend on the capitol this Saturday - riding their tractors.

The Farmer Labor Tractorcade will bring tractors and solidarity to the Capitol to fight for labor rights and a just state budget. Rural communities will be disproportionately hurt by the cuts to education and Badgercare. Farmers in Wisconsin stand with state workers and all working and middle class families in the state. The event is sponsored by Family Farm Defenders and the Wisconsin Farmers Union. All farmers - and eaters - welcome and encouraged to come!

For more information and to learn how you can support Tractorcade, go to this Facebook page or the Family Farm Defenders website.

Meanwhile, ThinkProgress and Raw Story report that Wisconsin State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald made a bit of a slip on Fox News: he spoke the truth!

State Sen. Scott Fitzgerald (R), the Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader, must have forgotten his talking points while appearing on Megyn Kelly's Fox News show. This afternoon he admitted on-air what many liberals have long-suspected: rescinding collective bargaining rights from state workers is Wisconsin is as much about the 2012 presidential election as Wisconsin's 2011 budget shortage.

As first reported by ThinkProgress, Fitzgerald told Kelly: "If we win this battle, and the money is not there under the auspices of the unions, certainly what you’re going to find is President Obama is going to have a much difficult, much more difficult time getting elected and winning the state of Wisconsin." [You can watch the clip here.]

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must-watch video: michael moore to wisconsin protesters: america is not broke

Michael Moore gives the progressive troops in Wisconsin a great boost.

"America is not broke, and neither is Wisconsin. . . . America is awash with wealth, it's just not in your hands." Don't miss this, it's very good.

I wish Moore had mentioned the trillions of dollars the US is spending on the largest military budget in history. But it's still great stuff, and worth watching the whole thing.

Story here on TPM.

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ivaw urges national guard to refuse to move against organizing workers

From IVAW, on Common Dreams:

Iraq Veterans Against the War to Troops: “We Are Public Employees Too!”

Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) calls on all U.S. military service members to refuse and resist any mobilization against workers organizing to protect their basic rights. IVAW stands in solidarity with the multitude gathered in Madison, Wisconsin and many other cities to defend their unions.

by Iraq Veterans Against the War

We believe military service members are public employees too. It is dishonorable to suggest that military personnel should be deployed against teachers, health care providers, firefighters, police officers, and other government employees, many of whom are themselves serving in the National Guard.

Workers with prior military service often seek jobs in the public sector because government agencies are the only employers that follow hiring preferences for veterans as a matter of law. According to the Army Times, veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan are unemployed at a rate of 15.2%, higher than the national average. The picture is even worse for African American veterans who face nearly double the rate of unemployment. Protecting the rights of workers in public sector unions ensures that veterans have a chance to secure a decent job, earning a living wage and good benefits.

Madison, WI is ground zero for a fight that will likely define the relationship between public sector unions and the governments that employ them for decades to come. Similar to the federal government's defeat of the 1980 Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) strike, which signaled the beginning of a thirty-year decline of real wages, benefits, and union membership for private sector workers, what happens in Madison today is likely to affect whether governments across the country can destroy a decent standard of living for public sector workers in the future.

Governor Scott Walker recently stated that he was preparing the National Guard to respond to “labor unrest” following the introduction of union-busting legislation in Wisconsin. Governor Walker has attempted to justify this attack on collective bargaining by pointing to state budget shortfalls. Missing from this explanation is an acknowledgment that these deficits have been created and exacerbated by the ongoing trillion dollar wars and occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Meanwhile, federal and local governments across the U.S. are cutting back on the public sector.

Troops have been called out in the past against worker strikes, campus protests, and urban uprisings. However, recent events in Egypt and numerous examples from U.S. history have shown that service members have the power to side with the people and refuse to use violence against their fellow citizens. Troops activated for duty in Madison, WI will have to decide if public sector workers are really the enemy. IVAW says they are not and that troops should support workers fighting for decent jobs, wages, and benefits.

We know firsthand that the U.S. military is already overextended from a decade at war. Through our Operation Recovery campaign, we have been fighting for the right of our troops to heal, rather than being involuntarily redeployed with severe physical and psychological injuries. Adding another mission to an already overburdened military for the purposes of suppressing the rights of workers is irresponsible and not worthy of our service.

If you are a service member facing mobilization or know someone in the military who is you can contact IVAW via email at ivaw@ivaw.org or by phone at (646) 723-0989, M-F 10am-6pm EST.

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james loney: "we have been possessed by the demon of war" [updated]

In January, as part of Let Them Stay Week 2011, there was a Day of Action in Toronto in support of US war resisters in Canada. I neglected to post an audio report by John Bonnar, posted at Rabble, along with an excellent photo album.

The audio is a bit under 20 minutes. I'm listening to it right now. It's Jim Loney, first reading from the Bible, with an interpretation that may surprise you, then reading from Joshua Key's The Deserter's Tale.

Loney, of Christian Peacemaker Teams, says, "We have been possessed by the demon of war. We are spending up to a trillion and a half dollars every year on weapons, on death, on occupation, on blood. We have to stop this."

Listen here.

Update: John also wrote this excellent report on Ashlea Brockway's talk. Listening to Ashlea speak about her husband Jeremy's ordeal is heartbreaking. And realizing the Canadian government is refusing to admit the Brockways - and other families like them - to Canada is enraging.

Supporting military resistance to war is a concrete way to support peace.

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democracy now: inside the wisconsin state capitol

Here's a brilliant and inspiring video from "Democracy Now!", bringing you inside the Wisconsin State Capitol.



These are thrilling times, watching people all over the world discover their voices and their power.

How 'bout it, Canada?

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zibwawe activists arrested, charged with capital offence for discussing world events: your help needed

On Saturday, February 19, Zimbabwean police raided a meeting of the International Socialist Organisation. 52 people were arrested - students, union members and workers - and are still being detained at Harare Central prison. Please see below for how you can help.

The Central Intelligence Organisation infiltrated the meeting, where people were discussing the events in the Middle East and the fall of Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak. Munyaradzi Gwisai, the director of the Labour Law Center, is among those detained.

The most recent report is that none have been released and that they are being charged with treason. This is a very serious charge that carries the death penalty.

This directly from Ashley Fataar, Claire Ceruti and Shone Igene of the group Keep Left, South Africa:

Our contact went to court this afternoon. All 52 were at court an hour before the Magistrate arrived. The prosecutor looked surprised that the Magistrate – and the lawyers for the accused – wanted the comrades to appear in the court. It took ages before everyone was brought in, and named, and accounted for.

Meanwhile, the prosecution had sprung new charges on the accused at the last minute – the lawyers for the accused weren’t even aware of them until they all got to court. The extra charge is Treason. The first charge of "Plotting to subvert the government through unconstitutional means" is now just the back-up charge.

Having had all the charges read out to them, at least five did not understand what they were being charged for, understandably. So the Magistrate ordered all the 52 to report back tomorrow (Thursday). They are now spending their fifth night in jail.

After the case was adjourned, the women prisoners were then handcuffed and had leg irons placed on them. They have been taken to the maximum security jail called Chikurubi on the outskirts of Harare. Lawyers have still been denied access to them to explain what they are being charged for.

These are simply delaying tactics to deny the comrades their freedom. What they are being charged for means that the case will have to go to the High Court - a further delay as more papers get prepared.

We are asking comrades to also organise protests outside their nearest Zimbabwean embassy as a matter of urgency, where possible.

What you can do:

1. Call the Zimbabwe Embassy in Ottawa. It doesn’t matter what time of day; leave a message). 613.421.2824 For speaking notes, see sample letter, below.

2. Send an email.

Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe in Ottawa, Ontario: visa@zimottawa.com
Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe in London, England: zimlondon@yahoo.co.uk
Please cc: ashley_fataar@yahoo.co.uk, shanthabloemen@gmail.com, socialismfrombelow@gmail.com

Please also cc your own Member of Parliament.

Here's a sample letter, to modify as you see fit:

To: The Ambassadors of the Republic of Zimbabwe in Ottawa, Canada & London, England
Ms. Florence Zano Chideya
Mr. Gabriel Mharadze Machinga

I am writing to demand that your government drop the charges of "treason" against those who met to discuss current events in Northern Africa. It is appalling that on February 20, over 50 people who were participating in an academic debate were arrested, beaten, and charged with treason. This form of repression is unacceptable in any democracy. Freedom of speech and freedom of assembly are fundamental human rights that must be respected.

I understand that those arrested are being held in Harare Central prison. I also understand that among those arrested is Munyaradzi Gwisai, the director of the Labour Law Center and a former elected Member of Parliament. I am calling on your government to drop all charges and release all detainees immediately.

I have copied my own Member of Parliament, [add the name of your MP here].

Canadians are demanding that all charges are dropped immediately, and that every person arrested on Saturday is released quickly, without further harm and without retribution.

Sincerely,

[your name, your city], Canada

For more information:

Socialist Worker UK

New York Times

Toronto Sun

AP

In Ottawa, there will be a small picket at the Zimbabwe Embassy. More details to follow. You can email me for information.

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ted rall on the limits of leftist humour

I meant to include this in my earlier post about Ted Rall's new book. Just as well, it's worth reading on its own.

Advo­cate: Speak­ing of the Left: in your book you are pretty harsh on some very well liked and admired fig­ures on the Left. Michael Moore, for instance, and the Yes Men, whom I think are really hilar­i­ous...

TR: They are hilarious.

Advo­cate: So, what’s up with that? What’s the prob­lem with what they do? Aren’t they allies in your cause?

TR: I would say the rea­son I picked them is because they are so good. They are the best that the offi­cial Amer­i­can Left has to offer, in the same way that Obama is the best, in terms of the main­stream polit­i­cal sys­tem, that the sys­tem has to offer.

Michael Moore has got this immense audi­ence of tens of mil­lions of peo­ple, his movies can open up in hun­dreds of the­atres, he can talk about things that no one else can talk about, he’s got this great Mid­west­ern folksy sen­si­bil­ity, he has a gen­tle deliv­ery; he’s really kind of a genius. And his TV show was even bet­ter than his movies I think. And the Yes Men are great too.

And I am sure you’re ask­ing your­self, ok what are you talk­ing about, why are you down on these guys so much, and it’s because they don’t go there. Like Jon Stew­art and Col­bert, this kind of dis­sent val­i­dates the offi­cial sys­tem by say­ing “look at the Amer­i­can polit­i­cal sys­tem; it’s so big and open minded that it even allows a guy like Michael Moore or the Yes Men or John Stew­art to oper­ate.” And the impli­ca­tion is, it’s not that bad.

But you notice that they mar­gin­al­ize peo­ple who actu­ally call for rad­i­cal change, like Howard Zinn or Ralph Nader. Those peo­ple are not allowed to get their mes­sage out. So you’re allowed to go up to the edge of ridi­cul­ing, but you can’t call for real change; all you can do is poke gen­tle fun, or not so gen­tle fun, but it’s got to be all in fun. You can’t call for the actual sys­tem to be replaced, and that was really the argu­ment I was try­ing to make there.

I would argue that Michael Moore has indeed called for the system to be replaced, but as Rall says, he has couched these demands in humour. People like Moore, Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Chris Rock and others function like court jesters: they are given freedom to ridicule leaders and speak truths others can't get away with, but no one in power takes them seriously. Stewart, with his softball interviews with right-wing celebrities and obeisance to some false notion of balance, is especially jester-like.

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from egypt to wisconsin: solidarity pizzas

Have you seen this? I love it! From Slate, via Politico:

In an act of intercontinental solidarity, an Egyptian has ordered a pizza for Wisconsin protesters, reports Politico. The call from Africa is just one of many streaming into the Madison, Wisc., pizza parlor Ian's from all over the world. So far, people from 12 countries and 38 states have rung up looking to help get free pizza to the Wisconsin protesters clustered in the Capitol. On Saturday, Ian's distributed more than 1,000 free slices and sent 300 pizzas to the Capitol. The trend continued on Sunday, as staff member fielded calls from as far away as Turkey, Korea, Finland, China, and Australia. The trend began when a mother of a University of Wisconsin student called in offering to donate $200 to feed the people occupying the Capitol. The pizza chain's postings on Twitter and Facebook soon led to so many donations that they had to shut down on Saturday night.

Also: Libya! What atrocity. What courage. (War resisters there, too.) Fight on, Libya.

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c-42 and north american security perimter: "canadian sovereignty has gone right out the window"

Two weeks ago, Prime Minister Stephen Harper signed a new border "security" agreement with the United States. Completed without public input or Parliamentary debate, the agreement aims to bring Canada's security "in line with" - read, under - US policy.

In Parliament, Bill C-42 - the Public Safety Act, or An Act to Amend the Aeronautics Act - would seal the deal at home, putting Canada's airspace under US control, too.

When the "no deep integration" cry was making the rounds of the Canadian blogosphere some years back, I didn't bite. (Some old posts here and here.) The fear of the US taking over Canada has a long and often well-founded history, but it seemed to me hyperbolic to claim that a trade deal would lead to Canada becoming the 51st state.

There are many reasons to oppose so-called "free" trade deals: they are usually free of labour laws and environmental protections, and they free your community of decent jobs. They are generally enacted without public consultation or debate - that is, outside of any kind of democratic structure - by governments more concerned with corporate profits than the people they supposedly serve.

But the language surrounding "no deep integration" seemed to me based more on fear than on reality. Take, for example, the "North American superhighway". Depending on who you ask, this would lead to Mexico taking over the US, or the US taking over Canada. In reality, it was a change in tariff and border laws on highways that already exist. What's more, I had only recently emigrated to Canada, and the nationalist tone of the "no deep integration" campaign struck a sour note for me.

But hyperbole and nationalism aside, I know a raw deal when I see one. And I know a Canadian Prime Minister who is a lackey to the US when I see one, too.

First, from the Council of Canadians.

Harper signs new security perimeter deal without consulting Canadians or Parliament

Late Friday afternoon, Prime Minster Stephen Harper announced he had unilaterally signed a deal with the United States government that some pundits have said is larger in scope than NAFTA.

The security perimeter deal, which Harper touted as being needed to further ease trade restrictions between the two countries, states that Canadian and U.S. governments will work “together within, at, and away from the borders of our two countries” to toughen security and promote trade.

In his comments following the announcement, Prime Minister Harper said the border plan is intended to “keep out terrorists and criminals,” “simplify regulations that hinder trade,” create “consistent inspection measures,” and to have “better management of our border” but not eliminate it.

The Council of Canadians has spoken out against this deal, which was reportedly negotiated in secret for six months with involvement from business groups, but not Parliament or public interest groups. While concrete details about the deal have been sparse, many concerns have already been raised about the implications of sharing security information with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the loss of sovereignty and trade-offs made to come to this agreement, and the degree to which any of the common measures being discussed will address the so-called “thickening” of the border.

"We've gone down this road before – it was called the Security and Prosperity Partnership – and North Americans rejected it," said Stuart Trew, Trade Justice Campaigner with the Council of Canadians. "The Harper government must disclose what terms it is negotiating with the Americans and open it to public and parliamentary scrutiny."

And on C-42, from Maclean's:

Please Uncle Sam, May We Enter Your Airspace?

We knew it was coming, but the way it’s being done is upsetting opposition politicians – not to mention raising a few ethical questions. As Canwest News Service reported this week, the federal government has quietly presented a bill in the House of Commons that would give U.S. officials final say over who can board aircraft in Canada if they are to fly through United States airspace – even though they are not landing in the U.S.

Bill C-42 allows airlines to pass on passenger information to “a foreign state” for flights over that country. The legislation is needed so that Canadian airlines comply with U.S. Homeland Security’s Secure Flight program, which requires airlines to submit personal information about passengers 72 hours before a flight’s departure. If the bill passes, passengers leaving Canada on one of the many flights that travel over U.S. airspace will have their name, birth date and gender subject to screening by U.S. officials. If you have the same name as someone on a no-fly list, you may be questioned, delayed or even barred from the flight. If your name doesn’t show up, you get your boarding pass.

Liberal transport critic Joe Volpe said Bill C-42 was introduced with no warning and no discussion with the opposition. Together, the opposition parties could vote down the legislation – a situation that could cause turmoil for air travel. “Canadian sovereignty has gone right out the window,” Liberal transport critic Joe Volpe told the Montreal Gazette in a recent interview. “You are going to be subject to American law.” NDP transport critic Dennis Bevington told Canwest that “We’re doing this without understanding what the threat assessment is. There’s no way that this is going to get an easy ride.”

Public outcry has killed bills and deals like this before. Here are a few actions you can take to add your voice.

* Sign a letter to Stephen Harper at the Council of Canadians website.

* Read the Canadian Civil Liberties Association's response to amendments to Bill C-42. The amendments don't go far enough: the bill must be killed.

* Write to your MP opposing Bill C-42. Find your MP by entering your postal code here (scroll down).

* Educate your friends and colleagues about Bill C-42. Email the Council of Canadians link asking people to sign the letter.

* Get rid of this *&@#$! government!

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bush avoids handcuffs in switzerland, but spain may yet indict

As you may have heard, a former Resident of the White House recently cancelled a trip to Switzerland because he didn't want to be arrested - or humiliated. From The Nation:

George Bush has done a pretty good job of positioning himself as an "elder statesman" in the United States — at least by comparison with Dick Cheney — but the rest of the world has not forgotten the high crimes and misdemeanors of the Bush-Cheney interregnum.

So the forty-third president will not be jetting off to Switzerland next week, as had been expected.

Bush was supposed to be the star attraction at a fund-raising gala in Geneva February 12. But the news that the former president would be in Switzerland set off a flurry of legal filings — and calls by members of the Swiss parliament — that sought to have Bush arrested upon arrival on torture charges.

Bush has defended the use of waterboarding and other outlawed interrogation techniques in his autobiography, Decision Points, and public statements, effectively admitting that he and his aides approved acts that are banned by the Convention on Torture, the 1987 international pact prohibiting cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment to which the United States and Switzerland are signatories.

The New York–based Center for Constitutional Rights and European human rights groups had planned to submit a 2,500-page complaint against Bush to legal authorities in Geneva Monday. The complaint details mistreatment of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and was to be brought under the Convention Against Torture on behalf of two men who have been held by the United States — Majid Khan, who remains at Guantánamo, and Sami al-Hajj, a former Al Jazeera cameraman, who was released in 2008.

In addition, a conservative Swiss parliamentarian, Dominique Baettig, had requested that the Swiss federal government arrest of Bush on war crimes charges.

Organizers of the gala event claimed that Bush cancelled his trip in order to avoid protests that might turn violent. But the organizers of the protests, well-known activists on human rights and global justice issues, had actually proposed a symbolic protest that involved nothing more than tossing shoes at the hotel where Bush was scheduled to appear.

Geneva, home to numerous international agencies and tribunals, is arguably more experienced with managing protests than most cities on the planet. The notion that a Bush visit would have been anything more than an annoyance for the gendarmes, and for the broader community, is comic.

Bush decided not to make the trip because, in the words of Reed Brody, counsel for Human Rights Watch: "He's avoiding the handcuffs." [See original for more plus links.]

But are the war criminals out of the legal woods yet? In Spain, Judge Eloy Velasco has set a March 1 deadline to decide if he will prosecute the six Bush-era government lawyers, including then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, for violating international law by creating a legal justification for torture. Remember, it was a Spanish court that indicted Pinochet. According to numerous reports, arrests are "highly probable". Documents released by WikiLeaks show that the US has been pressuring Spain to drop the idea. No surprise there!

The US-based group Voters For Peace has written an open letter to the Spanish public: "Dear Spain: Please do what the U.S. won't. Prosecute Torture". The site appears to accept Canadian postal codes, so readers on both sides of the border can add their names.

Although there's little chance these powerful men will be held accountable for their crimes, actions like these help revive memories in our amnesiac world. They should also remind us that the better-looking, smarter-sounding current US administration has not closed the Guantánamo Bay concentration camp, has not ended the occupation of Iraq, and has escalated the occupation of Afghanistan.

In the Canadian blogosphere, I sometimes see references to "the US of 2000-2008," and I wonder, what do they think is different in 2011?

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action alert: harper backs mubarak's transition plan: contact your mp now!

From Toronto Coalition to Stop the War:

Stephen Harper backs Mubarak's 'transition' plan

Contact your MPs to protest now! Canada must support Egypt's democracy movement, not a dictator!

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has thrown Canada's support behind embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, despite growing pressure in Egypt and around the world for the 82-year old dictator to resign immediately. Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said on February 3 that the Conservative government prefers Mubarak's plan to step down in September instead of now. (Full article here.)

But even the Obama administration in the US believes that Mubarak must resign immediately, in response to nation-wide protests of millions of people in Egypt.

In 2003, Stephen Harper - who was Leader of the Opposition at the time - argued that Canada should join the US-led war in Iraq. Harper was on the wrong side of history then, and he is on the wrong side of history now.

Contact your MPs to protest Canada's decision to back Mubarak. Canada must support Egypt's democracy movement, not a hated dictator.

Step 1:
Cut-and-paste the e-mail addresses of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the opposition leaders, the government house leaders, and their deputies into your address line:

Harper.S@parl.gc.ca, HarpeS@parl.gc.ca, pm@pm.gc.ca, Baird.J@parl.gc.ca, bairdj1@parl.gc.ca, Cannon.L@parl.gc.ca, cannol1@parl.gc.ca, Ignatieff.M@parl.gc.ca, Goodale.R@parl.gc.ca, goodale@sasktel.net, McGuinty.D@parl.gc.ca, Rae.B@parl.gc.ca, Raeb1@parl.gc.ca, Layton.J@parl.gc.ca, Mulcair.T@parl.gc.ca, Mulcair.T@parl.gc.ca, Davies.L@parl.gc.ca, Dewar.P@parl.gc.ca, pauldewar@ndp.ca, Duceppe.G@parl.gc.ca, ducepg1@parl.gc.ca, Paquette.P@parl.gc.ca, joliette@pierrepaquette.qc.ca, Dorion.J@parl.gc.ca, dorioj1@parl.gc.ca

Step 2:
CC your own MP. You can find your MP's e-mail address here.

Step 3:
Cut-and-paste this subject into your subject line:

End Harper's support for Mubarak. Canada must back Egypt's democratic movement.

Step 4:
Cut-and-paste the following message into your message. Feel free to personalize it. Don't forget to sign your name and address at the end of the message.

Dear Prime Minister Harper:

I am writing to express my opposition to your government's decision to back the so-called 'transition' plan of embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, instead of the demand of millions of Egyptians that the 82-year old dictator resign immediately. Even the Obama administration in the US has backed the call for Mubarak to step down now. Canada must support Egypt's democracy movement, not a hated dictator.

I, therefore, ask you to take the following steps:

- Add Canada's voice to the growing calls for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to step down immediately, and not in September

- Freeze the Egyptian government's assets in Canada until Mubarak's regime has been replaced

- Condemn the violence unleashed by Mubarak's supporters and undercover police

The vast majority of Egyptians want Mubarak to leave now. Canada must not support Mubarak in the name of "stability" in the region. There can be no stability in the region unless all its people, including Egyptians, can live in a truly free and democratic system.

I look forward to your speedy response.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

Step 5:
Send.

Step 6:
Forward this e-mail to all your networks, asking them to contact their MPs, too.

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important reminder: deadline for comments on crtc proposed regulations is approaching, please send letters!

An activist friend has alerted me to another proposed change in CRTC regulations that would effect truth-in-broadcasting laws. The deadline to respond to this one is February 7, and the deadline to respond to the other proposal - which I blogged about here - is February 9.

If enacted, these proposed regulations would: weaken media accountability, further blur the already cloudy distinction between news and entertainment, weaken already eroded trust in media, and ultimately undermine democracy.

Naturally this is happening quietly, one might even say stealthily. The period for public comment is unusually short, and the mechanism for public comment is cumbersome.

Please don't let that stop you. Here's what to do.

1. Go to this page on the CRTC website.

2. Find Notice Number 2010-931.

3. Click "submit".

4. Follow prompts until you get to the page on which you comment. Name and postal code are mandatory. Street address is not.

5. Write and submit your comment.

THEN

6. Return to this first page.

7. Find Notice Number 2011-14.

8. Repeat above steps.

On my earlier post, I copied a sample letter written by Antonia Zerbisias. Here's another I received via email forward.

+ + + +

I strongly object to any weakening of the policy prohibiting the broadcast of false or misleading information in Canada.

Firstly, there are no reasonable circumstances where outright lies and deceit, as prohibited by the current policy, could be in the public benefit. On the contrary, there are endless examples where broadcast falsehoods have or continue to endanger the public interest. In Canada, broadcast falsehoods promoted and supported the wrongful confinement of Japanese-Canadians, for which the Government of Canada eventually had to apologize and pay compensation. In the United States of America, a significant proportion of the population currently believes lies about their own president, falsehoods knowingly broadcast by news channels for
political purposes.

Secondly, there is no likelihood that the Supreme Court would uphold any challenge to the provisions. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms does not elevate private interest over public interest. It is clear that the private benefit of broadcast falsehood (whatever that might be) would not be considered to outweigh the public benefit of the regulation prohibiting it. The only possibility is that the court might determine certain very specific conditions on the restriction, which could be added to the regulations as required by the court at that time.

Thirdly, the modified provisions as proposed are dangerously inadequate. There is no definition as what kind of danger to the public safety is considered. Certainly any promotion of false or misleading information by a major broadcast network is a threat to the people of Canada. Democracy only ultimately falls in countries where political lies come to dominate the media. But given this fact, the modified provisions are entirely inadequate. To put the onus of proof on the truth-tellers is wrong. A broadcaster found to be lying to the Canadian people must be the one responsible to try to defend their actions.

For these reasons, under no circumstances should the proposed regulation change be made.

+ + + +

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action alert part 4 of 4: the people vs u.s. steel

Tomorrow, January 29, labour and solidarity contingents from all over Ontario will pour into Hamilton for a major labour demonstration: The People vs. U.S. Steel.

Many of my friends will be on buses from Toronto, and I wish I could be there with them. But we can all show our support, because the fight for decent jobs is a fight for us all. A letter to your local newspaper, a letter to US Steel, an email to Stephen Harper's office, an email of support to Local 1005, can all make a difference.

Workers at the U.S. Steel plant have been locked out of their jobs for three months - and counting. Until recently, although they are involuntarily out of work, they were denied EI benefits!

These workers were once employed by Stelco, a Canadian company. When U.S. Steel took over Stelco in 2007, it negotiated terms with the Province of Ontario as a condition of sale. Surprise, surprise, U.S. Steel now reneges on those terms, seeking to deprive 900 workers and 9,000 pensioners of the pensions that were in their contracts. The lockout is an attempt to force the workers to concede.

To understand what's at stake, please read this piece by Ken Neumann, National Director, Canada, United Steelworkers union:

Louie Fiori worked in the Stelco steel mills and shops in Hamilton for 40 years. It was hard work, often in difficult conditions. But it paid an honest dollar and allowed Louie and his wife, Mary, to buy a home and build a life in Hamilton.

Over his four-decade career at Stelco, Fiori was involved in numerous contract negotiations, as well as four strikes, as a member of the United Steelworkers. In total, the Steelworkers negotiated 17 contracts at Stelco’s Hamilton operations from 1946 to 2007.

More often than not during those negotiations, Fiori and his fellow Steelworkers sacrificed wage increases and other gains in order to build a pension plan that would someday allow them to retire with dignity.

In other words, the indexed pensions received today by retired Stelco workers are not gifts bestowed by a benevolent employer. They represent deferred income, fully earned by workers over decades of sacrifice and hard-fought battles in collective bargaining.

When Louie Fiori died last year, his wife, Mary, began receiving a reduced widow’s pension, as provided under the plan negotiated by the Steelworkers.

Today, Mary receives a pension barely topping $500 a month. It’s a modest sum, to be sure, but it would be much less had Steelworkers not negotiated inflation protection for their pensions more than 20 years ago.

Without indexing, Mary Fiori’s pension today would be less than $400 a month. Other Stelco pensioners would be even worse off. As the real value of their pensions declined with each passing year, they would be fighting a losing battle to keep up with the rising costs of everything from food to home heating.

It is important to know this history, to better understand the travesty of U.S. Steel’s lockout of its Hamilton workforce and its disgraceful attack on the modest pensions of thousands of seniors like Mary Fiori.

It also is crucial to remember that, to secure government approval to buy Stelco in 2007, U.S. Steel made legal commitments that the takeover would produce a “net benefit” to Canada. U.S. Steel’s pension obligations were very well-known when it bought Stelco and made its commitment.

In the ensuing years, of course, U.S. Steel has infamously broken its promises, such as maintaining Canadian employment and production levels. It has imposed multiple shutdowns of Canadian operations, provoked labour disputes and thrown thousands of Canadian workers out of their jobs, all the while shifting production to American facilities.

Those broken promises were so flagrant U.S. Steel became the first foreign corporation (out of more than 1,600) to be taken to court by the Canadian government for breach of the Investment Canada Act.

Perhaps the most reprehensible betrayal of its net-benefit promise to Canada, however, is U.S. Steel’s attack on thousands of vulnerable senior citizens.

In fact, a major reason U.S. Steel locked out its 900 Hamilton workers on Nov. 7 was to try to coerce current union members to consent to the elimination of pension indexing for 9,000 pensioners.

If U.S. Steel had its way, pensioners such as Mary Fiori would lose the meagre annual inflationary increases to their pensions. With each passing year, they would find it harder and harder to make ends meet, and they would suffer accordingly.

The locked-out members of United Steelworkers Local 1005 have said no to U.S. Steel’s breaking of commitments to our pensioners. They also have said no to U.S. Steel’s attempt to deny future workers a secure pension plan.

The Steelworkers don’t believe a foreign multinational should treat our senior citizens so callously when they buy our industries and resources.

On Saturday, citizens of this city will converge on City Hall to support the pensioners of this community. Together, we will demand U.S. Steel meet its obligation to negotiate a fair deal with Hamilton’s workers.

This drama in Hamilton is playing out in many communities across Canada. Saturday’s action is standing up for Hamilton and every community being devastated by a foreign corporate takeover.

Our communities must come first. More and more, we Canadians must say no to broken corporate promises, and call on our government to ensure foreign takeovers provide real, lasting benefits to our families, pensioners and communities.

The People vs. U.S. Steel: Hamilton City Hall, 71 Main Street West, beginning at 1:00 p.m.

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action alert part 3 of 4: support democracy movement in egypt

Today and tomorrow, there will be events all over the world to show solidarity with the Egyptian democracy movement. See below for information about events in Canada.

If you - like me - cannot demonstrate in person, you can still support the movement by calling the Egyptian embassy in Ottawa and demanding that protests be allowed to continue without bloodshed. The 30-year dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak has never seen this scale of protest. I'm told there is a very real danger that the government may fire on demonstrators as night falls.

In Canada: Ottawa: 613.234.4931.
In the US: Washington DC: 202.895.5400.
In the UK: London: 44.020.7499.3304
In Ireland: Dublin: 353.01.660.6566
In Australia and New Zealand: Canberra: 61.(0)2.6273.4437
In South Africa: Pretoria: 27.(0)12.343.1590

You can also email Stephen Harper's office. Tell him Canadians stand for peace and democracy, something that clearly needs reminding. The government of Canada needs to speak up and support the Egyptian people. pm@pm.gc.ca

Solidarity demonstrations in Canada:

Montreal
Friday, January 28
1:30 - 4:00 pm
Consulat Général De La République D'Egypte
1000, Rue de la Gauchetiere Ouest
On Facebook

Ottawa
Friday, January 28
1:30-4:00 pm
Egypt Embassy
454, Laurier Avenue
On Facebook

Toronto
Saturday, January 29
1:00 - 4:00 pm
Yonge-Dundas Square
On Facebook

Vancouver
January 29
1:00 - 3:00 pm
Vancouver Public Library square, Robson & Homer
On Facebook

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webcam: living in the library, dreaming of a more just world

Remember those crazy Canadian kids, living in the library? Well, they're living the DREAM: they've set up shop, and you can watch them here, and they're blogging here.

More on DREAM here.

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london ontario supports war resisters

On Sunday, January 16, Michael Ignatieff came to London, Ontario, to skate with Liberal supporters in Victoria Park. An organizer tells me that most of the attention was on the mining accountability legislation, another Liberal private member's bill which died when their party leader and a few others failed to support it. Thus the chants:

"C-300, C-440: absent Liberals vote like Tories"

and

"Hey Mike, what's the story, why're you acting like a Tory?"

Thank you, London! Let Them Stay!

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winnipeggers say let them stay; torontonians to hear stories of forgotten veterans

From Metro:

American war dodgers and their supporters wrap up a week of small protest events Saturday — part of a years-long fight to persuade the federal government to grant the deserters refuge in Canada.

Despite numerous court battles, protests and even pressure from the House of Commons, the campaign has proven barely a thorn in the side of an unyielding Harper government.

"We're feeling the wear and tear of the government's intransigence," Michelle Robidoux, of the War Resisters Support Campaign, conceded Thursday.

"We're very aware that (Immigration Minister) Jason Kenney is counting on a process of attrition to try to defeat the movement to let the war resisters stay."

Saturday's event in Toronto — which will feature a short film and the wife of one U.S. soldier who refused to redeploy to Iraq — ends a week of gatherings in a dozen cities and towns across Canada.

On Wednesday, for example, about a dozen people protested outside the constituency offices of Public Safety Minister Vic Toews in Steinbach, Man.

Among them was Iraqi war veteran Joshua Key, who said the rally aimed to remind both the government and Canadians that the war dodgers and their issues had not gone away.

Scores of American soldiers, many with spouses or children in tow, fled to Canada starting seven years ago rather than fight in Iraq or Afghanistan.

They argued the U.S.-led war on Iraq was illegal under international law, and that American soldiers were committing atrocities against civilians.

"It's just like nobody in the military really cared what happened," Cpl. Jeremy Brockway, 26, who served in Iraq with the Marines in 2006 and 2007, has said.

"It's just disregard for human life."

Supporters of the Minnesota-born Brockway say he has extreme post-traumatic stress disorder but was ordered to redeploy to Iraq despite objections from military psychiatrists.

He and his wife Ashlea — who will speak for him in Toronto on Saturday — live in Port Colborne, Ont., with their two Canadian-born children.

The tormented Brockway, who arrived in Canada in early 2008, can barely talk about his experiences and seldom leaves his apartment.

Still, neither the refugee board nor government has viewed the soldiers' requests for asylum or residency with much sympathy.

In ruling after ruling, the Immigration and Refugee Board has nixed their applications for protection on the grounds they would be prosecuted, not persecuted, if returned to the United States.

Kenney himself has referred to the American soldiers as "bogus" refugee claimaints.

"We reject the ridiculous notion . . . that President Barack Obama is persecuting deserters from voluntary military service," Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said in October.

Kenney's spokesman Alykhan Velshi confirmed Thursday that "nothing" had changed in the government's position.

A majority of MPs has called on the Conservative government to let the war dodgers stay, and polls have suggested most Canadians are sympathetic to their plight.

Still, at least two of the soldiers have been deported to the U.S. to courts martial and prison terms for desertion.

Most others — some with children born in Canada — have quietly hung on.

One, Jeremy Hinzman who came to Canada in January 2004, won a Federal Court of Appeal ruling last year that sent his case back to the refugee board.

The court found his sincerely held beliefs and motivations for coming to Canada should have been considered.

Supporters say that kind of court victory has helped keep their campaign energized.

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let them stay week 2011: events across canada

Still plenty of events to come!

Support US Iraq War Resisters: Join Let Them Stay Week, January 15-22, 2011

From January 15 to 22 people across Canada will participate in a national "Let Them Stay Week".

Join Canadians from coast to coast to show support for Iraq War resisters, who are currently threatened with deportation by the minority Conservative government.

Events planned so far:

Fredericton

Film screening: "Winter Soldier"

Friday, January 21
7:00 p.m.
Conserver House
180 St. John Street
Fredericton, NB

Cinema Politica Fredericton and the Fredericton Peace Coalition present a film screening of Winter Soldier, a documentary of Vietnam War veterans speaking out against the atrocities they witnessed.

For more info: fredericton@cinemapolitica.org or info@frederictonpeace.org.

Grand Forks

Film screening and discussion

Friday January 13th
7:00 p.m.
Room 8
Selkirk College
Grand Forks, BC

Sponsored by Boundary Peace Initiative, USCC Working Groups, KRUNA, Canadian Peace Alliance and War Resisters Support Campaign.

For more info: L4peace@telus.net.

Halifax

Information Picket outside Passport Canada Office

Wednesday, January 19
12:00-1:00 pm
Maritime Centre
1505 Barrington Street
Halifax, NS

Join a peaceful information picket to hand out literature, hold signs and stand in solidarity with US war resisters who have sought refuge in Canada.

and

Film Screenings: "War Resisters Speak Out" and "Parallels"

Wednesday, January 19
7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Sobeys 260
Sobeys Building
Saint Mary's University
6136 University Avenue
Halifax, NS

Free public film screenings, all are welcome. Watch two recent films about war resistance: "War Resisters Speak Out", and "Parallels: Iraq and Afghanistan". These films tell the stories of courageous Americans who have left the US military, refused to serve in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and have fled to Canada for refuge.

Organized by the Halifax Peace Coalition and SMU PIRG.

For more info: Halifax Peace Coalition.

Newmarket

Video and discussion

Sunday, January 16
1:00 pm
Yonge Street Quaker Meeting House
17030 Yonge Street - north of Mulock Drive, south of Eagle Street
Newmarket, ON

Discussion will feature Iraq War resister Kimberly Rivera and Michelle Robidoux of the War Resisters Support Campaign.

Hosted by Yonge Street Meeting, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)
For more info: 416.824.8421 or danpoisson@yahoo.ca.

Peterborough

Film screening of "War Resisters Speak Out", followed by discussion with US Iraq War resister Dean Walcott

Saturday, January 22
2:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Peterborough Public Library
345 Aylmer Street North
Peterborough, ON

For more info: stewart.britney@gmail.com.

St. John's

Film screening and art show

Monday, January 17
5:00 to 10:00 p.m.
LPSU Hall (Second Space)
3 Victoria Street
St. John's, NL

For more info: 709.726.6163.

Sudbury

Letter-writing day in support of US Iraq War resisters

For more info: ashandro@laurentian.ca.

Toronto

Film, speakers, letter writing, refreshments.

Saturday, January 22
1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Steelworkers Hall
25 Cecil Street
Toronto, ON

Speakers:

Ashlea Brockway, who came to Canada with her husband Jeremy, after he refused to redeploy to Iraq

Alyssa Manning, legal counsel to many US war resisters in Canada

James Loney, member of Christian Peacemaker Teams, former hostage in Iraq

Jeremy Brockway, Iraq War resister, appearing via video

Fore more info: resisters@sympatico.ca or 416.598.1222.

Vancouver

Soldiers Shining the Light on the Truth: GI resistance - Vietnam / US Iraq War Resisters / Bradley Manning - Wikileaks

Film Screening of "Sir! No Sir!" and discussion with Rodney Watson, Iraq War resister living in sanctuary

Saturday, January 15
2:00 p.m.
First United Church
320 Hastings Street East
Vancouver, BC

For more info: samhouse.sarah@gmail.com.

and

Welcoming American War Resisters: A Canadian Tradition: Film Screening of "War Resisters Speak Out" and panel discussion

Thursday, January 20
7:00 p.m.
Langara College
100 West 49th Avenue
Vancouver, BC

Forty years ago, tens of thousands of American soldiers and draftees who refused to join the war against Vietnam were welcomed in Canada. Today hundreds of soldiers who refused to deploy to Iraq have come to Canada. While they have been warmly welcomed by Canadians, our government has made strenuous efforts to send them back to the US to face prison sentences.

Join us for a panel discussion about defending the Canadian tradition of welcoming American war resisters.

The panel will include:

Ujjal Dosanjh, Member of Parliament for Vancouver South

Peter Prontzos, former US Marine, and Vietnam war resister, instructor of Political Science, Langara College

Rodney Watson, decorated Iraq war veteran, living in sanctuary in First United Church (via video conference)

For more info: 605.764.2580 or vanresisters@yahoo.ca.

Victoria

War Resisters Write-In

Sunday, January 16
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
629 Toronto Street
Victoria, BC

Please join us to let Harper and Kenney know they must not depart war resisters, Americans who have left the military because they refuse (re)deployment to Iraq! Snacks and beverages will be provided.

For more info: vlannon@pacificcoast.net.

Windsor

Information picket in support of US Iraq War resisters

Saturday January 15 and Saturday January 22
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Ottawa Street, across from Market Square
Windsor, ON

Info: windsorpeace@hotmail.com

Winnipeg

Iraq War resister Joshua Key speaks

Monday January 17
7:00 p.m.
McNally-Robinson Booksellers
Grant Park Shopping Centre
1120 Grant Avenue
Winnipeg, MB

and

Picket federal MP Vic Toews' office

Wednesday, January 19
1:30 p.m.
8-227 Main Street
Steinbach, MB

Info: 204.792.3371 or keepresisters@mts.net

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