© continued from page 7

teed annual income. There has
been much talk of a war against
poverty. That problem could be
gotten at by a guaranteed annual
income. Our Party fought for
“work or wages” in the 30’s and
this became a rallying point for
the unemployed. There is no rea-
son why our Party should not
now advance the demand for
“work or an income” around
which to mount an effective
struggle against poverty. In ad-
vancing this demand however
we stand opposed to those sec-
tions of monopoly and _ their
Governments who are beginning
to play with this idea as an
answer to the: displacement of
workers by the technological re-
volution and see the guaranteed
annual income as a form of glo-
rified dole. We are equally op-
posed to those monopoly inter-
ests and their governments who
see in this a way of getting rid
of those measures of social se-
curity the working class won
through hard and bitter struggle.

Our Party opposes any trade
off of this kind. The organized
working class is fighting for a
guaranteed annual wage and for
guaranteed weekly wages. It has
fought and will continue to fight
to extend social security meas-
ures particularly maternity and
sickness pay benefits, as it will
continue to press for increases
in family allowances, unemploy-
ment insurance and pensions, At
the same time it is in its inter-
ests to press for a guaranteed
annual income for all Canadians
as a right. As it is won it could
replace welfare payments. Such
& guaranteed annual income
could be enacted either by a ne-
gative income tax or in other
ways to provide an adequate
standard of living.

To the argument of where the
money is to come from to cover
the costs of such a program, we
would reply: take it out of the
defense budget and by democra-
tic reform of taxation including
a capital gains tax.

Our Party should be a fore-
most champion of such a mea-
Sure and press for its adoption
by the Federal Government.

The growing demand for
change finds particular reflection
amongst young people. One of
the most significant develop-
ments of the recent period has
been the radical upsurge amongst
young people. Amongst working
class youth it finds its reflection
by their entry into the trade
unions and in active participa-
tion in the class struggle.
Amongst students it finds its re-
flection in a growing demand,
backed by various forms of ac-
tion, for democratic reform of
education and for a voice in the
administration of university life.
A growing body of students link
the struggle for democratic re-
form of education with the strug-
gle for a democratic restructur-
ing of society and for an end to
monopoly control. This develop-
ment is of considerable signifi-
cance, adding an additional force
to the growing movement for
far reaching change in our coun-
try.

Our Party has been slow in
understanding the underlying
factors which give rise to the
growing rebellion among. stu-
dents. A tendency exists to look
at the social composition of the
students which in fact is chang-
ing as a result of the technologi-
cal and scientific revolution, and
not at what is primary—the cri-
ticism of a system which breeds
wars, racism and oppression and

7
'

PACIFIC TRIBUNE— APRIL 11, 1969—Page 8
e Wel tf AAA SAU SITT OMA

}
iar ©: &

which cannot satisfy all the
needs of the students or give
them a meaningful future. The
rebellion amongst students is
thus an additional proof of the
deep going crisis of the capital-
ist system itself.

Communists do not stand aside
from this movement amongst
students, They actively partici-
pate in these movements. Their
task is to spread Marxism, the
science of scientific socialism
amongst students, at the same
time explaining and exposing the
dangers inherent in anarchist
and pseudo revolutionary theo-
ries spread amongst them,
theories and practices which are
self-defeating. Communists work
to strengthen understanding
amongst students of the leading
role of the working class in the
struggle for a radical ideology of
society and are foremost cham-
pions of the demand for demo-
cratic reform and modernization
of education, modernization
which would insure its Canadian
content.

Thus when we speak of an
alliance of students and the
working class we are at the
same time speaking of an alli-
ance of the working class and
culture, the widening of the na-
tional democratic, anti-monopoly
and anti-imperialist movements
into a majority of the Cananian
people.

Our Party must work to help
bring such an alliance about.

In examining these develop-
ments in the young generation
we cannot but conclude that we
need to work for the establish-
ment of a Communist youth
organization, an organization
based on the class struggle and
on socialism expressed through
the political power of the work-
ing class and its allies. We are
mindful that the ask of building
such an organization will not be
easy. On the other hand the
growing interest in Marxism and
socialism, the ferment taking
shape among our young people,
indicates that an objective base
exists for such an organization
fraternally related to the Com-
munist Party.

Side by side with building
such a youth organization our
Party should redouble its efforts
to attract revolutionary minded
young workers and university
students into its ranks. We see
no contradiction in building a
Communist youth organization
which can attract working youth
teenagers and young people gen-
erally to the banner of Marxism
Leninism, and the strengthening
of the Party’s influence amongst
the young generation.

AS we can see the forces op-
posed to monopoly, and these
include the farmers, are growing
and will continue to grow. What
is decisive now is the strength-
ening of unity of action particu-
larly of the democratic left and

the genuine socialist currents
emerging in English and French
Canada. Unity of action of those
forces will create more favorable
conditions for forging a new
political alliance, a democratic
alliance capable of drastically
curbing the power of monopoly
and opening the door to socialist
advance. The key here is cooper-
ation between the NDP and
Communist Party. Within the
NDP a differentiation is under-
way between those who would
tie the NDP to capitalist policies
and to the position of “loyal op-
position,” and those who see the
future of the NDP as part of a
democratic and socialist align-
ment. We welcome this develop-
ment. Indeed the firm and pa-
tient struggle of our Party for
unity of action, against reform-
ist ideology and for the socialist
perspective will facilitate this
differentiation in a positive way.

While we seek all forms of co-
operation with the NDP on ques-
tions which advance the inter-
ests of the working people and
democracy, we at the same time
compete with them in the work-
ing class and democratic move-
ments as expressed.

The struggle for unity of ac-
tion and the strengthening of the
independent role and work of
the Party are therefore not con-
tradictory aims. They facilitate
and complement each other. But
it should be clear: the stronger
the Party the more likely will
unity of action be achieved. The
more it makes its presence felt
the sooner will unity of action
come about. To build the Party is
to build the motive force of
united action.

Similarly, the struggle to bring
about a new political alliance
and a new majority in Parlia-
ment, is not in contradiction to
the strengthening of the mass
movements of the working class,
students, farmers and other sec-
tions of the people. If we em-
phasize mass action and move-
ments of the most varied kinds
it is because these are the deci-
sive factor in the struggle for
socialism itself; as they are the
decisive element in forging a
new political alliance in our
country. In short mass action
must complement and reinforce
parliamentary activity at every
level.

We cannot separate domestic
from international developments.
The Canadian people are affected
daily by these events which
could determine their future, in-
deed their very lives.

A fierce struggle is going on
between imperialism and social-
ism on all fronts. Imperialism is
striving might and main to revy-
erse the course of history, weak-
en and undermine the positions
won by the working class and
national liberation movement
throughout the world. ‘It uses
various forms of struggle, be it

OR sd i

ideological subversion or mili-
tary measures to accomplish its
aims. It is much easier to see its
hand when it takes military ac-
tion as in Vietnam or elswhere.
It is not so easy to see its hand
when it undertakes ideological
subversion. We, like many other
parties, have been slow in see-
ing this side of imperialist stra-
tegy and have tended to under-
estimate this more cunning and
subtle line which is directed to
establishing Trojan horses with-
in the socialist camp, within the
national liberation movement,
within Communist and Workers
parties. In reality of course ideo-
logical subversion and military
action are part of one package,
to change the course of world
history and alter the balance of
world power in favor of imper-
ialism.

This is the essence of the
struggle on a wide number of
fronts in the world today, be it
in Vietnam, in Europe, in the
Middle East, in Africa and in
Latin America.

World wide pressure finally
compelled the U.S. Government
to agree to negotiate in Vietnam.
The world hoped this would lead
to an end to U.S. aggression. It
is apparent however that the
decision to negotiate which was
forced on it by the heroic resis-
tance of the Vietnamese people
themselves, the pressure of
American public opinion and the
increasing support given the
heroic people of Vietnam by the
socialist countries, has not yet
led U.S, imperialism to conclude
that it should withdraw its
troops and bases from that coun-
try. President Nixon’s warning
about stepping up escalation
again, an escalation which has
already begun, coupled with Mr.
Laird’s statement that U.S.
troops will stay for an indeter-
minate time in South Vietnam
is a clear warning to the world
that a period of sharp and dan-
gerous struggle still lies ahead,
and that efforts need to be re-
doubled to compel the complete
and unconditional withdrawal of
U.S. troops from Vietnam. This
is one of the most important
tasks today.

The situation is further aggra-
vated by the ceaseless efforts of
West German imperialism to re-
arm with the connivance of
NATO and to try to get its fin-
ger on the nuclear trigger, with
the aim of recarving the map of
Europe. West German imperial-
ism is today the chief obstacle
to a detente, to peace and inter-
national security.

The situation is further sharp-
ened by the refusal of the Israeli
Government to arrive at a poli-
tical settlement in the Middle
East, based on the UN Security
Council resolution which pro-
vides the basis of a just settle-
ment.

Not least the international
situation is aggravated by the
decision of the Nixon Govern-
ment to go ahead with the con-
struction of an ABM system
which could likely trigger a nu-
clear arms race, hinder negotia-
tions for nuclear disarmament
and threaten the security, in-
deed, the very survival of Can-
ada. As the Communist Party
stated a few weeks ago... “the
Pentagon is prepared to defend
the U.S.A. to the last Canadian.”

The struggle for peaceful co-
existence is an integral part of
the fight for world peace. How-
ever, as we have had occasion to
say more than once, peaceful

coexistence does not mean main-

af Be
J -. 7 Hille CI

taining the status quo be
capitalism and socialism,
tween the national liberatig
movement and imperialist
gression or between capital an
labor, the people and mono

: Poly
The world-wide Struggle hy
tween capitalism and SOCialisn
also goes on in our own coup
try represented in the stry
between democratic and SOcialig
advance and monopoly rule, The
struggle against monopoly
imperialism and their defeat wij
in the final analysis rid th
world once and for all of oppres
sion and of war.

In the increasingly comple
conditions of the struggle fo
world peace our Party ‘must
sharply attack all views which
base themselves on the inevitg.
bility of world war, and there.
fore oppose the policy of peace.
ful coexistence and of interna.
tional detente. By the same
token it must equally combat
views which tend to underestj-
mate or ignore imperialism’s of-
fensive and reactionary drive, its
continued resistance and opposi-
tion to international detente, To
close our eyes to both views
could lead to passivity when
what is required is ever increas.
ing and wider public action to
check and reverse the course of
imperialist strategy.

The defeat of U.S. imperial
ism’s global strategy is of direct
concern to the Canadian people,
Such a defeat would weaken US.
imperialism and thus make eas-
ier the struggle for Canadian
independence. Canada’s indepen
dence is undermined by contin
ued membership in NATO and
NORAD. Canada’s independence,
indeed its very survival, is
threatened by the ABM system
which can trigger a nuclear arms
race and even as Prime Minister
Trudeau admitted “engulf the
world in a nuclear holocaust.” |

I have referred previously to
the new offensive strategy of im-
perialism which includes as one
of its aims the fostering of divi-
sions and splits in the world
communist movement, the work-
ing class and revolutionary for
ces thorughout the world. We
cannot but take account of this
global strategy which our Party
must reply to by working 10
strengthen international solidat
ity in every way possible.

The international conferenct
of Communist and Workers Pat
ties to be held in Moscow on
June 5th can be an important
step in this direction. We see
this conference as of decisive im
portance, opening the door 0
the consolidation of the unity of
the world movement on the basis
of Marxism-Leninism and prole
tarian internationalism. This '§
why our Party has worked and |
will continue to work for its
successful outcome.

The trend to consolidating the
unity of the communist move
ment despite many continuing
difficulties stands in sharp com
trast to the recent provocative
actions of the Maoists on the
Soviet-Chinese borders. Why
was it undertaken? Whose inter
ests does its serve?

One cannot separate this pr
vocative and adventurist action |
from the fact that a Party Com f
gress is taking place in se ,
and that the Maoists, faced wit
internal difficulties and interné’
opposition, are whipping up ant
Sovietism to drown opposition |
their policies. bi

Neither ican one separate the”
coincidence of this provocative

© continued on page,