CAHABDA 66 years of socialism Russian revolution retains world impact} Torontonians marked the 66th anni- versary of the October Revolution at a public meeting Nov. 6 at which the main address was given by William Kashtan, leader of the Communist Party of Cana- da. Below are his remarks abridged. * * * Tonight we are celebrating the 66th birthday of the Great October Socialist Revolution. In 1917 anew system of soc- iety came into being, a socialist system of society, which ended for all time the ex- ploitation of man by man, brought an end to national oppression and opened up the possibility of planning the economy for the good of the country and the good of the people. It abolished unemployment, poverty, inequality of women. It established a genuine democracy, a democracy of the people able to determine their own de- stiny. A democracy in action not the formal democracy typical of capitalism. The right to health, the right to educa- tion, the right to culture, was established for all time. Where’s the Crisis? In face of this reality we have Presi- dent Reagan not so long ago saying that socialism isin crisis. The fact is it is capitalism that is in crisis with increasing economic instability, an inability to pro- _ vide full employment, to protect the _ young people, to assure progress for the people, to ensure that the scientific and ‘technological revolution will be in the interest of society. _ People also see the contrast between rising standards in the Soviet Union, the continuation of social programs and their improvement, and in a rich country like Canada, growing attacks on social pro- grams. You can see that all over the | country, and you can see that particular- : y at the present time in British Columbia The difference in B.C. and other parts of Canada and in the Soviet Union spells out some of the differences between capitalism and socialism. Under capital- ism profits come before people. Under _ socialism what is good for the people is good for society. ? Profound Changes The October Revolution not only brought about profound changes for the people of the Soviet Union, it also had a | profound impact on the world and helped to change it and to open up new pros- pects for mankind. ... Today we see that capitalism does not dominate the world anymore. It is a sys- tem in the process of decay and decline. Imperialism is not the dominant force in the world today. United States imperial- ism is not anymore number one in the world. Historically, capitalism is on the way out. Historically and practically social- ism is developing and growing stronger. This is not to say that here and there sometimes, there may be temporary set- backs in the struggle to bring about social and fundamental change. It has its ups and downs, it has its setbacks and it has its advances. But the general process is forward, the general process is that capitalism is in the process of decay and socialism continues to grow and expand. This is precisely why imperialism is in a state of frenzy, it is precisely why imperialism is trying to reverse the course of history, it is pre- cisely why imperialism has undertaken the arms drive of a kind which it hopes can bring about its military superiority, and out of that achieve domination of the world. Peace can be won However, the world is not now in its hands. And precisely because there is a world system of socialist states, one can say that where before when capitalism dominated the world, war was inevit- able. Today, the existence of the socialist system of states, the growing non- aligned movement embracing millions of people, the ever growing peace move- ment makes it safe to say, that war is not inevitable anymore, that war can be pre- vented. Peace can be won. Today the coming to power of a more reactionary, warlike group in the U.S. headed by the Reagan administration presents the world with the threat of nu- clear war. It is out to achieve military superiority over the Soviet Union in its drive for world domination. Imperialism failed before in its previous efforts to undermine the Soviet Union and it will fail now. This crusade directed to undermine socialism included Poland. Poland they hoped was a weak spot. But despite the efforts of imperialism, despite the efforts of those in the church that supported them, despite the efforts of the counter- “The world is faced with this reality: to stop missile deployment or open the door to further escalation of the arms race,” said Communist Party leader William Kashtan in his address marking the 66th Anniversary of the October Revolution. Photo: Cana- dians protesting Cruise testing. : revolutionaries, Polish socialism con- tinues to exist. War Danger Mounts However we should not minimize the dangers involved in this crusade against socialism by the U.S. government, by the industrial-military complex, and by those forces of NATO that go along with them. : The danger of war is mounting. Deployment of Cruise and Pershing II missiles in Western, Europe which the U.S. is striving to force on its allies is part of this increased threat of nuclear war. It means in effect to undermine the possibility of arms control, it means to direct first strike nuclear weapons at the very heart of socialism. It is clear the Soviet Union will be compelled to reply by placing missiles in areas that will be directed against those countries that have placed the missiles against the So- viet Union and this includes the USA. The world is faced with the reality, to prevent deployment or to open the door to a further acceleration of the nuclear arms race. Parity the Key What the Soviet Union wants is the maintenance of parity, and equality of security, between the United States, NATO and the Soviet Union. Some people ask ‘‘Shouldn’t the Soviet Union agree to disarm unilaterally and maybe the U.S. would respond, maybe the other countries will re- spond?’’ Can anyone trust imperialism? Imperialism was the force that brought Hitler fascism into power. It was U.S. imperialism that first used the nuclear weapons against Hiroshima and Nagasaki; it was U.S. global strategy that was directed against Vietnam, against Nicaragua, against the people of El Salvador and its latest example is Grenada. American imperialism is in Grenada, as it is in the Middle East, and as it wants to be elsewhere to impose its policies on these countries, to interfere with their independence and their sovereign rights. It wants to transform the world in its own image. Unilateral disarmament by the Soviet Union is not going to help achieve peace. The strength of the Soviet Union and the socialist countries are basic factors in preventing world nuclear war. It is pre- cisely parity, that the Soviet Union and the socialist countries achieved which has made it possible to deter imperialism and prevent another world war so far. There is no doubt about it, the danger of war is real but so is the ability to pre- vent it. Everyone Counts ~~ Today is not 1914, today is not 1939, today is a different year, a different time, a different balance of forces. That gives us confidence that war is not inevitable, that peace can be won. But to win peace every person counts. No one can afford to sit back and say ‘‘someone else will do it for me’’. In 1917 the door was opened up to a new world. The 66 years of existence of the Soviet-Union has shown it to be a powerful force for progress and for the anti-imperialist struggles of the people everywhere. It has shown it to be a powerful force for peace and for socialism. On this 66th anniversary the future be- longs to socialism, not to capitalism. | Capitalism cannot solve the needs of the people, socialism can. On this 66th anniversary we can say that war can be prevented, peace can be won. Ala iB SAS ce San sehen Soe Arrests mar Grenada protest WINNIPEG — About 500 people rallied here Nov. 5 to pro- test the United States invasion of Grenada and make it clear they will not be intimidated from speaking out against U.S. ion. About 30 organizations sup- ported the event which included a rally at City Hall and an orderly _ parade past the U.S. Consulate and then to a nearby park. A similar demonstration out- side the Consulate Oct. 28 was broken up when police clubbed _ demonstrators who were trying to assist one of their number follow- ing a scuffle with a photographer. Seven demonstrators were ar- rested and face various charges, including unlawful assembly, ob- struction and mischief. Six young men who started the disruption by trying to crash the speakers’ plat- form with signs supporting the - U.S. were let go by the police. The six have been identified as members of the Canadian Armed Forces reserve. A defence committee has been set up for the seven and is gather- ing evidence for their hearing as well as for a public inquiry into police actions. The inquiry was’ PACIFIC TRIBUNE—NOVEMBER 16, 1983—Page 8 called for by the Manitoba Cabinet. During the walk to the Consul- ate on Nov. 5, demonstrators chanted ‘‘Ronald’s raiders, out of Grenada’’, and called for an end to U.S. threats against Nicaragua and the people of El Salvador and for the U.S. to keep out of Cana- dian affairs. At the City Hall rally, organizer Paul Graham described the ac- complishments of the Grenadian revolution since 1979, including development of a co-operative- based economy and democratic political structures and challenges to multinational corporations, comparing this to the plight of Grenadians under Eric Gairy. Graham condemned the mur- ders of Prime Minister Maurice Bishop and other Grenadian lead- ers, which opened the door for the U.S. attack, based on the mythi- cal Cuban ‘‘threat’’. Jim Bear of the Manitoba All Chiefs organization told the rally the police actions at the previous demonstration were typical of the treatment which Native people ‘and members of other minorities receive at the hands of the police. On Oct. 28 police singled out Chi- Democratic Party MP Cy! leans and some organizations have called for the public nn to be widened to examine policé attitudes toward minorities. Other speakers at the City yall rally included Paul Moist of the Winnipeg Labor Council, New Keeper and University of Wit nipeg religious studies professor Carl Ridd, a strong supporter 0 | Central America solidarity wor*: The Labour Council pas resolutions Nov. 1 to conde the U.S. invasion of Grenada the police violence outside Consulate.