Editorial

The global predator

With stunning changes bursting upon the political scene in the socialist
world, with the Soviet peace offensive continuing to bat baffle and disarm the cold
warriors by removing “the enemy,” and with disarmament talks proceeding
and practical actions being taken to step back from the nuclear brink, we might
be tempted to forget or underestimate the ongoing role of imperialism and its
predatory nature.

It’s understandable that socialists are preoccupied with the sweeping reforms
underway in almost every socialist state, and are engaging in the overdue and
lively debates over the root causes of the errors and distortions now so evident in
the construction of socialist societies, and how to overcome them.

These debates will go on for quite some time. The lessons to be learned are
deep and unavoidable. But the inescapable fact is: socialism is facing up to its
responsibilities, is openly admitting errors and in many countries is embarking
on long-needed changes.

As this process unfolds and accelerates, and progressives join the debates, we
should not let up on other vitally important tasks: keeping the pressure on for
peace, social justice, national and social liberation; exposing efforts by imperial-
ism to exploit the current situation to gain military advantage over socialism
and tighten their grip on the developing world; defending the interests of
working people against the global and national neo-conservative onslaught. *

While forced by events and pressure to manoeuvre and adjust, imperialism’s
basic nature remains: it is an exploitative, racist, sexist system in which wealth is
steadily transferred from the majority to a minority. Imperialism is a system in
which the interests of the capitalist class and the state become as one. It is
international in scope, staking out spheres of economic and political influence,
protecting vast markets for i its exports and guaranteeing itself natural resources
and cheap labour.

Imperialism’s predatory nature — despite the attempts of history’s most
sophisticated and effective media blitz to cover it up — is seen in the appalling
plight of the former colonial world, the staggering misery, hunger, illiteracy and
hopelessness in the Third World — a product of former colonialist and today’s
imperialist exploitation, not socialism.

Continued U.S. sabotage of Nicaragua, the on-going war against Afghanis-
tan, NATO’s reaffirmation last week to retain its nuclear arsenal, the renewed
war against Kampuchea, news of the Israel-South African joint development of
long-range nuclear missiles, and Canada’s rejection of a demilitarized Arctic are
just a few hot spots in a world that still faces extinction through ecological or
military disaster. :

As we debate, there’s still a world to change.

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EDITOR
Sean Griffin

. ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Dan Keeton
BUSINESS & CIRCULATION MANAGER
Mike Proniuk
GRAPHICS

Angela Kenyon

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‘0 say that labour and the left in B.C.

do not look to the Social Credit
government to provide humane leadership
— jobs, full social services and fair legisla-
tion, for example — is to grossly under-
state the point. Representing as the
Socreds do the more reactionary elements

in the province, no one’s holding their
breath that the party which imposed Bills
19 and 20 will suddenly turn progressive,
Bill Vander Zalm or no Bill Vander Zalm.

But whereas some groups representing
the local monied interests can at least

vote for peace on occasion — the Ane
league team has demonstrated its untiring
devotion to everything reactionary and
backwards, if we can use last weekend’s
provincial convention as a barometer.

A couple of events are fairly well
known. One was the public humiliation of
Point Grey Socred Michael Levy, who was
booed off the convention floor when he
rose to protest the tabling of a constitution

ty’s reference to “Christian” principles, to
the exclusion of other religions. Levy, a
Jew, was not amused and has threatened
to quit the party.

Then there were the revelations that top
Socreds, including Premier Vander Zalm
and Highways Minister Neil Vant, told
“jokes” based on ethnic stereotypes at a
convention breakfast. The fact that
neither Vander Zalm nor Vant saw fit to
apologize immediately can only increase
the spinal shivers of British Columbians
contemplating those individuals setting

resolution that aimed to remove the par- ,

human rights legislation.

But even the Socreds have moved ahead
on the treatment of women, right? After
all, the party has women MLAs andevena
woman president.

For answer, let’s look at the Broadway
song adopted as the theme of the Socred
Women’s Auxiliary. This song, played
repeatedly during the auxiliary’s proceed-
ings, is from the musical Hello Dolly, and
whether it represents Socred grass roots or
leadership sentiment — or both — this
charming ditty has a lot to say about their
real attitude concerning the role of
women:

It takes a woman, a dainty woman

A sweetheart, a mistress, a wife.

Oh, yes, it takes a woman,

a fragile woman,

To bring you the sweet things in life.

A frail young maiden who’s

constantly there

For washing and bluing

and shoeing the mare,

And it takes a female for setting the table

and weaning the Guernsey

and cleaning the stable.

* * *

Fa years — as long as some of us can

remember — he’d been one of the
regulars around the Tribune office, each

People and Issues

press day when the volunteers come in to
wrap and mail the paper. And for much of
his long life, he’d been a Tribune supporter
in other ways, promoting the weekly at
demonstrations, rallies, picket lines and
any other occasion where the people’s
press has had a role. Sadly, the life of Vern
Brimacombe came to an end when he died
in Burnaby General Hospital Oct, 22. aphe

Vern was born in 1910-in the town of
Exter, Ont. He made a political commit-
ment when he joined the Young Commu-
nist League in 1925, and continued that
commitment as a participant in the On to
Ottawa Trek of 1935.

Vern went overseas with the Canadian
Army in 1940 or 1941, seeing action in
Italy before he was wounded and honour-
ably discharged. He came to British
Columbia where he married and joined
the Burnaby Club of the Communist
Party. He was a member of the Effie Jones
Club at the time of his death.

Vern, who was 79, is survived by his
ex-wife, Joan, a brother in Burnaby,
another brother in Windsor, Ont., a sister
in London, Ont. and a daughter in Lan-
gley. A memorial will be held at the Centre
for Socialist Education, Saturday, Nov. 25,
11 a.m.

inners, dinners, dinners. It seems

November is the month of celebra-
tions and tributes, so we'd feel remiss if we
didn’t mention some of the more promi-
nent events on the rubber chicken (just
kidding) circuit.

The Committee of Progressive Electors
is holding a dinner Friday, Nov. 17 —
exactly one year before the 1990 Van-
couver civic election — at the Beach
House Restaurant in Stanley Park, begin-
ning at 6 p.m. Tickets are $25, phone
879-1447.

The Canadian Farmworkers Union —

holds its annual fundraising dinner and
dance at the Scottish Cultural Centre, 8886
Hudson St. in Vancouver, Friday, Nov. 17,
6 p.m. It features Bishop Remi De Roo as
the keynote speaker. Tickets are $15 and
$8, call 430-6055.

The Vancouver and District Labour
Council celebrates 100 years with a ban-
quet on Wednesday, Nov. 22, Maritime
Labour Centre, 111 Victoria Dr., Van-
couver, 6 p.m. Tickets are $35.

And to blow our own horn — and that
of the person we’re honouring — the
Pacific Tribune will mark several decades
of labour journalism and analysis in a
tribute Saturday, Nov. 25 to Ben Swankey.
It begins at 6 p.m. at the Maritime Labour
Centre. Tickets are $15, phone us at
251-1186.

This note came to us late, so we didn’t
have much time for advance notice. The
B.C. Coalition for Abortion Clinics is host-

ing a fundraising dinner in Vancouver ‘at
Isadora’s restaurant on Granville Island,

Monday, Nov. 6. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

4 Pacific Tribune, November 6, 1989