EDITORIAL

Economy up/down again

An apparently rudderless Canadian economy
lurched again into a trough in the latest month tabu-
lated, after a momentary perch on the crest of a wave.

The perch wasn’t even momentary for the nearly two
million planned jobless. a

In February 1984 industrial production in Canada
plunged to its worst since January 1975.

The commercial press hastens to assure Canadians
that this does not mean we are on the edge of another

_ Tecession — but it certainly looks.a lot like that.

In February, almost all industries in the system
reported cuts in production. The plunge was 2.6 per
cent if pulp and paper and the sawmills in B.C. are left
aside. Otherwise it was 3.5 per cent, including manufac-
turing, mining and utilities, Statistics Canada reports.

There are some fresh ideas for getting out of the
economic mess, but they don’t come from the Liberal
leadership hopefuls, or the Mulreagan camp.

In a carefully decided program of proposals, the
Communist Party of Canada outlines ways to stop the
drive to the right and put Canada back to work.

They are important because even when capitalism’s
economy pitches upward again like a bit of jetsam, the
momentary statistics do nothing for workers —
employed or unemployed.

The political aspirants of the old parties all have the
same solution: leave it to private enterprise. The truth is
the economy needs the rudder of massive state interven-
tioh to make this sytem service, in even a minor way, the
interests of working people. What must also become a
clarion call for all labor, is reduced hours of work at no
loss of pay. And, an organized fight must be put up for
jobs for the young.

Capitalism has never given a pinch of progress with-
out hard struggle. It is not about to do so now. But there
is plenty of potential for hard struggle in the working
class and among the young — some of it is already
bursting out. It comes down to the hard fact that
workers win only what they fight for — and to the
liberating knowledge that workers can win what they
fight for.

Reagan tries China card

U.S. President Regan could hardly contain his eager-
ness over the enormous potential for U.S. corporate
profits in China. If he could, at the same time, achieve
the-arming and programming of a U.S.-directed anti-
Soviet military machine, the eagerness would turn to
imperialist passion.

However, the China card Reagan thought he had in
his hand appeared to suffer some devaluation in light of
world realities. The Chinese leadership went on record
opposing U.S. imperialism policies on a number of
fronts, ranging from Taiwan, to Lebanon, to Central
America, with Nicaragua in the forefront.

While the Chinese leaderhsip had not rid itself of
anti-Sovietism, it was not willing, it seems, to help
spread Reagan’s brand of anti-Sovietism among the
Chinese people, and deleted such remarks — along
with Reagan’s praise for U.S.-style democracy — from
reports carried in the media. ;

Press reports suggest that the Chinese leaders, while

desiring what they see as the advantages of U.S. invest-
ment and the product of U.S. technology, nevertheless,
shun an embrace by U.S. imperialism. It is part of the
dilemma of these leaders that they have not joined
hands with the socialist community of countries, or
even with the large number of governments and the
huge proportion of humankind who recognize U.S.
imperialism as enemy number one.

U.S. imperialism’s drive toward intervention and war
by military means, and by holding countries to eco-
nomic ransom, has to be curbed. That is grasped by
more and more of the world’s people who are watching
what one Canadian daily paper called “Reagan’s fright-
ening war dance. :

But it will not be possible to change or even blunt
U.S. imperialist policy by avoiding co-operation with
the Soviet Union. The sooner this is realized by the
leadership in China the better it will be for China’s
internal development and for world peace.

Aggression should be named

It is not hard to see eye to eye with Maurice Dupras,

the Liberal MP for Labelle, when he says, ““Washing- .

ton’s policies in (Central America) have in fact pro-
duced a bloody shambles. . .”

Politicians, governments in and out of NATO, a
large body of U.S. elected representatives, and two out
of three U.S. citizens say the same. The Reagan admin-
istration has committed acts of war in mining Nicara-
guan harbors and in using U.S. military personnel to
beef up right-wing forces to ensure U.S. control of El
Salvador, and to overthrow the government of Nicara-
gua. Its invasion of Grenada was certainly an act of war.

If Dupras had ended the statement there, he would
have been speaking the thoughts of the majority of

people.in Central America. Unfortunately, he credited -

Reagan with “the intended result of social stability and
political acquiescence.”

This is misleading and seems to be Canadian
government policy. Reaganism’s obvious aim is to
tighten U.S. control, domination and exploitation in
those countries and prevent social change, even if it

‘means military aggression and occupation. It’s time

Canadian officials called it what it is.

:

'

Provigo Inc., Montreal, ended its year Jan. 28 with aftert
profits of $26,522,000 compared with $24,146,000 a year eaflie
The company owns various drug and food subsidiaries with 14
supermarket outlets, nine discount and nine drug stores. |

} IRISUNE

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ith all the cutbacks in social services,
health and education, and attacks
on trade union and human rights that
have emanated from Victoria during the

People and Issues

Bayes and Myra Johnson of the United
Fishermen and Allied Workers Union; ©
John Warren of Operating Engineers, —
Local 115; and delegates or observers

last year, a small piece of political patron-
age from the Social Credit government
might not seem such big news. But the fact
that it involves the election process, not to
mention that it has happened once bfore,
is some cause for concern.

We're speaking of the appointment by
order-in-council of long-time Socred
campaign worker and Fernie alderman
Lynne Tripp to the post of government
agent in the Socred riding of Kootenay
East-Revelstoke.

As the B.C. Government Employees
Union points out, such appointments are
pure political patronage and are done in
violation of the traditional method of
picking government agents from the ranks
of the Public Service Commission, follow-
ing job posting and competition. The
union also reminds us that Premier Ben-
nett himself set the tone when his former
executive assistant, Tony Tozer, was
appointed government agent in the premi-
er’s Kelowna riding last June.

“It should be clear to all concerned that
this government fully intends to use these
types of public service appointments as

political payoffs,” the BCGEU notes, cal-

ling the appointments a “deliberate

undermining of the concept of an impar-
tial public service. ..”

However, the more serious aspect of the
appointments, the union notes, lies in the
fact that government agents are responsi-
ble for a host of duties surrounding the
electoral process. The agents are the offi-
cial returning agents during provincial
elections, appointing poll clerks and other
functionaries, and also issue ballots, set up
polling stations and oversee the general
security and administration of the election.

BCGEU calls it a move towards “a
South American political process whereby
the ruling party controls the ballots,” and
notes that the union has presented three
briefs to the government documenting
abuses in hiring, promotion and staffing
procedures since 1977.

Seen in that light, the latest examples of
Socred political patronage have a decidely
ominous ring. They go hand in glove with
other recent moves, such as the latest

attempt to add seats to several ridings cur--

rently held by Social Credit MLAs. It’s

one more argument for a rekindled fight-
back with a united “Solidarity IT’ move-
ment reshaping the political climate of this
province.

CT eee

CO: a more positive note, delegates
returning from the First International
Trade Union Meeting for Peace held in
Managua, Nicaragua, Apr. 24-27, report
that the 68 countries represented were
unanimous in their support for nations’
right to self-determination.

Not only did the 13 delegates from
Canadian trade unions express their solid-

arity with the Central American nation -

through Wayne Mondel, Atlantic regional
officer for the Canadian Union of Postal
Workers — but the presence of unionists
from around the world will “be instru-
mental in stopping U.S. intrusion into
Nicaragua’s internal affairs,” reported
International Woodworkers member and
Campbell River resident Sy Pederson.
Also attending the conference were Wes
Maultsaid of the CUSO local of the Cana-
dian Union of Public Employees; Larry

from the Public Service Alliance and the

United Electrical workers.

The conference, sponsored by the Nica-
‘raguan Trade Union Co-ordinating Com-
mittee, will receive full coverage in a future

issue of the Tribune. -
aS Ok

e have a sad note that long-time
Communist Party member Mike
Bader is dead after a lengthy illness.
Mike, for years a member of the party’s
White Rock club along with his wife, Kate,

died in Toronto General Hospital —
Apr. 11 — only three weeks after Kate

herself passed away. He was 85.

Born within the boundaries of the old
Austro-Hungarian Empire, Mike saw
action during World War I before coming
to this country. He was also active in the
German anti-fascist resistance during the
rise of Hitler, and remained a confirmed
anti-fascist and peace activist until the dia-
betes, which forced the amputation of
both legs, forced him to retire from active
life.

4 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, MAY 9, 1984