EDITORIAL

No U.S. nuclear subs here!

The appearance of a U.S. nuclear sub-
marine in Halifax Harbor on April 16
justifiably brought out 150 protesters to
oppose this kind of nuclear fraternization.

The docking of the Von Steuben, carry-
ing frightful Trident missiles, at Canadian
Forces Base Shearwater, is another sign of
Ottawa’s prostration before the U.S. global
Strategy for nuclear war to eliminate
socialism.

Major Peter Homes, public relations of-
ficer for Shearwater, says 10 to 15 U.S.
nuclear submarines occupy space in
Halifax in a year.

This use of mass U.S. steel and nuclear
fire-power to put Canada in its place
should be seen for what it is — on two
counts. It is the Pentagon’s order that
Canada kneel and obey or it will get “Cen-
tral America” corrective treatment from
the USA. Secondly, it has to be seen for the
shameful sell-out by the Government of
Canada, to U.S. militarism.

Those genuinely concerned with
defending Canada see the threat to this
country in the nuclear arm-twisting we suf-
fer at Washington’s hands, in the pauperi-
zation of the people of Canada to pay stag-
gering military bills ($7.8-billion this year,
to go up beyond $8-billion for 1983-84).
These are threats to Canada, along with the
grasping control of our industry and re-
sources and the squeezing of profits out of
workers here for the enrichment of the

U.S.-based multi-nationals. Mass unem-
ployment, much of it permanent under
capitalism is another genuine threat under
the system of the multi-nationals. Turning
Canada into a nuclear target in the case of
war is what we need to defend ourselves
against.

And all that is in contrast to the myth that
the Soviet Union wants to attack North
America. Nowhere in any Soviet utterance
or game-plan has such a notion appeared
— only in the minds of those who want to
keep exploiting the workers of Canada.

Defence against nuclear war? Does any-
one really think that Canada can be de-
fended in event of a world nuclear holo-
caust? Do they think U.S. Defence Secre-
tary Weinberger, or Canadian Defence
Minister Lamontagne can give us protec-
tion?

The one defence against nuclear
annihilation is to prevent nuclear war.

That’s what the 150 protesters in Halifax
were about.

As a matter of fact the U.S. Reagan
administration, which calls for the Soviet
Union to dismantle its missile defences on
its own territory (!), risks triggering a war
with nuclear navies plying the world’s
oceans issuing threats. -

Negotiations are the way to prevent nu-
clear war, not the invasion of Canadian
territory by armed U.S. nuclear subs.

Peking and Bangkok, again

Once again China’s billion or so people
are being “attacked”, we are asked to be-
lieve, by Vietnam which, only 10 years ago
emerged battered from everything the
world’s strongest imperialist power could
use to annihilate the Vietnames. That
meant carpet bombing, chemical weapons

Medicare costs

Two Tory governments and two thréats
to people’s health care; that is the grim
picture from Ontario and Alberta.

Alberta’s decision to introduce user fees
for hospital care, and Ontario’s prepara-
tion of the public for either user fees or
increased health premium payments, dis-
play typical Tory callousness toward
people’s needs. Neither province will do
anything to curb extra billing by doctors.

Instead of moving forward with the
times, providing universal access to the ad-
vances in medical care, these Tory regimes
are pushing the lowest-income section back
into the past when such things were re-
served exclusively for those who could pay
the going price. And the going price today
is out of reach for a great many.

As the Communist vRarty’s Ontario
committee said in a recent statement: “To
save medicare for (the) people, the labor
and democratic movements and _ all
people’s movements must unite to defeat
the conspiracy of the Tory government
and private insurance monopolies against

medicare.”
PACIFIC TRIBUNE—APRIL 29, 1983—Page 6

against humans and generations of vegeta-
tion, among other outrages.

Isn’t it strange that just when the rag-tag
remnants of that mass murder machine,
the Khmer Rouge is facing the final show-
down on the borders of Thailand; just
when the U.S. puppet government in Thai-
land, purveyor of U.S. arms to the Khmer
Rouge, is smothering under the pressure
of the cornered bandits flooding into the
country; just when these two vicious clients
of the U.S. Reaganites are in deep trouble
with their own people and with the fruits of
criminal aggression; just at that moment
China’s leadership finds it necessary to at-
tack Vietnamese territory and forces on
Vietnam’s northern border. Almost like a
relief effort, one might be led to think.

Unfortunately for the plotters, the
forces of peace and democracy around the
globe are, for the most part, well aware of
the true state of affairs — they know of
Vietnam’s efforts to rebuild, of its defence
of the lives and future of the Kampuchean
neighbors, who are fighting their way back
from the brink of extinction, attempted by
the despot Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge.

Canada spent millions upon millions of
dollars to bring Vietnamese and Vietnam
Chinese to this country, among them not
only well-to-do manipulators, but outright
fascists who have already shown their true
colors. Ottawa would do well to show equal
zeal for the well-being of Vietnam and the
democratic government and people of
Kampuchea which are still threatened by
its U.S. ally and Washington’s client states
in Asia.

“t better move in on the rich. There’s too little to eat here.”

*

Flashbacks

25 years 50 years ‘

MUST AVOID
WAR — CLC

WINNIPEG — “The very
existence of our civilization
depends on peace. In the era
of hydrogen and atomic
bombs the possibility of war is
too grim to contemplate,”
CLC president Claude Jodoin
.told delegates to the CLC’s
second constituent conven-
tion here.

Jodoin said, “We must find
a way of avoiding armed con-
flict and atomic war. We
should urge our government
to utilize every means and

approach to keep lines of

communications open and
bring about negotiations
without bogging down _ in
wrangles on_ procedure,
dates, places and participants.
The CLC represents 1.5
million Canadian workers.

Tribune,
April 28, 1958

Profiteer of the week

WORKERS OPPOSE
NAZI TERROR

Workers at the Fromms Act
factory in Berlin went on a

one day strike in_ protest

against the arrest of Commu- —
nist Party leader Ernst
Thaelmann by the nazis and
are urging other factories to
follow suit.

In Wedding, when an of-
ficial order was issued making
the flying of the swastika of-
ficial, assembled workers re-
fused to salute the flag.

Only brute force made pos-
sible the hoisting of the swas-
tika over Virchow hospital in —
Berlin which took place
under the revolvers of nazi
members.

In Hellers plant a protest
strike was organized when
Hitler became chancellor and
the Red Trade unions won
the local elections.

The Worker,
April 22, 1933

Not all Redpath Industries Ltd., products go to sweeten your cup
of tea. Packaging, manufacture of plastic and aluminum building —
products, and refinery consulting and engineering helped pile uP
$5,403,000 after-tax profit in the six months ended Mar. 31.

Editor — SEAN GRIFFIN
Assistant Editor — DAN KEETON |
Business and Circulation Manager — PAT O‘CONNOR

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