EDITORIAL The Cruise goes to court The ruling of Justice Alex Cattanach in Federal Court that U.S. Cruise nuclear missile testing on Canadian territory may _ be challenged in court has given many in the peace movement an injection of op- timism. Stating his decision on Sept. 15, he gave vernment lawyers 30 days to file a de- ence statement explaining why the federal government's agreement with the USA “is justifiable in a free and democratic society.” The coalition of peace groups, trade unions and women’s movements who sought the ‘challenge, have indeed, given Ottawa something new to worry about. It has to be agreed that it is an important move, a challenge of a new kind to Cruise testing — but subsidiary to mass action. This paper has to say that we put our con- fidence in people, not in the Supreme Court. Let us look at two scenarios, or at the bare bones of such scenarios. Justice Cattanach will make his decision, presumably, by weighing the challenge of the peace groups against the answer given by government lawyers. Suppose (scenario one) he is convinced that the government has, indeed, every right to proceed with _ testing. Is the peace movement expected to lie down and submit to a nuclear holocaust, pressed forward by the testing of the Cruise, because it is “legal”? Never would the peace movement, how- ever disorientated by these legalities, sub- mit to the nuclear ghouls and give up the ‘fight against the Cruise, for a nuclear freeze and for consistent disarmament negotiations. The other scenario supposes that the court would actually challenge the government on the testing agreement with the USA, falsely said to be a NATO duty. But the government states bluntly, and the reactionary media is manning the guns for it, that “the government has taken its decision and announced a policy. It stands until the courts strike it down.” That still may seem like the obvious out- come to some. The history of class struggle suggests otherwise. One doesn’t have to be class conscious to struggle for peace. But those who understand the class nature of capitalist society know there are no easy victories. And victories for the people sel- dom come from ruling-class courts. The system — state-monopoly capitalism — holds in its hands, as_ repressive mechanisms, the army, police, courts and prisons, not to mention its media arm. This was long ago referred to by Engels and Lenin as “armed men... prisons and repressive institutions of all kinds”. The court action creates more problems for those who scorn the world-wide quest for peace, and who on the contrary aid and abet the plotters of war. At the same time, action in the courts of capitalism to seek redress for the workers and democratic people is no substitute for mobilization of the people themselves. And that mobilization must never cease, whatever innovations are tried. From now until October 22, when massive actions are demanded and will be participated in by more hundreds of thousands in Canada than ever before, broad organization, commitment, and preparation are a priority. The people have to take the fight for peace into their own hands. Does USA own the UN? The foolish and irresponsible remarks of U.S. delegate to the United Nations, Charles Lichenstein, have been corrected by the U.S. State Department. Lichenstein said that the U.S. “Strongly encourages member states to seriously consider remov- ing themselves and this organization from the soil of the United States.” He added that the U.S. mission would wave farewell at the docks. . Such damaging immaturity may or may not be tolerated further by Washington. What cannot be tolerated is the despica- ble breach of UN guarantees for the pre- sence and safe conduct of accredited rep- resentatives no matter from which member state they come. Certainly the affront to the Soviet Union and its foreign minister, An- drei Gromyko, in denying him landing rights to conduct the business of the UN is: an affront to the UN Charter and all its members. It puts in question the suitability of the USA, as the location of UN. head- quarters. Does the U.S. think it now owns the UN? ; More Ontario restraints The anti-labor Davis government in On- tario is calculating how best to continue slashing the living standards of its public sector workers through extended wage shackles. For a year now, they have been limited to 5 per cent increases. That legisla- tion — Bill 179 — expires on Sept. 30. Davis himself, is off to pay tribute to the butcher regime of Marcos in the Philip- pines, but on his return, Oct. 12, the bad news will be announced. Public service workers in Ontario, who have put up a militant struggle against the attack on living standards will be faced with an estimated ceiling of from 3.4 to 4 per PACIFIC TRIBUNE—SEPTEMBER 28, 1983—Page 4 rer rere i cent on wage increases, while even the doc- tored estimate for inflation in the next period is 5.6 percent. The Tories now talk smugly of being able to slide new legislation into place with ease. But workers in the public service — and those in the private sector who see every chance of the virus spreading — know that these wage shackles are also a denial of collective bargaining. Workers can wipe the smugness from the faces of the Tory ministers by increas- ingly using every means at their disposal to teach the queen’s park reactionaries a les- son in labor’s ability to fight back. ‘*... AND | SAY UNTO YOU, THOU ART BETTER DEAD THAN RED.”’ Flashbacks 25 years 50 years 7 USSR STOPS NUCLEAR TESTS U.S. Government and -military authorities... in their mad drive to prevent the ‘People’s Republic of China from regaining its own territ- ory, are prepared to attack: the mainland with nuclear weapons. An international commis- sion of scientists established under the United Nations after two years of study has declared them to be dangerous. The Soviet Union ... uni- laterally suspended its own tests. But the USA and Great Britain have continued their tests. The Soviet Union there- fore is calling upon the Gen- eral Assembly to take “all necessary measures for... a universal solution ... Tribune, September 29, 1953 MASS PICKET FACES TROOPS STRATFORD, Ont. — Armed troops with machine — guns arrived here today to crush the strike of the 700 Stratford furniture workers who. are striking for improvements in condi- tions <.. The workers of the Swift — plant, about 60 chicken pic- kers, who are also on strike demanding an increase from two to three cents a fowl, are — _also threatened with being forced back to work by the armed forces sent by the pro- vincial government. The workers of Stratford are — wholeheartedly behind the strikers, and mass picketing is ~ being carried on with from _ 1,500 to 2,000 workers par- ticipating. The Worker September 30, 1933 John Labatt dumped Laura Secord (that’s not gossip, but 4 business fact) and came up with a three-month profit (ended July — 31) of $23.1-million, a 13.3 per cent hike from a year earlier. Cana-— da’s biggest brewer also owns some of Toronto Blue Jays, most of *s Ogilvie Mills, etc. Editor — SEAN GRIFFIN Assistant Editor — DAN KEETON Business and Circulation Manager — PAT O'CONNOR Published weekly at Suite 101 — 1416 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, B.C. V5L 3X9. Phone 251-1186 Subscription Rate: Canada $14 one year; $8 for six months. 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