EDITORIAL Demolish apartheid Besides graphically revealing the racist nature of the Thatcher conservatism for all to see, the Vancouver Commonwealth conference also shows that the body is quickly running out of excuses when it comes to actions against the apartheid regime in South Africa. Surely by now — following the 1985 Nassau meeting, last year’s London meeting, the report back of the Eminent Persons Group, the May, 1987 whites only election, the press blackouts in South Africa, mass arrests and killings, increased attacks by Pretoria on its neighbours and statements of defiance from apartheid’s leaders — it is obvious only the most determined international action to assist and complement the struggle of the people of South Africa will win. Any suggestion that “more time is need: aid to apartheid. Continued repetition that sanctions ae be avoided “because they will hurt blacks more than whites” should be identified for what it is: the propa- ganda line of the South African regime. Thatcher’s racism is showing when she defies and rejects the demand of the oppressed of Southern Africa, replacing it by “solutions” concocted by British imperialism. Here’s what the liberation forces inside South Africa and Namibia are asking for. Here is what the front line states are asking for. There is no mystery, no ambiguity about the path the Commonwealth states and the international community must take to be effective. There must be the total isolation of the apartheid regime by the world community. It requires a broad, co-ordinated campaign of education and information about the genocidal character of apartheid, of its racist, repressive, illegal nature. It means applying fullest pressure on all who continue to recognize the regime. It means the fullest economic and military support to the front-line states which are today the victims of military and economic aggression by Pretoria. This aid should be developed on the basis of the needs of these states, short and long term, to help both in immediate military defence and in strengthening their longer term economic ability to withstand such attacks. “Special recognition and practi¢al assistance must be rendered the legitimate liberation forces of the people of Southern Africa — the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa and the Southwest African Peoples Organiza- tion (SWAPO) of Namibia. They should be recognized diplomatically as the representatives of their people in struggle. Material assistance should be extended based on their requests and needs. 1987 is a watershed year. The Commonwealth states and Canada i in particu- lar are being watched closely. It’s time for decisive action to isolate and destroy apartheid. Nothing less is acceptable. ” is a cover for inaction and a direct | FJRIBONE BUSINESS & CIRCULATION MANAGER Mike Proniuk GRAPHICS Angela Kenyon Published weekly at - 2681 East Hastings Street Vancouver, B.C. V5K 1Z5 Phone (604) 251-1186 Subscription Rate: Canada ® $16 one year @ $10 six months ® Foreign @ $25 one year Second class mail registration number 1560 But government spending did not go down. The funds cut from social programs were spent on megaprojects such as the Coquihalla Highway for which we’re still paying. On this project, the government found no difficulty in paying contractors like Bill Kerkhoff $10 million for a con- tract bid at $5 million, altogether paying out $250 million in cost overruns. Yet at this very moment, $2 million cannot be found to prevent bed closures at Child- ren’s Hospital. Taking B.C. in the wrong direction Hans Penner, Gibsons, writes: The government is about to announce plans to privatize large portions of the public sec- tor. Crown corporations and _ other government operations are to be sold or contracted out. This is being promoted as the answer to our economic problems. Five years ago, in 1982, the “restraint program” was launched with similar promises of economic recovery. We were told that if we cut government spending, everything would be well again. Massive cuts in health care, education and social services followed and still continue. Thou- sands of public employees lost their jobs, swelling the ranks of those already unem- ployed. The same free enterprise government that gave us restraint is now going to give us privatization. Profitable parts of the government operations will be sold to their friends in the private sector. An example is the sale of Beautiful B.C. mag- azine which was sold to Jimmy Pattison for a modest price. Other operations will be contracted out. In this case, instead of paying government employees directly to do the job, the tax- payers’ money goes toa contractor who, in order to keep as much as possible for himself, will pay the lowest wages and provide to least service. Bill 19 is intended to make this possible by eliminating union protection for jobs that get privatized or contracted out. Asked about the poor and the unem- ployed that resulted from Margaret Thatcher’s privatization, Stephen Rogers, the multi-millionaire cabinet minister, dismissed those as the “poor white trash” of society. Like restraint, privatization is essen- tially another scheme to transfer public resources to private hands. This isn’t the answer to unemployment and increasing poverty. What is needed is expansion of the public sector to provide more jobs in education and health care and expand public ownership i in order to diversify the economy into secondary manufacturing — something the private sector has failed to do. Let's not jump on the bandwagon of privatization — it’s going in the wrong direction. Kudos for Fred Weir reportage Terry Lawrence, Surrey, writes: 1 haven’t a lot of spare time for writing these — days but I simply must comment on Fred Weir’s thoughtful columns. from Moscow. Fred is providing the best analysis of the breathtaking changes taking place in the USSR in any western paper I am aware of. - This is not to denigrate your other excel- lent writers but Fred’s columns really stand out for their variety and analysis. If there’s anything I have less of than time these days, it’s money but enclosed is a $20 donation for the paper. No other local paper provides the coverage of the Trib. Keep writing — you may not have Pacific Press on the run yet but until the rev,” you’re all we’ve got. ee 4 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE; OCTOBER 21, 1987