No. 1
January 6, 2025
Trudeau Government's False Hopes for Fresh Start
• Trudeau's Bid to Put Canada into State
of Suspended
Animation While
He Rules by Decree
• Longest Ballot Announces Plans for 2025 Federal Election
United States
• What to Expect with Inauguration of
Donald Trump
to U.S.
Presidency
Trudeau Government's False Hopes for Fresh Start
Trudeau's Bid to Put Canada into State of Suspended Animation While He Rules by Decree
On the morning
of January 6, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
announced his plans to resign, adding that he plans to stay as Liberal
leader and therefore Prime Minister until the Liberal Party selects a new leader.
Trudeau prorogued the House of Commons for a full three months, until March 24, 2025. Why March 24 may have something to do with the fact that the House of Commons has a supply period that ends on March 26, when it considers the government's spending plans for the fiscal year. At that time, the House is supposed to vote on whether to agree with the estimates and appropriation bills before the end of each supply period. These bills are then sent to the Senate for approval.
No sooner had Trudeau made his announcement outside his official residence Rideau
Cottage, after the Governor General agreed
with his request to prorogue Parliament, than media reports started
underscoring the self-serving nature of this move, saying:
"The move means opposition parties can't trigger an election with a non-confidence motion before the Liberals have a new leader, and all parliamentary business has stopped."
In this way, news reports, pundits, experts, et al. set the stage for what are called opposition parties to rail against this self-serving move while speculation is rampant about who is throwing their hat into the ring to replace Trudeau, and on it goes.
There are indeed many many ways to show how self-serving Trudeau's proclamation is and Canadians are sure to hear them all in the coming days. For all intents and purposes, the next federal election has just been announced, bypassing rules on how much money those vying for positions of privilege and power can spend to promote themselves and hide what they really stand for and who this serves. All those who represent the rich and powerful are vying with might and main to control official state policy for the benefit of their own faction of the rich minority, plunder the state treasury in light of the pending protectionist wreckage promised by Trump and present the image of themselves they think best represents what they say Canadians stand for. Meanwhile, Canadians exercise no control over any of it.
As for the Liberal Party's obvious hope for a fresh start, it is so utterly hopeless, it is pathetic. "Let bygones be bygones," they are telling Canadians. "Whatever happened before 9:00 am today does not exist. Just swallow what we are telling you today, rank the choices for next prime minister we have to offer and put your fate and that of peace, freedom, democracy and of the social and natural environment in their hands if you hope to live to see another day."
And the cartel parties will rant and rail about why Canadians should choose them instead.
Canadians can readily see that all such hot air, palaver and rants in no way help them analyze the nature of the profound existential political crisis in which not just the Liberal Party is mired, but all the cartel parties, the cartel party system, as well as Canada itself. Events are taking place fast and furious all over the world. Donald Trump is assuming the presidency of the United States in two weeks. During this period, the peoples of the world can expect any number of disasters. This distraction in no way helps Canadians prepare for them. It does, however, tell them they need to rely on themselves and their own efforts to find a way forward.
Far from presenting Canadians with a path which inspires confidence, Trudeau and his advisors seem to think they can put the country into a state of suspended animation. They seem to think the world will stop while they connive in cahoots with their counterparts in the U.S., Europe, Israel, and all countries where the lackeys of the U.S. imperialists are making deals so that the U.S. can escape the verdict of history and be declared the world's indispensable nation once again.
Suspended animation means the most vital functions of an organism cease, short of death. In other words, in the name of high ideals, Parliament is suspended but it allegedly continues to exist. It is just dormant, hibernating until spring!
What a laugh! The Arctic winds seem to have finally frozen the brains of the narrow private consulting and marketing firms that come up with such schemes to the point of no return!
If only the peoples of the world did not exist and all attempts to extinguish them and their fight for rights, then, maybe .... but of course, this is silly talk. Canadians and the peoples of the world exist. They are fighting. Their resistance movements are defining who they are and what they stand for, such that all attempts of the imperialists and their stooges and agents contribute to their own downfall, not the downfall of the peoples of the world.
The announcement of Trudeau's plans and the prorogation of Parliament for three whole months has already unleashed an election campaign frenzy. But that is not all. It is also tantamount to a declaration of seizure of emergency powers. It means that the government will function by using the prerogative ministerial powers which one government after the other has procured by passing legislation to give this impunity a legal veneer.
This will not go over well with the Canadian working class and people.
The Liberal Party seems to think it can get a new lease on life, reinvent itself in the image they seem to think is the incarnation of everything Canadians want, and life will be hunky dory. It is no coincidence that Mark Carney's scripted New Year's resolutions even call for supporting bringing the Stanley Cup back to Canada as a Canadian value which unites us! This is an example of how trite their pandering for support gets!
What is the path
forward for Canada? Who decides the direction of
the economy, of the nature of relations with the United States? Of
social policy and all that Canadians want? These are the
central matters of concern for Canadians. The antics of the rulers
merely serve to show
Canadians that they had better take measures which empower them to take
the decisions which affect their lives.
This is a time for Canadians to avert all the traps being laid for them by the rich and their retinues in media, government, academia and the various transmission belts they have within the ranks of the people. Their sinking ship of state needs more than Popeye the Sailor man and his can of spinach to rescue it.
Canadians can now expect rule unfettered by any constrains whatsoever for the next three months, while the new U.S. president Donald Trump shows that he is the person-of-state assigned to break all constitutional barriers to acting with impunity. Canada will have to contend with how he uses the presidency's executive police powers to declare the U.S. the "indispensable nation" and the Canadian people will have to contend with both the Trudeau government and that of Donald Trump.
Trudeau's entourage has now been unleashed to compete for the spot of top dog. It is a sorry sight indeed. Marketing firms are colluding and contending behind the scenes to create images they think can win the hearts and minds of Canadians. All it does is make a mockery of what Canadians stand for when they speak in their own names. Which they will continue doing, day after day, week after week, action after action.
This is certain, while all the Liberals and cartel parties are offering is fraud.
Canadians must empower themselves to make sure Canada stops paying the rich, stops destroying the natural and social environment by attacking all sections of the people in the most brutal ways, stops committing genocide, stops militarizing the Arctic, stops committing crimes against the rights of all, and for Canada to be a zone for peace.
In 2025, all out to make way for political renewal and to make Canada a zone for peace! Empower yourself now!
Notes
Transcript of Trudeau's Announcement
On January 6, Trudeau presented his plan to prorogue Parliament and resign as Liberal leader after a new leader is chosen, at a press conference outside his Rideau Cottage residence. His remarks were filled with Liberal jargon about helping Canadians, serving the middle class, standing in defence of Canada, peace, providing solution to climate crisis, getting the economy ready for the future, all of which are cover-ups for paying the rich, increasing impunity for those with positions of power and privilege, presenting support for genocide as support for human rights and democracy, the integration of Canada into the U.S. war machine as free trade.
Here is what Trudeau said:
Every morning I've woken up as prime minister, I've been inspired by the resilience, the generosity, and the determination of Canadians. It is the driving force of every single day I have the privilege of serving in this office.
That is why, since 2015, I have fought for this country -- for you -- to strengthen and grow the middle class.
Why we rallied to support each other through the pandemic, to advance reconciliation, to defend free trade on this continent, to stand strong with Ukraine and our democracy.
And to fight climate change and get our economy ready for the future. We are at a critical moment in the world.
My friends, as you all know, I am a fighter.
Every bone in my body has always told me to fight because I care deeply about Canadians. I care deeply about this country. And I will always be motivated by what is in the best interest of Canadians.
And the fact is, despite best efforts to work through it, Parliament has been paralyzed for months after what has been the longest session of a minority parliament in Canadian history.
That's why, this morning I advised the governor general that we need a new session of parliament. She has granted this request and the house will now be prorogued until 24 March.
Over the holidays, I've also had a chance to reflect and have had long talks with my family about our future.
Throughout the course of my career, any success I have personally achieved has been because of their support and with their encouragement.
So last night over dinner, I told my kids about the decision that I'm sharing with you today.
I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister, after the party selects its next leader through a robust, nationwide, competitive process. Last night I asked the president of the Liberal Party to begin that process.
This country deserves a real choice in the next election and it has become clear to me that if I'm having to fight internal battles, I cannot be the best option in that election.
The Liberal Party of Canada is an important institution in the history of our great country and democracy. A new prime minister and leader of the Liberal Party will carry its values and ideals into that next election.
I am excited to see the process unfold in the months ahead.
We were elected for the third time in 2021 to strengthen the economy post-pandemic and advance Canada's interests in a complicated world, and that is exactly the job that I, and we, will continue to do for Canadians.
Following these remarks, Trudeau spoke with reporters. He made light of the strident calls for his resignation and the infighting within the Liberal caucus. He repeated that his move was necessary to clear a legislative stand-off in the House of Commons and expressed confidence his government would survive a confidence vote when Parliament returns.
"It's time for a reset," he said. "It's time for the temperature to come down, for the people to have a fresh start in Parliament, to be able to navigate through these complex times both domestically and internationally."
Besides other things, he also expressed his regrets that he did not reform the electoral process to get rid of the first-past-the-post method of counting votes after the 2015 election as he promised. Instead, he tried to impose a system based on ranked ballots which was soundly rejected in an outcry of national proportions at that time, which he did not mention! Perhaps this is the method the Liberal Party convention will use for its leadership race. Since it has no members and it prides itself on being a big tent which is inclusive of everyone, maybe it will hold a write-in vote which ranks the choices and results in voters' third or fourth choices getting a majority of votes and thus being elected.
Ranking ballots is as undemocratic as undemocratic gets. While it is a method of making choices, it has absolutely nothing to do with changing the system of representation which deprives the people of power.
Longest Ballot Announces Plans for
2025 Federal Election
The Longest Ballot Committee has announced its plans for the
upcoming general election, hot on the heals of Justin Trudeau's
resignation announcement. On its X page, the committee says:
"We are happy to announce that for the upcoming 2025 general election we will be launching two long ballots. One in Pierre Poilievre's riding of Carleton (Ottawa) and one in Chrystia Freeland's riding of University-Rosedale (Toronto).
"We need your help getting these ballots as long as possible, so if you want to help us make history just email your full name, phone number, and the riding you would like to run in to longestballot@gmail.com
"As Parliament is now prorogued, Bill-65 and all the possible changes to the Elections Act intended to make long ballots more difficult have been thrown into the garbage. This is great, but honestly we were looking forward to the challenge of having to collect thousands of additional signatures. This is why, for the upcoming longest ballots, we will be collecting unique nomination signatures (instead of getting 100 people to sign 100 forms like we have done in the past). Because of this change in strategy, it is very important that you sign up as soon as possible so we can start collecting your nomination signatures right away!
"If you live near one of the two ridings we will be working in and want to help collect signatures please let us know!
"This also means we most likely cannot do the planned longest ballot in Doug Ford's riding of Etobicoke North for the unscheduled Ontario provincial election due to time constraints so if you signed up for that don't worry, you can sign up for one of the new ones instead!"
The announcement is accompanied by a promotional video. To view the video click here.
United States
What to Expect with Inauguration of
Donald Trump
to U.S.
Presidency
Demonstration in New York
City, November 11, 2024 affirms the people will continue to defend
their rights.
With the inauguration of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States on January 20, and all the developments taking place both within the United States and in the world in the run up to that event, TML is publishing a presentation on what to expect with the inauguration of Donald Trump to the presidency of the United States. The presentation was delivered by Kathleen Chandler, leader of the U.S. Marxist-Leninist Organization (USMLO) at a meeting organized by the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) on January 4 on matters of concern at this time.
President-elect Donald Trump will take office on January 20. Already the conflicts within the ruling circles are showing themselves. While it is regularly reported that Trump won the "trifecta" for governing, meaning that those called the Republicans have the presidency and a majority in both the Senate and House of Representatives, the reality is different. The parties do not operate as political parties but as mafia-like cartels, with alliances changing and factions within them voting according to the private interests they represent and their own self-interests, including future positions in the private oligopolies. Even the Republicans identify five different factions among their ranks.
This factional fighting was evident yesterday, January 3, when the new Congress was sworn in. In the House of Representatives with 435 members, the split is officially 219 Republicans and 215 Democrats, with one current vacancy as Matt Gaetz resigned. He was to be Trump's Attorney General but opposition even before the new Congress was seated was such that he was forced to withdraw. The Senate is 53 to 47.
The first act of the new House of Representatives is to elect the Speaker of the House. No actions can be taken until that is done. Mike Johnson, of Louisiana, considered one of the most conservative representatives, was the House Speaker for the last Congress and ran again for the new Congress. The vote is done by roll call, meaning each representative stands and states who they vote for. They can vote for anyone they want to, and the speaker does not even have to be a member of the House, though they always have been. A simple majority is needed, which in this case would be 218. A representative can also simply stand and say "present" without naming anyone.
Trump, who had previously threatened Johnson and opposed him, supported him for speaker in the days before the vote. Trump's incoming White House chief of staff, Susie Wiles, also called members directly to whip up support for Johnson. Steve Bannon, Trump's former chief of staff also did so, saying Johnson was "the least offensive, and there is no alternative."
Even so, Johnson scrambled to get enough votes, with about a dozen holdouts. On the first round of voting Johnson did not secure the majority as all 215 of those in what we can call the Biden/Harris/Obama/Clinton factions voted for Hakim Jeffries, the minority leader, and three people from among the Republican factions voted against him. Demands were openly made for deals, such as chairmanship of important committees, like Foreign Affairs, Appropriations and the Rules committee which is in a position to block legislation from getting to the floor.
The initial vote against Johnson was a means for these various factions to show their ability to block him and signal Trump as well. While it is reported that Johnson only made "pledges," the openness of the wheeling and dealing and level of corruption is evident before Congress even begins to address legislation. As well, a number of those who voted for Johnson threatened in an open letter circulated before the vote not to support him in the future if more cuts are not made to the budget and the debt lowered and other demands that are not the same as Trump's agenda.
This Speaker election is more significant than previous fights over the Speaker which erupted after the 2022 elections and took 15 votes to resolve. Without a Speaker, the House cannot act, and Trump cannot be certified on January 6 as winner of the election. So, Trump forcefully intervened and strong-armed the two people involved to get them to change their votes. Johnson was elected on the second round of voting with the 218 votes needed, with one Republican holdout still voting no.
However, it remains clear that the factional fighting and shifting of alliances will continue. Leading up to this fight, Trump and Elon Musk intervened to make demands concerning the deal reached just hours before there would have been yet another government shutdown December 20. Trump and Musk demanded that the debt ceiling be raised as part of the deal. He intervened after a tentative deal had been reached by Johnson and others, forcing more manoeuvring. But in this case Trump and Musk lost, with close to 40 Republican representatives voting down the deal with the debt ceiling included. It had to be removed to pass a resolution that funded the government until March 14, 2025 and prevented the shutdown. People consider the budget one of the most important jobs Congress has and their repeated failure to pass it generates great anger.
The old notions that a majority by one party meant control and an easy ability to pass legislation are no longer the case, as the alliances and factions shift and so do the votes. This is also a factor increasing executive actions by the president, including greater use of police powers. Worst case scenarios also involve efforts to eliminate any role for Congress, which is already discredited, and people are angry and dissatisfied with its total dysfunction. This is especially true when it comes to budget matters and issues of war and war funding.
The debt ceiling is one example. It sets a limit to the amount of debt the U.S. government can have and thus the amount of funds it can borrow. It has particular significance to Trump as a failure to raise it would mean the government would default, greatly impacting its financial standing and credibility. It is also where the factions tend to sharply show themselves, which undermines his control. Trump is pushing to keep the U.S. dollar dominant in international trade, where the dollar is required for trade in oil, for example, and more generally as a reserve. A default weakens the dollar. Part of his threats coming into the presidency are against the BRICS countries, Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and now Iran, Egypt and more. He said, "We require a commitment from these countries that they will neither create a new BRICS currency nor back any other currency to replace the mighty U.S. dollar, or they will face 100 per cent tariffs."
The debt ceiling was reinstated January 1, after being suspended June 2, 2023. The debt is currently at just over $36.1 trillion, up from $31.4 trillion in June. Existing debt on January 1, of about $36.1 trillion, constitutes the new debt ceiling. While there are now sufficient funds to meet government payments, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen sent a letter to congressional leaders on January 3 saying that the U.S. will reach the limit sometime between January 14 and January 23. After that the Treasury Department can still take extraordinary measures to prevent a default for a few more months. Trump is demanding that Congress deal with the issue before January 20 but given the previous battle in December, that remains unclear. The Senate also has to start approving Trump's cabinet appointments, another arena of contention as the removal of Gaetz before nominations were even considered brings out.
How these battles play out and how Trump contends with them will not only show the level of factional fighting and the inability of current governing arrangements to contend with them. It will also indicate how Trump plans to break the bounds of the Constitution and Congressional authority when it comes to budgetary matters, including the debt ceiling, which could be eliminated altogether. Also keep in mind that tariffs and sanctions can be imposed by the executive without Congress, one of the reasons Trump repeatedly threatens their use.
In terms of worst case scenarios, one of the main areas Trump will use to break the bounds of the Constitution is that of immigration, including imposing mass deportations and use of the military inside the country. Both aim to lessen the role and authority of the state authorities, who it must be remembered are highly armed and have their own national guard military forces and state, county, and local police forces. Cities like New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles all have their own armies, with command centers, drones, tanks, automatic weapons etc. Confronting states on this matter and opposing the broad protests that are already occurring are means to justify use of the military inside the country and provide conditions for emergency actions like martial law or military rule in some form. Breaking the bounds of the Constitution are not to meet the needs of the present, which demand empowerment of the people, but rather to preserve the U.S. state in conditions where the existing governing arrangements have failed.
Trump has already sent his border czar, Tom Homan, to Texas and New York as part of demands for greater federal authority. Texas is being used as a model, as the governor there supports increased militarization and has already stationed Texas National Guard along the border. Texas has also offered public land for use for a detention center. Keep in mind that generally, the people Trump targets for deportation will first be detained and then deported, which means far more detention camps are needed. As well, while previously there was an agreement with Mexico to accept people being deported even if they were not Mexican nationals, the Mexican government is now saying they will no longer do so. This means that people would have to be sent to their home country, whatever that may be, which would require air transport on a massive scale. This too is where Trump could justify use of the military, not only on the border but to intervene in Mexico and force her to accept the people being deported.
His threats concerning tariffs against Mexico and Canada should be taken seriously as part of Trump's role in preserving the U.S. state and extending its domination internationally. The U.S. needs to more fully integrate Mexico under its military and war machine and Trump is using immigration and border issues to do this.
The threats are also to strengthen U.S. control over Canada, which is also evident in the current push concerning a "North American Arctic" and more generally greater control over both Mexico and Canada, their natural resources, and labour. While the U.S. has been developing this for some time, what stands out with the Trump presidency is the likelihood of increased use of the military and using border issues and immigration to justify that use, inside the country and with Mexico and Canada.
What gets left out in these calculations is the firm stand of the peoples in all three countries against these actions. For Canada and Mexico there is the striving for self-reliant economies free of the U.S. war machine and dictate. And in the U.S. too, there are demands for an anti-war, pro-social economy and government.
Demonstration against
NATO Summit in Washington, DC, July 7, 2024
Already many actions have taken place in the U.S. defending the rights of immigrants and refugees. These include demands to eliminate the main federal enforcement agency, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In California, for example, which has both sanctuary cities as well as being a sanctuary state, mass actions occurred in December demanding that ICE not be allowed in the state and that no funds used to assist federal enforcement. Similar actions have occurred in New York City and Chicago and elsewhere. The firm stand remains that these planned deportations, detentions, separation of families, removing workers long a part of the U.S. working class and playing their militant role are Not in Our Name! Not in Our Communities!
Demonstration December
18, 2024 in New York City on International Migrants Day demands city
say No! to
Trump's plans for mass deportations.
Demonstration
to keep California a sanctuary state and block ICE and state funding
for mass detentions and deportations, Sacramento, December
2, 2024
Banner at New York City
rally November 9, 2024 following election of Trump
As part of weakening state authority, Trump has also said he will arrest local and state authorities that refuse to comply with federal authorities. He is specifically targeting sanctuary states and cities which exist across the country and reflect the strong demand of the people to respect and defend immigrant and refugee rights. These sanctuaries specifically block use of federal authorities, ICE especially, to detain people. Scenarios are already being painted of thousands of troops being used in places like New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, and elsewhere to round up people branded as "criminal" or without documents, despite the sanctuary status. These are means not only to weaken state and local level laws and authority, but to provide conditions for emergency measures and greater police powers.
There are already many actions and demonstrations not only to defend the rights of immigrants and refugees, but also those in support of Palestine, against war and for the rights of workers. On January 1 New York City saw thousands demonstrate in Times Square, upholding the red line against genocide and demanding an arms embargo against Israel.
New York City,
January 1, 2025, thousands demonstrate demanding arms embargo against
Israel.
Demonstration
in support of Palestine and demanding the targeting of health care
workers be ended, January 5, 2025
Demonstrations are also occurring in Washington, DC now, calling on Congress not to certify Trump as president, saying he committed insurrection on January 6, 2021, and therefore cannot be president. These demonstrators were forced from the Capitol grounds and demonstrated instead at the Lincoln monument. And while relying on the Constitution's 14th Amendment, which elaborates this content on insurrection, they are reflective of the anger with the dysfunctional arrangements and the lack of a means to hold government to account.
Actions are also planned for Trump's inauguration on January 20. Anti-war forces have organized webinars to denounce U.S. actions in Palestine, Lebanon and Syria and will no doubt be present January 20, as will those defending immigrants, the rights to free speech and to organize.
Workers
also organized for rights in 2024 and are doing so in 2025. Five
thousand nurses and doctors in Portland, Oregon have called for a
strike on January 10. Health care workers are among those most active,
including a three-day strike by more than 50,000 in California, which
was joined by those demonstrating in support of Palestine. Ten thousand
nurses unionized in Detroit while nearly 28,000 school employees in
Virginia, a right to work – be enslaved – state
also
unionized. At the first Southern auto plant to organize in years,
Volkswagen in Chattanooga, Tennessee, 5,000 workers won a union in
April by a decisive 73 per cent. East coast port workers also went on
strike, secured a significant wage increase and more. They too, like
those on the west coast, have respected picket lines set up by those
opposing genocide in Gaza to block shipments to Israel. This will be a
tactic used in the coming year. Boeing workers also secured wage and
other gains. At Daimler Truck in North Carolina, 7,400 workers
threatened to strike and defeated tiers and won a 25 per cent increase.
There were more than 34 strikes in the manufacturing sector.
Amazon workers held an international strike in 30 countries to #MakeAmazonPay on Black Friday, in November. About 10,000 Amazon warehouse workers in New York, California, Georgia and Illinois struck during the holidays in December, demanding Amazon recognize the union and negotiate a contract for better pay, safety and working conditions. Starbucks workers also organized a strike with similar demands, with more than 5,000 people walking off the job December 24, shutting down more than 300 stores across 43 states.
Detroit nurses unionize,
November 2024
Dock workers
rally in North Bergen, New Jersey, after negotiations break down,
November 13, 2024.
Striking Boeing workers
rally, on Day 33 of their strike, October 15, 2024.
Amazon workers strike in City of
Industry, CA, December 20, 2024.
Amazon
workers strike, December 19, 2024, New York City.
After a vigorous contract campaign to strengthen organization and gain public support and a 99.5 per cent strike vote, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants representing American Airlines flight attendants secured an immediate 20 per cent pay increase, back pay from their 2019 contract expiration, and boarding pay for the first time. Usually pay only starts when the plane door closes. Southwest flight attendants represented by the Transport Workers Union Local 566 won wage gains as well and United Airlines flight attendants in the Association of Flight Attendants voted 99.9 per cent to strike and may still do so.
These struggles, the ongoing demonstrations in support of Palestine, the firm stands in defence of immigrant and refugee rights, are all indications that people in the U.S. are increasing their organized resistance and refusing to submit to U.S. plans for more war and repression. The workers are standing united and rejecting attempts to divide them on a racist basis and to line them up behind Trump and his efforts.
The broad collective consciousness among the people, including those who voted for Trump, is that existing arrangements have failed beyond repair. There is broad anger, especially with the impunity and lack of accountability and anticipation of greater repression and silencing of resistance. There is little support for the notions that the Constitution will solve problems when it has not done so for more than 200 years and is recognized as a compromise with slavery and oligopoly against democracy. For many this is bringing to the fore the need for a new constitution, one that meets the needs of the time to empower the people to govern and decide all the issues that affect them, especially these matters of war and peace and militarization of the economy and life.
Conditions are such that people are looking for alternatives, which presents an important opportunity for us to continue to target these arrangements, based on Covenant Thesis, which put in place a person of state ruling above and against the people. It is well known that government is for and by the rich, but there is a block to recognizing the need to not replicate these arrangements and put in place "better" representatives, but for new arrangements that in both form and content empower the people, something a new constitution would address. It means contending with demands to eliminate the electoral college, for example, or have a direct vote for president -- which would both strengthen the position of the presidency.
It also means providing confidence and enthusiasm for all those fighting. There is great pressure now to condemn people of the U.S. for Trump's election, to brand them as racist and reactionary while also promoting the notion that it is Trump and the U.S. state that decide what takes place and we can only react. We sent a New Year's greeting that emphasized that it is the people who are the makers of history, and the resistance is scoring success, that we in the U.S. can take pride in the resistance that has been organized, the red line against genocide and stepping up the fight for rights. We decide how to organize, not Trump.
The response was positive. People very much appreciate lifting this negative pressure and an upbeat and positive stand. They spoke of various ways to join the organizing. This small example speaks to the significance of our role to strengthen the defiance against U.S. dictate and demands and pursue our own agenda that is anti-war, pro-social and for empowerment of the people.
Demonstration
in Chicago November 6, 2024, right after U.S. election expresses
people's determination to speak in their own name and organize for
their own agenda of empowerment and rights.
(To access articles individually click on the black headline.)
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca