Friday, December 02, 2005
Where Are Your Clothes Made
The Maquila Solidarity Network has released its Transparency Report Card: COMING CLEAN ON THE CLOTHES WE WEAR Check it out and see how Canadian Retailers and Suppliers rank as suppliers of Sweat Shop labour.
Gildan Sweat Shop Success Story
Gildan profit soars
After closing its yarn spining plant in Quebec and outsourcing the work offshore, Gildan exports its T-Shirt manufaturing to the Caribbean/Central American Free Trade Zones.
This year they agreed to re-hire fired union workers in their new factory operations in the Houndouras leading the Canadian Anti-Sweat Shop Activist group Maquila Solidarity Network to suspend their campaign against Gildan.
Gildan then launched a massive new advertising and promotional camapaign for its products helping it push up its sceond, third and fourth quarter profits. Coincidence I think NOT. No word on what happened to the workers in Quebec who lost their jobs at Gildan. No compensation just the unemployment centre for them.
And while the Anti-Sweat Shop campaigners have been satisfied with their sop from Gildan, the Anti-War movement has not. They have focused on Gildan's sweat shop operations taking advantage of the current Canadian/UN occupation of Haiti in the name of Empire.
Building an Antiwar Movement in Canada
Again Liberal trade policies are a direct cause of the offshoring of Quebecs clothing industry and Gildans success. And with Gildan they are further compounded by the companies involvement with the Canadian Occupation of Haiti. Welcome to the world of global capitalism.
This is a report from Haiti about Gildan detailing the union busting anti worker situation currently occuring in the offshore garment industry in that country. I have to ask MSN why it has been sucked in by Gildan and halted its information and pressure campaign for the rights of Gildan workers? Simply because the company has ameliorated the conditions of some of its workers at the expense of others? This seems to be the case.
"Excerpts from Batay Ouvriye News Bulletin No. 2, originally published in Creole circa September/October 2005
At the GILDAN factory in Tabarre, five workers were fired without reason. But on closer scrutiny, we note that these are the workers who played a role in fighting for the factory to pay transportation to and from the factory (which is actually stipulated in the Labor Code!). At first, Richard Coles, a close Aristide ally, was the main production responsible for Gildan in the country. But Coles lost the contract and Apaid is the one who came to play this role. Presently, several bourgeois in the assembly industry are producing for Gildan. All use the module production to exploit the workers, as described above, with repressive control embedded in the production structure itself… Gildan, however, is the most sadistic exploiter of the module production systems. That’s why struggle at Gildan is a concentration amongst others that has great importance presently.
Profile
Gildan Activewear is a vertically-integrated marketer and manufacturer of premium quality branded basic apparel. The Company manufactures premium quality basic T-shirts, sport shirts and sweatshirts for sale in the wholesale imprinted sportswear market. The Company sells its products as blanks, which are ultimately decorated by screenprinters with designs and logos for sale to consumers. Gildan has announced plans to sell its products into the mass-market retail channel, in addition to the screenprint market. In conjunction with this strategy, Gildan is expanding its product-line to include underwear and athletic socks.
Gildan is North America's largest T-Shirt manufacturer, and it is Canadian.After closing its yarn spining plant in Quebec and outsourcing the work offshore, Gildan exports its T-Shirt manufaturing to the Caribbean/Central American Free Trade Zones.
Moneysense.ca | Oct 1, 2004
Real Assets Investment Management Inc., an ethics-based investor, said Thursday it has sold its shares of Gildan Activewear over the T-shirt company's treatment of workers at a Honduras factory.This year they agreed to re-hire fired union workers in their new factory operations in the Houndouras leading the Canadian Anti-Sweat Shop Activist group Maquila Solidarity Network to suspend their campaign against Gildan.
Gildan then launched a massive new advertising and promotional camapaign for its products helping it push up its sceond, third and fourth quarter profits. Coincidence I think NOT. No word on what happened to the workers in Quebec who lost their jobs at Gildan. No compensation just the unemployment centre for them.
And while the Anti-Sweat Shop campaigners have been satisfied with their sop from Gildan, the Anti-War movement has not. They have focused on Gildan's sweat shop operations taking advantage of the current Canadian/UN occupation of Haiti in the name of Empire.
Building an Antiwar Movement in Canada
The single biggest impediment to getting people mobilized around war and occupation issues is the widespread perception that Canada’s hands are clean in the world; that unseemly regime changes are things carried out by George W. Bush and that at worst we are benevolent bystanders or well-meaning peacekeepers coming in after the fact.
Perhaps one under-utilized way to get around this pervasive myth is to highlight the blatant war profiteering of massive Canadian corporations. While the sordid operations of the likes of Exxon and Halliburton are internationally known, equally rapacious war companies based north of the 49th parallel are getting away with scant attention. The two that stand out are Gildan Activewear and SNC-Lavalin.
Gildan Activewear is a massive garment manufacturer, controlling 40% of the North American t-shirt market. Following the coup against Aristide, and the de facto government’s decision to overturn minimum wage increases brought in by the Lavalas Party government, Gildan announced that it would be moving some operations from Honduras to Haiti. The company is currently engaged in a massive publicity campaign, with ads on hundreds of bus shelters in Vancouver proclaiming the sweatshop label ‘A part of your life’. It has been speculated that they are building their public profile with an eye to winning the Vancouver 2010 Olympics clothing contract. The cases of Gildan and SNC are not unique in terms of Canadian corporations, but only two of the most blatant examples that belie the quaint notion of a harmless, innocent big business community, and the related myth of a political policy pursuing lofty, disinterested ‘humanitarian’ objectives.Again Liberal trade policies are a direct cause of the offshoring of Quebecs clothing industry and Gildans success. And with Gildan they are further compounded by the companies involvement with the Canadian Occupation of Haiti. Welcome to the world of global capitalism.
This is a report from Haiti about Gildan detailing the union busting anti worker situation currently occuring in the offshore garment industry in that country. I have to ask MSN why it has been sucked in by Gildan and halted its information and pressure campaign for the rights of Gildan workers? Simply because the company has ameliorated the conditions of some of its workers at the expense of others? This seems to be the case.
"Excerpts from Batay Ouvriye News Bulletin No. 2, originally published in Creole circa September/October 2005
At the GILDAN factory in Tabarre, five workers were fired without reason. But on closer scrutiny, we note that these are the workers who played a role in fighting for the factory to pay transportation to and from the factory (which is actually stipulated in the Labor Code!). At first, Richard Coles, a close Aristide ally, was the main production responsible for Gildan in the country. But Coles lost the contract and Apaid is the one who came to play this role. Presently, several bourgeois in the assembly industry are producing for Gildan. All use the module production to exploit the workers, as described above, with repressive control embedded in the production structure itself… Gildan, however, is the most sadistic exploiter of the module production systems. That’s why struggle at Gildan is a concentration amongst others that has great importance presently.
Hillary Does Gore
Hillary Clinton promotes law to ban violent video games
Shades of Tipper Gore, Hillary's bosom buddy, who led the charge to ban explicit lyrics in Rock and Roll. Yep Hillary is running for Prez in 08. Showing she is tough on the Entertainment Industry and Crime in one fell swoop. Hey it worked for Tipper, during the height of the Republican attacks on Porn.
Shades of Tipper Gore, Hillary's bosom buddy, who led the charge to ban explicit lyrics in Rock and Roll. Yep Hillary is running for Prez in 08. Showing she is tough on the Entertainment Industry and Crime in one fell swoop. Hey it worked for Tipper, during the height of the Republican attacks on Porn.
Job Cuts Poll #1
Through the Election I will be running a jobs cut poll. The numbers of folks losing thier jobs in Canada.This is a direct result of the Liberals and Conservatives economic strategies, or lack of them, that impact on real working folks in Canada.Job Losses Since November 2005- 6717"The real story is what doesn't happen in the headlines; it's the five or 10 jobs that are lost each week or each month and eventually they really tend to add up.That's one of the bigger stories that's looming over every other minor cyclical story we talk about," said Doug Porter, deputy chief economist at BMO Nesbitt Burns.
December 2- CIBC Cuts 900 Jobs
Current Total- 7617 Canadians out of work
CIBC has announced that due to its illegal entaglement with Enron it is cutting 900 jobs to make up for the billions they had to pay in fines. While workers at the Bank lose their jobs the CEO in charge during the Enron affair got massive pay raises and bonuses. The bank attracted a lot of criticism from some shareholders when it awarded former CEO John Hunkin a retirement package worth $52 million just a month before the bank reported a $1.9 billion quarterly loss because of its Enron settlement. While CIBC is also purging management who are leaving with Golden Parachutes, after laying Golden Showers on their employees and shareholders. The bloodletting at the bank has already begun, with $100 million spent in the fourth quarter on severance payments for 50 parting executives: 10 executive vice-presidents, 21 senior vice-presidents and 19 vice-presidents.
While Stats Canada reports; Jobless rate drops to 6.4%, another 30-year low.
the reality is that this is NOT full employment which was promised all workers after the end of WWII. Nor has there ever been full employment in any of the G8.
Big Brother Wal-Mart
CBC is reporting that Wal-Mart in Quebec spied on union organizers prior to closing its only unionized store in Quebec. Which is illegal under labour law in Quebec. Ah say it ain't so. Which is exactly what the Canadian CEO of Wal-Mart said. Lets see two exposes on bad boy Wal-Mart this week by Radio Canada. The other was about Wal-Mart using Child Labour. Nice to see that there is some investigative journalism going on at MotherCorp.
That's what journalism is supposed to be about muckracking and investigative journalism, the values of a liberal/left media. The ones the right wing fails to provide and hates when anyone else does. Oh unless the muck flinging is against their political enemies.
That's what journalism is supposed to be about muckracking and investigative journalism, the values of a liberal/left media. The ones the right wing fails to provide and hates when anyone else does. Oh unless the muck flinging is against their political enemies.
GST or Global Warming You Choose
Cut the GST or Cut Emissions you choose. Which should be THE election issue?
In his column in the Toronto Star this morning business commentator David Crane asks the key question about this election. Is it about ISSUES or spin. So far its been spin, all about tax cuts. Crane on the other hand reminds us that the International Conference on Climate Change, Kyoto2, just finished in Montreal. He says; Global warming should be big election issue, too bad it not going to be.
Global warming should be big election issue
Whether we wanted a winter election or not, we have one courtesy of NDP leader Jack Layton. So we should at least hope the campaign will focus on the big issues facing Canada.One of the most important issues we face is how to deal with climate change. Make no mistake about it; human beings are building up a host of nasty future problems because of our huge dependence on coal, oil and, to a lesser extent, natural gas. Just look at our Arctic, where major warming is already underway. And this is the real question that both Martin and Tory leader Stephen Harper must answer: Do they support a Kyoto-2 beyond 2008-12 and, if so, how would they move to further reduce Canada's greenhouse gas emissions? This is one of the most important issues facing us because unless much more serious efforts are made, by ourselves and other nations, our planet is in serious trouble. Then the GST rate won't matter much.
In his column in the Toronto Star this morning business commentator David Crane asks the key question about this election. Is it about ISSUES or spin. So far its been spin, all about tax cuts. Crane on the other hand reminds us that the International Conference on Climate Change, Kyoto2, just finished in Montreal. He says; Global warming should be big election issue, too bad it not going to be.
Global warming should be big election issue
Whether we wanted a winter election or not, we have one courtesy of NDP leader Jack Layton. So we should at least hope the campaign will focus on the big issues facing Canada.One of the most important issues we face is how to deal with climate change. Make no mistake about it; human beings are building up a host of nasty future problems because of our huge dependence on coal, oil and, to a lesser extent, natural gas. Just look at our Arctic, where major warming is already underway. And this is the real question that both Martin and Tory leader Stephen Harper must answer: Do they support a Kyoto-2 beyond 2008-12 and, if so, how would they move to further reduce Canada's greenhouse gas emissions? This is one of the most important issues facing us because unless much more serious efforts are made, by ourselves and other nations, our planet is in serious trouble. Then the GST rate won't matter much.
Made In Canada Autoplan
No sooner had Jack Layton announced his auto strategy for saving Canadian jobs and investing all those tax breaks the Liberals and Conservatives are promising the corporations than it was lost in the newshype around the Harpers GST cut. Swamped was Jacks good news announcement. Swept away. But like the proverbial bottle with a message this morning his announcement takes on even more importance.
Ford has announced it is planning on following GM's lead and will be laying off 7,600 workers across North America, with its closing of five plants including one in Windsor Ontario and ironically one in Mexico. Ironic cause the plant is one set up thanks to NAFTA. When will the bleeding stop? When we have a Made In Canada Autoplan. Tax cuts don't cut it when your out of work.
Ford has announced it is planning on following GM's lead and will be laying off 7,600 workers across North America, with its closing of five plants including one in Windsor Ontario and ironically one in Mexico. Ironic cause the plant is one set up thanks to NAFTA. When will the bleeding stop? When we have a Made In Canada Autoplan. Tax cuts don't cut it when your out of work.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Whigs and Tory's
It is not just Harper and the Conservative Gang in Calgary that have been influenced by the neo-con Straussian ideal of Empire and the rule of the philospher king. So has Liberal Michael Ingnatieff more than even his cousin the philosopher George Grant.
Strauss’s rejection of individual rights led him to espouse political views that Rothbard found repellent: "We find Strauss . . . praising ‘farsighted’, ‘sober’ British imperialism; we find him discoursing on the ‘good’ Caesarism, on Caesarism as often necessary and not really tyranny, etc... he praises political philosophers for yes, lying to their readers for the sake of the ‘social good’…. I must say that this is an odd position for a supposed moralist to take."
THE IDEAS OF GEORGE GRANT*
As philosophy became more technical and remote, George Grant never stopped trying to reach a wide audience. In his writing and teaching, he dealt philosophically with the basic issues facing Canada: imperialism and national survival, the nature of technology, the moral bankruptcy of liberalism, and the claims of tradition in face of the modern. He wrestled with some of the most commanding figures of modern thought: Simone Weil, Leo Strauss, Friedrich Nietzsche and Martin Heidegger. David Cayley explores George Grant's intellectual career, based on interviews with Grant himself, students, interpreters and critics.
The difference today between Liberals and Conservatives, both of whom claim to come from the liberal tradition, is that the Liberals reflect the utilitarian social democrat tradition of classical liberalism, they are in effect modern Whigs.
While the neo-cons who dominate the Conservative movement reflect the Imperialist aspirations of the old Conservative/Tory aristorcracy. America while a Republic of agrarian artisanal virtues has a ruling class that has always aspired to Empire, in mimicry of England. The Southern Aristocratic States that formed the Confederacy and their culture of 'Ladies and Gentlemen' reflect this unrepentant urge to return to the past as all conservatives do.
In accepting Empire Ignatieff is a blue Liberal far closer to the compardor politics of Harper's foriegn policy than classical Trudeau liberalism.
Trudeau liberalism is Whig politics that challenges both the rampant free market individualism espoused by the neo-cons, and its opposite socialism. His was an ideology of invidual rights and freedoms within the State, not opposed to the State. The State's function was too defend and expand these rights. So entrenched was his sense of social individualism that he was willing to trample collective political rights, those of Quebec, to create a made in Canada Constitution and Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Today both these are opposed by the neo-con right and the Soveriegnists in Quebec. Ironic that the neo-cons who extoll individualism attack the Charter, Harper, Kenney, Ezra Levant, etc. but that is because it is both a Charter of social rights and Individual rights. It is Trudeaus legacy, and that is what they hate. The right in Canada has always hated Trudeau and his philosophy.
Todays Liberals embrace not Trudeauism, but Ignatieff. As one would a serpent to the breast. All is done for the expediency of power. Power for its own sake. Their ideology is messaging without content, all is platitude to retain power. Intellectually bankrupt they grab at Ignatieff as their new philosopher, when he is a mere shade of Grant or Trudeau. As a shade his bankrupt ideology cannot stand the exposure of the light of reason.
In this Ignatieff is as much influenced by Leo Struass conservative philosopher of Empire as he is by his esteemed cousin, George Grant. Ignatieff has accepted the existance of Empire and like the flawed logic of his cousin, has concluded that democracy is at home in the American Empire. Hence his extolling how he is an American. Of course in this context like Grant to be an American is to be a Continentalist, we are 'all Americans' now.
Trudeau was the philosopher politician who answered Grants lamantation. In his ideal of a New Federalism, Trudeau challenged the Red Tory ideology of acquiecence to America, and viewed Canada and Quebec as a capable of challenging America on the basis of classical traditional liberalism. Not just a rampant self aggrandizing individualism so common amongst American ideologues on the right but a social individualism. One that didn't say; I am alright Jack I got mine, but said; I am alright Jack because you got yours.
It was nearly twenty years after Grants lament that Trudeau brought Canada its constitution and Charter, that would fulfill Grants dream of a Canada different from the United States. Grant was a Whig, Trudeau was a Whig. Ignatieff is not. He is an apologist for Empire.
And the Conservatives in Canada are not Tories, they are Republicans, and not the party of Lincoln who was also a Whig, but a party of the rights of the shop keeper. Their belief in individual rights are only for those who own, not even possess, property. They would embrace America and George Grant would wail in lament from his grave. For he had warned us of these traitorous dogs forty years ago.
Strauss’s rejection of individual rights led him to espouse political views that Rothbard found repellent: "We find Strauss . . . praising ‘farsighted’, ‘sober’ British imperialism; we find him discoursing on the ‘good’ Caesarism, on Caesarism as often necessary and not really tyranny, etc... he praises political philosophers for yes, lying to their readers for the sake of the ‘social good’…. I must say that this is an odd position for a supposed moralist to take."
THE IDEAS OF GEORGE GRANT*
As philosophy became more technical and remote, George Grant never stopped trying to reach a wide audience. In his writing and teaching, he dealt philosophically with the basic issues facing Canada: imperialism and national survival, the nature of technology, the moral bankruptcy of liberalism, and the claims of tradition in face of the modern. He wrestled with some of the most commanding figures of modern thought: Simone Weil, Leo Strauss, Friedrich Nietzsche and Martin Heidegger. David Cayley explores George Grant's intellectual career, based on interviews with Grant himself, students, interpreters and critics.
The difference today between Liberals and Conservatives, both of whom claim to come from the liberal tradition, is that the Liberals reflect the utilitarian social democrat tradition of classical liberalism, they are in effect modern Whigs.
While the neo-cons who dominate the Conservative movement reflect the Imperialist aspirations of the old Conservative/Tory aristorcracy. America while a Republic of agrarian artisanal virtues has a ruling class that has always aspired to Empire, in mimicry of England. The Southern Aristocratic States that formed the Confederacy and their culture of 'Ladies and Gentlemen' reflect this unrepentant urge to return to the past as all conservatives do.
In accepting Empire Ignatieff is a blue Liberal far closer to the compardor politics of Harper's foriegn policy than classical Trudeau liberalism.
Trudeau liberalism is Whig politics that challenges both the rampant free market individualism espoused by the neo-cons, and its opposite socialism. His was an ideology of invidual rights and freedoms within the State, not opposed to the State. The State's function was too defend and expand these rights. So entrenched was his sense of social individualism that he was willing to trample collective political rights, those of Quebec, to create a made in Canada Constitution and Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Today both these are opposed by the neo-con right and the Soveriegnists in Quebec. Ironic that the neo-cons who extoll individualism attack the Charter, Harper, Kenney, Ezra Levant, etc. but that is because it is both a Charter of social rights and Individual rights. It is Trudeaus legacy, and that is what they hate. The right in Canada has always hated Trudeau and his philosophy.
Todays Liberals embrace not Trudeauism, but Ignatieff. As one would a serpent to the breast. All is done for the expediency of power. Power for its own sake. Their ideology is messaging without content, all is platitude to retain power. Intellectually bankrupt they grab at Ignatieff as their new philosopher, when he is a mere shade of Grant or Trudeau. As a shade his bankrupt ideology cannot stand the exposure of the light of reason.
In this Ignatieff is as much influenced by Leo Struass conservative philosopher of Empire as he is by his esteemed cousin, George Grant. Ignatieff has accepted the existance of Empire and like the flawed logic of his cousin, has concluded that democracy is at home in the American Empire. Hence his extolling how he is an American. Of course in this context like Grant to be an American is to be a Continentalist, we are 'all Americans' now.
Trudeau was the philosopher politician who answered Grants lamantation. In his ideal of a New Federalism, Trudeau challenged the Red Tory ideology of acquiecence to America, and viewed Canada and Quebec as a capable of challenging America on the basis of classical traditional liberalism. Not just a rampant self aggrandizing individualism so common amongst American ideologues on the right but a social individualism. One that didn't say; I am alright Jack I got mine, but said; I am alright Jack because you got yours.
It was nearly twenty years after Grants lament that Trudeau brought Canada its constitution and Charter, that would fulfill Grants dream of a Canada different from the United States. Grant was a Whig, Trudeau was a Whig. Ignatieff is not. He is an apologist for Empire.
And the Conservatives in Canada are not Tories, they are Republicans, and not the party of Lincoln who was also a Whig, but a party of the rights of the shop keeper. Their belief in individual rights are only for those who own, not even possess, property. They would embrace America and George Grant would wail in lament from his grave. For he had warned us of these traitorous dogs forty years ago.
The major themes of Grant's interests made him, at once, a foundational thinker and an interpreter of current events. Deeply concerned with the political and social directions being taken in postwar Canada leading into the sixties and seventies, he also fiercely resisted the new, progressively functional purposes shaping Canadian universities during those years. At the root of his thinking lies his conviction that the liberal project of the Enlightenment, which has shaped life in western society for more than 200 years and is now dominating our whole planet, was a massive mistake--nothing less than a denial, through the glorification of instrumental reason and technology, of the true nature of the world and of human persons. Grant turned to Plato, to the contemporary Platonist Leo Strauss and to the philosopher-mystic Simone Weil for aid in his own intellectual transformation away from this modern view of humanity based on the primacy of will, the mastery of nature, individualism and the shaping of society essentially by market-driven capitalism.