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The NDP and The End of Globalism

Submitted by Thomas Czermak on September 27, 2008 - 12:31pm.
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Picture 2.pngJack Layton is the only candidate for Prime Minister worth mentioning during this Canadian election. He is the only one with the integrity, and the policy, to put democracy back into government. As a progressive I will always pressure any political party, and corresponding government, to do what I feel will benefit my community via lobby, protest and the vote. But the NDP are the most susceptible to grass-roots influence - to our influence. They represent the working class, the middle-class, and the disenfranchised.

They are opposed to the carbon-tax: a tax that will allow those who can pay for it to survive but will financially crush those who can't. We need leadership to put in place policy that will encourage regular people to retrofit their homes for sustainable energy use. I don't want a hero, but I want a public representative that will listen to the concerns of both the scientists and the disadvantaged. We need affordable housing, better public transit, and a regulated financial sector. Jack Layton knows that we can build a sustainable economy from smart investment in, and regulation of, the business sector. We can create jobs and ensure the protection of our environment simultaneously.

Jack Layton often discusses the 50 billion dollar tax cut the Conservatives gave big corporations. Why, because he understands the following:

Democracy was built on the nation state and every power removed from the nation state without a compensating international power for the citizens is an anti-democratic move, and the primary tool which we require at the international level, I believe, at this point is an international agreement on minimum taxation levels for transnational corporations. Because if you look at the slip, if you look at the slippage, if you analyse the tax base of your country you'll find that the corporations have moved from paying about 50 years ago somewhere around 45 per cent of the income tax, and they're now probably somewhere around six or seven per cent. That's why you can't afford the public education, that's why you can't afford that Medicare, that's why you're slipping into two-tier health care.  (John Ralston Saul)

We need a government strong enough to address the pressing issues of our existing public institutions and to help rebuild the infrastructure of a greener economy.

Of course, the kind of leadership needed for this can only exist if the grassroots ralies for it and provides affirmitive examples itself. We must do more than persevere under corporate capitalism and show government that we mean business. Start up our own nonprofit, anti-capitalist businesses. Ones grown out of compassion and respect, not alienation and degradation.

The time is now. The corporate elite's power is diminishing. While UNASUR (Union of South American Nations) is gaining strength, the US financial sector is crumbling, China's economy is still expanding, the world's power structure is transforming. At the recent UN summit, much of this was addressed. As Pepe Escobar, of threalnews.com, points out in this commentary, the "French president Nicolas Sarkozy "described the Wall Street meltdown as the biggest crisis since the 1930s. He's proposing rebuilding capitalism, In fact, in the original French, moraliser (moralizing) capitalism—not subjected to market operators, banks financing development and not engaged in speculation, and with control of credit agencies. Sarkozy described speculators as the new terrorists."

Evo Morales (president of Bolivia), on the other hand, talked about putting an end to colinialism, as well as capitalism itself, at the summit. Morales recently gained support from the entire UNASUR's membership to squash a right-wing uprising. This is relatively unprecendeted and is further proof that right-wing, corporate power in the region is almost certainly being challenged. Now, admist a huge backlash toward speculative investment, non-regulated oil companies, and foreign ownership of resources, South America's people and governments are winning various fights against injustice.

We can win these fights against corporate power as well; and the only candidate that even asserts to take on corporate power is Jack Layton. So, for the sake of it, I'd at least encourage others to look at the NDP's platform. I'm convinced they are on our side, that Layton carries the legacy of Tommy Douglas, and that their support is growing. 

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M Hurley's picture

Progressives should unite for change by voting for the NDP

Submitted by M Hurley on September 29, 2008 - 8:37am.

Thank you for this wonderfully articulated post Thomas.

I think many Canadians are simply uninterested in this election and are skeptical of whether it is actually necessary. Although I initially shared this sentiment, it has now become obvious why the Conservatives no longer deserve to be in power. 

Over the last two years Stephen Harper's Conservative Government has:

1) Idled complacently over the ongoing climate crisis, which will likely be the definitive challenge of our time. The Conservative government's climate change plan was widely received as a sham designed to pay lip service to "the environment" as just another issue; the party's environmental platform received an "F+" from the Sierra Club;

2) Attacked the arts community, women, and aboriginals by slashing funding for the arts and the Status of Women Canada, by attempting to criminalize abortion and ignoring pay equity, and by abolishing the Kelowna Accord, neglecting to sign the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and subsidizing tar sands development, which has displaced several Native communities (in addition to preventing many Natives from having a say over how their community develops and how their resources are used, if at all);

3) Dismantled civil rights by ending funding for the Canada Court Challenges Program (which enables poor and middle class Canadians to challenge the government on minority and equal rights issues), by limiting the media's access to government, and by attempting to shut down a safe injection site in Vancouver that is credited with saving hundreds of lives;

4) Cut taxes while neglecting to invest in programs, services, and jobs that Canadians actually want, such as universal child care, preventative health care, a national retrofit program, affordable housing, and a "green" jobs training program that could help many workers in the industrial manufacturing sector make the transition to a new, low-carbon economy;

AND

5) Accelerated free trade and North American integration by negotiating a new free trade deal with the EU and moving forward on the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP); this despite the fact that many Canadians - especially those in the manufacturing and auto sectors - have lost good full time jobs to outsourcing, with these jobs being replaced by low-paying, part-time service sector jobs.

This is to mention nothing of the scandals, foreign policy blunders (extending the mission in Afghanistan), and deregulation frenzies (the telecommunications industry and meat inspections) that the Conservatives have provided us with.

The good news is that Jack Layton and the NDP are completely opposed to the Conservative, neoliberal agenda of free trade, privatization, deregulation, government downsizing, social engineering, and environmental ruin.

The New Democrats are running their most serious campaign since the 1980s and have a good chance of replacing the Liberals as Official Opposition. For instance, the most recent Angus Reid poll shows the NDP and Liberals tied at 21 percent support among decided voters (http://www.angus-reid.com/uppdf/2008.09.27_ARPW.pdf). Meanwhile, Green Party support has plummeted over the last week to 7 percent (see the above poll). 

If progressive voters are interested in having their priorities IMPLEMENTED, then the NDP is their best choice in this election. Never before has the NDP been so close to replacing the Liberals as Official Opposition. And at 7 percent, the Greens are probably out of contention for winning a seat or even holding on to the MP that they currently have. With New Democrats as the Official Opposition, Canadians would have a strong voice to advocate for universal child care, the Kyoto Protocol, action on climate change, new job training programs, affordable housing, a new deal for cities (transit, infrastructure, parks, social services), withdrawing from Afghanistan, halting the disastrous tar sands development, and perhaps a guaranteed income scheme. There hasn't been a better time to vote for the party since the NAFTA election when Ed Broadbent was leader.

At the same time, I recognize that many people on this site are non-partisan and there is a growing body of evidence that suggests Canadians are getting tired of partisan affiliations and the left-right political spectrum. The NDP is responding to this reality by asking Canadians to "Unite 4 Change" behind a single party (the New Democrats), rather than splitting the progressive vote between the Greens, Liberals, Bloc, and NDP. It is also worth noting that, even if you are a Green who thinks the entire electoral system needs to change, the NDP supports proportional representation (MMP) and is currently in the best position to advocate for electoral reform in the House of Commons.

The fundamental question in this election is, "will progressives continue to have their views sidelined while the Conservatives run roughshod over everything they value, or will they finally stand up for themselves and unite behind the party that is most capable of taking on the Harperites and advancing a fair, ethical, and environmentally sound agenda?"

 

 

Mike McGregor's picture

prospects...

Submitted by Mike McGregor on October 12, 2008 - 8:45pm.

"Never before has the NDP been so close to replacing the Liberals as Official Opposition."

I have to ask, exactally how close is that?

The reasons I ask are that I can't find an election where the Official opposition held less then 39 seats. That's going back to 1867 when there were 180 seats (to today's 308) and the only times comparable numbers were enough to from the Official Opposition were when the Conservatives or Liberals won a sweeping majority.  

The NDP came relatively close in 1984 when they took 30 seats to the Liberals 40 after the Conservatives won a huge 211 seat majority. Their best showing in 1988 when they took 43 seats. But since then, they haven't been able to reclaim the position of 3rd party since the Bloc Québécois entered the fray in 1993.  

"An NDP government will interact with many mass movements."

NDP government... I almost shot coffee out my nose.  When Jack Layton speaks of having a real shot at becoming Canada's next Prime Minister, for my own sake I have to believe that the leader of the only major progressive party isn't that naive, which only leaves me with the conclusion that he believe the electorate is.    

As I said in a post before, I think there's something fundamentally undemocratic about Layton's, and the NDP's, opposition to May's participation in the debates. To me, a stance like that really undermines the NDP's stance as the Champions of Democracy. It makes me wonder, are they in favour of Proportional Representation because it's good for democracy? Or because it's good for the NDP and it improves their chances of picking up a few more seats in Parliament?
 

-30-
Mike.
"Born helpless, nude and unable to provide for himself, Michael C. McGregor overcame these handicaps to become the yardstick of character by which all others are measured"
-=There is no Cabal, Long live the Cabal=-
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M Hurley's picture

...haven't been better since the '88 election

Submitted by M Hurley on October 13, 2008 - 11:07am.

Hey Mike.

I've been examining the polls every other day in this election and they keep relaying the same point: the NDP rarely polls below 20 percent in popular support and is currently within 4-5 percentage points of the Liberals. For instance, both Anguis Reid and Nanos Research (the most 'accurate' polling firm in the previous election) have consistently pegged the NDP at 20 to 22 percent support while the Liberals - in the same polls - were at 24 to 27 percent, respectively. The margin of error in these polls was roughly 3 percent, which means the NDP could even be 1 or 2 points behind the Liberals (best case scenario). So my claim that the NDP has never been so close to forming Official Opposition is based on polling statistics.

I applaud Jeff for pointing out the very real fact that an NDP government would respond to the demands of mass movements. The reason for this is simple: many NDP members and politicians are part of or support these movements themselves. Our very own New Democrat MP in London comes to mind: how many more rallies, demonstrations, public input meetings, and progressive social events does Irene Mathyssen have to attend to show that she is truly committed to the diverse causes of London's grassroots community? Her dedication to progressive movements is unflinching and indicative of the party's approach to governance. 

Make no mistake - Layton's initial attempt to block Elizabeth May from the Leaders' Debates was wrong headed. Eventually pressure from within his own party and Canadian public opinion forced him to accept her inclusion in the debates. But I fail to see how this slip-up can be linked to the NDP's committment to proportional reperesentation (PR). It was only because of the NDP that PR was seriously considered by a Parliamentary committee in 2005. The issue was then debated in the House when New Democrat MP Catherine Bell introduced a bill calling for a public consultation process and national referendum on PR. In BC, the NDP supports PR even though it would probably only help the Greens in that province. The BCNDP has benefited multiple times from the first-past-the-post system and yet it keeps calling for a Single Transferable Vote electoral system. Thus, your inferrence that the NDP's committment to PR is disingenious does not appear to be rooted in analysis. 

I get the feeling that you are voting for the Greens, Mike. If the GPC had a chance of winning seats (which they don't), they would definitely be my second choice in this election. I'm a policy wonk, and I like the GPC's policies. But the Greens do not have a concentrated 'base' of support in Canada; as a result they will likely not win any seats. Moreover, until strong popular support (first) and demands from the NDP (second) can put PR on the national agenda, the Greens will remain in the political wilderness. Our electoral system simply does not allow for meaningful GPC representation.

I do believe that some changes in other areas are on the horizon, though. You've brought up some good points regarding the current structure of the NDP - at times it facilitates 'undemocratic' decision-making. My conviction is that the NDP cannot continue to ignore the Greens if it wants to build its support. Consequently, the party should look at adopting some type of participatory structure. Policy changes would probably follow. A merger with the Greens would also be worthwhile, if not extremely difficult. These are the types of things the NDP should be looking at as it moves forward. But for now, the party's "prospects" haven't been better since the '88 election. I encourage everyone to vote for the NDP on Tuesday.    

 

Thomas Czermak's picture

Hurley, You made some

Submitted by Thomas Czermak on September 29, 2008 - 5:11pm.

Hurley,

You made some thorough but concise points about the devastating impact this minority Conservative government has made upon the Canadian scene.

I usually don't take partisan stances publicly, and I'm not an NDP card carrier, but I beleive the NDP are indeed the most progressive party, and Jack Layton the best candidate, to vote for during this federal election. I also feel an urgency to make such a statement publicly because of the volatile nature of global capital right now, and the imminent climate crisis. We could see a paradigm shift happen within our life-time, but only if we don't go as far as to flinch from giving our all right now. We need a strong government to fight transnational corporations while we rebuild our local economies.

Jeff P.'s picture

NDP: the only progressive option

Submitted by Jeff P. on September 30, 2008 - 12:23pm.

Great post Thomas and excellent analysis Mike.

I would like to re-inforce one of Mike's points - the only party that will engage proportional representation, in a sophisticated manner, is the NDP. Increasing the participatory nature of our "democratic" processes, will serve the intrests of the growing, marginalized, and otherwise exploited population of this country ("working families" for example). In addition, after implementing a proportional representation system, Green Party voters will actually have their voices heard. Until then, Green Party votes will be lost to the Conservative/Liberal machine. If you want the greens in power, vote NDP.

One more point - to the folks who don't vote because they don't believe in this system - I'm sure you do believe in supporting the many social and environmental programmes/causes that we work so hard to promote. Please remember that without your influence in the election, the NDP won't be able to further fund your critical work. You will find the well dries up due to inaction. This last point is directed specifically at all "anarchists", marxists, socialists and feminists who claim voting only reinforces our current system. The NDP will guide this disaster of a system toward a more responsive structure. - for example; action, whether it is direct or indirect. The response from the liberal/conservative machine is throwing our asses in jail and increasing/encouraging public/private surveillance (facebook for example) in order to shut down grassroots initiatives they are unable to control (don't kid yourselves or be so lazy - facebook is not a good political organizing tool).

An NDP government will interact with many mass movements.

Proportional Representation

Steve Holmes is running in London North Centre.

Green supporters - please read this over. Your 'green vote' is not lost. Although, It will be if you fall victim to conservative/liberal schemes.

 

 

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