Winnipeg Wobbly

With the mayoral election over, it's more of Same ol' Sam. While no progressive Winnipegger wanted to see Katz win, the question remains on how much real 'change' would Judy have really brought?

While the Opposition on the City Council may a little stronger, BUT we need to build real opposition on the street, in our communities. Remember: direct action gets the goods, not dropping a piece of paper into a box.

The piece originally appeared in Winnipeg Wobbly #5.

The Winnipeg Municipal Elections: “if voting changed anything, it would be made Illegal"

Winnipeg‘s mayoral election takes place on Oct. 27, 2010. While the race has been closing, incumbent mayor and tool of the business community Sam Katz is expected to win re-election against left-leaning candidate and former NDP MP Judy Wascylycia-Leis. Beyond that, there is a battle between an alliance of the center-left for council against the right, with the left hoping to pick up enough seats to be able to exercise some control over council instead of being consistently shut out and out-voted approximately 11-5 on almost all serious issues. It has been a lacklustre campaign, nearly devoid of any serious issues or defining moments.



Much of the Winnipeg left has hitched their hopes to the candidacy of Wascylycia-Leis, in some ways understandably so given the record of Sam Katz. Katz‘ pro-business, neoliberal agenda has threatened many city workers and has opened up Winnipeg‘s wastewater system to privatization at the hands of Veolia, a multinational corporation known for poor records in other jurisdictions. Veolia is also involved in transportation projects supporting Israeli apartheid in the West Bank, and their practices around the world have caused Stockholm city council to reject their bids for a project. Also, Katz‘ record on transit is appalling.



Judy, on the other hand, has not promoted serious alternatives and in some ways has been trying to reach out more to the business community than actual working people – see her Tory blue campaign signs, or her promise to create a business advisory council. Still, her position on property taxes might be a small concession to reality compared to Sam Katz.



While there is much excitement around Wascylycia-Leis in some quarters of the left, it seems as though aside from a panel hosted by the New Socialist Group a few months
back, there is little in the way of serious discussion of overall strategy. The Winnipeg Citizens Coalition, an alliance of NDPers and Liberals, seems to be solely focused on electing Judy, defeating Katz‘ allies on council, and divvying up the seats among themselves. The Manitoba NDP, now officially endorsing candidates in the municipal election, is not much different. All of this is based on classic parliamentary liberal/social democratic strategies – electing enough "good people" that they can take care of issues for you (although they will need you as fodder for their election machines). Sometimes this strategy is tinged with some lip service towards grassroots organizing – the idea of electing people who will be more receptive to lobbying efforts.



Changing how Winnipeg is run will require a shift in our politics. We need to get away from the liberal politics of elect and lobby, and into radical, community-based extra-parliamentary organizing. The politics of lobbying are all too often based on manipulating any grassroots initiatives so an elite within the movement can enjoy a chat with politicians – and more often than not get blown off. This also changes the structure of movements, resulting in a centralization of creative efforts and the "important" work of lobbying in the hands of a trusted few who can stay "on message". In the long run, this is a self-defeating strategy, as it is disempowering and is based on some rather silly notions of how society works (that liberal capitalist "democracy" is actually democratic, for one).



But as we can‘t talk tactics without talking strategy, we can‘t talk strategy without seriously discussing how society works. Do we live in a democracy, where the will of the people rules, or do we live under capitalism, where the owners of capital rule consistently, regardless of any changes of face at the political level?



We need to start seriously organizing and rocking it out. Organize in our communities, in our workplaces, on our campuses, and in the streets, and maybe one day there will be a second Winnipeg General Strike.



There also needs to be some serious conversation in Winnipeg about dealing with issues like urban sprawl. In addition to making our city require more roads, sewers, and pollution-spewing cars, as well as making it more difficult to provide decent transit service to all city residents, urban sprawl has serious effects on the political culture of Winnipeg. It isolates communities from each other and promotesa suburban mentality, which is something that needs to be overcome. Yet, this is an issue not being touched by any of our political elite, left or otherwise.



While Judy will likely be marginally better than Sam, we shouldn‘t fall into the trap of electoralism. At the end of the day, if voting ever changed anything, they would have made it illegal.



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On October 16, 1859, abolitionist fighter John Brown began the raid on Harpers Ferry. With twenty-one other men in the hopes of seizing the federal armory at Harper's Ferry, the holding place for approximately 100,000 rifles and muskets, hoping to arm slaves and create a violent rebellion against the south.

However, after thirty-six hours the revolt was suppressed by federal forces led by Robert E. Lee (later General of the Confederate Army) and Brown was jailed.

The raid resulted in thirteen deaths, twelve rebels and one U.S. Marine. After being found guilty of murder, treason, and inciting a slave insurrection, Brown was hanged on December 2, 1859.

John Brown should stand as a symbol of those who continue to struggle against oppression and immoral systems. Those who fight against wage-slavery. As Eugene Debs once wrote, "Old John Brown is not dead. His soul still marches on, and each passing year weaves new garlands for his brow and adds fresh luster to his deathless glory."

The Following is a piece from one of the most famous supporters of the I.W.W., Carl Sandburg (under the pseudonym "Jack Philips"), on the similarities between John Brown and I.W.W. founder Big Bill Haywood, as well as a music video of the song John Brown by David Rovics.

For past coverage on John Brown Click Here

HAYWOOD OF THE I. W. W.

By JACK PHILLIPS

[ISR 18.7 (Jan. 1918): 343]

Old John Brown of Ossawattamie was arrested by officers of the United States government, legally indicted, legally tried, and legally shot, as a traitor to the nation.

A few short years afterward millions of marching men, soldiers of the United States Army, with Abraham Lincoln for commander-in-chief, marched singing a song with every verse and every chorus glorifying John Brown. And "John Brown's Body Lies A Mouldering in the Grave" is today the most popular folk song of the American nation. Let the fact be recorded at this time that John Brown was tried on the charge of treason and shot to death because of presumed guilt of treason.

What was it John Brown did that caused him to be remembered and glorified in a national marching song? He was a man with a dream. His mind conceived the vision that if the southern black slaves could be armed wtih rifles they would fight their way to freedom from their white masters. Therefore, reasoned John Brown, the thing to do is to raid a government arsenal and seize the guns wanted by the black slaves. So he and his sons and followers raided the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, were hunted, captured, and as hereinbefore noted, legally indicted, tried, shot.

So Big Bill Haywood, nearly sixty years later, appears in history, another man dominated by a dream. Haywood has a vision of industrial democracy established, a hope of security and justice for all the workers of the world, the shackles of capitalist wage slavery struck off. How is this vision to be attained? Thru a world wide general strike of the working class, thru mass action of the working people of the world, without violence necessarily, without death penalties, revenges and punitive indemnities. Merely thru a folding of arms, a refusal to make or transport the goods of the world, till all autocracies yielded to a newer order. Such was to be the working of the plan when its details could be arranged.

As wild a dream, perhaps, as the dream of John Brown that arming the southern blacks would lead to the abolition of chattel slavery. As vague and chimerical a vision as that of the "traitor" after whom the nation's most famous marching song was written.

What it leads to is the question: Will there be marching songs written to Bill Haywood some day as the same kind of a "traitor" as the John Brown who was legally indicted, legally tried, legally shot?

Let Claude Porter, special assistant attorney general in charge of the prosecution of the I. W. W. think about these things.

We wonder today when we look back and read the savage and ruthless charges brought against John Brown by the prosecutors. They called for his blood with tongues that today are dust.

One day Claude Porter's accusing tongue will be dust. And Big Bill Haywood will be dust. Which of the two will be remembered?

Nobody remembers today who it was that tongue-lashed John Brown in the prosecution of him for treason. But everybody knows the story of John Brown.

So be it. Such is the history and the drama of destiny.

Our friends at the New Socialist Group are putting on the following event, with Bilan Arte, who recently was featured in the Winnipeg Wobbly newsletter. Definitely one to check out!

WINNIPEG: Anti-Muslim and Anti-Migrant Racism

Time	Thursday, October 14 · 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location	Magnus Eliason Recreation Centre, 430 Langside (just south of Ellice)
Created By	Winnipeg New Socialists
More Info	Anti-Muslim and Anti-Migrant Racism: What They Are -- and How to Fight Them This event will feature three presentations followed by an open discussion. Speakers: Bilan Arte -- on Quebec's Bill 94, which would prevent Muslim women wearing either the niqab or burqa from accessing public services like health care and education Zac Saltis -- a socialist analysis of anti-migrant and anti-Muslim racism, how it relates to the current economic crisis and who benefits from it Lisa Stepnuk -- on the politically-motivated panic about Tamil migrants in BC and anti-migrant racism generally Childcare subsidy available with advance notice. For more information, please e-mail winnipeg [at] newsocialist.org Organized by the Winnipeg New Socialist Group