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Fire This Time Booklets
Cuban Revolution 1015 Decades of the Cuban Revolution
A collection of articles written by Tamara Hansen.
For PDF version (5.1 MB) click here
Resisting Canadian Colonialism: The Indigenous Struggle for
Self-DeterminationThe conventional approach to writing almost anything on the Indigenous question
in America, generally and particularly in Canada is that we are reminded most of
the time how important it is to understand the five hundred years of oppression and
colonialism in this hemisphere. As important as it seems this question is, especially
in Canada, the issue has been looked at like this: let’s talk about it so much that we
forget to address it. The indigenous question or problem if you will, is not just how
deep or severe the oppression is of these proud nation/s, or how their great culture
has been destroyed by white Europeans. More importantly, the question poses itself
politically in how the rights of indigenous people, including and specifically the right
of self-determination, could play in the political struggle of the working class in this
country against Capitalism and Canadian imperialism. What strategy or action
program regarding indigenous people, as a most important ally of the working and
poor people, do we need to develop that could help the process of unity in action not
only against indigenous oppression but against oppression and for the liberation of
all oppressed people: workers, farmers, women, youth, LGBT, people of colour etc.
Canadian leftists and progressive movements have failed decisively in approaching
the indigenous struggle and winning over their trust. The issue has been ignored,
silenced, suppressed for a long, long time, regardless of being talked about and
discussed a lot! The suppression of indigenous people and destruction of their culture
is the basis of racism in Canadian society, which is deep rooted. No wonder nobody
wants to talk about it. Most of the time it seems that it does not even exist! In relation
to Germans who killed millions of innocent Jewish people during WWII era and
the Canadian genocide of native people, we can observe that the Germans guilt is
rooted in the past, but Canadian guilt is rooted in the present, and continues. For us
though, the working class, one thing is important and vital, that without indigenous
participation in the revolutionary movement for fundamental change there will be no
liberation in this land, not for yourself, myself, or anyone.
For Web PDF version (6.67 MB) click here
Canada: Peacekeeper, or War Maker?During the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, Canada played it’s role in world
imperialism by taking over the NATO led occupation of Afghanistan,
and continues occupy Afghanistan with imperialist interests in mind.
The occupation serves the interests of Canadian imperialism through
the economic plundering of the nation, as well as providing a strategic
military base in Afghanistan to further expand Canadian interests
throughout the Middle East.
Canadian ruling class interests in Latin America, the Middle East, and
entire world do not represent the interest of poor and oppressed people
in Canada. In March of 2003 Canada expanded their imperialist front
into Latin America, as they became a decisive force in the occupation
of Haiti. In fact they expose the roots of Canadian imperialism and
the roots of the colonial state of Canada founded on the genocide
of Indigenous peoples. The two articles selected for this booklet
address the situations in Afghanistan and Haiti, the axis of Canadian
imperialism abroad today.
For PDF version click here
Sun
Peaks Out of Skwelkwek'Welt!Since 1997, the Sun Peaks ski resort has been expanding into the territory of the
Secwepemec people. The continued struggle of the Secwepemec people to regain
their stolen territory is a fight for self-determination, the basic right of indigenous
people to decide how their land will be used. This fight for self-determination
challenges the very foundations of the colonial Canadian government, and contains
dynamics that give it the potential to ignite widespread mobilization among poor,
working, and oppressed people in Canada against occupation and injustice.
The struggle in Skwelkwek’welt against the continued expansion of Sun Peaks is an
example of the fight for sovereignty that is happening among different indigenous
nations across North America. This fight to defend land and territory must be
supported by indigenous and non-indigenous people to build a movement that can
effectively challenge the continued theft of indigenous land and resources.
For this reason, Fire This Time has supported the Secwepemc people who have
been resisting the continued expansion of Sun Peaks onto their territory, including
participating in several actions against Sun Peaks, as well as running regular stories
and updates in the FTT newspaper to draw the attention of working and oppressed
people in Canada to this struggle and its importance. This booklet is a selection of
articles on the Skwelkwek’welt struggle from past issues of Fire This Time.
For PDF version click here
The United Nations: It's Role and Failures
As we get close to the sixtieth anniversary of the formation of the United Nations, the
role of this world body, to deliver peace and prosperity to the world’s inhabitants, are
more than ever in question.
Although hundreds of thousands of activists and humanists have hoped that the UN
would be a world body that can improve the living conditions of human beings around
the world, especially in colonial and semi-colonial countries, we have never been more
distanced than we are today from achieving this goal. We live in a world where more
than 800 million people are suffering from hunger, in addition to hundreds of millions
who suffer from war, occupation and destruction in the poor nations of Asia, Africa and
Latin America caused by the aggression of these imperialist powers.
The Inability of the UN to become an impartial and fair player for weak and poor
nations has killed hope for a better future for all oppressed nations. Despite the wishful
thinking of the left and humanist communities that the United Nations will eventually
make a difference and positive change, this world body has remained fundamentally an
extended arm of imperialist nations. The US especially, uses the UN to plunder and
exploit the wealth of third world countries.
The UN has been designed and formed in such a way that it can mediate the conflict
between imperialist powers, caused by world capitalist crisis and third world struggle
against imperialist domination, to be in favour of imperialist and colonialist interests.
Through the Korean war to the Vietnam war, through the Congo to Cuba, through Iran
to Iraq, through war in the former Yugoslavia, through 12 years of sanctions on Iraq,
through paving the road for war and occupation in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine,
it shows constantly and consistently the subservient role of the UN to imperialist
powers.
The first article by Brennan Luchsinger is a historical review and analysis of the UN’s
politically faulty leadership record since its inception. The second article by Ivan
Drury is for the most part an analysis of the disastrous role of the UN in Iraq. The third
part is an excerpt of an article about how the US is using the UN in maintaining the
occupation of Iraq. For PDF version click here
Fire This Time Updates on the War
Update # 1March 20, 2003
STOP THE WAR ON THE PEOPLE OF IRAQ!
STOP THE WAR NOW!
US, UK, OUT OF THE MIDDLE EAST!
CANADA TROOPS HOME NOW!
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Update # 2March 22, 2003
STOP THE WAR NOW!
US, UK, OUT OF THE MIDDLE EAST!
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Update # 3March 24, 2003
Casualty of 'Victory'
People of the world, people of Canada, people of BC, People of Vancouver: All out against this immoral, unjust, brutal, criminal, bloody war against the people of Iraq and all of us
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Update # 4March 29, 2003
Canadian Ships Out of the Gulf!
Canadian Troops Out of Iraq!
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Update # 5April 8, 2003
Liberating or Conquering?
Stop the Killing of the People of Iraq!
End the Occupation! Self-Determination!
US, UK, CANADA OUT OF IRAQ!
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Update # 6April 12, 2003
Victory or Defeat?
Stop the Killing of the People of Iraq!
End the Occupation! Self-Determination!
For PDF version click here