Associate Editor of NSC
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Dear friends, dear comrades, and all who have made possible the success story of Northstar Compass, and the establishment of the International Council for Friendship and Solidarity with Soviet People.
In extending these deeply felt greetings and salutes, I make special reference to certain exemplary and dedicated people who over the past eleven years have carried the major burden of ensuring that our journal of Friendship, Solidarity and Peace has grown to a point where it is now read and welcomed in many lands and among widely diverse people around the world. Their welcome use is the fruit of very special, untiring…I could add "heroic"…work by our Editor Michael Lucas and equally, by our financial genius and organizer, Helen Lucas. There are no words to adequately pay tribute to their dedicated, and monumental work and contribution to our success. Thank you Michael and Helen from the bottom of our hearts.
Standing with them and as the organization in which they were nurtured and developed, the Society of Carpatho-Russian Canadians in whose building and premises we meet here today, and whose financial and untiring support, beyond anything that could reasonably be asked for, has been the foundation with everything connected with our work has grown. The Carpatho-Russian Society has been a fearless bulwark of unremitting support. To all of them, must go first our deepest appreciation and love. It is our mutual purpose to continue the work that will bring expanded results and to bring every possible assistance and solidarity, keeping close touch in our troubled times the long standing relationship with our Soviet friends and comrades. Whatever success has been achieved, we must note, rests squarely upon the seventy years of working class and Soviet power, and that for its most creative and prolific years was guided by the science of the working class, Marxism-Leninism.
That the immense and world shaping activity of the Soviet people was sullied and linked to destruction of the proud Union if Soviet Socialist Republics by the counter-revolutionary forces of Imperialism, and the growth of opportunism within the leadership and structures of the new society, had become the central factor of growing world reaction and competitive exploitation. First came the Soviet people but it now extends beyond them to the world stage. Whereas the forty-five years following WW II saw monopolies prosecution of misnamed "Cold War" the economic, political, military and social powers of Imperialism were held in check in a bi-polar world by the powers of the working class and people. They thwarted in part the designs of the Imperialist forces… now called Transnationals… until the eruption of world tragedy of 1980’s through to the present day… created the soil from which the hideous and tragic results of counter-revolution have grown. The "Unipolar" world of USA Imperialist domination, together with its "fellow traveling" lesser Imperialisms is now a fact of every-day life on every continent, and for all the people everywhere. In particular we underline the ongoing "oil resource" fuelled wars of the Middle East, including Iraq and the Palestinian fifty years of intolerable domination in their own land by the Israeli Governments and military forces. The role of USA’s dollars, by Government aimed at ensuring US monopoly control of the oil rich area, has resulted. Side by side with that US venture, from 1979 to the present, has been the decimation and handing over of governmental controls by US imperial powers to the war-lords and opium traders in Afghanistan. To the shame of all Canadians, and at the taxpayers expense, Canadian armed forces now are there, our senior Government officials are there, conniving with the US installed "oil" man Karzai. Adjacent to Afghanistan lies immense wealth of the former Muslim Soviet Republics from Azerbaijan to Kirghizia… where oil lies in quantities equal to, or exceeding those of the Middle East.
But despite these appearances of "military might is right" displayed by the oil cabal at the head of the US Government… and that carries with it more than a powerful odor of ultra-reaction… even to the level of a US form of fascist control and the rejection of all preceding claims to forms of "bourgeois democracy", that phenomena is irrevocably speeding like a run-away out-of-control locomotive into a crisis of all embracing dimensions… economic, military, political and social.
If the ongoing "peoples war" in Iraq confounds the Pentagon, while the juvenile "soothsayer" of Imperialism, USA’s George W. Bush Jr. is compelled to run begging to the United Nations, he had previously branded as "irrelevant", it must be clear, even to the "spin doctors" at CNN and others of that ilk, that "Big Lies" may serve football or baseball games… but in the area of "world politics" where peoples demands increasingly are emerging in new ways. As an effective antidote to the "Big Lies" of those who dream… as did Herr Hitler…of world domination, the increasing demands of something approaching 50% of the world’s population now barely keeping life and breath in their bodies on less than $2.00 per day is growing and proliferating even within the "most highly developed capitalist" countries…such as the United States, Canada, etc., providing an unmistakable indication of unrelenting crisis that Imperialism has brought to the word… and for which Imperialism has no cure.
The recent failed World Trade Organization meeting in Cancun, Mexico is something more than a "straw" blowing n the wind in the gardens of the world, or for US imperialism. The demand advanced by the "have-not" countries, for the most part representing precisely growing hordes of the world’s destitute, on agricultural subsidies was an "immovable obstacle" for the Imperialist "agribusiness" and designs for control. Briefly, and inadequately said, that confrontation appears as an advanced form of total breakdown of the last vestiges of WW II efforts to implement cosmetic, and elementary forms of international co-operation in the world’s financial and commodity markets. In short, it would appear that the world has returned to the pre-WW II chaos of "every Imperialist country for itself"…by whatever means. "Jungle Law" looms like a horrific nightmare before all of mankind… and is now rampant as the world seeks to feed itself…
The Eleven-Year old struggle of Northstar Compass to deliver even in small doses, messages of International "Friendship, Solidarity and Peace" first with Soviet friends, and internationally, has not been without pitfalls, obstacles and resistance. That should not be a surprise to anyone given the history of the past ten years of unfolding Imperialist "Unipolar" world aggression. For our part, we have opened wide our NSC columns, discussions, plans and aims to all who would join with us in the central purpose of creating friendship, solidarity and peace in whatever way we could.
What has been surprising has been the failure of some forces… political and otherwise who drew immense benefit and support over many long years from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, but have rejected cooperative action to achieve the ends projected… even to the level of rejecting consultation. It has long been a matter of mystery and disappointment to us as to why this situation should have developed in such work, and we hereby express the hope that what ever may be the reasons, they should be put aside and cooperation and mutual assistance to be implemented. If we may be so bold, we suggest that a continuation of the past divided situation cannot achieve even the smallest of positive results. Our aim and our work is to play whatever modest role we can in the local, national, international development of Friendship, Solidarity and Peace, We see such a development as integral to the struggles of people everywhere to counter the ferocious onslaught being leveled upon all humanity. The requirement is universal work for a UNITED FRONT ACTIVITY… regardless of origin, creed, political orientation, history or tradition. We seek neither a leadership role nor any kind of imposed control. If there is rejection of that road, we do not believe democratic, socialist or any other advance by the people can be achieved. I suggest that we must pursue with Northstar Compass and our programs of Friendship, Solidarity and Peace those ends, if we are to fulfill our purpose of a world free of imperialist depredations, exploitation, war and horror on the suicidal paths they have created.
Finally, as a suggestion to this assembly, I would like to see a small committee struck whose task would be the selection, issue by issue from the beginning of the most important articles…perhaps four or five per year, that would be published together in a book form anthology. As such, it would symbolize the name "Northstar Compass" and give to the world’s people insights into the struggles we have encountered in this "unipolar" world…and the non-partisan advocacy of our journal. It should be seen as an international effort…possibly even to raise some financial support.
On a personal note, may I extend my deepest heart-felt wishes of comradeship and warmest feelings of affection to all of you present, as well as to many national and international friends and associates with whom, together we work to make our contribution, since the inception of Northstar Compass, and our entry into the foreboding world created by the dismantlement of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Rest assured dear friends, our numbers will grow geometrically in the days ahead.
My embraces and salutations to you all!
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