The Western Socialist
Vol. 30 - No. 232
No. 2, 1963
pages 7-8
One-hundred-dollar savings bonds will be awarded to the two successful entrants in Channel 5's Reach For The TOP Essay Contest.
Entries must be submitted by March 1st to Channel 5, P. O. Box 555, Edmonton.
Entrants must restrict their essays to 1,000 words and must defend either side of the topic: "Resolved that Canada should (or should not) enter into economic and political union with the United States."
Those who do not wish to beguile themselves, and others, endeavour to understand the significance of their words. When we ask: "should Canada" do this, or that, we should try to ascertain who is Canada. As far as I have been able to gather, 8% of the population of all modern countries control over 80% of the wealth. If this is correct, then the 8% is Canada, not the remaining 92%, and the question should read: should resident Canadian owners of capital enter into a union with the capitalists of the United States. Well, this would seem to be their affair, not mine. So far, they have not consulted me. But in this connection, I am informed that something like 60% of the resources and industries of the area called Canada are already owned by United States capitalists. If so, the question of those in Canada joining them economically comes perhaps fifteen years too late—they have been annexed.
As to a political union (or rather absorption), this cannot now be long delayed since it inevitably follows and is based upon the economic relationship. So, in effect, we are called upon to decide whether Canada should do something which has already been done and something that is rapidly being effected before our eyes.
But in passing, let us consider one economic aspect of an absorption by the United States government of the government of Canada. First, what does a government of today mean. It is the maintenance and supervision of an economic and social process based upon the relationship of wage-labor and capital, where wealth is produced for sale at a profit and where the producers surrender surplus value to the owners of capital. The duty of government is to see that the wheels go round, that capitalists receive and sell surplus values and that workers work and provide them. A government is the executive committee of the capitalist class, the administrator and regulator of exploitation. When the head of what is called United Nations, Mr. U. Thant, recently commented on the fact that the rich are becoming richer and the poor, relatively poorer, he called this a social phenomenon. But this does not go far enough. It is the inevitable outcome of a process whereby the producer is relieved of everything beyond what is needed to keep him producing. The best government is the one which governs most. And instead of serving the worker, it exists to make him serve.
It is to the interest of subject classes that their rulers are divided, not unified. As yet, our subject working class is not aware of its best interests. If it were, it would not long remain a subject class and would put an end to classes and class rule.
ROY DEVORE