Letters Letters Magazine takes aim at the myths justifying U.S. Panama invasion A Jan. 17 In These Times article by James Petras, a U.S. teacher, outlines well the eight myths that surrounded the U.S. invasion of Panama. Here’s a shortened version of what he wrote: Myth One: The invasion was in response to the killing of a U.S. marine. Answer: The invasion was planned many months beforehand. As U.S. Defence Secretary Richard Cheney said on Dec. 20: “The plan has been operative for some time.” Myth Two: The invasion was needed to arrest Noriega because he was a narcotics king. Answer: There’s no evidence that his arrest has had any impact on drug flow. Even if arresting made a difference, why not ask for the extradition of the Honduran General Staff, the Guatemalan military command overseeing the marijuana fields, Bolivian vice-president Hugo Banzer (the original narco-dictator), along with Boli- via’s commanding officers, elected Peruvian president Alan Garcia, who turns a blind eye to the massive coca fields in the Cuzco region? Myth Three: Overthrowing an unpopu- lar dictator. Answer: Bush had to send more troops to reinforce the 24,000 already there. The Pen- tagon systematically bombed working class areas to “liberate” them. Myth Four: The U.S. intervened just to overthrow Noriega. Answer: They not only removed Noriega, Home care plan needs overhaul We are heading into another civic election where unity with the New Democrats may be uncertain. But the NDP may be forming the next pro- vincial government and that is where the majority of their work will go. Itis, however, the policies that both COPE and the Civic NDP must wrestle with. One policy that needs to be looked at involves the field of home support. As a home support worker, I see that there is a major problem within the health care system in Vancouver. First, most workers with the privately-owned firms are not receiv- ing the same benefits and rates of pay as the non-profit sector. Second, the bureaucratic methods of the Health Department come into play also with respect to the lives of many people in the city. An example of this particularly in Vancouver, is the work of a Continu- ing Care Assessor, who completes a home support plan identifying the duties a client may perform and listing the duties of the home support worker. By the time it reaches the agency, the plan is out of date. The issue of home support can be improved by a community develop- ment system. Let us start by putting “people first,” in a very crucial way — keep- ing them alive. Ron Sostad, Vancouver ae U.S. SOLDIERS IN PANAMA ... a U.S. gunboat action without justification. they purged the Panamanian Defence For- ces of all those with “nationalistic” tenden- cies, ie: those who might in future resist overall U.S. policy in Central America. Myth Five: Bush and the Western media branded Noriega as a terrorist. Answer: The U.S. practised terror on a far greater scale in a shorter time than any- thing that occurred during Noriega’s rule. Myth Six: Washington was supposed to establish law and order. Answer:In fact, law and order broke down as the U.S. military took over in Panama to refashion the country into an uncritical supporter of U.S. policy in Cen- tral America. Myth Seven: The invasion was at the request of the new leader, Endara. Answer: According to Endara himself, Bush informed him of the plans only two or three hours before the invasion. In a Dec. 24 interview, Endara said: ‘News of the inva- sion was like a kick in the head.” Myth Eight: Washington claimed the world would welcome its overthrow of Noriega. Answer: In a 20 to | vote, the Organiza- tion of American States condemned the act, with El Salvador the only Latin American state to support Washington. The United Nations’ vote was equally lopsided. The magazine shows the real reason for the invasion, poignantly expressed by a former member of the Texas Air National Guard. Marshall Smith sent the journal this copy of a letter he wrote to the White House, explaining he was doing so as a means of self-protection: President George Bush, The White House You are absolutely right. The United States does have a special relationship with Panama. A more accurate term for that rela- tionship would be imperialism. Please accept this letter and the enclosed identification card as my resignation from the armed forces of the United States of America. Marshall Smith, Technical Sergeant, Texas Air National Guard Josie Wallenius, Thunder Bay Electoral field in GDR widens Gerry Van Houten’s article on the elec- tions in the German Democratic Republic (“Reunification issue in GDR elections? Tribune Feb. 19, 1990) rightly expresses deep concern over the prospect of the capi- talist reunification of Germany, currently pushed by the Social Democrats and the Modrow government. Many of your read- ers might be interested in the news carried by the DDR’s Allgemeine Deutsche Nach- richten (ADN) press agency on+Feb. 6: “Berlin(ADN) — The Spartakist Work- ers Party of Germany is running in the DDR parliamentary elections, ‘to rally and mobilize the working class against the sell- out of the workers state.’ So stated Gunther Ilzig, a founding member of this party, at a press conference in Berlin Tuesday. The Leninist-Trotskyist party is waging its elec- tion campaign against capitalist restoration, against the fascist danger and for the defence of the DDR and the USSR.” Maria Louladakis, Trotskyist League of Canada Opening debate on socialism welcomed We note with interest the announcement of the opening of a “debate on renewal” by the Communist Party of Canada. (“The CP and Canadian Socialism: new questions, new directions,” Tribune Jan. 29, 1990) Like George Hewison, we believe that this has important potential ramifications for the entire Canadian left and the workers’ movement in this country. The current employers’ offensive of cutbacks, privatization, deregulation and regressive tax reform — combined with the growing resistance of workers (demanding a general strike to defeat the GST), women (mobilizing against the threat of any new abortion legislation), and national rights movements (Quebecois, native peoples, Acadians) — all serve to make both a compelling and a promising case for unity in action, which is echoed in the article on renewal. Likewise, a broad re-examination of basic political positions (e.g. socialist democracy both inside and outside the revolutionary movement), along with a search for our real revolutionary continuity in Marxism and Leninism, has been stimulated by events in Eastern Europe and the more general crisis of Stalinism. This poses a unique opportunity to forge a new revolutionary unity that could be a stronger force in leading mass struggles against the ruling class offensive, and in present a strategic alternative to reformism. We strongly believe that the discussion of revolutionary renewal would be most beneficial to the socialist and progressive movement if it occurs publicly, as well as internally. To that end, as a small revolutionary organization of activists rooted in the labour, feminist, gay, Quebec liberation, student, and international solidarity movements, we are writing to express our desire to contribute to this discussion, and to participate in public forums with the Communist Party (as we are doing in Edmonton) and with other organizations to advance a process of political clarification and unity in action. Barry Weisleder, Susan Muckenfuss, Francois Moreau, Socialist Challenge/Gauche socialiste Pacific Tribune, February 26, 1990 « 5