Heaven Help Us All
Anyway Bush & co. have argued that they are bringing democracy & democratic principles to Iraq but it seems that the invasion of Iraq has more to do with giving access to Iraqi Oil to a number of International & American owned oil companies as the New Iraqi Oil Law now gives 75% of the oil to non-Iraqi companies.
So according to this American model of nationalism & Internationalization countries must allow foreign interests to be allowed full access to a nations natural resources . No country has the right therefore to nationalize various industries even if this would be to the benefit of the people of that nation. In most democratic nations there is assumed to be a right to collective bargaining on the part of workers as in the recent Supreme court case here in Canada whereby 'The Right to Collective Bargaining was upheld by the Supreme Court of Canada & that the Federal government nor the provincial governments can take actions which interfere or undermine this right-
See: Also see globeandmail.com Collective bargaining is a right, top court rules
Yet in Iraq on June 6, (2007) troops have been sent to end an oil workers on stike & so according to the Bush doctrine of democracy the right to collective bargaining & the right to strike are not important democratic rights - this is not surprising since the neoconservatives are anti-union & believe in what they refer to as the " Right To Work "- meaning the right to work for lower & lower wages & fewer & fewer benefits for the average worker whether in Iraq or America while CEOs now earn many more times over what they did ten years ago - ie. a salary increase from one million a year in 1997 to eight million a year in 2007-
And here's a snipit of Bush joking with The Wealthy Elite " the haves & the have mores " who are being made richer by his policies eincluding the Occupation of Iraq :
Anyway Avi Lewis is hosting a new show on CBC " ON THE MAP " which may actually include some hard-hitting in depth news reporting & interviews we'll have to keep an eye on this as it develops -
Avi Lewis interviews John Bolton about the Iraq Oil Law
May 28, 2007From: OnTheMapwithAviLewis
Clip from new global current affairs show on CBC Newsworld. Award-winning filmmaker and journalist-activist Avi Lewis asks John Bolton if the proposed law is fueling sectarianism, and if US pressure equals Big Oil interest. The full interview can be seen at www.cbc.ca/onthemap
Also seeCBCs On The Map :
Aired on June 4, 2007
The Iraq Oil Law is a little known document at the heart of the war.
Critics of the Iraq oil law say it will deprive Iraqis of billions in oil revenues and worsen tensions between regions, ethnic groups, and religions. Critics also point to a long paper trail of US involvement in the drafting of the law.
Blogger Raed Jarrar is one of those critics. In February 2007, Jarrar obtained a copy of the law from a source inside the Green Zone in Baghdad - before the Iraqi Parliament had even seen it. The draft law, says Jarrar, was in part written by American consulting firm Bearing Point, a company that got a $240 million contract from the US government to draw up plans for Iraq’s reconstruction.
Iraq Workers Form Unions Despite Violence, Obstacles
Added: December 08, 2006 From: AFLCIONow
Abdullah Muhsin, the international representative of the General Federation of Iraqi Workers (GFIW).
( this now sounds like naive optimism as Iraqi troops were sent to end oil workers' strike in Iraq as of June 6, 2007 GORD. )
It seems he spoke too soon & does not know that the Bush Regime is anti-union & anti-democratic since their definition of democracy is tied to the notion of Free Trade & allowing Multinationals & American owned companies the freedom to do whatever they want to do.
So workers of the world be warned it is ok now to send in troops to stop any workers' strike since any interference in production is to be characterized as an act of sedition & treason since we are now in a perpetual state of war as the following article points out:
Analysis: Oil Strikers Met by Iraqi TroopsBush to take Iraq Oil
By Ben Lando
United Press International
Thursday 07 June 2007
Washington - On the third day of an oil strike in southern Iraq, the Iraqi military surrounded oil workers and the prime minister issued arrest warrants for the union leaders, sparking an outcry from supporters and international unions.
"This will not stop us because we are defending people's rights," said Hassan Jumaa Awad, president of IFOU. As of Wednesday morning, when United Press International spoke to Awad via mobile phone in Basra at the site of one of the strikes, no arrests had been made, "but regardless, the arrest warrant is still active." He said that the "Iraqi Security Forces," who were present at the strike scenes, told him of the warrants and said that they would be making any arrests.
The arrest warrant accuses the union leaders of "sabotaging the economy," according to a statement from British-based organization Naftana, and said that Maliki warned that his "iron fist" would be used against those who stopped the flow of oil.
IFOU called a strike early last month but put it on hold twice after overtures from the government. Awad said that at a May 16 meeting, Maliki agreed to set up a committee to address the unions' demands.
The demands include union entry to negotiations over the oil law that they fear will allow foreign oil companies too much access to Iraq's oil, as well as a variety of improved working conditions.
"Apparently they promise but they never do anything," Awad said, confirming reports that the Iraqi oil ministry would send a delegation to Basra.
"One person from the ministry of oil accompanied by an Iraqi military figure came to negotiate the demands. Instead it was all about threats. It was all about trying to shut us up, to marginalize our actions," Awad said. "The actions we are taking now are continuing with the strike until our demands are taken in concentration."
The strike by the Iraq Pipelines Union in Basra started Monday, instigated by a decision by the Iraq Pipelines Company to stop regular bonuses to workers. It is part of a larger picture, however, of 17 different demands laid out - beginning last month - to the Iraq oil ministry and Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki by the Iraq Federation of Oil Unions.
February 22, 2007,From: ColbyDog
Bush's real agenda revealed in proposed law to privatize oil for US corporations
Amy Goodman ON " DEMOCRACY NOW " interviews Antonia Juhasz & Blogger Raed Jarrar
Video of Antonia Juhasz speaking about new law regarding Iraq's oil 75 % of Iraqi oil to be handed over to non-Iraqi companies
And here is more on Iraqi Oil Law which was written & approved by American officials & various CEOs of a number of American controlled oil companies but of course the war in Iraq is not about oil as Mr. Bolton would say...
Iraqi Oil Privatized & troops sent to end strike of oil workers
Antonia Juhasz interviewed by Amy Goodman june 6, 2007
(audio only )
Take care,
GORD.
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