What importance do the Olympic Games have for the ruling class in Quebec and Canada?
The Olympics have an economic, political and ideological effect. Moreover, they are taking place at a fortunate time for the ruling class, which has been carrying out an unprecedented attack against the working classes of Canada and Quebec for nearly a year.
Economically, the Olympics
are perhaps less important than one would think: their effect is limited essentially to Montreal and Quebec, where the construction and tourist industries and their associated sectors are profiting directly. Of course there is an undergrowth of profiteers and speculators cropping up around the big construction companies and hotels.
How is the ruling class using the Olympic Games?
A aht olympics are being used I as the pretext for a vast ideological offensive, whose principal aspects are the strengthening of national chauvinism, the inculcation of the values espoused by commercial sport like the spirit of competition, of individual success and aggressiveness, and finally, as an attempt to discredit the workers movemen.
But the present attack is far from being only ideological. At this time the 185,000 workers in the Common Front of public sector unions are entering a decisive phase in their negotiations. The State has unbeasued a vicious attack on the right to strike in the public sector, and in spite of the Common Front's bureaucratic leadership, confrontations are likely.
For the ruling class, the usefulness of the Olympics is clear: any "illegal' strike can be denounced as disturbing the social climate and delaying the preparation of this international event that is designed to bring praise to its organisers. It reminds you a bit of the bourgeoisie's ideological initiatives during imperialist wars: anyone who goes on strike or upsets the normal funetioning of capitalist exploitation is accused of destroying the nation and the civilisation.
And above all, while the most decisive confrontations are occurring, Montreal will be occupied by the Canadian Armed Forces who will be there in large numbers to 'protect the Games'. It's easy to imagine the possible dynamic if the working class resorts to the same methods of struggle as in 1972: occupations of radio stations, the effective establishment of workers control over entire cities for short periods of time. Already tens of thouands of workers are defying the special law Bill 253 ('essential services legislation).
In addition to this the construction workers too are now negotiating, and as the bourgeois press has explained, the Olympic installations are quite behind schedule. Blaming the workers for the lateness (caused by bad planning and the Montreal administration's delusions of grandeur), the bourgeoisie is quite prepared to use the most extreme methods to prevent strikes in this sector. Already the Government has fired workers who were working to rule on the Olympic site.
This attack has been accompanied by a big anti-worker ideological offensive in Canada as well as Quebec, of which the Olympics are a cornerstone. Strikes and demonstrations are no longer just called sabotage against the 'war on inflation' but also a threat to as a cover to step up repression against the workers movement.
Canada's 'national honour' - i.e. the Olympics.
On top of this there is all of the hysterical propaganda around the 'terrorist danger'. This lays the basis for repression against foreignborn militants and revolutionary organisations. think of the Montreal Games?
athletes aren't the main beneficiaries of these Games.
it's not the athletes? run to get your money. A member of the Political Bureau of the Groupe Marxiste Revolutionnaire, a sympathising the Olympics?
being prepared. The first victims are naturally the politically active progressive militants. oisie uses an ultra-racist chain of Daniel Taillon, a Quebec athlete taking part in the Olympic games, is the Canadian record-holder for the 100 metre hurdles, the 120 yard hurdles, and the 50 metre indoor hurdles. This interview was carried out last month for the Montreal revolutionary socialist monthly Liberation.
• We hear a lot of talk about the 'Olympic dream' -that is, that the Games serve the athletes by providing them with an ideal occasion to demonstrate human capabilities in sports. As a Quebec athlete, what do you I don't think these Games are intended for the athlete. He/she is not the main object. The main object is the Olympic dream, the Olympic dream people are sold, that the athletes themselves are sold to get them to participate in the Games. The athlete is the means of selling the Games, not the end. The • Who are the main beneficiaries, in your opinion, if The main beneficiaries are the corporations. For the corporations the Olympics are a big economic shot in the arm, but it's the small taxpayer wno pays, it nas noting to do with sport. And it's not the Olympic ideal in the real meaning of the term I think we'll never rediscover the Olympic ideal in today's society. • Could you describe the situation with respect to the assistance athletes get to help with their training?
Generally, athletes don't get much assistance from the government. The small amount the federal government grants athletes doesn't help their daily training programme but just goes to help defray costs of some special projects, such as competitions abroad. And even then, if your project is agreed to, you have to It's especially beginners, athletes who haven't yet made a repuAnd the repression around Arabs-terrorists.
A mbas already begun, tsaree most important aspects are The bourgetation for themselves, who suffer the effects of inadequate assist ance. A great many athletes have given up because of that including athletes who could have had a place in this year's Olympic team.
But athletes who have reached a certain level, who have a certain reputation, usually get their equipment free from Adidas or ruma, or otner sporting goods companies. hese athletes can get scholarships more easily. They are invited more often to participate in competitions with all expenses paid • Can you explain the relationship between companies like Adidas and Puma and the athletes?
The athletes are caught on the horns of a dilemma. If they really want to continue in sport, they need a lot of money Tol their equipment and training. If they have no money they have to work to build a reputation, which will make them a better selling point for the big sports equipment companies. The companies give them their equipment free, and in return they use the athletes to advertise their products by getting them to wear their trade mark on their equipment. • When you compete, do you feel motivated by a kind of Canadian 'national spirit', or do you do it for yourself?
Politics are certainly a factor in international competitions like the Olympics. But it's not the athletes who bring out the national aspects, I never stop to think that I want to beat someone because he is a Frenchman or a German, and I'm a Canadian. I compete only for myselt, against otner, individuals who have achieved a certain standard in my speciality. associations: foreign-colouredThe federal parliament has just passed a temporary immigration security law'. It allows the deportation, expulsion or denial of entry to anyone who does not have landed immigrant status in Canada.
pics Incidentally, many progressive or revolutionary militants have been 'visited' by the cops. A leader of our organisation was told he should take a good vacation out of the country, otherwise his vacation would be 'organised at the Queen's expense'. The offices of a particularly isolated mao-stalinist group have been raided.
This is just the start: we expect to see 'preventive arrests' as well as a variety of forms of intimidation before the Games. The State may well use all sorts of pretexts to avoid linking the repression directly to the Olympics for the sake of 'inter national opinion. Thus there is a real possibility for provocations under a wide range of pretexts.
Could you say a bit about the repressive means already in force for the Olympics?
It is the biggest deployment of repressive forces seen in Quebec since World War II. One sixth of the Canadian army will be mobilised in the occupation of Montreal in collaboration with the three police forces - all equipped with anti-riot gear, and intelligence services, ete.
The Canadian army has a very professional and specialised character: there are more officers and non commissioned officers than soldiers - it exists only for domestic pur poses. It has been used for these purposes internationally: Cyprus, Gaza, ete. In addition, the police forces here are collaborating closely with the intelligence networks in other capitalist countries, particularly with the CIA.
And it is not just for the Olym- the Games have become the occasion to install an entire system for future use. But for immediate needs, there are 20,000 armed men who will be taking over the schools of Montreal to stay for the summer.
What will be your intervention in terms of the Olympics?
It will be entirely propagandistie. We have set ourselves the task of explaining in what sense the Games are 'Capital's Games", linking this to the question of the role of the State, the role of sport in the dominant ideology, and repression.
The only work we see other than this propagandistic campaign is in the struggle against repression. We are initiating the broadest possible unity in action in defense of democratic rights in defence of the victims of repression, and against the racist policy carried out against progressive immigrants.
In this work international solidarity plays a crucial role. The repression must be publicised as widely as possible outside Quebec the fear of scandals on an international level is probably the only thing which can affect the bourgeoisie at this time. As well, we need all information on militants who are deported or stopped at the border, etc. We will be counting on the other sections of the Fourth International to help in this work, in this struggle against repression.
NEXT WEEK: "The Athlete's Dilemma' - an interview with Bruce Kidd, a Canadian Olym pic athlete in 1964 who was involved in discussion of the potential black American boycott of the 1968 Olympics and has since co-authored a book on the commercialisation of hockey.
JOHN MAGEE reports from Belfast Some 50,000 Orangemen sweated their way through Belfast last Monday as they marched in the notorious Twelfth procession. Often depicted as a colourful and amusing folk festival by the press, the 12 July parade is the annual demonstration of Loyalist domination over the nationalist minority of the Six . As one Catholic put it: 'On the Twelfth you are a prisoner in your own city.
It is a vast coat-trailing exercise designed to intimidate and cow the Taigs and at the same time reaffirm the unity of Ulster Protestants - a unity not obstructed by trivial issues such as profits, wages and the North's 11 per cent unemployment level.
many uister rrotestants regaro tnem selves as the long-lost twelfth tribe of Israel, and une weiren provides nem with an opportunity to don bowler hat Red Weekly 15 July 1976 and sash, take bible and sword in hand, n such garo mey oroceed to cue nerd They are seized by an emotional frenzy as the Imperial GrandMaster or some orner Orange wizard reveal for the umpteenth time the details of a dastaraly plot by Repuducans and Communists - in league with 'old red socks the Pope Protestants of the civil and religious liberty gained by the defeat of popery at the Battle of the Bovne in 1690 tne boyansts or Nortnern Ireland, ano anyway the myths are well-established. Presbyterian Ulster is not fond of being reminded that following King Billy's victory, Presbyterians were subjected to persecution just like Catholics, and the High Anglican Church was established as the only legal Church through. out Ireland.
strations, Loyalist unity was preserved.
of the talks between the Official Union& Labour Party. Yet these talks are al cne centre or a disoute wwwin tue Loyalist parties, which in the view of many willn the Loyalst coanuon Has led to permanent cracks in the UUUC, if not to its imminent demise.
any mandate or agreement from the other parties in the UUUC. Despite the and really feel one of the chosen people to hear speeches and vote for resolutions which pledge loyalty to God, the Queen • to deprive wister s at the hands of William, Prince of Orange, Historical fact has little importance for On the platforms of the Orange demon No mention was made in the resolutions ist Party (OUP) and the Social Democratic The OUP entered into the talks without our leader harry vest labove) Is now being hailed as a moderate-just as Craig (below) was when he was thrown out of the Loyalist coalition by the same H. West. strong criticism and insistence by these parties that the talks must end, the OUP has refused to call them off.
The stand taken by the OUP has been welcomed by those who back a coation covernment mn one snape or another. OUP members like Harry West and Martin Smyth, who booted Craig's Vanguard Party out of the UUUC, are now being hailed as moderates. One might expect, therefore, that the OUP and the SLP are actually discussing powersharing in the talks, that the OUP has shifted from its previous intransigent But this is not the case. Over the cups of tea shared with the sDEr, the omicia. Unionists have simply been reiterating their adherence to the UUUC Convention report, and their total opposition to having the SDLP in the Cabinet.
Indeed, it would appear that the wHen unionists decision to talk with the SLP was motivated by their desire to assert their authority within the Loyalist coalition, against that of Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party and Baird's United Ulster Unionist Movement. Under the leadership of Harry West, the OUP, the party of traditional Unionism, had increasingly become overshadowed by the militant demagogy of Paisley and Baird. Now Smyth would appear to have the drop on his clerical opponent.
But with the inevitable failure of the present talks to produce agreement, the Loyalist population will be thrown back to the old game of choosing between the vacillating 'moderates like Smyth and the clear militant determination of Paisley and his Loyalist Action Council. When that time comes, the temporary advantage gained by the Official Union ists over the last few weeks may well prove to be a case of just enough rope to hang themselves.
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