"Air Canada's regional carrier Jazz is removing life vests from all its planes to save weight and fuel. Jazz spokeswoman Manon Stuart said Thursday that government regulations set by Transport Canada allow airlines to use floatation devices instead of life vests provided the planes remain within 50 nautical miles of shore. Safety cards in the seat pockets of Jazz aircraft now direct passengers to use the seat cushions as floatation devices. ... Woody French, mayor of Conception Bay South, Newfoundland, called it a cheap move. French has been advocating for an airline passenger bill of rights."A lot of these airlines say 'Well, our passengers are our main concern.' That's a bit of a misnomer," French said. "We're a distant second. Profits are the first." (Yahoo News, 29 August) RD
"Where are the leaders and what are their
demands?" will be the question puzzled professional politicians and media
pundits will be asking when the Revolution comes. They will find it inconceivable
that a socialist movement could survive without an elite at the top. This view
will be shared by some at the bottom. Lenin and his Bolshevik cohorts argued
that we couldn't expect the masses to become effective revolutionaries
spontaneously, all on their own. To achieve liberation they needed the guidance
of a "vanguard party" comprised of an expert political leadership
with a clear programme. The Trotskyist/Leninist Left may remix the song over
and over again all they want but the tune remains the same: leaders and the cadres
of the vanguard can find the answer; the mass movements of the people cannot
liberate themselves. The case for leadership is simple. Most working-class
people are too busy to have opinions or engage in political action. There’s a
need for some…
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