Editorial
“Buy Canadian” – Chauvinism in the
Service of the North American Monopolies
Large-scale layoffs in the auto and
steel industries in Canada have given rise to a “Buy Canadian” chorus from the
federal and provincial governments and various trade unions. Ironically, the
same voices could be heard a couple of weeks ago condemning the U.S. Congress
for its inclusion of a “Buy American” clause in the Obama administration’s
stimulus package.
These calls to buy domestically produced
products are presented as a “solution” to the economic crisis and as a way to
save jobs. However, they are neither. In reality, they are thinly disguised
calls for Canadian workers to line up behind the North American monopolies in
their trade wars with the European and Japanese monopolies.
What does it mean to “Buy Canadian” when
three-quarters of the Canadian economy is foreign-owned? What does it mean to
“Buy Canadian” when most of the major manufacturing industries have globalized
their production facilities and a product may contain parts manufactured in
many different countries? For example, cars assembled in Canada contain parts
from the U.S., Mexico, China and probably half a dozen other countries. Steel
produced in the U.S. uses iron ore mined in Labrador. Production has become so
internationalized that the whole concept of buying domestic has been rendered
virtually meaningless.
Protectionism in the form of “Buy
Canadian” or “Buy American” is not a solution to the current economic crisis.
It can only lead to further exacerbation of the crisis and retaliatory measures
by those competitors who find themselves shut out of
markets. That, in turn, will lead to trade wars which eventually degenerate
into shooting wars. This is certainly not a “solution” that
favours the working class and people. Canada, which
has an export-oriented economy, would suffer the most if protectionism becomes
widespread. It can hardly afford to be promoting such a thing.
Despite what Harper and others are
claiming, the crisis in Canada will undoubtedly be more severe than it will be
in many other countries precisely because of its overwhelming dependence on exports
to the U.S. This is the result of geographical, historical and political factors,
not the least of which is the fact that the Canadian capitalist class has
always subordinated itself to foreign capital – first British and then
American. It has traditionally sold out the land and labour
of the Canadian people for a quick buck. How will a “Buy Canadian” campaign
alter that reality?
The solution to the current crisis and
the solution to Canada’s vulnerable economic status are interconnected. Those
who have created this mess in the first place – the monopoly capitalists (both
domestic and foreign) – and the governments that serve them must be removed and
an independent, planned economy must be established. The Canadian economy can then
gradually become a self-reliant economy in which primary emphasis is placed on
serving the needs of the working class and people, both at home and abroad.
This has nothing to do with building a protectionist, insular economy. Such a
thing has never been possible or desirable, least of all in a modern world. A
self-reliant economy is one which has both a strong domestic market and strong
trading links based on mutual benefit. Such an economy would not be devastated
by an international economic crisis to the extent that Canada will be by the
current one.