Briarpatch: Remembering John W Warnock

 

Briarpatch:  Remembering John W Warnock.

Briarpatch magazine recently published an interview with Jack's long time companion Susan Ferren.

https:/saskdispatch.com/articles/view/briarpatch-remembering-john-w-warnock

From Jim Beattie:

Posted in mynaramata.com 

30th June 2022

Jack Warnock

Jim Beattie

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John Warnock, a friend to many in Naramata, passed away at the age of 88 years on Friday, May 27, 2022 in Victoria, BC. following a heartbreaking struggle with ALS. He is survived by his former wife Betty Meyers, a Victoria artist, and his children: Delia, Robert, and Dufferin. 
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, "Jack" attended Duke University before his interest in International Affairs led to his pursuit of graduate studies at Georgetown University and then American University. Following his studies, Jack worked within the Library of Congress and then the U.S. Foreign Service under the Kennedy administration. He moved with his family to Saskatoon in a period that coincided with the expansion of the U.S. war in Vietnam. Jack taught in the Political Science Department at the University of Saskatchewan and later moved to Naramata in the ‘70s where he farmed fruit on Old Main Rd. and the current site of Marichal Winery. Jack was a co-founder of the South Okanagan Environmental Coalition (SOEC) which led the fight to end the use of 2-4d to kill milfoil in Lake Okanagan and the ban against uranium mining exploration in BC. He later left farming to return to teaching first in Victoria and finally at the University of Regina. 
Jack was a lifelong, committed political, social justice and environmental activist, political commentator, writer, and university teacher. He leaves behind an incomparably rich political legacy. Jack gave it his all, no matter what he did. You can read more about Jack and his many powerful and inciteful publications on his blog johnwwarnock.blogspot.com.
He willed be lovingly remembered.
Jim Beattie

From Bill Carroll:

 Here is the tribute to Jack that has been published in Canadian Dimension.

https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/in-memoriam-john-w-warnock

Warnock, John W.

passed away at the age of 88 years on Friday, May 27, 2022 in Victoria, BC. He is survived by his former wife Betty Meyers, a Victoria artist, and his children: Delia (Dave), Robert, and Dufferin (Donna). Jack loved visiting his grandchildren: Grey, Hunter, Cheryl (Tyler), Natasha (Andrew), Lizzy, and Max. His great grandchildren also held a special place in his heart: Domiane, Kaeden, Karl, Jasper, Kody, Taiya-Lynn and Kenton.

Jack also leaves to mourn his other family in Peterborough, Ontario including Susan Ferren, his longtime friend and companion, Don Ferren, David Newhouse and Arsalan Ahmad. They will miss him so much, as will his siblings, Bruce Warnock (Deborah), and Lynne Hester (Jim), along with many nieces and nephews.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, "Jack" attended Duke University before his interest in International Affairs led to his pursuit of graduate studies at Georgetown University and then American University. Following his studies, Jack worked within the Library of Congress and then the U.S. Foreign Service under the Kennedy administration. He moved with his family to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in a period that coincided with the expansion of the U.S. war in Vietnam (1961-1975). Jack taught in the Political Science Department at the University of Saskatchewan and later moved to the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia where he became a fruit farmer. He later left farming to return to teaching first in Victoria and finally at the University of Regina. His return to Saskatchewan in the 1980's brought him back to where his heart felt most at home. It was during this period of activism that he met his close friend Susan Ferren.

Jack was a lifelong, committed political, social justice and environmental activist, political commentator, writer, and university teacher. He leaves behind an incomparably rich political legacy. His work inspired a vision of what society could be like and he never once stopped working towards that. Whether it was through his involvement in the Waffle, his anti-war activism, his work with social justice committees or anti-poverty organizations, The National Farmers Union, or as Special Advisor to the Aboriginal Council of Regina, Jack gave it his all. He was one of the founding members of the green party of Saskatchewan--The New Green Alliance--and he was made a lifelong honorary member of that party in recognition of his work. He was also a major contributor to Canadian Dimension and Briarpatch magazines. You can read more about Jack and read some of his many publications on his blog johnwwarnock.blogspot.com.

Heartfelt thanks to Jack's family and friends, and Staff of Mount Saint Mary's for their undying love and support during his difficult and heartbreaking struggle with ALS.

Those wishing to make a donation in Jack's memory can donate to the ALS Society or to any progressive, or Indigenous cause of their choice. At his request, an informal gathering in honour of Jack will take place at the farm near Bulyea, Saskatchewan at a later date.

https://leaderpost.remembering.ca/obituary/john-warnock-1085350699

The Arab American News Book Review of "Creating a Failed State"

 A friend of mine found a book review in the The Arab American News on my book Creating a Failed State: The US and Canada in Afghanistan. 

Link: The Afghan Tragedy

The book is more relevant now with the disastrous withdrawal of NATO troops from Afghanistan. The reviewer gives it a positive review saying:

If you want just one book that gives you the story of the Afghan tragedy, this is it.

It's Time for a Green Democracy

 

Recently I had a conversation with an old friend who is now working with the group of people who are concerned about climate change.  Recently, there was a call for all greens to form a new organization to push on this issue.  There were over 1000 Groups Contacted in Canada.  How could they form a new political movement.  It seems to me that we need a new movement calling for radical change.  This new new Green – alternative could be based on certain truths.  

First:

The liberal model of everyone pursuing their own self-interest and scale there must be a return to promoting the alternative principles of democracy and equality.

Second:

There must be an endorsement for the leap manifesto.  Replacing fossil fuel energy with electrical energy has to be a primary goal.  

Third:

The new green alternative must endorse the green new deal for Canada.  This would include high-speed rail system from coast-to-coast. There would be a public bus system which would be free to users.

         
Fourth:

There would have to be a strong commitment to reconciliation beginning with implementation of the process and how it is a vital role to human rights. The implementation of the United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples.  

Fifth:

There would have to be a democratic commitment to housing as a basic human right. This would require a major commitment to building appropriate and affordable housing for all.
 

Sixth:

There would have to be in a new income progressive corporate tax structure based on ability to pay.  No corporation could avoid paying taxes in Canada.  The universal basic income could become a part of this structure.

Seventh:

There would have to be a shift from support for corporate agribusiness to ecological farming.  The vacant agricultural communities would have to be reestablished.

Eighth:

There would have to be a strong commitment to the international green principle of nonviolence.  There is no need for fighter-bombers if we are not going to bomb anyone. We would also reject the US policy of using drones for assassinations.  Canada would have to withdraw from the defence production agreement with the United States.  These policies might require Canada to withdrawal from NATO.

Programs around these principles would obviously create a great many good jobs.  There is no need to to continue to accept high rates of unemployment in any community or jobs that don't pay a living wage.

Greens Choose Paul

 

Green Party of Canada recently chose a new leader. I was not impressed by the campaign or the outcome.

There was some excitement when the Green party revealed that the membership had grown to 35,000.Thus it was difficult to understand why only 23,000 had actually Voted. How could this be explained. For one thing during most of the campaign there were 10 candidates running., it was difficult to tell the difference between them. This could have been easily clarified by the party itself.. But they refused to do so.

There was another reason. Elizabeth May went on a fund raising tour of Ontario with one candidate.She refused to go with any other. Many people felt that the fix was in.

  There have also been suggestions that the party establishment failed to send ballots  to known supporters of Dimitri Lascaris. In my own case I bought a membership in the party in early July. I also sent in a contribution which be directed to Dimitri . This was done. But when I never received info: on how to vote in the mail in or on my email I went to the party webpage and sent a message.I still did not get any response from the Green Party office.I never voted.


Where do we go from here? 

 
Dimitri  has indicated that he wants to build an ecosocialist movement within the Green Party.' In my opinion this is the wrong way to go. This has been tried a number of times in Canada and without fail they had all collapsed. I think this view underestimates the power of the political party. If you show a possibility of success like the Waffle movement in the NDP in 1971,it is simply expelled.We tend to forget that in parliamentary democracy it is the norm for all parties to allow leader to set policy and to demand conformity. This is also always been the case for social Democratic Parties. We cannot expect the Green party of Canada to be any different.

It seems to me that the coalitions for social justice and the anti-free-trade coalitions were more successful. They were alliances of organizations with only volunteer participation. This limited  their impact. They were also unable to create an alternative vision.
 

But times change. We have seen a young people with the school strikes over over government  inaction on the climste crisis Then there was a broad support for justice for First Nations. Canadians joined in the mass protests in the United States led by Black Lives Matter.
.
Canada, today needs a political party that is committed to the Leap Manifesto and the Green New Deal Canada. .it would be foundedupon a strong commitment for Reconciliation.and UNDRIP

 But this will not happen until there is a broad popular movement for real change.
 it seems to me that we need a new type of political movement where anyone can join. All that would be necessary is a personal commitment to certain democratic principles and goals. This would include  a commitment to the begin with the United Nations social justice principles which were signed by the Canadian government but never implemented. It would generally endorse the principles of ecosoialism. There woud need to be strong commitment to ending militarism.