THE HOME FRONT
BOHN, WILLIAM E.
The Home Front By WILLIAM E. BOHN Is Canada Different? 1A5T WEEK I GAVE YOU an exciting report on Saskatchewan by an American student from Middletown, Conn. Mr. E. Scott Maynes went to...
...If other Cana'dians can be as frank and friendly as this-1 one, I hope to hear'from a whale row of them...
...6) At present there is no political 'mass basis' for such a party...
...Rubin's picture of our political pains ought to rouse the sort of sham which leads to reform: "* "It is hard for us in the CCF to conceive of a situation where we,,would tolerate an impasse between any two groupings of party, cabinet and legislature...
...Maynes continues...
...For instance, journals such as The New Leader could help by devoting a little more space to criticism of capitalism...
...My answer (again compressed), is that the following factors militate against it...
...3) The degree of participation in American politics is not sufficient for a 'grass-roots' party of the CCF type, "(4) Though faith in capitalism has been modified, it nonetheless remains strong...
...and the extent of participation in party activities, undoubtedly make the-CCF the most truly democratic party of this continent...
...in the United States it has seemed more or less an accidental one...
...On March 9» the editor of The Commonwealth—published in Regina, heart of Canada's experiment in Socialismcast an eye toward'his backward southern neighbor...
...His comment on Mr...
...I have given you his observations up to the point where he asks the.question: What can we learn from our northern neighbors...
...THE REGINA EDITOR FIRST GIVES a fair and rapid review of the arguments by Professor Carleton and Philip Rubin, which started this discission...
...He wants jam on both sides of his bread...
...The depression, though tough on many Americans, was softened by the New Deal...
...No, American Socialists will have to do a lot deeper heart-searching than this, if they are to develop their counterpart of the CCF...
...Due to unforeseen circumstances...
...1) Both our political apparatus (elective machinery) and tradition are stacked against third parties...
...2) Neither labor nor the farmers have shown any inclination* to indulge in direct political activity (as in a 'Labor' Party...
...And as for Professor Carleton, we are inclined to agree with him about the difference between...
...and Csu nadian venture capitalism...
...VIEWING THE CCF IN ACTION was an exhilarating experience...
...Perhaps if we lived under the American system, we would dislike it just as Mr...
...This stems from the election-born decisions of labor and agricultural leaders to work indirectly through existing major parties...
...American socialists would also go farther if they stopped eyeing the horizon for signs of some big-name messiah, and started building up leaders from their own ranks...
...The U.S...
...the degree of political idealism combined with experienceborn practicality...
...In Canada government ownership has been a natural and evolutionary development...
...the competent application of parliametnary methods;%the willingness to experiment...
...and a little less space to denunciations of communsmi to conditions in central Europe, and to the maneuverings of the Democrats and Repubficans in Washington...
...Disillusionment with capitalism is .neither thorough-going nor widespread...
...the vigor of internal criticism...
...The high degree of political-economic literacy...
...David" J. Dailin's column will not appear in this issue of The New Leadrr...
...5) There exists extensive prejudice against collective (political) action and tigainst 'communism,' (with which socialism and liberalism are not infrequently confused...
...It is difficult for him to imagine Canadians enduring hardships which are patiently endured on this side of the line...
...Nevertheless this is only part of the explanation of goverriment's entry into business at all levels in Canada.' It should not be forgotten that we have closer ties with Britain, and therefore wijh the example she has set over many decades in tho field of municipal ownership...
...Like many another traveler, he finds the outlook greener across the border: "Now the $64.00 question," Mr...
...Is a party like the Canadian Commonwealth Federation likely to emerge in the near future in the United States...
...capitalist may want 100 percent, return on his investment, but the Canadian capitalist wants a government guarantee as well...
...I had asked for light from the north...
...E. Scott Maynes went to Canada with a group of inquirers for the purpose of finding answers to the questions many of us have been asking about the CCF...
...Rubin does* but from this distance its use as an apology for the failure of social democrats in the U.S...
...doesn't hold water...
Vol. 32 • April 1949 • No. 16
