MAPLE SYRUP COMMUNIST APPAREL is now officially open!
MSCA is "completely not-for profit," with all proceeds from the sale of merchandise going directly to the Edmonton Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation. *Update: On January 25, 2018 Edmonton Stollery Chilren's Foundation declined Communist Money. Go here for: details.
For transparency sake, it is important to explain what "completely not-for-profit" entails, as it is definitely less altruistic than it sounds.
To be fair, I am a Progressive Marxist, not a Mother Theresa. When you buy a shirt, sweater, mug, or whatever, any profits that I would have received directly from the manufacturer, go instead to the Edmonton Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation. Then, at the end of the year, they will issue a tax receipt. In this way, you get cool Communist Apparel; you make a difference in the Community; I submit my tax receipt. Come tax time next year, let the Canadian Government pay me for my effort as an artist, designer, and shop owner. If all goes well, I hope to be able to afford more time to stand for the things I believe, but with a little left over for friends & family. I claim Socialist Values. I believe it is important to help those who need it, but I also hold time as having value, even my own. Everyone deserves to be compensated for their work, even artist & activists. I ran the above disclaimer by a few of my close friends, wondering if it was even necessary. My Smart Communist Uncle suggested not, implying that I was being naive. Everyone know how it goes, I suddenly realized. Even charities do it, grabbing their tax reductions by encouraging their staff to support other charities as an extension of themselves. This is the way of the world, I had just never considered it! |
When I worked at Youth Empowerment & Support Services, they ran fundraisers in support of HOMEWARD TRUST, "asking" staff to donate through automatic withdrawals from their pay checks, and shaming them when they refused. At the time, everyone was like, "Yeah Altruism!" But, of course, they were doing it for the tax receipt. In retrospect, this does not bother me; only, I hadn't realized at the time that I was contributing from my last pay check, towards my next; an obvious case of "Peter paying Paul," only with a surprising social benefit! It is not unethical that they encouraged us to donate in this fashion, only, in my own practice, I wish to be more transparent and kind. There is no shame in not purchasing Communist Apparel, and giving the money directly to the cause of your choice.
"If I were to make money," I explained to Drew Nicoll, a friend and local contributor to the Blog, "I kind of want it to be part of this evolving narrative. If I could start a business, give all the money to charity, and have the government pay my wage... Well, then, anyone could!"
This is the piece that was missing at my previous place of employment; the transparency. If everyone knew, it must have been like a "dirty little secret," because it was never openly spoken about. As Maple Syrup Socialism moves forward with our own charity event in April, things are really starting to come together. Conformed presenters/performers include: Nickolas Giroux (of the Edmonton Citadel/Fringe Fest Edmonton), Karen Lumley Kerr (Local Activist/Music), Dying With Dignity Canada, The Society of Edmonton Atheists, and The Communist Party of Alberta.
EDMONTON LOCAL SOLIDARITY 2018 will be held at Naked Cyber Cafe, a not-for-profit artist's space. I am very excited about this event, and will keep everyone up to date as we continue to reach out to other not-for-profit/activist groups in our community. At this time, I have sent out "feelers" to The Good Grief Collective, Breathe in Poetry Collective, and The Canadian Fentanyl Prevention Society. Phil Murphey of The Phil Murphey Band has also agreed to come on board & headline, providing he can get the day off work.
EDMONTON LOCAL SOLIDARITY 2018 will be a night of poetry, music, networking, and activism. Maple Syrup Communist Apparel will produce Limited Edition Event Stickers which will be sold (in person) as tickets/keepsakes, with all proceeds of sales going directly to the Edmonton Chapter of Dying With Dignity. Tickets will be sold to 70% capacity, with admission by donation on the day of. In my opening remarks I will be talking about "The Importance of Acting out our Beliefs/Values," and have an amazing local poet in mind to host.
In other news, you may have noticed, I have claimed for myself "Progressive Marxism". It makes things easier. I don't feel like a Socialist, Communist, or have any complete allegiance to the other labels the left has to offer. Some ideologies would claim I go to far; others, not far enough. As example, I can easily imagine industry being socialized, but have no vision for a cashless society. Defining myself in my own way, it saves me from having to be pinned down to traditional prearranged constraints. It opens up the opportunity to declare what I truly believe, and what I hope to achieve as an idealist. To anyone, I would recommend finding new ways to define themselves. Keep the passion, but let go of staunch adherence. Marx envisioned a movement, not a religion or (worse) a cult.
Lastly, I had a chat with Naomi Rankin (Leader of the Communist Party of Alberta) over the weekend. At this point, I had only attended two of their events, one to get to know them (Coffee With Communists), and the second in support of them (handing out leaflets), but have since had a good back and forth going. I had some general questions about party membership. I had enjoyed Coffee With Communists, but would have preferred to attend a meetings with a focused agenda, and a plan of action. "Just to clarify," Naomi began on Friday afternoon, "the Coffee with Communists is specifically intended for making contact with potential members. Club business meetings are where we have focused practical decision-making."
"People's Voice," she continued, "is our party paper, so it's a package deal. Promising to support the party explicitly includes promising to support the paper. We have a committee working on plans for more effective media presence, including reaching out to get people in Facebook groups, and connecting with them in real life. I expect this will involve some joint work with The Young Communist League.
I was curious specifically about the process of becoming a member, and learned that it was harder than I had imagined. In my head, I sent them money, and they take it. Done. "Becoming a member," though, explained Naomi, "requires being accepted by a vote of the club, so usually we invite you to several meetings and activities so that members can know you before voting on your application."
Upon receiving this last statement, I assumed a misunderstanding. Is this normal, I wondered, that a political party will not accept you and your money, unless the group accepts you by vote? Naomi allowed that anyone is "free to participate as much as you can, even before rustling up dues money," but it didn't seem good enough to me. I was thinking that if the CPC had a goal to, say, double their due paying constituency every year, that it would be impossible to accomplish, assuming each person were pressed to this standard. Naomi concluded that "it is standard procedure for a revolutionary party that has to protect itself from infiltration by police agents and also to maintain its revolutionary orientation," adding that they would "sabotage themselves by being unwelcoming to sincere socialists, but they are also in a relentless struggle with a completely ruthless enemy."
She had given me a lot to think about. I proposed that we shelve this particular package and unpack it in person at a later date. My first thought though, is that the party is being paranoid to the extent of irresponsibility. I admit, this thought is informed by nothing more than gut instinct. But still. I brought this to my friend Dave Zeus Ames, another one of our local contributors, who commented, "Brutal honesty is the best policy. Secret societies aren’t inviting. They don't influence movements, let alone lead them," and I agree. There must be a better way to protect a movement, without "hiding its light under a bushel". I could easily imagine an outer circle, where membership is automatically accepted along with dues, with a more cautious inner circle. Even with the Facebook Page, there is an inner circle; a Think Tank of sorts, but this is not about secrecy. Rather, it is about finding focus among other Progressive Marxists, so that our visions can be shared in a cohesive manner.
"If I were to make money," I explained to Drew Nicoll, a friend and local contributor to the Blog, "I kind of want it to be part of this evolving narrative. If I could start a business, give all the money to charity, and have the government pay my wage... Well, then, anyone could!"
This is the piece that was missing at my previous place of employment; the transparency. If everyone knew, it must have been like a "dirty little secret," because it was never openly spoken about. As Maple Syrup Socialism moves forward with our own charity event in April, things are really starting to come together. Conformed presenters/performers include: Nickolas Giroux (of the Edmonton Citadel/Fringe Fest Edmonton), Karen Lumley Kerr (Local Activist/Music), Dying With Dignity Canada, The Society of Edmonton Atheists, and The Communist Party of Alberta.
EDMONTON LOCAL SOLIDARITY 2018 will be held at Naked Cyber Cafe, a not-for-profit artist's space. I am very excited about this event, and will keep everyone up to date as we continue to reach out to other not-for-profit/activist groups in our community. At this time, I have sent out "feelers" to The Good Grief Collective, Breathe in Poetry Collective, and The Canadian Fentanyl Prevention Society. Phil Murphey of The Phil Murphey Band has also agreed to come on board & headline, providing he can get the day off work.
EDMONTON LOCAL SOLIDARITY 2018 will be a night of poetry, music, networking, and activism. Maple Syrup Communist Apparel will produce Limited Edition Event Stickers which will be sold (in person) as tickets/keepsakes, with all proceeds of sales going directly to the Edmonton Chapter of Dying With Dignity. Tickets will be sold to 70% capacity, with admission by donation on the day of. In my opening remarks I will be talking about "The Importance of Acting out our Beliefs/Values," and have an amazing local poet in mind to host.
In other news, you may have noticed, I have claimed for myself "Progressive Marxism". It makes things easier. I don't feel like a Socialist, Communist, or have any complete allegiance to the other labels the left has to offer. Some ideologies would claim I go to far; others, not far enough. As example, I can easily imagine industry being socialized, but have no vision for a cashless society. Defining myself in my own way, it saves me from having to be pinned down to traditional prearranged constraints. It opens up the opportunity to declare what I truly believe, and what I hope to achieve as an idealist. To anyone, I would recommend finding new ways to define themselves. Keep the passion, but let go of staunch adherence. Marx envisioned a movement, not a religion or (worse) a cult.
Lastly, I had a chat with Naomi Rankin (Leader of the Communist Party of Alberta) over the weekend. At this point, I had only attended two of their events, one to get to know them (Coffee With Communists), and the second in support of them (handing out leaflets), but have since had a good back and forth going. I had some general questions about party membership. I had enjoyed Coffee With Communists, but would have preferred to attend a meetings with a focused agenda, and a plan of action. "Just to clarify," Naomi began on Friday afternoon, "the Coffee with Communists is specifically intended for making contact with potential members. Club business meetings are where we have focused practical decision-making."
"People's Voice," she continued, "is our party paper, so it's a package deal. Promising to support the party explicitly includes promising to support the paper. We have a committee working on plans for more effective media presence, including reaching out to get people in Facebook groups, and connecting with them in real life. I expect this will involve some joint work with The Young Communist League.
I was curious specifically about the process of becoming a member, and learned that it was harder than I had imagined. In my head, I sent them money, and they take it. Done. "Becoming a member," though, explained Naomi, "requires being accepted by a vote of the club, so usually we invite you to several meetings and activities so that members can know you before voting on your application."
Upon receiving this last statement, I assumed a misunderstanding. Is this normal, I wondered, that a political party will not accept you and your money, unless the group accepts you by vote? Naomi allowed that anyone is "free to participate as much as you can, even before rustling up dues money," but it didn't seem good enough to me. I was thinking that if the CPC had a goal to, say, double their due paying constituency every year, that it would be impossible to accomplish, assuming each person were pressed to this standard. Naomi concluded that "it is standard procedure for a revolutionary party that has to protect itself from infiltration by police agents and also to maintain its revolutionary orientation," adding that they would "sabotage themselves by being unwelcoming to sincere socialists, but they are also in a relentless struggle with a completely ruthless enemy."
She had given me a lot to think about. I proposed that we shelve this particular package and unpack it in person at a later date. My first thought though, is that the party is being paranoid to the extent of irresponsibility. I admit, this thought is informed by nothing more than gut instinct. But still. I brought this to my friend Dave Zeus Ames, another one of our local contributors, who commented, "Brutal honesty is the best policy. Secret societies aren’t inviting. They don't influence movements, let alone lead them," and I agree. There must be a better way to protect a movement, without "hiding its light under a bushel". I could easily imagine an outer circle, where membership is automatically accepted along with dues, with a more cautious inner circle. Even with the Facebook Page, there is an inner circle; a Think Tank of sorts, but this is not about secrecy. Rather, it is about finding focus among other Progressive Marxists, so that our visions can be shared in a cohesive manner.
In my own practice, I think that I would rather be transparent and face the complications that arise from being transparent, than accept the stigma that comes from being a covert operation. Nevertheless, I have had my own web site flagged and shut down, my account and personal profile on Facebook frozen, received hate mail, and been encouraged to kill myself. Even with the store; even before a single sale had been made, product has been removed from my inventory, including the sticker shown here, for "CONTENT INFRINGEMENT". With this in mind, I fear that MAPLE SYRUP COMMUNIST APPAREL will not have a long life. If it turns out differently though, I have my sights set on Amazon Marketplace; my fingers crossed hopefully. |
Dave, as he said, was against acting covertly, but admitted, "There is definitely a fear of infiltration, and it’s very legitimate. That fear exists for every political movement. But, where communists are different than other political movements, we advocate for a complete overhaul, not simple changes in policy. So, yes, the fear is definitely legitimate."
In regards to my own approach, I admitted, "It is entirely possible that I am STILL being completely naive."
In regards to my own approach, I admitted, "It is entirely possible that I am STILL being completely naive."
My hope though, is that MAPLE SYRUP COMMUNIST APPAREL will be a small part of a progressive movement to remove the negative stigma that surrounds the writing of Karl. People should be proud of their activism. If you are a Communist, then be a Communist. If you do it covertly, you do it in support of the alternatives; those on the Right, who think you should be ashamed. Don't give them the satisfaction. The next time I stand up with CPC, it will be in full MAPLE SYRUP COMMUNIST APPAREL, and there will be no mistaking who I am, and what I stand for. One hundred years ago, sixty thousand Canadians could rally together as Socialists. Today, you can hardly get twenty of us together at the same time! There is room for improvement. Keep it real. Peace, love, and empathy, Gerhard Jason Geick Maple Syrup Socialist & Progressive Marxist January 24, 2018 Edmonton, Alberta |
Special Thanks to Naomi Rankin for graciously answering our questions and allowing her words to be a part of this ongoing project that is my life. I am richer because of it!
Note from the Communist Party of Canada:
We have across Canada conventions every three years.
Before each convention there is a discussion period that all party members can participate in, usually with four of five "Bulletins" published ahead of the convention, including debate and resolutions.
We have delegate conventions, where delegates are elected by clubs with number of delegates proportional to the number of club members.
Generally, there is a motion passed at the convention deciding how many members of the Central Committee should be selected from each province or region, and the ballots reflect this - with names grouped by region, and a certain number of votes allowed within each region for on each ballot. For example, if it is decided that there should be seven members from British Columbia, every delegate from anywhere in the country can vote for up to seven of the nominees from BC.
Typically there will be only a few more nominated than are to be elected from each region. If there are not more nominated than there are positions, it is still a yes/no vote for each one, so every person elected must have received support from at least a majority of the convention delegates.
Note from the Communist Party of Canada:
We have across Canada conventions every three years.
Before each convention there is a discussion period that all party members can participate in, usually with four of five "Bulletins" published ahead of the convention, including debate and resolutions.
We have delegate conventions, where delegates are elected by clubs with number of delegates proportional to the number of club members.
Generally, there is a motion passed at the convention deciding how many members of the Central Committee should be selected from each province or region, and the ballots reflect this - with names grouped by region, and a certain number of votes allowed within each region for on each ballot. For example, if it is decided that there should be seven members from British Columbia, every delegate from anywhere in the country can vote for up to seven of the nominees from BC.
Typically there will be only a few more nominated than are to be elected from each region. If there are not more nominated than there are positions, it is still a yes/no vote for each one, so every person elected must have received support from at least a majority of the convention delegates.