THE WORLD FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS (WFTU) - A CONGRESS TO COME
Do we really know the American people?
When I was 15 years old, my father and some other uncles decided to go to Old Orchard Beach (Maine) in the USA, during the construction recess; we stayed at the Sand Piper Motel, close to the beach. It was my first time ever by the ocean. We used to eat at a nearby restaurant where they serve “fish and chips”. I was the family interpreter and I was ordering the meals for all of us. The waitress was a young student, nice and polite; she was very patient, my English was not that good.
My father, a handy and simple man told me: “Daniel, she is cute hey, why don’t you ask her when she gonna finish her shift; you could go out and date her; I’m sure that she will teach you some English that you won’t forget!” I went red immediately while the whole family was laughing. That is my first memory of USA.
A few years later, our family alongside with other French Canadian families joined a movement organizing youth exchanges bet
ween USA and Québec. So, we met many young Americans, often living in New York and being from Jewish descent. Really, we learnt a lot from them (like the Cat Stevens music); after all they were from the Big Apple (and this means something). One night, returning from the old part of Québec City, one girl and I were experimenting with a long and languorous (that’s what I thought at that time!) French kiss when a car came. It was my family... My mother jumped off the car, shouted at me; the whole family was laughing. Didn’t I tell you that it happened previously?
ween USA and Québec. So, we met many young Americans, often living in New York and being from Jewish descent. Really, we learnt a lot from them (like the Cat Stevens music); after all they were from the Big Apple (and this means something). One night, returning from the old part of Québec City, one girl and I were experimenting with a long and languorous (that’s what I thought at that time!) French kiss when a car came. It was my family... My mother jumped off the car, shouted at me; the whole family was laughing. Didn’t I tell you that it happened previously?(Photo: like in New York, Montréal unites the "ancient" and the "modern"; day of protest).
I was lucky nevertheless, since just previously I was attempting to discover the anatomical changes of this girl and trying to explore it. Imagine if my mother would have seen that. I would not be alive to tell you the story by now.
In September 1973, I started to study at the English speaking St.Patrick’s High School of Québec City. It was practically like an American high school; we were even studying topics, highly debated in USA, such as abortion and death penalty; it was part of our moral education. This is when I started to frequent girls. One of them was Anne and she would keep saying: How dare you? How dare you?
Since I wanted to practice my English in the summer time, I volunteered during evenings for youth groups visiting Québec City from our southern neighbour. They would come from Bangor, Maine, or other areas. I was like a Parisian cheeky urchin.
Their teacher would say: don’t make them drink! We remained sober. But I practiced a lot. We then started to have some discussions, especially about the war in Vietnam. I was against wars.
They could not tell me if it was good or wrong, but it aroused something in their heads.
The Young Communist league
Finally, I went to New York, just transiting for Europe. I remember that I was rather anxious. It is really something this huge metropolis. At the terminal gate, there was a young black man, thin; well slender. The whole world could have collapsed, he was just like Apollo. Nothing was upsetting him. He said to me: Hello Sir, how can I make you feel relaxed? Your ticket is ok! Just go here on my left hand...” He was cool, indeed!
The years of reason
I became ill and I spent some time into a Montréal hospital. I was known as the “intellectual”. The nurses would call me Mr. Paquet; I was 24 years old. I 
have had so many discussions with the staff. One nurse once told me: you keep talking about culture, this culture that nobody sees, thinks about or even wants to have a look at. Why don’t you enjoy what the majority of the people likes?
have had so many discussions with the staff. One nurse once told me: you keep talking about culture, this culture that nobody sees, thinks about or even wants to have a look at. Why don’t you enjoy what the majority of the people likes? (Photo: Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont in Montréal)
What do you suggest me? I asked her, troubled.
Well, if you like movies, you can watch “When Harry met Sally”. It was the beginning of a new way of thinking. We kept talking. And one day, she looked at me and said: Daniel, I really hope that you will make it through. You are young and capable. Just be like the ordinary people, they will love you. Pay interest in what they like, keep on doing it!
I started to buy DVDs, a bit reluctant. Was I not encouraging the US main stream culture? Would I be supporting US imperialism? I was careful, I would seek advices. Women, friends started to tell me what to buy. I remember that a beautiful movie I bought was The Bridges of Madison County. What a formidable love story, with Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep; I never thought that in the prudish America they could make such a movie, with a bewitching zest of eroticism.
For a good while, I became a fan of Julia Roberts: Stepmom, Mona Lisa Smile... Movies talking about children education, divorce and love; further about women access to university, artistic vanguard and human dignity.
Even Jim Carrey, who we are used to see in movies one can label “stupid”, surprises us in The Majestic, the destiny of a man that resisted the anti-communist Joe McCarthy, like a true human being, faithful to its democratic convictions. Carrey is really convincing in this movie. He has a high stature.
We cannot speak about cinema while ignoring Nuremberg, with Alec Baldwin. This is the story of the Allied Forces (USSR, USA, Great Britain and France) judging high-ranking Nazi officials after the horrendous World War II. We will never forget Enemy at the Gates: the feat of a simple Red Army soldier who demoralized the Hitler Wehrmacht at Stalingrad, the beginning of the end for the Nazis, and the rise of hope for European and American peoples.
Speaking of wars, the ordinary US citizens don’t have much to say about it. They are being told what to think, like in Iraq. The mass-media are very active and “brain-wash” the population. After a few years, it is always the same story, they discover that their country staged a war abroad but for ... the wrong reasons. For a while, they feared the Communists, the “commies”. But they are not that many around now. At home, their politicians don’t offer much choice. On one side they may be Republicans, most of the time conservatives; and on the other side Democrats, with some very often conservatives, too. What would you do? Big Capital grabs the big bucks, hiding itself by all means.
So the people uses its brain otherwise. The main philosophy in USA is not socialist, cooperative... it is pragmatic. They come to conclusion that whatever the colour of the cat may be as long as it catches the mouse.
Nevertheless, they have good feelings. The younger ones, naturally, love Lady Gaga; she is funny, imaginative (as they would like to be without social conventions), she makes them dance and forget about the daily problems. Older ones love the British Sarah Brightman: men would like to spend an evening with such a beautiful lady, with a gentle and soft voice. They love her charisma. Women have other whims.
The reader would be surprised to hear that they love classical music; not too fancy, but something like the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and its Christmas Attic, for instance; especially Christmas Canon, based o
n the music by Pachelbel. Why?
n the music by Pachelbel. Why?For the sake, that they truly cherish peace. And do you know something else? The day, that the US working class will know the whole truth about big capitalism, the whole planet will change... for good! But what is the question to the answer of this piece? (Photo: National Office of the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), in Montréal. The Union has 330,000 members in Québec).
The fact is that one of the coming Congresses of the progressive World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) will one day take place in New York (USA). In 2011, it is in Athens (Greece), from 6 to 9 of April. Hopefully, there will be delegates from USA, if not at least from Canada; but aren’t we a bit akin, so to speak?
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The university professor of journalism, Antoine Char, published an excellent book about the US media. It has been done in French for the moment; but it is easy to read and very amusing. One would like to have it and discover the realities of modern writing. In fact, it is recognition of the work of progressive journalists in USA. As such, it is a gift that Mr. Char offers to them.
Antoine and I met in 1996, when he taught me this marvellous trade at UQAM (Université du Québec à Montréal); I saw him in summer 2010. Jokingly, he told me: “when we first met, students used to call me Antoine, but now they call me Mr. Char, am I that old?”
References: Deadline America, Antoine Char, Éditions Hurtubise HMH Ltée, Montréal, 2007, 234 pages
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