Write on: letters to the editor

Human rights in US

I have just read what could well be described as one of the most important
books of the year: United States of America: Rights for All, published
by Amnesty International, 153 absorbing pages, just nine months ago.

It is a well overdue, comprehensive and authoritative account illustrating
very clearly that the US is by far the worst of the big powers in terms
of human rights violations. I can do no better than quote a few lines from
the introduction: “This report reveals a persistent and widespread pattern
of human rights violations in the USA. It highlights the racism and discrimination
and physical and sexual abuse of prisoners, many of whom are held in inhuman
and degrading conditions.” It is an invaluable report on the “land of the
free”.

I recall chairing a meeting in the UK for T.A. Jackson, a Marxist lecturer
who memorably described freedom as “freedom to work if you can find an
employer and freedom to go hungry and be humiliated when such is not to
be found.” Every library should stock it. Its publication is a credit to
Amnesty International.

Norman Taylor

Henley Beach SA.

Palestinian refugees

I was pleased that the viewpoint of Dr Hanan Ashrawi appeared in Green
Left (#368). Her recent address to the Australian Legal Resources International
concerning the Palestine refugees contained authentic information that
the Zionists and most of the Rabbis would prefer to be withheld.

The United States government, acting on behalf of the American business
concerns, was the instigator of the Camp David and Oslo Accords and the
Wye River Agreement because they realised that continued conflict in the
region would harm their investments.

Israel, known as Palestine at the time of the Balfour Declaration in
1917, had a population of 500,000 Arabs and 50,000 Jews. The rise of fascism
in Germany led to large scale Jewish immigration. After the massacre at
Deir Yassin in 1948 of 254 Arab men, women and children, over 800,000 Palestinians
fled from Israel and they have been prevented from returning. In recent
years, nearly a million Russian Jews have emigrated to Israel.

This absurd anomaly remains a major cause of conflict and is aggravated
by United States Jewish settlers whose primitive ideology enables them
to believe that after an absence of 2000 years since their ancestors lived
in that country, they can settle anywhere in Israel or the occupied territories.

For peace to be achieved and maintained the Palestine refugees should
be repatriated back to Israel and compensated for the property and possessions
that they left behind since 1948. The United Nations should recognise the
new state of Palestine for those refugees who wish to live there.

Bernie Rosen

Strathfield NSW

[Abridged.]

Sect charges

Coffs Harbour, 550 km north of Sydney, gained media prominence last
week when the 21 July Sydney Morning Herald alleged that two local
councillors were members of a Christian sect linked to Aryan supremacist
organisations. ABC mid-north coast radio also gave the allegations some
coverage.

Coffs Harbour has a sizable Aboriginal population, and the Coffs
Harbour Advocate reported a multicultural resource worker as stating
that “60 cultures were alive and well” locally. Another local newspaper
suggested that the SMH story was a “beat-up” designed to damage
the prospects of two councillors in local elections (to be held in September).

The two councillors have stood down from formal duties for three weeks.
Interestingly, the CHA of 24 July published a letter attributed
to a person bearing the same name as one of the troubled councillors. While
the letter targeted “environmental extremists”, it concluded “... public
opinion is rapidly turning against such mindless extremists and increasingly
rejecting their idiotic claims”.

Aarn

Coffs Harbour NSW

Lost billions

The mainstream press reports that: Australia has 20% of the world's
poker machines; Australians all have gambling problems; and in one year,
we lost about $11 billion.

Stuff the first two points, there's $11 billion lying around somewhere!
Crikey, and I thought a nation of people looking down at the pavement while
out walking was a sign of a depressed, alienated society. It seems everybody
else is already looking for this lost bonanza!

I wonder if they could give us some hints. Was most of the fortune lost
missing the coin slot? Maybe we should look behind the banks of pokies
down at the local.

Kerry must be a bit perturbed — $11 billion lost! How will the gambling
industry survive this lost opportunity at super-profits?

Andy Gianniotis

Wollongong NSW

Men-only meetings

I would like to comment on Zanny Begg's article “Environmentalist debate
'men's space'” in Green Left issue 368.

I believe that dealing with our feelings about oppression is, at some
point, a necessary step in becoming effective activists. For men, feminism
can bring up feelings of guilt, anger, shame or hopelessness. Men must
acknowledge and let go of these feelings if we are to be effective activists
in the struggle against sexism, and useful allies to women.

For most men, this is very difficult to do in the presence of women.
Men-only workshops, meetings or spaces can become a safe space where we
can acknowledge the feelings that come up for us around sexism, and so
lessen the paralysing grip these feelings have. This is not “men-only organising”
in that it is not organising events, programs or policies, but a sharing
of feelings. I agree with Zanny that it is not useful for men to organise
against sexism without women, and that meetings of men and women together
are essential to discuss and understand the workings of sexism.

In political gatherings where no such men-only meetings are organised,
they will happen anyway, informally, as men naturally seek out other men
to share their feelings about sexism with.

Having been to several left gatherings where men's workshops or meetings
have occurred, I do not believe that they have ever become power-bases
for men to re-assert their oppressive power over women from. I believe
that they have only ever furthered the struggle against sexism.

Robin Hartwood Davidson

Dickson ACT

Men's spaces

Re: The men's space at the Students and Sustainability Conference (Green
Left, July 21, 1999). From my long experience of men's consciousness-raising
(CR) groups and men's festivals, “men's spaces” don't have to be anti-feminist
or misogynist. They can be, but they don't have to be, depending entirely
on the intention of those involved. The ones I'm familiar with have helped
men to get to know one another better and create more intimate friendships
between men.

“Men's spaces” have also helped men improve their relationships with
women by reducing the stress that often accompanies relationships where
men rely too much on women for intimacy.

If anything, such groups or spaces can help transform the lives of men,
women and children by redressing the imbalance that often exists between
men and women. Indeed, some feminists — Susan Faludi, Susan Griffin, Gloria
Steinem — have argued in favour of such groups, noting the positive contribution
they can and do make in changing the world.

Quite often CR groups and festivals provide time-out from work, from
the frenzy of trying-to-do-it-all, from playing the role society expects
us to play. They're a chance to re-create the self, which also has social
benefits. The constant re-creating, redefining, restructuring of our lives
is arguably the single most important thing we can do, both as individuals
and as a people.

This ongoing process — call it evolution or revolution — is what ends
oppression. Bringing every source of separation (racism, sexism, ageism,
classism, homophobia etc) to the surface and dealing with it — individually
and together — will bring about the change we seek. Isn't that what socialists
are on about?

Stevie Bee

Turrella NSW

Shock jocks

Whilst I share your sentiments regarding the “shock jocks”, I have to
finally agree with John Laws who states that he is an entertainer rather
than a journalist. He has one purpose in mind — to stimulate listeners.

One sure-fire way to stimulate as many people as possible is to make
a completely sweeping, oversimplified remark about an emotional issue.
You will stimulate those who agree with you but, just as important, you
will incite rage amongst those who disagree. That's the whole point of
“shocking” people. Many people listen to these DJ's in order to feel enraged
with disagreement (it also has the added bonus of making them feel more
intelligent). The net result of “shock” reporting is a huge exposure and
hence the resulting ad dollars.

Lets not blame the DJ's — they might be just money hungry. Why don't
we blame the people who continue to listen? Once a DJ's ratings drop so
too does their pay and eventually their position. “People get what they
deserve” certainly rings true in this case.

The problem I have with these DJ's is insincerity. If only they believed
half the guff they spew, then I would find them credible (if misguided)
people. Laws, Zemanek and Jones couldn't possibly be stupid — quite the
opposite — they can see both sides to a story. They are masters of propaganda
and creation of controversy. Media Watch has been slamming these
guys for years about their “journalism” but the great thing about the recent
Laws-banks episode was they showed him up to be an insincere liar.

Thanks for the article.

Rigas Harbilas

Toxic dump

Residents in Cranbourne, Hampton Park and Lyndhurst are very concerned
about a toxic dump at Lyndhurst. Lyndhurst was first established as a dump
for household waste in 1989, approved by the then Cranbourne Shire Council.
However, in 1991, the same council gave approval for the landfill to take
25% prescribed (toxic) waste.

The toxic dump at Tullamarine is very near to full capacity and we fear
that the Kennett Government will turn the Lyndhurst toxic dump into the
major toxic dump in Victoria.

We are called Ratwise and we are very small in number at present. We
hope to increase in size and we need support from as many people as possible.
We intend to make our campaign as big as what Werribee was. There are also
ancient redgum trees growing in this area.

Please support our campaign against the Lyndhurst toxic dump. Please
telephone Robyn on (03) 5996 7036 or email us on <ratwise@hotmail.com>.
Thank you.

John L. Wickham

Cranbourne Victoria

From GLW issue 370