GLW issue 737, published 2008-01-30.

Bali climate conference reaffirms carbon trading scam

Amid audible gasps of relief, on December 15 the US delegation to the United Nations climate change conference in Bali signalled that Washington would be part of the “Bali Roadmap” for combatting global warming. With the US on board, a two-year process of discussion would begin — hopefully to culminate in the adoption of a new pact to replace the Kyoto Protocol, due to expire in 2012.

Gaza starves: End Israel's blockade!

Early on January 23 more than 20,000 Palestinians from the besieged Gaza Strip poured into Egyptian territory after Palestinian militants from Hamas and the Popular Resistance Committee (PRC) blew up two sections of the Gaza-Egypt border wall at Rafah.

Growing opposition to NSW power sell-off

NSW Treasurer Michael Costa passionately claims privatisation of NSW’s electricity generation and distribution is “good economics”. However, there is popular opposition to the proposal — up to 86% in opinion polls.

News briefs

Workers fined for striking @9point non = PERTH — A Federal Court judge has imposed fines of $10,000, with $6750 suspended for six months, on 64 construction workers convicted of being involved in an illegal strike. Three workers facing the same

Australian News

Invasion Day protests

Around the country, hundreds of people marked white invasion of Australia on January 26 by attending protests and festivals.

Electricity privatisation: how the public will pay

Professor Sharon Beder, a research fellow at the University of Wollongong, prepared a submission on behalf of Unions NSW to the Ownen Inquiry that makes a powerful case against Premier Morris Iemma’s government’s proposed energy privatisation.

Further Australian News

International News

The Tet Offensive: The Vietnamese people turn the tide of history

Forty years ago, the Tet Offensive changed the course of the Vietnam War and world history. On January 31, 1968, fighters of the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam (NLF) — known dismissively as the “Vietcong” — launched an all-out assault on cities and towns throughout US-occupied South Vietnam, catching the US and its puppet regime completely by surprise, and stunning the world with their courage and audacity.

Britain: Blair joins Wall Street bank

Tony Blair, who resigned as British prime minister last May, has signed a lucrative deal with leading Wall Street merchant bank JP Morgan.

Further International News

Comment and Analysis

Repeal all anti-abortion laws!

On January 22, 1973, abortion was made legal in the US when the Supreme Court overturned a Texas interpretation of abortion law. The decision in the case known as Roe v Wade overrode state laws limiting women’s access to abortion during the first trimester — finding that they infringed upon women’s constitutional rights. While laws still remain on the books banning abortion in some US states, Roe v Wade prevents the enforcement of these laws.

Invasion Day 2008

The following statement was issued on January 25 by Brisbane Indigenous community leader and Socialist Alliance member Sam Watson for the January 26 Invasion Day commemorations.

Further Comment and Analysis

Letters

Letters to the Editor

Racism Peter Robson's article "Rudd must abolish racist policies" (GLW #736) was a breath of fresh air. I had taken the liberty to criticise Gerard Henderson's April 2007 speech on the Holocaust in an article posted on the Gleet.net website (<

General

Green Left Weekly's $250,000 Fighting Fund: Message from a battler

This is an extract from an inspiring letter from Jim Knight, one of our loyal readers in northern NSW:

Resistance!

Nationalism: dividing humanity

On January 26, most people around the country celebrated “Australia Day”. Thousands of Australian flags with the British union jack were raised, shrimps rolled on the barbie and beer poured like water.

The battle continues: join the Resistance!

For the first time in 11 years we are under a new government, a Labor government. PM Kevin Rudd’s government was elected off the back of mounting dissatisfaction with the continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, inaction on climate change, the Northern Territory intervention and Work Choices, but the battle for change has not been won.

Cultural Dissent

Wilfred Burchett: A one-man truth brigade

Rebel Journalism: The Writings of Wilfred Burchett
Edited by George Burchett and Nick Shimmin
Cambridge University Press, 2007
314 pages, $37.95 (* see special offer below)

MacCallum dances around the key issue

Poll Dancing: The Story of the 2007 Election
By Mungo MacCallum
Black Inc, 2007
298pp, $24.95

Further Cultural Dissent

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Bob Brown: 'Green Left Weekly is the paper for activists'

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