GLW issue 740, published 2008-02-20.

Sign on statement: Stop ExxonMobil's theft from the poor

United States oil giant ExxonMobil Corporation has launched a major attack on the Venezuelan people's right to independence and self-determination. In January and February, ExxonMobil used the courts in Britain, the US and the Netherlands to get

Venezuela resists ExxonMobil's blackmail

“This is pure judicial terrorism”, Venezuelan energy minister Rafael Ramirez told reporters in Caracas on February 8, in response to court injunctions obtained by US-based ExxonMobil Corp. — the world’s largest oil corporation — in January.

Loose Cannons

Who's the other one? "You know, women are now very active in the Kuwaiti parliament." — Emperor George Bush II, speaking in US ally Kuwait, January 12. Associated Press reported on January 22: "Kuwait's only female politician survived an attempt

Apology is a start — now for justice!

Five Indigenous activists in the Socialist Alliance share their responses to the Australian parliament’s apology to the Stolen Generations on February 13. All five attended the protest against the racist intervention into Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory, held on the eve of the apology.

Australian News

Drop the charges against 'Pine Gap Four'

In December 2005, four activists (Christians Against All Terrorism) were arrested while carrying out a citizen’s inspection of the US Pine Gap war base, near Alice Springs. They carried out a simple “trespass” action and had permission from the traditional Aboriginal owners.

South Australia extends moratorium on GM crops

On February 8, the South Australian government voted to extend its moratorium on commercial GM crops, despite Victoria and New South Wales recently legislating to allow commercial GM plantings. Western Australia and Tasmania still have bans in place.

Further Australian News

International News

Standing for justice on the soccer pitch

In a world where the mainstream media riddles dumbed-down news reportage with inane sports metaphors, sometimes it takes sports to remind us of the gravity of the actual news.

Malaysia: The giant surrenders — workers win 12-year battle

It was a victory long overdue. The corporate giant — plantation company Lion Group — could have resolved the issue a decade ago, but it chose the path of arrogance and sheer disregard for its toiling workers.

Further International News

Comment and Analysis

Electricity privatisation - the theory and the reality

The basic argument in favour of the privatisation of electricity generation and distribution is simple — public ownership allows too much bargaining power to electricity workers and their unions (which they will always use to defend “inefficient practices” and “overstaffing”); it also fosters over-investment in generation capacity by engineers concerned to guarantee service reliability (“gold-plating”).

Rudd government to leave most of Work Choices in place

In the afterglow of saying sorry to the Stolen Generations, the federal Labor government introduced its first piece of industrial relations legislation into parliament on February 13 — the Workplace Relations Amendment Bill. While the government claims that this legislation is the first step in dismantling Work Choices, in fact, it will leave most of Work Choices intact.

Further Comment and Analysis

Letters

Write On

Tet offensive Thanks for your excellent piece in GLW #737 on the 1968 Tet offensive. It filled a gap in my knowledge on the Vietnam War. It's a pleasure to read well-written articles in the media. (You can imagine what kind of print media we get

General

Green Left Weekly Fighting Fund: The invisible fence

“M” was born in a small town in Western Australia’s wheat belt. Around those parts, lads like M were called “Keller fellers”. They were wildly applauded when they performed for the local football team but they knew about certain lines that they could not cross. An outsider could not see those invisible fences, but to the locals, white and black alike, they may as well have been painted in fluoro paint.

Resistance!

Why be a feminist activist today?

This year is the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. Each year, people gather all over the world on March 8 — or the closest weekend — to celebrate working class women and the struggle that has gone before us, and to continue the struggle into the future.

Music and radical politics

Music is an expression of the human condition and human society, so in exceptional moments in history, exceptional music is produced. It is no coincidence that when there is an increased political consciousness in society, new political music and culture accompany it. Whether it’s the unemployed workers of the 1930s or the anti-globalisation movements of today, there are always particular musicians that capture the mood of the moment.

Cultural Dissent

An inspiring collection of stories and verse

The heArt of my reVersing: a redemption song through original poems and short stories in verse
Lili Tuwai
Vusa Wai Tui Publishing, 2007
$14.95, <http://www.lilituwai.com/>

Fuck the flag

On January 26, Invasion Day, Anti-Flag opened their Sydney show, with bass player, Chris #2 beginning, “On behalf of all nationalist, racist holidays, this songs called ‘Fuck You and Your Fucking Flag!’”

Further Cultural Dissent

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Lib-Lab budgets: Following the dodo on a race to extinction

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