Green Left Weekly issue #777

Climate refugees — the hidden cost of climate change

“If these people can spend millions and millions on sending troops to fight other countries, why can’t they spend maybe a couple of billions just to save people, like ourselves; the marginalised, poorest of the poor. Why? Because we are taking the brunt, we are the victims of these green[house] gas emissions, the pollution made by industrialised countries.”

Economic crisis: Rich make world’s poor pay

The current global economic crisis has all the earmarks of an epoch-defining event. Mainstream economists now openly employ phrases like “systemic meltdown” and “peering into the abyss”.

No more Aboriginal deaths in custody!

The recent conviction and sentencing of Aboriginal man Lex Wotton has brought back into public discussion the shameful continuing suffering — and death — of Australia’s Indigenous people at the hands of the law.

Venezuela: The significance of the election results and the new struggles

Supporters and opponents of Venezuela’s Bolivarian revolution have come out with differing assessments post the November 23 regional elections, which Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez had defined as the most important electoral contest yet for the process of change.

Charges against building unionist dropped — a victory for all workers

The Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecution’s (CDPP) formal withdrawal of charges against Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) official Noel Washington on November 28 is a major victory for all workers and unionists.

End the domestic violence epidemic

There is no room for any doubt that Australia is suffering from an epidemic of domestic violence.

Behind the assault on Mumbai

The November 27 terrorist assault on Mumbai’s five-star hotels was well planned, but did not require a great deal of logistic intelligence: all the targets were soft.

Bolivia: The struggle for change

Having captured the imagination of progressives across the globe with scenes of indigenous uprisings confronting right-wing governments and multinationals, Bolivia has become a key focus point of discussion within the left regarding strategies for change.

Can Washington ’save Darfur’?

Few humanitarian crises have occasioned as much media and activist attention in the US as the conflict in the Darfur region of western Sudan.

Cuba: Eco-materialis, hurricanes and solidarity

Dr Fernando Martirena from the Centre of Investigation in Structures and Materials (CIDEM) research institute at the University of Santa Clara, Cuba, recently visited Australia to speak to a number of meetings organised by the Australian Green Development Forum.

Gaza’s death throes, and no one’s listening

What kind of government in the 21st century can deny another people basic human rights -- that is, the right to food, water, shelter, security and dignity?

The NT intervention must be ended!

The following is abridged from George Newhouse’s speech at the November 26 opening of “ARTicles — The Human Rights Declaration”, Amnesty International Australia’s 2008 art exhibition, which celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

United States: The Clinton era, mark two?

President-elect Barack Obama ran his campaign on the promise of bringing “change” to Washington.

Green Left Weekly is taking a break

Green Left Weekly’s $250,000 Fighting Fund: Who are the real ‘no-hopers’?

It’s not often we hear the rich talk honestly about the poor in public. We can only guess what goes on behind closed doors, but out in the open CEOs are supposed to stick to their PR script — squeaky clean and politically correct. Well, thanks to billionaire Gerry Harvey we don’t have to guess anymore.

Alistair Hulett, David Rovics tour Australia

Australian fans of quality, progressive music are in for a real treat this summer with the joint tour by left-wing songwriters Alistair Hulett from Scotland and David Rovics from the US.

Battle for the forests and water

Britain: Venezuela solidarity conference success

On November 22, Hands off Venezuela (HoV) held its fourth national conference at Birkbeck College at the University of London.

Coalminers call for no more coal, renewables now!

Green Left Weekly’s Simon Cunich spoke to Peter Kennedy, a coalminer and anti-coal activist and Graham Brown, who worked with Kennedy until retiring from mining last year. Both men were at a November 22 protest outside Eraring coal-fired power station, on the NSW Central Coast. Brown’s comments were recorded in September.

Indonesia: Tracing a path towards parliament

After such a long period of time in a vacuum, uncertain of how to respond to change caused by neoliberal economic policies, little by little, democracy movement activists have been able to wrest back the political podium.

International revolutionaries to address “World at a Crossroads” conference

“World at a Crossroads: Fighting for Socialism in the 21st Century” is a four-day conference to be held in Sydney on April 10-13 (the Easter long weekend) next year.

Internet: the final frontier?

While governments worldwide push neoliberal policies including “free” markets, “free” trade (and lately “free” trillion dollar pay-outs to prop up businesses), new legislation from the Australian federal government indicates it does not want such freedoms for the population when it comes to what they may view on the internet.

Kimberley LNG faces mounting opposition

Off the coast of the Kimberley region in north-western Australia is the Browse Basin, home to migratory hump-back whales and pristine coral reefs, within close proximity to traditional Aboriginal land and — below the seabed — one of the largest reserves of natural gas in the country.

Malaysian socialist MP on the ‘dialectics of success’

The Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM), formed only in 1996, shocked Malaysia’s political establishment by winning two seats in the March 8 general elections. Nasir Hashim was elected to the Selangor state legislative assembly and Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj was elected to the national parliament.

Mary River dam delayed

Nationalisation — a key demand in the socialist program

For all the misery it represents for ordinary people, there is at least one positive result of the current capitalist financial crisis. The idea of nationalisation is getting an airing again in the West, however squeamish capitalist leaders and pundits may be about using the actual word.

NSW oublic servants debate pay deal

A fierce controversy has broken out in the NSW Public Service Association (PSA) over the union’s recent pay award. The dispute occurs as the union’s 43,000 members receive voting papers for seven executive members and 45 central councillors.

Our Bernadette at sixty

Pensioners demand a fair go

On November 24, around 600 pensioners atttended a mass meeting called by the Fair Go for Pensioners (FGP) campaign at Melbourne Town Hall.

Public oppose road tunnel

Redefining ‘fair’: Labor’s new IR law

“Work Choices is tantalisingly close to being gone forever”, Labor’s workplace minister Julia Gillard said as she introduced the Fair Work Bill (FWB) on November 25.

Squeezing money out of those with little

Going to Extremes: Notes from a Divided Nation
By Barbara Ehrenreich
Granta, 2008
224 pages, $26.95

Sri Lanka: Tamil women and the struggle for freedom

The below article is abridged from a speech given by Mano Navaratnam from the Tamil Ealam Women’s Organisation (TEWO) at an October 30 Melbourne film screening of My Daughter the Terrorist, organised with the Socialist Alliance. The Tamil people, whose homeland is in the north and east of Sri Lanka, have been waging a long struggle for national self-determination against the Sri Lankan state.

TAFE teachers demand improvements

Almost 2000 Victorian TAFE teachers voted on November 25 to continue their industrial campaign for a new enterprise agreement, which will include a further stop-work meeting in February 2009. Teachers from regional centres were joined at the meeting by metropolitan TAFE colleagues.

Trans community demands justice!

The following article is based on a speech given at the November 20 Transgender Day of Remembrance in Canberra.

United States: Struggle for union democracy as SEIU dissidents attacked

On November 17, the Service Employees Industrial Union (SEIU) announced that it would be holding an advisory ballot of members in California to determine the future of the United Healthcare Workers–West (UHW-W), which with 150,000 members is the SEIU’s third largest local.

Venezuela: Big march in defence of social missions, agaisnt violence

Beneficiaries, teachers, adults, disabled people, students and workers came out on Friday to defend the social missions and programs of the national government in the face of threats to close them down by the new governor-elect of the state of Miranda, Henrique Capriles Radonski.

Venezuela: US-backed right-wing launches violent assault on Chavistas, revolutionary gains

The below article is a statement from the Australia-Venezuela Solidarity Network released on November 28.

Venezuela: Workers propose a clean out and more revolution

I want to give some preliminary and personal impressions, in the heat of the moment, where many comrades are very preoccupied by the significance of the [Chavista movement's] loss of the Mayor of Greater Caracas and of some important or key governorships in the country.

Venezuela; Solidarity brigade sees revolution in action

The November 2008 Venezuela solidarity brigade organised by the Australia-Venezuela Solidarity Network (AVSN) spent its first days meeting community activists and hearing reports on the progress of the Bolivarian revolution.

Venezuelan trade union leaders shot dead, workers call for armed self-defence

Three trade unionists Richard Gallardo, Luis Hernandez and Carlos Requena, leaders of the pro-revolution National Union of Workers (UNT) and also members of the United Socialist Left were shot dead late Thursday night in Aragua state, Venezuela.

Western Sahara’s struggle for self-determination

In October, a three-member delegation of Australian unionists visited the Western Saharawi refugee camps in the Hamada desert, South West Algeria. Western Sahara has been illegally occupied by Morocco since 1975.

Climate action summit: demand a safe climate!

On February 3, the first sitting day of federal parliament in 2009, thousands of climate protesters will encircle Parliament House, peacefully demanding the government take real action on climate change to ensure a safe climate future.

How to fight greed

“Poor Human Nature, what horrible crimes have been committed in thy name! Every fool, from King to policeman, from the flathead parson to the visionless dabbler in science, presumes to speak authoritatively of human nature. The greater the mental charlatan the more definite his insistence on the wickedness and the weaknesses of human nature. Yet how can anyone speak of it today, with every soul in a prison with every heart fettered, wounded, and maimed?” — Emma Goldman

Public manufacturing industry, not corporate bailouts

At first glance it seems like just about everyone is pleased with the federal government’s car industry bailout. The car industry bosses are delighted. The car industry unions are happy.

A 2009 diary with a difference

Permaculture Diary & Calendar
$28 & $20
Order from Michelle Margolis at michele.margolis@gmail.com.

Sucking up to Blair

Blair Unbound
By Anthony Seldon (with Peter Snowdon & Daniel Collings)
Simon & Schuster, 2008
669 pages, Paperback $29.95

Watering the dry continent

Thirsty Country: Options for Australia
By Asa Wahlquist
Jacana Books, 2008
216 pages, $27.95