National liberation movements
In an otherwise excellent and very informative article on the fragmentation of the African National Congress in South Africa, Dale T. McKinley (GLW #775) writes: "As has been the case with all national liberation movements that have become post-independence political parties, the ANC has finally been caught in a web of its own contradictions."
Perhaps McKinley was thinking particularly of African liberation movements — ZANU-PF for instance in Zimbabwe, or perhaps FRELIMO in Mozambique? But to so blithely dismiss "all liberation movements" which went on to become parties would seem to be a little too broad.
What of the July 26 Movement in Cuba for instance — which, along with the Popular Socialist Party and the Revolutionary Directorate, went on to form the Cuban Communist Party in 1965? Far from being "caught in a web of its own contradictions", this party remains a dynamic and integral part of the Cuban revolution.
McKinley's sweeping formulation also captures the Vietnamese Communist Party, which continues to be a force for positive change in Vietnam, over 30 years after its success in leading the liberation of the country.
Graham Matthews
Liverpool, NSW
Public assets
The tiresome ongoing saga of the State Government trying to sell off publicly owned assets is surely past its "use by" date. Apparently Rees, Roozendaal et al think otherwise. New cast, same script.
The AAA credit rating which was the Holy Grail of the Iemma/Costa crew has long since been debunked by numerous learned commentators. Clearly the NSW Government cannot give the people a legitimate reason for wanting to sell off these assets, because they are still peddling the same AAA nonsense.
When the cry is "state revenue is dropping off", how do they justify disposal of first class income-producing assets such as electricity, State Lotteries etc.? This is illogical and irreconcilable.
Even if the government has made some sort of a deal with a couple of ex-union officials, this is meaningless to 86% of the people of NSW who are totally opposed to any sell-off of publicly owned, income-producing assets.
The democratic process has been thwarted unless the matter is put to a referendum or an election. Failing that, what is required is a wide-ranging inquiry into the activities of the NSW Government and these assets frozen until such times as that inquiry has been completed and the findings published.
If allowed, this government will preside over the impoverishment of the State and its people.
John Wood
Iluka, NSW
Commercial decisions and solar power
Environmentalists who still believe there is a market-based solution to tackling climate change should take note.
Two hundred green collar jobs have been lost and the solar panel manufacturing industry in Sydney has been gutted. The culprit is BP's solar division, which wants us all to understand that as much as they care deeply about future life on the planet, they value their bottom line more.
That a major multinational company, making its fortune from gouging the Earth for fossil fuels, is even allowed to make the decisions in our society about renewable energy is itself ludicrous.
Given the sheer scale of the climate emergency we face, and especially given the $6.2 billion of taxpayer's money recently handed over to the car industry, surely the federal government would step in ensure solar panel production is maintained and expanded.
But acting federal industry minister Craig Emerson shrugged his shoulders at the news. Sure it's "unfortunate". It's "regrettable". But it's a "commercial decision", he told the media.
The road to climate hell is paved with such "commercial decisions".
A government genuinely serious about tackling climate change would actually be spending billions on developing a publicly owned solar power industry as well.
For start we must demand the government takes over the Sydney solar plant with no job losses to ensure it keeps running.
Simon Butler
Glebe, NSW