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The young and bloody useless

Idiot BoxDirected by David CaesarProduced by Glenys RoweNational release on February 20 Preview by Marina Cameron Director David Caesar describes the purpose of his dark comedy as taking the audience on a roller coaster, and that's certainly how it

News briefs

Jobs lost as glass factory closes HOBART — The ACI Moonah Glass Packaging plant will close on March 17, at the cost of 140 jobs. Henceforth ACI glass products will be manufactured in Korea. ACI blamed the closure on cheap imports from

Wrong focus for VCE review

By Ryan Batchelor MELBOURNE — The Victorian minister for education, Phil Gude, has announced a review of the Victorian Certificate of Education. The VCE was introduced in 1989 to replace the old exam-oriented Higher School Certificate. To

'Globalisation' and the capitalist austerity drive

By Doug Lorimer It is widely asserted that a truly global economy has emerged or is emerging in which distinct national economies and state policies corresponding to them are irrelevant. The world economy is now dominated by corporations that

Anyone but Lenin

A People's Tragedy: The Russian revolution 1891-1924By Orlando FigesCape, 1996Review By Phil Hearse This year is the 80th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, and among the liberal intelligentsia it's going to be open season on the October

The price of 'democracy'

"Democracy does not come cheaply" complained right-wing commentator Ian Henderson in a recent article in the Australian. According to Henderson, Labor, the Liberals and the Nationals spent a total of approximately $100 million in advertising during

Neo-fascists on the rise in France

Support for the French neo-fascist organisation National Front (FN), headed by Jean-Marie Le Pen, has increased dramatically over the past few years. The election, on February 9, of FN Mayor Catherine Megret in the southern French city of Vitrolles

Five years of Russia's new capitalism

By Renfrey Clarke MOSCOW — In late January in Russia, the economic figures from the previous year are released. Supporters of the government have done their best to put a favourable gloss on the latest numbers, but the truth cannot be concealed

Threat to native title, Racial Discrimination Act

Since the December 23 High Court decision that native title could co-exist with pastoral leases — the "Wik decision" — state and territory leaders, big pastoralists and some mining corporations have been calling for hasty extinguishment of native

Show of determination

GuwanyiRedfern Aboriginal Community ExhibitionMuseum of SydneyUntil May 4 Review by Kellee Nolan Guwanyi is Aboriginal for "to tell". The exhibition tells the positive side of the Redfern story and reaches into the daily lives, expressions and

Solidarity grows for general strike in Swaziland

By Norm Dixon Swaziland police have arrested trade union and opposition leaders in an attempt to intimidate the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU) into calling off an indefinite general strike which began on February 3. Police opened fire

Picket calls for end to war on Bougainville

Picket calls for end to war on Bougainville By Jo Brown SYDNEY — More than 20 people staged a picket on February 13 outside the Papua New Guinean consulate to protest against the ongoing war on Bougainville. The picket also demanded the removal