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Hostages of the 'war on terror'

Raul Bassi, Sydney At a press conference on July 9, Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hick's father Terry and former detainee and torture victim Mamdouh Habib met for the first time. Following this emotional meeting, 150 people attended a public forum

BRITAIN: 4000 attend Marxism conference

Alex Bainbridge, London Marxism 2005, the annual public conference organised by the British Socialist Workers Party (SWP), was scheduled to begin July 7 — the day of the London terrorist bombings — at a venue close to one of the explosions. The

VENEZUELA: Socialism preferred

On July 14, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez revealed the results of a new survey, in which 47.9% of people polled favoured a socialist government; 25.7% supported capitalism and 24.6% did not answer. The poll was conducted between May 26 and June 9

Write on: Letters to the editor

Afghan asylum seekers Today, July 11, nine Afghan asylum seekers held on Nauru were threatened with forced deportation unless they go home "voluntarily". They have until 5pm to sign. A "deadline", they think. One detainee writes: "No-one would sign

Stealing Colombia's resources through brute force

The Profits of Extermination: How US Corporate Power is Destroying ColombiaBy Francisco Ramierez CuellarIntroduction and translation by Aviva ChomskyCommon Courage Press141 pages, $20Order via <info@commoncouragepress.com> REVIEW BY BARRY

VENEZUELA: 'We are on the way towards socialism'

Venezuela's National Union of Workers (UNT) is a relatively new union federation, formed just over two years ago to replace the CTV, the old corrupt and right-wing union federation. Inspired by the pro-poor policies of the government of President

An insight into Castro's youth

Fidel: My Early YearsBy Fidel CastroOcean Press, 2005198 pages, $16.95 (pb) REVIEW BY OWEN RICHARDS Cuba supporters everywhere were heartened by the immense success of the Walter Salles film adaptation of Che Guevara's The Motorcycle Diaries,

SHOCKFACTS: Individual contracts

One of the federal Coalition government's proposed industrial relations changes will allow bosses to force workers onto individual contracts that cut pay and reduce conditions to just five minimum standards. Workers who refuse to sign individual

Waging war in Afghanistan won't stop terrorism

Doug Lorimer On July 13, Prime Minister John Howard announced that the federal Coalition government had decided to send Australian troops back to Afghanistan to help prop up the regime of US puppet President Hamid Karzai, in the face of a

Police attack Camp Platypus

Jim McIlroy, Brisbane At dawn on July 12, 130 police officers invaded the site of Camp Platypus on the banks of the Obi Obi Creek, in the small Sunshine Coast hinterland town of Maleny, to evict 60 protesters who had occupied the area of a

Finest socialist folk singer of his generation

Sit Down and SingRoy Bailey with Martin Simpson & John KirkpatrickFuse Records, 2005Available from <http://www.roybailey.net> REVIEW BY ALEX MILLER Roy Bailey is based in Sheffield, England, and is described by veteran British

Palmer Report: safety valve, or stimulus for change?

Sarah Stephen After five months and numerous delays, the Palmer Report investigating the wrongful detention of mentally ill Australian resident Cornelia Rau finally became public on July 14. No doubt breathing a joint sigh of relief, immigration