Issue 1289

News

Jim McIlroy and Coral Wynter report on Stop Adani's protest outside the State Bank of India, which is considering giving the mining conglomerate $1 billion.

A national day of protest has been called by community groups following the federal government’s push for a gas-led recovery, reports Pip Hinman.

West Papuan refugees and human rights campaigners are trying to meet government and Australian Federal Police officials to request they stop counter-insurgency training of Indonesian special forces. Kerry Smith reports.

The NSW budget claims to be about job creation but entrenches cuts to public sector workers' pay while handing windfalls to private corporations, writes Jim McIlroy.

Solidarity is being shown to Peruvians in their campaign for a new constituent assembly and justice, reports Rachel Evans.

Matthew Drake-Brockman

Police moved on an activist who chained himself to the office of Labor MP Tanya Plibersek to urge her to speak out against the extradition of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Peter Boyle reports.

Refugee action

Chris Slee reports on a 150-strong, rostered protest for refugee rights outside the Mantra Hotel, where 65 refugees are being detained.

Union protest

Jim McIlroy reports that nurses, teachers and other public sector workers protested the NSW Coalition government's effective wage cut imposed on COVID-19 frontline workers.

Peace activists organised a vigil outside the official Armistice Day ceremony on November 11, reports Nick Deane.

Electric buses, retrofitting buildings, green aluminium smelters, offshore wind generation and mine rehabilitation are among the job creation ideas being proposed by a new union-environment alliance, reports Steve O'Brien.

Bruce Pascoe forum

Award-winning author of Dark Emu, Bruce Pascoe, will be the feature speaker at aGreen Left online forum on December 5.

Analysis

The passing of the Greens-initiated motion for a Green New Deal in the Victorian Legislative Council is a significant step forward, writes Sue Bolton.

Perth protest against the Afghanistan war in 2010

Alex Bainbridge writes that the release of the report into Australian war crimes in Afghanistan should be shocking — but it isn't.

In arriving at a synthesis between ecosocialism and ecoanarchism, Ted Trainer argues that the kind of socialism he supports avoids domination, hierarchy, authoritarianism, centralisation and top-down power.

Ecosocialists and ecoanarchists share an anti-capitalist stance, both viewing capitalism as the root of numerous social and environmental problems, writes Hans Baer.

The NSW government says its Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap is responding to community concerns about reducing emissions and energy costs. But is it? Patrick McDonald takes a look.

The Australian Fair Trade and Investment Network reports questions are being asked about a new trade deal Australia just signed that does not include commitments to labour rights or environmental protections.

Mary Merkenich writes that the long-standing sexist practice of covering up bad behaviour enables it to continue.

Federal Attorney-General Christian Porter has introduced a much delayed federal anti-corruption bill which critics say is toothless — at least for federal politicians. Paul Gregoire reports.

World

An Australian-made component has been found in an Azerbaijani-made Azad military drone used to attack the autonomous Armenian territory of Artsakh/Nagorno Karabakh, writes Peter Boyle.

The Australia Western Sahara Association has expressed solidarity with the people of Western Sahara and condemned Morocco’s flagrant violation of the terms of the ceasefire.

The global airline industry is doing its utmost to redeem itself and win back customers it lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic by promoting notions of sustainable or green aviation, writes Hans Baer

Tony Iltis explains what led to the lifting of the ceasefire in occupied Western Sahara.

Even if a COVID-19 vaccine is approved for use before Donald Trump leaves office, the job of vaccinating the US population will be largely left to underfunded local governments, writes Barry Sheppard.

Demonstrations in Poland to defend abortion rights have become a catalyst for people’s anger at the ultraconservative government. Dagmara Zawistowska-Toczek speaks about this new movement.

As long as Donald Trump continues to refuse to accept the election results, the danger of a coup, legal or not, remains, writes Malik Miah.

In response to the Rodrigo Duterte government's mishandling of the typhoon disaster response, left-wing coalition Laban ng Masa released this statement.

New Peru Movement party leader Veronika Mendoza, explains what’s behind the current unrest in Peru.

Socialists in the Philippines are appealing for funds to support relief operations in the wake of Typhoon Vamco (Ulysses) and Super Typhoon Goni, reports Susan Price.

Oliver Vargas traveled with Evo Morales, as he made his triumphant return to Bolivia following his exile after last November’s US-backed coup.

Thousands of Peruvians have taken to the streets in protest at the "legislative coup" against elected President Martín Vizcarra, writes Kenny Stancil.

Culture

Jim McIlroy reviews Comrades! Lives of Australian Communists, which brings together 100 short biographies of militants from the original Communist Party of Australia (CPA).

The name of Friedrich Engels is invariably invoked in the same breath as that of Karl Marx, writes John Green, but who is aware of Engels’ own contribution to the political philosophy of what we today term ‘Marxism’?