Profits take priority over planet
By Norm Dixon
In early December, the rulers of the richest capitalist countries had the opportunity to set aside their self-interest and economic rivalry and agree to cuts in greenhouse gas emissions large
Issue 302
News
'Day of Mourning' anniversary
On January 26, 1938, more than 100 Aboriginal people from communities in NSW, Victoria and Queensland gathered in Sydney to mark the "Day of Mourning" — the 150th anniversary of the invasion by British colonists at
By Maurice Sibelle
MELBOURNE — While most people in the community were preparing for the Christmas break, the Victorian minister for vocational education, Phil Honeywood, announced the greatest shake-up of Victoria's TAFE system in 20 years.
Stop MAI campaign launched
By Jo Brown
SYDNEY — The launch of a campaign against the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) was held here on January 15. The MAI, which has been largely hidden from public debate in Australia, is an
By Bill Mason
BRISBANE — Queensland ALP leader Peter Beattie has urged the Labor Party not to adopt a "heart-on-the-sleeve" approach to the native title issue at the party's national conference in Hobart, as Premier Rob Borbidge gears up for an
Port Hinchinbrook resort protest
By Darran Gould
PORT HINCHINBROOK — On December 14, the first stage of the Port Hinchinbrook resort was opened by Premier Rob Borbidge and developer Keith Williams. Police and private guards were deployed to
Sorry business: NSW councils split on Aboriginal apology
Like all levels of government, local councils in NSW are under pressure to make a public apology to Aboriginal people of the "stolen generation". Some have been quick to comply, happy to
Rally in defence of native title
By John Nebauer
MELBOURNE — About 1000 people braved the rain to rally in opposition to the Howard government's 10-point plan to amend the Native Title Act on December 13. The rally, called by Campaign
By Jon Land
SYDNEY — The Democratic Socialist Party and Resistance commemorated 150 years of the Communist Manifesto with a socialist education conference here, January 3 to 7. The 255 conference participants reaffirmed and discussed the
AMSTERDAM — Greenpeace on January 13 released a confidential French government memo which reveals plans by the plutonium industry to again ship high-level nuclear waste from France to Japan. For the first time the waste will be taken through the
World
By Norm Dixon
The jailing of 23 national executive members of the left-wing Basque pro-independence party, Herri Batasuna (HB, People's Unity), has provoked widespread demonstrations in the Basque country. There have also been a spate of armed
By Kim Moody
US Teamsters' leader Ron Carey became a threat to big business. He not only presided over a profound transformation of a major union situated at the heart of the economy, he took on the United Parcel Service, won, and set an aggressive
South Korean workers fight jobs threat
By Eva Cheng
Seizing on the current economic crisis, South Korean bosses succeeded in pushing through the National Assembly on January 12 a new labour law that further erodes working conditions and makes
Three Tamil prisoners in Colombo were killed and seven injured on December 1 in an attack by Sinhala prisoners allegedly incited by prison officials. "The latest attack on Tamil political prisoners had a political motive and was quite clearly
Growing resistance by Chinese workers
HAN DONGFANG, 34, an organiser of the Beijing Workers Autonomous Federation, which was formed and crushed in May-June 1989 in Tiananmen Square, has been a vocal defender of Chinese workers' rights since he
Russian miners targeted by anti-worker offensive
By Renfrey Clarke
MOSCOW — According to recently announced plans of the Russian government, 1998 is to be the year when the country's coal industry is gutted and cut up, the most toothsome
New elite triumphs at ANC conference
By Oupa Lehulere
The 50th conference of the African National Congress, held in December in the North West Province capital of Mafikeng, has been hailed as a "changing of the guard" in the movement that
By Maung Maung Than
When Burma's ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) changed its name last year to State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), some regarded it as a coup against the old guard; some even hoped for a return of
From Wounded Knee to Chiapas
By Darrin Wood
According to the Mexican secretary of foreign relations, US President Bill Clinton has "interfered in Mexican internal affairs" by demanding an investigation into the massacre which occurred in
Roberto N. Múndez
PANAMA — Panama's government announced on December 24 that it has reached an "agreement in principle" with the United States regarding the presence of US military bases in Panama beyond the year 2000. The government has
Culture
PowerThe Bones of ContentionNever Surrender Records/ICEMSend US$18 c/- Labor Heritage Foundation, 815 16th St. N.W., Room 301, Washington, DC 20006 Review by Norm Dixon
"Is it really true what we're told? Is there 'no alternative' to cut-throat
Here they come again
Alien Resurrection Review by Mary Merkenich
I must admit I enjoyed the very first Alien, but Alien Resurrection, number four in the series, is not worth spending your hard-earned money on. It's sexist, extremely gory and
Links. Number 9 Review by Allen Myers
After an irregular publication over the past year or so, Links, the international journal of socialist renewal, has been relaunched on a three-times-a-year schedule. Issue number 9 leads with the mass struggle
Cosette: The Sequel to Les MisérablesBy Laura KalpakianHarperCollins, 1997. 652 pp., $14.95 (pb) Review by Phil Shannon
"The Republic belongs to Property, Profit and Order. That's what they're setting in place of the King. New government,