Globalisation
Prime Minister John Howard's actions during his visit to Japan remind us yet again why the economic globalisation which underpins current political decision-making is neither in the best interests of the people nor economically sustainable.
Both political parties ignore the fact that global corporations, like all absentee landlords, have no attachment or responsibility to a geographical location, the community or workers. Their accountability is to their shareholders and to generating ever increasing profits.
While no one begrudges the 3500 Mitsubishi workers their jobs, these did not come cheap. At a reported total of $200 million, each job in the Mitsubishi car plant cost over $57,000.
Such an outlay for a short-term solution to employment leaves many questions about the wisdom and viability of the current economic agenda. It does however make very good sense for corporations to threaten to leave whenever the bottom line needs bolstering.
Economic cost is not the only burden as families and communities suffer the insecurity and stress associated with an uncertain future. Workers are expected to "become more competitive" which is neo-liberal speak for longer hours and lower wages.
This is the same mantra used on workers all over the Third World under economic globalisation where there are no wages low enough and no profits high enough to satisfy the global corporations.
Australian workers like all workers deserve a better fate than to have their jobs bought and sold at the behest of global corporations. Even worse is knowing that our elected government has embarked on a policy, the end result of which will be the surrender of our governments power and authority to make decisions for the common good.
Pamela Curr
Brunswick Vic
Skill
JAKER's base is in Solo-Jogjakarta, the art centre of Java where no doubt every person is to some extent an artist. But where I live in Ocker, bible-belt, Pauline Hanson country, it is no more true than to say "Every person is a journalist". Both statements are offensive to workers in their respective fields.
The practice of art requires training. Apart from specialist schools, this can come from a rich cultural background and access to watching expert practitioners at work. None of these is avilable in my culturally deprived part of Queensland.
Julia Perkins (Green Left Weekly #462) uses a whole page to tell us, in post-modern terms I hoped had died out with the last millennium, what art is not. I agree that art is not painting pretentious portraits for corporate boardrooms — Bond posing in front of Van Gogh's Irises. It is the communication of feelings (including political ones) aroused by events, scenes and situations.
Performing this task well is not something any person can do. It needs great skill which not every person possesses.
Roderic Anderson
Caboolture Qld
Roosting chickens
"The chickens have come home to roost." — Malcolm X, following the assassination of President John F Kennedy.
When more than 10,000 innocent American civilians are killed at once, it's a disaster of incredible proportions. But many foresaw something like this more than 20 years ago, when we decided to migrate to Australia.
During the 20th century, the US federal government has alienated billions of people overseas (through outrageous trade barriers, "foreign aid" support to tinpot dictators and reckless military intervention) and millions of
American citizens (through unconstitutional "drug wars" and asset confiscation, a standover tax collection agency and the world's highest prison incarceration rate).
So we are terribly saddened, but not surprised, when someone finally lashes back.
Our hearts go out to the families of victims. And we hope that this unparalleled tragedy will cause the US federal government to begin to rethink its "imperial overstretch" policies, for the good of us all.
Ronald Bradley & Elaine Hollingsworth
Mudgeeraba Qld
Tampa I
This week I burnt my Master Mariner's Licence in protest of the Australian Governments actions of the M.V. Tampa affair. As a professional and consientious mariner, I feel that the ethical integrity of seamanship has been severely undermined by "our" government's refusal to allow the casualities of a marine incident to disembark in a safe haven.
Not only is this act contrary to the principles of maritime law, but it greatly contributes to developing a deplorable precedent for not so scrupulous masters who may turn a blind eye in the future to people in distress on the high seas.
On a second level concerning the issue of asylum seekers, it is this government's intention to "block" the passage of further boat people from arriving "illegally" by utilising our defence forces.
One could question this approach, but as the government is adamant that such boat people are a threat to our "national sovereignty" — a stretch of the imagination by any account — we hope that such actions will eventually collapse by its own folly and by both national and international pressure.
Yet the most disturbing fact of this attempt to stop "people smuggling" is the view that it is morally wrong solely on the grounds of its illegality, but little is said that people smuggling is the only real hope that refugees have to find a safer existence.
The accusation that they are mere "queue jumpers" defies any sense of true understanding of the extreme and dangerous position that these people are in. People smuggling cannot be stopped until a proper attempt is made to transport these people to safety, and this cannot happen until Australia opens its borders to accept a morally acceptable number of rufugees.
This third level of this discussion opens the debate for a mature approach to immigration policy. The old adage, "populate or perish", has never been so pertinent. John Howard's recently stated on radio during an interview on this discussion: "Well, I think you do have to look at the population of a country because a population dictates its wealth".
Luke Tickner
email
Tampa II
If Australia is sincere about stemming the flow of refugees to its shores then it should address the "business as usual" mindset it shares with other countries, particularly the USA, as it trades freely and gives support to some of the most human rights abusing regimes on earth, eg. Indonesia.
The international community imposes no sanctions on those who refuse to sign UN conventions like those on torture and genocide with the result that pariah regimes have no difficulty in acquiring weapons of all kinds from the US (the world's biggest weapons exporter), Britain, France and Russia.
The countries which make money from bloodshed should have to foot the bill for the millions of refugees their weapons have helped displace and Australia should be in the vanguard to achieve this, instead of sycophantically supporting the US as it absents itself from UN forums on racism and small arms export controls.
Australia has only itself to blame and should kick itself instead of the humane and noble Captain Arne Rinnan of the MV Tampa.
Gareth Smith
Byron Bay NSW
ABC independence
Recent statements at a Friends of the ABC meeting in the Blue Mountains by ALP shadow communications minister Stephen Smith throw serious doubt about the ALP's ABC policy.
Mr. Smith reportedly was adamant that the ALP would not seek an amendment to the Act and that he would not have ABC Board members appointed by an all-party committee rather than the government.
Furthermore he did not think it proper to try to terminate the appointment of the managing director or any of its board members, including Mr. Howard's four political appointments before expiry of their terms.
Realistically this means that there will be no change in the disastrous direction of the ABC.
For those who are serious about achieving such a change, that is, a truly independent board, the immediate replacement of Jonathan Shier, adequate funding and a reversal of commercialism, a primary vote for either major party would therefore be a waste of their precious democratic right to vote.
As the Friends of the ABC sticker says, "I Love the ABC and I Vote". Can we get media space for parties who do have a clear policy supporting an independent ABC?
Klaas Woldring
Pearl Beach NSW