John Passant

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June 2012
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Me on Razor Sharp this morning
Me interviewed by Sharon Firebrace this morning for Razor Sharp. It happens every Tuesday. http://sharonfirebrace.com/2013/12/03/john-passant-australian-national-university-8/ (0)

I am not surprised
I think we are being unfair to this Abbott ‘no surprises’ Government. I am not surprised. (0)

Send Barnaby to Indonesia
It is a pity that Barnaby Joyce, a man of tact, diplomacy, nuance and subtlety, isn’t going to Indonesia to fix things up. I know I am disappointed that Barnaby is missing out on this great opportunity, and I am sure the Indonesians feel the same way. [Sarcasm alert.] (0)

Snouts in the trough: capitalism is corrupt
Big business, politicians, even sports people are ripping off the system with their corruption. Tony Abbott’s expense rorts are not an aberration. Corruption is part and parcel of capitalism and a consequence of the exploitation of workers. Only by overthrowing the ruling class can we abolish the corruption of the system and its rulers and hangers-on and begin a new society where production is organised democratically to satisfy human need. Join this Socialist Alternative Discussion 6pm Thursday 21 November Note change of venue because of exams to: Room W108 Baldessin Building ANU www.sa.org.au canberra@sa.org.au (0)

The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement
Haven’t heard about the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, a neoliberal and imperialist wet dream? Not surprising since it is being negotiated in secret and Abbott will try to spring it on us soon enough. I have written about it in the next Red Flag, due out on Wednesday. Subscribe now. And yes, we have digital subscriptions too. https://shop.redflag.org.au/?q=product-category%2Fred-flag-subscriptions (1)

NSA hacks Rupert Murdoch's phones
In breaking news the NSA has confirmed it has hacked Rupert Murdoch’s private phones for eleven years. ‘The fight against terrorism knows no bounds,’ spokesthing Joseph Dzhugashvili said.  Barack Obama said ‘Of course.’ Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott denied Australia’s spy agencies had broken any AUSTRALIAN laws in helping the Americans. (0)

What firefighters really think of the Liberals
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="236" caption="Put the hypocrites last"][/caption] (0)

Operational reasons
For operational reasons this blog will be closed until further notice. Eric Blair, Secretary, Department of Home Affairs. (0)

Boozy feral pig dies
A boozy feral pig has died in a car accident. The name of the Abbott government minister has not yet been released. (0)

Your tax dollars hard at work
(0)

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Archive for June, 2012

Saturday’s socialist speak out

Barack Obama continues his killing ways. How many died at his hands this week?

So too does his attack dog in the Middle East, Israel. How many Palestinians did it kill this week, in between removing black refugees to make Israel safe for the white man?

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Australia’s racist Parliament continues its debasement

Now is the time for the Greens to mobilise their millions of supporters to fight for Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders and refugees against the two racist parties, Labor and the Liberals.

You can’t play by the Marquis of Queensbury rules when fighting racists, racists who are implanting the seeds of systemic racism and watering its shoots every day. Let’s cut down the seedlings before they become an impenetrable forest.

Call us out. Lead us in demonstrations against the racists and for Aboriginal empowerment, for sovereignty. Combine that with the struggle for refugees.

For God’s sake Greens, give focus to our anger. Lives depend on it.

Stonewall 1969: a generation on fire

While the revolutionary promise of 1969 was not realised, what changed forever was the acknowledgement that lesbians and gays – alongside blacks, women and other oppressed groups – are a vital part of the working class struggle for revolutionary change. That is the legacy of Stonewall and the Gay Liberation Movement it gave birth to.

Refugees: the dead are many

The Greens have an historic opportunity to end the racist refugee non-debate and save asylum seeker lives. Bring down the Labor Government if the ALP doesn’t agree to onshore processing. And for us? Build the campaigns and demonstrations for refugees.

Drones: waging war on civilians with the click of a mouse

Bombing raids have been used from Guernica and Dresden to Afghanistan as a way to intimidate populations, crush cities and break the resistance of ordinary people. Drones are the latest barbarism in this long, terrible tradition.

Do not leave the squares until we win – statement from the Revolutionary Socialists of Egypt

The organised pressure of the masses is the only way to achieve the goals of our revolution in Egypt. The revolutionary front has become an indispensable necessity, provided that it is founded upon real roots, that it adopts the social and political demands of the people, organizes them, and supports the struggle to attain those goals.

Australia’s big 4 banks are the biggest bastards in the world

The Labor Government beat the banks with a wet lettuce for failing to pass on the full RBA rates cuts.

Instead why not tax their super profits and redistribute some their profit to the working class in the form of better social services like health and education, increases in Newstart and tax cuts for workers?

And, given you can’t trust the banks, something their actions have shown, how about regulating their interest rates and other offerings? Price controls over interest rates looks like a good start.

Muslim Brotherhood’s Morsi wins in Egypt

The Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohammed Morsi has won the Egyptian Presidential election. Now to win power back from the generals he’ll have to mobilise the Egyptian people.

Homophobia, the Salvation Army and the school chaplain program

One way to help gays and lesbians achieve equality would be to abolish the school chaplaincy program and introduce a real program in schools for addressing homophobia, whether religious or not.

That should include trained social and welfare workers. Labor won’t do that.

Another way to send a message that all Australian citizens are equal would be to legislate for gay marriage. Again, Labor won’t do that.

Saturday’s socialist speak out

After Rio I wonder if those many concerned people who think capitalism can address climate change in any meaningful way are beginning to have any doubts about a strategy that relies on the likes of Gina Rinehart and Rupert Murdoch and the rest of the 1% and their politicians, Obama, Cameron, Gillard and Abbott, to save the planet and the capitalist system from 4 degrees warming?

Maybe the problem is a system based on production for profit and the denial of real democracy?