This is a great door stopper of a book of over 1300 pages. Fisk will need little introduction to most as his journalism has been a source of information to those contra the existing policy of to West to the Middle East for as long as I can remember having an interest in the subject. In this volume he gives himself space to develop many of the themes that have existed as an underlay to these reports. It is a dialectic that goes back into remote history but into which Fisk slices with the first world war. Here his father marches of into battle and the Ottoman Empire decides to ally itself with the central powers. Thus is entwined the personal and the historical that make the book interesting as the author feeds into the story a thousand and one others – the partition of the Ottoman empire and the way the European powers abused their League of Nations mandates – Fisk’s meetings with Bin Laden – the Balfour declaration and the painful imposition of Israel into the geo-political maelstrom; the Armenian genocide his discussions with American servicemen in the Gulf War; together with observations of dozens of battles as these themes unfold and patterns of dominance and submission, dominance and revolt, colonialism and local pride, ignorance and expensively won experience repeat eerily through the pages. Ending, for the book but not it is suspected, for the region in the slow motion horror that is the Iraq occupation. It is Fisk’s personal impressions of dozens of leaders. It is a great book to fill in on all those little bits of the history of the region as, coincidentally with the passing of the old order coal declines in importance ad is replaced by oil and everything changes. |
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Peter Emmett reports Anyone who's experienced a Canberra winter knows that wintering in a caravan would be a pretty miserable experience. The only thing worse would be out on the street. But that's exactly what's in store for 200 people who have just received eviction notices from the Narrabundah Longstay Caravan Park in Canberra's south. Built back in the 1970's to accommodate transient construction workers, the Park is now home to 200 of Canberra's poorest residents; pensioners, single mums and their kids, low paid workers and the disabled. Many have been there 20 years or more, investing heavily in establishing their homes on the site. Despite the disadvantages they face in life, park residents are a close knit community and look out for each other as much as possible. |
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by Marcus We cannot rely on any Trade Union to save us least of all sell-outs like Bill Shorten who represents the working class by clamouring for a cut in the top-rate of income tax and more uranium mines (which first kill uranium miners). The French unions only went out on strike because young people (mainly students) occupied/blockaded and shutdown two-thirds of Universities and more than a third of all high schools. |
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by Jeremy Dixon The practicalities of an indefinite General Strike discussed in a preliminary and general way, with brief reference to history. Suggestions for immediate practical activity including call for a General Strike icon. A few thoughts on the General Strike……. |
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By Dean Dempsey, Landmark Shattuck Cinema workers are fed up. Years of bad hours, poor pay, a hostile work environment and the demoralizing treatment from theatre management has led the Cinema workers of Berkeley, CA, to push for a union; for the One Big Union of the Industrial Workers of the World. At 4pm on May 12, 2006, approximately 80 Wobblies and supporters gathered in what some hailed as one of the largest IWW gatherings in recent Bay Area history, next to the May Day contingent earlier this month. Theater workers, union organizers and locals from the community attended the rally to demonstrate their solidarity for the union effort, carrying signs that read “An injury to one is an injury to all”, and “Union Now”. A drum team kept the crowd enthused, as they sang union songs and recited pro-worker chants to the public. Some Cinema employees were still on the clock, but were very much committed to participate in the rally while on their breaks, wearing their IWW pins and showing support for the union. Shattuck Cinema organizer, Harjit Gill, says “I think what we see here today is a great success. There has been the participation of IWW members from the past and the present, and those who haven’t been recently active. Ultimately, we’re very excited about this campaign.” |
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Protesting against job losses workers in their hundreds of thousands supported the trade union Cosatu’s one-day general strike on May 18. Police closed roads and busineses closed in Johannesburg and Durban as huge marches brought central Speaking to thousands of protesters earlier, Cosatu’s secretary-general Zwelinzima Vavi said low wages, joblessness and poverty had undermined the sacrifices made in the anti-apartheid struggle. “We fought for democracy in this country, but where is democracy when people are engulfed with poverty and unemployment? The ‘better life for all’ concept promised by the government … should be honoured,” said Vavi. |
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Bigger cages, longer chains:
why haven’t our union leaders come out fighting ?
Leaflet distributed by Peter at “ Your Rights at Work” rally in Newcastle, June 28, 2006: Peter is not a member of the IWW but we reproduce his handy work anyway because we like it and as a general encouragement to rebels everywhere
Just imagine : During a lull between the official speeches, a leftist militant climbs onto the stage & addresses the crowd on the topic of the return to collective agreements once Howard’s IR laws have been defeated. His promise that there will also be jobs for all is met with derisory laughter from most of the crowd. And as he offers other reforms, a group begins a mocking chant; ‘Bigger cages, longer chains ! Bigger cages, longer chains !’” |
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The following is an email we received from GetUp! > From: "Getup" |
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Thank you for calling the Australian Army. Please leave a message with; As soon as we have sorted out; |
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WE SWEAR BY THE SOUTHERN CROSS TO STAND TRULY BY EACH OTHER AND FIGHT SIGN THE SEDITION CHARTER SEDITION CHARTER LAUNCH JOIN US Outside HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA Melbourne Wednesday 11.30am Corner Williams Street and LaTrobe Street, Melbourne ALL WELCOME!! COME AND SIGN THE SEDITION CHARTER' www.seditioncharter.org "SEDITION - Conduct or speech inciting to rebellion" HUMAN BEINGS ARE BORN WITH INALIENABLE HUMAN RIGHTS WHICH INCLUDE THE |
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