En Passant

The Coalition has retained government. At the time of writing on Sunday it has 74 seats, Labor has 66 and various independents and minor parties, including a Green, hold another 6. Five seats are in doubt with 4 potentially going to the Coalition. This would give it 78 seats in the new Parliament, enough to […]

My latest academic article has just been published and is available through this link to download.

Tax and the Forgotten Classes: from the Magna Carta to the English Revolution

The disasters of the free market will lead to radicalization and political polarization argues Socialist Worker US.

Given the vested interests involved, and the short termism that engulfs both business and governments, coupled with each country battling for a competitive advantage over the others, I do not think capitalism can solve the crisis of climate change. Our marches show we can raise our voice for action. However to win our demands for real results (‘Turn bull into action’ was one clever sign at the Melbourne Rally) we need to have a say in the outcomes. That means in my opinion not making polite representations to the representatives of a system addicted to and dependent on fossil fuels but fighting for greater democracy to win real action on climate change.

James Supple writes in the socialist magazine Solidarity about the ongoing and deep-seated problems in bourgeois politics in Australia. He says that underpinning the turmoil in parliamentary politics is the low level of class struggle. The greatest strength the working class majority has is in its industrial strength and in mass movements to fight for change outside of parliament. This is where real reforms, for land rights, equal pay, penalty rates and long service leave, have been won. That is why socialists put such emphasis on fanning the flames of struggle—this is where the hope for change lies.

If mass strikes to defend jobs, wages and conditions were to happen Tony the liberator could become Tony the liberated.

I have a suggestion for Labor. Abandon neoliberalism. Adopt a radical program like that which Chavez put forward. Tax the rich to improve the lives of the 2.2 million Australians in poverty and fix up the 17% gender gap. Use this money to negotiate a treaty with Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders.

That of course would just be the opening salvos of a radical program to fundamentally challenge the rule of capital.  It would involve nationalising the banks, mining companies and the other big battalions of capital and massively increase spending on public health, education, transport and social payments and develop a real program to address climate change.

That of course would just be the opening salvos of a radical program to fundamentally challenge the rule of capital.  It would involve nationalising the banks, mining companies, and other big battalions of capital and massively increase spending on public health, education, transport and social payments and develop a real program to address climate change.

Under Labor’s ‘Fair’ Work laws workers can be jailed or fined for taking industrial action. Australia is still a rich person’s country.

An injury to one is an injury to all. Concerted and wide spread industrial action can smash Labor’s anti-worker ‘Fair’ Work Act and its restrictions on the right to strike.

Solidarity forever.

If Grocon wins it will be a setback for all workers. That’s why it is important for building workers to fight back in the way that has the greatest chance of success – striking and shutting down the building industry and cutting off the flow of massive profits to bludgers like Grollo and his ilk, and in doing that calling on other workers to join them to bury Labor’s anti-worker Fair Work Act.

Abbott’s instability, his thought bubble approach to policy, his climate denialist base within the extreme right of the Liberal Party and the looming economic crisis in Australia all make for a possible tumultuous period of rule for the current leader of the Opposition and his by and large unremarkable front bench if they win, as they will, the next election.

The key will be class struggle. How much longer can Australian workers not fight?