En Passant

Protesters filled the streets of Paris on the eve of the United Nations Cop21 climate change summit–despite president Francois Hollande’s best attempts to keep them away writes Dave Sewell in Socialist Worker UK from Paris.

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.

Miss Dhu died in police custody. The police are one of the sponsors of White Ribbon Day.     Obama’s drone program kills women. Obama says he is opposed to violence against women.   Locking up women and their children to reinforce racism in Australia and unite workers with their capitalist and austerity leaders. Turnbull […]

Tom Orsag writes in Solidarity magazine about union amalgamations and the false hope they may offer. Here is a snippet.

But amalgamations are not the answer to rebuilding the union movement.

Nor are talk-fests, as ACTU Secretary Dave Oliver said “Next month union leaders will be gathering for the Australia Disrupted Symposium to discuss the future of work and how we can best represent workers no matter who they are or how they work.”

Unions are built through strikes and industrial action. When unions take action they recruit new members. The Victorian nurses’ union recruited almost 6000 members through its industrial campaign in 2011. The ETU in Victoria has grown from 8500 members in 1995 to 19,000 today under a militant leadership not afraid to take strike action.

To read the whole article click here. Are union amalgamations the answer to declining membership numbers?

This is the link to my 40 minute interview on 24 November with Sharon Firebrace on Razor Sharp. We discuss tax history and the role of forgotten classes in revolutions sparked by tax. We discuss the shift in wealth from labour to capital and how tax ‘reform’ is about continuing that. We cover poverty, the economy and much much more.

Click here to listen.

The campaign against the Grand Mufti and the National Imams Council following their statement on the Paris terror attacks has shown that some politicians and the Murdoch press are determined to continue to stir up racism against the Muslim community. To read the whole statement click here.

‘We write to express our disappointment in the way the demonstration [in Sydney] against Reclaim Australia concluded on Sunday… The rally today had a number of strengths that can be built on to take this movement forward. But the unnecessary and undemocratic confrontation with police was a step back and must not be repeated. We will need a more democratic, honest approach to organising to make any future events successful.’

This is the link to my article in Independent Australia on why the Grand Mufti is right about the West’s role in creating the conditions for terrorism. To read the whole article click The Grand Mufti was Right.

In an article in the Canberra Times on our anti-Reclaim Australia rally on Sunday at Parliament House, Christopher Knaus quotes me. The report itself doesn’t mention the strong Aboriginal Tent Embassy presence at the anti-Reclaim rally. Here is one of my poor photos of the 25 or so Aboriginal comrades at the beginning of the protest against racism.

Wrapped in the Australian flag, chanting Aussie Aussie Aussie, oi, oi, oi and sprouting hateful lies and abuse against Muslims and anti-fascists and anti-racists like me, and wanting to undertake physical action against its perceived enemies, these white nationalist Reclaim Australia people, mainly alienated middle aged and young men, are a potential lumpen proletariat wing of fascism. It made me realise why some alienated young men might also join or support Reclaim’s alter ego and mirror image, ISIS.