Saturday’s socialist speak out
Posted by John, December 10th, 2011 - under Saturday's socialist speak out.
Barack Obama, the Commander in Chief of Terror, is preparing for a possible war on Iran, a country ruled by a religious dictatorship which challenges US dominance in the region.
The mass movement last year against the dictatorship shows the possibility of a different result – the power of the people, and specifically of the Iranian working class although that was not really in play apart from some strikes – as the alternative to US imperialism and the regime. And of course, like the developments across the Middle East and North Africa, US imperialism has tried to co-opt the anti-regime forces for its own ends.
In Australia the Gillard Labor Government plods along, hiding a report recommending a national dental health scheme. The $4 billion price tag scares it. Given Labor won’t tax its rich mates this Government is trapped in the hamster wheel of reformist rhetoric and inaction.
Given that the social surplus is drying up and the demands of the bosses for tax cuts and that any spending be on them, there is actually less reformist rhetoric from Labor than in the past. All we get from Labor’s leadership is vague phrases like ‘Jobs. Growth. Fairness.’ And moving forward.
But there is no real action across the board to implement action in any sustained fashion, other than riding the coattails of profit and hoping wealth will ‘trickle down’.
It won’t. It hasn’t for example helped address the crisis in dental care. Taxing the rich to fund a universal dental health care system would.
The bosses in Australia continue to complain about Labor’s industrial relations laws – the best thing the bourgeoisie has going for it at the moment. But it knows a shift in support to Abbott and his conservatives means, even if people don’t yet understand this, even more anti-worker laws are on the way under a Liberal government.
So it is pressing Labor to accommodate by acquiescing to workplace law changes. Little things like cutting penalty rates, youth pay, further restricting unions and the right to strike …These might be a bridge too far even for this right-wing Labor government.
The Labor Party conference produced the usual hand wringing in the capitalist press, most of it inconsequential nonsense and often framed in the context of the ‘battle’ between Gillard and Rudd. This ‘debate’ is a bit like trying to decide if Prince Charles or his son should be the next king. A pox on both their houses.
Over at Ozleft I was attacked for the heinous crime of criticising the Conference and for making the point that the conscience vote was a cop out. And presumably for criticising Labor’s decisions to endorse offshore processing of refugees and selling uranium to India.
This is really a debate about the way forward for the revolutionary left. Should we be spending our time in a decaying degenerate party whose membership is deserting it because of its failure to push for let alone implement social democratic reforms and because of its thoroughgoing embrace of neoliberalism?
Or should we, small as we are, have a vision of building a mass party of the working class built on the militant section of the class? I am for the latter.
That doesn’t and indeed shouldn’t preclude working with Labor leftists on campaigns like equal love, refugees, the Northern Territory invasion, climate change and the like, assuming they can drag themselves away from their interminable chook raffle meetings to join us in the streets.
But working together does not mean we must silence our criticism of the ALP or those who view working within it as the way forward for the Left. Indeed, as the equal Love campaign shows, Labor (including its left) responds to the pressure from the grass roots campaigns. It follows; it does not lead.
That is why it is very important to redouble our efforts in the struggle for equal love, against imprisoning refugees, against the NT intervention and to be with all workers fighting for better wages and conditions and defending jobs.
That includes the fight of public servants against their Labor Party boss, a boss which is cutting 3000 jobs according to their union. The Conference was silent on this issue, perhaps because the Union leadership is in bed with Labor and rank and file union members feel powerless.
Durban has proved to be the failure these pages predicted. It has produced nothing in addressing climate change. Capitalism is a system whose essence – the pursuit of profit – is destroying its ability to survive. There could be no greater indictment of the system and its bankruptcy than the threat it poses to the future of humanity.
To have your say or see what others are saying hit the comments button.
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Comments
Comment from dl
Time December 10, 2011 at 6:08 pm
I’ve been feeling a bit the same way. Despite all the partisan shots Labor and Liberal candidates make toward each other, the parties are virtually the same. The only considerable difference between them can be noted in taxation policy, where obviously the Gillard-led government is to left of the Liberals party. My opinion is that this incessant squabbling is partially a reflection of the increase in Australia’s socioeconomic inequality proceeding the GFC. It has been a relatively robust finding that political polarization tends to track the Gini Coefficient of a country, or at least in the ole’ USA.
As for gay marriage, i am optimistic that legislating permitting it will be passed within the next few years, and about time as well. Canada, a country culturally, economically and politically similar to Australia in many respects, passed legislation permitting same-sex marriages back in 2005. Australia apparently also recognizes same sex marriage in the event of a sex change, with this ruling apparently being vetted under the Howard government.
And progress on the front of Climate change seems completely stalled. The only thing that can save us now from future temperature rises seems to be a miraculous technological breakthrough, such as a workable & cost effective cold fusion nuclear reactor, a pipe dream at this stage. There is some hope from recent scientific reports that the ramification of CO driven climate change may not be as severe as expected.
Finally, its good to see that a spell check has been installed for this comment section. It really helps in detecting keyboard typos that a quick proofreading often fails to catch.
Comment from Kieran Bennett
Time December 10, 2011 at 8:16 pm
There is no technological miracle cure. Even with an energy source straight out of science fiction, the logical of capital would remain, and the rape of the planet would continue unabated.
The climate crisis is merely one element in the ecological crisis facing our biosphere. The whole crisis must be addressed.
Comment from dl
Time December 10, 2011 at 9:11 pm
If that was directed at me Kieran, fair enough. I saw a study a fair while ago (I can’t seem to find it on Google now) that tried to prognosticate on the future of renewable energies by reviewing investment in firms dealing with “green technology.” Needless to say, their results weren’t optimistic. I guess there isn’t much wisdom in managing the externalities of technological advancement (by that I mean modern industry)via more technological breakthroughs. I personally think a shift away from consumption-driven capitalism, under which consumption of miscellaneous goods constitutes circa 70% of America’s GDP, is needed if we are to become ecologically sustainable as a society; and especially in light of having a world population of over 7 billion people who are, on average, attaining increasingly higher standards of living.
I also think that future bottlenecks in minerals such as phosphorus, which is crucial for agriculture, or in rare metals, are dangerously unconsidered. They are elemental substances, and as such have an inherently low ability to be substituted.
Comment from Pure
Time December 12, 2011 at 10:48 am
How can you promote the corporate thieves and expoliters and users on your webiste and still claim to be one of us. You are either with us or with them and as a comrade told me about your website it sure of rain looks like you are with them.
If you want to be taken seriosuly, then ditch taking money from banks and Fox and the corporate bastards.
This is a joke mate.
Comment from John
Time December 12, 2011 at 12:44 pm
I’m not one of you, Pure or whatever Wendy 123 and her ilk are parading under now. I am a socialist, not a troll and fuckwit.
Comment from Pure
Time December 15, 2011 at 7:23 am
You dont get it. We are against YOU advertise for FOX news and banks and Murdoch so you are one of them, not one of us. Ditch the capitalist snadwich board marketing if you want to be part of the 99 per cent.
Comment from John
Time December 15, 2011 at 9:16 am
I am not one of the one percent. Marx and Trotsky used to get paid for writing for bourgeois papers. On your logic presumably that makes them part of the one percent too? This ridiculous conversation is now finished.
Comment from Ross
Time December 10, 2011 at 9:54 am
Russia has sent a troop carrier/helicoptor ship + a heavy crusier carrying missles to the Port of Tartus in Syria.According to Webster Tarpley 3-4 Nuclear armed Subs have also arrived.Russia has armed Syria with X 300 advanced missiles than can destroy NATO Ships.
Putin regrets not supporting Libya but now he sees no option but to take on these NATO war mongerers.
Awareness throughout the West is growing in regards to the theft by Wall St and its bankster mates who control our Govts.They are using Credit Default Swaps to attack countries like Italy/Greece and steal all their assets.
Pakistan is being backed by Russia to become a full member of the Shangai Coperation Organisation.There are six member countries ( mostly the Stans),including Russia and with Pakistan being a new Nuke member,the battle lines are drawn.India is trying to remain neutral.
War by the Banking Military Industrial Complex, is seen as an escape from us and steal even more assets.A lot of these people are looking at going to gaol or worse if we the people get back control.
Just recently at a Kuala Lumpa High Court Bush and Blair were found gulity of war crimes in Iraq.They have the evidence.They also have the evidence according to Prof William K Black that at least 90% of the Fannie and Freddie loans were fraudulant.
The lunatics are on our side and we have to find a way of preventing their insanity from being expressed.