En Passant

The Greens: Opportunities for the Left?
The swing of 3.7 % to the Greens gives them almost 12% nationally. It offers the left an opportunity to argue our case with those who will become disillusioned with the Greens and their incapacity to fundamentally change anything. They support the profit system which is the root cause of our problems – climate change, war, poverty. They are unwilling to mobilise mass support in the streets for climate change, refugees, jobs. I hope I am wrong. However I made the same point about Obama before he was elected. I was right. (0)

Some questions for Abbott and Gillard
And when the boats keep coming (a good thing), and interest rates go up, and unemployment skyrockets, and GDP falls, and climate change wreaks more and more havoc on our planet, and the Taliban win in Afghanistan, what then? A retreat further into reaction and the politics of fear and attacking the victims even more? (2)

There is no red ink
‘In an old joke from the defunct German Democratic Republic, an engineer gets a job in Siberia. Aware of how all mail will be read by censors, he establishes a code with his friends: “If a letter is written in blue ink, it is true; in red ink, false.” ‘His first letter, written in blue ink, began: “Everything is wonderful: stores full, food abundant, apartments large and heated, movie theatres show films from the West – the only thing unavailable is red ink.” ‘ Zizek: The colour of truth. (0)

Tax the mining companies to keep interest rates down

What will socialism be like?
 There is a beauty in not having to rush to work but rather enjoy the morning at human pace, not capitalism’s pace. Holidays are what socialism will be like, I imagine. Minus all the democracy. (0)

Greece: what is happening?
Under threat of civil conscription Greek truck workers voted narrowly to return to work. Rhys Williams gives his thoughts.  

Unscripted?
So Julia Gillard is going to tear up the script and be herself. I can’t help but think this is a scripted campaign to be unscripted, probably the result of focus group analysis. (0)

Blood on Gates' hands
A headline from today’s Australian: ‘Wikileaks may have blood on its hands already, says Gates.’ What, unlike Gates and Obama? (1)

Election 2010: There is no choice - build a socialist alternative
I will be talking about the elections at the University of Canberra on Wednesday 18 August at 1 pm in 22 B 25 (ie room 25 on level B of Building 22 above the retro cafe). Election 2010: There is no choice – build a socialist alternative. (4)

Gillard's gender pay gap
Evidently Julia Gillard has the interests of working people and retirees at heart.  So I ask her to explain her role as Employment and Workplace Relations Minister and Deputy Prime Minister for almost 3 years in addressing the gender pay gap? Under Labor it actually increased to 18.2%. So apart from platitudes, what will Prime Minister Gillard offer to redress the imbalance and cut the gender pay gap to zero by 2013 if she is re-elected? Or could it be that such a policy would be too costly for her key supporters – business? So she will talk about equal pay for equal work but do nothing.  Add equal pay to the mining tax, climate change. WorkChoices Lite, the Australian Building and Construction Commission and many other examples of Gillard and Labor not being prepared to upset their real masters – the rich and powerful. (0)