Nuclear Power.

The current crisis in Japan illuminates the fact that the introduction of Nuclear Power in Australia must be opposed at all costs. Some might argue that an environmental tragedy of the likes that occurred in Japan will never occur here, but this has nothing to do with the issue at hand. It simply goes to show that if anything goes wrong, we are, to use a scientific term, fucked. With deadly problems on our harsh land including dreadful bushfires, floods and cyclones (not forgetting the Newcastle Earthquake) anything could go wrong, and ruin the lives of millions. Notwithstanding the fact that the waste dumped would degenerate, sit in, and potentially rot parts of the beautiful island we call home as well as any future government most likely attempting to dump it on land held under native title. We must support new, clean energy sources such as wind, hydro and geothermal on the way to a coal-free, green Australia.

Carbon Tax

While the idea of a tax on Carbon is a useful one in the fight to cut emissions and fight global warming, it is a total anachronism unless it is directed at the source of the pollution, big business. The current Carbon Tax tabled by the federal parliament is nothing but a sham. It is an attempt by the capitalist class to be seen to be making an effort to reverse global warming, whilst in reality it is all a facade. The bourgeoisie are blatantly slapping a tax on the working class in an attempt to be able to continue riding roughshod over the future of our planet and its people. The working people mustn't accept this. We must demand a Carbon Tax, but not the sham that has currently been put in front of us. We must demand that the capitalists pay to clean up the grave mess that they have created.

Lessons to be learned.

Whilst having the knowledge that parliament, whether state or federal, represent little more than a facade of democracy, put up for show by the imperialists, the fact that the working people of New South Wales are certainly going to turn to the ultra-capitalist Liberal Party after dumping the disastrous Labor government is an indication of the hold that parliamentarism and bourgeois ideology has over the Australian people. This is a justification of the fact that the current level of struggle requires communists to build links deep within the working class, sowing the seeds for a revolutionary proletariat. To paraphrase Mao, "The guerrilla must move amongst the people as a fish swims in the sea". We mustn't seek to be the sea. We, as activists need to be deeply immersed in working class struggle, not seeking to take ownership of these struggles or be know alls, but observe the situation at hand, learn from the working class, their material reality, and how this should shape our strategy. We should aim to point out slowly, and educate the working class about the fact that almost all struggles they face are linked to the imperialist domination of Australia, and that true National Independence is the only way to eradicate these issues.

Egyptian Revolution

The courageous actions of the people of Egypt must be saluted by all freedom loving people. Their stand in the face of violent repression from the police and army has knocked off the U.S neo-liberal lackey Mubarak and his vice president Sulieman. However, the battle is not over yet, the people must continue to fight to ensure that the army doesn't reconstitute a similar regime minus the figureheads. We have faith in the ability of the people of Egypt to do so. They must, and will battle for an independent people's democracy that rejects U.S hegemony, and supports the right of the Palestinian people for self determination and an end to the Israeli apartheid.


Power to the people of Egypt!

Flood Crisis/Cyclone Yasi

This response is well late, apologies for that. The flood crisis that has ravaged the Eastern states, in particular Queensland was in no uncertain terms a natural disaster almost without precedent in terms of personal property damage in Australian history. What has truly shown through in the aftermath, is nothing less than glorious working class solidarity and spirit, with members of affected communities banding together to rebuild, and some coming from far flung areas to help out those in need. All of this is in spite of the pathetic, sickening greed of the Insurance giants, refusing to pay out to those who have lost everything, in spite of having insurance policies that claimed to be covering everything. What is needed to combat this, is a people's insurance fund as part of a national people's bank, which would be motivated by the genuine need to support the people in their times of greatest need, rather than ruthless, immoral profiteering.

While this post was being written, North and Central Queensland are currently bunkering down in preparation for tropical Cyclone Yasi, a category five storm, to hit the shores. We can only hope that this storm does not live up to the expectations, which suggest it could be as bad as 2006s Cyclone Larry, which decimated the banana industry up north, or even Cyclone Tracy, which destroyed Darwin. Our thoughts are with you over the next harrowing few days.

The interests of Working Class areas in Parliament

Parliament is in the wider scheme of things, simply a talking shop serving the interests of imperialism. But in order to shore up domination over the other section, one section of the capitalists with put large amounts of money into fancy new trinkets for marginal seats in order to win them over. These seats are overwhelmingly middle class areas, that are well serviced as it is, with local concerns already looked after. In safe Labor areas, such as Preston, Footscray and Sunshine, which are overwhelmingly working class, where services are scarce, no money for vital services is coming in from federal or state levels, as Labor takes these areas for granted, and the Liberals know they stand no chance. For example, people in more affluent areas bemoan the poor public behavior of youth from Preston and Footscray. Take a trip through these areas, and you will see a distinct lack of community facilities such as swimming pools, and the clubrooms and training facilities of sporting clubs are falling into disrepair. There is simply nothing for working class youth in these areas to do to pass the time, and the schools in these areas are chronically underfunded, leading to disillusionment with school, while community health services are completely inadequate. What is needed is genuine local peoples organization, to signify that enough is enough, that we want a fairer deal for our impoverished suburbs. Through these organisations, we need to organize support at ground level, organize community programs to help sort out these issues, and through elections, challenge the hold that the Labor Party has on these seats through new community electoral fronts.

Fight for true democracy

The overwhelming majority of Australians have the impression that Australia is a democracy. We do elect a national talking shop (parliament) every three years, and this is what the ruling class puts across as the argument for the  'democratic foundations' of Australian society. I could use the valid argument that elections are rendered a choice between the two parties of capitalism (The Coalition and Labor) by the fact that they get blanket media coverage except for scare campaigns against even mildly radical bourgeois parties like the Greens. But there are even more sobering arguments than this! All of the important economic decisions in Australia are carried out by fat cats in board rooms, thinking only of their profit margins, with no responsibility to anyone but themselves. How is this democratic? Real democracy would entail workers and communities having a say in what is produced, how it is produced and when it is produced, it would include a constant say in how the resources that rightfully belong to the people of Australia are managed, it would include continued democratic involvement and a people's oriented media rather than the meaningless triennial vote and Murdoch Yankee imperialist propaganda.

Continue the fight taken up at Bakery Hill 146 years ago and fight for real democracy!