A chill wind was blowing early last Thursday outside my local train station. Commuters had their collars turned up and their arms folded as they hurried into the station. Dave, the suburb's iconic Big Issue seller in his red wheelchair, and I with the latest Green Left Weekly, were trying to attract those with windproof consciences.
The corporate media is heralding the end of the recession and talking about green shoots, but calls to the City of Sydney's homeless hotline reached a record 25-year high, said Adele Horin in the August 7 Sydney Morning Herald. Horin is one of the SMH's few regular columnists with a social conscience.
Working-class families are bitterly pondering the fact that, under capitalism, the only thing worse than being exploited by a boss is not being exploited — being unemployed!
The official national unemployment rate remains at 5.8%, but in the three months to July, about 74,000 full-time jobs were replaced with part-time jobs, said the August 7 SMH.
The politicians have begun to prepare the public for a "recovery" that doesn't feel like a recovery. Those "green shoots" won't be enjoyed by most of us. Even if there is an economic recovery, we have to suffer for years to pay for the trillions of dollars of public money spent by governments to bail out capitalism.
Why? So the capitalists can start a new cycle of exploitation, greed and speculation.
Last week it was revealed — to huge public outrage — that bailed-out US and British banks were continuing to hand out billions of dollars in bonuses to their executives.
If you find this totally unacceptable, then you need to help GLW build a people's movement that can put an end to this madness. Please make a donation today to our fighting fund at: Greenleft, Commonwealth Bank, BSB 062-006, Account No. 00901992. Otherwise, you can send a cheque or money order to PO Box 515, Broadway NSW 2007 or phone in a donation through on the toll-free line at 1800 634 206 (within Australia).
Money that comes from our supporters will go straight into the struggle for a better world — it won't be squandered on bonuses!