By Alex Bainbridge
Opening the Jabiluka uranium mine is totally irrational. There is no safe way to mine uranium or to handle any aspect of the nuclear cycle. To claim that the jobs and energy we can get from uranium outweigh the dangers of radon gas, radioactive tailings water, nuclear waste, nuclear accidents, nuclear testing and nuclear weapons is insane. It's like advocating jumping out of an airplane without a parachute because you might enjoy the view.
The capitalist profit system is the cause of this mess. While they may talk about jobs, the uranium companies' bosses are primarily motivated by the profits they expect to make. As long as there is a profit to be made — from Jabiluka or anywhere else — these powerful companies will not let up in their efforts to realise it. And if one bows out of the race, another will take its place.
But there is no reason why this irrational state of affairs has to prevail. People can stop this madness by reorganising society on the basis of justice, welfare and beauty.
What a hide the politicians have to ignore the opposition of the Mirrar people — the traditional owners of Jabiluka, who will suffer most from the mine going ahead. Basic social justice is at the heart of socialist criticisms of capitalism, and would be given first priority in a socialist society.
However, socialism is more than just compassion. Democratic planning would enable people to employ different methods of meeting needs.
Renewable energy sources would always be prioritised above wasteful, polluting and dangerous energy sources such as uranium and coal. Who knows what could have been achieved if the billions of dollars wasted on the nuclear industry had instead been spent on research into and the implementation of renewable energy sources.
We could also make big inroads into reducing energy waste in all sectors of society by government-sponsored, community-driven campaigns.
The environmental debacle in the former Soviet Union and other Stalinist countries proves that abolishing capitalism is not, in and of itself, enough. It is, however, essential. Democratic decision making is also necessary in a socialist society to ensure ecological sustainability.
Questions such as whether to mine Jabiluka are far too important to be left in the hands of corporate thugs who own the mining companies (and who personally stand to gain enormously). It's too important to leave in the hands of a Howard or Beazley cabinet. Scores of millions of people in Australia and other parts of the world will be affected by the decision, and they have a right to be part of making it.
Even now, opinion polls indicate that a majority of Australians are opposed to Jabiluka and uranium mining in general. Surely, in a democracy that fact alone would scuttle the Jabiluka mine. Not in a capitalist "democracy", however.
Socialist democracy will be different. Most importantly, our opinions will count. Elected representatives will be required to report back to their electors, and their electors will have the power to replace them if they step out of line.
People will be have access to information about issues such as Jabiluka. Daily papers and television networks would publish articulate commentary and opinion pieces from all sides in the debate, including those of the traditional owners and scientific and environmental experts. Why should we tolerate the situation today where even the ABC is (so far) refusing to show David Bradbury's new film Jabiluka?
In addition, people will be able to form their opinions without the threat of bribery and blackmail. Some workers and some indigenous people are sometimes "persuaded" to support environmentally destructive projects, such as uranium mining, when their jobs or livelihoods depend on it. Socialism will guarantee jobs and incomes for all — a precondition for truly democratic decisions.
Anyone who thinks this sounds a bit too hard ought to think about the consequences if we don't succeed in winning democratic control over the economy.
Many people in the 1980s thought uranium mining was being phased out with the ALP's "three mines" policy. The current push to expand uranium mining under the impact of improving prices for uranium on world markets proves that as long as the insanity of the profit motive continues, humanity is threatened with the irrationality of uranium mining.
We need to fight now to stop the Jabiluka mine — but that isn't enough. We also need to fight to change the system that gives it the go-ahead.
[Alex Bainbridge is a member of the national committee of the Democratic Socialist Party.]