Jobs and justice
There was some discussion on the Melbourne left about the Victorian Trades Hall's recent Jobs for Justice campaign. Some argued that there was no alternative but to support what was always going to be a token effort because no-one else had the "social base" to mobilise people.
This misses the point in two ways. Firstly, Trades Hall had no intention of calling masses of people onto the streets. Their strategy was simply what it has always been: lobbying the Labor government, this time with a little left cover in the form of a tightly controlled and restricted "campaign".
The get-behind-the-THC approach also ignores recent history, such as when Trades Hall was forced to come behind the campaign against the Gulf War by the pressure of tens of thousands of people on the streets.
Ray Fulcher
Melbourne
Another view on JFK
In the current furore around the film JFK (GLW #42) we need to look beyond the debate around Stone to also consider what is the role of the film.
The importance of the film is precisely that it offers socialists and Marxists an opportunity to build upon the challenges and questions that the film raises. We need to come to terms with the powerful role that popular culture plays in influencing people's ideas and therefore the potentially radicalising effect it can sometimes have.
Stone's illusions in Kennedy and liberal democratic notions of society are not actually his individual weaknesses, nor even those of the film. Rather the message presented by the film reflects the reality of the dominant views within western society. This is somewhat similar to the long held myths about "Whitlam the great reformer" held here in Australia. There is no doubt that large numbers of people did and probably still look to the Kennedys, Whitlams etc to help overcome the misery of their lives.
Stone is a product of his environment. As a producer of high budget films for mass audience consumption, he is unlikely to go beyond the level of acceptability. It is the Pilgers et al who find it more difficult to gain funding and achieve such widespread screening.
Hundreds of thousands have already seen the film and this will be replicated over and over. In Victoria study of the film is going to be an essential component of the school curriculum for most high school students. We can't ignore the potentially radicalising effect this could have on young people developing their views in an increasingly cynical and alienated period.
The tasks for socialists and Marxists is to provide some political direction for this anger and frustration. We certainly need to point out, as Steve Painter does, that the "Kennedys" etc have been key proponents of building up the military system.
We also need to intervene in a way that attempts to take he challenges raised by the film beyond those illusions. It can provide an opportunity to generalise this issue into how the imperialist capitalist system actually works.
The discussion should centre on how we build a cohesive left political alternative, not whether Stone is a liberal.
Melanie Sjoberg
John Taylor
Melbourne
Monarchy
Congratulations to Phil Shannon on a fine and entertaining piece of journalism, "The Great Feudal Relics Show" (GLW #44).
The criticisms of the English monarchy are well assembled and doubtlessly valid. However, in my view, Phil's advocacy of a "campaign against the monarchy" is well wide of the mark.
The monarchy is a show (a pathetic one at that), but it's very much a side-show.
As Phil correctly notes, US capitalism has survived without a monarchy. And Australian capitalism would have survived Whitlam (who posed no real threat in any case) without Kerr.
No, the left, especially in its current weakened state, has more important fish to fry.
Progressives need to campaign around the issues that strike at the heart of this anachronistic system, i.e. unemployment, declining living standards and the environmental crises.
In all likelihood the monarchy will be swept into the dustbin of history on a wave of socio-economic change. Removal of the monarchy, on the other hand, will not as automatically call forth the end of the capitalist system.
Let's leave the "campaign" against the royal ornaments to those who have no fundamental quarrel with the current economic order: the small section of big business and those in the ALP looking for some radical cover.
Frank Noakes
Perth
Sex workers
This year many International Women's Day collectives are organising around the issue of violence against women. It is true that all women in Australian society face violence on a variety of fronts; physically, economically and emotionally. However, some groups within the women's movement have more clout than others to define what are the most important issues facing women.
As a sex worker, I feel that I, and the thousands of women like me, can be silenced very easily. Imagine how difficult it is to stand up at a meeting or a rally and advocate prostitutes' rights, always having the fear of being identified as a sex worker. Think about how difficult it is to be open about the work that you do, when some on the left argue that sex workers contribute somehow to the oppression of women.
It's obvious to me that women work in the sex industry because of lack of economic choices, and as we approach International Women's Day, I've become more conscious of the violence that can be rkers. In Canberra, there are so few mechanisms for protecting workers from violent clients, or even uncooperative management. It's only a matter of time before we have a repeat of the Victorian experience (workers raped/murdered, and court decisions unsatisfactory because women were prostitutes) here.
So this International Women's Day, give sex workers some space to be heard. The issue of women working in the sex industry is going to become more important to feminists in 1992, as more young women find that it is simply the only way that they can make a living.
Paris Starr
ACT
Spy bases
Listening to Radio Australia at around 4.45 this morning I heard the following information provided by investigative journalist Brian Toohey:
Some millions of dollars are being spent on the phone and fax tapping facility at Geraldton. This facility spies on Pacific nations, including East Timor, Bougainville, Philippines, Indonesia, Japan and Kanaky. The information gathered is shared with our allies GB and USA. This means, of course, that Australia loses all control of how the information is used and how much further it goes.
It could be used to interfere with the politics of other nations by passing information to one side to the disadvantage of the opposition, it could also be used to outsmart trade deals. It could be, and perhaps is, used to the disadvantage of Australia.
Australian possession and use of this spying facility has now been broadcast over the Pacific, it is unlikely to win us friends in the region.
J.E. Downie
Erskineville NSW
God's work
Is Fred Nile really doing God's or Satan's work? Six months ago, he was said to be bankrupt due to debts from his NSW election campaign in 1991.
He even moved out of Sydney to the South Coast to get an extra $17,000 dollars as a country MP in NSW.
He cried poor so much that supporters rallied to his cause and he made $100,000. Now he has decided to literally waste $50,000 on a campaign to save the Queen even though he has hated Queens for years at each Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
Why not help the poor and do God's work, Fred?
Kerrie O'Rouke
Killara NSW