S11 protests — 1
The "guardians of law" with batons of "democracy" indiscriminately beat the S11 protest marchers, to maintain "law & order" by brutality. In reality, it was an attempt to denigrate the image of S11 activists, presenting them not as convinced participants but as "hooligans".
The ruling class always resorts to mass terror to suppress any opposition to its policies. It is important to emphasise that the ruling class regards it as its legitimate right to use violence.
And they employ various kinds of methods, such as: adoption of special legislation Acts; wide-scale shadowing to compile dossiers to persecute activists; organising psychological warfare against activists, defaming them as "un-Australian", as the enemies of people. By what right?
The unrestrained violence committed by the custodians of bourgeois "democracy" gives rise to people's determination and humanism. It is a duty to stand up against exploitation, and the World Economic Forum is an institution of which designs and administers exploitation.
Vahakn Savoulian
Mount Druitt NSW
S11 protests — 2
Congratulations to Green Left Weekly and Resistance and the Democratic Socialist Party for a truly magnificent effort regarding S11, S12 and S13.
It was heart-warming to see and hear the wonderfully courageous work being done, by all these young people, brave enough to act on the ideals of fairness, justice and human rights. Good luck for all future efforts! You do a simply splendid job.
Lee Cameron
Research Vic
S11 protests — 3
At S11, police showed their true colours — blood red. Protesters were clubbed repeatedly by them, even when down. Peaceful blockaders were jabbed in the faces by truncheons, charged at and stomped on by horses, and even intentionally run over by a car.
This is copiously documented, while one handful of bolts and nuts is the police evidence for blockader "violence".
The acting police commissioner claimed on TV news that the police had their identification badges "torn off". He had to look away from the camera, he was lying so blatantly.
The cops, prompted by Bracks and WEF heavies, have displayed unfettered rage, breaking laws and the bounds of common decency in an endeavour to continue "business as usual".
We have become "Victoria — the Police State".
Steven Stevenson
by email
S11 protests — 4
It is not difficult to bribe ignorant and unprincipled people to engage in mindless activities and so the prospect of lots of overtime pay and the opportunity to bash demonstrators critical of the World Economic Forum would have been welcomed by the most mindless of the police who regard all protesters as dumb and disloyal communist agitators.
Premier Bracks dutifully trotted out the customary remark used by all conservatives — "the police acted with admirable restraint and I congratulate them". The demonstrators were patriotic Australians who know that nothing is gained without struggle.
We can rejoice in the fact that we have a substantial number of people who clearly understand the menace of the WEF and are ready to do something in support of their beliefs. They know that the WEF is the driving force behind the economy and it includes the heads of the top 1000 multinational corporations, that it is a powerful unelected body which makes decisions that lower wages and working conditions.
It is protest and struggle, much of it led by the trade unions and involving sacrifice and hardship, that has produced the beneficial changes that have occurred since I left school at 14 to work a fixed six-day, 72-hour week.
We struggle now against the readiness of employers to dumpy their workers and replace them in Third World countries with starvation wages and slave-like conditions.
Norman Taylor
Henley Beach SA
Staying poor forever
In debate surrounding the WEF, political and business leaders declared that salvation for the Third World would come via economic growth. But growth doesn't help if you die before its benefits arrive.
A recent UN report suggests that people in 59 low-income countries have, on average, about 9% of the purchasing power of people in 34 high-income countries. Even if future (inflation adjusted) growth were 3% per annum per capita in low-income nations and only 2% in high-income countries, it would take roughly 250 years for Third World living standards to equal First World standards.
However this is a technological and environmental impossibility since world income would then be about 1000 times what it is today, assuming a constant population.
What the pro-growth, anti-redistribution lobbyists are saying is that Third World citizens should remain far poorer than First World citizens forever. And what advocates of trade not aid are saying is that the rich should help the poor — just so long as the rich get richer in the process.
Brent Howard
Rydalmere NSW
Doing something right
Visiting the UK recently, I read a small item tucked away inside the local newspaper to the effect that Elian Gonzalez's father was offered US$3.3 million by the Miami Cubans to remain in the US — which he politely refused.
Truly, Castro must be doing something right or not everyone covets US dollars.
Jim Craig
Brisbane
Greens on electoral laws
A recent GLW article, "One Nation MP sets up front parties" is wrong about The Greens' role in changes to the state electoral legislation.
The Greens opposed a number of elements of the Bill, especially the financial impositions which discriminate against minor parties. The Greens negotiated with the government and were able to gain some reduction in the financial costs to minor parties and the number of party members required to register as a party.
The Greens' votes did not "give Carr the numbers he needed". The Coalition supported the Government's Bill thus giving it the numbers to pass through the upper house.
There is one very good part of the legislation. Under the old system there was an incentive to set up fake parties, because a party decided where upper house preferences went — not voters. Parties made a deal and lodged with the Electoral Commission a sheet that determined where the preferences would be distributed.
This meant people voting for the Save the Forest Party, Animal Liberation Party, Marine Conservation Party, etc had their preferences distributed to right-wing anti-environment parties. There is now no motivation to set up fake parties for NSW state elections. Under the new system the voters decide. If you vote 1 for a party above the line, your preferences stop with that party unless you actively direct them to flow to other parties. No deals, no shonky parties.
At a federal level we need electoral changes so that David Oldfield can not abuse democracy by using fake parties to win a seat. This can be done without making it harder for genuine minor parties to register for elections.
Geoff Ash
Electoral spokesperson
The Greens NSW
DSP on far right
The two points Jan Jermalinski raises in his letter (GLW issue 421) in criticism of my article" Globalisation and the far right" (GLW issue 419) avoid the political issues that are at stake.
The real issue is: why has Jermalinski actively supported having Peter Wesmore, the national President of the National Civic Council (NCC), on the opening plenary of the November 25 globalisation convention.
Secondly, why does he have such a problem with the Democratic Socialist Party organising its own workshop? I do not think that it is due to his concerns that it may limit the attendance.
The real issue, which Jermalinski avoids, is on what basis should the anti-corporate campaign attempt to win support?
Jermalinski stated, "I still believe that the N25 organising committee made the correct decision in having an NCC speaker". This comment is the fundamental problem that we should be concerned with.
The anti-corporate campaign should not have any illusions that it can build some sort of an alliance with the far right. The convention is going to, in effect, provide legitimacy and left cover to an ultra right-wing group, whose policies would result in the same problems that capital's globalisation has created.
The NCC is not at all interested in building a movement that works in solidarity with the overwhelming majority of the world's population that live in the super-exploited nations.
Jermalinski's comment that it would be a "political mistake" for the DSP to have its own workshop only reflects his conservative political perspectives, which seek to promote an alliance with the far right.
Roberto Jorquera
Perth district secretary, Democratic Socialist Party
Wembly WA
Balibo betrayal
Australia had three days notice about Indonesia's plan to invade East Timor in 1975 yet nothing was done to warn the five newsmen killed at Balibo in 1975.
Now we learn of secret documents that tell of Australia's knowledge of deep collusion between the militias and the Indonesian military (TNI) in the lead-up to last year's August 30 ballot. In spite of this, Mr Downer and the Prime Minister repeatedly lied to the Australian public by telling them that "rogue elements" in TNI were responsible for the violence and intimidation.
This lie made it possible to soothe public opinion and to give Indonesia chance after chance to make good its promises to end militia violence. The result was: UN, Timor Aid, Carter Centre and other foreign lives were put in deadly danger, hundreds of East Timorese were slaughtered and their country was blitzkrieged.
The message is clear: Australia is prepared to sacrifice innocent people in order to appease Indonesia and it is still doing so with more than 100,000 refugees in West Timor at the mercy of militia killers.
Those who had the courage to leak the truth are now being hunted by the federal police. Let us hope that the Whitlams, Frasers, Keatings and Woolcotts will be hunted down by an International War Crimes Tribunal for East Timor.
Gareth Smith
Byron Bay NSW
Greatly impressed
I have been greatly impressed by the quality of your publication and hence am renewing my subscription. I look forward to its arrival each week.
As a leftie of over 50 years (1940s vintage), I can't remember any other publication which would have matched the informative and analytical content of GLW and its generally cliche-free style of writing.
I find it inspiring that left-radicalism remains alive and fighting-fit and internationalist among your generation.
Ted D'Urso
Indooroopilly Qld