Pity the Swiss
If Paul Keating is looking for reasons for the massive swing against the Labor Party in the Canberra by-election he will find that people are concerned about the government's superficial approach to the environment, the stripping of this country's national assets by privatisation of public property and by the export of our mineral wealth.
People are also aware that the alleged phenomenal economic boom has hardly dented the total number of unemployed but has greatly increased company profits, particularly those of the banks.
Increases in export-woodchip tonnages and in aircraft noise over Sydney both indicate an arrogant contempt for the opinions of protesters in both these matters.
The health system is in disarray, we have a Minister for the Environment in name only (the Coalition is no better in this regard) and it is becoming increasingly obvious that the massive increase in immigration is going to cause unsolvable problems in coastal degradation, not to mention further unemployment.
If the Prime Minister has no intention of redressing these matters he should now call a double dissolution and then depart for Switzerland.
C.M. Friel
Alawa NT
Turkey
It's good to see the New World Order is living up to its ideals.
The Turkish invasion of Iraq has their allies — the three monkeys of NATO (USA, Britain and France) wimping out of their air patrols over northern Iraq — not willing to engage in "friendly fire" nor to be seen as actively involved in murdering Kurds.
These NATO thugs in their buddy support of the torturously obscene regime in Turkey show they have no inner conviction to human rights; just narrowly selective ones — Iraqi Kurds are front page "media events" and vote winners, Turkish Kurds are just statistics for the back page death column.
Robert Wood
Surry Hills NSW
ACT Greens
Lucy Horodny put up no arguments to favour her party's vote for a Liberal Chief Minister in the ACT Legislative Assembly (Green Left March 22).
The honourable thing to have done would have been to nominate herself or Kerry as Chief Minister in the first ballot, and then if eliminated, pass in a blank ballot paper the second time around as a sign that no other candidate for Chief Minister was suitable on environmental grounds. That was the whole point of the Green vote, and would have been reassuring to Canberra's large numbers of pro-environment activists.
We now wait with anxiety the votes on such issues as the composting bins which were to be brought in (an Osborne-Liberal axis candidate, with whom the Greens have now thrown in their lot, openly campaigned with the slogan, "More coppers and less composting"), forestry (the ACT had until the election, a standing policy of only logging plantation forests and a 100% ban on any other logging), gold mining (currently banned) and other key environmental issues such as public transport on which the Osborne-Liberal axis is at loggerheads with pro-environmentalists.
Don't start playing politicians' games, Lucy and Kerry, even if you are elected to parliament, and don't take your cue from Liberals, Labor or other parties. Think green and get mean!
Jack Woodforde
Melba ACT
Government
It is about time we realise exactly where we stand and what we must do to bring the government to heel and to stop being walked over. We are told that we live in a democracy. As citizens of a democracy we have rights. One of these rights is that the government of the day serve the interests of the people, not the interests of the state or the interests of a minority.
It is in the interests of the people that equitable access to education is provided; it is in the interests of the people that the wealth generated by society is distributed equally; it is in the interests of the people that the environment is protected; it is in the interests of the people that aid be cut to authoritarian regimes. As citizens we must stand up as one and demand our rights! Government for the people, of the people, by the people!
Adam Cunningham
Canberra
Saving the trees
Last week, I rang the Wilderness Society about a rally in Brisbane I saw advertised in this paper against woodchipping. To my dismay they told me that the rally was organised by socialists, and they had grave problems with how they work, and that they were not supporting it.
I consider myself green and sympathetic to the left but I took their word for it and left it at that. That night I was amazed to see an impressive rally on the ABC which put woodchipping back onto the public agenda.
Can someone please tell me why the Wilderness Society tried to discourage people from going to this rally? Isn't it better if we try to work together than against each other if we are going to save the trees?
Elaine Wilson
Brisbane
Dirty tricks
Handing out How-to-Vote cards on NSW polling day proved to be an educative experience. I copped an eyeful about the level of dirty tricks that seem to have invaded environmental politics these days.
I distributed for the Democratic Socialists at Alexandria School. I discovered that the Total Environment Centre had delivered a box of leaflets designed to split the No Airport Noise preferences from the Green vote in favour of the ALP. The material was presented as "independent" environment material but the box was delivered to the head to the ALP booth team. He then conned a naive pair of Green Party workers to distribute the material!
When I explained to the Green activists what game was being played the ALP booth captain was happy to boast that the TEC had an "arrangement" with the ALP. A TEC activist who appeared later also admitted that the TEC was campaigning for Labor.
I believe that many people like the Greens for the impression of integrity they present. But it also appears there are opportunists in the environment movement who want to trade on that image to cut sordid back-room deals with the ALP.
Barry Healy
Alexandria NSW
Star Trek
It seems that Hollywood will stop at nothing in its attempt to rewin culture and entertainment for the values of late twentieth century capitalism. Star Trek Generations is one such example. Behind the flashing lights and whistles, Hollywood was doing a nice little job on the (relatively liberal) Star Trek: the next generation (TNG).
With the exception of one character (the inimitable James T. "Ronnie Raygun" Kirk), there was practically no character development. Devotees of the TNG series will be shocked to learn of Captain Picard's new found love of family life, mixed with supposed regrets at not having fathered 2.4 children.
All our favourite characters play some sort of a part, but mostly as shallow two dimensional images of their persona in the TNG series.
When it comes to the crunch, Hollywood has the last giggle. The aging, pot-bellied, un-reconstructed Kirk saves the galaxy for decent business people everywhere. Picard is left wondering exactly what went on.
Hollywood has made a habit of co-opting, distorting or falsifying anything that challenges (however lamely) the dominant power relations of this society. With Star Trek Generations it takes this even into the realm of fantasy.
Graham Matthews
Sydney
Unemployed graduates
Last week, I went to the city to buy a book.
The young woman on the counter turned out to be BA (Hons) from La Trobe. Her request for full time employment was unsuccessful, and she was only casual counter sales. With a $10,000 university fees debt hanging over her head (plus compounding CPI increases) she just could not make financial headway. She consoled that at least it was better than last year when she was mopping floors in a hospital (part-time casual).
A few doors down from the bookshop a sign said "Lunch Smorgasbord $6.95", and I went in. After carving some meat I went to the counter vegetables, and found hat the counter girl was BA (Monash).
I decided to have a beer and found a pub nearby. I looked at the barman and thought he would be about 24. "Oh no, it could not happen again", I thought. I ordered a beer and sure enough the barman was a university graduate too. "Casual bar work is about all I can get."
Economic rationalism has ruined Australian manufacturing industries. Tens of thousands of boys used to take up apprenticeships in sheet metal work; fitting and turning; pattern making; die casting; metal polishing; etc. But the so-called "level playing fields" of the economic rationalists have caused "non-working fields" for Australians. In the past decade the number of apprenticeships offered in Australia have been halved.
Thus vast numbers of young people are going to university so that they can graduate to counter sales, vegetables and beer.
Yes, and they better "enjoy" it while they can too: before they are replaced by someone with a Doctorate in Hospitality Studies.
Jim McGarvin
Kew Vic