Socialist Alliance
In her letter (GLW #513) regarding the Democratic Socialist Party's proposal to cease operating as a public party and build the Socialist Alliance, Angela Budai argues that this will create the perception that the Socialist Alliance is merely an "arm of the DSP".
Having campaigned on the streets of Sydney's inner-west and Canterbury-Bankstown areas for the last year and half as a Socialist Alliance member, the vast majority of people I meet place little relevance on the fact that I was also a member of the DSP (if they even cared at all). They had little or no interest in whether or not I was a member of any of the founding parties or whether I was an "unaligned independent". What interested them was the fact that I was part of a united left group that is campaigning against war and racism.
What is important to the "ordinary" people and the "broader community" on the streets of Burwood, Lakemba and Bankstown isn't necessarily that we are offering an "alternative at the ballot box", but the fact that we are out every week, campaigning in a united manner against racism and war, for workers' and refugees' rights, for the rights of women and in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
What they care about is that we not only offer an avenue for ordinary people to become active in such campaigns, something that most other parties don't, but that we are also actively part of their community.
Far from Socialist Alliance losing its attraction to the wider community should the DSP proposal go ahead, I think it can only help to enhance the attraction of Socialist Alliance as a unified left party campaigning for real change.
Kim Bullimore
Campsie NSW
Left unity
For many years, the various entities comprising Australia's Socialist Left have been travelling more or less on the same road and in the same general direction only separately. Now, the Socialist Alliance has the fundamentals to provide a vehicle with which all can travel this road in unison.
I am a typically outraged, typically disillusioned but typically energetic progressive person, listening for a horn in the fog of the left. In the past, if you'd asked me with which group I pledged my support, I'd have answered none and all concomitantly.
I'd have told you that I relate with all those who have heartfelt progressive and socially just ideals, for today and tomorrow. But again, somewhat dejectedly, I'd have said that that included every group and not one group in particular.
Today, however, I can instantly say I want to join with the Socialist Alliance in the hope it can include and position, shoulder to shoulder, every individual in every tendency.
Quite simply, it's the alliance I want to stand with and want standing with me.
As we all want the masses the workers, the lowliest and most downtrodden to unite, so must we unite ourselves.
We need unity to consolidate strengths and understand differences. The advantages are obvious.
Those seeking unity should be commended and encouraged.
They must always uphold: selflessness in all and inclusiveness with all.
George Papanastasiou
Victoria University
ASIO levy
Hope you enjoyed the TV coverage of the ASIO raids on Muslim families' homes. Clearly, my students understand that attending a lecture given by a scholar constitutes support for terrorism. That's why they stay away in droves from my classes.
The Howard government understands that attending lectures could lead to the public becoming knowledgeable about what is happening to our country and in other countries in the world. This could result in a challenge to globalisation, economic fundamentalism, neo-conservatism, racism, exploitation of the poor, privilege and all the other things upon which the white invasion and colonialism of this country is built.
The Howard government has decided that the user-pays principle won't work in this case because not enough Muslim families are prepared to pay for the privilege of being terrorised by ASIO and its paramilitary allies.
Instead, the government will introduce an ASIO Levy of a dollar per household for every ASIO raid conducted. Social Security recipients will have the ASIO Levy deducted from their payments each fortnight. Anyone who expresses opposition to the ASIO Levy will have the privilege of their own ASIO raid. The government is expecting overwhelming support for its new Levy.
John Tomlinson
Brisbane
'Illegal' workers
I write to complain about the feature article in GLW #513 "Illegals and Australian Unionism", by GLW "journalist" Sam Wainwright.
Wainwright has written 800 words about the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union NSW branch without actually contacting anyone from this office!
His analysis is 100% wrong, which he would have discovered if he had bothered to call.
No union in this country has done more for illegal immigrants being grossly exploited than the CFMEU NSW.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars in underpayments has been collected for illegals by this office.
Equally, the CFMEU has been at the very forefront of the campaign to end mandatory detention of asylum seekers.
Phil Davey
media officer
NSW CFMEU construction division
[Editor's note: 294 words in Sam Wainwright's article in GLW #513 consisted of comments on this issue made by NSW CFMEU secretary Andrew Ferguson in an interview taken by Wainwight in July.]
From Green Left Weekly, November 6, 2002.
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