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Economics behind latest fighting in Afghanistan

By Rupen Savoulian Fighting has erupted once again between the Taliban militia and soldiers from the opposition northern alliance led by Ahmed Shah Masood. Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan are three former Soviet republics that share a

ETU leader: 'Rank and file involvement is critical'

ETU leader: 'Rank and file involvement is critical' By Sue Bolton MELBOURNE — The Victorian branch of the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) has been involved in some long and hard-fought struggles recently — ACI, Mobil, Citipower — that

Progressive political parodies for parties

Mongrel Melodies — 63 Burlesque BalladsPublished by Sheep Thrills, 1997 — Send $9 per copy to 25 London St, Enmore 2042. Cheques to Greg Snook.Phone (02) 9557 5924. Review by Alex Bainbridge As the title Mongrel Melodies suggests, this is a

General strike called as Basque leaders are jailed

General strike called as Basque leaders are jailed By Norm Dixon The left-wing Basque pro-independence party, Herri Batasuna (HB), has called a general strike across the four Spanish-ruled Basque provinces for December 15 in response to the

Government by lies

Government by lies The Howard government has been completely consistent on one aspect of its effort to amend the 1993 Native Title Act to restrict the land rights of indigenous Australians: whenever it has met opposition to its plans, it has tried

Corporate rorts, the law and the rich

Corporate rorts, the law and the rich By John van der Velden When John Elliott was acquitted of fraud charges in August 1996, he announced to the football crowd at Optus Oval that he had "stuck it right up the NCA" [National Crime Authority],

Unionists concerned about mobile phone towers

By Shelly Collins CANBERRA — Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) members in the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs met on December 3 to hear from Telstra, Australian Communications Authority and DIMA management on the

Growing support for native title

By Rob Graham ADELAIDE — More than 500 people packed the Norwood Town Hall on December 2 to hear pro-native title pastoralist Camilla Cowley and others speak on the Howard government's Native Title Amendment bill. The meeting was organised by

Appeal launched for Dita Sari

Appeal launched for Dita Sari By James Balowski According to People's Democratic Party (PRD) sources, Dita Indah Sari, chair of the PRD-affiliated Centre for Labour Struggle, was released from hospital on November 28. Dita had been in intensive

Theophanous tries his hand at bamboozling

Understanding Multiculturalism and Australian IdentityBy Andrew C. TheophanousElikia Books1995, 466 pp., $16.95 (pb) James Vassilopoulos Theophanous attempts to write the definitive book on multiculturalism. Instead, he drowns in his own rhetoric.

Write on: Letters to the editor

The review of Susan Maushart's book, The Mask of Motherhood, (GLW #298) highlights some interesting issues in relation to gender roles in western capitalist societies. From Pip Hinman's review of the book's themes, it seems Maushart is able to

South Africa: campaign to cancel apartheid's debt

The apartheid regime left South Africa with huge debts that are preventing real reconstruction and development. In a bizarre twist, the people who suffered at the hands of the apartheid government are now being expected to pay again for their pain