War criminal
Could John Howard please explain how "sedition laws" might compare to the international law of "inciting a war of aggression". Clearly, if truth is a defence, the attack on Iraq will always be illegal and Howard will always be a war criminal. Over one million decent Australians marched against the war in Iraq and billions of people around the world support the right of Iraqis to defend their homes and their families against the US occupation troops. There can be no honour in an illegal attack that has killed over 120,000 innocent civilians. While we all condemn terrorism, the attack on Iraq has been a far worse crime that we should never forgive or forget.
Peter Smernos
Adelaide
Inspiring
It was inspiring to read the article on page 11 of GLW #652 regarding the Venezuelan revolution.
Capitalism is said to be lashing out in its vicious death-throes. And it is important to remember that socialism is a relatively new force. As with all human endeavours, the path has not been easy or straightforward — but it is the only goal worth striving for. Giving up on the goal of decent government for all is giving up on humanity.
Your correspondent's account of Venezuelan workers at Alcasa "discussing how the factory should be run", is a sign of the future for which we are working, a future which may not be far away. let us all be ready for it and ensure that it will indeed be golden.
Marie McKern
Surry Hills, NSW [Abridged]
Same-sex marriage
Liberal MP Christopher Pyne has reportedly stated, "I think marriage is a heterosexual construct, and I doubt it would be popular amongst homosexual couples, given that it's not a homosexual concept". However, gay people are perfectly capable of understanding and appreciating the concept of making a formal commitment to have an enduring and loving relationship with one other adult ahead of all others.
Only some homosexual people wish to do this, and only some want their commitment recognised as marriage. But so what? Only some heterosexual people aspire to marry too.
Arguing that because only a disproportionately small number of homosexuals would like to marry, none should be allowed to marry, is rather like maintaining that because only a disproportionately small number of US migrants want to play cricket none should be permitted to pick up a bat.
Brent Howard
Rydalmere, NSW
Hands-off commissioner?
It is interesting to note that Professor Ian Harper, the newly appointed chairperson of the Fair Pay Commission, is also a member of the Academic Advisory Council of the far-right think tank, the Centre for Independent Studies (CIS). The CIS believes that the market should be left alone to distribute income and wealth without any intervention by government whatsoever to promote even a modicum of social equity and justice. Does Professor Harper share these hardline views?
Philip Mendes
Kew, Vic
The year ahead
I am not sure if there will be anything in 2006 that will anger me, and many of the people I know, as much as the disposal of our human rights in 2005 by Howard with his New Guard heritage and the easy complicity of Labor. And we will not forget or forgive the persecution of the most vulnerable, asylum seekers. That continues, again with the easy complicity of Labor. We remember David Hicks and his brave campaigning father, Terry, and Vivian Alvarez-Solon, Robert Jovicic and Jack Thomas. All of them, and many others, Howard and company have attempted to crush and forget.
I think it is time to celebrate, and join, the people who are fighting for them. Julian Burnside springs to mind, as do many in the Socialist Alliance. Ian Rintoul, and RAC, is another. It would take too long to mention just the ones I know about. The triumph is in sticking up for the rights of the most persecuted. As the Timorese said: To resist is to win.
I must thank the Socialist Alliance for the chance to hear Nicole Watson, daughter of the excellent Aboriginal activist Sam Watson. She reminded the rest of us that persecution here is nothing new.
What I was initially going to write about, before the above burst through, was the phrase "My fellow Australians". Isn't that the most annoying bit of propaganda nonsense that we hear far too often? What about "My fellow brown-eyed people"? It probably makes more sense. It is an obvious steal from the US lexicon of political drivel, as is being interviewed in front of a bloody flag. Even otherwise OK columnists write as if they were paid by the number of times they write "Australia" and "Australians".
And another thing ... "Community" has a real meaning. The human inhabitants of this country comprise a "population", not a "community". My father, who worked for Shell, and could not be described as left-wing, travelled in the old East Germany. When he came back he would talk about the constant use of "community" there. It is simply another propaganda word.
But I want to finish by saying congratulations to Socialist Alliance and Green Left Weekly. And also the other left papers and groups who are sticking up for social justice. As Che Guevara once said, "If you believe in social justice, then you are my friend."
In solidarity, for a brave 2006.
Stephen Langford
Paddington, NSW
Race riots
Far from failed multiculturalism being the cause of the race riots I would firmly put the blame on the policies of our government which has pushed its ideological policies promoting the individual before the needs of society. Individualism works for those with no underlying disadvantage and educated working parents with property. It fails those who, through no fault of their own, are born or acquire illness, have English as a second language, have poorly educated parents, who have to try and survive on continually reducing welfare while attending public schools, which despite having more disadvantaged students have to survive on less.
Where do "values" get taught? Every private school offers arts and cultural experiences, excursions and school camps. They encourage community participation and fundraising for charities. Their beautiful ovals and swimming pools provide for "fair play" and the Australian moral concept of "it's just not cricket".
Where are those who attend public schools supposed to get their holistic education when at our local school less than 40 kids in a class of 180 ever get to go on a school camp in 5 years of high school? Where over 60% of students and their sole parents are on health care cards and government subsidy? Where local sporting clubs have been decimated by costs of litigation insurance and a dearth of volunteers and like universities will now have to do, rely on a user pays system to survive. Fine, if you can afford to pay, but what if you can't?
Most importantly, the failed housing policies which have seen housing affordability at its highest, condemning any that do enter the mortgage belt to struggle to pay their mortgage to the detriment of their children's education and absentee parenting, while those who rent have very little left over to provide their children with the cultural or sporting experiences so desperately needed. It is no surprise that these marginalised youth use violence to express their frustrations. They have no other language to use.
Colin Hughes
Glen Forrest, WA [Abridged]
A socialist jihad
It is not only Muslims who are on a jihad. We all must be. Individually, each must struggle against feelings of powerlessness, disenchantment or apathy. With the Socialist Alliance and the broad left, we must face the internal challenges, find ways to enliven, encourage and empower each other, building alliances with our comrades in other socialist and other leftist groups. We must find ever better ways to be relevant to our work colleagues, and also those we meet, while remaining true to our noble cause, It is a struggle against the powers of US and corporate imperialism and greed. it is a struggle for peace, our environment, for freedoms and rights of all, those living now, those yet to come.
Luke Weyland
Strathfield, NSW
From Green Left Weekly, January 25, 2006.
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