May Day -- a day to show the flag The following EDITORIAL was published in "The Guardian", newspaper of the Communist Party of Australia in its issue of Wednesday, April 21st, 1999. Contact address: 65 Campbell Street, Surry Hills. Sydney. 2010 Australia. Phone: (612) 9212 6855 Fax: (612) 9281 5795. Email: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Webpage: http://www.peg.apc.org/~guardian Subscription rates on request. ****************************** May Day has been celebrated for more than one hundred years in Australia. From the very first demonstration by shearers at Barcaldine in Queensland in 1891 it has been a workers' day with working class banners, slogans and flags -- the red flag of the revolutionary movement for socialism and the blue flag and southern cross of the Eureka Stockaders who fought for democratic rights. The right to vote owes much to the Eureka miners. Last years' demonstration was held during the MUA dispute and large crowds participated in the May Day marches around Australia. It was a proud day marking the tenacious struggle of waterfront workers against a malicious employer and government. This year another event -- the NATO aggression against Yugoslavia and its consequences faces every man and woman throughout the world. This is not to underestimate the importance of such issues as the GST, the privatisation of Telstra and the intention of the government to introduce a "second wave" of anti-working class industrial legislation. There is also the important issue of the right of the East Timorese people to independence from Indonesian occupation and annexation. Slogans about these issues are expected to feature prominently on the placards of the many organisations which participate in the May Day march. It is the bombing of Yugoslavia which will have the most far- reaching consequences although it may seem far away for many. The NATO aggression signals a major offensive by the US and European imperialist countries to try to re-establish their domination of the whole world. The attack on Yugoslavia has nothing to do with Albanian refugees. Their plight is only the excuse and phoney justification for the bombing. They are merely pawns in the game being played. If the NATO powers succeed in occupying Yugoslavia -- and that is their intention, and not merely Kosovo -- a campaign against Russia, the Ukraine and Belarus will then be unleashed. If that were to succeed the overthrow of socialism in China and the re- colonisation of the whole of Asia and the Middle East would follow. This is why the stakes are very high in Yugoslavia. That country is in the front line of the struggle to defeat the objective of NATO to establish its world domination. The attempts to achieve a peaceful settlement by Russia have been rejected by NATO out of hand. In rejecting these peace proposals, NATO leaders make it clear that they demand nothing less than the complete capitulation and occupation of Yugoslavia by NATO troops. Our slogans should be "STOP THE BOMBING". "HANDS OFF YUGOSLAVIA". At the same time we cannot neglect the important issues before the Australian Parliament. At the forefront is the GST and the privatisation of Telstra. The Australian Democrats and Senator Harradine are prepared to accept the GST providing there are some major changes but there is no such thing as a fair GST. Inevitably if the principle of a GST is established, even with some protection for low income earners, these protective measures will be eroded as time goes on. The whole aim of a GST is to shift taxes from the wealthy and from companies to the working people. The only correct position is that of the Labor Party which calls for the rejection of the GST in principle. Our slogans should be: "REJECT THE GST", "THERE IS NO FAIR GST", "KEEP TELSTRA PUBLIC", "REPEAL ANTI-TRADE UNION LEGISLATION". May Day is also an international day for workers around the world and there will be very large demonstrations in the cities of every continent. In Johannesburg, Santiago, New York, Paris, London, Berlin, Athens, Damascus, Moscow, Beijing, Hanoi, Delhi, Calcutta and many other cities and towns the red flags of the working peoples' organisations will fly together with innumerable banners carrying the demands of the people in each country. The people's movements and struggles are growing in every country without exception. Capitalist exploitation, the impoverishment of millions, mass unemployment and now a monstrous, illegal and aggressive war are all reasons why every reader of "The Guardian" should set aside other considerations and join the marches on May Day. Let everyone "show the flag". One of our slogans should be "WORKERS OF ALL COUNTRIES, UNITE!" The Guardian 65 Campbell Street, Surry Hills. 2010 Australia. Email: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Website: http://www.peg.apc.org/~guardian -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.alexia.net.au/~www/mhutton/index.html Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Subscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=subscribe%20leftlink Unsubscribe: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20leftlink
