LL:ART: Cool reception to Howard's sabre rattling in Asia
The following Editorial was published in The Guardian, newspaper of the Communist Party of Australia in its issue of Wednesday, July 23rd, 2003. Contact address: 65 Campbell Street, Surry Hills. Sydney. 2010 Australia. Phone: (612) 9212 6855 Fax: (612) 9281 5795. CPA Central Committee: [EMAIL PROTECTED] The Guardian: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Webpage: http://www.cpa.org.au Subscription rates on request. ** Editorial: Cool reception to Howard's sabre rattling in Asia Howard's visits to the Philippines, Japan and South Korea last week were by no means a resounding success. His main objective was to pressure the Governments of these nations to support an aggressive, interventionist policy against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea). Howard's junket was closely followed by British Prime Minister, Tony Blair who was on a similar mission, to line up Japan and South Korea. It is of interest that neither Howard nor Blair bothered to visit China or the Russian Federation which have land borders with North Korea. Earlier a group of 11 nations had met in Brisbane under the baton of the United States which, together with the Howard Government, was attempting to knock together another coalition of the willing to interdict North Korean vessels that they suspected of carrying missiles, drugs or even counterfeit money. The nations that attended the Brisbane meeting were, in a number of cases, less than enthusiastic about becoming involved in such open piracy. Howard's visit to the Philippines did win him a joint statement between the two governments to continue the war against terrorism but, according to media reports, a very chilly personal relationship between the Philippines President and John Howard was on display. It may well be that the arrogance of Howard and the Australian Government's clear intention of telling the Philippines Government how to run its business was not well received in what is after all, a far more important country in the Asian region than is Australia. Commenting on the escape of a terrorist suspect from a Philippines jail at the time of his visit, Howard said that the incident underlined the need for steady institution building in many of the countries in the region. Presumably there is no such need in Australia where Phillip Ruddock could show these backward countries how to run efficient concentration camps. Similarly in Japan where the government might have been expected to enthusiastically sign up to a new war on the Korean Peninsula. The two sides did no more than back the US demand for multilateral talks between North Korea, South Korea, the US, Japan and other Asian nations. They talked vaguely about co-operating in the fight against terrorism. The proposal to interdict North Korean ships received a cool reception. There was no mention of a free trade agreement although Japan remains one of Australia's major trading partners. Rather, Japan intends to impose a 50 percent tariff on the import of Australian beef. Trade issues also came up in the Philippines, where the Government accused Australia of using quarantine restrictions as a means to keep Philippine bananas off supermarket shelves. In South Korea the Australian man of steel could ring no more out of the South Korean Government than a commitment to pursue dialogue with North Korea and the wish to have the problems which have, in fact, been cooked up by the United States, settled by negotiations. The people of both South and North Korea are opposed to war and are increasingly embracing the movement for the reunification of the two states. (See story page 8.) The fear of peaceful reunification and an independent Korea is one of the main factors behind the increased aggressiveness coming from the US and the Australian Governments. That would leave the US with no excuse to maintain its forces on the peninsula. Meanwhile The Weekend Australian (July 19-20) has excelled itself in editorial vitriol. Under the heading Only monkeys see no evil in N Korea, the editorial churns out lurid inventions such as one in 10 of its citizens has died of starvation since 1995, The regime holds 200,000 political prisoners and another 400,000 have died in prisons and that North Korea is literally undermining its neighbour with secret tunnels reportedly penetrating deep into South Korea. All this is used to justify the prescient speeches of George Bush in which he branded North Korea as one of the three axis of evil countries. But then, Rupert Murdoch who owns The Australian is one of George Bush's most avid admirers and supporters. ** -- -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Sub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
LL:DDV: Refugees Speakout: forum on war racism
-- please forward this email A PUBLIC FORUM FEATURING SPEAKERS FROM THE PALESTINIAN, IRAQI IRANIAN COMMUNITIES PROUDLY PRESENTED BY SOCIALIST ALLIANCE DEFEATING the terrorism of WAR RACISM REFUGEES SPEAKOUT! FEATURING: * WIAM ALDUJAILY- IRAQI Temporary Protection Visa holder and mother of two * ALI FARABI- IRANIAN refugee now living in Melbourne * ALEX KOUTTAB- PALESTINIAN writer, Middle East Arabic solidarity activist * ARUN PRADHAN- Socialist Alliance member and activist in Refugee Action Collective AUGUST 13, WED 6:30PM @ 407 SWANSTON ST, MELBOURNE (the Resistance Centre, Druids House, lv 5, opp RMIT) ph 9639 8622 or 9386 4815 for information A public meeting featuring a range of migrant and refugee voices from the Middle East. Through personal stories and experiences speakers will discuss the human toll of Bush Howard's war on terror. As well as providing invaluable first hand testimonies, this forum will discuss strategies and campaigns to stop war racism. An important and timely forum, all are welcome... http://www.socialist-alliance.org. -- -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Sub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
LL:DDQ: ACTION: Brisbane: Stolen Wages Rally: Friday August 8
PDF flyer (286kb) also available on request... cheers...Christine Stolen Wages Rally Indigenous Wages is an Industrial Issue Friday 8 August 12 noon - 2pm King George Square From 1897 to until the early 1970s employment, wages and savings of Aboriginal workers were controlled by successive Australian governments under compulsory labour contracts. In Queensland wages were held by the government 'in trust'. These workers have since made a claim for their wages but they have only been offered a fraction of what they are really owed. Support these workers. Support their claim for wage justice. Guest Speakers include: Queensland Council of Unions General Secretary Indigenous coalition Community speakers from across Queensland Unions speakers from Queensland, Victoria and other states. MC Tiga Bayles, MEAA Member and 4AAA General Manager. For further information contact the Queensland Council of Unions ph (07) 3846 2468 Union banners and flags welcome. Authorised by G. Grace, General Secretary, Queensland Council of Unions, 16 Peel St, South Brisbane .. -- -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Sub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
LL:INFO: Love and Rage now has badges!
Hi, Love and Rage now has a large selection of badges. Cost is $2.50 per badge, then add $1 for postage - so 1 badge is $3.50, 2 badges are $6.00, 3 are $8.50, 4 are $11.00, and so on. These are only available in Australia - people overseas should check out our supplier, www.kersplebedeb.com. Our badge catalogue is at www.geocities.com/skipnewborn/badges.pdf. It might take a bit longer to load than a normal webpage, and you need to have Acrobat Reader on your computer. Any problems or questions, please feel free to contact us. Thanks, James Love and Rage / All People Equal www.loveandrage.rocks.it www.angry.at/racists .. -- -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Sub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
LL:DDV: Coming soon at Trades Hall
GET IT LIVE - GET IT AT TRADES HALL ARTS, bringing class back into the class struggle . . . --- Terra Incognita presents MR PUNTILA HIS MAN MAN MATTI --- Final performances - season must end July 26th A night of Brecht that is bound to bring a smile to your face. This cleverly crafted comedy plays with gentry and peasant alike. Brecht uses humour, music and a dash of cynicism to explore the irreconcilable differences between classes. Mr Puntila owns a sawmill, a Studebaker, a forest and 90 cows. If only he wasn't afflicted by senseless bouts of sobriety. He deviates between being a nasty, inhumane capitalist pig who mistreats his workers when he is sober, to a reformed human being when he is drunk. It is his chauffeur Matti who bears the brunt of Puntila's sober and drunken outbursts and who must decide in the end whether to continue to be compromised by the Dr Jeckle and Mr Hyde performance of Puntila. The New Ballroom 7:30pm Weds - Sat, July 10th - 26th Tickets: $24 Full/ $17 Conc Union Members Bookings Ph: 9537 3844 --- JOHN HOWARDS' RETIREMENT PARTY --- Finally, the Prime Miniature has decided to call it a day . . . After years of blatantly lying to the Australian public Honest John has spun the furphy that he will actually be staying on in office beyond his 64th Birthday. The unsuspecting Australian public has, once again, taken his word as true . . . when, oh when will they learn? The Trades Hall Arts mob, with the assistance of sculptor Martin Moore, will be celebrating this much anticipated retirement and invite everybody glad to see the back of the little cretin to come and join us in the revelry. (No gold watches please) Martin Moore graduated from the Royal College of Arts (London) and has worked with Jim Hensons Creature Workshop, Spitting Image and the BBCs Walking With Cavemen. He has previously sculpted Jack Nicholson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Naomi Campbell and Elizabeth Windsor. He will be sculptor (of John Howard) on the Night. Trades Hall Bar 7pm Saturday, July 26th FREE Event --- AN EPIC TALE OF HUMAN ENDURANCE with Sue Fear --- Sydney mountaineer, Sue Fear, is the first Australian-born woman to conquer Mt Everest. She achieved her lifelong ambition when she reached the 8850m peak during 50th anniversary celebrations of the first ascent of the world's highest mountain. She wil be speaking about her experiences. A professional trek and mountain guide for more than 10 years, Ms Fear is now the first Australian woman to have climbed three 8,000m plus peaks, all in the Himalayas. In 1998, she became the first Australian woman to climb the world's sixth highest peak, Cho Oyu, and last year scaled the summit of Mt Shishapangma. Presented by World Expeditions and Moutain Designs The New Council Chambers 7pm Wednesday, July 30th Tickets $15 Full/ $10 Conc At the door on the night GET IT LIVE - GET IT AT TRADES HALL 54 Victoria St (cnr Lygon St) Carlton Ph: 9662 3555 Trades Hall Bar - open nightly from 5pm 'til late Friday Happy Hours 4-7pm more info visit www.tradeshallarts.com.au http://www.tradeshallarts.com.au/events/events.htm - No problem can be solved by the same consiousness that created it. - Albert Einstein -- -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Sub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
LL:URL: APE site updated
The All People Equal site (www.angry.at/racists) has been updated. A new version of the anarchist novel 'Escape' is now online. There's also new music, in the 'punk/metal/noise' section - a collection from Enough fanzine, and some mp3s from Pissed (a band made up of editors of Profane Existence zine). Thanks, James All People Equal. .. -- -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Sub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
LL:DDV: events at the New International Bookshop
Wednesday Night at the New International Bookshop 30 July Road Map to Where? Alex Kouttab, Palestinian writer and activist, speaks on what the Road Map for peace means to the Palestinians and the Middle East Peace Process. 6 August War on Terror: Legal and Political Implications. Robert Story, lawyer for Jack Thomas (the Melbourne man accused of links with al-Quada) speaks about the impact of the war on terror on civil libnerties and human rights. 6.30 pm at the New International Bookshop 54 Victoria St, Carlton Sth $6/$5/$2 9662 3744, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Sub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
LL:DDV: Can Labor win the next election?
You are invited to a Marxist Forum on: Can Labor win the next election? It will be held at Caffe Mingo, 600 Sydney Rd, Brunswick, at 7pm on Thursday, July 31. Plenty of time for discussion. All welcome. www.iso.org.au .. -- -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Sub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
