The following Editorial was published by The Guardian, newspaper of the Communist Party of Australia, in its issue of January 28, 2004. Reproduction of articles, together with acknowledgement if appropriate, is welcome. The Guardian, 65 Campbell Street, Surry Hills, Sydney 2010 Australia. Editor: Anna Pha Communist Party of Australia, 65 Campbell Street, Surry Hills. Sydney. 10 Australia. General Secretary: Peter Symon Phone (02) 9212 6855 Fax: (02) 9281 5795 Email CPA [EMAIL PROTECTED] The Guardian [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscription rates are available on requests.
************************************************** 1. Editorial: People's power and the 21st century The leaders of the United States often talk about the 21st century being an "American Century" but it is more likely to become an "American nightmare". It will become a century of people's actions and people's power that will transform societies and overthrow capitalism in many more countries. The break-up of the Soviet Union almost 15 years ago opened the doors to unprecedented attacks on the rights and conditions of the working people throughout the world. It also opened the way to the overthrow of socialist societies in East Europe and then to the wars to break up the state of Yugoslavia. Then followed the US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, all steps towards the long-held US leadership's objective of world domination. A savage attack was launched on the rights and working conditions of hundreds of millions of people worldwide and on the public sector. This involves the privatisation of publicly owned enterprises and the undermining of public education and public health in favour of private schools and private companies. Behind the "American Century" is the power and wealth of the transnational corporations. But this capitalist offensive is only half the story. The wars and the attacks on the working people are bringing counter action and strong opposition. This was most dramatically shown last year when the world witnessed the unprecedented demonstrations against the war in Iraq. Nothing like it has ever been seen before. The exposure of the US leadership continues with the confirmation that Bush, Blair and Howard lied about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Their main justification for the invasion and occupation of Iraq was a lie. While this expression of people's power did not prevent the invasion it did show that millions of people have woken up to the despicable character of their leaders and that these leaders serve the shoddy profit interests of the armaments, oil and other corporations and not those of the people. In Australia, in addition to the actions against the Iraq war, there has been a strong movement and many actions against the immoral and racist refugee policy of the Federal Government. The very people who have been turned into refugees by wars in which the Australian Government has joined, are refused refugee status in Australia, a right guaranteed under international law. There is the stubborn struggle of Australia's Indigenous people, personified at the moment by the refusal of the elected Chairman of ATSIC, Geoff Clarke, to be intimidated by government ministers Ruddock and Vanstone. They are using the situation surrounding Geoff Clarke to wage an all-out attack on ATSIC and the Indigenous people in general. There are the actions of teachers and students in the defence of public education and against the hike in student fees. These struggles are all part of the growing people's movements and they will be multiplied many times over in the coming years. At present, in Australia, they do not challenge the social system of capitalism but as time goes on it will become more widely recognised that bandaid solutions do not go far enough. The real source of the attacks on rights and conditions, the worldwide poverty and the wars that cause so much misery and thousands of deaths is to be found in the system of capitalism and imperialism. In Latin America the people's struggles have reached a high level. Socialist Cuba has survived more than 40 years of threats, embargoes, attempted assassinations and other covert actions. The people of Venezuela defended the revolutionary government of Hugo Chavez while the people of Brazil have elected a left-progressive government. The people of Colombia continue to wage an armed struggle against fascist-type governments backed by US money and arms. This is only a small part of the world-wide picture but it gives enormous encouragement to all who are on the side of the people and against the power of the transnational corporations and the despicable governments that they impose. Rather than the claim of US leaders that the century is theirs, the 21st century will be a century of people's actions and people's power. -- Visit the proposed Leftlink web site at http://www.leftlink.net/ -- 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]
