Report on 'Towards a Socialist Australia'

[The following report was presented to the Socialist Alliance Melbourne district meeting on December 6, 2011 and later to Geelong branch. While it was speaking to the first draft of the resolution (see Towards a Socialist Australia), I think the main points made remain relevant.]

Purpose of the resolution

The basic purpose of the document is to make a clear, logical and succinct case for socialism and explain what we want. We have policy resolutions on a great range of questions but nothing that pulls it all together and explains what we are fighting for, the big picture — a fundamental change in the way our society and economy is organised and what some of the key elements of this are.

Towards a socialist Australia

[This was written as part of the process of preparing a draft resolution for the Socialist Alliance January 2012 National Conference.]

A world in turmoil

The 21st century is shaping up to be a pivotal one as human society faces a profound and deepening crisis.

Overcoming the power of the 1%

[Green Left Weekly, #903, November 16, 2011]

The global Occupy movement has focused the spotlight on the dichotomy of the 1% versus the 99%. Who are these 1%? In the United States the 400 richest individuals have as much wealth as the bottom 150 million. A similar picture would apply in all the major capitalist countries.

Hands over the city: Towards an urban nightmare

[This is an edited version of a workshop talk given on October 2, 2011 at the World at a Crossroads conference in Melbourne. For a PDF of slideshow see here.]

In this talk I want to give an overview of the crisis of our cities as I see it. The city I focus on is Melbourne, where I live. But I doubt that the broad situation is much different in the other states.

How we work to win mass support

[Talk given at the Socialist Ideas Conference organised by Socialist Alliance & Resistance, Melbourne, September 3, 2011.]

Will the level of popular and working-class struggle rise significantly in the coming years? How can we overcome or neutralise the deadly effect of ruling class propaganda on the minds of so many ordinary people? Can left-wing forces rally significant support and lead big struggles? How do we work towards this goal?

On Eritrea's national day, little to celebrate

[Green Left Weekly, #879, May 18, 2011]

On May 24 Eritreans around the world will mark the country's national day. After an epic three-decades-long liberation struggle, in 1991 the liberation forces wrested control of their capital, Asmara, from the occupying Ethiopian army. Two years later a new, independent Eritrea was formally established.