Pandemic shines harsh light on privatisation & outsourcing

Photo: Nurses at Melbourne Showgrounds vaccination hub, 2021.

Right from the start, Australia’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been shaped by the basic realities of contemporary capitalism (“neoliberalism”).

Essential goods supply crisis

It quickly became apparent that the various global supply chains we depended on for medical supplies and equipment were no longer reliable. Early on, getting hold of face masks (PPE) and ventilators was a big problem. We produced very little here in Australia and overseas suppliers were too busy fulfilling other orders or they had been hit by the virus themselves.

The West's campaign against China

 [Talk given at an online forum Behind the Cold War on China, July 27, 2021.]

Socialists are not the only ones who talk about a new cold war between the US and China. It is becoming a commonplace in the mainstream media.

But we have an explanation for it. All the endless propaganda and punitive measures against China are part of a campaign by Western imperialism, principally the United States, to isolate and contain China and reassert Washington’s hitherto uncontested hegemony — economically, militarily and politically.

Despite its enormous power, the US is in relative decline. Just compare its position now to that at the end of World War II. Then it was the unchallenged world superpower — the only one. Now China is a an emerging superpower. It is challenging the US, both economically and militarily. And the US is beset by truly massive, glaring social problems, obvious to everyone.

A Radical Life: A Memoir by Jim McIlroy

[Remarks at online launch of A Radical Life:  A Memoir by Jim McIlroy, July 18, 2021.]

It’s a pleasure to be helping launch Jim’s very readable and important book.

Perhaps Jim will say something about the development of his memoir project. I know he started putting it together some years ago. But once we committed to producing an actual book, things quickly escalated. Jim had about a third in reasonable shape but he came under great pressure to finish the rest — to boil it down from all the emails, flyers, reports and articles that he had assembled. A lot of the editing and polishing of the text took place after it was laid out with Coral and myself weighing in with comments and suggestions. That might not be how the big publishing houses do it but we had no choice!

Putting Australia's anti-China campaign in perspective

[A shorter version of this article appeared in Green Left, February 25, 2021.]

In a recent Green Left article Dave Bell raised some important issues about China. What is China’s place in the world economic and political system, what is its influence in Australia and how should socialists should relate to it?

The position of the recent Socialist Alliance resolution and my Links article is that Western imperialism led by the United States is waging a cold war campaign against China. This involves both harsh trade sanctions and a big military build-up. The reason for this campaign is that China’s rapid economic, technological and military development has reached a point where it seriously threatens Washington’s interests.

Behind the anti-China hysteria

 [Talk given to Melbourne Socialist Alliance branch, February 2, 2021]

China’s influence in Australia, real or alleged, is a major issue in politics today.

Numerous Chinese investments in Australia have been blocked. The Chinese company Huawei has been banned from participating in the 5G rollout.

In June NSW Labor MP Shaoquett Moselmane had his ALP membership suspended after an Australian Federal Police raid on his office over allegations that he was being cultivated by Chinese government agents. He was never charged and his ALP membership was reinstated in November. Former staffer John Zhang remains under investigation.