[Remarks made at August 15 birthday celebration in Brunswick. Photo: Dave speaking; Jim McIlroy on monitor zooming in from Sydney.]
I’d like to thank everyone for coming. It’s very much appreciated. I especially appreciate the comrades who have come from interstate and regional Victoria to be here tonight.
Before we begin, I’d like to acknowledge the recent passing of Comrade Bob Hart, just a short while after his 80th birthday. He will be missed.
As a newly-minted octagenarian, I’m very appreciative of the other octagenarians who are with us tonight (there are a few) — as well as the septagenarians who we can regard as honorary octagenarians or octagenarians in waiting!
Growing old is above all a big surprise! You’re just going along, getting older year by year and then, suddenly, you have definitely arrived somewhere else entirely! The mechanism creaks and groans a lot more than it used to. Anyway, I try to keep fit and focus on the tasks at hand.
As a newly-minted octagenarian, I’m very appreciative of the other octagenarians who are with us tonight (there are a few) — as well as the septagenarians who we can regard as honorary octagenarians or octagenarians in waiting!
Growing old is above all a big surprise! You’re just going along, getting older year by year and then, suddenly, you have definitely arrived somewhere else entirely! The mechanism creaks and groans a lot more than it used to. Anyway, I try to keep fit and focus on the tasks at hand.
The reason we are here tonight is to celebrate my 80 years of existence but I don’t think I deserve any particular credit for that. Firstly, the genes I got from my long-lived and active parents have so far done the trick. Beyond that, longevity definitely involves a lot of luck.
But there are two anniversaries that mean a great deal more to me.
Firstly, some 37 years ago, I think I hit the jackpot when Andrea and I got together in Adelaide. I consider myself extremely lucky to have such a wonderful, delightful partner. I've always felt her unstinting love and enthusiasm and warm and generous spirit. She has always supported me and tried to keep me up to the mark ܻ— and, of course, I try to do the same for her!
The second big thing in my life was my discovery of socialism and Marxism when I was 19 — thanks to my childhood friend Jim pointing me in the right direction. For me it was an absolute epiphany and it took hold of my life in the most fundamental way. The idea of a solidaristic, cooperative society, all working for the common good, where absolutely no-one is left behind or abandoned, has always made perfect sense to me.
And some years later, at the end of 1970, I joined the old Socialist Youth Alliance here in Melbourne. So this December will mark 56 years in the socialist movement for me. I am proud that I’ve kept my youthful convictions — in fact, I believe in them even more fervently — and I’m still contributing to the cause.
I don’t believe in retirement. Of course, if you have a shitty job, naturally you want to retire if you can afford to. But we can’t retire from life, from society. One should be able to keep making a contribution to the collective, to society, however modest, on whatever level, right until the end.
Back in the seventies, along with many leftists all over the world, I was very optimistic about the prospect of fundamental social change. The Cuban revolutionaries took power in 1959, the great worker-student upheaval in France erupted in May-June 1968, the Vietnamese people finally triumphed in 1975, and so on.
However, optimism has be to be tempered by realism and things are a lot clearer now. I and many others underestimated the immense political resources and staying power of the world imperialist system.
But we were not wrong about the absolutely anti-human nature of the capitalist system.
Palestine has shown the utter depravity of our political rulers of all complexions — they are absolutely and fanatically determined to keep backing the genocidal Israeli regime at all costs, despite its ever-growing mountain of atrocities.
Our rulers are committed to endless war — against China, against Russia, against Iran, against working people and the poor — and the continued enrichment of the billionaires. And at the same time that Trump and his Western partners in crime are risking World War III, they are doing next to nothing about climate change — the existential challenge of our time.
The heatwaves and wildfires that have devastated Europe in the last month or so open a truly terrifying window on the future. To me it is clear that unless we fundamentally change our socio-economic system, the human race will not survive.
The older generation will inexorably pass from the scene; hopefully not too soon — we still have some gas in the tank! The younger generations will face an increasingly challenging reality.
The miserable state of our world can be overwhelming — and, unfortunately, it will only get a lot worse. But however alarming things seem, the future is not yet written. The struggle will decide. The masses have not yet spoken.
In my view, working together with others for a fundamental transformation of human society is the most meaningful thing one can do with one’s life. As Trotsky once so powerfully put it: Each one of us carries on our shoulders a particle of the fate of humanity — what each of us does can make a difference.
For my part, I hope I can continue to do my bit and set a positive example for a good few years yet.
Once again: thanks for coming. It means a lot to me. I look forward to meeting again like this in, let’s say, five years time!
Thank you.
The second big thing in my life was my discovery of socialism and Marxism when I was 19 — thanks to my childhood friend Jim pointing me in the right direction. For me it was an absolute epiphany and it took hold of my life in the most fundamental way. The idea of a solidaristic, cooperative society, all working for the common good, where absolutely no-one is left behind or abandoned, has always made perfect sense to me.
And some years later, at the end of 1970, I joined the old Socialist Youth Alliance here in Melbourne. So this December will mark 56 years in the socialist movement for me. I am proud that I’ve kept my youthful convictions — in fact, I believe in them even more fervently — and I’m still contributing to the cause.
I don’t believe in retirement. Of course, if you have a shitty job, naturally you want to retire if you can afford to. But we can’t retire from life, from society. One should be able to keep making a contribution to the collective, to society, however modest, on whatever level, right until the end.
Back in the seventies, along with many leftists all over the world, I was very optimistic about the prospect of fundamental social change. The Cuban revolutionaries took power in 1959, the great worker-student upheaval in France erupted in May-June 1968, the Vietnamese people finally triumphed in 1975, and so on.
However, optimism has be to be tempered by realism and things are a lot clearer now. I and many others underestimated the immense political resources and staying power of the world imperialist system.
But we were not wrong about the absolutely anti-human nature of the capitalist system.
Palestine has shown the utter depravity of our political rulers of all complexions — they are absolutely and fanatically determined to keep backing the genocidal Israeli regime at all costs, despite its ever-growing mountain of atrocities.
Our rulers are committed to endless war — against China, against Russia, against Iran, against working people and the poor — and the continued enrichment of the billionaires. And at the same time that Trump and his Western partners in crime are risking World War III, they are doing next to nothing about climate change — the existential challenge of our time.
The heatwaves and wildfires that have devastated Europe in the last month or so open a truly terrifying window on the future. To me it is clear that unless we fundamentally change our socio-economic system, the human race will not survive.
The older generation will inexorably pass from the scene; hopefully not too soon — we still have some gas in the tank! The younger generations will face an increasingly challenging reality.
The miserable state of our world can be overwhelming — and, unfortunately, it will only get a lot worse. But however alarming things seem, the future is not yet written. The struggle will decide. The masses have not yet spoken.
In my view, working together with others for a fundamental transformation of human society is the most meaningful thing one can do with one’s life. As Trotsky once so powerfully put it: Each one of us carries on our shoulders a particle of the fate of humanity — what each of us does can make a difference.
For my part, I hope I can continue to do my bit and set a positive example for a good few years yet.
Once again: thanks for coming. It means a lot to me. I look forward to meeting again like this in, let’s say, five years time!
Thank you.