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.

Introduction to Socialism I

[For a PDF of slideshow see here.]

Introduction to Socialism II

[For a PDF of slideshow see here.]

Social inequality & social classes

 

[This slideshow served as an introduction or discussion aid to a class on the topic. A PDF of the slideshow can be seen here.]

The Marxist theory of the state

[This slideshow served as an introduction or discussion aid to a class on the topic. A PDF of the slideshow can be seen here.]

The capitalist mode of production

 

 [This slideshow served as an introduction or discussion aid to a class on the topic. A PDF of the slideshow can be seen here.]

Turkish attacks on PKK meet fierce resistance

In mid-June Turkey launched yet another large-scale air and ground operation in northern Iraq aimed at crippling the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Turkish planes bombed the Makhmur refugee camp, home to 12,000 Kurds from Turkey. The camp near Erbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government, is a stronghold of support for the PKK. Also bombed was Shengal (Sinjar), home of the much-persecuted Yazedi Kurds. Following the devastating Islamic State attack on Shengal in August 2014, the PKK played a key role in helping to establish the Yazedi self-defence forces.

Capitalism & the pandemic

[Talk given to Melbourne Socialist Alliance branch, 21.04.20]

Pandemic brings big & sudden changes

The scale and scope of government measures to deal with the COVID-19 crisis have surprised many people. Long-held neoliberal dogmas have been pushed aside. Government action is clearly decisive: The bourgeois fetish of the budget surplus has been junked and huge deficits run up; after being frozen for 20 years, the dole rate has been doubled; economic sectors and firms are everywhere putting their hands out for government support; firms are being encouraged and even directed to produce vital medical supplies.

Rojava: ‘the most progressive and democratic system in the history of the Middle East’

[Talk to Melbourne Socialist Alliance branch, November 7, 2019.]

1. What Rojava has achieved

In an interview with SBS, celebrated Iranian Kurdish refugee Behrouz Boochani, detained in Australian offshore detention camps for six years, said that: "[Rojava] is the most progressive and democratic system in the history of the Middle East [so] this attack is not only an attack on Kurds, it is an attack on democracy and democratic values." [1]

Rojava's democracy is based on communes and is profound. Its feminism, in a region saturated with patriarchal practices, is remarkable. Its formation of a 25,000 strong women's army is without precedent — anywhere, anytime. Its ethnic and religious pluralism, in a region where elites play on these differences to maintain their power, is also without precedent.

Slovenian Marxist philosopher Slavoj Zizek recently very accurately described Rojava as "an actually-existing and well-functioning utopia".[2]

Defend the Rojava Revolution

[Speech at a solidarity vigil, October 16, 2019.]

We are here to protest Turkey’s cruel and inhuman invasion of Rojava — the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria.

There is no reason for this war except Turkish president Erdogan’s racist hatred of the Kurdish people. He wants to crush any expression of Kurdish self-rule. Erdogan wants to mobilise extreme right-wing, racist and Islamist forces behind his presidential re-election bid next year.

Solidarity with the Rojava Revolution

[Green Left Weekly, #1241, October 22, 2019.]

Turkish forces have invaded Rojava — the Kurdish-majority multi-ethnic territory of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AA). In a telephone call to Turkey's authoritarian president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, US president Donald Trump gave the invasion a green light.

The 2018 Turkish invasion and occupation of Afrin, the geographically isolated, westernmost canton of Rojava, shows exactly what will happen — death and destruction; looting, torture and kidnappings; eviction of Kurdish residents in favour of Arabs; and ethnic cleansing of Kurds and forced demographic change.

Climate action: Only the most radical approach will work

[Links, October 11, 2019.]

The current climate crisis — global warming — is the greatest threat ever faced by humanity. The survival of the human race is at stake. The reality of the heating of the planet can’t rationally be denied.

Rojava Revolution: What does 'safe zone' deal mean?

[Speech at public meeting on Rojava Revolution, Melbourne, September 13, 2019]

July 19 marked seven years of the Rojava Revolution. In 2012 the newly formed Kurdish self-defence forces took control of the town of Kobanê from the forces for the Assad regime.

Despite all the immense challenges facing it, the revolution has survived. It has provided tremendous inspiration to people around the world. It thus has a global meaning and relevance.

Turkey must reinstate the sacked Kurdish mayors

[Speech at protest rally in Melbourne, September 7, 2019]

Australians for Kurdistan joins with you in condemning the August 19 sacking by the Turkish government of the elected Kurdish mayors of Diyarbakir, Mardin and Van. Government appointed “administrators” have replaced the mayors. The new rulers have dissolved the elected city councils and dismissed officials and workers.

Seventh anniversary of Rojava Revolution

[Green Left Weekly, August 5, 2019]

July 19 marked the seventh anniversary of northern Syria's Rojava Revolution. On that day in 2012 the nascent People's Protection Units (YPG) took control of the Kurdish-majority city of Kobanê. The outnumbered forces of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad surrendered and were allowed to depart (without their weapons). Other Kurdish cities and towns in the north were soon liberated also.

With Fidel's death, an extraordinary revolutionary has gone

[Speech at Fidel memorial meeting, Trades Hall, Melbourne, December 16, 2016.]

With Fidel's death, an extraordinary revolutionary has gone. The imperialists and their hired guns hated Fidel. There is so much utter rubbish circulating online. In 2006 Forbes business magazine listed Fidel as one of the world's richest "kings, queens and dictators"! A recent News Corp article explained that "Western observers have long suspected that 'El Comandante' . . . was siphoning off the proceeds from state-run enterprises, including a small gold mine." And so it goes on . . .