British election shows that left wing politics can appeal to millions
The general election result in Britain is a stunning vindication of Jeremy Corbyn’s left wing leadership and a damning indictment of all those on the right of the Labour party who have, since his election as leader in 2015, tried to bring him down. It is also an indictment of the right in...CONTINUE READING
It’s champagne for the bosses as workers are shafted
Australia has now experienced 26 years without a recession, a world record. But the rising tide is not lifting all boats. Corporate Australia is enjoying a profits bonanza while workers are under pressure on every front. The national accounts published this week show that, in the first thr...CONTINUE READING
Fat cats get caviar with their cream
At a time when it’s getting tougher and tougher for workers to pay their bills or get into a house or apartment of their own, the wealth of Australia’s super rich has been growing in leaps and bounds. The 2017 Financial Review (AFR) Rich List published last month lists 60 billionaires, up...CONTINUE READING
The ALP, pioneer of neoliberalism
Former treasurer Wayne Swan denies that the Hawke and Keating governments of 1983-96 and the Rudd and Gillard governments of 2007-13 were responsible for the introduction and maintenance of neoliberal policies in Australia. While accepting, indeed boasting of, Hawke and Keating’s “economic...CONTINUE READING
Manchester bombing shows the divide between the decent and the deplorable
The Manchester bombing has shone a spotlight on the division in British society – between those who want to stand up for the values of solidarity, compassion and care for each other without thought of personal cost, and those who wish to exploit this tragedy to stoke racism, militarism, re...CONTINUE READING
Bank fat cats have nothing to complain about
For sheer bloody nerve, it’s hard to go past Australia’s banks. The big four – ANZ, NAB, Westpac and the CBA – last year made $33 billion in profits, but they are raising a hue and cry about treasurer Scott Morrison’s budget proposal to impose a levy on their businesses. The amount involve...CONTINUE READING
Marxism 2017 conference draws more than 1,000 attendees
Socialist Alternative hosted the Marxism 2017 conference in Melbourne over the Easter weekend, drawing together radicals and activists from around Australia and the world. More than 1,200 tickets were sold and it was standing room only at some of the meetings. Several hundred people heard...CONTINUE READING
Marxism 2017 conference off to a flying start
The 2017 Marxism conference got off to a flying start in Melbourne tonight. Four hundred people packed into a big theatre at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) in South Melbourne to hear a panel of speakers talk about “Crisis, global resistance and the fight against the right”. First...CONTINUE READING
Making sense of One Nation
The return of Pauline Hanson to the centre of Australian politics was one of the major developments of 2016. Although One Nation polled less than 5 percent of the Senate vote at the July federal election, it won four seats and now has a powerful position on the crossbench. One Nation’s rec...CONTINUE READING