150 years of Karl Marx’s Capital
For Karl Marx the author, there was something smile about. The first of three volumes, called Capital: A Critique of Political Economy , became a success in his lifetime and by the 1880s it was known across Europe as “the bible of the working class”. One reason, according to Frederick Enge...CONTINUE READING
Remembering the 1964 Republican National Convention
It was June 1964 in San Francisco. Republicans were streaming into town. They were to meet at the aptly named Cow Palace. So were we – the demonstrators. We had taken on the seemingly heartless task of keeping Barry Goldwater out of the White House. Goldwater was an ultra-conservative and...CONTINUE READING
The forging of Australian imperialism
Tom O’Lincoln gives an overview of Australia’s imperialist history, and explains why governments have been so keen to send the military to overseas conflicts, in extracts from his recently released book, The neighbour from hell: two centuries of Australian imperialism . ---------- “Another...CONTINUE READING
Conspiracy theories about dismissal obscure more important things
Shocking revelations seem easy to get a hold of these days. Historian Jenny Hocking says leading conservative politicians were on the phone before the sacking of the Whitlam government. I’m aghast. Oh, and they had a special phone for affairs of state. Consider my gob thoroughly smacked. P...CONTINUE READING
On the threat of Japanese invasion in WWII
Reviewing my chapter on Australia in a recently released book, Fighting on all fronts: popular resistance in the Second World War , Jeff Sparrow cites my statement that “the great majority of Australians would endorse the war effort on the simple grounds that a Japanese invasion must be av...CONTINUE READING
Brainwashing: the creation of a myth
Old fears die hard. In May, US secretary of state John Kerry expressed alarm that the Islamic State was “trying to brainwash” Western youth. This isn’t surprising. When we see a steady stream of dissident youth from Islamic backgrounds appearing on TV expressing hostility to Western cultur...CONTINUE READING
The battle over Anzac Day
As the nightmare of the Great War subsided, the horrors of the peace replaced it. So many bore terrible physical and mental wounds; the press called these the price of victory. Many others bore terrible economic wounds. Our rulers rushed to create diversions before the anger against them b...CONTINUE READING
The real legacy of Malcolm Fraser
It’s one of the great frauds of our time. Malcolm Fraser, wrecker of Medibank and enemy of trade unions, turned into a cuddly stuffed toy. Mourners spoke glowingly of how he had “embraced the left”. Ever the chameleon. Intellectually, Fraser was a traditional conservative, who defended sta...CONTINUE READING
The Queen’s insulting Christmas message
It was brazen and insulting that Queen Elizabeth’s Christmas message dwelt on the truces in the trenches during World War I. Her predecessors and their ilk sent millions of people to their death despite the truces, which the royals and their henchmen were eager to stop. It was also mislead...CONTINUE READING