Native title and the environment
Considering that land degradation is one of the major problems facing Australia today and that and essential step towards remedying the problem is wresting from the pastoralists and agriculturalists their present almost absolute control over land, it is surprising that the leaders of major conservation groups are so conspicuous by their silence in the native title debate.
Instead of security of tenure, which their silence supports, they should be demanding a say for the community in what purposes the land is put to — in other words, multiple control by consensus, not security of tenure for individuals.
Alawa NT
Analytic Marxism
In his review of Marcus Roberts' book Analytic Marxism (GLW 270), Neville Spencer notes that adherents of this school of liberal social-reformism trace their theoretical roots back to G.A. Cohen's 1978 work Karl Marx's Theory of History: A Defence. Spencer argues that, "Not much of what is typically considered Analytical Marxism is recognisable in this work".
However, what Cohen and the Analytical "Marxists" have in common is the tendency to reduce the social productive forces to technology, i.e., to society's tools, implements and machines. As a consequence they transform historical materialist social science into a crude technological determinism.
In contrast to such a bourgeois, mechanical materialist approach to history, Marxism defines the social productive forces not simply as technology but also as the objects upon which that technology is applied (e.g. raw materials) and, most importantly, the producers themselves, with their skills, knowledge, and experience.
The interaction of the producers and technology — the key elements of the productive forces — manifests itself always in the form of certain definite production relations (the technical division of labour among the producers and the social forms of ownership of the means of production), and it is these that determine the concrete motives stimulating people to create or preserve their social institutions (social superstructure).
Summer Hill NSW
London demo celebrated "Euromarches"
The mobilisation for this month's march for Social Justice in London had one aspect Sam Wainwright could not squeeze into his report in GLW #271. The demonstration was timed to coincide with the launch of the European marches against unemployment, austerity and social exclusion.
As students, youth, trades unionists and environmental campaigners protested in London, the first leg of the European march was assembling in Tangiers, north Africa. The European marches have been organised by trade unions, socialists and unemployed campaigners. Starting from every edge of the European Union they will converge in Amsterdam, where an intergovernmental conference is laying out plans for a European trade bloc with a single currency and strict border controls. The march highlights the social costs of this capitalist plan. Central organisers of the march include the Fourth International, Italy's Communist Refoundation Party, and a wide range of trade union organisations.
London
Socialism and sustainability
I have enjoyed the discussion about socialism and sustainability in recent GLWs. However, Alex Bainbridge's assertions about what "socialists" say and mean are unhelpful. Ted Trainer and Ron Guignard are both socialists who disagree with Alex. The notion that there is only one socialist position on this is historically and politically wrong.
More importantly, whether we can have abundance and economic growth under socialism is not the key question. The real issues are what we campaign for now and do we support "capitalist" economic growth.
All contributors to the GLW debate agree that capitalism fosters an irrational use and distribution of resources. Capitalism is built on profit not social considerations. It is logically unsuited to producing a sustainable economy. We need to replace capitalism. But the danger is that "come the revolution" there will be nothing left of our ecology.
We need strategies which cut consumption and preserve the planet now. Some of these will be anti-capitalist campaigns, some macroeconomic regulation and planning, but surely we must also change our own consumption patterns as well. We can't boycott capitalism, but we can minimise our role in its destructive accumulative culture.
Centre for Labour Studies, University of Adelaide
Sustainability
Peter Boyle's reply in GLW #270 to my letter in the previous issue seems to assume I am naive and unimaginative. My imagination is in excellent shape. It is, however, tempered by my knowledge of what is predictable in terms of material engineering and ethically directed social opinion change.
I am not so naive as to imagine that there is a Marxist magic wand which will, over the course of a year or two, wold-wide and in the following sequence:
1. overthrow capitalism and involve the majority of people willingly in:
2. providing infrastructure for socially preferable and efficient energy and materials resources, agriculture/aquaculture, manufacturing methods, distribution, transport, housing, education, social services, etc. before dismantling existing ones (instant chaos, else);
3. applying that infrastructure to practical effect (again before ceasing use of previous ones);
4. being persuaded (each and every one) that their resulting status is not worse than their previous one, despite inevitable changeover glitches (the Gulag, else).
My experience over 60 years is that you can't even reorganise a small office successfully without a few month's staff consultation and planning. Even then, more than half the staff will whinge for months. I'm not talking revolution here; the cases I've worked on have been changes from one capitalist mode to a slightly different one.
Peter must surely realise that step one is unlikely to happen soon, or over a brief period in any country, or at the same time in more than a few. The first result will be a counter-effort by many of the remaining countries. This has been the case for all socialist revolutions to date, from the Paris Commune to Cuba.
This immediately slows down step two. That renders step three almost impossible for a long time. As a result, a large percentage, possibly a vast majority of the population becomes, immediately and for many years, much worse off than before the revolution. What does that do to step four?
It is Peter who is unimaginatively naive. He wants us to believe that the road to world socialism is the easy one of outdated slogans, not a damned hard slog.
Brompton SA
Population
Olive Langham (Write on, GLW #271) asserts that "it is time right now to halt population growth" and that there is "no time to wait for the unlikely technological fix, lower consumption rates or social revolution".
However, while she clearly opposes immigration, she doesn't explain how she proposes to stop natural increases. Forcible sterilisation, perhaps? Random executions?
Moreover, her national "solution" for Australia is the kind of thinking that makes the problem worse, not better. Nation-states looking out only for their own narrow interests and letting the rest of the world go to hell is a program followed consistently since the rise of capitalism; its result is the hellish world we see today, including unrestrained world population growth.
When Paul Ehrlich published The Population Bomb in 1966, most people concerned about overpopulation decided there wasn't time to work for (not wait for) fundamental social change. They have wasted 30 years, during which time the world's population has doubled.
Sydney
ACFOA
I agree with the Australian Council for Overseas Aid (GLW #269) that rich countries such as Australia should be providing more assistance to the Third World for humanitarian relief and development, but ACFOAs reasoning is misleading and says nothing about the priorities of Australian aid.
The abolition of the Development Import Finance Facility (DIFF) is lamented by ACFOA. DIFF was not a "program which facilitated reducing poverty in developing countries", as ACFOA implies, rather its primary objective was to give Australian companies a boost in establishing themselves in the region. DIFF was consistent with the ill-principled thrust of Australian aid policy which ensures that for every dollar spent on aid, more than a dollars worth of business flows back to Australian industry, both directly and indirectly.
To argue in favour of increasing aid in terms of "Australias best self interests" is wrong. The Australian government sees Australias interests as paramount and equates those with the success of Australian companies. This results in aid projects such as the Australian-built $42 million road bridge over the Mekong River in Laos, while many parts of the country have intermittent or no electricity and no sewer systems.
Finally, contrary to ACFOAs claim, Australian aid has contributed to substantial insecurity in the region. For example, the people of Bougainville have been fired upon with Australian-supplied helicopters, the PNG police force is bolstered while unemployment in Port Moresby soars above 90% and elite Indonesian troops are trained by the Australian army.
Newport NSW
Tail-ending the ALP
In the lead up to and during the UWA National Union of Students referendum, the International Socialist Organisation showed a disappointing tendency to tail-end ALP students.
Before the referendum, activists supporting continued affiliation met to discuss strategy. ALP students led the call for an "all out", that is totally uncritical, campaign to save NUS on UWA. Building the May 8 national day of action was to be dropped until after the referendum. Not only did the ISO follow the ALP lead in this discussion, they attacked Resistance members who argued for the need to use the referendum and its lead up to build May 8.
ISO referendum material contained no mention of the need to pressure NUS West to build May 8, nor details of a cross campus meeting to build May 8, which was scheduled for the day after the referendum. The role of the ALP in NUS history also failed to get a mention.
The ISO's actions helped let the ALP students and NUS West off the hook for so cynically dumping May 8 just weeks before the event. Such an uncritical approach to united-front work hinders the left's ability to go beyond the politics put forward by the ALP, at a time when clarity on the role of the ALP is crucial to building a strong student movement.
Fremantle WA
Anzac day
Every year this day about 20,000 soldiers march to commemorate the wars of the past. Undoubtedly the thoughts of 100,000 or more (the moral majority) on a day like this will go back in time also to the days when they took part in peace marches and participated in sit-ins outside various embassies. And soon as the first rumblings of war will be in the air, these 100,000 will be out on the streets again, lest we forget! So Anzac day is a great day for all of us.
Sydney
Jeff Kennett
Here's a story that my niece, who attends high school in rural Victoria, sent me:
"February 28 was a pretty exciting day for me and my school. Jeff Kennett came to visit our school to review our driver education program. Although most people think he only came to get votes for the next election, which is probably true.
"I was chosen to drive him around. I've never been so nervous in my life. With about 20 or so television cameras and news reporters in my face I set off around the speedway. Mind you this was only the second time I'd ever driven a manual car before. So with good old Jeff in the back I actually managed not to do anything stupid in front of the cameras. I spoke to Mr Kennett and he seemed a bit pre-occupied. I found out later that the Grand Prix track had been sabotaged and my teachers had protested him being at our school. They apparently tried to ram the car and it resulted in the government car making a quick getaway with my maths teacher chasing after them and throwing paper. In the end the government car nearly crashed into another car.
"So all this happened before I even came into the picture. My experience with the media and Mr Kennett didn't hit the news. Instead my teachers took my limelight and they ended up on television. And believe me they'll be getting a strong talking to from me about stealing my 15 seconds of what could of been fame."
Brisbane
Shorter working week
I heard on Radio National today talk by UN representative on feeding the world's hungry. One of the main points was that as "the world's population increases the number of jobs decreases". A few days ago I heard Bob Martin, opposition leader, in an interview on Radio 2BL say that the "only booming business is laying off people".
It appears to me that a shorter working week with no reduction in pay is essential. This could be done by an adjustment of the taxation system so that no one would be worse off. The objective being to draw into the workforce large numbers of unemployed who would then become taxpayers. I understand that Telstra is laying off 22,000 and the defence department is restructuring itself by laying off 7,800 with 13,000 to follow. Banks now have 30,000 to go. This is, of course, only the tip of the iceberg.
Gallimore NSW
Hanson
I'm writing about the effect Pauline Hanson is having on my life and I'm sure many others. I am not of Aboriginal or ethnic origin but have suffered the hurt and hate that has been generated since the member for Oxley started spreading her crap.
My grandson of Aboriginal descent was treated with contempt and viciously taunted at school — so-called friends fell by the wayside when I aired my views on racism. I felt compelled to today to write how I feel.
This "wicked witch of Ipswich" who has divided a nation.
Do we burn her at the stake or hope she'll wither away.
She has generated hurt and uncertainty amongst a broad range of the population.
Do we compare to Joan of Arc and we all know her fate.
In my opinion her supporters are tunnel-visioned with questionable intelligence, who find it easy to blame.
I have faith in the human race who will see through her misguided, ill-informed view of our indigenous and ethnic people of Australia.
The witch will suffer a fate of over-indulging in egotism and destroy herself.
By reading your paper weekly, I know I am not alone in my beliefs of justice and equality in the world. Keep up the good work.
Jarrahdale WA
Filing and Hanson
Western Australians should be aware of the role played by right-wing independent MP Paul Filing in efforts by racist parliamentarian Pauline Hanson to set up a branch of her "One Nation" party in WA. Mr Filing attempted to book the showroom at Burswood Resort Casino on Ms Hanson's behalf and, when the booking was refused, accused the casino management of attempting to censor Ms Hanson.
In light of the fact that Mr Filing voted for Federal Parliament's bipartisan resolution condemning racism, this is the rankest hypocrisy. Like many right wing politicians in pre-Nazi Germany, Paul Filing is flourishing his democratic credentials in one hand and aiding the spread of fascism with the other.
I have written to Mr Filing expressing my concern at his apparent sympathy for Pauline Hanson. I urge everyone opposed to racism to do the same. His address is: Mr Paul Filing, Member for Moore, PO Box 345, Hillarys WA 6025. Ph (09) 300 2244 (W) or (09) 306 4797 (H). Fax: (09) 300 2245.
Gosnells WA