Seize the Crisis!

by Samir Amin

Taken from the Monthly Review Volume 61, Number 6 @ Seize the Crisis

Contents

1. From One Long Crisis to Another
2. Behind the Financial Crisis: A Systemic Crisis of the Capitalism of Oligopolies
3. It Is the Entire System that Henceforth Is in Difficulty
4. Exiting the Crisis of Capitalism or a Capitalism in Crisis?
5. There Is No Alternative to a Socialist Perspective
6. Is the Reinstatement of the Global Oligopoly-Finance Capital Possible?
7. U.S. Hegemony in Crisis
8. Are New Advances in the Struggles for the Emancipation of the Peoples Possible?
9. A New Internationalism of the Workers and the Peoples Is Necessary and Possible

The principle of endless accumulation that defines capitalism is synonymous with exponential growth, and the latter, like cancer, leads to death. John Stuart Mill, who recognized this, imagined that a “stationary state of affairs” would put an end to this irrational process. John Maynard Keynes shared this optimism of Reason. But neither was equipped to understand how the necessary overcoming of capitalism could prevail. By contrast, Marx, by giving proper importance to the emerging class struggle, could imagine the reversal of power of the capitalist class, concentrated today in the hands of the ruling oligarchy.

BLHA_AGM 3pm this Saturday 5 Dec 2009

Dear members of BLHA and friends,

These are exciting times for the Brisbane Labour History Association. Planning is well underway for the one-day conference, Red, Green and In-between: Reviewing Labour and the Environment in Historical Context, to be held on Saturday 6 February 2010, Griffith University (South Bank campus), Brisbane, Australia.

Equally as exciting is

the Annual General Meeting of BLHA
To be held this Saturday commencing 3pm
Venue: LHMU, 27 Peel St, South Brisbane
(opposite the QCU building).

Urgent Community Meeting at Brisbane City Hall

People, Land and Sun = Unity

From: Samuel Watson
Sent: Saturday, 21 November 2009 6:43 AM

URGENT NOTICE FOR  ON WEDNESDAY THE 25TH. OF NOVEMBER TO START AT 7 PM SHARP – NO MURRI TIME,  7 PM SHARP !!!

Brisbane City Hall

There has been a series of violent, unprovoked attacks on our young people in the outer suburbs. Our people have been attacked in parks, at train stations, on the streets and in their own homes.

THESE ATTACKS MUST STOP !!

Brisbane BHP Protest, Events and help wanted

Old North Mine - Broken Hill

On Thursday 26 Nov 2009 there was a protest against the activities of bhp billiton in Australia and around the world. The protest was organised by Friends of the Earth.  Over thirty years ago a group of us were christened ‘Friends of the Dirt’ by former premier of Qld, Joh Bjelke-Petersen, when we were stopping, no delaying,  uranium shipments from Hamilton Number 4 wharf in Brisbane with the help of Brisbane Waterside Workers and their union the WWF.

BHP stands for Broken Hill Pty Ltd which was the major Australian mining operation for most of the post war era before it merged with Billiton to become the largest mining compnay in the world. We should not forget the long history of BHP ripping off workers both in Australia and abroad. They have closed down whole towns rather than pay a decent wage to workers. Read Broken Hill Dispute — 100 years .

Some union members were present, in particular a member of the ETU from the Curragh mine field near blackwater. Interestigly he said that he was opposed to much of the new coal mining proposed for the Gallilee basin, as was his union. They did not regard it as being viable, especially given the amount of public assets required to get it up and running. His union was not represented at the protest.

BHP and Rio Tinto have recently signed an agreement to build the largest mine in Australia in the Pilbara in Western Australia. This joint venture will be the next largest company in Australia to BHP Billiton itself. Transntional capital still has much to exploit n Australia, capitalism is looking shaky in other parts of the world but here in Australia it still has room to expand and profit. It is as if the GFC has not touch its monopoly and ability to extract greater profit from Australia.

Friends of the Earth (FOE) provided an alternative to the BHPbilliton’s annual report. It is called bhp billiton – unsermining the future.

Eliza from “The Paradigm Shift” and 4ZZZ provided a recording of the public meeting at the TLC where traditional owners spoke out against BHPbilliton on the eve of the Annual General Meeting of bhp billiton— organised by FOE Brisbane:

Ian Curr
December 2009

********************************************************

From FOE alternative annual report - bhp billiton - undermining the future

Many Ships to Mt Isa — an autobiography of Pat Mackie

by Greg Mallory

He (Pat Mackie) sees his own needs very simply, voices them fearlessly and becomes a phenomenally effective workers’ spokesman and trade union organiser, a power to be reckoned with in the industrial world. His strength lies in his formidable combination of his magnetic personality with high abilities in three functions of leadership: in clearly analysing the workers situations: in democratising their organization: and in brilliant powers of oratory, enabling him to unite the rank and file and fire them with unshakeable loyalty. He becomes the object of punishing hostility from all the forces of the establishment, union bureaucrats as well as employers, who feel their interests threatened by his existence.

The above quotation, written by Elizabeth Vassilieff in the Preface to the book, is an excellent description of Pat Mackie’s attributes.

Vale Pat Mackie

I have just read in the morning paper that Pat Mackie has died at the age of 95.

Pat Mackie carries a chair down the aisle of a mass meeting of workers during the Mt Isa Mines Dispute. Pat had snuck through a police cordon around the town in order to attend the union meeting. Miners stood and applauded when they saw Pat arrive.

Pat was a great wobbly and to pay tribute to Pat Mackie’s life I have found this story ‘Red Cap’ about Pat written by Lachlan Hurse. It was previously posted on WBT in 2007.

I remember the Mt Isa Mines dispute and the effect it had on Queensland at the time. It must count as a watershed workers struggle In Queensland along with the 1912 General Strike, 1948 Railway Strike, the 1954 Wharfies Strike, the 1957 Palm Island wages strike, the early 1970s Miners Strikes and the 1985 SEQEB dispute — all uniquely Queensland workers struggles.

As a boy I knew of Pat Mackie and heard of the role he played in the dispute. Any school kid who read their Social Studies textbook knew the significance of My Isa to the Australian economy. Copper, lead, zinc mining was exploited by Mt Isa Mines Pty Ltd (MIM). MIM has disclosed large profits and a market value of £230 million (worth billions of $ today) and was more than 50% foreigned owned by the Guggenheim group of the USA.

Traditional Owners speak out – against mining on their land!

The world’s largest mining company  – BHP Billiton – will be having its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Brisbane on  November 26 (Thurs).

Traditional Owners from South Autstralia, Colombia – and people from other affected areas – will be gathering in Brisbane to raise awareness about BHP’s destruction of their ancestral lands.

We need YOU to join us in colourful opposition to this Australian company’s mining of uranium at Olympic Dam (Roxby Downs ) in South Australia…. and disregard for human rights, ecosystems, and indigenous peoples from around the globe.

How a union survives

“There are plenty of examples of socialists who are not Marxists; but to be a Marxist, you have to be a socialist” — H. McQueen

Contents

Introduction by Humphrey McQueen

1991 Victorian Branch Report [Builders Labourers Federation] by John Cummins

FINANCES

B.W.I.U.’s INTERNAL POSITION

OTHER BUSINESS

BRANCH OFFICIALS & STAFF

Facing up to Old Wounds by Ian Curr

**********************************************************************

Capital refined

by Humphrey McQueen

Introduction
Developing policies in the interests of working people calls for the precision about our enemy that Marx offered throughout Capital. For Marx, the practice of science required penetrating beyond appearances to specify the structured dynamics in the accumulation of capital. His critique isolated the forms and stages through which capital expands.

This sequence on ‘Capital refined’ introduces most of the distinctions that Marx drew. The material will be split into eight items:

1. capital-in-general and capital-within-capitalism;

2. individual capitals and their aggregation;

3. individual, aggregate and social;

4. competitive, yet monopolising, and 4a. Lenin’s Imperialism;

5. money-capital, production-capital, and commodity-capital;

5a. lessons from their different mobilities;

6. variable and constant;

7. fixed and fluid;

8. production and productive.

A ‘two-state solution’ to the Israel-Palestine conflict?

Map of Palestine. Labels show 2009 borders. (click to magnify - makes for a very good topographical map)

The following is a report of an ALP/Union Forum titled A two state solution to the Israel Palestine conflict held at Qld parliament on Remembrance Day, 11^th November 2009. The forum was well attended by about 100 people from unions and by ALP members and people from the community. There were current and former ALP MLAs and councillors and union officials present. The forum was sponsored by various unions including the Construction, Forestry, Mining & Energy Union (CFMEU), Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), Communications Electrical Plumbing Union, Qld Branch (CEPU) and the Plumbers Union. There were several community and other groups and associations represented including the Qld Palestinian Association (QPA), Just Peace, Justice for Palestine. Members of the National Union of Students and people from the Jewish community and the Foreign Affairs editor of the Courier Mail were also present.

This report was prepared from notes written by the author at the forum. I made a written request well in advance of the forum to record it (on film) but this was refused on the basis that it was a private meeting of ALP and Union members. I noticed that the foreign editor of the Courier Mail was present and took notes (but not as many as I did). I have tried to faithfully document what was said at the forum. I take responsibility for errors, omissions or misunderstandings. I ask that anyone who has evidence of error to please let me know and I will try to correct them.

The forum discussion was on the following set issues:

• What do we mean by a two state solution?

• How best to achieve it and what are the obstacles?

• What are the consequences if a two state solution fails?

Who will save Yungaba — ‘the land of the sun’?

by Ian Curr

Demolition of the Bellevue Hotel opposite Parliament House in April, 1979

“Job and me and Jesus sittin’
Underneath the Indooroopilly bridge
Watchin’ that blazin’ sun go down
Behind the tall tree’d mountain ridge
The land’s our heritage and spirit
Here the rightful culture’s Black
and we sittin’ here just wonderin’
When we get the land back”

— Kev Carmody ‘Thou shalt not steal’

If you walk underneath the Storey bridge you can see what has happened. Developers like Australand have had a field day. All public spaces have been exploited and made private. All that remains public is a little park, a Jazz Club and Yungaba.  Even the Palm trees are feeling the strain. As it reaches up from Yungaba the tallest Palm nearly hits the bridge. Private tunnels travel under, roads are above and all around. The old immigration depot, Yungaba, looks condemned, only a few officees remain in its grounds: Brisbane Multicultural Arts Centre [BEMAC], Translators, 4EB and a place called the Hall with part of its roof caved in.Women are inside doing yoga or some exercise like that.

Forced Removal – how it was done

Back to the Future - Refugees on the Tampa (2001)

by Pamela Curr

FORCED REMOVAL- how it was done

-Lest we forget

“…it is not their violence, it is ours, which turns back on itself and rends them; and the first action of these oppressed creatures is to bury deep down that hidden anger which their and our moralities condemn and which is however only the last refuge of their humanity.”

—John Paul Sartre in the preface to
“The Wretched of the Earth”
by Frantz Fanon

In 2001 when the Australian ship Manoora sailed to Nauru with its cargo of asylum seekers, it was anticipated that the Iraqis on board would resist embarkation.

These people knew only too well that while they were on the ship, they were Australia’s responsibility. Once off the boat they had no idea what lay in store.

‘The Chili technique’ used on refugee childrens’ rice

The Australian Navy laced the food with chili and limited water for 3 days prior to arrival in Nauru.  Iraqi Mothers told me later that they begged the Navy to at least not put the chili through the childrens’ rice.  The Mothers told me that their children were so hungry that they cried as they tried to eat the rice through cracked lips.

Review of Palestinian Days Film Festival, Brisbane

“What is my life worth?” asks a child standing in the rubble of Jenin, Palestine.

Palestinian Days Film Festival was held in Brisbane’s Schonell theatre at the University of Queensland over the weekend 16-18 October 2009. It was organised by the Queensland Palestinian Association and Justice for Palestine.

Opening Night of Palestinian Days Film Festival, Brisbane. Photo: Carolyn Stubbin

The festival consisted of films made by Palestinian and other filmmakers who support the Palestinian people in their struggle for self determination. In the period between 2002 and 2006 there was a burst of documentaries produced — an intifada of Palestinian cinema. Films like Frontiers of Dreams and Fears and Arna’s Children are contemporary documentaries of a high technical standard that should be shown on prime time TV. A young person, when asked what she thought of Arna’s Children shown on opening night, said that it put the violence (of the conflict) shown on TV in context. Yet the films have not been shown on Australia TV for political reasons. For example, SBS – TV is not permitted the use of the term “Palestinian land” in news reports about the Middle East. The SBS ombudsman said: “The land concerned remains the subject of protracted and deep dispute and therefore the reasonable viewer could consider that the use of the term “Palestinian Land” indicates a lack of impartiality as required under the Codes.” The triennial funding of SBS would not be in question on this issue, management have toed the position of the Australian government perfectly: ‘No Justice for Palestine’.

US, Israel and Australian Governments try to bury Goldstone Report on War Crimes in Gaza

by Ian Curr

Despite the best efforts of Western democracies the UN human rights council has supported the Goldstone Report on Gaza. The significance of the Goldstone report is that it  focussed on possible war crimes committed by the Israel Defence Force (IDF) when it invaded Gaza in January 2009.

Some of the findings were as follows:

1. There were deliberate attacks against the civilian population in Gaza by the Israeli defence force
2. Israel used white phosphorous, heavy metal weapons, and depleted uranium against the people of Gaza
3. Israeli Defence forces made attacks on the foundations of civilian life in Gaza: destruction of industrial infrastructure, food production, water installations, sewage treatment and housing

Obama, where art thou?
Of course, both Israeli  and its main supplier of weapons (the US government) tried to delay any action on these findings.  We should question what effect this report will have on the ground while settlements continue to be built by Israel in the occupied territories and Palestinians remain imprisioned by the IDF in refugee camps in Gaza and elsewhere.

Even though so called democracies like Israel, Canada, and Australia did not have a vote on the human rights council they did their best to prevent any action being taken on the war crimes in Gaza by the UN or by the international court in the Hague.

English Police revoke bail for anti-war activists

by Ciaron O’Reilly

English Police revoke bail on 3 EDO Decommissioners – Trial set for May 17th. 2010 – Solidarity Needed!

The EDO Decommissioners http://decommissioners.co.uk/ are 6 anti-war activists who decommissioned EDO in Brighton/England and 3 others who arrested following the non-violent disarmament action.

EDO supplies components for Israeli F16 Bombers. The decommissioning action took place on January 16th. 2009 during the Israeli bombing of Gaza when the body count stood at 1400 (300 children) slain Palestinians.

We can do better than Italy’s warehousing on Lampedusa

By Pamela Curr

“They did not drown. They died of thirst”, the UN worker on Lampedusa told me. In the busy shipping lanes of the Mediterranean, 75 Eritrean men, women and children died of thirst in an open boat.

Lampedusa is the small island south of Sicily in the Mediterrean sea and not far from North Africa

The five survivors told this UN worker who cared for them that 10 ships witnessed their plight and sailed away. This is the dark side of dehumanising asylum seekers. The result is that civilised nations can avert their gaze as asylum seekers die. Maybe Australians need to recall our history in this game as our politicians begin the anti-refugee war games again.

In 2008 when Australia had 179 boat arrivals to Christmas Island, Lampedusa, an island off the coast of Sicily but closer to Africa had 31,500. Unlike the current boat arrivals in Australia, not all these people are asylum seekers and many, such as the 7000 Tunisians who came in 2008 to Italy, do not want asylum. They want to land in Italy and then go to France to work so that they can send money home to their families. The Tunisian Government refuses to take back its citizens preferring the dollars they send from abroad.

Local Musos at the Step-Inn

Hello,

Ruby Blue is playing with Kingfisha at the Buddha Bar, the Arts Factory, Byron Bay, tomorrow night, Fri Oct 9 from 8.30pm.  entry is free.
Also,  Nicky Bomba from melbourne is fronting a band of local musos including myself, Georgia Potter, Paulie B and Charles Wall on this Sat Oct 10 at the Step-Inn (see below).  The Step-Inn is on the cnr of Brunswick and St Pauls Tce.

Peter Hunt

The Letter Q

Brisbane Lesbian and Gay Pride Choir
presents its stage show

Letters between lovers, family and friends and

Australian songs of the city and country

With special guests, Dawn Daylight and Mary Jane Carpenter

and featuring Chris Pye and the choir’s song ‘Dear Me’

Brisbane, Saturday 31 Oct 09, 7:00pm
Old Museum Concert Hall
Gregory Terrace, Bowen Hills
Book tickets on line at: www.qtix.com.au

Sustainable Homes Program – Oct, 2009

Location:         69 Thomas St., West End

Dates/Time:     Saturday, 17 Oct, 9am to 3.30pm

Sunday, 18 Oct, 9am to 1pm

Cost: $120 per person (cash only)

tberrill@powerup.com.au

Ph. 07 3207 5077 or Mob 0400 177 283

Sustainable Homes Course

Sat 17 & Sun 18 Oct 09

Solaris Sustainable Home

Presenter: Trevor Berrill (M. Env.Ed., Dip. Mech. Eng., Cert. Energy Manmgt.) – an award winning educator and systems consultant with over 30 years experience in renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Course Content:

• Energy efficient internal fittings/appliances & energy auditing,
  
• Energy efficient building design,
  
• Solar electricity and solar water heating,
  

• Rain water harvesting and grey water reuse.
  

Feedback from previous course attendees

“Brilliant! Very practical.”

Time: Sat. 9am to 3:30pm, Sun. 9am to 1pm

Cost: $120 per person

Please register at: tberrill@powerup.com.au Ph. 07 3207 5077

Sustainable Energy-Myths and Realities

By Trevor Berrill
What does sustainable energy living really mean? How can we put It into practice In our own community
here on Stradbroke Island?

What are Australia’s options for renewable energy and how
quickly do we need to act?

These are just some of the questions Trevor will answer. Trevor has worked in the sustainable energy field for 30 years a an educator~ consultant, government advisor and aca emlc. He will guide us through the basics with a big picture view of the state of the planet’s energy situation.

Then he will focus down to the here and now in our own lives; what it means for our homes, businesses and community.
Learn how Trevor has put theory into practice at his own home In Wellington Point.

This is an opportunity to gain sound knowledge and be inspired by what we can do in practicalcost effective ways.
Admission is free.
Children are welcome, but must be
accompani ed by an adult.
Date:Thursday, October 8th, 2009
Time:6:00-7:30 pm
Place:Corner of Flinders Ave and Fraser S1,
Dunwich, North Stradbroke Island