Green issues
David Harris (Â鶹´«Ã½ Weekly #561) complains, "I have a problem with the green in 'Green' Left Weekly. Number 559, October 29 is a classic example, not one article on green issues!". Harris goes on to list the Otway forests and several other local environmental issues he feels GLW should be covering.
There are a few immediate answers to Harris. First, a quick scan of GLW back issues will find articles on most of the campaigns he lists. Second, David is very welcome to write for GLW and fill in the gaps on campaigns that aren't covered — there's only so much an unfunded, non-corporate, rabble-rousing alternative paper can do by itself!
Third, the issue sited included articles on saving the Newcastle rail link; the campaign to save the Sunshine pool; the Greens anti-war protest in parliament; the popular revolt in Bolivia against plans to build a gas pipeline; and the defeat of an anti-environment government in Canada — surely all important Green issues.
Beyond these immediate answers, I want to take issue with Harris' narrow definition of "green".
The major coverage in the issue that David cites was around the ongoing imperial occupation of Iraq, and the growing resistance to it. Nothing green here?
Iraq has suffered more environmental carnage than probably any other country in the world in the last year. It will continue to suffer from utterly devastated infrastructure, and depleted uranium used in the invader's weapons. If the US and the oil companies are able to continue their occupation, pursue further wars for corporate and political domination, this is probably the biggest global threat to the environment in existence.
Far from ignoring green issues, although it could always do better with readers' help, it seems to me GLW is focusing on the most desperate — the need to stop the warmongers from destroying our world.
Paul Benedek
Petersham NSW
London meeting
I write to correct some inaccuracies in Marcus Greville's article "Call for a new party to challenge Labour" (GLW #560). The meeting in London, called "British politics at the crossroads", was certainly packed, but that is about all Marcus seems to get right.
First, the meeting was not called by the Stop the War Coalition, but initiated by the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) through the Socialist Alliance. As part of the "behind the scenes" arrangements, publicity for the meeting did not mention any sponsor or organiser.
Second, and most importantly, there was not a generalised call for a new party at all, as comrade Greville claims. Quite the opposite. In fact, speakers on the platform studiously avoided mentioning the "p" word. Only Ken Loach, the film director, mentioned the need for a party.
George Galloway MP made the grandiose claim that the meeting was the most important since the Labour Party had been formed. This was a bit much. If it was, why did he not call for a party? He called for "a coalition to stand all over the country, in the GLA [London Assembly] and European elections" which he hoped would pull Labour to the left.
Guardian columnist George Monbiot said the proposals were "only a tentative idea — nothing hard and fast — a coalition that is electoral and a wider campaigning coalition".
John Rees (SWP central committee member) was speaking on behalf of the Socialist Alliance — but somehow managed to forget to mention the SA a single time. He certainly did not call for a new party. He did not mention the word once.
In fact, the common theme was for a "unity coalition" for the life of the election campaign alone. The politics of this are questionable. Given the "discussion document" put forward by George Monbiot and anti-war activist Salma Yaqoob, there are dangers that the "coalition" will be formed around left-liberal non-socialist politics.
While this may help produce some of the raw material for a party, without the political will of the main political actors a new party will not magically appear.
And there are dangers we are being led into a non-socialist blind alley. This problem stems from the fact that the SWP sees the creation of a movement for a new party as something to be avoided as a challenge to its own position. While many in England point to the successes of the Scottish Socialist Party with envy, few are willing to take the leap and start down the road to partyist unity.
Marcus Strom
Communist Party of Great Britain
London
Saving public land
The Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority certainly knows how to save public land! Under constant guard all week, the former Water Police Site at Pyrmont, is being protected from — What? Who? Osama bin Laden? Saddam Hussein?
No. These guards are there 24 hours a day, defending this precious piece of publicly owned land from the Friends of Pyrmont Point — a resident action group committed to preventing development on the site.
During past weeks, banners placed on the fence around the site have been removed. A slogan, painted on a concrete slab on the vacant block, was chemically cleaned — and the residue was hosed into the harbour.
No doubt the vigilant sentries will prevent further transgressions.
How much is it costing the taxpayers to fund this extraordinary defence of public land.
Marcelle Hoff
President, Friends of Pyrmont Point
Have fun, help Cuba
During the long-standing US trading blockade, tourism has become an essential strategy for Cuba's national independence. The blockade continues despite the rear-guard stand by the USA, Israel and the Marshall Islands to continue the siege in the UN General Assembly on November 4 against the international wisdom of 179 countries.
Cubans have grown used to the blockade and now welcome independent travellers. Registered home-stays providers across Cuba welcome foreign visitors into their homes as one alternative to package holidays at beach resorts.
My family members had no difficulty travelling across Cuba last year and obtained details of home-stay locations from the Lonely Planet guide. Train and inter-city bus services provide access to every region in Cuba. Our family group was able to travel to Trinidad, Santiago de Cuba and Baracoa.
I found the south-eastern provinces of Santiago de Cuba and Guantanamo particularly attractive with their remote beach locations and exotic mountain rainforests.
Details of train times in Cuba are available on the internet (). Train reservations for foreign visitors are available at the Ladis Office in Estacion Central in Havana.
Travellers making the long journey from Havana to Santiago can rely on Parker Diaz Martinez to meet them at train or bus stations to assist with accommodation or places to visit. He may be contacted by email and he is able to respond in Spanish, English, French or Dutch: <riquisimocu@hotmail.com>.
In these challenging times for Cuba, each visitor is a morale booster for this socialist economy. But who really needs an excuse to visit this tropical paradise?
Denis Bright
Chapel Hill Qld
Green stars next?
Australian Greens Senator Bob Brown has been smeared so often lately that he is almost luminous with guilt.
It is Brown's green credentials that are being attacked as well. Prisoners locked up in Nazi concentration camps, guilty of being criminals, were forced to wear a green star on their uniforms.
Will the "green star" again receive criminal status because of the barrage against Brown from this bevy of apologists?
Denis Kevans
Wentworth Falls NSW
More lies about refugees
It appears that, contrary to Alexander Downer's claim that "they did not apply for asylum when they were in contact with Australian authorities", recent Kurdish boat arrivals did — as one would expect — seek asylum.
When will the government learn? If you're not sure of the facts, whether it be on weapons, asylum seekers or any other topic — just say you're not sure. Don't feed the Australian public information which you find politically congenial but which may turn out to be wrong. And pursue the facts — don't assume you've been given full and accurate information.
Amanda Vanstone maintains that the Kurds have been sent elsewhere where any claims will be properly processed but the Australian government cannot guarantee what the Indonesian government will do.
Brent Howard
Rydalmere NSW
Lies about troops?
Goodonya! I never believed I'd ever say that of any member of the Howard government. I liken this to wiping the sweat from my brow with a steel wool pot scourer, but credit where credit is due.
On September 27, I heard the Australian foreign affairs minister Alexander Downer saying that Australia had no intention of sending more troops to Iraq. Let's see if Alexander is fair dinkum.
Given that he is part of the crew that got into office on the lie of "children thrown overboard" and part of the mob which used "souped up" intelligence of weapons of mass destruction as their reason for invading Iraq — when the real reason was to change the regime in order to get Iraq's oil supply.
I won't hold my breath!
I still think any decent, worthwhile, conscientious liar worth his salt would have been intelligent enough to have its invasion force carry faked up evidence of WMDs to be planted in Iraq and then subsequently found as proof. I can no longer believe in the omnipotence of the USA, if they couldn't stage that to back their lies, what hope is there for the world?
We do have some chance if we would only wake up and kick them out, and say No! No! No! to Bush and Howard.
Jim Knight
Kangaroo Creek NSW
White power
I have never thought about the colour of my skin, until recently, when a friend said to me, "White people never, have to think about colour, black people never stop thinking about it. Every day, every decision, every act, nearly every thought, is based on what would a white person think. If I try to hail a cab, I would be lucky, to have one stop for me, and even then, it is rare, that there is not some snide remark, or sexual comment. I walk to the supermarket and people hold their bags just a little tighter as I walk by. As I enter, security guards magically appear and somehow seem to be going where ever I am.
"In the street I find it's better not to have eye contact, or I am met with the response, 'What are you looking at boong' or something like that. I find it is better to just look at the ground, you do not see the look of fear or hate in peoples eyes."
I mentioned these comments to an elderly Aboriginal gentleman I know and he told me, "Mate, there has not been one day in my 63 years on this Earth that I have not had to think about how my actions would be seen or interpreted by white people. There once was the White Australia Policy, not much has changed."
I find this absolutely appalling, and I am deeply ashamed that this can happen in my country. In the 300 years we have been in this country, instead of embracing aboriginal culture, as New Zealand, Canada, and even the United States have done, we seem to be ashamed of these people. We pride ourselves on our friendliness, we love to talk about how open we are, yet, we still cannot integrate the Aboriginal people into our society.
We took them for slaves, we underpaid them, we let them fight for us in our wars — and still did not treat them as equal — then we took their children away. We treat them as if only black people are criminals, we cash in on their artistic talents, we use them to encourage tourists. What is it about us white Australians? So proud of our sporting heroes, so proud of anything Australian, except ... our people.
Only 400,000 people claim Aboriginal ancestry in a population of 20 million. Have you ever met an Aborigine? Have you ever taken the time to try and learn something about these people or try to help in some way?
We whites are in the majority, we make the rules and we make the laws. We have the power. We have their future in our hands. Australia is a great country, but a truly great nation is judged by the world, and by itself, on how it treats its people — all its people. We owe it to ourselves as a nation to make this work. If Australia is the best country in the world, let's prove it before it is too late.
Lawrence Adams
Alexandria NSW
[Abridged.]
Veterans' compo
A government review into veteran's entitlements headed by Justice Clarke agreed with a previous review undertaken by the Honourable Professor Peter Baume in 1994, that fairness requires a balance between fairness to veterans in the form of adequate compensation.
Before 1998 the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was used in the setting of minimum wages based also on award determinations by the Australian Industrial Relations Commission. This has not been the case since changes to the CPI reporting in 1998.
During the years 1997 through to and including 2003, the weekly wage has increased by $224.90
In that time the Military TPI payment has increased by $62.90
This is a staggering difference (loss) of $162.00 per week, for Military TPI's.
The Military TPI compensation payment for being unable to earn a living after being injured working for and on behalf of the Australian people, is $318.30 per week.
This is the truer picture of how your government compensates those injured through Military service for the premature loss of being able to earn an income which resulted from the intangible effects of war or war like service.
Does the Prime Minister consider $381.30 per week adequate compensation for loss of the ability to earn a living?
Raymond Evans
Wodonga Vic
From Â鶹´«Ã½ Weekly, November 19, 2003.
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