Israel's wars
If Philip Mendes (Write On, GLW #730) is accurate with his estimation that only about 1% of Australian voters think that Israel´s wars on Lebanon and Palestine are a significant issue, then I am very happy to be included in this
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The Dramatically Black: Djarn Djarns — Frankie Dollar is eleven years old. He is the leader of an Aboriginal traditional dance group, who are young urban blackfellas, with a responsibility to keep their culture alive. SBS, Friday, December 7, 3.30pm.
Los Zafiros — Formed in 1962, Los Zafiros were known as Cuba’s answer to The Platters. The members all came from the same Havana neighbourhood, and in Cuba enjoyed a popularity comparable to The Beatles. SBS, Saturday, December 8, 1pm.
The Judge and the Fanatic — Many Yemenis have fought with the Mujahedeen in Afghanistan, but when the war ended they returned to Yemen to join the long queues of the unemployed, and many of them found it hard to reintegrate. SBS, Monday, December 10, 2.30pm.
Cutting Edge: Cheney’s Law — For three decades US Vice President Dick Cheney conducted a secretive, behind-closed-doors campaign to give the US president virtually unlimited wartime power. SBS, Tuesday, December 11, 8.30pm.
The November 24 rout of the Howard government owed much to the work of the organised labour movement. Of the marginal Coalition seats targeted by the Your Rights at Work (YRAW) campaign, 20 of 24 have fallen to Labor (including John Howard’s own seat of Bennelong); the other four remain in doubt. Most of those who voted for Labor did so believing that Labor would abolish Work Choices, as promised by Kevin Rudd on October 14, the official start to the election campaign. Yet Labor’s industrial relations policy — Forward with Fairness — promises only minimal changes, replacing the Coalition’s legislation with “Work Choices Lite”.
Since the crackdown on the pro-democracy movement in October, there has been little in the mainstream media coverage of events in Burma. During the crackdown, many people were killed or disappeared by the military as society was placed under curfew.
Kevin RuddÂ’s election provides an opportunity for Australia and Aboriginal people to repair the damage caused by the Howard years. RuddÂ’s intention to apologise to the Stolen Generations already indicates a positive change of national policy towards Aboriginal people and should he remove the NT emergency laws, Aboriginal reconciliation will be further enhanced.
A thousand steps
Away from the ballot box
To vote for freedom
A thousand steps
From armed men
With orders to shoot down
Anyone who votes for freedom
A thousand steps
When you have chains
On your hands and feet
To stop you from taking
A step of a single yard
Towards freedom
A thousand steps
From the grave
Where you will be buried
If you take a step
To vote for freedom
A thousand steps
From your dreams
Where you dream
That you can vote
For freedom
@auth poem = Arif Viqar
Away from the ballot box
To vote for freedom
A thousand steps
From armed men
With orders to shoot down
Anyone who votes for freedom
A thousand steps
When you have chains
On your hands and feet
To stop you from taking
A step of a single yard
Towards freedom
A thousand steps
From the grave
Where you will be buried
If you take a step
To vote for freedom
A thousand steps
From your dreams
Where you dream
That you can vote
For freedom
@auth poem = Arif Viqar
While the tyrant reign of John Howard is over, another is just beginning. The need to fight a Rudd government is quite clear. Many of Kevin Rudd’s so-called “reforms” are just slight changes to Howard’s monstrosities.
Airport security workers at the Oakland airport held an organising meeting on November 21 and received food in a food distribution organised by Filipino Association of Workers and Immigrants; Filipinos for Affirmative Action; Service Employees Local
JohnÂ’s gone, heÂ’s gone
and IÂ’m forlorn.
The unemployed must cope
without his scorn.
Workers smile
and bosses frown,
why did the voters
let them down.
Eleven long years
of blood, sweat and tears
have given way
to workersÂ’ cheers.
Bennelong voters
so it seems
exceeded all
my wildest dreams. @auth poem = John Tomlinson
and IÂ’m forlorn.
The unemployed must cope
without his scorn.
Workers smile
and bosses frown,
why did the voters
let them down.
Eleven long years
of blood, sweat and tears
have given way
to workersÂ’ cheers.
Bennelong voters
so it seems
exceeded all
my wildest dreams. @auth poem = John Tomlinson
Prime Minister-elect Kevin RuddÂ’s phone call with US President George Bush on November 25, the day after the election, was a reminder about the incoming Labor governmentÂ’s commitment to the Australia-US military alliance. The government may have changed, but CanberraÂ’s commitment to AustraliaÂ’s participation in foreign wars and occupations hasnÂ’t.
After more than one-and-a-half decades of constant erosion under BeijingÂ’s pro-capitalist policies, ChinaÂ’s public sector has shrunk to less than 40% of the countryÂ’s economy, and an even smaller share of industry and services.
Stuart Baanstra, a Community Action Against Homophobia (CAAH) activist, refused to sign the 2006 census due to the Australian Bureau of StatisticsÂ’ (ABS) refusal to record same-sex married couples. On November 27, Baanstra faced the Magistrates Court for refusing to sign the census. Baanstra pleaded guilty with mitigating circumstances. His lawyer, Natalie Ross, who was working pro bono, asked for charges to be dismissed under Section 19b of the Crimes Act.
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