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Since the 1990s, many critics of the United States have accused Washington of promoting the dismemberment of nations such as Yugoslavia, in accordance with neoliberalism鈥檚 drive to weaken central governments and nation states. Today, Washington鈥檚 official policy in nations like Syria and now the Ukraine has been support for rebels seeking to overthrow the government, even though their chances of success are minimal.
Alvaro Garcia Linera at the congress of the European left in Madrid on December 14.

Bolivia's Vice-President Alvaro Garcia Linera, a veteran left activist and Marxist academic, spoke at the December 13-15 congress of the Party of the European Left (PEL).

Ali Choudhry and his partner.

It鈥檚 impossible to ignore any longer just how cruel and irrational the government鈥檚 war on refugees has become after violent attacks in the Manus Island detention centre left one dead and scores injured.

Calls to boycott the Sydney Biennale unless it cuts ties with major sponsor Transfield 鈥 which holds government contracts to provide welfare services in immigration detention centres on Nauru and Manus Island 鈥 have been gaining momentum. A group of high-profile artists involved in the Biennale have , calling on them to withdraw from the funding agreement with Transfield.

After the collapse of Ansett Airlines and National Textiles in 2001 鈥 both of which owed their employees millions of dollars in unpaid entitlements 鈥 the then-John Howard government was forced to introduce legislation establishing the General Employee Entitlements and Redundancy Scheme, which guaranteed basic entitlements for workers if a company went broke.

Gosford Anglican Church sign supporting refugee rights.

You know, unless asylum seekers somehow managed to sneak into this country and made it all the way to Geelong to pose as Alcoa executives to announce yet another plant closure at the cost of nearly a thousand more jobs, then I really think this nation has some bigger goddamn problems than boats carrying refugees asking for help.

Forest.

The Tony Abbott government has done something no other government in the world has done before, asking UNESCO to take one of the nation鈥檚 unique natural areas off the World Heritage list.

Hazelwood coal mine at Morwell on fire.

A fire burning in a coal seam at the Hazelwood coalmine in Victoria's Latrobe Valley caused the local Air Quality Index to reach nearly five times the amount considered 鈥渧ery poor鈥 on February 19.

A banner at the rally.

About 150 people rallied outside the home of Sheila Oakley in the Brisbane suburb of Logan on February 15.

Don't Frack The Territory campaigners with banner.

The Northern Territory's environment minister Peter Chandler has called for a government inquiry into the use of 鈥渇racking鈥 in the oil and gas industry. Currently 90% of the NT is targeted for shale gas exploration.

Abbott drought tour.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott recently toured drought stricken areas of north-west New South Wales and southern Queensland, promising that his government was close to finalising subsidies to farmers affected by the drought.

Murdoch Universiity administration has acted to close down student club stalls in the academic orientation week prior to classes beginning and the clubs and societies "O-day". Resistance: Young Socialist Alliance was one club that set up a small stall on February 17. Campus security were called to remove the stall from campus. Resistance members complied with the request and packed up the stall, settling to hand out leaflets promoting events on campus. Murdoch University then demanded the leafleting stop.