Monthly Archive: November 2012

30 Nov

Comments Off on How things change: Gillard, Palestine & political authority

How things change: Gillard, Palestine & political authority

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In just a few weeks we have gone from the near-unanimity of Australia’s political class in refusing to clearly support the people of Gaza from a brutal Israeli military attack, to the “humiliation” of the prime minister over Australia’s vote for Palestinian observer status at the United Nations. What is it that has driven this […]

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22 Nov

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Guest post: For those who resist – Palestine is still the issue

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Left Flank is very pleased to be able to post this extended analysis of Israel’s war on Gaza by British-based socialist Kevin Ovenden, set in its regional and international context. Kevin has been a leading activist in Viva Palestina and narrowly escaped death at the hands of the IDF as part of the first Gaza […]

19 Nov

10 Comments

Gaza: How did taking the side of the oppressed get so hard?

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The Australian Greens are deeply worried about the civilian death toll in Israel and Palestine, and urge both sides of the conflict to put down their weapons and respect a ceasefire. “The human suffering is too great and the continued recourse to violence has done nothing for peace,” Australian Greens Leader, Senator Christine Milne, said. […]

12 Nov

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Power, markets, conspiracies: The limits of WikiLeaks’ politics

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We’re reposting below a piece I wrote for Overland’s site in September, drawing connections between the themes in the most recent Bourne movie and the WikiLeaks project. There is much more to be said about Assange and the politics of WikiLeaks than is covered here. Recently my attention was drawn to an interview with American […]

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09 Nov

Comments Off on The capitalist crisis, Obama’s re-election and the US Left

The capitalist crisis, Obama’s re-election and the US Left

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Perhaps more than for a long time, the US presidential vote earlier this week was dominated by a clear message to the Left, the working class and minority voters: the absolute necessity to vote for the “lesser evil” in Obama. Compared with the sense of hope that pervaded Obama’s election in 2008 (for one of […]