Monthly Archive: May 2011

31 May

Comments Off on Revenge, apparently a dish only properly served by the United States military

Revenge, apparently a dish only properly served by the United States military

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> Pakistani tribesmen offer funeral prayers after 60 people killed in two US missile strikes in 2009  Now, The Australian can be depended on to run some of the most reactionary arguments one is likely to see in the Australian press in its notorious op-ed pages. But as a keen follower of the Egyptian Revolution […]

Filed under: Egypt, imperialism

31 May

Comments Off on Barry O’Farrell: From modern managerialist to old-fashioned class warrior

Barry O’Farrell: From modern managerialist to old-fashioned class warrior

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> A funny thing happened on the way to Macquarie St. Before the March NSW election, Barry O’Farrell was a seemingly banal, workmanlike and mild-mannered Liberal leader who spent years rebuilding his party’s broken morale, even at the cost of reining in powerful far Right factional elements. Rather than projecting the leader he would be […]

25 May

Comments Off on An exciting mix of 1968 and 1789, but where next for the #spanishrevolution?

An exciting mix of 1968 and 1789, but where next for the #spanishrevolution?

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> Special Guest Post from Barcelona by Gemma Galdon Clavell On 22 May, a week after thousands of people across Spain turned a series of demonstrations into massive sleep-ins that are still holding strong, the conservative Popular Party (PP) won a historic victory in the municipal and regional elections. During the ensuing celebration of the […]

24 May

Comments Off on Thin edge of the wedge: Economic nationalism & the skilled migration ‘debate’

Thin edge of the wedge: Economic nationalism & the skilled migration ‘debate’

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To his credit Bob Brown was one of the clearest opponents of Pauline Hanson when she rose to infamy in the 1990s, not something the major party leaders could have been accused of at the time. But more recently he has pushed both population limits arguments and a line against skilled migration. Yet Hanson used […]

23 May

Comments Off on Interface Journal: Repression and Social Movements

Interface Journal: Repression and Social Movements

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> A new issue of the journal Interface was released today: Repression and Social Movements.  I’m the Oceania editor, and am currently seeking a co-editor to assist me with South-East Asia. For our Australian readers, note there is an article by Liz Thompson and Ben Rosenzweig on international students and the education economy in Australia (‘Public policy is class war pursued by […]

Filed under: social movements

22 May

Comments Off on ‘Revolutions arrive too late or too early, but always when they’re not expected’

‘Revolutions arrive too late or too early, but always when they’re not expected’

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> Here’s my rough translation of a thoughtful analysis of the Spanish revolt, which was written for the Viento Sur website a few days ago. It locates the movement’s origins not just in the economic crisis and austerity measures of the Zapatero government, but the impasse created by the trade union leaders’ decision to back […]

19 May

Comments Off on A new Spanish Revolution? Tahrir comes to Madrid as crisis of democracy deepens

A new Spanish Revolution? Tahrir comes to Madrid as crisis of democracy deepens

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  Dawn breaks in Puerta del Sol In 2006, migration and insecurity were the first and second worries of the population. Today, they are the last ones, and the levels of insecurity about the job situation and the crisis have gone [through] the roof. — Gemma Galdon Clavell, 18 May 2011 How quickly the tide […]

17 May

Comments Off on ‘Capital’ Against Capitalism: Final timetable announced and registration open

‘Capital’ Against Capitalism: Final timetable announced and registration open

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> The final timetable for the conference I am organising – ‘Capital’ Against Capitalism – has been announced. The conference website has full details and a secure registration process through PayPal. All welcome – visit capitalagainstcapitalism.blogspot.com to register.

Filed under: Marxism

16 May

Comments Off on What’s class got to do with it? Appendix: The strange persistence of egalitarian ideals

What’s class got to do with it? Appendix: The strange persistence of egalitarian ideals

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> In a piece of excellent timing given last week’s post-Budget pseudo-debate on class, the ACTU has launched a recent report on attitudes economic inequality in Australia that contains some stark facts about wealth (rather than income) distribution as well as some fascinating data on social attitudes. They’ve released this as part of their public […]

Filed under: class, trade unions

14 May

Comments Off on What’s class got to do with it? The debate over $150k families & ‘middle-class welfare’

What’s class got to do with it? The debate over $150k families & ‘middle-class welfare’

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> Australia’s richest CEOs — not exactly breaking into a sweat right now You may have thought there’d been a debate on class carried out in the mainstream media and more widely since Budget night last Tuesday, but you’d be wrong. Instead we’ve seen a partisan debate where both sides agree on the principles of […]

Filed under: class, Marxism