Why I joined the Socialist Party
Date: Tuesday, September 23 @ 20:09:41 CDT
Topic: What's on


3 new members explain themselves

Why I joined - Bill Weller, 41, Printer and shop steward, Adelaide
Since a child I have always been interested in politics. My parents were and still are full-on Labor Party voters (even in their country of origin - the Netherlands) and they taught me well on subjects like working class, racism, homophobia, equality and standing up for what you believe. Alas they are at the age where they are stuck on this Labor Party voting path. Since reaching the age to vote I have looked to Independents, Democrats and the Greens to change the system of capitalism but have realized over the past few years that they too are part of this system.
I began reading books by Karl Marx & Lenin and realized that capitalism cannot be reformed but needs to be destroyed. I then searched the Internet for parties that held this view & found the Socialist Party amongst others.
The SP website was well constructed and I joined the SP open list reading the posts and thinking this group knows what is needed in this decaying world. Being worker based and having links with unions is what made me join!

Why I joined - Adam Nash, university student, Melbourne
I joined the Socialist Party because I want a change in how we conduct affairs in Australia. We need more social benefit programs in order to have a healthy infrastructure and economy. If people do not have to worry about how much the dentist is going to cost, or if they’ll need assistance if they get injured on the job, then they can become more productive in the activity, thus more attention can be paid on helping others in our global community that are less fortunate than us.
It's also important to look after the environment because we can only reap from the earth what we sow, and if it’s polluted, that’s our problem. We need the earth in order to survive, and if it's destroyed, then what’s left of us? People deserve nothing but the best in healthcare, education and human services. It should be given to all on no charge basis or with no strings attached.
I feel that the Socialist Party can and will achieve this.

Why I joined - Leeanne Dowel, 41, school teacher, Frankston, Victoria
Becoming a member of the Socialist Party is significant for me as it means that I have actively taken a stance as an individual against the organized, inhuman efforts to disempowerment the working class and the socially marginalized in this country.
In my 25 years of employment I have watched in disgust as Work Place relations have been eroded to the point of the ridiculous. I have watched the Labor Party and indeed many unions become progressively weak leaving their members feeling disenfranchised all for benefit of aggressive global capitalism.
To my distress Government policy has wreaked havoc through the social services cutting funding and persecuting low-income earners through Centerlink initiatives. The excessive funding of private schools at the expense of the public sector is incredulous, and it would almost seem a subversive tactic by the government to make Higher Education once again the domain of the wealthy through its manipulation of Hecs and funding for placements.
The time worn tactic of the government's propaganda machine has again exploited our need to seek justice and endeavored to turn us against the marginalized, distracting us from the fact that it is indeed their policies which are causing our hardship.
In my personal struggle for equality I have been a member of electoral lobby groups, political parties and I have even ran for government. These experiences have strengthened me and given me an insight into the political processes. However this journey has also made me aware of the 'deal making'‚ and corruption that has resulted in the disempowerment of the majority. The Socialist Party is incorruptible; a compassioned voice of reason experienced enough to know the reality of the current dilemma and organized enough to actively seek change.





This article comes from Socialist Party Australia
https://socialistpartyaustralia.org

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