VSU: A history of struggle
Sunday, February 27 @ 02:37:13 CST

2005 is not the first time the student movement will have faced the attack of VSU and it is also by no means the first time it has been fought and defeated. Throughout the 90’s students have been forced to struggle against anti-student governments.
By Yorran Pelekanakis, 2nd year student at Melbourne University

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Fighting VSU - a guide to action
Sunday, February 27 @ 02:34:43 CST

If the proposed changes to VSU are to be defeated the students from campuses across the country will have to participate and unite in a campaign of education and direct action. Students simply can’t rely on the National Union of Students to do all the agitating on their behalf.
By Andrew Calleja, 2nd year student at Victoria University

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Fight VSU - defend and extend YOUR union
Sunday, February 27 @ 02:31:46 CST

From July 1st the Howard Government will hold a majority in both Houses of Parliament, giving the Liberals an unhindered position to implement their right-wing policy agenda. Brendan Nelson, the Federal Education Minister who brought us tertiary fee increases of up to 35% last year, is looking to complete his plan of neoliberalising universities and TAFEs into a money making ‘user pays’ system.
Greg Bradshaw, 3rd Year Student at Monash University, Melbourne

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Iraq elections sham
Friday, February 18 @ 17:44:03 CST

Imperialism’s continuing bloodshed threatens sectarian break-up
By Tony Saunois, CWI
After only a few days, the sham of the Iraqi ‘elections’ became evident as Iraq was shaken by a renewed wave of bombings and violent attacks on government officials and the occupation forces. As each day passes, it becomes clearer that the elections have resolved nothing for either the Iraqi peoples or the occupying imperialist powers.

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Twenty years after 1905
Friday, February 11 @ 05:28:47 CST

A speech by Leon Trotsky
This is a speech made by Leon Trotsky on 26 December 1925 and reproduced in the Soviet newspaper, Pravda, on 8 January 1926 under the title, ‘Cherez Dvadtsat Let 1905’ (Twenty Years After 1905). The speech was made at the Second Congress of the Society of Political Prisoners and Deportees. Translated by PETE DICKENSON, this is the first translation from the Russian original.

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Thailand: Tsunami carries Thaksin back to power
Friday, February 11 @ 00:37:37 CST

Prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra (pronounced ”Chin-a-what”) and his Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party are on course for a crushing parliamentary majority following the elections in Thailand on Sunday 6 February.
By Laurence Coates, Rättvisepartiet Socialisterna, Stockholm (CWI party in Sweden)

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1st 2005 Yarra City Council report
Thursday, February 10 @ 17:53:50 CST

From the Socialist Party Councillor at Yarra City Council, Stephen Jolly
Comrades and Yarra Residents,
The first Council meeting of 2005 was held on Tuesday with a packed gallery and media present. It was the “the most exciting Council meeting in 10 years” according to one onlooker.

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The Life and Legacy of Malcom X
Wednesday, February 09 @ 21:54:42 CST

The Life and Legacy of Malcom X
Today Malcom X is still an inspiration to millions of class fighters around the world and February marks the 40th anniversary of his assassination.
Here the Socialist Party reprints a CWI / Militant pamphlet, written in 1993 by Andrea Enisuoh, to commemorate this anniversary.

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Holocaust Anniversary: Who was responsible and what we should remember?
Wednesday, February 09 @ 04:08:27 CST

Robert Bechert, CWI statement
Deep emotions were aroused by January’s week-long ceremonies to mark the 60th anniversary of the Red Army liberating the Auschwitz extermination camp complex.

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Our new survey: The future for Labor
Friday, February 04 @ 02:35:57 CST

We have a new survey on our web page, see bottom left of this page: What are the perspectives for the Australian Labor Party?
Results of last poll:
What now after the Howard victory?
"It's On", let's get ready for class war! 39.78% (107)
I'm so depressed, give me a razor blade 13.01% (35)
Doesn't matter, Labor would have been as bad 14.13% (38)
It's too confusing, I need time to think 3.72% (10)
Both 1 and 3 15.24% (41)
Both 1 and 2 11.90% (32)
Both 2 and 3 2.23% (6)
Total Votes: 269

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Important message from Socialist Councillor
Thursday, February 03 @ 19:28:33 CST

Comrades and Yarra Residents,
The first Yarra City Council meeting for 2005 (and only the second of the newly elected Council) meets this Tuesday, February 8th, at 7.30pm at Richmond Town Hall, Bridge Rd, Richmond. I strongly encourage all local residents, and all those interested in the workings of what the ALP Mayor called "Australia's most left wing Council" to attend. There is space on the agenda for questions from the public. There is expected to be an intense debate over the issue of transport which is to be voted on. In the lead-up to the Council election in November, 5 of the 9 elected Councillors pledged to support the motion. We will see on Tuesday whether there is still a majority support for Council to get behind an active and alternative voice to the oil, road and car lobbies.
The day after the Council meeting, I will send out a full report of the many issues, battles and impending battles on Council and amongst residents in the area.
Comradely Greetings
Stephen Jolly, Socialist Party Councillor for Langridge Ward

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World Social Forum 2005
Sunday, January 30 @ 03:16:38 CST

CWI member quoted in British newspaper, ‘The Independent’
The Independent, a London-based newspaper, ran a story on the opening day of the World Social Forum, in which Andre Ferrari, a leading member of Socialismo Revolucionario, the Brazilian section of the CWI, is quoted. This shows how the question of Lula and his governments adoption of neo-liberal policies after coming to power is provoking interest internationally. Andre Ferrari is a member of the Executive Committee of the new party P-Sol (‘Party for Socialism and Liberty’) which was set up as a new party for workers and youth.

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World Social Forum 2005
Thursday, January 27 @ 22:12:06 CST

Demonstration of well over 100,000 people on first day
Well over 100,000 people turned out on a scorching afternoon in Porto Alegre, Brazil, to participate in a demonstration that marked the opening of the fifth World Social Forum
By Michael OBrien, Socialist Party, CWI Ireland

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World Social Forum 2005
Tuesday, January 25 @ 20:46:18 CST

CWI members campaign for socialism in Porte Allegre
Over 70 members and sympathisers of the committee for a workers' international will be making sure that the ideas of socialism are brought to the tens of thousands who will attend the meetings and demonstrations of the World Social Forum (WSF), from 26 - 31 January, in Porte Allegre.
Kevin Simpson in Sao Paulo, Brazil

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Report on Socialist Appeal on Tsunami
Tuesday, January 25 @ 20:42:54 CST

With the help of the thousands of donations that have been made in the last four weeks to the Campaign Sri Lanka, our comrades in the country second worst hit in the region have picked themselves up and started out on the campaigning road once more. Australian socialists have not let side down...
Report of the socialist relief effort followed by CWI overview of the crisis one month on: "tsunami disaster: A month later, poverty still kills in Aceh and Sri Lanka" by Clare Doyle

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Political report from SP National Committee
Monday, January 24 @ 22:32:39 CST

Last Sunday, 23rd January, the Socialist Party National Committee met to discuss the political situation in Australia and plans for building the party in 2005. Here is a summary of the main points raised in the first discussion.

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Socialists and trade unions: A correct approach
Sunday, January 23 @ 19:59:45 CST

Teamster Rebellion: 70th anniversary of Labor’s historic victory in Minneapolis, USA
Today, even the most militant sections of organised trade unionism (eg Workers First in the AMWU and the Victorian branch of the CFMEU) have a generally syndicalist approach, concentrating on bread and butter issues and leaving politics to the capitalists in the ALP. The approach of then healthy, Trotskyist-US Socialist Workers' Party in the 1930s to trade union work was in marked contrast, as you will see when you read this excellent article...
Seventy years ago, a small mid-western city in the US was shaken to its very foundations. The 1934 Minneapolis Teamster strike is one of the greatest labor battles in US history. For two months, the working class owned the streets.
By Canyon Lalama, Minneapolis

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Newcastle Community 350+ Vs. Racists 10
Saturday, January 22 @ 18:57:36 CST

Report of yesterday's anti-fascist mobilisation in Newcastle, NSW
On Saturday January 22th a successful demonstration was held in solidarity with the Sudanese community against the Patriotic Youth League, which had been trying to whip up hatred of them in the working class suburb of Islington. At its height 350 people, with probably 500 people in total attending this event. Speakers from the trade unions, activists and Sudanese residents spoke out against the attacks of the PYL. Simon from the Newcastle Socialist Party spoke of his experiences in the early 1990s fighting the BNP in London, as well as the need for the movement to deal with the pressing issues such as jobs, education and cuts to community services. He also spoke of the need to confront these racist groups wherever they came up.

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Text of SP leaflet at Newcastle anti-fascist rally
Saturday, January 22 @ 18:53:27 CST

ORGANISE TO STOP THE FASCISTS
A small neo-nazi group is trying to stir up race hatred in Newcastle. At a time when the vast majority of Novocastrians have demonstrated their genuine compassion for all the victims of the Tsunami, a tiny group of racists are trying to whip up hatred against the Sudanese community.

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Iraqi elections: Debacle facing US and British imperialism
Thursday, January 20 @ 18:58:41 CST

By Tony Saunois, Secretary of the CWI
The bloody war in Iraq led by US imperialism worsens every day as the death toll mounts and the country plunges deeper into civil war and ethnic and religious clashes. Only a few days after the ‘coronation’ of Bush for a second term ‘elections’ are set to take place on January 30th. Yet far from ushering in a new ‘democratic’ and peaceful Iraq as promised by the occupying imperialist powers the pantomime of a ‘democratic process’ is set to deepen the crisis facing the Iraqi people and Bush’s regime in Washington. Workers and young people around the world rightly demonstrated their sympathy and solidarity for the 250,000 or more who were killed by the Asian Tsunami. But it must not be forgotten that the Iraqi peoples have suffered their own military Tsunami since the invasion of Iraq was unleashed by US and British imperialism. Since the war began over 100,000 Iraqi people have been killed. Hundreds of thousands more have been injured or maimed. Others have suffered now well documented accounts of torture and humiliation in the prisons of the US and British military.

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Obituary: Zhao Ziyang, former leader of China's Communist Party
Wednesday, January 19 @ 05:13:34 CST

Zhao Ziyang, toppled as China's Communist Party (CCP) leader for opposing the military crackdown on the 1989 pro-democracy protests, has died at the age of 85, after suffering a series of strokes.

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Successful public meeting and appeal for Sri Lankan comrades
Wednesday, January 19 @ 05:09:52 CST

On Tuesday the 18th January the Melbourne City branch of the Socialist Party hosted a very successful public meeting. The topic was The tsunarmi Disaster - A Socialist perspective.
The meeting heard a first-hand report from Comrade Siri (General Secretary of the United Socialist Party - Sri Lanka), followed by an in depth analysis of the disaster by comrade Sampath Perrera (Sri Lankan socialist living in Melbourne and member of SP).
The meeting held a joint financial appeal for thr USP and Health Workers Union in Sri Lanka with all participants agreeing that it was vital for us to play a role in assisting with the rebuilding of the workers' movement in the region.
On the night $1241 was received in cash and $420 in IOU's. This was in addition to $500 received by the NSW SP comrades.
So far our special appeal stands at $2161. Please rush in your IOU's and any further pledges by the 1st of February at the latest. C/O The SP National Office. or PO BOX 1015 Collingwood VIC 3066

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Missing Comrade found alive!
Friday, January 14 @ 23:54:47 CST

The CWI can report with great relief, that after heroic efforts to establish the whereabouts of all its members, the United Socialist Party in Sri Lanka has found that it sustained no direct loss of life. The tsunami had crashed into areas where many USP members and their families lived and worked. One Central Committee member in Galle, comrade Piyatilake, was missing for days and the worst was feared. His workplace near the bus station was totally destroyed and two people beside him at the moment the wave struck were swept to their deaths. Piyatilake himself was found to have been severely injured and hospitalised but has now returned to his home to recover fully.

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Aceh and the tsunami
Friday, January 14 @ 23:39:14 CST

Both the military and corruption sabotage relief work
By Arne Johansson Rättvisepartiet Socialisterna (CWI Sweden)
While Aceh on the northern edge of Sumatra has registered nearly two-thirds of the total death toll by the Asian tsunami, the Acehnese so far have received only 30% of UN food deliveries. More than two weeks after the catastrophe many distant villages have not yet been reached by relief workers.

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The Trade Unions: Communist Theory and Practice of Trade Unionism
Friday, January 14 @ 00:16:39 CST

By Lance Sharkey
First published in 1942 this was the single most influential pamphlet of the Communist Party of Australia - the largest (per capita) and most influential CP in the English-speaking world at the time.
Despite the Stalinism of the party, this pamphlet remains one of the best introductions for young workers as to the correct, most principled, and most effective relationship between socialists and the trade union movement. SP in Australia will probably reprint this pamphlet later this year.
Click here to read...

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Big increase in visits to SP web site last year
Friday, January 14 @ 00:00:37 CST

Comrades
In 2004 the number of people reading and downloading from the SP web site increased dramatically over the previous year

Unique Visitors 2004: 15,185 (4,257 in 2003)
No. of Visitors 2004: 22,688 (7,228 in 2003)
Pages 2004: 82,015 (31,700 in 2003)
Hits 2004: 667,475 (128,991 in 2003)
Bandwidth downloaded 2004: 2.50 GB (748.43 mb in 2003)

Please let as many of your friends and colleagues as possible know about our web site

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1905-2005: 100 years since first Russian Revolution
Thursday, January 13 @ 19:24:03 CST

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the 1905 Russian Revolution, where the Russian working class first showed its strength...

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We need your money for Sri Lankan socialists
Thursday, January 13 @ 18:02:15 CST

Comrades
Especially those comrades and supporters outside Victoria, please consider as big as possible a donation to our special socialist appeal to help rebuild our party (the United Socialist Party) in Sri Lanka who have lost a Central Committee member and many resources through the tsunami. Please email your pledge to or post to SP, PO Box 1015, Collingwood 3066.
The appeal will take place this Tuesday night at the public meeting in Melbourne. See details below. All Victorians can attend and give a sizeable donation.
Thanks to uni student Widge who donated $200 and his friend who donated $100. Also $100 from Anthony Main.
This is an example for all of us.

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Howard exploits tsunami tragedy
Thursday, January 13 @ 17:44:34 CST

By Stephen Jolly
No important event has a neutral or apolitical effect - not sport, music, or even natural disasters like the Indian Ocean tsunami.

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Rosa Luxemburg on imperialist hypocrisy over natural disasters
Wednesday, January 12 @ 21:32:55 CST

Rosa Luxemburg was a great Marxist writer and workers' leader who played the key role in the 1918 German Revolution and was murdered in the process.
100 years ago she wrote this brilliant essay after the eruption of Mt. Pelee that killed 40,000 people on the French Caribbean colony of Martinique.
She exposes the hypocrisy of the imperialist powers. Her essay is relevent today in the context of the tsunami tragedy and it shows the brilliance and relevance of a marxist analysis over the tripe we get from bourgeois journalists and the middle class left.

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