Socialist Party Australia - 2 Editorials from latest The Socialist, SP's newspaper

1 - Why Socialist oppose the jailing of Hanson and Ettridge...
2 - The period we're in...

Why Socialist oppose the jailing of Hanson and Ettridge
The jailing of Pauline Hanson and David Ettridge (founders of the One Nation party) is a clear example of the profoundly undemocratic nature of the society that we live in.
The Socialist Party whilst abhorring the right wing racist policies of One Nation (which to a large extent have been adopted by the Liberal Party and failed to be opposed by the ALP), opposes the undemocratic laws which were used to jail these two.
These laws were set up to prevent small political parties from being able to receive the funding that the major political parties do. It is irrelevant that the particular way that Hanson and Co set up their party was extremely undemocratic, the internal workings of any political party is a matter for that party and its members. If the members of a political party do not like the way it operates they can always try and change it or leave.
The Socialist Party is fundamentally opposed to the undemocratic way that One Nation party was set up with a ruling clique and a membership with no say in running the party. It is, however, irrelevant that such a political party has extreme and backwards views, such political parties have to be defeated on the political battlefield not by the courts and legal manoeuvrings.
To start jailing people for right wing political views merely leads to a precedent for jailing others perhaps for their socialist political views. It also does not fundamentally address or resolve the underlying social or economic basis for such right wing views.
As recent events have shown it can often merely raise enormous amounts of sympathy and support for those people.
In any event the real reason for jailing Hanson and Co was not her politics but her political threat to the major parties and their status quo.

The Period We're In
Tariq Ali, when asked why Howard seemed to be escaping the type of political flack faced by Blair and Bush over the lies about WMD, said that Australians were more cynical than the British.
The latter actually believed Blair when he said Saddam could bomb London in 45 minutes and were horrified when they realised it was all lies. Australians just shrugged their shoulders and said “what’s new; politicians always lie to us”.
Whatever the reason, there is no doubt Howard has ridden high since the Iraqi war ended. No Australian casualties, an ineffective Labor opposition and, more importantly, a demoralised anti-war movement. It allowed him to undertake the Solomon Islands intervention with little domestic opposition.
We have explained that even a 30 million strong worldlwide day of action (February 15th) will not stop a capitalist drive to war without it being stepped up to include industrial action. Because of the political lull, the Socialist Party has concentrated on basic class issues like Medicare and the defence of rights of casual workers (see elsewhere in this paper).
This has allowed us to relatively successfully weather the current storm. However, it is clear the good times for Howard are going to be short-lived.
Marxists must look under the surface of events when analysing the mood of working people. There is a vacuum of leadership in term of the working class. The ALP parrots Howard on all key issues and the Greens seem intent on being a brand name, not a campaigning alternative. Under the surface, however, workers are seething with anger over the cuts to Medicare and higher education.
The apparent economic boom has rested on low interest rates and a binge of consumer borrowing - there is a 125% ratio between household debt and household income, the highest rate ever. The housing bubble is close to bursting point and Howard (and Costello) will pay the price.
The arguments of the Socialist Party for a new workers’ party and for an alternative socialist economic plan for Australia will gain more and more support.