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Issue No. 166 | 14 February 2003 |
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A Call To Arms
Interview: Agenda 2003 Peace: The Colour Purple Industrial: Long, Hot Summer Solidarity: Workers Against War Security: Howard And The Hoodlums International: Industrial Warfare History: Unions and the Vietnam War Review: Eight Miles to Mowtown Poetry: Return To Sender Satire: CIA Recruits New Intake of Future Enemies
The Soapbox Postcard The Locker Room Politics
 Bouquets and BrickbatsWar TalkA Tale of Two MallsTalk Back TomOn The Beach
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Letters to the Editor War Talk
Dear Workers Online The war on Iraq presents opportunities for the labour movement - both its political representatives and the industrial wing. Howard is vulnerable. The question is whether the Left understands the situtation and takes the opportunity presented to take on and beat Howard. The ALP's response - to accept a war on Iraq if it has UN support - could backfire. This is because the UN Security Council could give Bush what he wants. At a minimum whatever comes out of the UN will be ambigoous and give Bush and his allies enough wriggle room to invade Iraq. Crean will then possibly support the invasion. This could see some leave the ALP (including MPs). The Greens are no solution for the Left because they have no class analysis of society. But one group in society does have the power to shift the whole debate to the Left. During the Vietnam war some unions and workers adopted the slogan stop work to stop the war. That lesson applies today. Australian workers can stop Australian participation in this immoral slaughter. Stopping work heightens the class antogonisms.If we are resolute enough we can cut off the flow of profis to the bosses and as a consequence force the Government to stop its support for this imperialist adventure in Iraq. Stopping work to stop the war also makes sense as part of a strategy to revitalise the union movement. The majority of Australians oppose in some form Australian involvement in teh war on Iraq. Thirty per cent oppose any attack, even if it is sanctioned by George Bush's UN. With solid trade union oppositon, that base could grow even more. Further, twenty years of economic rationalism have produced an underlying working class anger that is looking for an outlet. Mobilising workers against the war has the potential to generate a more generalised response to globalisation and improve workers living standards. John Passant Kambah ACT **************** : Writing to Howard is not not the best approach. As Australians we should be writing to the Governor General also, demanding a referendum or the dismissal of the Howard government. The government is responsible to the people, we can sack a government who does follow the wishes of the people in two ways. Firstly by writing to our own MP and demanding he or she resigns or by writing to the Governor General and asking him to act on our behalf. The Governor General does have the power to dismiss the Howard government if it is acting dictatorially. Howard is acting on his own even members of his own party are not listened to. Bush is now running Australia through Howard do your duty for Australia and demand that we are the bosses not Bush.
Copy and paste the following to [email protected] put your name and address on;
Govenor General, Mr Howard and his government are acting against the wishes of the Australian people in going to war against Iraq. I ask that a referendum be held on the issue or Mr Howards goverment be dissmissed before our troups are sent into action. Arthur Kent
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