E D I T O R I A L

Shock and Awe
And so it has begun, the cartoon caricatures are locked in; the cowboy and the tyrant his father created, locked in an endgame that will trash more than the infrastructure of Iraq.

F E A T U R E S

Poetry: If I Were a Rich Man
Through a distortion in the time-space continuum, we have found a recording showing how people a few years into the future will deal with health care.

Interview: League of Nations
ICFTU general secretary Guy Ryder on the war, core labour standards and why Australia is an international pariah.

Industrial: 20/20 Hindsight
A retrospective analysis of the Accord is needed to help develop future strategies. Is it worth trying again? And if so, what would need to be different?

Organising: On The Buses
A new rank and file leadership team is standing up for the harried bus driver in the run-up to the NSW State Election

Unions: National Focus
A gaze around the country reveals some inspiring and innovative organising initiatives, a fruitful connection with young workers in South Australia and some typically robust industrial campaigns reports Noel Hester.

History: The Banner Room
On the eve of it�s refurbishment, Jim Marr ventures into one of Trades Hall�s best kept secrets; the room that houses relics of labour�s halcyon days.

International: The Slaughter Continues
Chilling new statistics from Colombia's main trade union confederation CUT: nine trade unionists assassinated in the first two months of this year.

Legal: A Legal Case For War?
Aaron Magner looks at the legal implications of the crusade of the Coalition of the Willing

Culture: Singing For The People
When there�s a struggle for social justice, when a war is brewing or rights are being eroded, the first ones to pen, paper and protest are often the folkwriters.

Review: The Hours
On the eve of International Women�s Day Tara de Boehmler follows the tale of three women who would rather choose death than a life devoid of personal choice.

Poetry: I Wanna Bomb Saddam
Scarier than Star Wars, the latest weapon to be deployed in the battle for Iraq is the Singing Dubya.

Satire: Diuretic Makes Warne's Excuses Look Thin
Australian cricketer Shane Warne today admitted that he was still feeling the after effects of the diuretic he tested positive to.

N E W S

Peace Marchers Warn Off Provocateurs

Monk Ignores Job Losses

Trade Warriors Turn to Water

Gap, Target Pay Sweatshop Dues

Firies Douse Insurance Blaze

Kennett Delivers $2m Gas Bill

Vials Sparks Security Scare

Buggers Hit Six

Rail Towns Win Jobs Reprieve

Telstra Dotty Over Witching Hour

Crow Eaters Choke on Waste

CSL Boss in Political Pickle

Lawyers Push Super Class Action

Fair Clothing Activists Take Stock

Activists Notebook

C O L U M N S

The Soapbox
Workers Friend
Shock jock Alan Jones snubbed his Liberal mates to bucket the Cole Royal Commission and launch Jim Marr's book

The Locker Room
Boer Bore Boring
In the face of oppression Phil Doyle falls asleep in front of the TV

Guest Report
Dead Labor
The Hawke and Keating legacy is John Howard, Leonie Bronstein argues.

Seduction
Hands Off, Tony
John Della Bosca argues the NSW Industrial Relations System gives his State a competitive advantage.

Bosswatch
Groundhog Day
Another year, another round of corporate excess. Bosswatch returns from its summer slumber to find the same old dogs up to the same tricks.

L E T T E R S

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The First Casualty

Dear Editor,

Truth is the first casualty in war. The PM 's speech for war was massive spin, the Emperor's new clothes.

First, what is not admitted is a key reason for the invasion: the US's geo-political interests to dominate the middle-east region and Iraq oil reserves. This was not mentioned. Bush's right wing neo-conservative strategist's assert this as the US's real aim. When they say American involvement in Iraq is "not about oil," they are responding to charges that they are only going after profits for their oil companies. The war is not about revenues from oil - the profits will only be a side-effect. What the war is really about is US economic interests and dominance geo-politically of Iraq and the middle-east. This in their imperial world-view is both non-negotiable and based almost entirely on access to cheap oil. The US has some access to Saudi Arabia oil but they want for the next 30 years is to control access to Iraq's massive oil reserves some 432 billion barrels.

Secondly, the PM did not give convincing reasons under international law to bomb and invade Iraq. Iraq has not attacked Australia and there is no evidence that any attack is imminent. The Security Council did not authorise the use of force against Iraq. Without express authorisation from the Security Council the Australian government is not entitled to use force against Iraq and is in breach of international law.

It is a green light for any country to conduct war unilaterally, outside of the framework of the United Nations role in authorising and limiting the use of force. The dangers with such a move are very serious.

The current law-based international order is replaced with a much more permissive and dangerous environment, where states need only claim that they face an imminent threat to start a unilateral pre-emptive war. With the United States, Australia and UK exercising this "right", on what basis can it be denied to Pakistan, India, Israel, Iran, North Korea, China, Indonesia or indeed any country?

Bush's Military-Industrial Empire is out of control with this pre-emptive attack. Which country is next to be attacked by the US with our PM going along?

Peace is everyone's business. As citizens we have a duty and a Constitutional right to express our political opposition strongly and protest.

Chris White

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Last Modified: 15 Nov 2005