229

Like an audience with a saint

A Day With President MandelaA Weekly Mail Television productionSBS, Friday, May 10, 8.30pm (8 in SA)Previewed by Norm Dixon The reactions of some on the left to criticism of Nelson Mandela and his government is not unlike the response when you fart

Can the ALP left make a difference?

Can the ALP left make a difference? By Mandy Pearson With the ALP now in opposition, we are hearing the rhetoric about the need to "rebuild the party". But what does this mean in practice? The ALP was in opposition from 1976 to 1983. That was

Bankers push nuclear power in eastern Europe

By Renfrey Clarke MOSCOW — To believe its founding charter, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is committed to pursuing "environmentally sound and sustainable development" as it helps fund the transition to market economies in

Taxes and social equity

In an address to the National Press Club on April 17, Robert Fitzgerald, president of the Australian Council for Social Services (ACOSS), provided a partial list of the problems faced by Australian society. These included: 1.8 million people living

Learning nothing from Chernobyl

Learning nothing from Chernobyl By Renfrey Clarke MOSCOW — Ten years after the disaster at Chernobyl, the governments in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus have clearly learned little about the dangers of nuclear power. In Russia and Ukraine, plans

... and ain't i a woman? Adios, Patroncito

Adios, Patroncito "In the Chiapas highlands, on the sides of roads that are almost always laced with fog, the campesino families walk: the head of the family in the lead, his wife following, holding a few chickens by their feet, a bundle of

ALP future debated

By Bill Mason BRISBANE — "The future of the ALP and the unions" was the opening topic for the inaugural Politics at the Club forum, held at the Paddington Workers' Club on April 24. Guest speakers were Senator Kim Carr, ALP Victoria, a convener

Life of Riley: Getting to know the problem

Getting to know the problem A self-titled ordinary bloke was chatting to a mate the other day and the conversation went so: "If you have been wondering what ails us, you need look no further. Forget your studies in political economy. Stop your

The export of human beings

By Reihana Mohideen MANILA — March 19 was the first anniversary of the death of Flor Contemplacion, the Filipina migrant worker who was hanged on fraudulent murder charges by the Singapore government. Just a few days before the anniversary, the

Letter from the US: Two-party system under strain

Two-party system under strain The two-party system is showing signs of strain. Polls indicate a growing distrust of both Democratic and Republican politicians. Fuelling this unease is the fact that in the past two decades, real wages have fallen

Poem: The things I see

The things I see are not part of the constructed collective consciousness. The things I see are terrifying. They haunt me in nightmares. They fill me with anguish. They make me cry and want to scream my desolation with big

Learning from Howard's forerunners

Altered States: the regional impact of free market policies on the Australian statesEdited by John Spoehr and Ray BroomhillCLS Research Paper Series No 4, December 1995In association with the Social Justice Research FoundationReviewed by Melanie