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EUROPEAN SOCIAL FORUM: 'Constructing another Europe, another world'

BY SUSAN AUSTIN PARIS — The second European Social Forum, held in Paris from November 12-15, attracted around 50,000 people, mainly from the countries of the Europe Union. The ESF is modeled on the World Social Forum (WSF), held for the last

SOUTH KOREA: Strike wave over repressive labour laws

BY EVA CHENG South Korea's workers have launched a wave of industrial action in response to repressive labour laws which are aimed at helping local and foreign capitalists undermine workers' wages and conditions. Workers' resistance has been met

Medicare Plus? Medicare fraud!

BY DAVID SCRIMGEOUR The federal Liberal Party has realised that being too blatant about dismantling Medicare is electorally dangerous. After widespread negative reactions to its fraudulently named "Fairer Medicare" package, on November 18 the

(Some definitions)

Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The total market value of goods and services produced in the economy within a given period (usually a year) after deducting the costs of goods and services used up in the process of production. Balance on goods and

Ideas to resist the empire

BY MARGARITA WINDISCH MELBOURNE — One hundred and twenty socialists attended the Socialist Alliance's Victorian state conference, held on November 15 around the theme "Resisting the Empire". Renowned Marxist historian Humphrey McQueen opened

MEXICO/UNITED STATES: NAFTA at 10

BY DAVID BACON SAN FRANCISCO — There is a free-trade agreement that gives an idea of what Latin America can expect from the US President George Bush's Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). In a few weeks, the North American Free Trade Agreement

Broad-scale land clearing continues in Qld

BY ROBYN MARSHALL BRISBANE — On November 13, Louise Matthiesson of the Wilderness Society addressed a public meeting in New Farm to highlight the lack of action by Premier Peter Beattie's Labor government on stopping land clearing. In May, the

The greatest terrorist state of all time

REVIEW BY SIMON BUTLER Killing Hope: US Military and CIA Interventions Since World War IIBy William BlumZed Books 2003469 pages, $33.95 (pb) What is the link between an elderly peasant in Vietnam debilitated by exposure to chemical weapons, a

Loose cannons

Aussie battler "I believe I am entitled to be paid for my labour irrespective of how much of the company I own." — Frank Lowy, who last year was paid $13.39 million as executive chairman of Westfield Holdings and who also heads the company's

Skilled Engineering refuse work to Patrick staff

BY SHANE BENTLEY SYDNEY — On November 17, the notorious anti-union labour-hire company Skilled Engineering refused to hire Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) maintenance staff employed at Patrick Stevedores terminals at Port Botany, Sydney and

Meeting hears harrowing tales of mistreatment of refugees

BY KERRYN WILLIAMS CANBERRA — "More 'babies overboard' and outright lies" was how refugee advocate Marion Le described immigration minister Amanda Vanstone's response to the recent arrival on Melville Island of a group of Kurdish refugees. Le

Frida: an injustice to Kahlo, art and Trotsky

REVIEW BY LOUIS PROYECT FridaDirected by Julie TaymorWritten by Clancy Sigal, Diane Lake and Gregory NavaWith Salma Hayek, Alfred Molina, Geoffrey Rush, Ashley Judd, Antonio Banderas and Edward NortonBuena Vista DVD Frida is a really stupid