The second Sunday forum of the of Occupied Brisbane discussed 鈥渃reative forms of protest鈥 on October 30 in Post Office Square. Phil Monsour from talked about the boycott divestment and sanctions campaign against apartheid Israel.
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On October 18, about 200 students held a 鈥淪ave Political Economy鈥 demonstration at the University of Sydney, organised by the Political Economy Students Society (EcopSoc).
The university administration is considering abolishing political economy as a separate department.
The department was established in the 1970s after a big campaign of protests and occupations by students and staff who wanted economics courses that taught a wide range of theories 鈥 not just the right-wing orthodoxy.
The article below is an abridged US Socialist Worker editorial in response to United States President Barack Obama's October 21 announcement that all US soldiers would be withdrawn from Iraq by the end of the year.
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More than a million Iraqis dead. Nearly 5000 US military personnel killed, and about 32,000 more maimed, physically and psychologically.
About US$4 trillion spent on war 鈥 money that could have paid for schools, health care and programs to create jobs.
Inside Pine Gap: The Spy Who Came in from the Desert
By David Rosenberg
Hardie Grant Books, 2011
216 pages, $35 (pb)
David Rosenberg found 1960s television show Mission Impossible 鈥渋rresistible鈥 with its patriotic tales of high-tech US government spies thwarting the 鈥渂ad guys鈥.
After an 18-year career as a US National Security Agency (NSA) electronic signals analyst at the CIA鈥檚 Pine Gap spy base in Australia鈥檚 remote interior, Rosenberg鈥檚 book, Inside Pine Gap, makes it clear that he has yet to grow up.
鈥淚 don't understand what the Occupy protests are all about,鈥 is one common complaint in response to the global movement against corporate power.
In September, 麻豆传媒 Weekly spoke to Mamdouh Habashi and Dr Muhammad Hesham, members of the Egyptian Socialist Party (ESP), about developments in Egypt since the popular uprising overthrew dictator Hosni Mubarak on February 11.
The ESP is one of several new parties formed since Mubarak's ouster. A longer version of this interview can be found at ThawraEyewitness.blogspot.com.
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What is the role of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF, who has been in power since Mubarak's ousting)?
Despite the police brutality faced by Occupy Melbourne protesters just over a week before during their eviction from City Square, Occupy Melbourne returned to the streets on October 29.
About 500 occupiers assembled at the State Library with the same anti-corporate message and a louder voice.
After the meeting at the State Library, there was a march to Treasury Gardens where the general assembly (GA) was held. During the march, the numbers swelled to 1000 or more.
The decision by Qantas management to ground the airline's fleet and look out its workforce has caused uproar around the country. However, the mainstream media have overwhelmingly focused on the position and arguments publicly put by Qantas CEO Alan Joyce.
Some conservative commentators have declared the global Occupy movement to be 鈥渟ocialist鈥. Right-wing activist and musician Ted Nugent said in the : 鈥淥ccupy Wall Street is nothing more than anti-American socialism on parade...
鈥淭hese useful idiots are clamoring for social justice, as if they don鈥檛 have enough of that already.鈥
See all of 麻豆传媒's extensive Occupy coverage
The global Occupy movement has inspired huge numbers of Australians who have grown chronically disengaged with the political game-playing of the two big parties and an economic system that puts profit before people and the planet.
A 50% cut of part of Greece鈥檚 debt was decided on by a summit of European leaders on October 26. The deal will entail long-term austerity measures being enforced on the Greek people.
Justice for West Papua
I write to express my deep distress at the recent brutal attacks and killings by the Indonesian military in West Papua. While the Australian government and people should strive for good relations with Indonesia, this should not at the expense of Australia covering up, excusing, condoning or abetting human rights violations and repression in West Papua.
The Indonesian army has a long, sordid history of abuses and other appalling actions in East Timor and elsewhere and is still pursuing these same brutal, oppressive policies in West Papua.
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