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European EMU under attack

European EMU under attack By Sonja Klein In preparation for the June 1997 Amsterdam summit, at which a treaty will be signed members of the European Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), the 15 states have begun negotiations on revising the

Poem: Let us Rise

Let us Rise On Lygon Street a building stands a house of dreams, each stone a vision. A little tattered and worse, or should I say, better for wear this Parliament of workers. But solid, dignified and proud. I climb the steps so

Rail line closure for freeway construction

Rail line closure for freeway construction By Sean Lennon MELBOURNE — Victoria's new transport minister, Robin Cooper, caused outrage in the northern suburbs on February 4, when he announced that the Upfield line, long a battleground between

Letter from the US: Doublethink from Clinton and Greenspan

Doublethink from Clinton and Greenspan By Barry Sheppard Every year, the president gives a "state of the union" address to Congress. It is held in the House of Representatives. The House members enter first, and then stand to applaud the

More East Timorese killed

More East Timorese killed Many East Timorese people are believed to have been arbitrarily arrested, and up to four people shot, following days of unrest in the Uatulari subdistrict in Viqueque February 7-11. According to the East Timor Human Rights

Chatting with Jakarta taxi drivers

Chatting with Jakarta taxi drivers By Edmund Thompson JAKARTA — "This traffic jam is caused by the stupidity and corruption of the government! They can't even do simple things like fix up the traffic, let alone respond to the people's

How to create real jobs

How to create real jobs Howard's youth work-for-the-dole scheme won't make a dent in the 30% youth unemployment rate. But that is not its real purpose, which is to whip up public hysteria about "dole bludgers" once again. The blatant politics of

Evocative novels on the horror of war

The Regeneration Trilogy: Regeneration, The Eye in the Door, The Ghost RoadBy Pat BarkerViking, 1996. 592 pp., $24.95 (pb) Reviewed by Phil Shannon It is almost 80 years since the first world war finished, but the horrors live on. In the murderous

Poem: A Black Armbanded History

A Black Armbanded History Roll Up! Roll up and see the show, armbanded historians in a row, spreading revisionism as they go, weaving distortion to and fro. Saying Robert Menzies was the greatest — greatest liar: that he never set the

Young people protest work for dole

Young people protest work for dole Ruth Ratcliffe reports from Brisbane that a speak-out against the Howard government's "work for the dole" scheme was held on February 14 in the City Mall, sponsored by the socialist youth organisation Resistance.

Outbreak of peace

By Hec Kavanagh PORT LINCOLN — Queued up waiting to get into the Yothu Yindi concert at Centennial Oval on January 23 there were so many cops around you might have expected a convoy of uranium trucks to come roaring down New West Road headed for

Indonesian nuclear project stalled

Indonesian nuclear project stalled By James Balowski Minister of research and technology B.J. Habibie's determination to develop Indonesia's nuclear power industry hit another snag on December 12. Instead of being "rubber-stamped", a bill to give