Are there really only two genders — female and male? Fred Nile and other fanatical conservative groupings would certainly like us to believe so. This is not merely an academic question, but an important social concern. Many
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Actively Radical TV — Sydney community television's progressive current affairs producers tackle the hard issues from the activist's point of view. CTS Sydney (UHF 31), every Sunday, 9-11pm. Ph 9565 5522. Access News — Melbourne community TV,
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BUDAPEST — Hungary's right-wing government refuses to take serious action over the environmental destruction resulting from the cyanide contamination from the Romanian mine spill, which is being described as "Hungary's Chernobyl".
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Unemployed Many of Australia's 3 million unemployed and underemployed will take a cynical view of the Prime Minister's handling of the National Textiles situation. Forcing company administrators and creditors to accept a "deed of arrangement" in
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The jobs boom lieThe Coalition government puts the blinkers on when it looks at unemployment. It hides how big the problem is and is just hoping for further economic growth to make it go away. On January 25, the treasurer,
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Win with Winston I would like to thank everyone who sent get well greetings to Winston — the vent figure who will one day be our own DIY prime minister. It has been an immense comfort to Winston and myself to know that so many of you have
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Would you like sex with that?Prostitution is once again in the media spotlight in South Australia. There are presently four prostitution law reform bills due to discussed by state parliament when it next sits, in March.
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Looking Out: 'I did'"The judge is condemned when the criminal is absolved." — Publilius Syrus In 1979, while on trial for my very life, the "Honourable" Judge Luther Hames took frequent naps as the prosecution presented
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International Women's Day: unity does matterPERTH — In Perth this year there will be two International Women's Day rallies on March 11. One is the annual march and rally organised by the IWD Collective, the other is a
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Networker: Becoming very rich Speculation is mounting in financial circles: which company will be the first to reach a market capitalisation of US$1 trillion? This will be an historic event. Market capitalisation (that is, the total stock market
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To convince voters that harmful policies will be "good" for them in the long run, politicians need to create the impression that they are honest and trustworthy, and that they are concerned about people's suffering. Politicians do not
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Judging gender Women appointed to the judiciary by Peter Beattie's Labor government in Queensland were there due to their gender, not their merit, former High Court chief justice Sir Harry Gibbs implied at a function at Brisbane's Supreme Court
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There's nothing like the announcement of a government-sponsored national youth week to make a young person proud and happy — at least that's what David Kemp, the minister for education, training and youth affairs, is hoping.
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Cyanide spill reveals the cost of goldThe environmental and political fallout from a major cyanide spill at a Romanian gold and silver mine on January 30 continues to spread. Aurul Gold, the Baia Mare mine operator, is half-owned by
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The following speech was presented as the opening address to Marxism 2000 conference, held in Sydney in January, by Cuba's consul to Australia, MARIA LUISA FERNANDEZ. The five-day conference, which was organised by the Democratic Socialist Party and
News
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CANBERRA — Supporters of workers' rights discussed the implications of BHP's attempt to force their Pilbara work force into individual contracts at a 91×ÔÅÄÂÛ̳ Weekly forum here on February 16. Trevor Zeltner, the
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Ten members of Action in Solidarity with Indonesia and East Timor (ASIET) returned on February 14 from an action-packed, two-week student exposure tour of Indonesia. During the tour, the students met with activist and human
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Resistance magazine is calling on all readers to participate in the International Women's Day marches and rallies around the country. We can provide you with posters and leaflets to help publicise the day. We organise pre-rally breakfasts in most
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MELBOURNE — Building unions' campaign for a 36-hour week and a 24% pay rise entered a dangerous new phase on February 16, when union job delegate Colin Reddie was bashed outside his workplace. Reddie, a member of the Construction,
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No ADI development at St Marys! SYDNEY — Around 150 people gathered outside NSW Parliament House on February 17 to oppose the development of the Australian Defence Industries site at St Marys in Sydney's west. The protesters listened to a wide
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Deckhands fight for jobsSYDNEY — Two hundred tugboat deckhands and their supporters gathered at Circular Quay on February 17 to protest efforts by Adsteam, the country's largest tugboat operator, to cut crew numbers from four
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SYDNEY — On February 14, a small but vibrant rally was held outside the Liberal Party headquarters in Sydney to protest against the GST. The action, organised by the Cross-Campus Women's Network, aimed to highlight the
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Indonesian police threaten Australian unionist Indonesian police are threatening to imprison or deport Australian trade unionist Roger Smith. Smith, who works in Indonesia for the American Centre for International Labour Solidarity, has been
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Ruddock, Court threaten detaineesImmigration minister Philip Ruddock took time out of his busy schedule on February 14 to personally warn asylum seekers at the Curtin air base in WA that if they make trouble again, they will all be
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Staff incensed by UQ managementBRISBANE — A general meeting of staff at the University of Queensland on February 16 described a management pay offer as inadequate. During resumed enterprise bargaining negotiations on
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HOBART — Last September, the University of Tasmania student union held a referendum on whether or not to create a "men's officer" position on the Student Representative Council (SRC). Because of the way the proposal was phrased,
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Rally against GST on tampons CANBERRA — As part of a nationwide campaign against the GST on tampons, women here presented health minister Michael Wooldridge with a "Declaration of the GST on Sanitary Products" on February 16. The declaration was
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Students join Resistance Resistance held stalls at numerous university Orientation Weeks between February 14 and 18. Twenty people joined Resistance at the University of Newcastle. Western Sydney Resistance joined 10 people at the University of
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Ten months ago, the students of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) voted to go on indefinite strike to protest against university president Francisco Barnes de Castro's plans to charge students tuition fees for the first time (even
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Humane " ... my heart goes out to those who may be suffering." — Esmerelda Exploration chairperson Brett Montgomery explaining why his company is refusing to accept responsibility for the contamination of water downstream from the cyanide spill
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The federal minister for immigration, Philip Ruddock, is attending a series of "consultative" public meetings on the government's migration and "humanitarian" programs. Resistance organised a protest action outside the public meeting in Perth on
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In Orientation Weeks, student activists around the country are launching the campaign to stop the privatisation of higher education. The National Union of Students has called a national day of action on March 22 and numerous
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In 1976, and again in 1981, Malcolm Fraser's Liberal government attempted to cut tertiary education funding, replace TEAS (the precursor of Austudy) with a loans scheme and reintroduce up-front fees. Student opposition on numerous campuses fed into
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Mardi Gras launchedSYDNEY — The annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras was launched on the steps of the Opera House on February 11. After a colourful dance piece which made a dig at the Olympics, hosts Julie McCrossin and
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Opposition grows to CPSU centralisationCANBERRA — Opposition is growing inside the Community and Public Sector Union to attempts by the union's leaders to centralise control over membership services, publications and finances
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ACT opposes mandatory sentencingCANBERRA — Three hundred people turned out to a protest on February 17 against mandatory sentencing in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. The rally, called with only two days'
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ACI workers picket CUB MELBOURNE — Locked out workers from the ACI glass mould manufacturing plant in Box Hill picketed the Carlton and United Breweries plant in Abbotsford on February 17. The picket, which involved 50 people and lasted four
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Marxism: outdated theory or guide to revolution? Growing inequality and hunger worldwide, sexism, racism and environmental destruction explode the lie that the 21st century heralds a new capitalist era of peace and prosperity. Worsening living
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SA education workers demand better pay and conditionsADELAIDE — The Australian Education Union (AEU) and the South Australian Liberal government returned to the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) on February
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Pressure mounts to abolish mandatory sentencingDARWIN — The death in custody of a 15-year-old Aboriginal youth on February 10 has increased calls for the abolition of mandatory sentencing laws in the Northern Territory and Western
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Campaign against fees The campaign against tuition fees in England, Scotland and Wales is heating up. A four-day occupation of the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London ended on January 29. It was part of a campaign to
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Teachers warn of strike actionBRISBANE — Queensland teachers are considering industrial action, including strikes and work bans, over a stalled agreement on wages and conditions. The state Labor government has refused to
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SYDNEY — With International Olympics Committee (IOC) chief Juan Antonio Samaranch in town on February 16, the Sydney offices of the Sydney Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG) became the focus of an angry rally. One
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YALLOURN — Unions are maintaining a protest camp outside the Yallourn power station in Victoria's La Trobe Valley, despite the February 9 ending of the month-long lockout of maintenance workers. The issues in dispute have not been
Analysis
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Government villainy Three acts of government villainy within a week show just how far the government's vicious drive against undocumented refugee arrivals has gone — and how much we must do to stop the government in its tracks. First, on
World
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CPI-ML discusses China's socialism BALASUBRAMANIAN SIVARAMAN, politburo member of the Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist (Liberation) (CPI-ML) was in Sydney in January for the Marxism 2000 Asia Pacific Solidarity and Education Conference. He
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Socialist Party of Timor holds first congressDILI — The Socialist Party of Timor (PST) held its first national congress here on February 10-11. The event marked an important stage in the development of the PST and the socialist
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Tube workers to contest London elections Tube workers to contest London electionLONDON — On February 10, the Campaign Against Tube Privatisation (CATP) officially launched its slate of 11 candidates for the Greater London
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On February 7, Israel launched a devastating series of bombings against civilian areas in Lebanon, which injured 17 civilians and destroyed three major electrical power plants. The Israeli air strikes followed a series of successful military actions
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Amnesty backs new trial for Mumia Amnesty International (AI) on February 17 called for a new trial for US political prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal because his original trial was "deeply flawed". After many years of monitoring the case and an exhaustive
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International news briefs PNG students confront fee increase The University of Papua New Guinea has charged 32 students with offences relating to protest actions held last October. The students were opposing plans to increase tuition fees by 25%
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A hot French winter loomsThe new millennium in France has begun prophetically. Besides the snow, rain, tempests and storms, a wave of industrial and political action has swept across the country. France is in for a very hot
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DILI — East Timorese workers at the floating Hotel Olympia and Amos W. complex have won better wages and conditions following a 24-hour sit-in strike. The action, which began on February 10, involved 40 hospitality and housekeeping
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The following is abridged from an open letter written by Juan Miguel Gonzalez, father of Elian Gonzalez, to US attorney-general Janet Reno and US Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) commissioner Doris Meissner on February 14. It was
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PHNOM PENH — The Cambodian government is now awaiting the arrival of a team of United Nations legal experts to continue discussions on UN participation in a trial of former leaders of the Khmer Rouge (KR). This follows a "positive"
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Protests demand Elian be returned home Protests occurred across Australia on February 17 to demand that the United States government allow six-year-old Elian Gonzalez to return to his family in Cuba. The protests were sponsored nationally by the
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KIEL, Germany — Anti-fascist protests hit many European cities on February 12 and 13. Protesters opposed the new Austrian government, formed by the conservative OeVP (Austrian People's Party) and the FPOe (Freedom Party of
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How long does it take to change a child's mind? The Cuban government has published, as a new booklet titled How long does it take to change the mind of a child?, a round table discussion with psychologists and other specialists reflecting on the
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2,000,000 behind bars in the US Washington, DC — The Washington DC-based Justice Policy Institute (JPI) reported at the beginning of this month that on February 15, the United States jail population would top 2 million for the first time. Using
Culture
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Review by Mark Stoyich A Streetcar Named DesireEnsemble Theatre CompanyThe Playhouse, Sydney Opera HouseUntil March 4 Once again, Tennessee Williams' clanking streetcar goes up and down the French quarter through one old street after another.
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Not your average ex-MP A Life on the Left: A Biography of Clyde CameronBy Bill GuyWakefield Press, 1999. 405pp. Review by Anthony Benbow Sickened by stories about former Labor PM Paul Keating's business empire, or by listening to federal Labor's