LONDON — 1992 marked the closing of one chapter and the opening of another in European politics. The former, developing from the early '80s, reached its pinnacle in 1989 with the collapse of walls and
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Jonathan Swift once responded to some 18th century economists with a sardonic suggestion that children of the Irish poor might be farmed as food for the rich. Not much has changed, it seems, if the work of a prominent New
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Screen: Charlie Chaplin — David Robertson, author of the biography of Chaplin and consultant to the film about the great left-wing comic actor, speaks to presenter Mary Colbert. The film, be released in Australia in February, is directed by
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MELBOURNE — Victorian workers are being advised by some of their union officials to trust federal Labor to save them from the Kennett government's unprecedented attack on workers' rights. The ACTU has warned the Victorian Trades
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MOSCOW — Russian Premier Viktor Chernomyrdin on January 18 abandoned price controls imposed several weeks earlier on a range of food and household products. The decision to lift the controls, which were introduced in
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The bipartisan attack on public education Ray Nielson Politicians of both Liberal and Labor flavour would have us believe that public schools in Victoria have enjoyed "salad days" during the ALP reign, while the private system has not
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Marketing with violence The anger of five Sydney art students mounted as they passed a billboard on their way to college each day. The five metre high ad featured a young woman in knickers and bra who seemed thrilled that she'd just been cut
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'Labor has lost its way' PERTH — Kath Mallott, a former member of the ALP state executive, is an independent candidate for the seat of Perth in the West Australian state elections. Calling on voters to "put Perth before a party", she says
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A week when Victorian minister for private transport Alan Brownie cleared up a small confusion. "The summer timetable ceased running some time ago", Brownie explained. "We changed the name." Alan's friend, Lou De
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According to associate professor Mark Wooden, an expert on employment matters, "If you add the unemployment rate and the underemployment rate we would have a total unemployment rate of about 21%". His remarks were
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SYDNEY — February 13 is the 15th anniversary of the Hilton Hotel bombing. The question of who bombed the Hilton has never been satisfactorily answered. Terry Griffiths was a police officer at the time and was seriously
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BUDAPEST — A new economics textbook by the chief editor of the main economics journal of Hungary says that the main difference between transformation and transition is, that the first is a slow and gradual process, while the
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[This is the abridged text of a talk at a Perth Politics in the Pub on the topic "Prospects for a Left Alternative" on January 22. Hovane is the Democratic Socialist candidate for the seat of Perth in the WA election.]
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ADELAIDE — The Environmental Youth Alliance had stalls in front of five schools last week in the northern, southern and western suburbs, where urban environmental issues are most pertinent. Many young people who had never heard of EYA wanted to
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I = PAT revisited Allen Myers sophistic article dealing with Paul Ehrlich's I=PAT equation (GLW 20/1), is based on the specious argument that until a pure mathematical formula is provided, there is no real "proof" that the world's
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From a packed field, the Australian's Paddy McGuinness is rapidly emerging as Australia's leading crank columnist. In recent weeks, McGuinness has fearlessly taken on cyclists ("should be banned"), residents opposing
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MELBOURNE — Victorian Trades Hall Council industrial officer, Brian Boyd, has distributed a discussion paper with the avowed intention of promoting a "healthy, open and fear-free discussion"
News
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Invasion Day in BrisbaneBRISBANE — More than 1000 members of the Brisbane Murri community and supporters observed Invasion Day here on January 26. Wreaths were laid at the historical "Windmill" building, site
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Picket supports abortion rightsPERTH — "Get your laws off our bodies", shouted a lively picket outside Liberal Party offices here on January 27. The demonstration, initiated by the Democratic Socialists, highlighted
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Kennett stalls on Coode Island moveMELBOURNE — Despite promises prior to last year's state election, it appears that the Kennett government may be backing away from funding the relocation of the Coode Island chemical
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Survival Day concert SYDNEY — Ten thousand people celebrated "Survival '93, a celebration of Koori culture" on January 26 at La Perouse. The annual concert, organised by the Aboriginal Arts Management Association, featured Tiddas, Kev Carmody,
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Qld Nationals slammed for racismBRISBANE — Recent remarks of Queensland National Party leaders have been denounced as "openly racist" by Coral Wynter, Democratic Socialist candidate for the seat of Griffith in the coming
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BRISBANE — Five people were arrested on January 29 and 30 as a result of the Brisbane City Council's campaign to remove all political groups from the City Mall. Three arrests occurred on January 29 after members of
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PERTH — "We talk about revolving door justice for juveniles — now we have revolving door justice for police officers who break jaws", said Richard Utting following the Industrial Relations Commission's reinstatement of
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Pickets were held last week, often outside Garuda Airlines offices, in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney to protest against the arrest of farmers and student activists in East Java, Indonesia. The 50 arrested were held for four days
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MELBOURNE — On January 20 Scott Baker was acquitted in Magistrate's Court of false charges laid against him by police who arrested and assaulted him in Collingwood last year. In the afternoon of September 4, the
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Young people oppose reduced wageAn Australian Democrats survey has found strong opposition from young people to reduced youth wages. The survey questioned 550 15-25 year-olds. Its results are reported in a document
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Forest worker compensation?HOBART — In the midst of the Wilderness Society's "Long Hot Summer" campaign, there have been calls to compensate forestry workers suffering financial hardship because of the disruption to
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PSU rank and file contest electionSYDNEY — A David and Goliath contest is opening up within the Public Sector Union in an election for the position of assistant national secretary. Phil Sandford, a poorly funded
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Man of the people US President Bill Clinton's first cabinet includes eight millionaires. George Bush's had six and Ronald Reagan's seven. Spin "146,000 miss out on offers for university" — headline in January 29 Australian. "They're in:
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Socialist preferences to Greens in WA PERTH — The large number of third party and independent candidates in the WA elections has given an increased importance to the question of preferences. The Democratic Socialists, who are running in
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MELBOURNE — In a move described as "mean spirited" by Ruth Crow of the Public Transport Users Association, the Kennett government has made elderly people the latest victims of its public transport cuts. During Senior Citizens
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Further cuts likely at QantasFurther cutbacks are likely at Qantas as the company presses for productivity gains of 5% annually. As well, British Airways' recently acquired 25% shareholding in Qantas could be a
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MELBOURNE — Pollution of Melbourne's beaches and waterways has become an even more serious problem after the third sewerage collapse in the urban area in just over four months. The collapses include one section of the
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Hunger strike against terrorMELBOURNE — Ten women from the United Patriotic Women of Kurdistan began a hunger strike outside Parliament House here on January 25. The fast is in solidarity with a similar hunger
Analysis
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Israel and the UN UN Resolution 799, adopted on December 18, "strongly condemns" Israel's deportation of more than 400 Palestinians to a desolate strip of land in southern Lebanon. Article 4 of the resolution reads: "The Security Council
World
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MOSCOW — "You can't buy good health in a pharmacy!" That was a frequent refrain in Soviet newspapers during the era of Brezhnevite "stagnation". Writers used to stress that instead of treating yourself with medicines,
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Crackdown in Timor The Indonesian military has unleashed a reign of terror in East Timor since the arrest of Fretilin leader Xanana Gusmao in Dili last year. Jose Ramos-Horta, spokesperson for the East Timorese resistance, said on
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Cathay Pacific lashes out at staff Flight attendants of the Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific launched an indefinite strike in mid-January following a long-running dispute over staff cuts and restructuring measures. The attendants'
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ANDREW GARTON visited the Philippines during October to attend a conference of non-governmental organisations. He found time to investigate social and environmental issues. Manila must be the filthiest city I've ever visited. The trip from
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STOCKHOLM 197> The most shocking thing bout the damage to the forests is that it has occurred so quickly and extensively. It was less than 20 years ago that a new kind of damage was discovered in the coniferous forests
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Last October's Fourteenth Congress of the Chinese Communist Party bore testimony to the continuing influence of the retired, unelected but still "paramount" leader Deng Xiaoping. Supporters of his policy of faster and
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Swords into ploughshares In the early hours of January 6, Chris Cole, a Christian peace activist, entered the British Aerospace (BAe) weapons factory in Stevenage in southern England and attacked the nosecones of fighter aircraft with
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Greens do well in US vote Candidates of the Green Party USA won 11 seats in local elections in November, according to latest figures compiled by the party. Eighty Green candidates ran for national, state and local offices in 13 states. They
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Among the best-known of the younger leaders of the Russian environmental movement, SERGEI FOMICHOV is co-president of the League of Green Parties and of the radical environmental group, the Rainbow Keepers. He was interviewed in Moscow by Green
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Bougainville out of essential medicinesSister Rose, matron of Arawa General Hospital in rebel- controlled central Bougainville, has warned that hundreds of women and children face death because essential life-saving drugs
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BELFAST — "I use to respect the police force; after all, it's the law. That's the way I was brought up — to look up to the law, and I brought my children up that way. But now I've changed completely", says Phyllis
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Youth attack Meretz leaders' sell-out "Don't count on us for the next elections!" Under this headline, the Meretz Youth [Meretz is the junior partner in the Israeli coalition government] announced its independence, in a letter distributed
Culture
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Left cinema from Chile via Paris The Cinema of Raul Ruiz Melbourne State Film Theatre February 4-13 Reviewed by Choly Reyes Raul Ruiz was forced to leave Chile amid the slaughter that followed the right-wing coup of 1973 against the
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Gaywaves seeks lesbian membersSYDNEY — Gaywaves, the first regular lesbian and gay radio program in Australia, was brought into being in November 1979, just over a year after the first Mardi Gras. It reflected the
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Chekhov well done Chekhov in Yalta By John Driver and Jeffrey Haddow Directed by Kevin Jackson The New Theatre, Newtown, Sydney Reviewed by Emlyn Jones The play is a comedy about the visit of members of the Moscow Arts Theatre to
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Adelaide's weekend of world musicADELAIDE — "Three days and nights of musical bliss" proclaims the pamphlet promoting the WOMADELAIDE 93. "The world of music, arts and dance grabbed the hearts and minds of 30,000
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For the cowpokes Beautiful Clip Clop Club Larrikin Records Available on CD and cassette Reviewed by Les Boyd Do you vaguely remember waiting eagerly for Hopalong Cassidy to crackle onto the B and W tube? Or the Cisco Kid? Gene
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Darwin By Adrian Desmond and James Moore Penguin. 808 pp, $19.95 Reviewed by Dave Riley How could a wealthy, respectable gentleman of impeccable lineage and reclusive tastes claim in the 1830s that humans are descended from
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Nonviolence Speaks to Power By Petra K. Kelly Edited by Glenn D. Paige and Sarah Gilliatt Centre for Global Nonviolence Planning Project Spark M. Matsunaga Institute for Peace University of Hawaii 1992. 183pp. No price given.
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The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy are serious about what they say and do. During their tour of Australia and New Zealand, they took time to learn about the respective countries' politics. On Tuesday the 26th Michael Franti