I don't have a problem with people wanting the right to
withdraw their labour. As long as they accept my right to
fire them when I don't need their services anymore.

At the end of the day, labour is just another commodity
like money, grain, or you name it. Anything else is
kidding yourself.

if you're worried about the cia, billie, so you should be. they have been vastly more successful than any other covert intelligence/operations organization. this is not a high standard though, the jobs they have been assigned are usually mission impossible.

and there is a high degree of 'snap-back', too: they turned iran from a parliamentary secular society with a socialist prime minister into a brutal dictatorship owned body and soul by the usa, and the cries of "well done" were still in the air when the corruption, torture and general brutality of the shah's regime provoked a revolution through the religious structure of the nation. hence the rule of fanatical mullahs in a nation not naturally fundamentalist.

they may not get what they aim for, but some bodies will fall. they have been vastly more successful in central and south america. they supported and cleared the way for pinochet, for instance.

nothing you can do about it. being australian, there's nothing you can do about anything. politics is not for your class, my girl, it's a reserved occupation, pollies only.

Billie

your quite happy to become a candidate for The Australian peoples Party, but that is up to you.

Demos your comment does show how arrogant you and you labor and liberal partyies are.

You common folk are not of the right stature to represent yourselves.
Let us from the school of coruption and deciet represent our party in government,common folk once they have voted us in we can do as the party tells us to do.

Yes demos their is something we can do and that is stand up to pr@cks like you, so go stick your head up your bosses backside and check out the sun again.

And your comment all i can say is moron.
nothing you can do about it. being australian, there's nothing you can do about anything. politics is not for your class, my girl, it's a reserved occupation, pollies only.

Time for dictatorship to go

www.tapp.org.au

"At the end of the day, labour is just another commodity like money, grain, just about anything else. Anything else is kidding yourself"
Posted by Yabby

People like you are why we need the right to strike Yabby. Yabby is a good name for you. You have all the social conscience of a crustacean. You cannot treat labour as just another commodity without treating the human being who supplies it as just another commodity. You may not believe that we have any particular right to a living wage or fair and decent working conditions but the vast majority think otherwise.

Now go forth and evolve a heart and central nervous system.

I'd just like to respond to comments earlier to the effect that Kevin Rudd is a 'centrist' and that the 'hard left' are just going along 'for the ride'.

These are loaded terms that are thrown around to provide a distinct impression. We assume that the 'Centre' is 'mainstream': in touch with the public. But the mainstream of the Australian political class defies mainstream popular views: as against 'mainstream' politics, people are willing to pay tax if it goes towards essential services, and most people have always been opposed to the privatisation agenda promoted by both main parties.

The ALP Left is a very broad church. In reality the ALP Right has gone so far to the right, that the ALP Left now compromises the whole gammut from what some would call 'state socialists' to 'Right social democrats'. By 'Right social democrats' I mean those who have accepted a good deal of the neo-liberal ideology, but for whom liberalism on social issues, and a remnant welfare state - are still valid. Even Julia Gillard has tried to voice her support for the 'Third Way': which is really nothing more than a mixture of a threadbare welfare state, authoritarianism on some social issues, and acceptance of most of the neo-liberal ideology. Social democracy is so marginal, including in the ALP, that many of a progressive inclination feel no alternative but to join the Left in order to find like minds.

As I said, though - policies the Left supports: industry policy, progressive taxation, public health, aged care and education, a mixed economy, a regulated labour market: these are actually closer to the popular will than the neo-liberal ideology promoted in the ALP Right.

Continued in next post:

cpnt from last post...

What we need is for activists in the Right to refrain from 'convergence' politics - and to promote the kind of politics that the traditional base of the ALP used to expect from the party: and should still be able to expect. The Right can do this, with a sensible measure of compromise to build a sufficient bloc of votes, without adopting the bulk of the neo-liberal ideology, promoting punitive sanctions against labour, or forsaking an independent foreign policy.

And we need a Left which is willing to take a public stand on these issues, to relativise the public sphere, and shift the relative centre of debate, to give more genuine voices in the Right and Centre room to act.

And importantly, we need to remember that 'Right', 'Left', 'Centre' - are always relative. Many people comment that they used to be on the relative Right, but that the ALP has shifted so much that they now find themselves on the Left. A lot of former Democrats and current Greens voters feel this way. Because Conservatives by and large control the public sphere, we find the relative centre shifting to the Right.

This is what we need to contest - by establishing our own media and cultural enterprises - by bringing together welfare groups, unions, churches, social movements - to form a real 'counter-hegemonic' movement.

This is what the ALP current fails to do in any way. Rather than leading debate to shift the relative centre, the Party reacts to pressure from industry groups, monopoly media etc. I don't expect that Kevin Rudd can be as forthright as, say, I can, without endangering a portion of our electoral base. But I think there is still room to lead, rather than just react, without sinking to opportunism of the worst kind.