By Christian Marx
Australia (and indeed the rest of the world) is in crisis. This has entirely been brought about by free market capitalism. Government regulation has been savaged and both major parties are completely corrupted by rich and powerful business interests. A game of good cop/bad cop is played. The Liberal Party go to absolute extremes, while the Labor Party pretend to be a little more moderate on the surface. Ultimately though, they are owned and controlled by the same wealthy power brokers.
The Labor Party privatize state assets almost as much as the Liberal Party. They are also in lock step with the Adani coal mine. Other areas where the two major parties are indistinguishable, are on their attitudes to locking up asylum seekers, pro American Imperialism, and their refusal to create government industry in order to create full employment. Labor also refuse to increase the pension or unemployment benefits, despite the latter being 40% below the poverty line.
The disgusting truth is that both parties and indeed even the Greens, ultimately have to suck up to the rich and powerful in order to be given a fair run in this society. ALL our major media ranges from centre-right (The Age) to extreme-right (Herald Sun) (Channels 7, 9, 10) ABC is largely centrist, but the level of discourse is extremely narrow and the big issues are avoided, such as chronic underemployment and exposing U.S Imperialism. QandA is largely a circle jerk of self important politicians pontificating from their rarefied perspective.
Since the hardline attacks on the ABC from conservative quarters and the massive infiltration via extreme ideologues (IPA) the channel has suffered. The final insult was the appointment of Murdoch stooge, Michelle Guthrie.
Capitalism is a dead end and its only interest is to enhance the already bloated profits of the rich and powerful. Only once in Australia`s history was any type of radical reform implemented. This was during the Whitlam government of 1972-1975. Universal free education and free medicine was introduced, conscription was ended, our troops pulled out of Vietnam and American foreign policy was directly criticized, as was their spy base in Pine Gap.
This was too much for the wealthy owners of Australia. Rupert Murdoch and the CIA mounted a coup to get rid of Whitlam and used their poison media to smear him in the public domain.
Compromising with the capitalists has now lead to the perilous position of record levels of underemployment, the destruction of any meaningful union movement, massive casualization of work, particularly in the retail and service industries. Added to this, there has been a systematic culture of vilification and peddling of hate against the least fortunate in our society. The biggest leeches on society have always been the wealthy rent seekers, who dodge their tax, receive massive subsidies from the tax payer and then try to vilify those who have been destroyed by the globalist agenda of offshoring jobs and automation.
There is more poverty in Australia since the great depression, hundreds of homeless in the CBD and a massive underclass of working poor (3 million and rising). Capitalism is the root cause of all the problems in our society. It cannot be rehabilitated. This has been tried and has failed.
So what is the solution? Here are some ideas:
- STOP SPENDING. We know that the current duopolies, particularly Coles and Woolworths refuse to employ full time staff and regularly have their staff work unpaid overtime. Boycott these companies. Ring your local Coles/Woolworths and tell them why you are boycotting them. Tell them you are sick of them squeezing the most vulnerable in order to make more money for the CEO and the shareholders.
- Join a union and in the case of corporate owned unions such as the SDA, break away from them and join the alternative union.
- Boycott ALL mainstream media, and especially Murdoch. If you see it in local cafes, throw it in the bin and tell the owner you will boycott their establishment until they ditch Murdoch.
- Civil Disobedience: Picket mainstream media outlets, disrupt businesses who knowingly exploit their workers. Marches are no longer enough and are largely ignored. Boycotting and strike action hits them much harder.
- Try and go off the grid … or if you cannot do this, massively limit your gas/electricity usage. Don`t give these shonks any more money than you have to.
- Network and start a small community. Grow your own vegetables, swap tools and barter. Starve the economy. If 5 million people actively stopped spending, we could shut the system down and demand change.
- Don`t trust ANYONE in the current political system. There are a few good men, but ultimately the system is the problem. The current political system will only reward and promote those who protect private capital.
- Make a noise. Create artwork and posters to paste around your city or town. Use twitter, make you tube videos and create blogs. Avoid Facebook. They are part of the problem and will not give a platform to anti capitalist sentiment. They also will go out of their way to stymie any mass movements. They did this with the final March In March.
- Publicly continue to expose the states craven support for mass murder, under the guise of “fighting for freedom.” Our governments are the world’s biggest terrorists and will support any regime, no matter how brutal, so long as they suit U.S hegemonic, financial interests. See Saudi Arabia, Israel and their financing of ISIS militants via third parties.
- Continue to mobilize and form underground networks.
No change will come from the establishment. It is up to the citizens to overthrow the 1% and sweep aside this tyrannical, murderous system. Above all, do not be divided by race, class or religion. This is how the wealthy continue to keep us down. Don`t fall for their hateful rhetoric. Truth is the mightiest hammer. Seek it, utilize it, overthrow the system!
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Christian Marx is a political and social activist interested in making the world a fairer place. He has a Bachelor of Social Science and has a keen interest in sociology, politics and history. He was one of the organizers of the March in March rallies in Melbourne and is the founder of the progressive news and information page, “Don`t Look At This Page”.
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My thoughts exactly. Thanks Christian.
They’ve discovered the whole left brain/right brain thing isn’t really all that accurate…
I’m waiting for the day that they suddenly realise that the whole left/right thing in politics is a bit of a furphy.
We’re all believers in the shared wealth from time to time – ask a capitalist who “borrowed” your stapler in 1993 to pay for the staples he/she didn’t return plus interest and watch them talk about how ridiculous you’re being. On the other hand, wander into the home of some socialist and tell them you’ll just be using their bed while they’re not using it and watch them become all bourgeois about private property.
But the trouble with the neoliberals isn’t that they’re capitalist; the problem is that they’re not all that bright!
I’m currently reading a Playboy interview with Milton Friedman from 50 years ago. He mounts some really convincing arguments.
Unfortunately, they have a minor problem in that they’re completely ridiculous…
As we can see by the election of Donald Trump, convincing will sometimes win over ridiculous…
Ditto, having been unemployed for some time I have mastered the art of not spending quite well. Even though I am now earning the advertising just goes over my head, not interested.
I agree with your views about the two big parties and now the Greens under the leadership of Richard di Natale.
In the last two days a lot of concern have shown by the power given to Dutton and I share that concern,.
Young people (perhaps not remember) and many of the old ones (with bias or selective memory), have to also be concern in what will do the ALP if win the next election.
It was not a coalition Government that used the ADF to do civilian services with the aim to stop a strike and destroy the union in conflict, was the ALP in 1989 during the pilots dispute.
On the top of that, to make it more intolerable the PM was an ex union militant and head of the ACTU, was Bob Hawke.
It is well known Hawke friendship with the Managing Director of Ansett Airlines Sir Peter Abeles that was enough to betray the union movement.
Some will say, that is history and will never happens again but I do not agree with that, once stabbed on the back is enough and furthermore the ALP still regards Bob Hawke as a reference, as a hero for the workers cause.
Couple weeks ago, the new secretary of the ACTU, mentioned that if the ALP win the elections they will campaign to remove the laws that declare unlawful to strike. The comment was ignored by silence by Bill Shorten
IMO, yes the union movement can support the ALP but never give preference to the party if is in government at the cost of the workers conditions.
Ref: A PILOTS PERSPECTIVE OF THE AUSTRALIAN PILOTS DISPUTE OF 1989
http://www.vision.net.au/~apaterson/aviation/pd89_document.htm#HAWKE
If you really want to bring the system down, pay off your loans and don’t borrow any more currency.
The system has made most of us,less than human,and until we become more human,nothing will change.mark
Having just re-read my bit about the Playboy interview I feel that I should point out that it’s been reprinted and there are no pictures of an indecent nature. This is really one time that someone can say that they’re just reading it for the articles…
The white Paper that Paul Keating followed, throwing open the Gates to Free Trade, Shipping our industry of shore, Privatisation of our assets, deregulating the Banks to the extent they could damage our economy, But Hawke & Keating were not the first to receive this Liberal white Paper, It was handed to Malcolm Fraser but he would not make the changes saying they were extremely bad for Australia he was correct.
Privatization has been the greatest corruption and it has been an insidious cancer which has cut the guts out of this once egalitarian country.
The capitalist system is inherently unstable as systemic failure is built into the system that is evident in the numerous booms and busts in the 20th and 21st centuries!
Capitalism is just a system a way of doing things, so was slavery and feudalism, they were born they died, The question with capitalism is it was born it evolved and ………..Where is it from here? The end of slavery was not peaceful and the end of feudalism was not peaceful that’s when capitalism was born remember they took the French king and separated his head from his body! Wars , fascism are ways of getting out of it polarisation is taking place!
Harquebus is right
If you really want to bring the system down, pay off your loans and don’t borrow any more currency.
Freethinker. i agree with u on hawke…he was a traitor. but just thought i would add something that is not raised in either the body of your post or the linked article. the pilots union involved in the strike was not affiliated with the ACTU. It was an independent union. these are still possible. hawke sought to make an example of a union that was unaffiliated in order to create the public perception that he was no longer acting on behalf of the unions but in the interests of the nation as a whole. that notwithstanding i agree hawkes cronistic association with ables was also an important factor motivating him. this is just more evidence that Australians should OPPOSE THE MAJOUR PARTIES.
OPPOSE THE MAJOUR PARTIES., yes you have a point, but as have said he did not look after the union and its members.
Even John Howard, an individual that I do not like, refused to use the army during the dispute in Queensland as requested by the farmers.
If I am not wrong also he did not used the army during the nasty Rio Tinto dispute.
Freethinker. i agree with u on hawke…he was a traitor. but just thought i would add something that is not raised in either the body of your post or the linked article. the pilots union involved in the strike was not affiliated with the ACTU. It was an independent union. these are still possible. hawke sought to make an example of a union that was unaffiliated in order to create the public perception that he was no longer acting on behalf of the union but in the interests of the nation as a whole. that notwithstanding i agree hawkes cronistic association with ables was also an important factor motivating him. this is just more evidence that Australians should OPPOSE THE MAJOUR PARTIES.
Is Christian a long descendant of Karl by any chance? Only someone from the far left would judge The Age as centre-right.
Thanks Christian, insightful. Capitalism is a zombie on life-support, but until evolution comes up with a replacement we are stuck with it and its daily downgrades. Capitalism is the outgrowth of the petty and self-centred egoic mind, a mind that permeates all areas of life from birth to death. As noted by michael lacey, the earlier handiworkism of egoic mind includes feudalism, slavism and fascism.
Evolution has given us the potential to operate mind at a higher functional level but that’s not yet commonplace. Once that functioning is wide-spread, corporate structures, political tom-foolery and the dysfunction of mainstream media will disappear virtually overnight. However in the interim, expect some angst-driven activity from the msm, the political and corporate world as the last thing they want is to lose power. Remember, there’s nothing so frightening to the ego than the idea of facing its own extinction. Now there’s something to laugh about – a figment of one’s imagination fearing its perception of the extinction of itself as a figment of one’s imagination. I love the ego, it’s way too funny.
It seems almost too obvious to state, but poverty is of great assistance when curtailing spending, or boycotting, or massively limiting gas/electricity usage. That’s 1, 3 and 5 taken care of.
It also seems fair to note that poverty is a great incentive for community networking, whether it be forming a ‘barter’ economy or enabling underground networks. That’s 6 and 10 taken care of.
With regard to 2, Ms McManus has issued a further speech, advocating all manner of things. In an appraisal of it, Van Badham stated;
“Why, just imagine an Australia with secure jobs, wage growth, industrial rights for working people, equal pay, fair taxation, safety standards, apprenticeships, needs-based education, TAFE training, just transition and Medicare. And these are just some of the things Sally is campaigning for.
According to the AFR, it would be “McManusstan”! And I want to live there already!”
The AFR reference was to an article decrying Ms McManus’s vision and belittling any attempt by the likes of Van Badham seeking asylum in such a province. Another summary, which I thought was satire, appeared in the spectator.
https://www.spectator.com.au/2017/07/mcmanusstan-the-workers-paradise/
With regard to 4, there was an interesting example in England, which addressed extreme weather events and gender issues.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-23/uk-schools-boys-wear-skirts-protest-shorts-ban-cope-with-heat/8645352
What would happen if a civil celebrant married a same sex couple and lodged all of the necessary paperwork with the relevant authorities in Australia? Wouldn’t the relevant authority have to issue a refusal to accept or a refusal to recognise the marriage? Wouldn’t that trigger an application to the UN for a breach of the charter on Human Rights to which Australia is a signatory?
The potential for such actions in areas pertaining to our First People, our asylum seekers, our Trade Unions, our homeless, our environment, any manner of issues, gives me cause for hope.
That’s 8 taken care of as well.
With regard to 7 and 9, they are ‘no brainers’.
Thank you Mr Marx and commenters. Take care
Spending should not be discouraged. Spending increases employment, which is what you were arguing for in parts. We should be adopting all options that lead to full employment.
Thank you for this most interesting and inspiring essay Christian. The fact that I am now coming across more articles similar to yours is a long-overdue sign that people may at last be waking up to the extreme confidence trick that is free-market capitalism.
Your assessment of the Liberal/Labor party pretend government/opposition arrangement is completely accurate. These two parties are merely two sides of the same coin and as you suggest in paragraph 3, the Greens are little better. I resigned from the Australian Labor Party in the early 1980s when I could no longer accept the changes that were being made to this party by the working class traitors Bob Hawke and Paul Keating. Prior to this discreditable duo taking control of the party, it was never a real socialist party but it at least had a socialist platform, even if it never really intended to implement it.
In relation to the 10 points that you list as ways of fighting capitalism, I certainly do agree with the general idea but I strongly feel that what is desperately needed is a dedicated socialist/communist political party; one which has as its main focus the implementation of a genuine socialist platform in Australia. The last party to exist in this country with such a strong platform was The Communist Party of Australia under the progressive leadership of Comrade Laurie Aarons.
I also feel that no real progress will be made in relation to furthering the aims of socialism in Australia unless or until there is a major economic collapse. The huge levels of, especially private, debt which exists in this country (as well as elsewhere too, of course) suggest that such an event is possible at some future time.
In summary, your essay along with much higher profile developments such as the rise of Bernie Sanders in America and Jeremy Corbyn in England are all positive moves in the right direction and are to be welcomed.