41 comments

1. JohnoApril 25, 2017 at 6:44 am

   Here here, well said Christian !!

2. KlausApril 25, 2017 at 8:03 am

   Yes, the left has moved somewhat right of the center but it is people like you who feed the population the message that it doesn’t matter 1 iota whether you vote Labor or LNP.

   Yes, Labor has many of the shortcomings you describe but to insist on the MSM view that they all are the same, is complicit with the MSM and in turn with the Government.

   Fascism is here and now, perpetrated by Dutton, Morrison, spineless Malcolm etc. If it wasn’t for Labor, Medicare would have been gone. GST would now be 15% without compensation. People without jobs, would be barred from any benefits. Pensioners, who may have worked 45 years and payed tax, are now welfare recipients.

   Your opinions nauseate me.

   Shout this shit from the rooftops. They all are the same.

   Now, I give you one last benefit. You may have been disillusioned by the Labors inability to Govern during Rudd/Gillard. Yet, we had a carbon tax, we had a mining tax.

   Ignore this to your peril. This is the last I will ever read from you.

3. KlausApril 25, 2017 at 8:05 am

   Far left = unrealistic crap. Has been tried in East Germany, Sowjet Union, Venezuela……

   Right now, we need a Labor-Green Coalition!!

   Give people like Scott Ludlum a run.

   Yeah Marx

4. HarquebusApril 25, 2017 at 8:10 am

   In my opinion, what is essential is a government willing to shrink the economy and implement a population reduction strategy. Full employment is now unattainable.

   “The term neoliberalism was coined at a meeting in Paris in 1938. Among the delegates were two men who came to define the ideology, Ludwig von Mises and Friedrich Hayek.”
   “Through the IMF, the World Bank, the Maastricht treaty and the World Trade Organisation, neoliberal policies were imposed – often without democratic consent – on much of the world.”
   “Consumer demand and economic growth are the motors of environmental destruction.”
   https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/apr/15/neoliberalism-ideology-problem-george-monbiot

   Cheers.

5. Sandra BApril 25, 2017 at 8:26 am

   I have to agree with Klaus on this article.

6. jimApril 25, 2017 at 9:24 am

   Spot on Klaus, why do we have a skills shortage in OZ well little jony howard cut funding for TAFE and now the nasty LNP are doing just that you can pick just about any beneficial program for us and the LNP have cut funding, just the same my ass.

7. helvityniApril 25, 2017 at 9:38 am

   jim, and those useless private colleges are not interested in educating and skilling our young ones; they are interested in making a buck….

8. paul walterApril 25, 2017 at 9:42 am

   Agree with it, down to the minutest detail. By contrast, the politicians are tax dodging frauds.

9. stephentardrewApril 25, 2017 at 10:21 am

   Innovation is the only solution and the article is spot on. Labor apologists fawning to a failed neoliberal paradigm when offered reasonable non-disruptive alternatives like Modern Monetary Theory run a mile because they are on the gravy train and they know it. Political parties are riddled with religious ideologues who can have little rational grasp upon the facts of science. The Labor right is a pox on democracy having sold out their Labour origins for a Machiavellian version of double speak and gratuitous self-interest. Neoliberalism and neoconservatism are demonstrable failures embraced by right and left.

   Christian is pointing out no more than demonstrable factual truths while the Labor apologists run with their communist Marxist fear mongering and quite possibly have not read Marx and the profound and important economic analysis of his treaties. You are sounding so right wing while hiding under the pretence of a true workers party that should be based upon utilitarian principles of justice and equity and not some feigned communist Manifesto. You are despicable con-jobs while Shorten supports Trump and Pence. The cowardice of the Labor party is unbelievable as the party has become the fake corporate toady willing to sell out its constituents. The immorality of our offshore prisons is unquestionable yet no one has the moral courage to stand for what they know is right and just. You lot make me sick. There is not a US war, other than Vietnam, that Labor has not supported.

   Give me a break a few positive policies fail to cover the underlying hypocrisy that has come out of the Labor right and they control the party. Klaus your arguments are rubbish as the Labor party has sold out its principles and moral values to an oligarchic corptocracy. Democracy my arse you are no more than indoctrinated sycophants with no understanding of Labor history. We went on strike and fought for workers rights while your lot have sat back and watched as they are eroded with no more than token gestures and no real radical solution to poverty and inequality. A job guarantee would be a good start however don’t hold your breath. You sleep while the planet is burning with a hollow leader who endlessly plays a viscous inside game lacking any real foresight and charisma.

   Labor is an insipid reflection of its origins lacking any real courage to opt for true justice and equity. The cowards who play ring around the rosy. Preselection is a farce as both parties elect insiders and not the best candidate for the position. You make sure the good ones are held on a party leash so the truth will not come out. The factions are an abomination.

   Christians article is thoughtful and evidence based and if you don’t like it it is because of your personal prejudice not recognition of the actual facts.

10. vaughann722April 25, 2017 at 10:53 am

    Christian a lot of what you say is true ; about the ABC and mass media , the shift to the right including with the ALP ; and also that while liberal issues like gay marriage are important – they also distract from any focus on economic and labour issues ; people go into ‘left politics’ with a notion of what that means around liberalism on social issues ; but there is very little opposition to neo-liberalism. No one challenges that consensus seriously…

    Trump has some similarities with Fascism ; but let’s remember the right-wing Republicans before him were very objectionable but not fascist ; and the difference with Trump is that he’s a Protectionist… So maybe he’s not quite a fascist. But then, neither was a mass-murderer like Pinochet… (that didn’t make Pinochet any better) The problem with avowed ‘centre-left’ parties is that largely they are not centre left in a meaningful sense any more.. There is convergence on a *relative* economic centre which shifted to the right under Hawke and Keating – and has been shifting further in that direction ever since.

    That said I don’t think the far-left can win this on their own yet in most contexts. Take France. Melenchon did well ; But if there was a somewhat more moderate (but not too moderate) Socialist running in the final round then the Socialist candidate could perhaps have done better than Macron. That is: he or she could have won over the Left vote and also the Centre Vote. SO then there would be more of a choice than between Macron and LePen. What happens if the Left doesn’t turn out for Macron? But the Socialists were unpopular also ; maybe that made things pretty dim for the Left… Maybe I’m wrong ; maybe Melenchon was the best hope this time around? Maybe Hamon should have dropped out – not have run at all?… Yes – I’m a bit confused what the best option was…

    So this time round in France the Socialists are out of favour. They have drifted too far towards economic liberalism ; Hollande is personally unpopular which influenced Hamon’s standing as well ; there were scandals ; people are afraid of Terrorism… But still – a genuine ‘Centre Left’ (let’s interpret as roughly half way between the Centre and the Far Left) is better than ‘Third Way Centrism’. The Third Way Centrists say they’re centre left but in reality they’re about ‘convergence politics’ – which is the end of pluralism and hence meaningful democracy….

    But Parliamentary politics in Australia are different. In our system preferences are distributed… Which can make the far left more viable without undermining the position of the Left more broadly. (because the preferences flow on) In Australia a far left party could lead debate without playing into the Liberals’ hands. But then there’s still the question ‘what happens to the ALP?’. Remember that the CPA used to lead debate and culture in Australia but never polled well in elections. Without the kind of situation we’ve seen in Portugal, Spain, Greece – the ALP will remain the main left-of-centre party. And remember Australia is not Europe. Our left traditions are not as strong. So the ALP is still crucial strategic ground.

    The problem as I see it is the dissolution of democratic socialist ideology and tradition within the ALP (even in parts of the Left) ; And that’s something I try and fight via my writing/activism. The far Left can lead debate and culture ; But I can’t see the ALP being surpassed electorally by a far-left party in the near future. Then again the rise of Bernie Sanders was remarkable… (though Bernie isn’t really far Left ; But WAS a big shift leftwards given the American context)

    In any case personally I’m not ‘far left’ anyway. But I do consider myself ‘Left’ ; and influenced by democratic Marxism, radical social democracy etc.

11. babyjewels10April 25, 2017 at 11:32 am

    I couldn’t agree more, Christian.

12. RanterulzeApril 25, 2017 at 1:51 pm

    Good writing Christian. Food for thought and room for disagreement within the overall frame. You don’t sound like a Bolshevik/Leninist so I don’t get why Karl and others are upset to the point of abuse. To aim strategically for “a system of full employment, universal healthcare, excellent social services, public owned utilities, universal education and lessening poverty” is noble, sensible and humanitarian. How to get there is complex, but the ALP currently (like social democratic parties world wide) is in the grip of neo-liberal thinking. Not to mention payoffs and jobs after parliament.
    You’re right that the “far left” can (and must) lead culture and debate. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall the so-called Left has almost disappeared. And that’s an example of dialects – fall of wall good in itself, consequences not so much.

    Also, what a strange combination of names – Christian + Marx – I like it!

13. Christian MarxApril 25, 2017 at 1:56 pm

    Klaus, people like you are part of the problem. Labor are a spent force. Yes they
    provided some great policy over the years, but they are a shell of what they once were.
    They are now completely controlled by the right faction. Why the hell does Labor even have a right faction?
    Complete lunacy. As for your rubbish about Venezuela, if you had studied the situation in detail,
    you would know that the problem there is the food hoarding capitalists starving their own people.
    They want bigger prices for their food and refuse to sell at government subsidized prices, even if it
    means starving their own people! I stand by what I say in this article. MASSIVE change is needed in the Western
    world, and if the elites won`t allow it, it is time they were removed French, 1789 style. This rot cannot go on for much longer!
    2 million Australians in desperate poverty, a housing crisis, a media saturated with hatred and dis-information, while the
    rich get richer and continue to back the murderous U.S regime. It is out of control.

14. Jane CallyApril 25, 2017 at 2:08 pm

    Labor has been bought out by corporations, they just hide it a whole lot better. Labor is in favour of the Indue card, they are doing the talk about penalty rate being cuts but that is all it is, talk and no action. Labor side with the torturous refugee concentration camps, the condone the hell hole conditions. Labor are siding the LNP on the corporate tax cuts, why the hell should the corporations get tax cuts when there thousands of people struggling to put food on their table???
    If Labor was in, we would see the same conditions, the same neoliberal policies. Labor HAS moved to the right, they have lost their grass roots and are now beholden on the corporations. If you can not see this then you are blind

15. Christian MarxApril 25, 2017 at 2:09 pm

    Stephentardrew you are spot on. Too many still believe in the Labor party
    when time and time again it has betrayed the workers. It is not much better
    that the LNP. It dances to Uncle Same EVERY time the war drums beat!
    No spine when it comes to closing the concentration camps, and no bold vision
    for attacking inequality. Shorten is a puppet and Turnbull was spot on when he said
    Shorten tucks his feet under more millionaires tables than most others. I also note
    that Shortens best friend is the lunatic far right IPA stooge, John Roskam. Very telling
    and deeply concerning.

16. stephengb2014April 25, 2017 at 2:14 pm

    Very insightful article Christian, great comments Klaus and Vaughan.

    The three of you have managed to capture all of my thoughts and indeed emotions on these very important issues.

    I suspect though that those of us who remember the “Golden Age” of 1945sh – 1970sh ( I was born 1947, so lived my early adult time of 1960s. I recal the strikes for more tea cakes, it was rediculous what some unions did at that time.

    Most people today forget or never ever taught the sacrifices my grandparents suffered in the early 1900s, the strikes for basoc rights that we enjoy today, they didnt have spcial security, pensions, health care, education, holidays, weekends, 5 day week or 8 hour day ( and much more) all won by the union movement by our striking Grand Parents and Parents.

    The political arm of the union movement has been the Labour Parties (and the equivilants in western nations). These same Labour parties have all let us down since the late seventies and early eighties when neoliberalism and neoconservatives (these names came recently) infiltrated our institutions, in particular our banks, Universities and political parties.

    The Labour parties in Western nations have been infiltrated as we see from the fact we know there is a right and left of those parties, indeed the union movement and in particular the ACTU, moved to the right as they were led by Bob Hawke and others, has also been infilltrated with a vocal Right neoliberal sycophants.

    We now have Sally McManus the head of the ACTU, she is returning the union movement to the left, I hope she can withstand the pressure that has already started by the neoliberals.

    Unfortunately whilst Bill Shorten has shown promise from time to time, he still comes out with neoliberal comments in regard to economic issues, which I in my view is the heart of good government. Meanwhile Chris Bowen just doesn’t get it, he is in my view full neoliberal.

    Finally, I see no viable alternative Left party, the Greens whilst having some good people, have chosen to use the name Greens which in itself serves to tell the world that they are not realy serious.

    And so I will continue to vote Labor as the only chance we have to curb the march to plutocracy, and corporate rule.

    S

17. Christian MarxApril 25, 2017 at 2:21 pm

    Interesting points and thoughtful replies, guys. Cheers.

18. RonaldRApril 25, 2017 at 2:34 pm

    The only Party in Australia with Policies to fix our economy and make Australia what it should be is the Citizen Electoral Council http://www.cecaust.com.au
    One pea brain suggested a Labor /Green Coalition does the pea brain want to destroy Australia the Greens are a danger to Australia and people don’t know what the Greens really stand for and who created them and why . At the Top the Liberals – Labor – Greens have close ties as they all serve the same foreign masters. The ALP was hijacked in 1984 by a group of Traitors serving the Foreign Masters and all the main Policies were from a Liberal White Paper. That is why Australia is in such a mess nearly all its industry gone. The CEC works closely with Jeremy Corbyn in the U.K as the only way we will get the changes in Australia is if UK makes them first (as we are still a British Empire Country and the British Empire must be taken down for good as it is still powerful but not highly visible it changed the Red coats for Black Suits.
    Most of its control is through its Think Tanks) An example of how Important it is to get the Changes in England is
    Australia was one of the first country invited to join the ASIAN INFRASTRUCTURE BANK (we did have one of our own that worked very well , The City of London had their servant Menzies Close it Down) and Joe Hockey was all for it (he must have read our media releases on how Australia must have a new one) .But when Obama heard that we were going to join he put one of his men on a Fast Flight to Australia with Orders From Obama to Abbott “AUSTRALIA MUST NOT JOIN THE ASIAN INFRASTRUCTURE BANK” Abbott obeyed but at the 12hour of the offer expiring Abbott find out the UK joined so Australia joined.

    We must Have Glass-Steagall Bank Separation but the Australian Major Political Parties won’t discuss it the two people most opposed to it in our Parliament Is Turnbull & Shorten. In England a couple of years ago it nearly passed in both houses of Parliament but the City of London was able to cause confusion with similar legislation but gave City of London Room to manoeuvre. When the CEC found out about Glass –Steagall actually was voted on in Both Houses and how close it came they contacted the people in Labour who were behind the push Labour (Left against the Blairiets) but there were Tories that joined the Fight . They found that these people had no plans to table again so the CEC became active in the UK and the fight for Glass –Steagall is back on.

    In the USA Election campaign TRUMP said he would reinstate it in the USA and has also stated he intends to since becoming President the Political Organisation in the states we are Affiliated with are keeping pressure on him with a Growing Campaign but there has never been a USA President surrounded with so many Enemies All the Democrats (except those that support Glass-Steagall) and a lot of the Republicans as the people made him President not the Republicans.
    A lot of the CEC Policies were the Policies of Great Labor Leaders from back when the ALP was a peoples party NOT Another Liberal Party but with a Green infection within.
    Lazy people will now come up with the Bullshit about the CEC which is easy to find.

19. vaughann722April 25, 2017 at 2:46 pm

    Stephen ; problem is under Hawke we took themes of ‘industrial peace and reconciliation’ too far ; It was a useful and effective electioneering slogan ; But we played into the stigmatisation of industrial action ; We accepted too much of the right-wing narratives. Unions had influence via the Accord for a short time ; but once employers got what they wanted they didn’t see any point in dealing with the ACTU any further….

    re: Chris Bowen – he’s a confusing figure ; reason I say this – I know he’s come out in the past in favour of corporate tax cuts ; But at the same time he says he wants ‘equal outcomes in health’ and ‘equal opportunity in education’. (which he argued for in a Fabian paper) The problem is with corporate tax cuts how is that agenda in health and education going to be paid for? Also Bowen wants a policy conference – fair enough – but he wants it to REPLACE the National Conference – but not to have any power to actually set policy… – APPARENTLY (I can’t remember the details) with the PLP surpassing the National Conference in setting policy. So much for democratising the Party! 🙁

20. Jimmy1April 25, 2017 at 3:30 pm

    In addition to being an illiterate imbecile, the author of this article has also liked comments on Facebook referring to a female brown-skinned journalist as a ‘curry’. The AIM Network should be ashamed to host him.

21. vaughann722April 25, 2017 at 3:31 pm

    The following was from Marcus Strom at Facebook :

    “The combined ‘far left’ vote in the French presidential election was 7,687,895 (Melechon + NPA + Lutte Ouvriere). Le Pen got 7,679,493, that’s 8402 votes fewer. A combined left ticket would have seen Melenchon taking on Macron…”

    These are my thoughts:

    There should have only have been one candidate. Despite my thoughts on ‘winning over the centre’ (which doesn’t have to mean moving to the centre depending on context), Melenchon may have won in this scenario. But the question is: what would have happened in the run off against Le Pen?

    Sorry if this is off topic a bit. But it goes to the position of the Far Left. Maybe Melenchon could have moved towards the Centre Left in order to take the Centre votes and defeat LePen? The question is HOW MUCH compromise would have been necessary with that scenario?

    Another question is: was Menenchon’s position on Europe a positive or a negative electorally?

    Superficially (because I’m no expert on modern Europe) staying in the EU seems good for engagement ; which matters given Europe’s history of terrible wars.

22. Michael TaylorApril 25, 2017 at 4:59 pm

    The AIM Network should be ashamed …

    Why? For allowing someone to share an opinion that you don’t agree with?

23. vaughann722April 25, 2017 at 5:05 pm

    Jimmy you don’t do yourself any credit making personal insults. As for the comment Christian is meant to have liked: racism is completely out of character ; I’m sure it wasn’t intended that way.

24. Jimmy1April 25, 2017 at 5:56 pm

    Michael Taylor – are you serious? Clearly I made that statement in response to his racism, not his political views.

    vaughann722 – listen to yourself. If a right-winger had liked that comment would you be saying they ‘didn’t intend it that way’. Please.

25. Christian MarxApril 25, 2017 at 6:55 pm

    Hahaha, Jimmy1 are you a Rita Panahi supporter? She is a thug.
    You should be ashamed of yourself. You creep. I am in fact anti racist, which is why I loathe Murdoch and his ugly hate filled sock puppet “journalists”. You right wingers are getting increasingly desperate. Guess what? I won`t be silenced and I will continue to expose your craven far right, anti humanist ideology.

26. Jane CallyApril 25, 2017 at 6:59 pm

    Jimmy, butthurt maybe? Christian Marx is far from a racist, You have nothing better to say so you start abusing, that is not the way to have a factual debate.

27. Christian MarxApril 25, 2017 at 7:03 pm

    Jimmy1 Do you know you support a thug who has a vested financial interest in the Middle East?
    He is able to manipulate our media to suit his own twisted business interests? Now that is Obscene..

28. Christian MarxApril 25, 2017 at 7:06 pm

    Jane Cally, these right wing Murdoch drones are getting increasingly afraid and desperate.
    It won`t be long now before the entire mainstream media collapses. Nobody
    believes their hateful lies anymore.

29. vaughann722April 25, 2017 at 7:08 pm

    I should specify re: Chris Bowen ; I think what he actually meant in ‘Hearts and Minds’ was to change National Conference into a discussion conference that no longer decided on policy ; leaving that to the PLP. I ‘d have to dig up my old notes to see exactly what he said ; but that’s how I recall it.

30. Jimmy1April 25, 2017 at 7:17 pm

    Haha Christian you are beautiful. Thank you for proving my very point that you are a racist nitwit. How did you know I was speaking about Rita Panahi? I never mentioned her name. The only reason you knew who I was referring to was because you damn well remember the fact that you liked a comment referring to her as a ‘curry’. How ‘anti-racist’ of you. Cretin.

31. Michael TaylorApril 25, 2017 at 7:28 pm

    Jimmy1, do you want to talk about the topic, or did you just come here to attack the author?

32. wamApril 25, 2017 at 7:42 pm

    the last time I tried to discuss ‘communism’, in relation to islam, with a young greenie, who called herself a communist.,she appealed to the facebook to PURGE’ me.
    How sad is the naive person who uses such a word.
    In reply, how sad is it to call the new greens the diludbransims? It is not just a man’s party??

    Even sadder are the loonies who say labor(even under little billy) is the equal to the coalition. No not sadder just practical hoping to push the left of the bell to green..

33. Christian MarxApril 25, 2017 at 7:44 pm

    Jimmy, I don`t go on her trashy page. I`m not interested in her hateful bile. Go back to your Faux News overlords.
    You have nothing of substance to contribute. Sad.

34. HarquebusApril 25, 2017 at 10:22 pm

    Something I read a few months ago.

    “But over the past 25 years of globalized neoliberalism, social democratic movements have abandoned labor to embrace the self-serving wealth and power offered by capital.”
    “The Left is not just in disarray–it is in complete collapse because the working class has awakened to the Left’s betrayal and abandonment of the working class in favor of building personal wealth and power. Anyone who denies this is still in the fatal grip of the Left’s Great Con.”
    http://charleshughsmith.blogspot.com.au/2017/01/the-collapse-of-left.html

35. vaughann722April 26, 2017 at 10:45 am

    Anyone interested in these issues might also want to look at my article today “Social Democracy and Capitalism : A Critique”. I would really appreciate feedback there because when I’m finished considering that feedback I intend submitting it to ALP policy and platform bodies. Thanks. 🙂 see: https://theaimn.com/social-democracy-capitalism-critique/

36. Christian MarxApril 26, 2017 at 12:29 pm

    vaughann, I will post your article up on DLATP. https://www.facebook.com/DLATP/?ref=bookmarks

37. Jennifer Meyer-SmithApril 26, 2017 at 3:07 pm

    Hear, hear Christian Marx!

    We need a Left positioned party in power. Labor in its current form is unable to fulfill that requirement because it is sad but true, modern Labor is neoliberal and its cohorts have benefited from the ever repressive talons of neoliberalism despite the obvious decline in living standards for other less secure people.

    My fear is that when we all have thrashed the LNP numbskulls and sociopaths out of office, because Labor will assume office by default, Labor will not appreciate the solemnity of that win by striving to rectify every wrongdoing of the LNP and reforming them substantially.

    All of us on the proud Left people must amalgamate and forge an ALLiance of progressives and champions for all in our communities and the environment.

    …………………………………………………………………………………………….

    vaughann722,

    I’m pleased to see you say here that you’re submitting it to ALP policy and platform bodies. I’m pleased you have the right connections to do so, and am hopeful your ideas are implemented into ALP policy formulation well in advance of the next Federal election, so the electorate can see the great benefits in the pipeline. It would be a win/win all round.

38. Giuseppe Joe CasellaApril 26, 2017 at 6:26 pm

    Christian writes exactly how people on the far left feel but does not explain why the Far Left parties have lost support and trust. People were looking at Tsipras, Renzi, Hollande to provide them with some hope but these centrists who from time to time make a rush to the left for the most part always finish up to the right … In Italy the M5S represents a reformist populist with tendencies to the left but it is not and will never be a leftist party … The far left, the Marxist parties, have little support today due to many other factors like 1. The collapse of the SU and shift to Capiltalism and the same with China. 2. The weakening of the Trade Union movement in most western countries. 3. Neo-liberalism and its drive to asset selling done both by major parties and the drive to pushing wages down. 4. Left wing and centrist reformist parties have moved to the right to the point that you cannot see much difference with other conservative, liberal parties. In general workers are confused and are falling victim to far right nationalist movements and populism. In France, the press said that Melenchon represents the extreme left, not true. Melenchon is representing only the old Socialist Party reformist program of tens of years ago, which is why he took the support of the working class (19.5%), with the vote its-self a great achievement. You have seen the vote of the so-called Socialist Hollande with only 6%, what a bashing!!!!

39. FreethinkerApril 26, 2017 at 6:54 pm

    Christian, thank you for your article, I share many of your views but on few I do not believe any more.
    I born in a country which was called the “Swiss of South America” with the best social laws and standard of living in the world, where people all around the world went to escape the first war, the great depression and the second war. Perhaps it has then better laws and multicultural policies than Australia.
    What happens? well the “cancer that affect humanity” AKA as Greed took over, first by the moderate right, then the extreme right which finished in dictatorship. After it democracy returned with couple of moderate right governments and then the Broad Front composed by moderate right, moderate left and socialist factions gained power because the failure of the previous governments.
    Well, no much good my friend, greed rules which bring corruption and disunity, so socialism it is not a solution, left ideology and extreme left ideology also it is not a solution as long as greed is there.
    Russia, China, Venezuela, Brasil, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia among others are a clear example.
    Perhaps only in Cuba that greed it is controlled and I hope that will last for many years to come.

    Jennifer Meyer-Smith is promoting an alliance perhaps something similar the the Broad Front in Uruguay and I wish her all the best and that her dream become a reality.
    I am, at 71+ and with many years struggling for a better way to humanity very pessimistic indeed.

40. Jennifer Meyer-SmithApril 26, 2017 at 6:57 pm

    So GJC?

    We learn from those mistakes and revise the best that Gough had to offer Australia, so that they can provide the much needed reforms and the democratic socialism we need to rid ourselves of the slow death of neoliberalism by the Lib/Labs and/or the quick death of fascism from the LNP.

    ……………………………….

    Thanks Freethinker for your thoughtful words albeit pessimistic. My thoughts are that we must start somewhere.

41. FreethinkerApril 26, 2017 at 7:55 pm

    Yes Jennifer, if it is not for us we have to do something for the good of the next generations.
    I guess that one day, in the easy or in the hard way humans will learn.