A-Infos (en) Anarchist Age Weekly Review No.551 16th June 22nd June 2003

[Phil <philmcc@melbpc.org.au>]

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NO GLOBALISATION WITHOUT DIRECT DEMOCRACY ­ ANARCHIST MEDIA INSTITUTE
"WE SWEAR BY THE SOUTHERN CROSS TO STAND TRULY BY EACH OTHER AND FIGHT TO
DEFEND OUR RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES" ­ EUREKA REBELLION OATH 1854
"NEW" ALP FAILS FIRST TEST!!
The fundamental difference between a democratic and an authoritarian society
is the nature of the relationship between the individual and the State. The
Australian Labor Party's decision to support the Howard government's amended
security legislation, fundamentally changes the relationship between the
individual and the State. The passage of this legislation through the
Senate, destroys an individual's right to be protected from arbitrary
arrest, detention and interrogation by the State, a right Australian
citizens have enjoyed since Federation.
The changes to the security bill that the Coalition have made to garner the
ALP's support, radically alters the letter and the spirit of common laws
that, to date, have protected the individual from the arbitrary use of State
power in this country. The centrepiece of this legislation entrenches in law
the power the State is able to exercise over its citizens, not because they
have disobeyed the law but because the State believes they may have
information that could assist them in their investigations.
Giving Australian security organisations the power to arbitrarily detain and
interrogate its citizens for up to a week because a security agency believes
they may have access to information that assists the State in conducting an
investigation, strips away what few protections the individual enjoys
against the arbitrary exercise of State power.
The "new" Crean Labor opposition has failed its first and most important
test. Its failure to continue to block the ASIO bill in the senate is an
indictment on a political party that has conveniently forgotten that its
primary responsibility in opposition is to the people, not the ideologically
driven agenda of the Howard government. The government and the opposition
have demonstrated that they are hell bent on removing those few common law
rights that Australians enjoy, that differentiates Australia from the
rapidly growing number of dictatorial and fundamentalist States that are
emerging around the world, where the State enjoys absolute power.
It's ironic that the Australian government in its quest to protect its
citizens has removed, by legislation, those common law rights that the Osama
Bin Ladens of the world wanted to remove by force.

SHOCK AND WHATEVER!
(AWE, I BELIEVE)
I never cease to be amazed by all those commentators who can't get their
heads around the fact that democratic Western governments consistently lie
to their citizens. The current outpouring of moral outrage concerning the
fact that the United States and the coalition of the gullible created and
manipulated material to paint Iraq as an imminent danger to world peace, to
justify their invasion, is no news to anybody who has even a cursory
understanding of 20th Century history.
Successive US governments have, when it suits their strategic interests,
consistently lied to their citizens. The folk who had Cambodia bombed back
in to the stone age in their secret, dirty war in Indo-China, the folk who
gave the world Pinochet in Chile and who have supported every tin-pot
dictatorship from the late, unlamented Papa Doc Duvalier in Haiti to Pol Pot
(and his henchmen in Cambodia, after they were overthrown by the Vietnamese)
would obviously not stop at manufacturing material to justify their
unilateral invasion of Iraq.
The essential difference between the West's propaganda machine and the late
and forgotten Soviet Union's propaganda machine is that the US has Hollywood
to help them spread their message of peace and good will towards men. That
is, peace and goodwill to those who render unto Caesar what Caesar demands ­
try bucking the US agenda in any part of the world and see what happens.
Even little olde conservative New Zealand felt the hot breath of the US
military industrial complex when they decided they didn't want to host
nuclear armed US Naval vessels. Their fate is nothing compared to the fate
of millions of people in the third world and in Latin America, who have died
as a consequence of US sponsored low intensity warfare conducted by US
funded death squads. Even little Grenada felt the military might of the US
when they attempted to leave the fold.
Think about it: Which is the only country that has used nuclear weapons
against civilian targets? Which country has the biggest arsenal of
stockpiled chemical, biological and nuclear weapons in the world? Which
country imprisons more of its citizens than any other country in the world?
Which country's troops cannot be tried in the international court of justice
for war crimes? Which country has bankrolled more coups and killed more
people than any other country in the world over the past two decades?
If you answered the US of A, you'd be one of the hundreds of millions of
people who long ago ceased to have any respect for the one dimensional
debate which appears in a fourth estate, that serves the interests of the
corporate capitalist myth making machine, not the people it claims to
inform.

TUT TUT
The Coalition's pin up boy Philip Ruddock, Minister for immigration and
indigenous affairs has come under sustained attack in the Federal parliament
over the past few weeks for the way he has handled his immigration
portfolio.
It seems some people are saying things in parliament about the way Philip
Ruddock has carried out his responsibilities. They call into question the
Minister's issuing of Australian residency permits to a number of illegal
immigrants, whose cases have been rejected by both his department, the
review panel, and, in some cases, the courts.
It seems the Minister has the discretionary power to overturn any
immigration decision made, if he feels the need to do so. The man who has
made his reputation by pandering to the Australian public's lust for a
little bit of vigilante justice against asylum seekers, has had his motives
and actions called into question. It's alleged in parliament that a number
of asylum seekers who had difficulty obtaining Australian residency permits
received them once they had made a donation to the Liberal Party.
I make no claims to know what's going on in Ruddock's mind: one day he talks
tough and walks tall, refusing to issue residency permits to the most
deserving cases; the next day it is alleged he's issuing the same permits to
individuals who have made donations to the Liberal Party. The beauty about
the current situation is that our main man Phillip Ruddock doesnıt have to
justify his decisions to anyone. No paperwork, no questions asked, the
Minister has the sole power to say yes or no to asylum seekers' pleas for
asylum.
Considering that one person, the Minister, has the sole discretionary power
to issue residency permits, you can't blame asylum seekers for trying to
grease the palm of people who may know the Minister. Who knows, if they
grease the right palm, someone may put in a good word in for them. It's
alleged in parliament that a limited number of de facto immigration agents
have the immigration Minister's ear, and before you can say Jack Robinson,
another asylum seeker who has made a donation to the Liberal Party finds
himself enjoying the benefits of permanent residency in Australia. The only
problem for poor old Philip is that the Prime Minister has a long history of
hanging out to dry cabinet ministers who are publicly found to have bent the
rules. It's possible our good mate Phillip Ruddock may soon find that John
Howard no longer needs his services and he could find himself updating his
curriculum vitae on the back bench. I'm sure some private prison outfit
somewhere in the world would avail themselves of his expertise as
immigration minister.

HEALTH CARE ­ A RIGHT,
NOT A CHARITY OR A LUXURY
MEDICARE ­ Medicare was a universal health care system that allowed all
Australians, irrespective of their income, access to a doctor.
BULK BILLING ­ Doctors could choose either to bill a patient directly or to
bulk bill. Those doctors who bulk billed accepted 85% of a government set
fee for their services. The Federal government paid the doctor directly for
that service. Doctors choose to bulk bill because it decreased paperwork and
administrative costs, and it eliminated bad debts.
RECOMMENDED FEES ­ The Federal government does not have the constitutional
power to set fees. Doctors have always been able to charge whatever the
"market" will permit for their services. The fees set by the federal
government are recommended fees only.
THE REBATE ­ (The fee the government pays to the doctor.) 85% of the
recommended fee.
THE GAP ­ The gap is the out of pocket fee that the patient pays to doctors
who do not bulk bill. In some cases, the gap is greater than the rebate the
patient receives back from Medicare.
FUNDING ­ Every Australian who pays tax, pays 1.5% of their taxable income
towards the funding of Medicare. The money raised by this tax only pays for
about 18% of the real cost of Medicare; the rest of the money needed comes
from consolidated revenue.
WHY ARE MANY MORE PRIVATE DOCTORS REFUSING TO BULK BILL?
Before the Howard government was elected,
bulk-billing-general-practitioner-rates hovered around 80%. They have now
decreased to around 67%.
The decrease in bulk billing rates is a direct result of the
Liberal/National Party's ideological push to destroy the universal nature of
Medicare and to transfer the cost of health care from the State to the
individual. As Medicare is a popular initiative among all Australians,
irrespective of what political party they vote for, the Howard government
attempted to destroy Medicare by starving it of finances.
They did this by holding the government recommended doctors fees below the
inflation level. Doctors who bulk billed, especially those in sole
practices, found that while their costs increased dramatically, their income
dropped markedly. Faced with this situation and possible financial disaster,
an increasing number of general practitioners have stopped bulk billing and
are charging up-front fees.
HOWARD'S PLANS BACKFIRED!!
The Coalition's attempts to force doctors to stop bulk billing has backfired
because the doctors who abandoned bulk billing in droves, were normally
located in Liberal and National Party electorates.
Faced with a public backlash in their own electorates, the Howard government
has been forced to introduce MEDICARE CHANGES that, in all probability, if
implemented will destroy bulk billing as we know it.
A MANY-HEADED HYDRA!!
The changes that the Howard government plans to introduce are both draconian
and subtle. They are designed to force doctors in metropolitan areas to stop
bulk billing, and provide a few extra crumbs for doctors in regional and
rural areas to continue bulk billing concession-card holders.
CONCESSION-CARD HOLDER ­ A concession-card holder is a person who receives
unemployment benefits, a disability support pension, an old age pension, a
single parents benefit, or has a pharmaceutical concession card because of
their limited income. About 40% of Australians are entitled to concession
card status.


WHAT DO THE CHANGES MEAN FOR YOU!!
The Howard government plans to create a system of primary health care that,
as in the private public hospital system, divides and creates two types of
patients: those who can afford the best HealthCare money can buy, and those
who have to make do with second best.
Those Doctors who agree to sign onto the governments proposal (to date, most
have indicated they won't) will, if they bulk bill all concession card
holders who come to their Practice, be able to legally charge a Co-payment
above the bulk billing rate. They will receive the bulk-billing fee directly
from the Federal government and collect the Co-payment from the patient.
CO-PAYMENTS ­ Currently, it is illegal for a doctor to bulk bill and charge
a bulk-billed patient a Co-payment.
PANDORA'S BOX OPENED!!
In its attempt to bolster its electoral support in regional and rural
Australia, the Howard government will open a Pandora's box that will see an
escalation in health care costs for both individuals and the country.
Australia spends around 10% of our gross national product to pay for our
health care system; this will increase to around 15% in the next few years
if these changes are passed in the senate.
YOU SPEAK WITH FORKED TONGUE, TOSCANO!!
Coalition publications will tell you that things will improve for both
individual Australians and the country if these changes are passed in the
senate, and that I'm not telling you all the relevant facts.
FACT 1 ­ A private doctor who receives 28 dollars for one patient and 40
dollars for another patient for the same consultation will find, over time,
that, as in the private public hospital system divide, a two-tier system
will develop within their Practice. They will find that financial
considerations will become the driving force in their Practices. Universal
access to bulk billing means that the money the doctor receives for their
service is based on the time they need to spend with their patient, not what
the patient can afford to pay the doctor.
FACT 2 ­ Bulk-billing Practices will be carrying the major burden for these
changes. Practices that have a high number of concession-card holders on
their books will not be helped by these changes ­ they face financial ruin.
FACT 3 ­ The introduction of a differential rebate for the same service ­
one for concession-card holders and one for other patients ­ will give the
government the financial power it needs to force private doctors to sign up
to it's new system. It will do this by increasing the rebate for
concession-card holders, leaving the rate for non-concession-card holders at
a fixed rate. This means that doctors who decide to bulk bill all their
patients will continue to lose income and, in time, will have to either
close their Practices or join the government's scheme.
FACT 4 ­ Those patients who think they can take out private insurance at a
dollar a week to cover out-of-pocket expenses, after theyıve paid a thousand
dollars up front, have been sold a very sick puppy. What insurance company
is going to provide this insurance product when doctors can legally charge
what ever they like?
FACT 5 ­ Medicare kept a brake on escalating medical costs. The changes that
the Howard government wants to make to Medicare will remove that brake and
allow costs for both the individual patient and the country to skyrocket.
WHAT CAN I DO?
Form or join a Defend and Extend Medicare group in your local federal
electorate to pressure your parliamentary representative to oppose current
changes and ensure that access to HealthCare in this country is a right, not
a charity or a luxury.
Dr Joseph Toscano / Joint National Spokesperson for Defend and Extend
Medicare - Australia
E-mail: defendmedicare@yahoo.com.au,
PO Box 5035, Alphington 3078, Melbourne, Australia
Tel: 0439 395 489
DEFEND AND EXTEND MEDICARE IS A NON-PARTY-POLITICAL, NON-PROFIT VOLUNTEER
UMBRELLA GROUP OF HEALTHCARE CONSUMERS AND WORKERS THAT ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO
FORM DEFEND AND EXTEND MEDICARE GROUPS IN EVERY FEDERAL ELECTORATE IN
AUSTRALIA TO PUT PRESSURE ON THE GOVERNMENT OF THE DAY AND FEDERAL
OPPOSITION PARTIES TO MAINTAIN AND EXTEND UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE FOR ALL
AUSTRALIANS.

ANARCHIST QUESTION AND ANSWER
Q.  WOULD HEALTH OUTCOMES IMPROVE IN AN ANARCHIST SOCIETY?
A.  Life expectancy is to a large degree related to adequate calorie intake,
suitable access to shelter, personal security, sanitation and immunisation.
Developed nations health problems are in scope and character different to
health problems that are endemic in Third World countries.  The major health
care problems faced by people in the Third World could be eliminated almost
overnight if the global economy was not controlled by the corporate sector.
Health outcomes would dramatically improve in any Third World country that
adopted an anarchist economic system.  Whether the new society survived or
not would depend on the development of other anarchist communities that
could assist them economically and if necessary militarily.  Corporate
capitalism would attempt to destabilise such a society by fostering and
supporting dissension within that community, imposing economic blockades and
if necessary invading the new society.
Developed nations that adopt anarchist principles would find they would face
the same survival problems as Third World countries.  If they survived, itıs
possible that health outcomes could initially fall because the community
faces both economic problems and possible military intervention.  If they
overcome these problems and have access to adequate resources, itıs quite
likely that the major health problems caused by alienation and powerless
that impact on a developed nationıs mental health today, would decrease as
people would become involved in the life of the communities they live and
work in.  Health problems related to cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol
and drug taking would also decrease as State sanctioned monopolies that
control production of cigarettes, alcohol and drugs would be broken.
The major health problems caused by over-eating, especially the over-eating
of fat enriched take-away foods, would also be able to be tackled as the
fast food industryıs domination of eating would be challenged.  Anarchism
can improve health outcomes for people both in the developed and the Third
World.  An anarchist society is based on principles that allow that society
to tackle the underlying problems that shorten life expectancy and cause ill
health.  An anarchist society has the potential to improve both the
physiological and mental health of its members.

ACTION BOX
WAITING?
Living in a post-modern capitalist society is an odyssey in waiting.  The
concentration of power and wealth in the hands of smaller and smaller
circles of people means that most people are not in a position to do what
they want to do.  If things go wrong, weıre taught to leave it to the
experts, donıt rock the boat, work up the right channels.  Weıre conditioned
to believe that structures and organisations exist in society that can
tackle any problem that occurs.
As long as weıre willing to wait for due process to take their course,
nothing will work out.  We wait to get a good job so we can save enough
money to obtain a mortgage we can pay off over the next 30 years.  We wait
for the next election so that the mongrel mob thatıs in power can be tossed
out so another mongrel mob takes their place.  We wait to save enough money
to get a good education.  We wait for wage justice hoping that the boss will
do the right thing by us.  We learn to turn the other cheek every time weıre
abused, ripped off or lied to, waiting to stuff ourselves on the pie in the
sky that the sky pilots tell us is our due for a life time of suffering ­
the meek shall inherit the earth, six foot of it if they can afford the
repayments.
Waiting will get you nowhere, nobody in a capitalist society is going to do
the right thing by you.  You want something?  Youıre unhappy with the way
things are?  Youıd be a fool to wait for somebody else, especially a
government funded body or a non government organisation to do the right
thing by you.  You want to change things?  Youıre sick and tired of eating
the faecal material emanating from the anal orifice of a male cow every time
you rely on a government funded body or a non government organisation, than
you need to think about placing your future in your own hands by organising.
Find people with similar concerns, talk with them, organise a meeting, work
out what you want and how you think is the best way to achieve those aims.
Stop waiting for somebody else to do it for you, establish an organisation
to pursue your demands, encourage other people to join you and youıll soon
find the State, the private sector and the community will have to consider
and eventually react to your demands.  Waiting for the right moment is a
foolıs game.  That moment will only occur if you get in there and create the
conditions that make radical egalitarian change a possibility.

AUSTRALIAN RADICAL HISTORY
RECLAIM THE RADICAL SPIRIT OF THE EUREKA REBELLION
WEDNESDAY 3RD DEC. 2003
  149TH ANNIVERSARY
The 149th anniversary of the Eureka rebellion next year, marks the 150th
anniversary of the revolt.  It would be ironic if the uprising was
celebrated by a bunch of crusty historians, the descendants of those
involved in the rebellion, the Ballarat Chambers of Commerce and the
Victorian State government, the very people that the miners rebelled
against.
The Eureka rebellion is as important today as it was 149 years ago because
the principles the miners fought for, how they organised and the methods
they used to achieve their aims, are as relevant today as they were in 1854.
The building blocks of the Eureka rebellion include DIRECT DEMOCRACY ­ all
major decisions were made at huge mass meetings, some were attended by over
10,000 people, DIRECT ACTION ­ the miners were willing to take up arms and
use the against the State to protect what few rights and liberties they
enjoyed and SOLIDARITY ­ the escalation of the struggle occurred as a result
of the State unfairly targeting a few miners to set an example.  The Eureka
struggle grew as the miners revolted at this injustice.
In 2003, nearly 150 years after the Rebellion, direct democracy, direct
action and solidarity are three issues that people still pursue and are
willing to fight for.  As activists, we need to reclaim the Radical Spirit
of the Eureka Rebellion from all those forces in society that want to turn a
revolt into a pre-packaged tourist experience.  This year as we did last
year, the Radical Spirit of the Eureka Rebellion organising group invite all
those who want to reclaim the radical spirit of the eureka rebellion to join
us at the site of the Eureka Rebellion in Ballarat.
RECLAIM THE RADICAL SPIRIT OF THE EUREKA REBELLION
AT THE EUREKA STOCKADE SITE
CNR STAWELL & EUREKA STREET, BALLARAT
 >From 4AM TO 4PM
ON WEDNESDAY 3RD DECEMBER 2003
JOIN US IN EUREKA PARK bring along your own table, chairs and food, watch
the sun rise on the very site that over 30 miners were killed 149 years ago.
Listen to people talk about what the revolt means to them, add your own
comments to the dawn gathering.  Have breakfast with us (bring your own
food) at Eureka Park, participate in the Anarchist World This Week broadcast
live from the site from 10am to 11am and then march into Ballarat to swear
the oath at the site the Eureka flag is flying.  Come back, have lunch with
us  (bring your own food) and spend the rest of the afternoon in the park
celebrating the Eureka rebellion.
RECLAIM THE RADICAL SPIRIT OF THE EUREKA REBELLION
JOIN US AT EUREKA PARK, BALLARAT
4AM ­ 4PM        ALL WELCOME
Over the next 5 months, I will be continuing the series on the Eureka
rebellion that began in the Anarchist Age Weekly Review last year to wet
your appetite for celebrations.

  BOOK REVIEW
   "THE TOWERS OF THE SUNSET"
L. E. Modesitt Jr, Orbit Bookı94, ISBN 1857232305
Turgid, pedestrian, poorly written, predictable story line, the negatives go
on and on.  "The Towers Of The Sunset" is not "A splendid fantasy that grips
from the first sentence" ­ blurb on the front cover.  If this is a gripping
fantasy, then my name is George Bush Jnr.  The reason Iım reviewing this
book is not to tear strips off it but to examine a literary genre that is
very popular with both teenagers and adult readers.
Harry Potter and the Lord Of The Rings are at the pinnacle of this genre, as
far as popular sales are concerned. "The Towers Of The Sunset" is one of
those never ending stories (sorry for the pun) thatıs churned out by authors
who follow a formula.  The difference between the Mills and Boon novella and
the fantasy novella, is that Mills and Boon is food for the region below the
belt while the fantasy novella is food for the brain cells.
"The Towers Of The Sunset" has its fair share of violence, romance ­ more
plutonic than physical and wizards manipulating the world.  Poorly written
battle scenes, dot the fantasy.  Good eventually triumphs over evil.  One
dimensional, plasticine characters never quite pull at the readers
heartstrings.  "The Towers Of The Sunset" is written in the Boys Own Biggles
style.  The hero is larger than life, everybody else is portrayed as a minor
appendage in the story.
Considering the leeway that the genre gives an author, itıs disappointing to
read so many predictable outcomes.  Itıs obvious that a public thatıs
becoming increasingly sick of manipulated choreographed reality television
is turning to the fantasy novel to escape the hum dumb reality of existence.
The success of Harry Potter and the Lord Of The Rings is a clear sign that
people want to read fantasy novels.  The fantasy genre provides an excellent
opportunity for budding anarchist authors to incorporate anarchists as
distinct characters in their novels.  The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin is
an excellent example of the type of book that can be written if anarchist
novelists are willing to put their nose to the grindstone, and give all
power to their imagination.

PERSONAL OBSERVATION
The wonderful thing about seagulls is that theyıre everywhere.  You donıt
have to be anywhere near the beach to have a flock eyeing off any morsels
you may be eating.  Winter in Melbourne is a particular difficult time for
seagulls, they tend to hang around where food is available.  Sporting
grounds are a particular favourite haunt of the little critters.
Today was no different to any other Sunday.  The rain came and went, blue
sky appeared here and there.  The seagulls kept a weary eye on the
proceedings at the local soccer club, picking up any morsels that the
spectators let drop onto the ground.  The usual scrap between seagulls
occurred every time a piece of food entered their domain.  The more
adventurous, eyeing off their prey from a distance of less than a metre.
One little fellow stood apart from the rest, hopping into the fray but never
quite getting there on time to snatch a bite.  It gulped down the water
sitting in the puddles around it every time it missed snatching a morsel.
Its mates screeched at it every time it got close.  Survival of the fittest
is the game that seagulls are very good at playing.  Looking at its legs, I
noticed it had lost a foot and was using its stump to stabilise itself on
the wet bitumen.  It lurched forward every time its stump hit the ground.
Nothing unusual about a one legged seagull, you see them every now and then,
earning their living, mixing it with their two footed mates.  This one
seemed a little slower than the usual one-legged seagull.  Its feathers had
that ungroomed look and although it was cold and its feathers were all
puffed up, it had that distinctly underweight look about it.  I know youıre
not going to believe me but it seemed to be experiencing pain, every time it
lurched forward on its stump.
Thatıs when I noticed its other foot, it didnıt seem to have the balance
youıd expect from a one-legged seagull.  Just above its only remaining foot,
what seemed to be black plastic string was cutting into its leg.  In time,
its only remaining foot will drop off and it will find itself at the mercy
of a drunken soccer fan or more likely a cat or a dog or its friends may
tear it apart in their quest for protein.  There are no weighty moral or
ethical decisions in nature, just consequences.  Our little friend, lurching
forwards in the hunt for a morsel of food, will lose its foot and die unless
the very species that has caused its misery in the first place intervenes on
its behalf.

STOP PRESS
BOYS OWN NEO-COLONIAL ADVENTURE
Australia, like Germany and Italy, was slow off the mark in building as
little empire of its own.  Delighted by Australiaıs apparent success in East
Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq, the Howard government is about to make the
Pacific our own little empire.  If the United States can do it in Iraq, why
canıt Australia do it in the Pacific.  No Pacific country has any weapons of
mass destruction, so it shouldnıt take long for the Australian to raise its
flag on the soil of the failing island States in the Pacific.
First port of call is the Solomon Islands, as we all know the Solomon Is.
have been racked by inter-tribal violence and its become increasingly
difficult, if not impossible, for the central government to impose its will
on the population.  The Solomon Is., like many Pacific Is. Nations, are
artificially created Colonial States where no account was taken of language
and cultural differences when independence was granted.  Itıs natural that
these States will in time disintegrate and new entities will spring up in
their place, which reflect local cultural and language affinities.
Unfortunately for the people who live on the Solomon Is., what may be
eventually good for them, may not be good for corporate capitalism.
Australia is not thinking about placing a peacekeeping force in the Solomon
Is. that keeps the combatants apart, as they have done in Bougainville.
Their plans for the Solomon Is. are much more extensive.  Australian Defence
personnel will be used to give the central government the military power to
impose its will on the population.
The fracture lines that have appeared in the Solomon Is. will be papered
over by the force.  Those people in the Solomon Is. who are in dispute with
the central government will become the enemy.  Mind you, John Howard is not
about to do an Iraq and lob in uninvited, the Coalition is currently
negotiating with the remnants of the central government to get an invitation
to send Australian troops to restore "law and order" on behalf of the
government.
If the proposed strategy succeeds in the Solomon Is., a bevy of other
"failed" Pacific Island nations will come under the protection of the
Australian government.  This will create the necessary conditions for
corporate capitalism to begin exploiting the Pacific Islanders natural
resources under the guise of protecting them from "lawlessness".  The
difference this time round will be that corporate Australia wonıt have to
negotiate with the traditional land-holders or the local government.  If the
"pesky" islanders, a la Bougainville, start agitating for a just share of
the profits made from exploiting their resources, our corporate friends can
rely on the Australian government to provide the necessary military muscle
to keep the "natives" in line.

Joseph TOSCANO / Libertarian Workers
for a Self-Managed Society.


ANARCHIST PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED THIS WEEK
- ROJO Y NEGRO No.153 March 03, CGT, C/-Compania9, 10 1zda, 31001
Pamploma/Iruna SPAIN, Tel:948224766, Fax:948212399,
email:suscripciones@rojonero.info
- SEME ANARCHICS Vol.24 No.2 April Œ03, Periodico di Pensiero Anarchico, C/-
Eisa Di Bernardo, C.P. 150, 56100 PISA ITALY, (Publication in Italian)
- TIERRA Y LIBERTAD No.176 March Œ03, Periodico Anarquista, Apartado 7.056
de Madrid, 28080 SPAIN, Tel:917970424, Fax:915052183,
tierraylibertad@nodo50.org
OTHER PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED THIS WEEK
- OPERAI CONTRO Vol.23 No.107 April Œ03, Giornale per la Critica La Latta,
Lıorganizzazionale degli Operai Contro La Struttamento, Via Falck 44, 20099,
Sesto S.Giovanni (MI), ITALY,

DEBT ELIMINATION APPEAL - Our debt stands at $1347.25
HERE WE GO AGAIN, ONLY SIX MONTHS INTO 2003 & we find ourselves struggling
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notice ­ we donıt send any out, we leave it up to our subscribers to take on
this responsibility & re-subscribe when their subscription has run out.  We
need to raise $210.00 per week in order to cover typing, printing, postage &
radio program and ongoing campaign costs. How much we are able to do depends
to a large degree on the level of our finances.  You can help by A) -
Subscribing to the AAWR $10.00 = 10 Issues, $50.00 = 50 Issues, B) - joining
our Dollar A Day group or C) - donating money or stamps.  Think about buying
your local library or a friend a subscription to the A.A.W.R. If sending
less than $20.00 save on banking costs & send us 50cent stamps. Otherwise
make out cheques & money orders to LIBERTARIAN WORKERS & send to P.O. BOX
20, PARKVILLE 3052, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA.
Debt 18-06-2003            $1347.25

FILM & VIDEO REVIEWS
ORSTRAYLIANA THEME
"AUSTRALIAN RULES"
95 minutes Director Paul Goldman 2002.
Australian Rules is adapted for the screen by Phillip Gwynne based on his
teen realist novel Deadly, Unna; set in Prospect Creek, a small coastal town
in Sth Australia. Controversially the local indigenous community asked for
the film not to be made & for a boycott of it. They edited a doco to expose
the cultural colonial attitude of the project. Maybe it will be included on
the DVD version's Making Of section? Maybe not. The local AFL team is half
composed of the sons of local white (mostly racist) residents & half of
aboriginal boys from the semi-segregated outlying mission. Both 'sides' are
aware the 'blackfellas' are there on sufferance because of their superior
footy skills. The footy field is the town's racial arena but unfortunately
it doesn't stay on the pitch after the game. Much of the story is told
through the eyes of gubba Gary 'Blackie' Black (Nathan Phillips) whoıs
pro-Aboriginal in a very practical sense. His best friend is star player
Dumby Red(Luke Carroll) & his first girlfriend is Dumby's beautiful sister
Clarence (Lisa Flanagan). Noone seems to support Gary's choices, least of
all his violent & abusive father (Simon Westaway), a man whose idea of
foreplay is a few swear words before committing marital rape in front of the
kids. Clearly Gary & Clarence are going to have to forge a new way of being
beyond their cramped origins. The anxious teenagersı milieu unfolds like a
'teaching piece' such as Black Rock. (Adapted story of the rape & murder of
Leigh Lee in Newcastle) Australian Rules subverts a story of sporting
triumph to examine broader political/racial issues.
POLITICS ** ENTERTAINMENT ***

ANARCHIST MEDIA INSTITUTE OBSCENITY OF THE WEEK
Has been awarded to the Howard coalition for launching plans to make the
Pacific a neo-colonial capitalist wonderland.


ANARCHIST PRISONER SEEKS CORRESPONDENCE
Ramon D. Hontiueros, an anarchist prisoner who receives the Anarchist Age
Weekly Review, would like to increase his circle of correspondents.
He can be contacted at:
RAMON D. HONTIUEROS, P-34034, CS P/C 3B03-141
PO Box 3466 Corcoran CA 93212 UNITED STATES


RECLAIM THE RADICAL SPIRIT OF THE EUREKA REBELLION
Celebrate on the 3rd December 2003
The 3rd December 2003 marks the 149th Anniversary of the Eureka rebellion.
This year a federation of groups will be celebrating the anniversary at
Ballarat and around Australia.  If you wish to keep up with whatıs happening
or belong to a group that wants to affiliate with the organisation write to
us at P.O. Box 20, PARKVILLE 3052, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA for details about
affiliation.
Current affiliate groups:  **  ANARCHIST MEDIA INSTITUTE
**  LIBERTARIAN WORKERS FOR A SELF MANAGED SOCIETY
**  BAYSIDE ANARCHIST GROUP
**  ITıS OUR ABC  **  PEOPLE AGAINST REPRESSIVE LEGISLATION
** PENINSULA GREEN HOUSE
If you want to join the mailing list in 2003 and keep up to date with whatıs
happening,
send us 10 ­ 50cent stamps


DEFEND & EXTEND MEDICARE ­ AUSTRALIA
DELEGATES METING followed by GENERAL MEETING open to anybody interested in
the work of DEFEND & EXTEND MEDICARE.  Observers are welcome at Delegates
meeting.
THURSDAY 26TH JUNE  -  7.00PM
THE EVATT ROOM (1ST FLOOR)
MELBOURNE TRADES HALL
Cnr. LYGON ST. & VICTORIA RD ­ CARLTON (Entrance 54 Victoria Rd)
ALL WELCOME ­ "Health Care A Right, Not A Charity Or A Luxury"

ALL THE NEWS THAT FITS
(Last week's ATNTF reported that Peter Hollingworth received a $310,000
salary while he was G-G.  We neglected to report that this salary was also
tax-free).

THIS WEEK'S STORIES:ŠDrug Squad Misunderstood Why It Was Called That...It's
Not The Colour of Your Skin, It's the Colour of Your Money...Why They Always
Stuff Your Bill Up.

Prison authorities have set up a new protection unit, because of the large
number of police officers in the drug squad whoıve been charged with selling
heroin or other forms of corruption. (The Age, May 31).
A man charged with insider trading in the Philippines was allowed to settle
in Aust on the personal intervention of the Immigration Minister Phillip
Ruddock, after he made a $10,000 donation to the Liberal Party. Dante Tan
sent the donation directly to Mr Ruddock's postal address. Refugee advocates
have compared the treatment of Mr Tan with that of other immigrants.  The
govt has only recently abandoned plans to deport roughly 1500 East Timorese
asylum seekers, some of whom have been living in Aust. for over 10 years.
(Sydney Morning Herald, June 4).
Woolongong call centre employees are losing bonuses of up to $5000 for
taking unauthorised toilet breaks or for using their sick leave, according
to the Community & Public Sector Union. The employees of Stellar call
centres earn only $25,000 a year - workers in the same jobs earned $35,000
before the jobs were out-sourced from Telstra. Employees also say some
managers require employees to be at work before their official start time.
Stellar is the largest out-sourced call centre company in Australia.  Late
last year they became the first such company to negotiate an award with a
union - but the CPSU says they aren't telling their employees that they have
a right to go on the award. (Workers Online website, May 4, Australian
Financial Review, April 28).
anarchist news service write to James, PO Box 503, Newtown NSW 2042 or email
james.hutchings@ato.gov.au contact us to get ATNTF emailed directly to you.
If you like ATNTF, forward it on to people or lists who might be interested
in it or post it on your local Indymedia http://www.indymedia.org.  Some
other Aust anarchist contacts: Love & Rage is a new anarchist, non-profit
record label.  The first CD is currently available by mail order.  20 songs
for $10 within Aust, $15 in NZ, $10 in the USA, $10 in Canada, 5 pounds in
Britain, or 10 euros in the rest of Europe.  Other countries, or enquiries
from shops & distroes, email us & ask.  Address for orders is PO Box 1191,
Richmond North VIC 3121 (Aust).  Please make cheques or money orders out to
J. Hutchings.  Website http://www.loveandrage.rocks.it,
http://www.angry.at/thegovernment - anarchist website with fliers for
download, contacts etc.  Please note, this is the same website that was at
the address http://www.angry.at/politicians. http://www.angry.at/racists -
Anarchist/anti-racist music site with free mp3s, Real Audio, Real Video,
internet radio, band interviews etc.  Also incl the text of 'Escape', an
anarchist novel - http://www.geocities.com/skipnewborn/novel.doc
http://www.dolearmy.org  info for unemployed people.
http://www.activate.8m.com - anarchist magazine aimed at teenagers. ATNTF
appears in the Anarchist Age Weekly Review
(http://www.vicnet.net.au/~anarchist - PO Box 20 Parkville VIC 3052) & The
Ham (http://www.theham.cat.org.au).
Media outlets mentioned in ATNTF are sources - items arenıt direct quotes
from news media.  Background info may have been gathered from sources in
addition to media outlets cited.  Where no source is cited, the info has
been gathered from direct sources.

187 MEMBERS ­ 363 TO GO
BEFORE WE CAN APPLY TO REGISTER AS A FEDERAL POLITICAL PARTY
Politically manipulated and scorned?  Sick of being a peripheral player
every time a Federal election comes around, then join:-  VOTE INFORMAL
TODAY, DIRECT DEMOCRACY TOMORROW - a "political party" that is putting the
boot into the Australian Parliamentary Process.  Send a stamp self-addressed
envelope to
VOTE INFORMAL TODAY DIRECT DEMOCRACY TOMORROW
PO Box 20, Parkville. 3052. Melbourne. Australia Telephone (03) 9828 2856
(24 hour answering service).  We will send information about how to join
this unique 21st century Australian phenomena.  DON'T PUT IT OFF  JOIN THE
PUSH FOR CHANGE NOW.
Written and authorised by Joseph Toscano
(National Convenor 205 Nicholson St Footscray 3012  Melbourne Aust.)
Current membership 187.  We need 550 members to apply for registration as a
political party, so that members can stand at the Federal election in 2004
and show Australianıs that Parliamentary Democracy is nothing more than two
minutes of illusory power.


DEFEND & EXTEND MEDICARE / DEAKIN / VICTORIA - PUBLIC MEETING
ALL SAINTS CHURCH HALL
Cnr. Springvale & Springfield Road, NUNAWADING (Melways Ref:48 F8,)
MELBOURNE
THURSDAY 3RD JULY  -  7.30PM
Speakers: Ms. Marilyn BEAUMONT ­ Executive Director Womenıs Health Victoria
Dr. Tim WOODRUFF ­ National President Doctorıs Reform Society
Dr. Joe TOSCANO ­ Joint Spokesperson Defend & Extend Medicare Australia
ALL WELCOME ­ Further information call George HALL (03) 9877 4623

  If You Like What You Have Read, Photocopy This Publication and Leave It In
Doctors, Dentists,
Vets Waiting Rooms and In Railway Stations, Bus Stops, Libraries and
Restaurants Etc.
The articles in the Anarchist Age Weekly Review reflect the personal
opinions of the authors, they do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the
publishers, the Libertarian Workers for a Self-Managed Society/Anarchist
Media Institute.
All material in the Anarchist Age Weekly Review can be used by anarchists,
anarchist collectives and non-profit organisations as long as the source of
the material is mentioned in the article.  The Anarchist Age Weekly Review
reserves all rights as far as commercial publications are concerned.

ANARCHISM ­ ADVANCING IN DIVERSITY STRIKING IN UNISON ­ YAMAGUCHI KENJI
WELCOME TO THE 21ST CENTURY ­ THE ANARCHIST CENTURY




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