By Chris Dite, Socialist Party

The Hunger Games franchise has become a runaway hit, with the release of the Hollywood adaptation reviving interest in Suzanne Collins’ book trilogy.

The series is set in what we imagine to be North America in the future. This cruel society is strictly divided into a wealthy Capitol and 12 poverty-stricken districts, each of which represents an essential industry (such as mining or food production). The Capitol maintains the status quo by selecting two children from each district every year and pitting them against each other in a reality TV show that resembles a gladiator arena.

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Reviewed by Anthony Main, Socialist Party

Allyson Hose from Socialist Alternative has written a new pamphlet called ‘The Baiada poultry workers’ strike - How class struggle unionism can win’. It is an attempt to give an overview of the Baiada strike which took place in the western suburbs of Melbourne in late 2011.

The introduction of the pamphlet claims that its goal is to highlight “important lessons that workers, rank and file unionists, socialists and activists need to learn from the Baiada workers’ victory in order to build back strong, combative unions that can challenge the priorities of Australian capitalism and win.”

Unfortunately this pamphlet falls well short of its stated aim. From the title you would hope that the work was a critique of the industrial strategy put in place by the leaders of the National Union of Workers (NUW). Instead it paints the union leaders as mere bystanders, which in the final analysis, covers over the conservative role that they played and continue to play in relation to this dispute.

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Below is a letter written by Socialist Party National Organiser Anthony Main in response to a letter sent to us by National Union of Workers (NUW) official Sam Salvidge.

Since it was published the NUW has attempted to put pressure on us to remove it from our site. The main reason given was that Sam had admitted to encouraging other unions and groups to assemble outside the Baiada plant. The NUW are concerned that this could be construed as a breach of the Supreme Court injunction that was in place.

The injunction stated that no NUW official could block access to the plant or encourage any one else to block access. This was fully adhered to by the NUW at all times.

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By Emma Davey, Socialist Party Melbourne

I was introduced to socialism as a concept in University and found it made so much sense, as I had always been frustrated by the issues that surround a capitalist society, but had not found an outlet for that which I felt represented my views of the world.

I started attending the occasional Socialist Party meeting, and had been to the stalls at various times. I was instantly impressed and interested in knowing more about what the party stood for, outside what I’d seen happening in the community.

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Stephen Jolly reviews Too much luck by Paul Cleary

Paul Cleary, a senior writer with The Australian newspaper, has thrown a much needed rock in the stagnant pond of what passes for economic and political debate in this country.

His new book, Too much luck: The mining boom and Australia’s future, poses questions that are increasingly being asked about the dramatic coal, iron ore, and liquefied natural gas rush.

He explains how 361 mining complexes in Australia now produce one billion tonnes of minerals each year, “enough to fill 3,000 of the biggest bulk carriers that ply the world’s oceans.”

In the 1960s, mining made up 2% of GDP and 8% of all exports – now mining makes up 10% of GDP and 60% of all exports.

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Matt Dobson reviews: Power and Terror: Conflict, Hegemony, and the Rule of Force, by Noam Chomsky

In response to the 9/11 attacks in 2001, the Bush neo-con administration unleashed a military onslaught on Afghanistan and Iraq that seemed to display invincible power. Writers churned out articles and books predicting the dawn of a “new world order”. Commentators claimed the US ruling elite was building a Roman-like empire that would exert hegemony for decades across the world. What a different world we live in today!

This collection of Chomsky’s essays, interviews and lectures shows how much can change in ten years. Chomsky highlights the change in the balance of power in terms of inter-imperialist relations. The US empire is now in decline. US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan are besieged garrisons. But he never fully explains the changed world situation and the change in the imperialist policy of the US ruling class.

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Reviewed by Hannah Bastow, Socialist Party

In 2010, Rise Against’s lead singer Tim McIlrath said the band’s motivation to tour almost continuously for the past eleven years was to influence the social conscience. This motivation is apparent in their latest album, Endgame.

Rise Against’s fan base may have grown beyond the disenfranchised youth and politically aware but they have not lost the cutting lyrics that make their message so powerful.

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‘Red Capitalism: The Fragile Financial Foundation of China’s Extraordinary Rise’

Serious capitalist representatives and Marxists often have shared analyses of events. Where they differ is in the diametrically opposed class conclusions that they draw from these. This important book on China illustrates this well. The authors have the advantage of having lived and worked in China over decades at the very heart of the financial and capitalist sector of the economy. They are passionate and strong advocates of the proposition that the only viable system for China is the creation of a full capitalist economy and society.

Reviewed by Peter Taaffe, originally published in Socialism Today

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By Eljeer Hawkins and Dennis Prater

“In this large sense of the word, art is a handmaiden. It is not a disembodied element feeding on itself, but a function of social man indissolubly tied to his life and environment” (Leon Trotsky, Literature and Art)

“You will not be able to stay home, brother./You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out./You will not be able to lose yourself on skag and skip out for beer during commercials,/Because the revolution will not be televised”
(Gil Scott-Heron, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” 1970)

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The colourful and well known Trotskyist and Sydney book seller, Bob Gould, died 22/5/11. His death marked the passing of a certain era in the labour movement.

Born in 1937 into an Irish Catholic family, Bob was a life long member of the ALP. After joining at 17 years of age and doing battle against the Groupers, Bob continued throughout his life to promote and fight for the ideas of socialism both within and outside the ALP. He was a vehement anti-Stalinist.

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