EMPIRE DEFEATED, the new book by Socialist Party general secretary Peter Taaffe, has been published at a time when many are drawing parallels between the Vietnam War and the war and occupation of Iraq. In this interview, Peter Taaffe explains the background to his writing of the book and draws out some of the main lessons we can learn for today. Also, extract from book.

AVAILABLE NOW FROM SP IN AUSTRALIA $16 (more…)

In the face of continued armed resistance (with 400 dead US troops and 1500 US soldiers have been injured ) and falling polls at home, President Bush has made a major retreat last week. The US will now transfer power to a transitional Iraqi administration by June next year, before a constitution is created. The new US-influenced government will then be expected to ‘invite’ the US to keep troops in Iraq. (more…)

The UNITE campaign has had massive coverage in today’s Melbourne Age in relation to its campaign to clean up Brunswick St, Fitzroy. Check out the article, click here and also read the Age forum on casualisation created on their web page as a result of the article. It has many stories from casual staff. Click here

At 12 noon on Saturday 6th December the most aggressive workers? campaign in recent times will be launched in Melbourne. Employers who are ignoring their legal requirements and not paying award minimum wage rates, implementing Occupational Health & Safety Act in terms of a safe workplace, undertaking unpaid trial work, discriminating against staff, or not paying legal minimum superannuation or penalty rates will be Named and Shamed and a boycott campaign begun against them in the run-up to the lucrative Xmas period. (more…)

On Tuesday last, a further 6 anti-bin tax protesters were jailed for their opposition to the bin tax and to the non-collection of tens of thousands of householders’ rubbish in the South Dublin area. Among the 6 jailed was Fionn Ryder (25 years old), Socialist Party member and a member of the branch committee of the An Post branch of the CPSU and David Murphy (20), ISR/Socialist Youth member who was this year elected as a class rep on the University College Dublin (UCD) Student Council.

Matt Waine (more…)

On Saturday, 8 November delegates attending the annual NZ Labour Party conference at the Christchurch Convention Centre were able to witness two strongly contrasting styles of democracy.

By a CWI correspondent in Christchurch (more…)

Grim reality hits US leaders

US DEPUTY defence secretary and right-wing political hawk Paul Wolfowitz got a taste of Iraqi realities when rockets slammed into the supposedly secure al-Rashid hotel where he stayed in Baghdad last week.


Plus article on the massive anti-war demonstration in Washington DC on October 25 (more…)