Little Creatures is a brand of beer owned by Lion, a “leading beverage and food company with a portfolio that includes many of Australia and New Zealand’s favourite brands”. The company’s slogan is ‘growing sociability and well-being in our world’.
Huzzah!
Sadly, the corporation‘s commitment to or desire to be thought of as being nice and friendly isn’t really being helped by its involvement in the re-fitting of a factory in Geelong (cnr Fyan’s Road and Swanston Street). According to locals, the company is less-than committed to ensuring working conditions at the site are healthy, and their means of communicating with locals in response to their concerns has been by way of locking the gates to the factory, locking out union reps and hiring private goons to police the site. In addition, the Perth-based TFG Group (which has been sub-contracted to undertake the refit) wants to appoint their own H&S reps — apparently in contravention of Victorian law.
As a result of these shenanigans, local community members have been boycotting the company and protesting in front of the factory gates since Monday (October 22). This morning a community BBQ was held. In a further demonstration of the company’s commitment to sociability, one of those who attended the BBQ was slapped with a $2,000 on-the-spot fine by the sheriff’s men for allegedly parking their car in the wrogn spot.
The clownish fast-food chain has spread its tentacles just about everywhere, and nothing and (almost) nobody seems to be able to stop it. It’s latest target, Tecoma, is located in the Dandenongs. Amazingly, despite widespread local opposition, the corporation’s newest link has — shock! horror! — been given the rubber stamp by VCAT (October 10) and the local council has refused (October 24) to undertake an appeal in the Supreme Court.
Despite VCAT’s rubber stamp and the council’s unwillingness to fight, locals are still committed to ensuring Tecoma remains free from the grip of the evil clown. Given that they’re struggling against the corporate-state nexus, it’s highly likely that in the end the only one who’ll be smiling is Ronald, but mad props for trying.
Since the collapse of the Inverell Forum a few years ago (2009), the Sydney Forum has emerged as the main gathering for the extreme right in Australia. For reasons which are unclear, this year’s Forum — scheduled to take place this weekend (October 20/21) — has been cancelled… kinda. That is, an official declaration has been made on the Forum’s website sydneyforum.net (and on other sites such as the world’s leading anti-Semitic/White supremacist website Stormfront) to that effect. On the other hand, it’s also stated that it, or something like it, will be going ahead… sorta.
According to Australia First Party leader Dr Jim Saleam: “The substitute speakers’ event is moving for October 20 – 21. On the Sunday, the event (as usual) will be held at 725 Princes Highway Tempe, commencing at 10am.”
The Tempe address serves both as Jim’s residence (and has since he bought it in 1983) and the headquarters of the Australia First Party. Previously, it was the headquarters of Jim’s former political vehicle National Action. His leadership of the group was terminated upon his imprisonment in April 1991 after being convicted for his involvement in an assault upon the home of a political opponent (Jim also has convictions for stealing, defacing walls, possession of a prohibited article, receiving and obtaining money by a false statement and more). In his absence Jim’s role as fuehrer was assumed by Adelaide resident (and Quadrant scribe) Michael (de) Brander: NA’s last push was into Melbourne, where in the late 1990s it finally dissolved.
Of course, the Tempe building is also notorious for having been the site of a murder, when on Hitler’s birthday, 1991, NA member Perry Whitehouse shot dead NA member Wayne ‘Bovver’ Smith. ASIO had bugged Jim’s house and recorded the following at the unhappy birthday party:
Smith : What’s it say?
Whitehouse : Ask him, mate. Just ask him. He’s…
Smith : You’re the one that’s fuckin’ sayin’ this.
Whitehouse : Just wait here. (Footsteps.) I’ll show what I got to say.
Smith : All right.
Music. Pause in conversation. Six sharp noises in succession. Distinct sound similar to a gun being fired. Crashing sounds. Music.
Whitehouse : That’s what I got to fuckin’ say, you fuckin’ cunt.
Another member, Gregory Jorgensen, then speaks. His words are inaudible.
Whitehouse : I just killed the prick. You wanna know. Yeah, you wanna fuckin’ know. What’ya wanna know… to kill you too… I just shot the fuckin’ prick. Right. I just shot the cunt. Wanna know.
Music stops.
Whitehouse : Because he’s a fuckin’ arsehole, that’s why I shot him. Right. Do you think I’m fuckin’ scared of fuckin’ goin’ to jail. I don’t give a fuck. I’m not scared. Right. I shot the cunt dead. That’s what it’s all about boy, that’s what it’s all about, right. You ain’t got the guts to fuckin’ face up to that, you’re fuckin’ weak as piss. Right, he’s fuckin’ dead. Now we gotta get rid of that body or I’m gonna get rid of the fuckin’ body, right.
A gasp is heard.
Whitehouse : Shut up, ya fuckin’ prick.
In any event, in a seeming attempt to drum up some much-needed publicity, Herr Doktor appends the following to his announcement on Stormfront:
“Here’s the chance for Antifa to really show how ‘hard’ they are. Last time [2010], they held a loud antifascist protest – 4 kilometres away in that marxist ghetto called Newtown. All Sydney area patriotic people are welcome.”
LOL.
Along with The Usual Suspects (Gilroy, Saleam, Wilson) who’ve announced their intention to address the few score local drongos who bother to attend the event, the ‘Forum’ will also be spoken to by an apologist for the Assad regime and — perhaps most exciting of all — a German bizarr0 from the Neue Germania movement.
The venue is close to the shopping centre, three mins from the railway station and across the road from the Lone Pine Hotel.
Admission $20 ; kitchen (Tea / coffee $1)
The second day is at 725 Princes Highway, Tempe 2044
Admission: if you came on the first day – just two gold coins for the BBQ. Otherwise : $!0.
This event is a great chance to pick up on the sort of political information that makes you the informed nationalist. Australia First can also network with various groups and other concerned patriotic people.
You can bring a friend.
Your Speakers’ List
This event promises to be a nationalist ‘teach-in’ with a bit of dash and sparkle. Further speakers to be announced. We negotiated with the Syrian Consul General for the inside story on the so-called ‘civil war’ in that country and have an expert for you.
John Bates: Citizens’ Initiated Referendum: How It Works And How To Get It.
Vesna Tenodi: “Forbidden Art, Politicised Archaeology and Orwellian Politics in Australia”
Husein Maiase (of the Syrian Consulate): The War Against The Syrian People: The Truth
Anna Schlunke: The Steady State Economy Movement
Dr. John Wilson: On Common Law Rights And The Overturn Of Our Freedoms In The Legal System
Dr. Jim Saleam: The Golden Dawn And The Struggle Against The New World Order
Markus Harding: A Report From America On The Resistance To The Destruction Of American-European Culture
Sunday: Open Forum
Rex Gilroy: Australian Prehistory: New Discoveries And Perspectives
In summary, the chief difference between the Sydney Forum and the Not-Sydney Forum appears to be the non-attendance of a Yanqui kook from Alternative Right (which espouses a kinda fascism-for-yuppies) and the seeming withdrawal of Welf Herfurth from his usual role as MC. Welf’s withdrawal may (or may not) have something to do with the recent dissolution of Volksfront, in which Welf played an active role; as previously noted, VF’s seeming dissolution would appear to be related to the organisation’s close relationship with the mass murderer Wade Michael Page. In any case, VF’s legacy in Australia is carried on by Sydney bonehead and Penrith resident Chris Smith — Penrith also notable for being the site of Australia First’s magnificent victory at local council elections last month.
Speaking of The Golden Dawn And The Struggle Against The New World Order, I’m not sure what’s become of plans by local supporters of the Greek fascist party to establish an office in Melbourne, but it appears that supporters in New York and Montreal have been busy — as, of course, have been antifa. For his part, Dr Jim is a member of the august institution known as the ‘Academy of Social and Political Research’, which also includes a small number of German, Greek and Italian fascist intellectuals (and His Satanic Kiwi MajestyKerry Bolton).
…Amidst the ‘economic crisis’ more and more people are driven to poverty and destitution, social cannibalism is being rewarded as virtue, fascism is raising its head in our localities and neighbourhoods, the State’s offensive is being intensified at all levels; amidst this period, options that promote self-organization, solidarity, comradeship and direct action are those that can not only stand in the way of fear, which they try to impose on our lives, but as the prospect of a different social organization.
You need to deeply grasp what fascism is really about.
Fascism won’t simply die on its own; you need to trash it.
Mark White (madison) has an account of the 2009 Forum here; more blah on the 2011 Forum here; the 2010 Forum here; and here’s a song:
”It’s an idea I believe doesn’t work,” Koch says, likening Wilson’s utopia to 20th-century communism and hippie communes. At university, Koch embraced anarchism, wanting the abolition of money and the state for a society that shared everything. ”But it is inevitable that it ends up being a dictatorship. Anarchism was never put into practice except in Spain and the Communists destroyed them … I gave it up by the time I was about 23.”
And there’s serial candidate and anarchist Joseph Toscano and former councillor Gary Singer, who is running with John So, the son of former lord mayor and unexpected cult figure John So.
Poet and broadcaster Alicia Sometimes, too, finds a ”delicious eye-opener” in Jeff and Jill Sparrow’s Radical Melbourne: A Secret History. ”Who knew Her Majesty’s Theatre once heard the cries of ‘Liberty, Equality and Fraternity’ as parts of her held the beginnings of the Melbourne Anarchist Club, or that gun lofts were designed for Parliament House so if protesters got a little too unruly, well, maybe they could be sorted out?”
Matthew Kyle Duran, Katherine “Kteeo” Olejnik and Leah-Lynne Plante are three anarchists from the US Pacific North-West who’ve been thrown in jail for refusing to cooperate with a Grand Jury. Plante was caged on October 10. Will Potter writes “The grand jury is investigating anarchists in the Northwest, following FBI and Joint Terrorism Task Force raids in search of “anarchist literature.” Two other anarchists, Matthew Kyle Duran and Katherine Olejnik, have already been imprisoned for refusing to cooperate.” The grand jury is part of a longstanding and ongoing campaign of harassment and persecution by FBI and other US agencies of anarchists and other radicals in this part of the world. See also : The State is a ‘Black Hole’ Seeking to Swallow Up People for Their Radical Beliefs, Kevin Gosztola, The Dissenter/firedoglake, October 12, 2012.
Apparently, there’s not one but two docos about anarchism in the works: you can donate to both too. The producer of one, Denmark Vesey, writes On the Need for an Explicitly “Anarchist” Cinema (September 28, 2012) for Dissident Voice.
No God No Master has just been released in the US and you can read an unflattering review here.
Twelve months ago, Angry Anderson was a National. Now — suddenly — it appears he’s a Liberal. And gunnin’ for a seat in Greenway. Even better, Angry’s NEW! political confidante is Peter ‘Children Overboard’ Reith:
After a failed tilt to run for the Nationals in the south coast seat of Gilmore, Mr Anderson said a friendship that developed with former Howard Government minister Peter Reith during SBS’s Go Back To Where You Came From had become the driving force for his switch of parties this week and ambition to take on Labor MP Michelle Rowland.
Mr Reith and Mr Anderson have spoken every few days since the show was filmed in March and Mr Reith had become Mr Anderson’s defacto political advisor.
LOL.
Should the Liberals accept Gary’s nomination as a working-class Tory? Can Angry steal Rowdy’s seat from his house on the northern beaches? Will Greenway succumb to the angry charms of Mr Anderson? Might the Conservatives rule the West?
PS. Remember: revenge is a dish best served cold!
PPS. We rule! OK! (Death to all you commie scum!)
On 15 October 2012 we celebrate the anniversary of Occupy Melbourne and this collection of short essays has been published to commemorate the day. This journal grew out of an event planned and facilitated by community organisers, also entitled “Occupy Melbourne Reflects,” which proved to be an incredibly fruitful and valuable experience. There was something remarkable yet uncanny about seeing the same activists but in a different (indoor) space, the same smiles, but no police, the same banter, but without the threat of violence; it was as if we finally had a chance to think. This journal, then, is a product of the success of that day, sparked by the insight that social movements need a space to reflect on what has happened. Reflection and critique are not just optional extras, but are essential parts of campaigning for social change.
Anti-abortionists/pro-lifers/forced-birthers held a ‘March For the Babies’ yesterday in Melbourne. At the same time, the Campaign for Women’s Reproductive Rights and Occupy Melbourne crew organised a smaller counter-demo in support of women’s reproductive rights. Abortion was legalised in Victoria in 2008: the Babies march is an annual event organised to protest the passing of this legislation (the Abortion Law Reform Act).
OMG! Just watched the first episode of the new season of Dexter!! OMG – that’s all I’m sayin!
The few thousand Christians who assembled to protect innocent babies were addressed by a handful of politicians and a foreign aristocrat. The Age reported that Pro-choice activists disrupt anti-abortion march (October 13, 2012) and television news reported that protesters clashed (which meant there was some shouty) but otherwise the event passed off peaceably. Angry Christian Bill Muehlenberg complains:
Yet if a dozen activists demanding homosexual marriage had held a public demo, without any opposition and thus no conflict, the MSM would still be everywhere, even outnumbering the protestors. The 6 o’clock news would be full of this, with major stories devoted to their protests. And next day all the newspapers would likely have front page coverage of the event as well.
Probably.
As for Jesus and abortion, I don’t recall him ever having mentioned it.
Yeah so Uncle Hugo has won in Venezuela. As he put it: Gracias a mi amado Pueblo!!! Viva Venezuela!!!! Viva Bolívar!!!!! Some anarchists in Venezuela reckon it ain’t so great.
El Libertario #67, September-October 2012 – Editorial [stolen from UK Indymedia]
A vote for Chavez is a vote for Diosdado Cabello [1]; a vote for Capriles is a vote for Diosdado Cabello. The truth of this sentence is verified when we compare the main parts of the programs offered by both candidates: the direction the energy industry will take. Energy is the undisputed element in the country’s developmental model since 1914 when the first oil well was dug in Venezuela. The false polarization stands naked when one notes the consensus in doubling the production of fossil fuels with the participation of transnational companies. For anarchists, however, the fundamental discussion is not about who controls the industry, whether the national or the foreign bourgeoisie, but whether this reiteration of the extraction model goes against the promotion of an alternative developmental model that would not feed the internal combustion engines of global capitalism and would not damage the environment or the indigenous and peasant communities. Whoever wins on October 7 will represent a victory for financial speculative capitalism, in tune with a world market that has faithful servants in people such as Diosdado Cabello.
A Hugo Chavez victory will only be possible thanks to a convenient opposition candidate, a representative of Venezuelan oligarchy who took part in the coup d’état of April 2002. By giving Chavez a perfect scenario for revitalizing polarization, Capriles proposes a discourse focused on the middle class and deaf tone to the popular sectors. Despite his pretense of a wide and inclusive program, it was never a secret the campaign decisions were taken by the top of the most conservative and reactionary party in the country: Primero Justicia [Justice First]. Despite the obvious unhappiness with the results of his tenure and the sustained increase in social conflicts, kept in check by the caudillo’s charismatic expectations, in this scenario Capriles did not convince the unhappy Chavistas or wide sectors of the population. With this result the future would be dominated by a strengthening of the authoritarian communal state, increased exclusion from public policy due to party reasons and the domino effect of an October victory resulting in Bolivarian hegemony over governorships and mayoralties in the following regional elections in December.
On the other hand, a Capriles victory would be possible only because of abstention on the part of unhappy Chavistas and a punishment vote by large segments of the voters and not because of the winner’s virtues. Tired of the humiliation, demagogy and the general impoverishment of the standard of living, a vote against Chavez by those who had previously put their faith in him would yield the numbers needed for a second electoral defeat of the Commander-President. This would open up a scenario of conflict and the ratification of the governorships held by the so-called “opposition” in the next round of elections. This result would strengthen the formation of a new bipartisanism among the Chavista and non-Chavista blocks, who would agree on alternating tenure and so tacitly becoming a new “Pact of PuntoFijo”. [2]
Whatever the result there are two more important consequences. The first is the justification of representative comprador democracy that appeared falling in the popular explosion of the “Caracazo” [3], a form of government that could only be fixed by a charismatic and populist figure such as Hugo Chavez. The second, of special interest to anti-authoritarians, is that these elections take place in the midst of the worst roll back in history of the autonomy of the Venezuelan social movements. As shown by the numbers from the Observatorio Venezolano de Conflictividad Social [Venezuela’s Observatory of Social Conflict] [4], turning popular initiative into electoral matter yielded what seemed most difficult: to stop the increase in the number of demonstrations staged in the country, which had been on the rise since 2004. The electoral blackmail institutionalized towards electoral channels the energy of the masses in motion, dissipating the autonomy enjoyed by some grass roots conflicts against the established powers.
The attitude consistent with Anarchism can be no other than the denunciation of the electoral farce and blackmail, refusal to participate in the comedy and channeling all our energies towards recuperating and fixing the autonomy of popular social movements. The facts of the last 13 and half years confirm it: Governmental discourse changes nothing. Structural and revolutionary changes come from each and every one of the oppressed and their collective initiatives.
Notes:
[1] Diosdado Cabello is the main representative of the “Bolibourgeoisie” which arouse during the Chavez government.
[2] See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punto_Fijo_Pact
[3] “Caracazo” is the name given the popular revolt of February 27, 1989.
[4] See www.observatoriodeconflictos.org.ve
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El Libertario – [email protected] – @pelibertario
http://periodicoellibertario.blogspot.com
www.nodo50.org/ellibertario (in Spanish, English & other languages)
Macquarie Radio Network, owners of Sydney radio station 2GB, have expressed a lotta butthurt at the fact that the boycott of its advertisers has achieved some measure of success: commercial realities can be a bitch sometimes. Given that Mr Jones has a reasonably large and fanatically loyal following, however, it seems unlikely that advertisers will stay away for too long. Unless, of course, The Parrot squawks something even moar embarrassing — which is possible. I mean, he’s no longer being chaffeured around in a $250,000 Mercedes-Benz — which I’m pretty sure Paul Sheehan is right to describe as one of the most egregious human rights abuses of the last decade.
The indefatigable Uncle Joe Toscano is again running for the position of (the other) Mayor of Melbourne.* Joe hopes that — with the assistance of new-fangled social media — he and his running mate Jean Ely will be able to come fifth, fourth or even — perhaps — third in the contest.
The last time Joe contested an election was in July when he asked the people of Melbourne District to bump him into state parliament. In a field of 16 candidates, Joe came in 10th place with 208 votes (0.74%). Sadly, the leadership of the world socialist movement fared less well, with Patrick O’Connor scoring just 162 class-conscious votes.
Y is for Yarra Soviet
The Socialist Party is continuing on its quest to conquer the City of Yarra. Having already established a beachhead in the form of Steve Jolly (Langridge Ward) and Anthony Main (Melba Ward), these 21st Century Bolsheviks will be hoping that Mel Gregson (Langridge), Chris Dite and David Elliott (Nicholls) will soon be joining them, transforming the Council into a Workers’ Paradise.
Socialist Alliance
The Socialist Alliance (SA) is standing Sue Bolton in Moreland, one of 24 candidates hoping to obtain one of four seats available in the North-East ward. In Geelong, the SA reckons Sue Bull would make a great Mayor.
SA stood several candidates in the last round of elections (2008), none of whom were able to have much of an impact. In Queenscliffe, Chris Johnson got 102 votes (3.15%) while in Maribyrnong (Stony Creek) Stuart Martin fared better with 811 votes (18.92%) and in Wattle Ward Margarita Windisch also scored reasonably (607 votes/12.43%), Further afield, in Geelong (Brownbill) Lisa Gleeson got 1060 votes (11.79%) and in Cowie Bronwyn Jennings got 1144 votes (10.82%).
Aussies for Golden Dawn!
Unlike their recent efforts in their home state of NSW, in Victoria the Australia First Party is fielding just one candidate: John Carbonari in the Stony Creek Ward of Maribyrnong City Council. John will be losing to nine other candidates. His candidate statement is a stirring call-to-arms:
That’s enough. I will stop the rates from going up. The old council has wasted too much money. We can’t afford to pay these big rates. It’s time for a change. My main policy is to listen to the ratepayers of Maribyrnong and put forward any issue of concern. I want to be the voice of the public to reduce rates that are ridiculously high, especially for pensioners. I want to appeal to the younger generation to prevent parks from being sold, whilst keeping the existing parks and ovals clean for many generations now and in the future to enjoy. I am the endorsed candidate for the Australia First Party.
Two Greek anarchists are making molotov cocktails. One says to the other: "So who will we throw these at then?" The other replies: "What are you, some kind of fucking intellectual?"
