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New Left Journal of Analysis in Pursuit of Another World

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New Left Journal of Analysis in Pursuit of Another World IRAQ AND THE MEDIA WAR GERALDENE PETERS A PhD researcher on political documentary and activist media in the Department of Film, Television and Media Studies at the University of Auckland New Left journal of analysis in pursuit of another world Red & Green: The NZ Journal of Left Alternatives 1 (1), edited by Jill Ovens. Auckland, The Red and Green Editorial Board, 2003. 160 pp. ISSN 1176 1482 porary, Bruce Jesson – not an aca- demic by choice, but undoubtedly an ED & GREEN is the latest in a intellectual — was another. As the Rjournal tradition engaging with editorial infers, within the domains of politics and culture in Aotearoa/New cultural and political analysis both Zealand. Immediately, by dint of ref- commentators have been interested to erence to an early journal article writ- explore the ‘pragmatic method of ten by Roger Horrocks, the editorial “replac[ing] overseas theories by the ‘voice’ of the introduction is conscious concrete details of local reality”’ (p of this critical genealogy. The journal 4). Informed by socialist principles, AND was a university based cultural/ R&G cannot leave history out of the literature studies journal produced in picture, and editorial choices recur- the early 1980s, and as both a univer- rently signal the journal’s place within sity professor and a cultural activist, these strands of pragmatic-theoretical Horrocks is one commentator who tradition. continues to be particularly alive to In this first issue, the poetics of the coexistence of a politics of culture Arundhati Roy’s address spoken on and political economy. His contem- the anniversary of September the 11th, PACIFIC JOURNALISM REVIEW 9 2003 197 IRAQ AND THE MEDIA WAR and the inclusion of media commen- nals is the latter’s collective editorial tary and film reviews, signals the im- board, academic/activist pitch, and the portance of the political dimension of room allowed for overseas commen- culture. Unlike AND, however, politi- tary. In these respects, the structure cal analysis is the mainstay. This is of and content of R&G more closely re- no surprise that given all four mem- flects a mix between the US Monthly bers of the editorial board are activist Review, and the ethos of both Perry intellectuals from the Alliance Party Anderson’s New Left Review and Aus- Left, which also contributed seed fund- tralia’s Democratic Socialist publica- ing for the journal. Homage to the tion, Green Left Weekly. R&G differs work of Jesson (during his lifetime, an also from the NZPR with its avowal to active member of the Alliance) seems give space to identity-based issues – apparent in the topical proximity of presumably engaging Socialist and the publication to the NZ Political New Left positions in the process of Review (NZPR) — successor to working out what it means to be Left Jesson’s The Republican and initially in Aotearoa today. edited by Jesson before his death. Chris Race, Gender, Class (RGC), pub- Trotter, formerly a part of the New lished in Christchurch between 1985 Labour Party/Alliance vanguard and and 1992, was a publication growing ofttimes comrade of members of the out of the identity politics of the time, R&G’s editorial board, inherited the hence giving particular attention to editorship of NZPR and has collegially ‘Maaori self-determination, feminism signalled NZPR support for R&G by and socialism’. Like R&G, RCG was taking out a back page advertisement. collectively edited, positioning itself It’s certainly to be hoped that the audi- in distinction from academic journals ence for a plurality of Left analysis such as Sites (Massey University, continues to reveal itself and grow, Palmerston North), by focusing on the ensuring that both publications con- concrete specifics of homosexual law tinue. reform, a Nuclear Free Pacific and the The NZPR is currently running policies of the Labour Government, with the publicity catchphrase ‘jour- rather than conceptual questions of nalism with attitude’ — this, along- individualism, consumerism, national side its magazine-like format, ‘feature identity, and the future of the State. article’ focus, distance from overt party Consistent with its emphasis on allegiances etc. distinguishes it, albeit ‘Maaori self determination’ was an marginally, from R&G. What does editorial commitment to publishing significantly distinguish the two jour- commentary in Te Reo as well as 198 PACIFIC JOURNALISM REVIEW 9 2003 IRAQ AND THE MEDIA WAR English. In R&G, attention to the beginning of this year (available online Treaty has a place in Bernad Gadd’s at www.arena.org.nz). Nicky Hager review of Paul Moon’s book The Path expands on a Sunday Star –Times to the Treaty of Waitangi, and a stated article he wrote about NZ participa- editorial openness to Maaori Nation- tion in the war on Afghanistan. In a alist views. It is still too early though reprinted article written for Znet, Aziz to predict the extent to which Tangata Choudry — a New Zealander cur- Whenua perspectives will have pur- rently researching a PhD in Canada chase within an R&G environment. — draws out the ties between trade Taking Gulf War III as its theme, liberalisation agendas and increasing R&G can be seen to function as a kind militarisation, advocating an align- of handbook bringing people up to ment between anti-globalisation and speed with left arguments on key is- peace activists to resist this dynamic. sues pertaining to the situation in Iraq An abridged version of a Naomi such as sovereignty; New Zealand for- Klein article from her book Fences eign policy and the extent of govern- and Windows, uses figurative language ment complicity with the war; back- and anecdote to flesh out the struc- ground to the operations of New Zea- tural bones of Kelsey’s preceding dis- land intelligence services; the lead up cussion: to the war; and the role of global capital. Those articles that don’t ex- Despite all attempts at plicitly engage with militarism — such privatisation…music, water, seeds, as Jane Kelsey’s focus on GATS agen- electricity, ideas…have a natural re- das and Quentin Findlay’s proposi- sistance to enclosure… (p 99). tions on the way forward for the Alli- ance — shed light on global and local It’s of some relevance that Klein’s contexts by respectively addressing 2001 visit to Aotearoa was sponsored the machinations of global capital and by the Alliance. Roy’s address, along the place of democratic socialism in with the Research Unit for Political Aotearoa. Indeed, the range of articles Economy (RUPE) excerpts, bring represent a distillation of local and questions of colonialism back into the global currents in Left commentary. mix, rounding off arguments for Iraqi Kelsey’s article is an eponymous self determination introduced by Jill adaptation of the ARENA (Action, Ovens and Mike Treen. There are Research & Education Network of questions of national self expression Aotearoa) booklet she produced at the posed in the introduction, and consist- ent editorial references (explicit and PACIFIC JOURNALISM REVIEW 9 2003 199 IRAQ AND THE MEDIA WAR implicit) to Edward Said’s notion of ‘travelling theories’ (pp 5, 146). Turning back to history, the first page of the introduction explicitly in- vokes Marx’s socialist vision, fore- shadowing the encounters with his- tory in the articles of Keith Locke, John Minto, Roy, the RUPE material, and the oral histories of Robert Reid and Ray Weeber. Appropriately for activist intellectuals, the articles of Roy, Findlay, Choudry and Kelsey end with a provocation to think and act the way forward. As the editors state, the task is to ‘prov(e) that another world is possi- ble’ (p 1). In his comprehensive re- view of On the Left: Essays on Social- ism in New Zealand, Len Richards (an R&G editor) looks forward to the book’s sequel. Drawing from Richards’ inference, as both a comple- ment to and extension of that sequel, Red & Green can be seen as an ideal vehicle for keeping that history, its current manifestations and future as- pirations in public view (p 9). 200 PACIFIC JOURNALISM REVIEW 9 2003.
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