2013 May Fightback
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Publication information Becoming a Table of Contents sustaining subscriber 3 Editorial Subscriptions to Fightback are available 3 In brief for $16.50 a year, this covers the costs 4 State-Owned Enterprises: Public goods of printing and postage. At present for private gain the writing, proof reading, layout, and distribution is all done on a volun- 6 Teachers and public education under teer basis. To make this publication attack sustainable long term we are asking for 9 Racism in Aotearoa/NZ people to consider becoming ‘Sustain- ing subscribers’ by pledging a monthly 12 Massive tax haven leak amount to Fightback (suggested $10). 14 “Work til you die” threatens bank Sustaining subscribers will be send a commercial free copy of each of our pamphlets to thank them for their extra support. The 15 Iceland: Become Part of the Heard name of the magazine will change to Iceland: There are no peaceful revolutions Fightback, but current subscriptions 16 will remain unaltered. (a reply to Jessica Ward) To start your sustaining subscription 17 The symbolic victory of same-sex set up an automatic payment to 38- marriage 9002-0817250-00 with your name in 19 Sexism and “dude-bro irony” the particulars and ‘Sustain’ in the code and email your name and address to 21 Review: Marx in Soho [email protected] 22 Margaret Thatcher dies 23 Ae Marika! Tribute to Mike Kyriazopoulos Get Fightback each month Within NZ: $16.50 for one year (11 issues) or $33 for two years (22 issues) Fightback 2013 conference Rest of the World: $20 for one year or In 2012, Fightback (then the Workers Party) held its annual conference in Wellington and over 120 $40 for two years people attended. Over the weekend comrades discussed topics including tino rangatiratanga and Send details and payments to: socialism, safer spaces in political organising, industrial struggles, and the student movement. Fightback, PO Box 10282 This year’s conference will be held on Queens Birthday Weekend, May 31 to June 1, at Newtown Community Centre in Wellington. Dominion Rd, Auckland or The conference will open with a Friday night panel on the international situation. Saturday’s sched- ule features discussions of youth fightback, industrial perspectives, gender liberation, and building an Bank transfer: anti-capitalist movement in Australasia, among other topics. On Sunday June 2 there will be writing 38-9002-0817250-01 workshop for Fightback members and others who want to contribute to our monthly magazine Fightback. Further details to come. For more information call Joel Cosgrove on 022-384-1917 Donations and bequeathments Fightback is non-profit and relies on financial support from progressive people, supporters and members for all its activities including producing this magazine. To financially support us please deposit to 38-9002-0817250-01 with your initials and surname (or anony- mous.) Large and small, regular and one-off donations are all appreciated and listed in Fightback from time to time. Fightback magazine is now in its 20th year as we continue the long-term fight for socialism. Readers and supporters may consider re- membering us in their will with assets or money that will help the struggle in the long-term. If this is you please put in your will ‘Fight- back, PO Box 10-282, Dominion Road, Auckland’ as well as what you would like to leave to us. 2 Fightback May 2013 Editorial Editorial Welcome to the May 2013 issue of Fight- while it has received little coverage in the back, newspaper of Fightback (Aotearoa/ capitalist press, it has conversely been ex- In Brief NZ). Fightback is a socialist organisation aggerated in some circles concerned with with branches in Auckland, Hamilton, economic justice. Fightback reader Jessica Aotearoa Not For Sale day Wellington and Christchurch. Ward submitted an article for this issue, of action Over Queen’s Birthday Weekend, the 31st commending the inspirational nature of Fightback endorsed the Aotearoa of May to the 2nd of June, Fightback will the struggle in Iceland. Fightback mem- Not for Sale national day of action be holding its annual public conference in ber Ian Anderson responds, contending against asset sales, on April 27th Wellington. Turn to the back page or visit that while the people of Iceland have 2013. The day of action has already fightback.org.nz for more information. won important concessions, international supporters have distorted the realities on been endorsed by the Council of In April, thousands rallied across the ground, the capitalist state in Iceland Trade Unions, Unions Auckland, Aotearoa against attacks on public retains a monopoly on violence, and there Unite, the Mana Movement, Occupy schools. Fightback member Rebecca are no “peaceful revolutions.” and Socialist Aotearoa among others. Broad covers the background of the “The government is set on asset dispute and argues the need for industrial On April 17th 2013, a bill passed its final sales despite opposition from 80% action to defend and extend public educa- reading in parliament extending marriage of the general population, and 90% tion. rights to same-sex couples in Aotearoa/ NZ. This was the result of decades of of tangata whenua,” says Fightback The campaign against further privatisa- struggle by supporters of queer rights. In member Ian Anderson. “We can- tion of power companies has also won an article reprinted from Scoop, Anne not take this passively, or vote and some apparent victories lately, with the Russell discusses the limitations of this expect capitalist parties to represent petition for a Citizens-Initiated Referen- reform for dispossessed queers, while us. We must fight in the streets, in dum achieving its goal of a non-binding acknowledging that it can act as a spur to workplaces and communities, to take referendum and with the Labour-Green further action. control of assets.” Fightback supports opposition announcing a policy of bulk- full nationalisation of assets under Sexism (like other forms of oppression) buying power to reduce consumer prices. community control. Fightback member Daphne Lawless is deeply embedded in the daily lived argues the need for abolition of for-profit realities of capitalism. Fightback sup- “State-Owned Enterprises,” introduced porter Robyn Kenealy discusses the role Wellington mayor Celia by the fourth Labour government, in of everyday humour and irony in both Wade-Brown shows her favour of democratic community control. reinforcing, and undermining sexism. true colours In late March, racist group Right Wing We also reprint a piece by MANA leader Resistance were outnumbered by an anti- Hone Harawira, paying tribute to our Green Wellington mayor Celia racist rally in Christchurch. Fightback comrade Mike Kyriazopolous, a unionist Wade-Brown showed her true member Byron Clark discusses the role and Fightback member. colours in April when she voted for of mainstream racism in fostering racist a plan to contract out street-cleaning views. jobs. The vote on contracting-out was tied 7-7, and Wade-Brown used her In the April issue of Fightback, we cov- casting vote to proceed with the plan. ered the “peaceful revolution” in Iceland, (http://tinyurl.com/cu694hy) arguing This concession to privatisation, by a Green Party mayor, stands in contrast to the party opposing privatisation in Coordinating Editor Layout: the asset sales campaign. This shows Byron Clark, Ian Joel Cosgrove the need for revolutionary social- Anderson Assisting Editors Monthly magazine ist organisation, in contrast to the Proofing/Content Rebecca Broad, Mike published by: Fightback wavering of the capitalist parties. Fightback May 2013, Jared Phillips Kyriazopoulos, Kelly Vol.1, No 3, Issue No 3 Pope, Daphne Lawless, Grant Brookes. Fightback April 2013 3 State-owned enterprises State-Owned Enterprises: Public goods for private gain by Daphne Lawless don’t get any benefit from state owner- Corporatisation and ship of power generation. privatisation The justification for the state hanging Why does the New Zealand state own We are almost four decades into a on to these large corporations is to keep for-profit companies, anyway? We’re slow-motion crisis of capitalism. The them in “Kiwi” hands, and to pay the taught at school that the purpose of old Keynesian-interventionist consensus state a dividend on their investment. state ownership is to enable economic was based on the government, as collec- New Zealand has had a history of failed planning and fulfil social welfare func- tive capitalist, using its economic lever- privatisation – both Air New Zealand tions. But the State-Owned Enterprises age to expand opportunities for profit and our national rail network had to be of today aren’t doing any such thing. In for the capitalist classes. This “picking taken into public hands after being run the last month, we’ve had announce- winners” and “demand management” down by their new private owners. ments of at least 1000 jobs at Telecom, approach is now strongly associated Why, then, are the National government while Solid Energy have cancelled the with the Muldoon government of 1975- so insistent on the part-privatisation $10 million in funding they provide to 84 – which happens to be the era when of Mighty River Power, in the teeth West Coast communities (to compen- the strategy ran out of steam. All the of mass opposition? And why are they sate for the on-going despoliation of government investment and administra- throwing a fit at the Labour/Green plan their environment). tive diktats in the world couldn’t make to bring in a “single buyer” of wholesale Meanwhile, especially since the govern- the New Zealand economy profitable power? To understand this, we have ment abolished its Charter, Television in the era of the oil shocks and “stagfla- to understand the real motives for the New Zealand certainly has no public tion”. What was needed was a new way corporatisation and privatisation of state service character which distinguishes it for government to guarantee private trading assets.