Corrupt behaviour has no place in the ranks of the people.

Vanguard June 2012 p. 6
Nick G.

“In class society everyone lives as a member of a particular class, and every kind of thinking, without exception, is stamped with the brand of a class.”

Mao Zedong, On Practice, July 1937.

………………………

The allegations against former Labor MP Craig Thomson raise serious questions about social ethics and personal values.

It is alleged that during his time as National Secretary of the Health Services Union he used his union credit card to spend $6,000 on prostitutes, that $103,000 was withdrawn as cash advances from union credit cards, and that $270,000 of union funds was spent on his 2007 election campaign.

Thomson is not the only member of the HSU leadership to be accused of rorting members’ funds for personal gain.

Before making any further comment on Thomson, two things need to be acknowledged.

Precursor to further attacks on the people

Firstly, the allegedly corrupt activities in the HSU are an open invitation for the ruling class to further interfere with and control all unions.

In addition to anything the Liberals may be contemplating if they are returned to office, the incumbent Labor government has said it will give Fair Work Australia new powers to investigate unions, will increase penalties against unions, and will require public disclosure of the wages of union officials.

Secondly, corrupt practices infest the business world.

Before Thomson there were high profile cases including:

·         Reg Williams, founder of HIH Insurance who was jailed for 4 years 6 months with a non-parole period of 2 years 9 months on 15 April 2005 for filing false financial statements and failing his duty as a director.

·         Rodney Adler, a director of HIH Insurance (sentenced to 4 ½ years with a 2 ½ year non-parole period.

·         Alan Bond who was declared bankrupt in 1991 with personal debts totalling A$1.8 billion. He was subsequently convicted of fraud and served four years in prison.

·         Harold Shand, convicted last year of making corrupt payments worth $60,000 to Queensland Labor politician Gordon Nuttall.  Shand got 15 months.  Nuttall is serving 12 years for corruption and perjury.

·         Queensland coal tycoon Ken Talbot who was facing charges of making corrupt payments of $300,000 to Nuttall.  Talbot died in a plane crash inspecting his African investments and so escaped justice.

Placing self first is the foundation for corrupt behaviour

What links Thomson, Williams and others is their outlook on life, which is to place their own interests before those of others. 

Although nominally head of a working class organization, Thomson is typical of many who take up employment for a union not via the workforce they purport to represent, by via tertiary credentials that mark them as belonging to a class above the ordinary working people.  Thomson has both a Bachelor of Commerce and a law degree.

In 1844 Marx described the ethics of capitalism as “acquisition, work, thrift, sobriety”, italicising the first to indicate that placing the interests of the self came above all other so-called virtues of the capitalist ethic (Marx, Human Requirements and the Division of Labour Under the Rule of Private Property).

In Anti-Duhring, Engels wrote: “…we can only draw the one conclusion: that men, consciously or unconsciously, derive their ethical ideas in the last resort from the practical relations on which their class position is based -- from the economic relations in which they carry on production and exchange.”

He added: “...morality has always been class morality; it has either justified the domination and the interests of the ruling class, or ever since the oppressed class became powerful enough, it has represented its indignation against this domination and the future interests of the oppressed. “

Bolshevik values in the Soviet state

Lenin and Stalin defined Bolshevik ethics largely in the light of their experiences in winning and consolidating the state power of the working class.

Able lieutenants such as Mikhail Kalinin promoted education and schooling as the means whereby to nurture the youth of the newly emerging Soviet Union in whole-hearted dedication to the cause of socialism, and popularised the concept of the “new Soviet man” (and woman).  Lenin stressed the moral goal of education, declaring after the Bolshevik Revolution: "The entire purpose of training, educating, and teaching the youth . . . should be to imbue them with communist ethics."

Nevertheless, the ethics of duty took precedence over the ethics of virtue.   The former ethic found expression in the Subbotniks - the voluntary use of Saturdays for the donation of labour time in the public interest.  Lenin set the example, removing building rubble from the Kremlin on May 1, 1920.

The ethics of duty to the public interest received a boost with the promotion of the example of coal miner Aleksei Stakhanov (left) who broke all existing records for extracting coal in 1935.  Socialist emulation campaigns saw the entire country gripped in a fervour of Stakhanovism.

Mao Zedong: Serve the People

As leader of the Chinese revolution, Mao Zedong also selected labour heroes such as the Daqing Oilfield’s “Iron-Man” Wang Jinxi (left, below), but he elevated the ethics of virtue to prime position in the defining of Communist ethics.

Mao was raised within a culture of Confucianism which, perhaps more than the religions of the West, relied upon virtue or de （得）as the line separating the “superior man” from the hoi polloi.

Even his earliest writings contain calls for virtuous ethical behaviour befitting those who seek to right the ills of society.

In 1937, he penned Combat Liberalism, saying that “A Communist should have largeness of mind...looking upon the interests of the revolution as his very life and subordinating his personal interests to those of the revolution... (he should be) more concerned about others than about himself.  Only thus can he be considered a Communist.”

In 1938, he wrote; “At no time and in no circumstances should a Communist place his personal interests first; he should subordinate them to the interests of the nation and the masses. Hence selfishness, slacking, corruption, seeking the limelight and so on, are most contemptible, while selflessness, working with all one’s energy, wholehearted devotion to public duty, and quiet hard work, will command respect” (The Role of the Chinese Communist Party in the National War).

In 1939 Mao eulogised the Canadian doctor and communist, Norman Bethune (left), who had died after working along the anti-Japanese front lines.

Mao praised Bethune’s  “utter devotion to others without any thought of self... We must all learn the spirit of absolute selflessness from him.”

In 1944 he eulogised Zhang Side, a Long March veteran who was killed by the sudden collapse of a kiln on September 5, 1944, when making charcoal in the mountains of Ansai County, northern Shensi.

He published his eulogy under the title Serve the People, praising those like Zhang who “work entirely in the people's interests”. 

“Our cadres must show concern for every soldier, and all people in the revolutionary ranks must care for each other, must love and help each other”, he wrote.

(Above: a poster of Zhang Side emblazoned with the words Serve the People in Mao Zedong's calligraphy).

These articles were revived during the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, Mao’s most obvious attempt to instil in his people the thinking that really was stamped with a proletarian brand.

“Serve the People” was one of two phrases on everyone’s lips.  The other was “Fight self, repudiate revisionism”.  The latter encapsulated Mao’s belief that without a conscious rejection of self-interest, self-promotion, and self-cultivation there would be an ideological soil for the cultivation of revisionism, for betrayal of the revolution and for the restoration of the old capitalist society.

It is beyond the scope of this article to examine why the considerable gains in building a proletarian socialist consciousness under Lenin and Stalin, and Mao Zedong, were ultimately unsuccessful.

However, the line of demarcation between the thinking of their class with its endemic corruption and hypocrisy, and the thinking of our class lies precisely in a commitment to putting self last and putting service to the people first.

We enjoin all readers of this paper to fight self, to work wholeheartedly for our common cause and quietly and patiently build the respect of the people for the Party and its objectives.
....................
Further reading:  Marxist historian Humphrey McQueen takes the fight against corruption up to the real culprits, the capitalist class in Capitalism: a crock of crooks.

The Mayne Report names business persons gaoled by ASIC between 1991 and 2010 here:
http://www.maynereport.com/articles/2007/07/17-2354-2207.html 

Queensland takes a step back in aboriginal land rights

Vanguard June 2012 p. 5

The Queensland Government has taken a step back in Land Rights with the eviction of the Tent Embassy at Musgrave Park in South Brisbane on 16^th May.

It is no accident that this has occurred shortly after the election of Campbell Newman as Premier and Graham Quirk as Lord Mayor of Brisbane, as it is a message to all the people of Queensland that the full force of the police will be used to smash any form of dissent.

While Newman tried to wash his hands of this obviously political act, Quirk was most recently Newman’s deputy Lord Mayor until Newman’s political ambition thrust him into the State political race, which he recently won. The two are fairly close bed fellows.

Reminiscent of the Joh Bjelke Peterson days, 200 police were sent at 6am in the morning to evict the approximately 60 inhabitants of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy. Once the inhabitants were evicted and 30 people arrested, 200 people marched to Parliament House to voice their anger at what had occurred and demand to speak to the Premier Campbell Newman.

 

 

On their arrival at Parliament House, a number of speakers including Sam Watson and Ian Curr spoke, but despite requests, Campbell Newman did not come and meet with these Ambassadors for the Tent Embassy. It was pointed out that during the recent election campaign, Campbell Newman was often seen wearing a badge of the Aboriginal Flag, but on this day he demonstrated his true attitude to the Murri Community and Land Rights.

 

 

A banner was displayed by the protesters saying ‘For a Just Republic and Aboriginal Sovereignty’, a message Newman obviously does not want to hear.

Members of the Tent Embassy and their supporters then marched to the Watch House and waited for 2 hours until those arrested had been released. From here they then proceeded to march back to Musgrave Park across the Grey Street Bridge. On a number of occasions police attempted to intimidate the people, but it was pointed out that under the Peaceful Assembly Act 1992, people are allowed to march as long as they are not going against the flow of traffic.

The reason given by new Lord Mayor, Graham Quirk for his order to evict the Tent Embassy was the Paniyiri Greek Festival to be held on the following weekend. The Greek community however, have indicated that they had no problem with the Aboriginal Tent Embassy being present at Musgrave Park. Cambell Newman showed his insensitivity to the issue of Sovereign Rights when he said not long before the eviction, “I don't believe that squatters’ camps in our public parks are appropriate.”

Local blame, local shame doesn't cut it with teachers!

Vanguard June 2012 p. 5
Louisa L.

(Above: NSW Teachers Federation members at Albury vote to continue action against devolution)  

NSW teachers are seething about what Premier O'Farrell describes as the biggest change in public education in 100 years. And on Friday, 18^th May, the biggest stopwork meetings in more than a decade voted overwhelmingly to stop him. Some of the 230 meetings across the state overflowed onto the streets.

           

Divide and conquer, blame those on the bottom for the bastardry of those on top – some things haven't changed in basic ruling classes tactics since ancient Rome. Following decades of disastrous examples from New Zealand to England, Sweden to the USA the disease of educational 'devolution' has been championed as a way of bashing unions, blaming teachers and cutting funds to public schools.

Part of the deception associated with this attack is the claim that devolving decision-making to the school level will improve school effectiveness and improve student learning outcomes. But there is no evidence base for such claims.

One of its strongest advocates in Australia is Prof. Brian Caldwell but even he is forced to admit that there is “no doubt that evidence of a direct cause-and-effect relationship between self-management and improved outcomes is minimal”.

And NSW teachers are having none of it.

           

On Saturday, 10^th March, the 300 strong Teachers Federation Council, comprising teachers from across the state, had their regular meeting in Sydney. Fearless O'Farrell, hid downwind, waiting for them to disperse. Late that night he sprang a trap: “Local Schools, Local Decisions”.

           

His snare has a variety of predecessors, including R.Murdoch's via J. Gillard, whose  “Empowering Local Schools” predates O'Farrell's show, but can't get a guernsey without states' cooperation. Murdoch's Telegraph (briefed well in advance) took editorial credit for the ambush, which they assured everyone will help students and give principals the power to sack “bad” teachers.

           

Teachers Federation President Maurie Mulheron refutes this, “If the government is genuine in its claims that this will improve NSW school education, I challenge the Premier to show the costings. No government embarks on such massive changes without having a fully costed proposal.

           

The result of devolution, he continued, “will be school principals making decisions based on budget bottom lines, rather than on the educational needs of their students.

           

“This is not about cutting red tape. It is no more than turning principals into an administrative arm of the government.”

           

In a leaked expenditure review, commissioned by the previous Labor government, the US multinational Boston Consulting Group (BCG) used the devolved Victorian system as the benchmark for cuts, where 12 per cent less is now spent per student than in NSW. This equates to a cut of 7500 teachers and 1500 support staff. BCG's suggested tactic is to first increase funding to get structures in place, before cost cutting. The Sydney Morning Herald  revealed that another leaked report by multinational accountancy firm Pricewaterhouse Coopers confirms the cost cutting intent of devolution.

           

Teachers Federation analysis shows grave risks to teaching and ancillary staff numbers, permanency and promotions, pay scales, conditions, the statewide transfer system, to equity and specialist programs and to class sizes.

           

Teachers know this will be the toughest fight they've ever experienced. The government has worked hard to hive off a section of principals, but word is getting out and overcoming the lies. Teachers are mobilised, united and in every corner of the state. They are consolidating their alliances with parents and the community, by focussing on the needs of kids. O'Farrell and his backers, despite their well laid plans may well find themselves caught out.

End – don’t extend – the racist Intervention!

Vanguard June 2012 p. 4
Nick G.

The Federal Government is set to further extend the draconian and racist NT Intervention for a further ten years despite overwhelming opposition from Yolŋu communities (Indigenous communities in the Arnhem Land region of the Northern Territory.

The so-called “Stronger Futures” legislation has been condemned by the Yolŋu Makarr Dhuni (YMD or Yolŋu Nations Assembly) representing the eight peoples of the area in a special appeal to the leaders of the NT and Federal parliaments.

The appeal rejects interventionist policies and calls on both parliaments to work in partnership with traditional communities to determine appropriate policies that will genuinely meet the needs of the Aboriginal peoples of the NT.

Of particular concern to the YMD is the effect of the legislation on the 9000 Aboriginal people currently living in more than 500 small homeland communities in “remote” communities.

It condemns the racist Intervention for cutbacks in services that deny support to these communities, deliberately forcing homeland residents into major towns where they are susceptible to culturally disrespectful practices and from which they face difficulty in caring for country.

Gumatj people’s spokesperson Djuŋadjuŋa Yunupiŋu Dalkarramirr says: “(The intervention) takes us back to the 1920’s 30’s – to the early mission days, the stolen generations.  Our memories have been taken back to the time when the Welfare people stepped into our land”.

“Our Homelands…People are moving in (to communities). Homelands have bayŋu (no) road fixing, bayŋu (no) help for airstrips, all houses are built in town (attracting people in),” he said.

Referring to pressure by the federal Government for traditional owners to grant the government leases over their lands, the YMD stated that until the Stronger Futures legislation was thrown out they would refuse to participate in land lease negotiations and refuse approval for any exploration licenses.

This places Yolŋu peoples in direct confrontation with the rapacious mining companies and provides an additional reason for all Australian people to demand the nationalisation of the mining sector.

It further illustrates the need for a future independent and socialist Australia to respect Indigenous land, law and culture and to extend to Indigenous communities genuine self-management and self-determination.

Port Augusta people demand clean power station

Vanguard June 2012 p. 4
Ned K.

In Port Augusta, South Australia, a broad community campaign is building for a renewable energy solar thermal power plant to replace the brown-coal-fired power plants first built in the 1950s and 1960s.

The campaign for solar thermal power is being led by the workers who currently work in the coal-fired plants, together with the local community, including the Mayor of Port Augusta Joy Baluch (left), environmental groups, CLEAN, Doctors for the Environment and The Australian Youth Climate Coalition. Even the owner of the power plants, Alinta, is supporting the switch to solar thermal power.

So far the state and federal governments are sitting on the fence. They are looking at the cheaper option ( in the short term only) of piping gas to the new plants from the coal seam gas fields of Queensland’s food bowl!

 

 

One would think the choice was a no brainer. But no; economic rationalism is alive and well. The initial cost of building solar thermal plants is $6 billion, compared to the initial cost of $1.5 billion for the gas fired plant. The people’s proposal is to pay for the cost of the solar thermal plant through a feed-in tariff of  1% spread across the national electricity grid.

 

 

However, the long term cost of the reliance on gas is hard to quantify when factors such as CO₂ and methane gas emissions, the loss of food production in Queensland, and the fluctuations in gas prices on the international market are taken into account.

 

 

For example, if gas from the coal seam gas fields in Queensland is owned by multinationals like Santos, where will they send their gas? If the price on the international market is $17 per gigajoule, but the price locally is $3 per gigajoule, where will Santos send the gas?

 

 

The solar thermal power plant will provide 1300 construction jobs, including local engineering jobs and 300 permanent full time jobs, and will produce 30 to 40% of South Australia’s power from renewable energy.

(Above: The Playford B coal-fired station at Pt Augusta)

The situation at Port Augusta is a “fork in the road”. The Labor Governments at both state and federal levels can choose to side with the people to boost local manufacturing, providing full time permanent jobs and renewable energy production at the same time. Or they can go down the low road of a quick fix, low jobs, destruction of food production in Queensland and continue the reliance on fossil fuels for an energy source. A pretty easy choice one would think, depending on one’s allegiances – to the people and sustainability, or to the mining multinationals.

The Port Augusta community and the environmental movement across Australia are watching to see what decision the governments make.

Dark day for 19 SA school communities

Vanguard June 2012 p. 4
Nick G.

(Parents and students protest the forcible amalgamation of junior primary schools and primary schools)

Nineteen communities in South Australia have responded angrily to the decision by the Weatherill State Labor government to go ahead with the amalgamation of their discrete junior primary and primary schools.

Many feel gutted by a deceitful process of sham “consultation” from a government that had pledged to change Labor’s direction – away from the confrontational and arrogant posture of the previous leadership team of Mike Rann and Kevin Foley.

Weatherill forced a change of leadership on the government at a time when it had alienated large sections of the community and most SA unions.  He said he would “listen and decide” rather than “announcing and defending” as per his predecessors.

Weatherill has undoubtedly recaptured some lost ground with his mild demeanour and his willingness to try and placate Labor critics.

He told a recent SA Unions organising conference that he wanted his government to be one that “unions would be proud of”, and has promised to make changes to the unfair and punitive system of workers compensation that operates in SA.

However, in his first major test of relations between his government and the community, he has overridden community feeling to close successful and popular junior primary schools.

To do this, he has had to abandon his own party’s policy, which up until the 2010 Budget had been to keep schools open if that was what the local community wanted.

(Above: The eyes have it...sadness at the loss of their schools)

To mourn the decision, described by AEU President Correna Haythorpe as a “dark day” for education in SA, parents and children at amalgamating schools held a rally on Friday May 11 outside the Education Department.  Candles were held to symbolise the extinguishing of educational light at the targeted sites.

The decision to amalgamate the schools – all of which had government review panels which recommended against the moves – shows that bourgeois democracy is no guarantee of the upholding of the people’s will .

As one of the last Labor governments in Australia’s states and territories, it exposes social democracy as a bucket with many holes incapable of holding the people’s confidence.

Message to the Communist Organisation of Greece

Vanguard June 2012 p. 3

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist) congratulates the Communist Organisation of Greece (KOE) in its success in the Greek elections held on the 6th May 2012.

 

 

The Greek people are currently under sustained attack from the EU imperialist nations headed by the International Monetary Fund.   Clearly, the imperialist troika of IMF, European Union and the European Central Bank intends to make an example of the Greek people and impose barbaric austerity on the people of Greece.

 

 

The CPA (M-L) expresses its confidence in the working class and people of Greece, the KOE, and the widely supported united front coalition that forms Syriza, to resist imperialist attacks and advance the Greek popular movement.

 

 

We are inspired by the mass work of the KOE in building the popular movement in Greece.

 

 

Yours in Solidarity

Central Committee of the Communist Party of Australia (Marxist-Leninist)