Up to 500,000 people gave the big finger to John Howard on the Walk for Reconciliation march on the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Howard was notably absent from this event. Just as notable was his presence the previous day at Coroboree 2000 where he was jeered and booed and had many attendees turning their backs towards him.

These events and the subsequent press and editorials from the mass media have demonstrated that Howard is well and truly 'yesterdays man' . Many bosses are no doubt seeing that Howard's blend of being both right wing on social issues and on economic rationalism is creating discontent. Discontent that could boil over into other social issues and eventually have an impact on the bottom line i.e. on the boss's profits.

The bosses would no doubt prefer that Howard say sorry so that there is one less thing for people to get agitated about. His continual refusal to give ground on what many people see as an insignificant point is rapidly being seen by bosses as being a liability. After all the bosses do not care about social issues as long as their profits are secured.

What the march on the Harbour Bridge demonstrated to the bosses was that Howard's refusal or inability to soften his stance on social issues has become a liability and that such continual refusal could mean a radicalisation of large numbers of people.

A radicalisation not just against inequitable social policy but eventually against the economic system which created and sustains all such inequitable social policy i.e. capitalism. But at the very least in the short term a growing opposition to both the racism and the economic rationalism of John Howard on the streets and on the job and in the community.

Just as Seattle and London have witnessed massive demonstrations against capitalism and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the world bank there is no reason to think that Australian cities will be any less likely to have similar protests and Howard at present would be seen as fuelling the fire.

If marches alone won't do it people will just have to keep upping the ante until they find a tactic that does do it and this is exactly what the bosses would want to avoid.

The crushing defeat of the National Party in the seat of Benella has stunned the Nationals. This defeat has to be seen against the ongoing crisis in the bush. Bank closures, lack of health and educational facilities but more than anything else the decline in jobs and financial security for farmers. Large scale agri-business now dominates most of the bush. These businesses tend to be less labour intensive but crucially also have less committment to the rural infrastructure. The old days of small scale farming families is rapidly disappearing and alongside this process many rural down have seen a population collapse.

The rise of One Nation in the late Nineties reflected the dissillusionment of rural voters. The National Party in coalition with the Liberals has been totally incapable of defending rural interests. Again and again the Nationals at State and Federal level have folded on key issues. Probably the most notable of these has been the Telstra sale. Labors election in Benella reflects this wave of anger towards the traditional country party. The Nationals now face a stark choice either they can stay in coalition and slowly become less relevant as voters perceive them as being lackeys of the Liberal Party or they can break away and stand on their own. The problem with this latter course is that fundamentally the National Party leadreship has no major alternative to the economic rationalist agenda. Although electorally their constituency numerically may be made up of rural families struggling against the effects of globalisation, the dominating force in the National Party is represented by the large Agri-businesses whose interests are served by globalisation.

This basic tension is likely to increase over the long term. One possibility is that a split will occur, with the wing of the party representing big business moving to join the Liberals. The remaining rump could split to the left and the right. Either way the interests of rural families will be more and more tied to the struggles of the working class to bring about systemic change. Big business will always think of short term profit with no concern for the long term interests of the environment and rural communities. Only through a democratic socialist plan of production can the needs of the bush be truly met.

Since the outcome of the Benalla by-election, CCHR has been working hard to further the acceptance of safe-injecting facilities within Melbourne. We have been attempting to lobby key politicians to back the plan. There has been much media regarding the opposition to the facilities and typically little for them. We have been speaking on 3CR programmes on a regular basis to get our message across.

Recently, CCHR and the Socialist Party was given a tour of the Wesley Safe injecting facility in the City. Both jo and David, of Wesley, were extremely helpful and informative in explaining each part of the facility and taking the time to answer all our questions. Overall, the facility was fantastic and a leader compared to footage of overseas injecting facilities we have seen.

CCHR is continuing to hold monthly rallies outside the Melbourne Town Hall on the first Friday of every month(5pm). We have had great feedback from the public regarding these rallies. Many of the councillors for the City of Melbourne are opposed to a facility in the CBD. We need to act on this opposition now!

CCHR is also holding a much needed fundraiser. `Angela'S Ashes' will be shown at the Westgarth Theatre in Northcote, followed by a light supper. It will be held on the 13th of June(Tuesday) at 7pm. To purchase tickets please contact Millie at our office on 9380 8749. Now is a critical time for the campaign and we need all the support we can get to make our goals a reality. For further information or if you would like to join please phone Millie on 9380 8749 or Denise on 9489 8103 (after hours only), or tend our weekly meetings on Wednesdays at 6:30pm in the Lesley Clucus Student Lounge(near RMITV) at RMIT in the City.

WHY I'M A SOCIALIST - Terry Cantwell

About ten years ago, most western countries embarked on an orgy of gloating over the demise of the Soviet Union. We were promised a new world order, where individuals could finally enjoy a peace and prosperity denied them by 'socialism'

Let's look at what's happened since the end of the cold war. Private corporations now control profits larger than the gross national product of many nations. The peoples of the third world, crippled by international debt, have sunk into medieval poverty. Since the 1980s, Africa, in particular, has suffered famines, wars and genocide that would make Stalin's communist regime look like the salvation army

In Australia, the 'new' economy has destroyed entire rural communities, and an army of homeless people struggle just to have their presence recognised. In a country once proud of its positive attitude, many young people now immunise themselves against the hopelessness of sterile economics, with alcohol and heroin. Many just kill themselves.

Capitalism has succeeded - not just in creating massive fortunes for a small few - but by effectively destroying the very notion of class. We are all now expected to be small businesses and our worth is measured by the house we live in, the car we drive, the school we go to. But the working class is alive and well - it's just that the blue overalls have been replaced by fast food uniforms, work for the dole diaries and sewing machines in suburban kitchens.

Capitalism, by its nature, is the severest form of Darwinism; under capitalism there can only be a few winners - the needs of the community will always be detrimental to the interests of the rich. But history has a habit of repeating. 150 years ago, trade unions and community groups emerged to fight the excesses of strangely similar economic conditions to those we experience today. There is now a political vacuum in society, begging to be filled. Despite its faults and its past mistakes, socialism offers the only alternative to naked greed. There is no middle way.

This is why I'm a socialist.

The results of elections in the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union were fantastic news for the 'new militants' breaking through in the union movement.

Darren Nelson of Workers' First won 43% of the national vote in his quest to knock off incumbant National Secretary Doug Cameron. This is a good vote bearing in mind that Workers First have never stood outside their Victorian power base before. It has set down an important marker for the future and has the sell-out ALP left in the union movement very worried. In Victoria, Workers First's Craig Johnstone won his battle to defeat the imposed AMWU State Secretary Julian Rous. Despite a media scare campaign against him, Craig won by almost 500 votes. Unfortunately the national leadership have gone running to the capitalist courts seeking a recount.

This is an attempt to tie up Craig and Workers First in another election and distract them from Campaign 2000 which is due to begin on July 1st (see back page for details). Cameron and co will willingly sacrifice Campaign 2000 in their rearguard action to save their jobs. In time these bureaucratic maneouvres will be seen for what they really are, the last kicks of dying horses.

Latest polls show that only 49% of Australians are interested in the Sydney Olympics. This has dropped from 75% in 1998. It's no wonder. The Games have so far cost $5.8 billion. That includes $1.79 billion from NSW taxpayers and $530 million from the Federal Government coffers. To hide the growing Olympic debt the NSW State government has postponed construction of new schools, hospitals, road and facilities in the bush.

Whole residential areas have been wiped out to make way for Olympic accomodation and games facilities. Civil rights have been trampled on with the legislation aimed at "terrorists". Peaceful demonstrations are barred in the vacinity of the stadiums, t-shirts with a message are out of order, and the Games will be awash with public and private security and military.

People will be searched for food not produced by companies sponsoring the Games. The ticketing fiasco and the nepotism around the Olympic torch exposed the myth of Sydney being the 'people's games'. The Olympic Games are big business. The unelected IOC, whose President is an ex-Spanish fascist leader, openly sells itself and its decisions over venues to the highest bidder. Governments outbid each other to win the Games and their political kudos, leaving the debts to future generations.

Drug-use is a permanent feature of Olympic sport as athletes try to win medals and through victory, get sponsorship and financial security. At times governments sponsor drug use to boost their prestige-and not just in dictatorships. Here in Australia Sports Medicine Australia president, Dr Shane Conway, believes that each gold medal will cost taxpayers $40 million. Sports funding is biased towards elite athletes while funding to promote community participation in sport and exercise suffers accordingly. He claimed that if the rate of participation (in exercise) increased from its current 30% up to 35% it would save the government $880 million a year.

These Olympics will see a delay in handing out of medals after victory so that losers can have time to seek legal injunctions! The Socialist Party will be participating in the protests at the Games in September. Socialists encourage sport. Despite the artificial, elitist air of the Games we do not aim to stop them occurring. However, we will let the world know that many Australians are angry with the the Games hyjacking by big business and governments. We will not let the ruling class use the world's media to sell a false image of Australia. Be there with us.

There are now 7 million millionaires in the world. In the last year the asset base of "high-net worth individuals" rose by 18% to $43 trillion. This was mainly based on a 37% growth in the stock market and the US economic upswing. 55,000 people now own more than $30 million, a figure that also increased by 18% over the past year.

ANZ employees are accusing the bank of sexism after female workers (90% of the total) were told to either cut their hours, resign or be transferred. One with children was told to change or shift or be sacked. The new shift would have meant working 19 hours over four days instead of three, increasing child care costs for her four sons. She earns $243 a week. This year the ANZ is expected to make a profit of $1.7 billion.