Red Flag Radio

In one of the worst attacks on a union in Australian history, the Labor government has imposed a dictatorial administrator on the construction union, the CFMEU. This move has disenfranchised the union's entire membership.  Chloe spoke to Jerome Small, ex-construction worker and reporter for Red Flag, about the causes and consequences of this unprecedented anti-union attack. 

Further reading

"Labor set to impose dictatorial powers over construction union" by Jerome Small in Red Flag 

"Strike shows stakes for Queensland CFMEU" by Duncan Hart in Red Flag

The Land Forces weapons expo is Australia's largest get-together and money-making opportunity for the booming business of war. When it came to Melbourne in September, activists from Students for Palestine and Disrupt Wars protested the orgy of militarism and violence. In response, the Victorian police unleashed hell, firing rubber bullets and torrents of pepper spray at protestors. The media followed up with a barrage of lies about protestors, presenting anti-war peace activists as the violent thugs while cheering on extreme police violence. 

Emma spoke to Bella Beiraghi, one of the protest organisers, to get an insider's perspective on the protest and its aftermath. 

Further reading:

"Guardian fake news helps cops mobilise against anti-war activists" - by Anneke Demanuele in Red Flag 

"Inside the Land Forces protest" - by Jerome Small in Red Flag 

For over 60 days, Tamil and Iranian refugees have maintained a protest camp outside the Department of Home Affairs in Melbourne. Similar protest camps have spread across Australia's major cities. Their demands are permanent protection and justice for almost 10,000 refugees left in limbo by the federal Labor government.

Emma spoke to Aran Mylvaganam, a staunch refugee activist and socialist who has been heavily involved in protests for refugee rights for years. 

Aran describes the incredible bravery of refugees who have stood up to racists and neo-Nazis on the streets of Melbourne. They plan to maintain their protest against the Labor government until victory. 

Our deepest condolences to the family, friends and comrades of Mano Logalingam, a Tamil refugee activist from the encampment who died. We honour Mano in this episode and call for full rights for all refugees. 

Produced by Jack Morrison and Daniel Kenny

Music by Daniel Kenny

Further reading:

- Amid tragedy, refugee protest encampment continues - by Renee Nayef for Red Flag

- Refugees fighting for permanent protection in Sydney  - by Annabel Petit for Red Flag

- Aran Mylvaganam on the Tamil genocide, 15 years on 

Emma and Chloe talk about the cops! We analyse their role in capitalist society, their origins, and the case for their abolition. 

A big thanks to our producers: Daniel Kenny and Jack Morris. 

Further reading:

- "Defunding, disarming, defeating and abolishing the police" - Daniel Taylor in Red Flag 

- "The police serve the system" - Shirley Killen in Red Flag 

We interviewed Ravibha Jeyanathan about the political situation in India under Narendra Modi, and the task of rebuilding a revolutionary Marxist current. Ravibha is from Tamil Nadu in southern India, having sought refuge there from the Sri Lankan genocide. She completed her PhD research in London, researching post-war asylum experiences among Eelam Tamils in the UK. She is a member of Pothuvudamai Iyakkam (Socialist Movement). Ravibha was a guest speaker at this year's Marxism Conference in Melbourne. 

The US presidential elections are coming up, promising a showdown between Donald Trump and newly-anointed Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris. Chloe chatted to Ben Hillier to get his analysis of the US political situation. Ben is an editor of Red Flag newspaper and recently visited the US to report for Red Flag on the Gaza Solidarity Camps at American universities. They discuss the Trumpian takeover of the Republican Party and why Trump has a good chance of winning the election. They dig into Kamala Harris' background and what another Democrat in the white house would mean. Importantly, they critique the "lesser-evilism" argument that is building in left circles: the idea that this is the most important election in a generation, and that left-wingers have to get behind Harris to stop the re-election of Trump. 

Historic protests across Kenya in the past week have mobilised a disenfranchised youth enraged at the Government’s attempt to raise taxes on the working class and poor to pay government debt to the IMF and other international creditors. The 2024 Finance Bill has sparked hatred at a political class who flaunt their opulent lifestyles while hiking the price of bread, cooking oil, and many other essentials.  Protesters refused to back down in the face of intense repression in which many people have been killed protest — with police using live ammunition and disappearing high profile figures in the protest.

This episode Chloe spoke with Ezra Otieno, a leading member of the Revolutionary Socialist League of Kenya about the protest movement in Kenya.

Emma and Chloe take on Yanis Varoufakis' new book, Technofeudalism. 

Varoufakis argues that capitalism is dead, ushering in a new mode of production he calls technofeudalism. He claims that the system we live under today is more like the feudal system which predated capitalism: the main economic activity today is the collection of rent by big tech "cloudalists". These tech giants, like Amazon and Google, are now our feudal overlords, while the rest of the capitalist class has been reduced to mere "cloud vassals". Workers are disempowered, a minority of us are "cloud proles", while the majority of the population are "cloud serfs", unwittingly creating value for the cloudalists through our clicks, likes, purchases and posts. 

Chloe and Emma offer a critique of this theory, arguing that Varoufakis' "cloudalists" are just monopolies, which have been a stable feature of capitalist markets for centuries. We defend the idea that the modern working class is a powerful force because they create the profits, not rent, of the capitalist class. We also offer our own theories for why Varoufakis and others like him are so keen on proclaiming the death of capitalism every few years. 

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"Society as a whole is more and more splitting up into two great hostile camps, into two great classes directly facing each other — Bourgeoisie and Proletariat."

Chloe and Emma explain the Marxist theory of social class. We go through the Marxist definition of class, and explain the nature and behaviour of the capitalists, the working class, the middle classes and more! 

Further reading:

https://redflag.org.au/article/what-social-class

https://redflag.org.au/article/node-7284 

At the 2024 Marxism Conference, Red Flag Radio spoke to Argentinian socialist Cesar Latorre, union militant and leading member of the Movimiento Socialista Los de Trabajadores (MST). Chloe asked Cesar about the role of the revolutionary left in the struggle against far right Argentine President Javier Milei.

Milei came to power promising radical free market policies, massive cuts to the public sector and a confrontational approach to the unions and the left. Since taking office he has unleashed a wave of attacks on workers, students and the poor -- announcing plans to sack 70,000 public sector workers, lower pensions, defund education and crackdown on dissent with attempts to outlaw forms of protest. Milei’s attacks and rampant inflation mean that working class living standards are in free fall.

But Milei has been met with significant resistance. He has faced mass protests in January, two general strikes since taking office and an emerging student resistance to education cuts. The revolutionary left in Argentina has played a significant role in these mobilisations. Alongside the dangers of the moment, opportunities have emerged in the course of struggle for the socialist left to grow.

Red Flag on class struggle in Argentina:

- https://redflag.org.au/article/fight-continues-argentina

- https://redflag.org.au/article/left-argentinas-general-strike 

- https://redflag.org.au/article/shock-therapy-argentina 

MST analysis of the current crisis in Argentina:

- https://mst.org.ar/2024/05/15/panorama-politico-luchas-sociales-tensiones-y-crisis-en-el-horizonte/ 

Don't miss out on the next radical conference near you: 

- Sydney Socialism Conference: 16-18 Aug

- Brisbane Socialism Conference: 23 Aug 

- Perth Socialism Conference: 10-11 Aug

- Adelaide Socialism Conference: 14-15 Aug