Victorian Socialists member and friend of Red Flag Radio Jorge Jorquera has just won a seat on Maribyrnong Council in the west of Melbourne. Jorge talks to Roz and Liam about why he decided to run as a candidate for council and how the Victorian Socialists organised a campaign during a pandemic. We explore the challenge of connecting local issues with global politics and what it might mean to be a revolutionary socialist and councillor.

Follow Jorge on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/jorgevicsoc

Find out more about the Victorian Socialists - https://www.victoriansocialists.org.au/

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Hosted by Roz Ward. Produced by Liam Ward. 

Music by Dan Kenny. 

Staff and students across Australia are facing the challenge of organising during a pandemic to respond a massive crisis in higher education. Vice Chancellors are claiming that universities need to cut jobs in order to save money that has been wiped from their projected profits. The Liberal government has taken the opportunity to push through a ‘Job-ready Graduates Package’ - a major restructure that aims to make staff and students pay for the crisis. NTEU Fightback activists Katie Wood (Melbourne University) and Jack Hynes (Victoria University) join student activist Grace Hill (ANU) in discussion with Liam and Roz. 

NTEU Fightback - https://www.facebook.com/NTEUfightback

Resources -  https://nteufightback.site/resources

Student Fightback - https://www.facebook.com/StudentFightback

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Hosted by Roz Ward. Produced by Liam Ward. 

Music by Dan Kenny. 

The police crackdown on protests in New South Wales is a serious attempt to erode democratic rights and curtail political expression under the cover of the pandemic. On this episode we discuss why democracy should be defended at the same time as serious health measures are put in place to deal with the health crisis. Our guests Vinil Kumar and Eleanor Morely are founding members of the campaign 'Democracy is Essential - Restore the right to protest in NSW'. 

Campaign Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/DemocracyNSW 

Sign up to the campaign - here 

Donate to help pay the fines - here 

Civil rights, profits and the lockdown by Louise O'Shea 

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Hosted by Roz Ward. Produced by Liam Ward. 

Music by Dan Kenny. 

Twenty years ago, the 11-13 September blockade of the World Economic Forum’s Asia-Pacific Economic Summit, held at Melbourne’s Crown Casino complex, was disrupted by an estimated 20,000 protesters. James Plested and James Vigus are revolutionary socialists who were active participants at S11. On this episode we discuss the political context, debates, actions, and legacy of S11 and the 'battle of Melbourne'. 

20 years on from S11: looking back at the battle of Melbourne by James Plested

S11 on the barricades video 

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Hosted by Roz Ward. Produced by Liam Ward. 

Music by Dan Kenny. 

In 2014, the Hazelwood mine fire burned out of control for 45 days causing one of Australia's biggest environmental and health disasters. Millions of square metres of exposed, highly flammable brown coal sent toxic ash and smoke billowing through the Latrobe Valley. The corporate owners of the mine dodged responsibility and focused on keeping the power station operating. The government covered up the health impacts and offered slow and grossly inadequate support measures. In the face of indifference for their lives and health, local residents got organised and fought back. 

Published on 23 February 2014, Naomi Farmer's article on the crisis, Disaster in the Valley crashed the Red Flag website and triggered the beginning of serious resistance from local communities. Veteran socialist Diane Fieldes joins Naomi for discussion of a disaster that captures both the inhumanity of capitalism and the potential for a different world.

Tom Doig's new book Hazelwood is reviewed by Diane in the next issue of Red Flag.

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Hosted by Roz Ward. Produced by Liam Ward. 

Music by Dan Kenny. 

A two part special edition with Sagar Sanyal on how Marxists understand economic crisis. In part two we discuss how the legacy of the GFC and underlying structural weakness in the economy form the context of the current crisis. Sagar offers a critique of non-Marxist theoretical and practical responses to the economic challenges of 2020. This episode is suitable for listeners who are new to thinking about economics or those looking to develop their understanding of Marxist economics.

If the neoliberal order is over, what comes next? -https://redflag.org.au/node/7184

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Hosted by Roz Ward. Produced by Liam Ward. 

Music by Dan Kenny. 

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Contact the show: 

[email protected] 

A two part special edition with Sagar Sanyal on how Marxists understand economic crisis. In part one we discuss how mainstream interpretations of the causes of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) of 2008 fail to take account of the inherent instability of capitalist competition and production. Why do crises happen and what is the legacy of 2008 for today? This episode is suitable for listeners who are new to thinking about economics or those looking to develop their understanding of Marxist economics.

Recommended reading: Chris Harman (2009) Zombie Capitalism: Global Crisis and the Relevance of Marx (Bookmarks) - available at https://shop.redflag.org.au/

Support us on Patreon:

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Hosted by Roz Ward. Produced by Liam Ward. 

Music by Dan Kenny. 

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Led by students and young people, a new wave of pro-democracy protest has broken out in Thailand. Liam is joined by Giles Ji Ungpakorn, an exiled socialist and Thai dissident living in the United Kingdom, to discuss what has been happening to re-energise the movement.

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Hosted by Roz Ward. Produced by Liam Ward. 

Music by Dan Kenny. 

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The logic of neoliberalism has defined the response to COVID-19 internationally. In Australia, decades of privatisation have degraded health services and made sub-contracting endemic in employment. This means that political decisions continue to be made on all sides that put profit and business before health and life. In this episode we discuss how neoliberalism has shaped the pandemic with Red Flag contributing editor Louise O'Shea. 

Neoliberalism's pandemic - https://redflag.org.au/node/7303 

Support us on Patreon: 

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Hosted by Roz Ward. Produced by Liam Ward. 

Music by Dan Kenny. 

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The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the structural weakness and lack of resources in Australia's hospitals. On this special episode we speak to healthcare workers Cecilia and Eric about their experiences during the current crisis, how the neoliberal priorities of hospital management are impacting workers and patients, and explore the possibilities for resistance and change.

Support us on Patreon:

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Hosted by Roz Ward. Produced by Liam Ward. 

Music by Dan Kenny. 

Subscribe to Red Flag newspaper:

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Contact the show:

[email protected]