What is the state? An overgrown behemoth, a neutral arbiter, a tool of the ruling class? In our first episode for 2024, Chloe and Emma explain the Marxist theory of the state. We also chat about what we read over the break. 

Further reading on the capitalist state:

- "What is the Australian State" - by David Peterson in Red Flag 

- "Marxism vs. the State" - by Sadia Schneider in Red Flag 

Emma and Chloe's summer reading:

Here are the books we talked about at the start of the episode:

- "The State and Revolution" by V.I. Lenin: https://shop.redflag.org.au/products/state-and-revolution?_pos=2&_psq=state%20and%20&_ss=e&_v=1.0&variant=34797667581997 

- "Demon Copperhead" by Barbara Kingsolver

- "Holding the Line: Women in the Great Arizona Mine Strike" by Barbara Kingsolver

- Georgy Plekhanov on Marxism and Philosophy: "The Development of the Monist View of History" https://www.marxists.org/archive/plekhanov/1895/monist/index.htm 

Our main segment in this episode is an interview with Daniel Taylor, an anti-Zionist Jewish socialist and regular contributor to Red Flag newspaper. 

Daniel and Emma talk about why the mainstream media are so aggressively pro-Israel. From the Murdoch press to the state-run ABC, the mainstream media dehumanises the Palestinians and helps cover up Israeli war crimes. We go through all their tricks, double standards and hypocrisies, and try to explain why the media landscape is so homogenous when it comes to Israel. 

But first up, Chloe and Emma discuss the recent resurgence of anti-refugee rhetoric in Australia. With the High Court overturning a decade-old legal precedent which held that refugees could be detained indefinitely - Australian politics has once more descended into a hysterical anti-refugee race to the bottom. 

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Further reading

"The mainstream media are pro-Israel propaganda" by Daniel Taylor in Red Flag 

"Why journalists must speak out about Gaza" in Red Flag 

We spoke to high schoolers from Melbourne and Sydney who went on strike for Palestine, defying intimidation from the media, politicians and their own schools.

The Melbourne school strike for Palestine was the biggest of its kind in the world! But students faced a barrage of condemnation in the lead up to the strikes. Journalists said that students were too stupid to understand such a complex issue, and many prinicipals threatened students with disciplinary action. But thousands of kids remained defiant and showed up in numbers to demand that our government cut diplomatic, economic and military ties with the genocidal state of Israel. 

Also in this episode, Emma and Chloe talk about the worrying rise of far right governments around the world, most recently the victories of Geert Wilders in the Netherlands and Javier Milei in Argentina. 

Note: we recorded this episode during Israel's propagandistic "pause" in its bombardment of Gaza - since then they have only escalated their campaign of ethnic cleansing. Our fight for Palestinian liberation goes on. Get involved in Palestine solidarity organising near you!

Further reading

Red Flag articles:

- "We won't be silenced": Why high-school students are walking out for Palestine 

- Far right victory in Argentina 

- Marxist Left Review article - "Dark clouds over Europe - facing the new far right" 

Get involved in Palestine activism!

High school groups:

Uni student groups

Main campaign groups for each city:

In the middle of a new anti-war movement against the genocide in Gaza, we thought it would be timely to release an episode about the movement that helped end the Vietnam War. At Socialism Conference 2023, Emma interviewed two seasoned anti-war activists about their role in the movement that swept the world in the 1960s and 70s America (and Australia's!) brutal war. Allen Myers was a socialist GI, drafted into the American military, who spent years agitating against the war among fellow soldiers. Diane Fieldes was a student in Australia who got involved in the movement while at high school and became a lifelong socialist. We have a lot to learn from their experiences as we stand up against the horrors of war and occupation today. 

Further reading:

Red Flag Articles:

- A People's History of the Vietnam War - by Lily Campbell

- Students in the Anti-Vietnam War Movement by Grace Hill

Our guest is Josh Lees, one of the leading organisers of Sydney's massive Palestine solidarity rallies. Josh critiques the so-called "two-state solution", explaining why it provides no real solution for the Palestinians and how the slogan has been used and abused by Western governments to cover up Israel's crimes. 

Earlier in the episode, Emma and Chloe talk about the current situation in Gaza and get stuck into the UN for its historic role in greenlighting the ethnic cleansing of Palestine. 

We interviewed Vashti Fox, author of "The Story of Palestine: Empire, Repression and Resistance". We talk about how Israel has been a racist, imperialist project from the very beginning, and Vashti explains why ruling classes around the world still offer their full-throated support for Israeli war crimes.

- Vashti Fox's book The Story of Palestine: Empire, Repression and Resistance, available at Red Flag Books 

- Map of "Disappearing Palestine" as of 2014 https://www.palestinecampaign.org/wp-content/uploads/disappearing-palestine-A3-poster-PRINT-Jan-2014.pdf

- for coverage of the genocide in Gaza, follow Red Flag 

Find a Palestine solidarity rally in your city this weekend!

NB- We recorded our discussion on 22nd October, and a lot has happened in a little over a week. The death toll in Gaza has doubled since then, to over 8000, and we are seeing increased ground offensives in northern Gaza. Western politicians have doubled down on their pro-Israel rhetoric, and only a trickle of aid is being allowed into the besieged Gaza strip. The humanitarian crisis there is dire. 

In response to these horrors we have seen continued resistance around the world. The past weekend saw the biggest pro-Palestine protests in Australian history, including 50,000 people who marched in Sydney. 

It's been just over a week since Australia went to the polls and returned a resounding 60% majority "No" vote against an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. What do socialists make of the result? Emma spoke to Red Flag Radio regular Jordan Humphreys, author of Indigenous Liberation and Socialism, about the significance of the defeat. Jordan explains how the "No" camp tapped into a well of anti-Aboriginal racism in this country. We discuss the tepid "Yes" campaign, and why Labor should be held accountable for its decades-long role in pushing racist ideas and policies. Jordan also offers some reflections on the fight for Indigenous rights going forward.

Further reading

- Jordan Humphreys' article in Red Flag: Voice Defeated - Fight against racism continues 

- Indigenous Liberation and Socialism by Jordan Humphreys, available at Red Flag Books

A note on the ongoing genocide in Gaza

We are living through a historic moment. In the space of two weeks, Israel has slaughtered over 5000 Palestinians and destroyed almost half of the building in the Gaza. Millions of people have been protesting across the world against this atrocity, with demonstrations planned for the future.

- Check out this episode, where Chloe interviews Omar Hassan about the issue: Why socialists support a free palestine 

We are working hard to get you more Palestine-related content in the coming weeks. Look out for our next episode which will include an interview with Vashti Fox, author of The Story of Palestine, about the racist and imperialist origins of the Israeli state. 

- Buy Vashti's book The Story of Palestine: Empire, Repression and Resistance, available at Red Flag Books

Right now, Israel is mobilising for a full-scale war in response to an offensive by Hamas. Netanyahu has vowed to turn Gaza, with its population of 2.3 million people, into a deserted island, and Israeli politicians are openly calling for another Nakba — referring to the genocidal massacres in 1948 which marked the beginning of Israel’s occupation of Palestine.

Western politicians are lining up to pledge their support for Israel’s “right to defend itself”. The US has sent an aircraft carrier to aid Israel, and Biden has taken this opportunity to rally support for Western imperialism & funding for the Israeli Defence Forces. 

Chloe spoke to Omar Hassan about the history of military occupation and genocide from 1948 to today, and why the left must stand with Palestine. Omar is a socialist from Melbourne, a long-time Palestine solidarity activist and editor of the Marxist Left Review.  

Join the solidarity protests:

• Sydney
  

Further readings:

Check out the War on Palestine section of the Red Flag website: https://redflag.org.au/category/palestine

In this episode, Emma and Chloe take a deep dive into the system behind sexism. Why has women's oppression persisted long after the Women's Liberation Movement won formal equality? Why is the gender pay gap actually widening? We also tackle some of the major debates between feminists and socialists, like who benefits from sexism: men in general or the capitalist class? 

Further reading

- "Why Sexism Persists" by Diane Fieldes 

- "The System Behind Sexism" by RFR's own Roz Ward 

- And check out this collection of books for sale on gender and sexual oppression at Red Flag books: https://shop.redflag.org.au/collections/women-lgbtia 

NOTE: We recorded this episode before the recent events in Palestine began. We are hurrying to record and release an episode explaining Israel's already catastrophic war on Gaza and the West Bank, defending the right of Palestinians to resist their oppression. Look for that towards the end of this week. 

Part two of an interview with Jordan Humphreys about his new book Indigenous Liberation and Socialism. Emma and Jordan chat about the inspiring history of Indigenous struggle in Australia. This one's not to be missed! Jordan shares his fascinating research on on how the early workers' movement fought for Indigenous rights - from Aboriginal shearers who joined a militant union to Communists who led strikes for Indigenous liberation. We talk about Australia's own civil rights movement, and how Black Power came to Australian cities in the 1970s. 

Links:

- Grab a copy of Jordan's book at Red Flag Books and join us for the third and final part of this interview in a few weeks. 

- Check out Jordan's latest offering in Red Flag newspaper about why you should vote yes in the Voice referendum! 

- Jordan's article in the Marxist Left Review on How Australian Communists fought for Indigenous Liberation 

Get involved in a Socialist Alternative branch near you

Leave your details here if you want to get active in building the socialist movement: https://redflag.org.au/getinvolved