Date: Tue, 5 Mar 96 09:38:04 GMT
From: Adam Rose <adam-AT-pmel.com>
Subject: Re: Conservatives win Australian election



An election victory for the right is an election victory for the right.
Of course, it indicates a shift to the right in society, just as
the current strength of Blair's Labour Party in Britain indicates a
shift to the left.

On the one hand, the ruling class in Australia is no longer happy with
using the trade unions to get their members to accept lousy deals - they
require more than that.

On the other, the collapse in the Labour vote indicates that large
numbers of workers are no longer prepared to indentify themselves
with working class politics. ( We should remember that the resistance
to Thatcher came from people who continued to vote Labour in 1979 - not
least, Militant ). The rise in racism is the flip side of the demoralisation
of Labour activists on the ground who are prepared to put an anti racist
argument.

Nevertheless, we should not overestimate the shift to the right. From
what I understand, there has been a certain increase in militancy from
unions just recently. Also, this new guy ( what's his name ? ) seems
like a cross between John Major and Jacques Chirac - he seems like
a characterless non entity, who is split between staying popular and
not attacking the welfare state and going for a Chirac style all out
assault.

Adam.

Adam Rose
SWP
Manchester
UK


---------------------------------------------------------------


     --- from list marxism-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---

     ------------------