Red Flag Radio

Mardi Gras was a riot! - with '78er Diane Fieldes

For this special episode we interviewed one of our favourite return guests Diane Fieldes. Diane is a socialist activist and writer who participated in the campaign against police repression after the first Sydney Mardi Gras in 1978. She talks about the homophobia of those years, the violence of the police, and the triumph of the Gay Liberation activists who fought for their rights - including the right to protest. 

Further reading:

- https://redflag.org.au/article/mardi-gras-was-riot

https://redflag.org.au/node/6233

The class struggle in Argentina

The fight is on in Argentina! Javier Milei, the newly-elected President and self-described anarcho-capitalist has announced a slew of attacks on working class living conditions and democratic rights. But workers are fighting back. We spoke to Jasmine Duff, a socialist activist who visited Argentina and participated in the resistance to Milei's attacks. Jasmine roamed around Buenos Aires interviewing activists and reporting for Red Flag newspaper. 

But first up, Chloe and Emma dissect the latest news from Gaza and the Middle East, including the ICJ decision, the Western defunding of UNRWA and the US bombing campaign against the Houthis. 

Further reading:

Argentina:

• "The Left in Argentina's general strike" by Jasmine Duff in Red Flag (Feb '24)
• "'We're not going to take it!' - Mass protests in Argentina" by Jasmine Duff in Red Flag (Dec '23)

Palestine and the Middle East:

• "Hypocrisy about the Houthis"  by Mick Armstrong in Red Flag (Jan '24)
• "‘A small, arrogant, violent, wicked nation’: Israel’s permanent war on the people of the Middle East" by Omar Hassan in Red Flag (Jan '24)

 

 

 

How South African apartheid was ended

A special episode on the fall of South African apartheid! Chloe interviews Tom Bramble, socialist author and witness to working class struggles in South Africa. Tom spent time in South Africa in the years following the overthrow of the racist apartheid system, and he wrote a book and numerous articles about South Africa. He tells us about how the racist apartheid system was finally destroyed, and how the workers' movement played a crucial role in its destruction. 

Further reading

Rethinking the Labour Movement in the 'New South Africa'  - edited by Tom Bramble and Franco Barchiesi 

• How South African Apartheid was Ended  by Emma Norton in Red Flag (2023)
• Lessons from the South African anti-apartheid struggle by Deaglan Godwin (2023)
• South Africa in crisis by Tom Bramble in Red Flag (2016)
• Hypocrisy in West's reponse to Desmond Tutu's passing by Tom Bramble in Red Flag (2021)
• Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) by Tom Bramble in Red Flag (2013)

 

What do socialists say about the state?

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 

 

Why the mainstream media are pro-Israel propaganda + the return of Australian refugee-bashing

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 

School students strike for Palestine! + explaining the rise of the far right

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:
- Melbourne School Students 4 Palestine 
- Sydney High Schoolers for Palestine 

Uni student groups
(look up your own university and "Students for Palestine" on insta to find campus-based clubs!)
- Students for Palestine Victoria 
- Students for Palestine Canberra 
- Students for Palestine WA 
- Adelaide Students for Palestine 
- Students for Palestine Sydney Uni 

Main campaign groups for each city:
Sydney - Palestine Action Group  
Melbourne - Free Palestine Melbourne 
Brisbane - Justice for Palestine Meanjin - Brisbane 
Perth - Friends of Palestine WA 
Adelaide - Campaign against Racism and Fascism 
Canberra - Palestine Action Group - Canberra 
Hobart - 

How we ended the Vietnam War - with Diane Fieldes and Allen Myers

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

 

 

Palestine and the Myth of a Two-State Solution

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. 

The war on Gaza and the origins of Israel

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.

Emma and Chloe discuss the situation in Gaza and expose many of the media devices that cast Israel as the victim with a "right to defend itself", while Palestinians are consistently dehumanised to justify Israeli war crimes.

Further Reading

- 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. 

 

 

Racism and the Voice Referendum - An interview with Jordan Humphreys

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 
- Get yourself to a Palestine solidarity protest in your city this weekend!

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

 

 

 

 

Why socialists support a free Palestine

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
  Sunday Oct 15, 1PM Hyde Park
  https://facebook.com/events/s/stop-the-war-on-gaza-free-pale/237050879370266/
• Melbourne
  Sunday Oct 15, 12PM State Library
  https://facebook.com/events/s/palestine-rally-end-the-siege-/621858313442265/
• Canberra
  Friday Oct 13, 5:30PM Garema Place
  https://facebook.com/events/s/stand-with-palestine-no-war-on/2258919267638772/
• Adelaide
  Sunday Oct 15, 2:00pm SA Parliament House
  https://facebook.com/events/s/solidarity-with-palestine-no-w/7143090389076667/
• Brisbane
  Friday Oct 13, 6:00pm King George Square
  https://facebook.com/events/s/no-war-on-gaza-solidarity-with/884972343033190/
• Perth
  Friday Oct 13, 5:30pm Murray St Mall
  https://facebook.com/events/s/rally-for-palestine-no-war-on-/1046067476425215/
• Wollongong
  Sat Oct 14, 1:00pm MacCabe Park
  https://facebook.com/events/s/wollongong-rally-free-palestin/1951351455251789/

Further readings:

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

The System Behind Sexism

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. 

Indigenous Liberation and Socialism - part 2

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 

 

 

 

Interview: Mint My Desk Workers United!

Louisa and her workmates have had enough. They work at Mint My Desk stationery stores across Brisbane and are illegally paid below the minimum wage, cash-in-hand. Last week, after more than a year of trying to get their bosses to pay the legal minimum, Mint My Desk workers walked off the job. They have now had two strikes and have stared down intimidation and threats of sacking. In this special episode, Emma talked to Louisa, the socialist and unionist at the heart of this campaign, about how retail workers can stand up for their rights. 

 

Further reading:

Latest article on the strike from Red Flag

Original coverage from Red Flag

Mint My Desk Workers United on TikTok

Indigenous Liberation and Socialism - Part 1

This is part one of our interview with author Jordan Humphreys. 

We talked about Jordan's new book, Indigenous Liberation and Socialism.

Indigenous Liberation & Socialism delves into the history and politics of Indigenous struggle, exploring the forgotten legacy of the workers’ movement and the socialist left in the fight for justice against Indigenous oppression. It presents a compelling argument that the liberation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples will only be won if we build a multi-racial anti-capitalist movement which can smash all systems of oppression.

Jordan is a socialist activist in Sydney and a member of the editorial board of the Marxist Left Review. He has been researching and writing about Indigenous issues since 2019. 

Get yourself a copy of his book from Red Flag Books.

Keep an eye out for parts 2 and 3 of Emma's interviews with Jordan.

Producer: Jack Morris
Host: Emma Norton
Music: Daniel Kenny

 

The revolutionary life and ideas of Karl Marx, with Rick Kuhn

Karl Marx has a reputation for being a stuffy old guy, tucked away in a library writing impenetrable tomes. But he was a revolutionary in practice as well as in theory! With his buddy Engels, he was involved in many of the great revolts of the 19th century: from the 1848 revolutions to the Paris Commune, from the American Civil War to the Irish rebellions against Britain.

Seeing as this is a Marxist podcast, we thought we'd dive into the life and times of Marxism's founder. Chloe and Emma spoke to Rick Kuhn; activist, author and winner of the Deutscher Prize (for great Marxist works!) about Karl Marx.

Further readings

Find out more about what Marx learnt from the struggles of his era:

What Marx discovered in the woods 
What Marx learned from the Paris Commune 
Marx's battle against 'state socialism' 

Read more from Rick Kuhn:
Rick Kuhn writes about understanding economic crises

 

 

 

The housing crisis - part 2

Part two of our two-parter on the housing crisis!

Emma and Chloe chatted to Martin about how capitalism shaped our cities, and how, under socialism, we could rebuild them to meet human need. We also waxed lyrical about the campaigns to defend public housing in the 1970s in Sydney, pioneered by the Builders' Labourers' Federation. 

Further reading

- Reclaim the city - by April
- The politics of cities - by Steph Price

Get involved in a housing campaign near you:

• Victorian Socialists, if you're in Melbourne:
  https://www.facebook.com/vicsocialists 
  https://www.instagram.com/vic_socialists/ 
  Video from a recent forum hosted by Victorian Socialists
• Get a Room - Students for affordable housing (National Union of Students)
  https://www.facebook.com/fixtherentalcrisis 
  https://www.instagram.com/fixtherentalcrisis/ 

Socialist Alternative and Red Flag are hosting radical conferences all over the country in the coming months.
If you're in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, or Adelaide, grab your ticket today!

• Sydney Socialism Conference: https://www.socialismsydney.com/
• Brisbane Revolution Conference: https://revolutionconference.org/index.html
• Perth Socialism Conference: http://socialismperth.com/
• Socialism Adelaide: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1076642

 

The housing crisis in Australia with Martin Barker - part 1

Workers and young people in Australia are experiencing a severe housing crisis, with rent and mortgage repayments skyrocketing, homelessness on the rise, and constant attacks on public housing. We talked to Martin Barker, socialist and tenant advocate, about what's going on and who's to blame. 

Chloe and Emma also got a bit journalistic for this episode. We sought out activists at the front line of the fight for public housing and renters' rights. We asked students from the Get a Room campaign what it's like dealing with Sydney's rental market, and we spoke to public housing tenant Caroline Ienna about how NSW Labor is helping developers kick her out of her home. We also heard some spicy retorts to Phillip Lowe's recent "helpful advice" to young people. 

Stay tuned for part 2 on the housing crisis, where we get into the meat of how capitalism has shaped housing and our cities, and how a socialist society would organise things differently. 

Further reading:

Articles by Martin Barker on the housing crisis:

- Property profiteers: Who benefits from the housing crisis? 

- Solutions to the rental crisis 

The class struggle in higher education - with Alma Torlakovic and Jerome Small

This is a bumper episode about the class struggle across the higher education sector, with a focus on Australia and the US. 

First, we talked to Jerome Small, RFR regular and Socialist Alternative's industrial organiser, to set the scene. He covered some fascinating topics; from the US university strikes to the fight within the Australian higher ed union, the NTEU, over the leadership's covid-era proposal to take a wage cut in exchange for supposed "job security". 

Next, we spoke to Alma Torlakovic, a socialist and NTEU union member from Sydney University, about the two-year-long campaign there. Alma and her comrades in NTEU Fightback, a rank-and-file group, are fighting hard against their union accepting a disastrous deal from management. She was full of insights and lessons for other unionists, no matter their industry. 

If you enjoy this episode, please become a subscriber at our Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/redflagradiopodcast/membership 

Production and music by Daniel Kenny. 
Hosted by Emma Norton and Chloe Rafferty.

Further reading

- Alma Torlakovic in Red Flag, on why she's voting no to Sydney University's new Enterprise Agreement: https://redflag.org.au/article/sydney-university-enterprise-agreement-why-im-voting-no

- Jerome Small in Red Flag, "Lessons from the NTEU Sydney University industrial campaign": https://redflag.org.au/article/lessons-nteu-sydney-university-industrial-campaign 

- Alexis Vassiley in Red Flag, "Historic US university strike wins big", on the campaign at Rutgers University: https://redflag.org.au/article/historic-us-university-strike-wins-big 

Revolutions in the 21st Century with Egyptian socialist Hossam el Hamalawy

Think revolutions are a thing of the past? Think again! In this episode, we explore the many revolutions and revolts of the 21st century. We also caught up with Egyptian socialist Hossam el Hamalawy to talk about the Arab Spring of 2011. Hossam was an active participant in the Egyptian revolution and is full of stories and lessons for socialists everywhere. 

Hosted by Chloe Rafferty and Emma Norton
Production and music by Dan Kenny

Show notes:

• Hossam el Hamalawy's writings on Egyptian and world politics
• "The Arab Spring: revolution and counter-revolution" - MLR Oct 2011, by Sandra Bloodworth
• The Art of Rebellion: Dispatches from Hong Kong by Ben Hillier
• "The return of the Arab revolution" - Red Flag Dec 2019, by Corey Oakley
• "Welcome to the new Algerian revolution: interview with Hamza Hamouchene" - Red Flag April 2019, by Omar Hassan 
• "Massacre and uprising in Sudan"
• "Crisis of Sri Lankan capitalism provokes a popular uprising" - Red Flag 2022, by Eleanor Morley