Re: The CPA and Aboriginal Activismwas RE: Scholarship and politics(was Re: Proyect v Woods)

[Gary MacLennan <g.maclennan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>>Alan wrote:
>>
>>
>>That is, one of the leaders, or perhaps _the_ leader,(Lang) who came
>>closest to
>>leading Australia into a socialist revolution was - an imperialist
>>capitalist!


He was also a committed anti-Semite a trait by the way which is still alive
in Sydney Labor.

There is a lot more to tell about Lang though.  The "Big Fellow" as he was
called was linked to welfarist Labor politics. That was the material basis
for the legend that he was on the side of the workers and it gave us the
crowds of silent thousands grieving at this funeral.

On the eve of the 1932 election after his dismissal he held a monster rally
in Moore Park Sydney.  He asked the crowd to signal who was going to vote
Labor in the coming election.    Everyone stuck their hands up of
course.  Needless to say the ruling class won the election.  The parallels
with Whitlam's election campaign in 1975 are uncanny.

As for Alan's remarks about Labor generally one could not agree more.

regards

Gary