On the Greens Victory

[Gary MacLennan <g.maclennan@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Yes it is great news as Alan says.  However I have quibbles, I had rather
the victory had gone to a socialist.`  I hope that does not sound too
sectarian.  But I really do not want to have to spend the next ten years
detouring through the Greens to prove to everyone that they are just
another  instance of 'same shit new flies'.  I am thinking here of the
experience of the German Greens - who promised so much and are now so much
part of the establishment.

Steve  has made his choice clear here.  He has moved from the DSP into the
Greens and I detected a whiff of a hint of satisfaction about the poor
performance of the Socialist Alliance candidate in the following:

Steve wrote:

"The Socialist Alliance candidate finished with 377 votes (0.64 per cent),
and 11th out of the 13 candidates."

Whatever Steve thinks of the DSP and the SA, it is a political truth that
if the Socialist Alliance were now claiming victory, instead of Bob Brown's
Greens then the powers that be would be infinitely more worried.

Admittedly my attitude is very influenced by the reality of the Greens in
Qld.  Led by a gaggle of dumb ex-anarchists, they have set the bench mark
for Australian Green political opportunism. Thus they formed a de facto
alliance with the old reactionary Right Parties in Qld in 1993, helping in
the process to achieve a Tory Victory in the State election. They have also
consistently opposed raised social issues within the party, whatever their
public rhetoric.  And in this they have been helped by Bob Brown, the
federal leader.  Should Steve doubt this, I can give him chapter and verse.


Still having said all that it is very good news and one right on the nose
for the pragmatists of the Labor Party.  They are stuck now not knowing
which way to go.  Ever so seldom, but truly once in a while it does happen
that it is smart to be principled and this is one of those times. When that
happens the clever pragmatists of Labor are stumped.  When opportunism is
no longer opportunistic, they are at a total loss.

Everything about Labor makes them want to go along with the rich and the
powerful and to serve the interests of the master class. That generally is
a clever thing to do for the ideas that rule are the ideas of the rulers.
But we are in a different situation now. There are divisions among the rich
and the powerful. Moreover out in the broader Australian community there is
a feeling that Howard's sycophantic attitude towards the Bush Regime has
made Australia a target.  This would seem to be how ordinary decent people
have read the Bali Bombing. This opinion was also given voice by a leading
Anglican clergyman. The Greens victory makes the same point even louder and
clearer.

BTW I hope someone passes this on to Bob Gould. Nothing refutes his
pro-Labor position more than the political reality that a defeat for Labor
is good, very good for the Left not to mention humanity.  The sad thing is
that in Cunningham Gould, one of the great figures of Australian
Trotskyism, would, if political consistent, have been giving out how to
vote cards for Labor.

I had my normal Saturday morning chat with Jim McIlroy of the DSP
yesterday, and just for once I am beginning to share his optimism.  He
could be correct and we might be able to stop Australia's involvement in
this war before it even starts.  Certainly the ruling Tory Coalition and
the Labor Party are worried this morning.

regards

Gary


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