Indonesia: Overwork Kills more Than 270 in 10 Days.

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Those guys were lifted from poverty and the Government saved money in the process: the twin goals of globalisation. Right now Australian employers and Scott Morrison must be drawing plans to replicate that achievement here.

Workers’ Mail: ACTU’s TV Ad Campaign.

Email from Sally McManus:

Today we’re launching the biggest ad campaign we have ever run. And we wanted you to see it first. [link to adds page]

This election is about deciding what sort of Australia we want to be. We can either lock in US-style low wages & inequality or Change the Rules.

Our TV ads give voice to millions of working people that are experiencing insecure work & stagnant wages.

Can you help us get this ad on TV by chipping in here? [link to donate page]

The Liberals are spending millions on TV ads to further the big business agenda – we need your help to ensure that working people are heard on every television and radio across the country.

Share the ads with your co-workers, your family, your friends on every social media platform that you use.

We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to correct the power imbalance that has shifted too far in favour of big business.

Together we can Change the Rules.

In unity,

Sally McManus

Don’t get me wrong. I don’t claim McManus is a Commie. In spite of which, I think she is doing a very good job. Much better than the Australian norm.

If readers can, please, consider donating. Alternatively, volunteering is also appreciated.

In the name of our families, friends and communities, in the name of our environment and our future, it’s time to stop the Morrison corrupt gang of leeches of the leeches and their Murdoch presstitute cheerleaders. Remember Menindee and Adani. Remember the impunity for banking scammers. Remember Barnaby Joyce’s 80 million bucks #Watergate. Remember the weekend penalty rates cuts for us and the tax cuts for their rich patrons.

Oceania: Extinction.

Lake Gunn, New Zealand. [A]

Aotearoa New Zealand, much like Australia, is a rich country. Much more than Australia, NZ is world-famous for its astounding natural beauty and its blessed climate. Even if readers never visited it, film franchises like The Lord of the Rings have showcased its magnificent natural scenery.

That beauty, peacefulness (somewhat tainted now by the recent and regrettable Christchurch events), and geographical isolation have made of NZ attractive to many. Just a couple of years ago, even Silicon Valley billionaires -- most notably Peter Thiel -- “discovered” NZ as a kind of “apocalypse insurance” or, as I prefer to call it, up-market Doomsday prepping destination.

Unfrequently Asked Questions: What’s the Lumpenproletariat?

Reading Marx and Engels one sometimes find the terms “Lumpenproletariat” and “Aristocracy of Labour”. In some ways the mirror image of each other, those concepts seem to be much more prominent in the writings of later Marxists than in those of Marx and Engels.

But what are they? We’ll leave Aristocracy of Labour for another opportunity. So, what is the Lumpenproletariat?

Bits and Pieces: is the Government the Problem or the Solution?

I’m sure readers have heard libertarians and free-marketeers roaring or wailing -- fire in their hearts or tears in their eyes -- that the Government is not the solution, but the problem. Lefties (Anarchists and similar excepted), on the other hand, sing hymns to the virtues of Government intervention.

Who is right (lower case)? The Right or the Left?

Sorry, fellow Lefties. At least in Australia, Righties have good reason to believe the Government is crap. Believe it or not.

Liberal Democracy and Ideology as Farce.

I believe liberal democracy, at least as practiced in Western advanced nations, is a farce. I’m sure readers have noticed. In fact, I suspect many would agree.

Some, however, may object to that.

Well, I’ll attempt to substantiate my claim. To that end I’ll use a local example. Overseas readers are free to judge whether that kind of thing could happen in their own places of residence.

Australian Workers? Present!

The ACTU #ChangeTheRules Melbourne rally yesterday was, by all accounts, a success. Estimates put the crowd at tens of thousands, maybe over one hundred thousand, attendants. We are talking about workers from a number of unions, white and non-white, whether born in Australia or overseas, presumably of all religions and identities. Kids from the School Strike 4 Climate, I believe, were also present, together with vegans from the Monday protest.

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The Australian Comedy in Three Headlines.

What a difference a day makes.
Twenty four little hours.

This was news earlier today (check the times in the following screenshots):

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