Browsing All Posts published on »October, 2012«

Still dealing with symptoms rather than causes

October 19, 2012

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By tomorrow afternoon (Saturday, October 20) it should become clear whether Britain is about to join the growing tide of European rebellion against economic austerity that has become particularly vociferous and violent in Greece and Spain. A traditional stiff upper lip will have been replaced by a powerful and angry snarl.

Exposing the race/class fault lines in SA society

October 5, 2012

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The racial and class fault lines in South African society, papered over by rainbow nation platitudes and disguised for global consumption by the myth of a negotiated miracle, have been brutally exposed. When, as it has now emerged, special para-military units of the police opened fire on miners at Lonmin’s Marikana mine on August 16, the resultant bloodshed washed away the last traces of hypocritical camouflage; it also acted as a catalyst creating conditions in which dangerous and opportunistic political viruses thrive.

Unions, crises and tough times ahead

October 5, 2012

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A world wracked by crises seems on the cusp of radical change, one way or another — reactionary or progressive — and the role of trade unions is thrown into sharp relief as a result. Whatever the outcome, even tougher times are likely.