Barbara Pocock pays tribute to Barbara Ehrenreich, best known for her “classic of social justice literature”, Nickel and Dimed, who died on September 1.
We’ve just lost one of the world’s finest writers about inequality and class – and the business of being alive in the United States today
Australian unions back war preparations at Labor Party conference
One of the most revealing features of last week’s Australian Labor Party national conference was the enthusiastic support of the trade unions for the ramping-up of plans for war.
All the unions backed the unanimous votes for a party platform that is committed to expanding military and other war-related production, as well as strengthening the US military alliance because of “its vital importance to Australia’s national security requirements” and demonising China.
Party leader Anthony Albanese set the tone for the conference in his opening address, invoking the record of the World War II and post-war Labor governments of prime ministers Curtin and Chifley from 1941 to 1949. “In Australia’s moment of greatest crisis at the height of the Second World War, John Curtin led the nation out of military danger then Ben Chifley led into reconstruction,” Albanese declared. “Their motto victory in war and victor