September 7 marks the 40th anniversary of the event that put on the front pages of the world’s press the feminist movement, or more precisely its “second wave” (following the long lapse since the strong campaigns of the early 20th century for women’s suffrage and emancipation).

He moves in mysterious ways

“This is why God made banks, for this kind of transaction.” – A surprised US factory owner, whose bank unexpectedly refused him a loan to expand his business.

Telling the truth or fostering false hopes

Kieran Latty (Letters, DA #3) claims there are two problems with my article “NSW Labor’s electricity privatisation plans” in DA #2.

Officially the governments that wage war on the peoples of Iraq and Afghanistan acknowledge that by August 26 this year, 4460 of their troops had died in Iraq and 934 had died in Afghanistan.

Exploitation, as I wrote in the previous issue of Direct Action, is an unequal economic relationship, in which one party to a transaction gains something at the expense of the other. That is a very broad definition; it would include being short-changed by a shopkeeper and other fairly trivial inequalities.

Where in the World is Osama bin Laden?
Directed by Morgan Spurlock
Running time 93 minutes

Just created a ‘big-business friendly’ political environment

“The United States government has stayed out of the matter of awarding the Iraq oil contracts. It’s a private sector matter.” – US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, June 29.

Salute
Documentary written and directed by Matt Norman
92 minutes

“Californian-based Australians joined the throngs of girlfriends packing US movie theatres to see their favourite heroines hit the big screen”, the Murdoch-owned News Corporation outlets reported on June 2.

Nearly all societies in the world today are based on a division of labour. No individual or family produces everything it needs to live. Everyone specialises in one or a few activities. At least some of that activity goes to the benefit of others, and, in return, in one way or another, we receive the things we need that we don’t produce ourselves.

Revolutionary socialists have a duty to support socialist revolutions in other countries. Such international solidarity is vital.

There are times when it isn’t?

“At times downright malicious and dishonest.” – NSW Shires Association president Bruce Miller, describing the state Labor government.

The name of this paper refers to something that has a long tradition in movements for social change. In its most fundamental sense, direct action is the idea that, if you want something done, you should go and do it yourself, not wait for someone else to do it for you.

The US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are in crisis. Troop morale in the US-led occupation forces in both wars is waning as the futility of trying to subdue an entire population grows clearer and the numbers of dead and wounded mount. The Iraq war in particular suffers from a growing crisis of legitimacy.

Capitalism, through its direct application of scientific knowledge to the production of goods and services, has promoted the use and control of the forces of nature far more rapidly and extensively than any previous system of production.

The latest news on climate change is not good.