Friends, fellow workers and comrades, on behalf of the Bolshevik
Club of Western Australia I’d like to thank you all for giving me the
opportunity to speak and also thank you for coming here today to demonstrate
your opposition to the policies of the Abbott government.
I'm supposed to be talking to you about the life
on disability pensions and the incessant attacks that are directed at welfare
recipients, some of which only receive the bare minimum required to sustain
life. A miserly sum of roughly $150 per fortnight, for some.
Comrades, these welfare
payments weren't a generous "gift" from the Labor Party or Liberal
Party. No, First and foremost, they were a direct response to the social
spending policies of the mighty Soviet Union, which had abolished economic
recessions, depressions and unemployment. Secondly, they were a result of the
needs and demands of an impoverished and struggling working class of the
1920's. Who looked to the Soviet Union for answers. It was a time when mass
unemployment, housing evictions, "move on" laws, anti vagrancy laws
and anti association laws were being enacted. Does anything sound familiar?
Comrades, for the first time in many people’s
lives, job insecurity and unemployment is becoming reality for you the Australian
worker. Recent events with Holden, Ford, Toyota, Alcoa, SPC ARDMONA and Qantas, just to name
a few, are forcing many people to seriously consider their future and indeed
their children's future. Add to this the increasing cost of living; utilities,
rent, fuel etc. then many fears are becoming reality, which are forcing some
people out of their homes, out of the State or even out of the country. Also we
can see a shift from the relative comfort and security of the realms of the
middle class and into the realms of uncertainty within the ranks of the working
class.
In other words, we are witnessing a destruction of Australia's
productive forces.
However, there is another form of welfare that is
quite often overlooked by many, praised by some and undemonised by its
sycophants. It’s called "Corporate Welfare".
Recently, we've seen almost $500 million in
corporate welfare offered to Holden, Toyota and the Ford motor companies. Not
to produce anything, but just to stay in Australia. But not even this exorbitant
amount wasn’t enough to convince the CEO's and share holders, who produce
NOTHING, to stay here. So in the private interests of these CEO's and share
holders, you the Australian worker, face the stigma of unemployment and all its
humiliation and demonisation. Not to mention the possible threat of
homelessness and conditions of poverty and being forced onto a crumbling health
and education system. Crumbling not because they are NO GOOD or USELESS but
thanks to reduced public spending. The very cause of the demise of the public
sector.
Look around you people, everything you see has been made
and produce by the collective efforts of you the working people. This includes
your Wages, Taxes and EVERY CENT of THEIR PROFIT. These attacks on social spending,
welfare cuts, wages and conditions, job losses and corporate welfare, all
represent a redirection of wealth. A redirection, in order to prop up falling
profits. With this redirection of wealth we see you the working people, unable
to purchase the very things you have COLLECTIVELY produced. This results in a
crisis of over production. Hence the markets, shops become glutted with surplus
commodities and so more jobs have to be slashed in order to maximise profits and on and on this
psychosis goes until we have economic depression, which results in the
destruction of the countries productive forces, which is you comrades. None of
us are immune from this phenomenon. In case your wondering comrades, this
phenomenon has a name, it’s called CAPITALISM.
So fellow workers, friends and comrades, what can
we do about this? I've heard some people say, "Vote Labor In" or even
"Vote Liberals Out" or "Vote Greens, Nationals, Clive
Palmer"... And indeed we could. Alas, we've been swapping the jockeys of
this ageing horse since the formation of the ALP. But none of this jockey
swapping has SOLVED the inherent problems that exist in this moribund economic
system. If it could, then we wouldn't be having this discussion today.
One suggestion comrades and I hope the trade unions would
seriously consider this option, is to say "Goodbye" to the CEO's and
share holders of these foreign Nationals. Send them home and they can leave the
machinery here. Then the workers in these industries and factories should form
management committees and take over these production plants. Run them not for
the CEO's and share holders of foreign countries, but for us, the Australian
people who still have a need for these items and products. We know how to run
these plants. We've been doing it for years. You have the brains and the skills
necessary. If they can do it in Argentina, then surely we can do it here.
Comrades, we should be taking over these closed factories
and increase taxes on foreign business. If they won’t co-operate, send them
packing and nationalise these
industries. This course of action removes the PRIVATE PROFIT MOTIVE from the
equation (which is clearly jeopardising yours and your children’s future) then
we can use this newly created PUBLIC PROFIT to sustain and expand better social
benefits to all according to needs.
It's time to put Socialism back on the
agenda!
Thank You.
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