Further reading compiled by staff and subscribers
Australia
With supremacist ‘Anglos’ battling it out with ‘bloody Lebs’ on Cronulla beach, it looks like being a long, hot summer down under. But the reality is that Australia is no more racist than Britain, argues Germaine Greer. Two tribes go to war. The Guardian
‘Under the leadership of Prime Minister John Howard, Australia evolved from a "tolerant", forward-looking society into one of the most intolerant and conservative societies in the Western world. Today, Australia’s multiculturalism is only useful as political rhetoric and an instrument of marginalization.’ Rising Tide of Xenophobia: Australia’s Shallow Multiculturalism by Ghali Hassan, Centre for Research on Globalization
Recent Melbourne Anti-Racism “ article and photos. Melbourne Indymedia
Fighting Race-Hate in Australia and New Zealand Fightdemback.com
‘It is supposed to be the lucky country, where the beach culture more than any other phenomenon symbolises all that is breezy, open and inclusive about Australia. But the cocktail of fear, alienation and youthful anger spawned by the worst racial violence ever seen here now threatens the traditional Christmas of sun, sand and surf.’ When the sands ran red, The Observer
UP to seven Australians have received kidney transplants from death-row prisoners executed in China. They are among dozens of Australians who have travelled overseas to buy organs in India and Asia, paying between $15,000 and $50,000 for the transplants. Australians get Chinese inmate organs by Mark Dunn, The Daily Telegraph, News.Com.au
US
Government Spying On Citizens Is Not New – How naïve can you get? Evidence shows they’ve been doing it for decades by Steve Watson Infowars.net
‘George Bush looked different Sunday night. Usually when he speaks from the Oval Office, the camera zooms in tight to shoot him above his jacket’s top button. This time, the White House aides asked for a wide shot so that viewers could see Bush’s every hand gesture.’ Bush’s Long March to Candor – Will his New Year’s resolution stick? By John Dickerson. Slate
‘The Declaration of Independence reads, œwhen a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce [citizens]under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government. The Founders of the United States invoked this principle to throw off the rule of King George 3. Now we have the occasion to use it to remove emperor George 43.’ Dictator Dubya by Bob Burnett, The Huffington Post
‘Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, angry at the uproar over his refusal to spare the life of convicted murderer Stanley Tookie Williams, told his hometown of Graz, Austria, to take his name off the city’s 15,000-seat soccer stadium.’ John Wildermuth, SFGate.com
Africa
‘There are probably more annoying things than being hectored about African development by a wealthy Irish rock star in a cowboy hat, but I can’t think of one at the moment.’ The rock star’s burden by Paul Theroux The New York Times. Link through International Herald Tribune
Global
‘Last year, two days after Christmas, we kicked China out of the house. Not the country obviously, but bits of plastic, metal, and wood stamped with the words "Made in China." We kept what we already had, but stopped bringing any more in.’ A year without ‘Made in China’ by Sara Bongiorni, Christian Science Monitor
Germany
‘Germany rejoiced following the freeing of hostage Susanne Osthoff and her driver in Iraq after more than three weeks in captivity. But details of the release are still shrouded in mystery.’ DW-World.de
Bolivia
‘Señor Morales has pledged to nationalise the country’s huge gas reserves and call a constituent assembly to write a new constitution that will reflect the indigenous majority. Ethnic Aymara and Quechua people make up a majority of the 9.3 million population. He has also promised to ally Bolivia with other regional left-wing leaders such as Presidents Chávez of Venezuela and Castro of Cuba.’ Tom Hennigan, TimesOnLine
‘This past Sunday, the people of Bolivia elected indigenous leader Evo Morales as their next president. In elections that have captured international attention, Morales’ Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) won over 50 percent of the popular vote, with a 20 percent lead over conservative opponent Jorge Quiroga.’ Evo Morales Becomes Bolivia’s Next President, Now His Real Challenge Begin by Gretchen Gordon ZNet
India
‘The days of the Raj are long gone, but multinational corporations are riding high on the trend toward globalization by taking advantage of India’s educated work force and deep poverty to turn South Asia into the world’s largest clinical-testing petri dish.’ INDIA: Testing Drugs on India’s Poor by Scott Carney. Corpwatch
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