Vale Dick Morrison
We were saddened to learn of the death earlier this month of Dick Morrison, a veteran of the socialist movement in Aotearoa and a pioneering leader in the Gay Liberation movement. Morrison was part of the generation radicalized by the movement against the Vietnam War, the struggle for black liberation in South Africa and the […]
Islamophobia and scaremongering to attack our civil rights
There is a history of political terror in this country, one we should never forget. In the 1990s farmer Allan Titford set fire to his own homestead, hoping to blame the arson on local iwi Te Roroa. He later led tense anti-Treaty protests and provocations. In the South Island fascist Kyle Chapman has convictions for fire-bombing a marae, and has thrown Molotov cocktails at Ngai […]
Review: Poata: Seeing Beyond The Horizon
Tama Te Kapua Poata [Ngāti Porou; 1936 – 2005] was born in Tokomaru Bay, on the East Coast. He represents the generation of Māori who migrated into the cities, and continued on to become leaders and fighters in the vanguard of the working class. He was part of all the key struggles of the ‘Māori […]
A stunning victory for the left in Greece
In probably the most important parliamentary elections in Europe since World War II, Greek workers have defied an incredible media scare campaign and voted solidly for the left wing anti-austerity party SYRIZA (the Coalition of the Radical Left). SYRIZA won 36 percent of the vote and decisively defeated the hard right New Democracy, which had […]
Socialism makes sense
It’s sensible, anyone can understand it.It’s easy.You’re not an exploiter, so you can grasp it.It’s a good thing for you,find out more about it.The stupid call it stupid and the squalid call it squalid. It’s against squalor and against stupidity.The exploiters call it a crime but we know:It is the end of crimeIt is not […]
Socialist Summer Reading: the Best of 2014
Socialist Review asked writers, campaigners and performers to suggest some of the best discoveries from 2014 – we hope there are good suggestions here for your holiday reading! Michael Field: One of New Zealand’s defining books was Report on an Experience, published in 1947, two years after its author, John Mulgan, had killed himself. His World […]
Students, Workers and the Class Struggle
The history of capitalism is the history of revolt. Throughout the 19th, 20th and now the 21st centuries the capitalist system has been wracked by crises during which the normal functioning of the system is halted, leaving millions of ordinary people with no option other than to rise up. Workers of course, are a wellspring […]
The Pitmen Painters
The Pitmen Painters – Lee HallCirca Theatre, until 8 November The Ashington Group were pitmen – miners in the United Kingdom who surprised the art world by creating celebrated and striking pieces of artwork, and Lee Hall’s piece traverses their story from the mid 30s to just after the second world war and the start […]
If you didn’t vote you can still complain
The day after National’s resounding electoral victory, social media was awash with people blaming nonvoters for National’s victory. News feeds expressing sentiments like, “What’s wrong with you people?” came quick and fast. Martyn Bradbury from the Daily Blog epitomizes this, “I was wrong, horribly, horribly, horribly wrong. I honestly believed that the resources, the media […]
Lessons to learn from bitter defeat
This was a defeat, and a big one. We have to start with this unpleasant reality. National, on the current results, could govern alone if they chose; at 48% their share of the vote has actually increased compared to the last election. This is an extraordinary situation. Over one million people voted for National. The Herald calls Key […]
