Readers are invited to submit letters to The Guardian.
Letters may be e-mailed to guardian@cpa.org.au.
Letters of 300-400 words are preferred.

Letters to the Editor:

Dealing with realities

The letter of Bob Saltis (Guardian 2/6/04) and headed 
"Where to begin?" raises so many questions that need a response 
that it is indeed difficult to know "Where to begin?"

Bob's letter suggests "A left strategy that propose[s] the 
immediate transfer of the ownership of the means of production to 
the people" but immediately follows this with the remark that, 
"Nationalisation is out of the question at present".

Bob writes, "We need bold approaches" and then suggests "We could 
try buying strategic parcels of shares in companies from the 
capitalists with their own money".

He asks: "Where are the policies that can here and now begin the 
struggle for 'control over the wealth' the workers create"

The failure for the situation to "move forward" is placed at the 
door of the CPA because it has not "elaborated specific 
proposals" and then Bob Saltis makes a breath-taking comparison 
with China saying that "The Chinese Party adopted bold programs 
to build socialism and is doing it successfully". He says: "The 
only reason why we can't is a fear that we haven't the strength 
(unlike the Chinese) to carry it through".

Bob overlooks the "little" detail that the Communist Party of 
China and the Chinese people have won political power from the 
Chinese bourgeoisie and the foreign imperialists. The Australian 
working class has not yet taken that step and by Bob's own 
admission they are not yet ready to do so.

He writes, "all the organised workers can see as a solution [to 
unemployment] is for public money to be used to protect jobs 
through hand-outs to the capitalists".

Bob Saltis, I am sure, claims to be a Marxist but one of the 
first obligations of a Marxist is to base oneself on realities 
rather than wishful thinking and then show off one's frustrations 
at the difficulties and the slowness of change. That does not 
mean meekly accepting the realities but setting out to change 
things for the better.

I guess if Bob were living in the scores of other countries where 
the working class have also not yet solved the problem of 
unemployment and not yet set out on the task of building a 
socialist society he would be lambasting the communist party of 
that country for "failing to carry out its vanguard role".

The CPA's Program, its Congress political resolutions and 
a number of other statements do include comprehensive policy 
proposals. The fact that they have not yet been taken up by the 
working class is due to the reality that most are satisfied at 
present with the "social policies" of the Greens and the Labor 
Party and this is a reflection of the political reality in 
Australia.

The job is to work conscientiously to change the situation rather 
than thinking up gimmicks such as "buying strategic parcels of 
shares in companies from the capitalists with their own money".

Bruce Gillman
Sydney, NSW

With the world's attention focused on the travails of the US's 
attempt to impose its so called ideal of democracy upon the Iraqi 
people, another country which may not fit their "democratic" 
ideals is facing a similar move to impose regime change.

Usually if an unpopular, autocratic despot governs a country, any 
of their citizens who leave the country, defect and don't want to 
come back, unless they can make a killing financially in some so-
called liberal democratic country where money is everything.

Cuba may have had the same head of state for the past 45 years, 
but that does not mean: the people don't have a say in the 
running of the country, that an overwhelming majority of the 
people object to the rule of Fidel Castro or that the Cuban 
Revolution has caused a social, cultural, political and economic 
decline to grip the nation since the US backed Batista was 
overthrown.

On the contrary, Cuba has one of the lowest infant mortality 
rates and most advanced systems of education and health care in 
the world. On top of which the only "insurgents" the Cuban 
Government sends overseas are the thousands of doctors, 
specialising in medical interventions instead of the military 
kind, to be found in many parts of the globe.

As a testimony to the popularity and endurance of the Cuban 
Revolution, Perth has just had its second visit from the talented 
Buena Vista Social Club of Havana, and we didn't see any of them 
scrambling to claim political asylum or refugee status.

If the US manages to, "subvert" the government of Fidel Castro, 
the world will become a less free and democratic place as a 
consequence.

Richard Titelius
Perth, WA

GROVIL — the Grassroots Resistance to Violations of 
International Law — is offering $5000 reward for the arrest and 
conviction for complicity in Iraq war crimes any MP supportive of 
the war on Iraq.

John Howard boasts that he did not shackle Australia to the US-
led illegal war on Iraq by attending to opinion polls. Quite. 
Neither he nor his companions in crime, Blair and Bush, attended 
to the overwhelming world-wide opposition to the war.

Howard also ignored the esteemed opinions of 43 experts in 
international law who unanimously declared the war to be illegal.

Now we have the tail wagging the UN dog in that the UK and US are 
trying to inveigle the international community to clean up and 
pay for the colossal mess they have created.

Before the war, they maligned the UN and bugged the deliberations 
of its members whilst all the time doing their utmost to 
precipitate a war through lies, distortions, bribes and power 
politics.

The time has come for citizens everywhere to reclaim their 
countries now in the hands of shysters, racketeers, con-men, 
snake oil salesmen and gangsters. Make no mistake about it, this 
description aptly describes the military-industrial complex which 
Eisenhower warned about, and its latest manifestation, corporate 
globalisation.

In medieval times citizens enjoyed arrestive powers almost the 
same as those of the sheriff and constable. They were often 
called upon to form a posse comitatus to assist law officers.

GROVIL is part of this long tradition and believes the Rule of 
Law should dominate, not the rule of War. The failure of legal 
authorities to enforce the law, which is being blatantly 
disregarded by those in high office, has necessitated the 
formation of GROVIL.

Our objective is to bring before the courts MPs charged with 
complicity in war crimes. To do this we will be totally non-
violent and, after touching the offender and announcing the 
charge, we will immediately hand them over to the police who will 
be close to hand. It is hoped that GROVIL will take root in all 
parts of Australia and internationally.

Initially, we will focus on federal members, Larry Anthony and 
Ian Causley and issue them with warrants of arrest. July 4 is 
brown nose day in Australia. It would be supremely apt if John 
Howard could be arrested at this time.

Gareth Smith
Byron Bay, NSW