DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST PERSPECTIVE

By Peter Boyle
DSP National Secretary

The Socialist Alliance "Howard Overboard" November 24 election night party in Green Left Weekly's offices in Sydney spontaneously spilled into the streets when John Howard conceded defeat. Jubilant activists celebrated with chants, whistles and pots and pans in a lap around the block which drew out people from their homes. A right-wing government that has plagued Australia since 1996 has been defeated and we have much to celebrate.

The DSP urges a first preference vote for Socialist Alliance candidates in the 2007 federal election. We support a second preference to the Greens and then preferencing Labor ahead of the Coalition parties. While a defeat of the Howard Liberal-National government would be a huge boost to the confidence of the working class, the Rudd Labor "opposition" stands shoulder to shoulder with the Coalition on the essentials. We urge the left to unite around the Socialist Alliance campaign and to volunteer and help fund this important campaign to present a socialist alternative to the neo-liberal agenda of Coalition and Labor parties.

Statement by the Democratic Socialist Perspective, September 17, 2007

The Democratic Socialist Perspective offers its solidarity to the people of Bolivia and the government of Evo Morales in the face of the campaign by US imperialism and the local oligarchy to overthrow the Morales government and destroy the process of change it is leading. We wish to draw attention to this threat and urge the widest possible expressions of support to help the Bolivian people defend their revolution.

The Democratic Socialist Perspective (DSP) is now calling for the immediate withdrawal of the Australian troops from East Timor. The September 9-10 meeting of the DSP national committee resolved to investigate the prospects for building a public campaign around this demand. Peter Boyle, the national secretary of the DSP, explained the reasons for this decision:

"Since May 2006, our position has been that the current Australian military intervention into East Timor – unlike the intervention in 1999 which we campaigned for because it would advance the national liberation struggle in that country – would not solve the underlying social and political crisis and marked a setback in the struggle.

Click here for the Spanish version of this talk

[The general line of the following report was adopted by the DSP National Committee meeting on April 29 2007.]

This report seeks to reaffirm the general line and positions on the current phase of the Bolivarian revolution in the February 12 report adopted by the DSP National Executive. Subsequent events have shown the general analysis, of the opening of a new phase in the class struggle since the December 3 presidential elections, to be correct. The report contains more information on some of the analysis and formulations raised in this report, that comrades should refer in order to complement and flesh out this report.

Seven of the eight feature talks presented to the Democratic Socialist Perspective's Socialist Summer School, held at the University of Sydney in January are now available. The talks cover topics from: What is Marxism? to War, Imperialism and Revolution, the role of a revolutionary socialist party, Youth, Students and Revolution, Marxism and the environment and other issues.

The DSP has decided to begin publishing its reports, discussions and debate on developments in the Venezuelan revolution from the DSP's internal bulletin The Activist on its website. (The most recent reports of the DSP will be posted first then earlier material will be progressively added.)

• Report April 2007: Now we build socialism: Report on the Venezuelan revolution

By Stuart Munckton

[The general line of this report was adopted unanimously on February 12, 2006 by the DSP's National Executive.]

 

The victory in the December elections

The victory of President Hugo Chavez in the December 3 presidential elections, on an explicit platform of creating socialism, was a major victory in the class struggle in Venezuela, and it opens the way to a new phase in the struggle to decisively deepen the revolution, breaking the political power of the objectively pro-capitalist state bureaucracy, and the economic power of the capitalist class. This victory cannot be understood either in purely electoral terms, or in a purely “Chavista versus opposition” framework.

13 January 2007


The 2007 Socialist Summer School was a great success. Sponsored by Resistance and the Democratic Socialist Perspective (DSP), both affiliates of the Socialist Alliance, the event was held at Sydney University’s Women’s College from January 4-7. Some 210 people attended the four days of talks, workshops, meetings and social events.

Conference participants heard plenary talks given by leaders of the DSP and Resistance on a number of key problems of the struggle for socialism. “What is Marxism?”; “War, revolution and imperialism”; “Popular power”; “Marxism and women’s liberation”; “Marxism and the environment”; “Class in an imperialist country”; “Youth, students and revolution”; and “The socialist revolution and the revolutionary party” — such were the titles of these instructive and thought-provoking presentations.

Filmmaker Jill Hickson from Actively Radical TV presented a compilation “2006 in review”, highlighting the big class struggle events and the involvement of members of the DSP, Resistance and Socialist Alliance. A special emphasis was given to the struggle by Indigenous people and their supporters to win justice for the 2004 death of Palm Island resident Mulrunji at the hands of Queensland police. Indigenous activist and Socialist Alliance member Sam Watson is playing a leading role in this struggle.

Trent Hawkins, a participant in the recent Australian solidarity brigade to Venezuela and Perth Resistance organiser, gave a vivid presentation on the December presidential elections there. Hugo Chavez won a historic victory, attracting some 63% of the votes cast. From this platform Chavez has gone on to outline a series of dramatic new moves to take the struggle to create a new socialism of the 21st century to a qualitatively new stage.

Venezuelan charge d’affaires to Australia Nelson Davila took up these themes in his address to the conference. This year is shaping up to be a major turning point in the revolutionary process in Venezuela. US aggression will likewise be ramped up and the solidarity movement in Australia will have to increase its efforts to get out the message and build support.

A highlight of the conference was the very enthusiastic Saturday evening rally that launched the 2007 fund appeal for Green Left Weekly. Last year some $231,000 was raised — 93% of the $250,000 target — to enable Australia’s leading radical newspaper to keep on coming out. This year GLW is again aiming to raise a quarter of a million dollars. Rally participants gave the fund appeal a big kickstart with pledges of $97,000.

Summer school participants attended a range of workshops and educationals on various topics. A number of national fractions to help coordinate the work of the DSP and Resistance were also organised.

2007 promises to be an extremely hectic year. The capitalist neoliberal, anti-worker offensive is continuing on all fronts, and the climate change crisis will only intensify. On the other hand, the inspiring revolutionary advances in Venezuela show what can be done. The Socialist Summer School left participants feeling energised and enthused for the struggles ahead.

ACT Liberal Senator Gary Humphries’ attack on friends of Cuba in a Senate adjournment speech on October 10 is an ominous reversion to McCarthy-era red-baiting and intimidation”, warned Peter Boyle, the National Secretary of the Democratic Socialist Perspective, one of the groups accused by Senator Humphries of being "Castro's cheer squad in Australia".

“The DSP is proud of its support for the Cuban Revolution.