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Former NSW Greens Senator Lee Rhiannon speaks to Alex Whisson about her experiences making the new MUA-funded documentary film, Palestinians Don't Need SIdewalks.
As a fragile ceasefire finally comes into effect in Gaza, Nasser Mashni, President of the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network, joined Alex Whisson to discuss the politics and logistics of the truce, brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, and what might happen at the end of the first phase of the agreement in six weeks' time.
Alex Whisson analyses what Donald Trump's extraordinary triumph in the 2024 U.S. Presidential election will mean for workers in the United States and around the world.
Doug Henwood is an author, commentator, contributing editor at The Nation, and host of Behind the News on KPFA Radio, part of the Pacifica Radio Network. As we finally reach the end of what has seemed like the longest campaign in modern political history, he joined Alex Whisson to discuss the perils, pitfalls and possibilities of the American Presidential election.
Philip Chilton is a historian at Curtin University and a rank-and-file activist with the National Tertiary Education Union. He has an academic interest in studying various forms of political extremism and it's in that context he joined Alex Whisson to discuss yesterday's Christian Zionist rally on the steps of the State Parliament.
Richard Hamilton from Victims of Nicheliving joins Alex Whisson once again to discuss the latest twists and turns in the long-running saga.
As Israel's genocidal war against the Palestinian people continues unabated, and as Netanyahu's campaign of terror expands to Lebanon and the wider region, Alex Whisson spoke to Mustafa, chair of the Palestinian Community of WA, to discuss an upcoming charity event, the Run for Palestine.
Lebanese-Australian and education leader for Mums for Palestine, Yasmin Roz, joined Alex Whisson to discuss Israel's ongoing atrocities in Lebanon.
In the midst of Israeli atrocities in Lebanon, and as the genocide in Gaza continues unabated, Alex Whisson spoke to Gamel Kheir, Secretary of the Lebanese Muslim Association in NSW.
After construction company Nicheliving failed to have its building license renewed in July, hundreds of home builders were in line for insurance claims and therefore the possible completion of their homes. Now, however, the State Administative Tribunal has approved a stay on that order, allowing the conpany to continue its operations for the time being, and once again leaving dozens of families in the lurch, with seemingly no one to support them. RIchard Hamilton joined Alex Whisson to discuss the implications of the SAT's ruling, and where matters might proceed from here in this long-running saga.
In another edition of Fieldnotes on the road to global war, Alex Whisson presents a brief summary of the global situation across multiple theatres and potential theatres of war.
Long suffering home builder Richard Hamilton joined Alex Whisson to discuss the latest chapter in the Nicheliving saga, the construction company which has become a byword for everything wrong with the Western Australian housing industry.
Alex Whisson discusses all the potentially seismic political ramifications of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in rural Pennsylvania.
Professor Salim Vally, the National Research Foundation Chair in Community, Worker and Adult Education at the University of Johannesburg, joined Alex Whisson to discuss the recent South African elections, in which the African National Congress for the first time lost its absolute majority in parliament.
Executive Director of the Australian Centre for International Justice, Rawana Arraf, joined Alex Whisson to discuss the jailing of military whistleblower David McBride, and the prospects for justice being served in the war crimes he brought to light.
For this edition of Fieldnotes on the road to global war, Alex Whisson explores the advances in military technology on the battlefields of recent and current wars, with a particular focus on the revolutionary use of weaponised drones in Nagorno-Karabakh and Ukraine.
In a historically unprecedented development, Tehran launched hundreds of drones and missiles against Israeli targets, in response to the assassination of senior Iranian military officers in Damascus. Alex Whisson discussed the dangers and temptations of viewing this attack as an act of solidarity with anti-imperialist forces.
Nathalie Farah is a writer and advocate from Naarm/Melbourne. She joined Alex Whisson and Joni Boyd to discuss the various mobilisations taking place in response to the call for escalatory, economically disruptive action in solidarity with the people of Palestine.
Jarrod McKenna is a Christian pastor, educator, and peace activist currently involved in organising the Gaza Ceasefire Pilgrimage, a project which has expanded to include an astonishing 109 cities in 17 nations. Alex Whisson spoke to Jarrod to discuss the motivations behind the project, and why it is an opportunity to both map the geography of horror unfolding in Gaza, as well as create space for emotional catharsis and spiritual rejuvenation.
Ahead of Julian Assange's final attempt to appeal his extradition to the United States on 17 charges of espionage and one charge of computer misuse, Alex Whisson spoke to his father John Shipton.
One of three Disrupt Burrup Hub campaigners issued a summons to appear in the Supreme Court, in relation to an action last June which led to the evacuation of Woodside's corporate headquarters, Emil Davey joined Alex Whisson to discuss this latest episode of 'lawfare' by the fossil fuel giant hellbent on destroying both ancient Aboriginal rock art and the natural habitat of the Burrup Peninsula.
Alex Whisson: Fieldnotes on the road to global war by Perth Indymedia Collective
Argentinian-Australian political commentator, author and analyst, Federico Fuentes, joined Alex Whisson to discuss the recent election of Javier Milei as President of Argentina. Is he a populist? A libertarian? An anarcho-capitalist? Or an out-and-out fascist? And what are the political implications of his election, not only for Argentina, but the Latin Amerian region as a whole?
For the final episode of the year, Alex Whisson surveys the state of the world.
Disrupt Burrup Hub's Gerard Mazza joined Alex Whisson to discuss why an activist with the group, Marek 'Maz' Misiewizc, chose to lock himself on to a barrel in the boot of a 4WD, parked right outside the office of the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority.
Several campaign groups came together on Friday 8th December outside the Perth convention centre, to give their warm season's greetings to a gathering of defence industry bigwigs, including representatives from Babcock and BAE Systems, and featuring special guest speaker, the UK Minister of State for Indo-Pacific, Anne-Marie Trevelyan. The protest speakers featured are Stop AUKUS - WA campaigner Sam Wainwright, veteran environmentalist & peace campaigner Jo Vallentine, Unionists for Palestine WA's Alex Whisson, Students for Palestine's Ella Marchionda, and Nuclear Free WA activist KA.
Former seafarer, rank-and-file leader of the Great Patrick's Dispute of 1998, and now National Secretary of the CFMMEU, Christy Cain, set a firestorm through both the Australian trade union movement, and the Palestine solidarity campaign, with an impassioned speech at a mass rally for Palestine in the centre of Melbourne on Sunday 3rd December. He joined Alex Whisson to discuss why he gave that speech, which among other things, directly called on other union leaders, and specifically ACTU Secretary Sally McManus, to do more, much more, for the people of Palestine, and why it was so important to him both personally and politically.
The AUKUS agreement, signed in September 2021, is one step of many designed to reinforce, intensify, and scale up a wider network of Western military alliances, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. As the US empire continues its geostrategic shift towards confronting its great rival China, the so-called 'pivot to Asia', Australia is set to play potentially a key role, as Washington's loyal lieutenant, in attempting to extend American global domination well into the 21st century. Sam Wainwright, spokesperson for the campaign group Stop AUKUS - WA, joined Alex Whisson to discuss the nature and purpose of AUKUS, its connections with the local weapons industry, and how all of this business of death and destruction ties in with the unfolding genocide in Gaza.
Alex Whisson provides an update on the current situation in Gaza, after the ceasefire talks mediated by Qatar collapsed and the Israeli slaughter of Palestinian civilians recommenced.
Continuing our coverage of the campaign against property developer Niche Living, which has left dozens of families in financial distress as their homes face interminable construction delays, Alex Whisson attended a protest near the company's main office in Northbridge and spoke to some of those caught up in the scandal.
Media adviser for Disrupt Burrup Hub, Jesse Noakes, joins Alex Whisson to discuss the ongoing campaign of harassment and intimidation by the WA Police force directed towards the group's activists, in light of his conviction for failing to comply with data access orders that would have compromised his sources and freedom to act as an independent journalist.
Unionist, academic and frustrated homebuyer Richard Hamilton joined Alex Whisson to discuss interminable construction delays on dozens of home builds by property developer Niche Living. Facing ongoing uncertainty, heartache and stress, after waiting years in some cases for their homes to be finished, affected families throughout Perth have decided to take action, launching a campaign group, We Need a Home, and staging a protest outside Niche Living's Perth offices.
Chairperson of the Palestinian Community of WA, Ammar Abu Shamleh, joined Alex Whisson to discuss the mass media's distortion and narrow framing of Israel's genocidal assault on the people of Gaza.
Federico Fuentes is an author, activist, commentator and the editor of Ukraine Resists! Left Voices on Putin's War, NATO and the Future of Ukraine. He spoke to Alex Whisson on the central importance of the Russo-Ukrainian War to the future of world affairs, and why it's therefore vital the internationalist left understand the causes and consequences of the conflict.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has set Australia on a path to potential war, recklessly throwing the country into a nuclear submarine deal with Britain and the United States. Alex Whisson spoke late last week to Dr Chris Johansen, a member of the newly formed campaign group, Stop AUKUS-WA.
As the war between Congolese government forces and rebels of the March 23rd Movement continues to cause great suffering for the people of eastern Congo, Prosper Baeni, managing director of the International Forum of Reconciliation and Peace, and recently returned from a humanitarian project in Goma, joins Alex Whisson to discuss the appalling situation on the ground and the need for international solidarity.
On Wednesday 1st February, some half-a-million workers undertook strike action in the United Kingdom, the largest singe day of industrial action in that country in over a decade. It served as something of a culmination of a long wave of strikes currently taking place in the UK. To discuss the causes and contours of the strike wave, Alex Whisson spoke to author, commentator, activist and journalist, Kevin Ovenden.
Following the Congress-led coup against leftist President Pedro Castillo in early December, a huge protest movement has erupted in Peru, calling for the resignation of Castillo's replacement, his own Vice-President Dina Boluarte, and a new round of elections. Alex Whisson had the opportunity to speak to Sydney-based Peruvian community organiser, Leonor Luna.
Clinton Fernandes is an author, a former intelligence officer on the Indonesia desk for the Australian Army, and currently a Professor of International and Political Studies at UNSW Canberra. He spoke to Alex Whisson to discuss his latest book, Sub-Imperial Power: Australia in the International Arena, published by Melbourne University Press.
On Friday 25th November, after many twists and turns in a fiercely fought campaign for better wages and conditions, Western Australian nurses went out on strike. It was the first strike by Western Australian nurses since 1998, one held, remarkably, in defiance of an Industrial Relations Commission order, the same industrial umpire, so-called, which later threatened to suspend the Australian Nursing Federation's registration as a union. To discuss these dramatic developments, and what might happen next, Alex Whisson was joined by Tyler Ray, a rank-and-file ANF activist and enrolled nurse at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
While in Australia for the International Trade Union Confederation World Congress, currently being held in Melbourne, Deputy Chairperson of the Independent Mineworkers Union of Ukraine, Nataliya Levytska, spoke to Alex Whisson about the immense difficulties of carrying on her work in conditions of war and privation.
On the eve of Palestinian Independence Day, and in the wake of Benjamin Netanyahu's return to Prime Ministerial office, Alex Whisson spoke to Palestinian writer and commentator, Jafar Ramini, who has recently moved to Perth from the UK.
Candidate for the Northern Metro region of the upper house in the upcoming Victorian State elections, Jerome Small, spoke to Alex Whisson about plasterboard giant Knauf's lockout of workers, the prospects for a revival of working class struggle, and the challenges of standing as a socialist for parliament.
Co-editor of Brasilwire, and Brazil correspondent for the Telesur news service, Brian Mier, joins Alex Whisson to discuss the outcome of the first round of the Presidential elections, and the prospects for the second and decisive round.
Independent journalist and activist Andy Paine spoke to Alex Whisson about plans to disrupt the biennial Land Forces arms trade expo, set to be held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from October 4th to 6th.
Amid a nauseating period of what seems like mandatory mourning, not to mention sycophantic praise for Queen Elizabeth II, lawyer, social commentator, activist and author, David Renton, joins Alex Whisson to discuss the future of British society. What next for a country reeling from crisis to crisis on multiple fronts, from record high inflation, a chaotic, corrupt Tory government, to the possible breakup of the United Kingdom? And what fate is in store for the monarchy itself? David began by recalling his first reactions upon hearing of the death of the Queen, and the collective mood of hysteria and obsequiousness the media has since tried to impose upon the British people.
Staff at Sydney University have very much been leading the charge in recent times in the campaign for better wages and conditions in the higher education sector. On the back of several days of strike action that have taken place since May, workers there have voted for another 48-hour strike later this semester. Alex Whisson spoke to National Tertiary Education Union Sydney Uni Branch President, Nick Riemer.
According to UNICEF, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, at least 13 Palestinian children have been killed by Israeli forces so far this year. Dozens more Palestinian civilians have also been killed, including the revered Al Jazeera journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh. Yet you won't see blazing headlines in the Western press about the need to support the fight against Israeli oppression, let alone announcements of Bushmaster armoured vehicles being sent to the Palestinian resistance, for Palestinian voices are rarely heard, rarely respected, their messages calling for solidarity rarely heeded. Alex Whisson sought to make a modest contribution to correcting that gross imbalance by speaking to three members of the Palestinian Community of WA, Amer, Samya and Ayman.
Working class people in this country are currently facing the worst cost of living crisis for a generation. With inflation higher than it's been in decades, and an energy crisis in the eastern states seeing electricity prices skyrocketing, it's difficult enough for those of us employed to make ends meet. Spare a thought then for the unemployed and the poor, drowning in debt and struggling to pay their bills. Alex Whisson spoke to Pas Forgione, co-coordinator of the Anti-Poverty Network South Australia.
May 15th marked 74 years since the Nakba, Arabic for the catastrophe, the day mourned, and remembered in defiance, by Palestinians the world over. It was on that day in 1948, in fact technically the day before on the Israeli calendar, that the Zionist state's first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, declared victory over the Palestinian people, having overseen the expulsion of some 750 000 men, women and children from their homes, soon to be cast adrift to every corner of the world, where their descendants remain in exile to this day. This past Saturday, the Palestinian Community of WA, in coordination with Friends of Palestine Western Australia, commemorated the Nakba, but also used the event as a platfrom to express people's anger at Israel's murder, earlier this month, of the esteemed Palestinian journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh. Alex Whisson spoke to Friends of Palestine WA convener, Nick Everett.