Memoir: Che, My Brother
Anyone interested in Che Guevara, the Argentinian socialist and hero of the Cuban revolution, is spoilt for choice when looking for books about his life and exploits. But a new...
Review: “Socialism on Trial”
Reading the transcript of a courtroom testimony might seem like a boring prospect, but the testimony of James Cannon published as “Socialism on Trial” is a real page-turner. On the...
Book Review: Insane Clown President
Insane Clown President by Matt Taibbi is a collection of his reports for the Rolling Stone magazine on the 2016 US presidential election campaign. They are very much in the...
Review: Trotsky and Friends
Brendan Black’s play “Trotsky and Friends” utterly distorts the ideas and methods of one of the most important figures of the Russian revolution. The play, set at Café Central in...
The Socialist: Spreading the alternative to capitalism
Less than one third of Australians trust journalists, one of the lowest levels in the world. Low trust in journalists is understandable given big media companies like News Ltd and...
Film review: Rogue One
It's clear from the off that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, a spin-off from the main saga, is a little bit different. Welsh director Gareth Edwards, who said Star...
Albanese: Telling it Straight
Anthony Albanese presents himself as a bit of a maverick, somewhat different to other politicians. He’s hosted Rage and has played DJ sets at various pubs across the country. He’s...
Film review: Ken Loach’s “I, Daniel Blake”
The vicious harassment of the sick and unemployed by the Tory government in Britain provoked legendary director Ken Loach, now 80 years of age, to come out of retirement to...
Frida Kahlo: Between art and revolution
Strong, intelligent, passionate and creative. There are many adjectives that are used today to describe the figure of Frida Kahlo, the Mexican artist who gained immortality through her art. She...
Monopoly: Radical origins of the capitalist game
Monopoly is perhaps the world’s most famous board game, with official sales of 250 million sets. You can get versions tailored to tie in with anything from blockbuster film franchises...
End ‘pay to play’!
So you wanna be a rock ’n’ roll star... just take a guitar and learn how to play! Surely if you work hard enough and have enough talent, stardom will...
Game review: Pokémon Go
Last month, the mobile video game Pokémon Go took the world by storm. Millions of people downloaded the game with some estimates showing that it already has more active users...
Film review: Where to Invade Next
It is six years since Michael Moore’s last film and he’s back on top form. Perhaps a little less strident (a good thing), and still showing his trademark righteous but...
Book review: Generation Less
Jennifer Rayner is a 29 year old Labor Party staffer. Like many her age she is rightly frustrated about the diminishing opportunities afforded to young people. In 'Generation Less' Rayner...
Rebel songs remembered: Jim Jones at Botany Bay
During Australia’s convict years numerous songs were written documenting the experience of those imprisoned at the penal colony. For the first few decades these songs seemed to serve as a...
Book review: Bill Shorten’s “For the common good”
In reviewing “For the common good”, former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott described Bill Shorten as a "sentimental socialist". Unfortunately nothing could be further from the truth. The ideas outlined...
Review: The Autobiography of Malcolm X
By Domino LaMarr My Uncle, a total jock that ran yards for touchdowns instead of studying to get through high school, told me once the only book he ever read...
Film review: ‘Trumbo’
From the red carpet to the blacklist and back again Imagine losing your job for the views you hold. Imagine being imprisoned for membership of a legal political party. Imagine...