On the OTHER "Wombat Trail"

The Wombats have been extraordinarily busy of late (specially for such a rather activity-shy marsupial), and apologise for not having been for forthright in our coverage of world events. Some of us have been moving burrows, while others are ensconced in the cut and thrust of getting socialism out into the Australian Federal Election campaign (both in the major cities, and, via outlying Socialist Alliance members, into the great, dusty elsewhere of rural Australia).

More detailed updates and posts will follow in a few days, but for the moment, here are a few important stories to get our heads around:

Pakistan: Perhaps the most serious ongoing struggle at the moment is that unfolding in Pakistan. LeftClickBlog is keeping a solid flow of info up, especially from Farooq Tariq, General Secretary of the Labour Party of Pakistan, who has been underground now for almost two weeks, narrowly missing arrest time and again.

Things are getting very dangerous there and they Pakistani comrades need financial help, so they are launching an international appeal. Please send donations to the Labour Party Pakistan via the
Peoples Power Fighting Fund:
Commonwealth Bank BSB number: 062026.
Account number: 1006 0743.
This will be one of the collecting points around the world.

Respect splits: After arguing X in Scotland, and now arguing not-X in England the SWP has helped split the RESPECT Party, losing many of their long-term activists (particularly unionists) and perhaps the last shred of their credibility, along the way. Without going into the gory details, the Wombats suggest that the best coverage of this can be found on MacUaid's blog and the Socialist Unity blog. Scottish Socialist Party convenor, Colin Fox, has also weighed in with a letter to Socialist Worker pointing out the irony of SWP arguments and "analysis".

And November 2007 has got a top strike rating so far with Germany (the biggest rail strike ever that is threatening to continue until Christmas), France (and even bigger rail strike, but nothing new there - perhaps), and Hollywood (the script writers are revolting - although this time in a good way) all being brought to a standstill. Even Taiwan got in on the action, as did South Africa. This is to say nothing of England, Finland, Northern Ireland, and of course down in the hot-bed of Australian dissent, Victoria.

The election? We'll leave that until later... except for THIS - The SEP, the tiny sect-let made up of local dozen contributers to the WSWS, are giving (one third of) their preferences in this election to.... THE COALITION! Couldn't have thought of a better way of turning people off socialism if I'd tried.