We were lucky enough to interview the inimitable Dr Gary Foley at the 2024 Marxism Conference where he was a guest speaker. Gary is a living legend of the Aboriginal rights movement: he was a founding member of the Sydney Black Power movement and the Aboriginal tent embassy in Canberra in the 1970s. Gary is a staunch supporter of Palestine, speaking at almost every Palestine demonstration in Melbourne since Israel’s war began, making the case for solidarity and resistance to colonialism,...

Inspired by the encampment at Columbia University in New York, students at the University of Sydney this week occupied their campus to stand with the people of Gaza. They're condemning the complicity of their university and the Australian government in the invasion of Gaza, and calling to cut ties with the Israeli state and arms manufacturing corporations. In this episode Emma interviews the student demonstrators and their supporters about what inspired them to take action, the role of...

We interviewed Damian Ridgwell, a veteran socialist activist and leading light in Australia's pro-Palestine movement for almost 20 years. Damian talked about the recent history of the movement and why it's so important to take a stand for Palestine here in Australia.  Chloe and Emma also talked about the new data which reveals that the majority of Australian corporations have significant internal gender pay gaps. We expose some of the problems with the report and the government's approach,...

For this special episode we interviewed one of our favourite return guests Diane Fieldes. Diane is a socialist activist and writer who participated in the campaign against police repression after the first Sydney Mardi Gras in 1978. She talks about the homophobia of those years, the violence of the police, and the triumph of the Gay Liberation activists who fought for their rights - including the right to protest.  Further reading: -...

The fight is on in Argentina! Javier Milei, the newly-elected President and self-described anarcho-capitalist has announced a slew of attacks on working class living conditions and democratic rights. But workers are fighting back. We spoke to Jasmine Duff, a socialist activist who visited Argentina and participated in the resistance to Milei's attacks. Jasmine roamed around Buenos Aires interviewing activists and reporting for Red Flag newspaper.  But first up, Chloe and Emma dissect the...

A special episode on the fall of South African apartheid! Chloe interviews Tom Bramble, socialist author and witness to working class struggles in South Africa. Tom spent time in South Africa in the years following the overthrow of the racist apartheid system, and he wrote a book and numerous articles about South Africa. He tells us about how the racist apartheid system was finally destroyed, and how the workers' movement played a crucial role in its destruction.  Further reading Rethinking...

What is the state? An overgrown behemoth, a neutral arbiter, a tool of the ruling class? In our first episode for 2024, Chloe and Emma explain the Marxist theory of the state. We also chat about what we read over the break.  Further reading on the capitalist state: - "What is the Australian State" - by David Peterson in Red Flag  - "Marxism vs. the State" - by Sadia Schneider in Red Flag  Emma and Chloe's summer reading: Here are the books we talked about at the start of the episode: - "The...

Our main segment in this episode is an interview with Daniel Taylor, an anti-Zionist Jewish socialist and regular contributor to Red Flag newspaper.  Daniel and Emma talk about why the mainstream media are so aggressively pro-Israel. From the Murdoch press to the state-run ABC, the mainstream media dehumanises the Palestinians and helps cover up Israeli war crimes. We go through all their tricks, double standards and hypocrisies, and try to explain why the media landscape is so homogenous...

We spoke to high schoolers from Melbourne and Sydney who went on strike for Palestine, defying intimidation from the media, politicians and their own schools. The Melbourne school strike for Palestine was the biggest of its kind in the world! But students faced a barrage of condemnation in the lead up to the strikes. Journalists said that students were too stupid to understand such a complex issue, and many prinicipals threatened students with disciplinary action. But thousands of kids...

In the middle of a new anti-war movement against the genocide in Gaza, we thought it would be timely to release an episode about the movement that helped end the Vietnam War. At Socialism Conference 2023, Emma interviewed two seasoned anti-war activists about their role in the movement that swept the world in the 1960s and 70s America (and Australia's!) brutal war. Allen Myers was a socialist GI, drafted into the American military, who spent years agitating against the war among fellow...

Our guest is Josh Lees, one of the leading organisers of Sydney's massive Palestine solidarity rallies. Josh critiques the so-called "two-state solution", explaining why it provides no real solution for the Palestinians and how the slogan has been used and abused by Western governments to cover up Israel's crimes.  Earlier in the episode, Emma and Chloe talk about the current situation in Gaza and get stuck into the UN for its historic role in greenlighting the ethnic cleansing of Palestine. 

We interviewed Vashti Fox, author of "The Story of Palestine: Empire, Repression and Resistance". We talk about how Israel has been a racist, imperialist project from the very beginning, and Vashti explains why ruling classes around the world still offer their full-throated support for Israeli war crimes. Emma and Chloe discuss the situation in Gaza and expose many of the media devices that cast Israel as the victim with a "right to defend itself", while Palestinians are consistently...

It's been just over a week since Australia went to the polls and returned a resounding 60% majority "No" vote against an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. What do socialists make of the result? Emma spoke to Red Flag Radio regular Jordan Humphreys, author of Indigenous Liberation and Socialism, about the significance of the defeat. Jordan explains how the "No" camp tapped into a well of anti-Aboriginal racism in this country. We discuss the tepid "Yes" campaign, and why Labor should be held...

Right now, Israel is mobilising for a full-scale war in response to an offensive by Hamas. Netanyahu has vowed to turn Gaza, with its population of 2.3 million people, into a deserted island, and Israeli politicians are openly calling for another Nakba — referring to the genocidal massacres in 1948 which marked the beginning of Israel’s occupation of Palestine. Western politicians are lining up to pledge their support for Israel’s “right to defend itself”. The US has sent an aircraft carrier...

In this episode, Emma and Chloe take a deep dive into the system behind sexism. Why has women's oppression persisted long after the Women's Liberation Movement won formal equality? Why is the gender pay gap actually widening? We also tackle some of the major debates between feminists and socialists, like who benefits from sexism: men in general or the capitalist class?    Further reading - "Why Sexism Persists" by Diane Fieldes  - "The System Behind Sexism" by RFR's own Roz Ward  - And check...

Part two of an interview with Jordan Humphreys about his new book Indigenous Liberation and Socialism. Emma and Jordan chat about the inspiring history of Indigenous struggle in Australia. This one's not to be missed! Jordan shares his fascinating research on on how the early workers' movement fought for Indigenous rights - from Aboriginal shearers who joined a militant union to Communists who led strikes for Indigenous liberation. We talk about Australia's own civil rights movement, and how...

Louisa and her workmates have had enough. They work at Mint My Desk stationery stores across Brisbane and are illegally paid below the minimum wage, cash-in-hand. Last week, after more than a year of trying to get their bosses to pay the legal minimum, Mint My Desk workers walked off the job. They have now had two strikes and have stared down intimidation and threats of sacking. In this special episode, Emma talked to Louisa, the socialist and unionist at the heart of this campaign, about how...

This is part one of our interview with author Jordan Humphreys.  We talked about Jordan's new book, Indigenous Liberation and Socialism. Indigenous Liberation & Socialism delves into the history and politics of Indigenous struggle, exploring the forgotten legacy of the workers’ movement and the socialist left in the fight for justice against Indigenous oppression. It presents a compelling argument that the liberation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples will only be won if we...

Karl Marx has a reputation for being a stuffy old guy, tucked away in a library writing impenetrable tomes. But he was a revolutionary in practice as well as in theory! With his buddy Engels, he was involved in many of the great revolts of the 19th century: from the 1848 revolutions to the Paris Commune, from the American Civil War to the Irish rebellions against Britain. Seeing as this is a Marxist podcast, we thought we'd dive into the life and times of Marxism's founder. Chloe and Emma...

Part two of our two-parter on the housing crisis! Emma and Chloe chatted to Martin about how capitalism shaped our cities, and how, under socialism, we could rebuild them to meet human need. We also waxed lyrical about the campaigns to defend public housing in the 1970s in Sydney, pioneered by the Builders' Labourers' Federation.  Further reading - Reclaim the city - by April- The politics of cities - by Steph Price Get involved in a housing campaign near you: Victorian Socialists, if you're...

Workers and young people in Australia are experiencing a severe housing crisis, with rent and mortgage repayments skyrocketing, homelessness on the rise, and constant attacks on public housing. We talked to Martin Barker, socialist and tenant advocate, about what's going on and who's to blame.  Chloe and Emma also got a bit journalistic for this episode. We sought out activists at the front line of the fight for public housing and renters' rights. We asked students from the Get a Room...

This is a bumper episode about the class struggle across the higher education sector, with a focus on Australia and the US.  First, we talked to Jerome Small, RFR regular and Socialist Alternative's industrial organiser, to set the scene. He covered some fascinating topics; from the US university strikes to the fight within the Australian higher ed union, the NTEU, over the leadership's covid-era proposal to take a wage cut in exchange for supposed "job security".  Next, we spoke to Alma...

Think revolutions are a thing of the past? Think again! In this episode, we explore the many revolutions and revolts of the 21st century. We also caught up with Egyptian socialist Hossam el Hamalawy to talk about the Arab Spring of 2011. Hossam was an active participant in the Egyptian revolution and is full of stories and lessons for socialists everywhere.  Hosted by Chloe Rafferty and Emma NortonProduction and music by Dan Kenny Show notes: Hossam el Hamalawy's writings on Egyptian and...

In the worst cost of living crisis in several generations, Labor are cutting taxes for the rich, spending $368 Billion on nuclear subs and signalling the need for tougher “fiscal restraint” in the future. Yet the ALP's second budget has been touted as “responsible but compassionate” for delivering a surplus while throwing a few insulting crumbs to the poorest welfare recipients. We spoke to Red Flag editor Ben Hillier about why Labor’s budget continues the class war against workers and the...