In the Red Corner:
In Defence of Marxism

This regular column explains the ideas of Karl Marx, Frederick Engels, Vladimir Lenin & Leon Trotsky.

From Vigilance Bulletin No. 43, September 30, 2009

Ideology: the 'velvet glove' of the ruling class
Capitalism cannot rely solely on the iron fist of army and police repression. It also requires the velvet glove of ideology - the system of ideas used to convince us that capitalist rule is natural, inevitable and just. (. . . )

From Vigilance Bulletin No. 42, July 20, 2009

The State: neutral umpire or defender of the rich?
Justice is blind, police fight crime and the army defends the nation. Or so we are told. But in reality the legal system, the police and the armed forces are not "neutral umpires" - they are institutions of the state that serve and defend the interests and property of the capitalist ruling class. (. . . )

From Vigilance Bulletin No. 41, May 21, 2009

Rich and poor: what causes this inequality?
Only some are lucky in the "lucky country": the richest 1% of Australians own 15% of the wealth; the top 10% own half; and the top 50% own 95% of all wealth. So what causes this inequality? (. . . )