When the Berlin Wall fell it was obvious to everyone with eyes to see and a brain to think with that socialism had been tried and it had failed spectacularly. No one alive at the time could fail to get the lesson that Socialism sucks.But it seems lessons that big have to be relearned every generation: the tragedy of Venezuela should be this generation’s object lesson that socialism sucks. Socialism has come to Venezuela, and in its inevitable wake has come poverty, penury and oppressive totalitarian rule. This issue of The Free Radical challenges young socialists to watch, and to learn – and to reject this ideological harbinger of misery.
Let freedom reign! Let freedom reign in boardrooms, bedrooms and smoko rooms. Green MP Metiria Turei wants to let freedom reign in New Zealand’s hospital treatment rooms, allowing medical practitioners to prescribe a drug once used by Queen Victoria – a drug that Lancet has confirmed is less harmful than either alcohol or tobacco. Turei’s Medical Marijuana Bill comes before the House in August, challenging old conservatives to rethink their opposition to marijuana, and instead to cast a vote for freedom. The Free Radical strongly suggests they do, and has the ammunition to encourage them – to encourage you – to do so.
There’s much, much more in this issue including a lament at the rise and rise of Nanny State, that disgusting "hybrid of gargoyle and dominatrix"; an explanation of the mess that’s being made of our money by what seems to be economic illiterates; and an obituary for the woman who’s left several generations of NZ students functionally illiterate … all this and much more in this latest issue, including the reappearance of the letters page! Your opinions, contributions and criticisms are always welcome.
Cheers, Peter Cresswell
2 comments:
Did Tim Wikiwhiri write the snippets? More exclamation marks than you can shake a stick at!
Crikey! You think two exclamation marks is overdoing it, Matt, for an announcement as exciting as this?!
Post a Comment