Green Left Weekly

"Green Left Weekly", published by the Democratic Socialist Party, bills itself as "Australia's radical newspaper" and an alternative to the corporate-controlled media.

I have read "Green Left Weekly" both in print and online for over a decade now, though my relatives always try to dissuade me because they feel it angers me. The newspaper is indeed extremely preachy and uncompromising, never allowing the rulers they despise any compromise. The language is often terribly ranty and exaggerated, focusing consistently on the profit system that the paper believes responsible for social and ecological problems. It is also very repetitive because the focus and topics covered are so similar in every issue. It would really be a lot better if the radical left learnt that low-frequency periodicals are the best medium for carrying their messages, because they become less repetitive and preachy without losing the radically uncompromising nature of their message.

Whilst this perspective makes "Green Left Weekly" difficult as regular reading, the paper nonetheless possesses a good deal of useful information, especially about Australia's appalling environmental record, which it has (rightly) attacked ever since being first published. These messages do not fit in with the popular perspective in an extremely socially conservative country especially of its working classes whom "Green Left Weekly" claim to represent but scientifically there is no doubt of their truth.

"Green Left Weekly" also has political problems. Whilst its claims about Cuba's excellent environmental record may be true, claims that Cuba is a democracy are very dubious and are most likely related to the newspaper's tendency to blame the US and its rulers for almost every problem. The paper does not explain why many refugees leave Cuba, nor that Cuba has a powerful secret police (the G2) whose archives have never been touched by outsiders.

Nonetheless, "Green Left Weekly" is worth a read for the information it provides that no-one in Australia or abroad tends to hear. Would undoubtedly be better as a monthly or quarterly periodical that was less repetitive, though not to mention its readers' inability to achieve desperately-needed communication with the mass of Australians.

This one newspaper is a light in Australian news, one of the most restricted and corporate owned in the world. It helps keep alive the independent media. There are some negatives though. It can become become repetitive and uses ranting language occasionally eg. "Reactionary" "Labour Bondage" but overall it takes another perspective and global events that altough important are overlooked by the mainstream media.

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