Paradise on the Instalment Plan

Contemporary labour movement thinking about the Australian economy took shape between the depression of the 1930s and the long post-war boom, in the form of moderate and, today much diminished, left nationalist currents. Economic conditions, the level of the class struggle and the political proclivities of different classes were particularly expressed in the working class’s main organisations – the Australian Labor Party (ALP), Communist Party of Australia (CPA) and trade unions.

This study focuses on labour movement understandings of three fundamental aspects of Australian capitalism: the country’s place in the world; its class structure; and its experience of severe economic fluctuations.

Paradise on the Instalment Plan by Rick Kuhn provides an insightful exploration of these themes, offering a detailed analysis of the complex interplay between economic conditions, class struggle, and political trends in Australia during this significant historical period.