Billionaire's Dream.

        The world economy was well on the way to recession before the coronavirus struck, Last year Bloomberg Economics created a model to determine America’s recession odds. The outcome was that the chance of a recession now stands at 100%, bring to and end the nation’s longest-running expansion.
         America may be the leading world economy but the signs of recession were not just in that country. Where America goes economically the rest of the developed world usually follows.
Some figures from Forbes, October 2019:
      Hong Kong, several months of protests that have battered the city’s economy, sending it into a “technical recession,” tourism and retail especially hard hit from the ongoing turmoil.
        UK, uncertainty over Brexit would cause UK to fall into recession.
      Germany, EU’s largest economy, due to enter recession from to drop in manufacturing and poor world auto sales.
       Italy, was in a technical recession in second half of 2018 and has faced continued economic woes from weak productivity, high unemployment, huge debt problems.
       China, In part due trade war and slowing world economy, its economy has continued to slow, growth in 2018, 6.6%, 2019, 6.1% and IMF forecast for 2020 5.8%
      According to world economic experts other highly stressed economies around the world include Turkey, Argentina, Iran, Mexico and Brazil, among others.
       Crucial statistic, The world economy will only grow 3% this year, that’s the slowest rate of expansion since the global financial crisis started in 2008.
 

      So creaking capitalism was about to see its wheels fall off, before the coronavirus descended on us. What the covid 19 has done is merely accelerated the process by about a year or so, and no doubt it will make that recession all that more brutal for the ordinary people of this world. However the billionaire parasite class will probably see the pandemic as a blessing in disguise. Without raising public anger, as in the previous recession, by demanding a massive bailout with public money, the climate has changed and the public are accepting that the state must throw money at the billionaire parasite class to preserve jobs. In actual fact that could be rephrased as, to save the share holders from loosing to much of their loot. The top billionaire parasite class don’t care too much if businesses go bust, they will have the capacity to expand to take up any increase in demand as and when it might return, and all that taxpayers money will oil the wheels of their new plundering era, if we let it happen.

    It won't be too long before they say that restrictions can be eased, eager to get you back to work, as the billionaire parasite class need you to keep building their wealth and power, so what if it cost more lives, to them a large swath of us are expendable without too much loss to their money making endeavours.

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More Organising, More Talking, More Paper On The Street.

 

      Most people seem to be unaware that capitalism is on the brink of another crash, though anarchists should be aware of this, my own humble estimate is within two to three years, possibly less. All the signs are there, the world has past peak car ownership. (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-08-17/-peak-car-and-the-end-of-an-industry) World economic growth is in decline (https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/Issues/2019/01/11/weo-update-january-2019) The cohesion in the capitalist world is fractured, with nationalism on the rise, each country starting to replicate its own version of "America First", so the world plan to save the capitalist world is now broken into smaller power blocks, so the answer will not be the 2008, world austerity grand plan, it will be more a nationalistic scramble for survival. With the result that you and I will pay dearly for this collapse of the financial gambling casino. The two giant economies in the world America and China are slapping tit-for-tat tariffs on each other, a sure brake on the economies of those nations and those others who depend on them for their own economic survival. As poverty spreads and deepens, consumption, the life blood of capitalism, falls.

       So where does that leave us anarchists and other like minded people? For sure when the collapse comes people will be looking around for answers, and if ours are not at the forefront, on the table, they will not be picked up by the people. We can't expect them to come looking for us, and we can't wait until the collapse before we try to reach them, by then it will be too late, the usual political Messiahs will be promising them the usual pie-in-the-sky.

     I just repeat what I have always said, we need to raise our profile in the communities and work places, we need our literature, a wealth of ideas for that better future, to have a greater presence on the street, we need to find better ways of reaching that wider field of the apolitical, apathetic mass of ordinary people, who are too busy just trying to survive, without them we are going nowhere.  Of course it will not be easy, we know that the better world will not be delivered by InterFlora.

        The following extract, though it refers to America, applies equally as much here, or anywhere else for that matter:  extract from It's Going down: 

"-------Now, more than ever, it is critical that we address these shortcomings. We are entering an era of intense polarization, the rise of a genuine ultra-nationalist and fascist threat, and ecological catastrophe. Multiple indicators suggest that another recession is in the offering roughly in the next year or so. Many more people will be radicalized by the next recession and the coinciding electoral spectacle, and they will be looking for answers. If we do not reach these people, others will. In the best case, they will be reached by others preaching the dead-end roads of electoral reform or distant and ill-defined revolution. In the worst case, they will turn to the fascists. We have to recognize the present historical moment for what it is and behave accordingly.

       What must be done? We must make our movement an organizing movement. I am not arguing for the triumph of one tendency or another. If we want to build toward insurrection, we must have as many comrades as possible who share our vision and skills. If we want to create a powerful federation, we must have a popular base to draw new members from. If we want to build revolutionary syndicates, we must have organized strong unions and spread revolutionary consciousness in the broader working class. Whatever tendency we hail from, the days of isolation and sub-culturalism must end.

     How do we build an organizing movement? By focusing our energies primarily on organizing with the broad base of the people for the struggles of our era. What is organizing? Organizing is building a structure to increase the power of that structure’s members and enable them to collectively fight for their goals. Where we are exploited by the bosses, we must build revolutionary unions. Where we are robbed by the landlords, we must build radical tenant unions. Where we are brutalized the prison system and ICE, we must create networks of prisoners, migrants, and neighbors to resist the violence of the state. In each case, we must deliberately and consistently reach out to the unorganized, building relationships of trust with new participants, and create the capacity to resist where it was lacking. We must then link these organizations into wider networks capable of expanding our ability to support one another when it counts.

      There are already some encouraging signs in this direction. Comrades across the country have organized in support of the prison strike, organized tenant unions, done outreach with inspiring mutual aid programs, and carried on the anti-fascist struggle. Networks like the Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement and Symbiosis Revolution seem to be moving toward coordinating projects at the national level. But these efforts need to be significantly expanded if we are to meet the challenge that faces us.

        Our movement is uniquely positioned to succeed, if we chose to do so. We believe in the power of the oppressed; we do not waste our time canvassing for the next SYRIZA. Our comrades are extraordinarily dedicated and prepared to make real sacrifices when necessary. The key is for our movement to channel this dedication in a direction that will allow us to grow, spread our vision, and build power. But if we do not change the way that we presently operate, we will be left behind by less-promising forces.

      Wherever you are, I encourage you to start the hard work of organizing against those who are oppressing your community. Go out and speak with your neighbors, your coworkers, or those on the receiving end of the state’s violence. Link up with other groups in your area, get in touch with national organizations, or start your own group if necessary. There is much to be done and little time to waste.---"

Read the full article HERE: 

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

PROFIT BEFORE LIVES, THAT'S CAPITALISM.

     A little bit more on that pinnacle of capitalist development, that citadel of Mammon, Walmart. It would appear that fire safety would hit their profits, so they decided that it was more profitable to risk the lives of thousand of workers rather than face a small hike in costs.

This from Huffington  Post:

     Last year, Walmart reportedly decided against aiding factory upgrades that could have stopped fires like last month's blaze at a Bangladesh garment factory.

Bangladeshi suppliers of Walmart clothes wanted to upgrade their facilities to make them more fire-proof, and other retailers approved the plan, according to Bloomberg. The plan only fell through after Walmart and the Gap said they would not pay higher prices to make such upgrades feasible.

Read the full story HERE:

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BECAUSE OF SOLIDARITY - IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

       

         The eviction of the Occupy Wall St. movement in New York didn't happen, thanks to solidarity. The Occupy Wall St. movement called on support and thousands turned up and the billionaire Bloomberg gang postponed the eviction plans, well done. United the people cannot be governed, solidarity is the key to success when faced with authority, always remember, we are governed by consent, we can always withdraw that consent. Below is a letter from CodePink.

This morning at dawn I gathered with thousands of friends and allies in an emergency action to defend the home and heart of Occupy Wall Street. Just as we have organized against illegal foreclosure of our neighbors, we stood shoulder to shoulder with unions, city workers, and countless community members to prevent Mayor Bloomberg's shameful attempt to evict us from the park under the guise of "sanitation"!
At 7 am, to raucous celebration, the people's microphone announced that the owners of the park had postponed the sanitation plan.

SOLIDARITY.

Thank you for helping make this beautiful victory possible!

While we celebrate how the movement is gaining momentum, we must not disregard the brutality of the Boston and Denver police who descended upon peaceful protesters in riot gear and evicted them in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, Boston and Denver did not have as many people protesting their evictions as we did.

Tomorrow people will be rising up in over 950 cities in 82 countries for a historic global day of action and we need you to join us in the streets to send a clear message that you are fed up with the greed and corruption of the 1%. Join our Anti-War March in New York or find an event in your city.

Onward for peace and justice,

Melanie, CODEPINK NYC Coordinator and OWS Organizer

P.S. Read Melanie's reflections from Occupy Wall Street.

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