The Street.

         I am always spouting on about anarchist literature on the streets and moaning that there is not near enough. Just so that people don't think that I just spite out these words, I did try to do my bit for a number of years. Over a period of more years than I care to remember, I produced a small free paper called "The Anarchist Critic". I would stomp the streets of Glasgow handing it out, leave it on buses and cafes etc.. Sometimes greeted with a smile, sometimes abuse and sometimes ignored, but it was always with the thought that I was doing my small bit in getting that word "anarchist" on the streets. Sadly age and other disabilities have curtailed that activity somewhat. I still produce the odd issue to hand out at an event. The last one being issue 123 on the cop-out-26.

 

      At one point I tried to put them online, but again that fell by the wayside, other activities and it would have meant meant too much time at the computer and not on the street. However there are some issues on line, so if you are interested in reading those old sheets that found their way onto the streets of Glasgow, you can find them HERE.

This is the latest issue, 123, on the Cop-Out_26 Carnival of Illusions.

 

Visit ann arky's home at https://spiritofrevolt.info    

History Should Teach Us Something??

      I came across this little piece I penned at the start of the illegal invasion of Iraq, for the paper I produced, "The Anarchist Critic". Since then the imperialist slaughter has washed across Libya and Syria with Iran in the cross-hairs. At the time it was difficult to drink in the horror and terror inflicted on the ordinary people of Iraq by the Western imperialist's callous and brutal "Shock and Awe", a deliberate action of savagery unleashed on the innocent, children, elderly and infirm. All because one man and his team wouldn't play ball with the Western imperialists. Since then the faces of the figureheads of Western imperialism have changed, but the policy is still the same. We have seen the faces of Bush, Clinton, Blair and Cameron come and go, we now have the Trump and May duo, but that's all that has changed, the brutal imperialist bloodshed continues unabated.

     When will it finally sink in, that voting to change the faces of these figureheads, these puppets of corporate imperialism, will change nothing. They say that doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result, is one of the first signs of insanity, is that where we are at now?

From 2003:

IF THEY WERE COMEDIANS WE COULD LAUGH AT THEM.

         However, these two arrogant Christian fundamentalists nutters are for real. Their brutal Afghanistan and Iraq bloodbaths have turned the world into a nightmare, a breeding ground for other fundamentalist nutters to pursue their "God given" dogmatic beliefs. The number of innocent civilian deaths cannot be justifies on the banner of "A good cause". The impoverished country of Afghanistan has been returned to the stone age where 5% have access to fresh water, 25% of all children are dead by the age of five, 400 a month are blown up by land mines and civil war festers just below the surface. Conservative estimates put the civilian deaths in Iraq, since the illegal invasion at 15,000 and still rising. Coalition aggressors deaths nearing the 1,000 mark and an estimated 8,000 US soldiers injured. Economically the costs of this brutal, illegal Iraq adventure are put at $100 billion, (tax payers money of course) and most agree that this is a grossly under estimated figure. Iraq's infrastructure is in tatter and once again it is the innocent civilians and their children that have to try to survive in this Bush/Blair disaster.

         Getting rid of the Bush/Blair "God disciple duo" is not the answer, they are merely the selected strong-arm war lords of the corporate world, doing its bidding, (with a little help from God). They would be replaced with a different personality but the same brutal agenda would still be pursued. We have to crush the system that welds the state apparatus and corporate power into a brutal force that controls the worlds resources. We have to bring all the world's resources under the control of the ordinary people. The state and its repressive apparatus must be dismantled, multi-national corporations taken over by those who work in them and moulded to the benefit of all, a new society created, one that is based on free association, voluntary co-operation and mutual aid. Tomorrow must belong to us the ordinary people or there is no tomorrow.

                                                                                              ann arky.

Visit ann arky's home at radicalglasgow.me.uk

Old Age Never Comes Alone.

 

       At the age of 83, I have to admit that it is a true saying, old age never comes alone, one thing it does come with is a set of automatic brakes. It slows you down, it stops you from time to time, and it sets the pace. Over the years I have always been a very active person, never seeming to tire, always juggling several things at the one time. Now it is very difficult to keep doing the things I want to do. In recent years I have researched and compiled a list of working class people and events that have helped to shape the conditions in our city and further afield, strugglepedia, from that was born  the book Radical Glasgow, now in its third edition. For a number of years I produced and distributed on the streets of Glasgow, a small free paper, The Anarchists Critic, which was monthly, then bi-monthly and latterly quarterly, the last issue, No.113  was a special 2017 General Election/May Day issue. Some are listed HERE, though no longer up to date. However one of the things that I am exceedingly proud, is the fact that I was one of the founder members of Spirit of Revolt, an archive of the struggles of the ordinary people of Clydeside and Glasgow. I consider it a extremely valuable resource for younger people, and others not so young, to learn of, and from, the on-going struggles of others. It also records a history that would otherwise be lost, helping to complete a more accurate picture of the mosaic of OUR history. The history of those grass-roots movements and individuals, non-aligned with the party political machines and unions, people struggling for that better world for all. 

      Then there is this blog, in which, over the years, I have spouted my mouth off on matters that hit my passion spot. However, because I can no longer get out and about, no demos, protests, marches, meetings, talks, discussions, pickets, etc. I am starting to feel out of touch. Therefore feel less able to speak as someone involved, and have no desire to become "an armchair anarchist". So the blog will fall silent, there might be the odd sporadic outburst when something slams into my passion spot, and that passion prevents me from keeping my mouth shut. Other than that, I will concentrate my time to Spirit of Revolt, attempting to get out on the bike, playing chess against the computer, and read more poetry, and perhaps, attempt to add to those I have already written.

      So I would like to say a big thank you to all those who took the trouble to read my outpourings, made a comment, or followed the blog. I have enjoyed doing it, and I hope it added something positive to your thinking. 

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

The Anarchist Critic.

       For a number of years now, I have been putting together, "The Anarchist Critic", a free paper that I distribute on the streets of Glasgow. It used to monthly but with age and other commitments, it is now every other month.

        You can have a read at the latest issue, No.110, August/September, 2015, by clicking on the link below.

The Anarchist Critic. 

Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

 

THE ANARCHIST CRITIC.

The latest issue of The Anarchist Critic, Issue 95, can be viewed and downloaded as a PDF HERE.

ann arky's home.

THE ANARCHIST CRITIC.

The latest issue of Radical Glasgow's Anarchist Critic free paper The Anarchist Critic, is now available as download PDF  HERE.

ann arky's home.

THE ANARCHIST CRITIC.

  

    The latest copy of The Anarchist Critic, issue No. 92 May 2011, can be viewed and downloaded as a PDF  HERE.

ann arky's home.