ANARCHISTS!!!! WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY ALL ABOUT??

        

       Ask the average person on the street what they think of “anarchists” and they’ll all probably say something like “chaos” “violence” “mayhem” or some other negative expression. Ask them what they have read of anarchist history or anarchist theory and they will probably say “nothing.” So where did they get their opinions? Obviously they got those opinions from the propaganda organ of the state and the corporate greed machine commonly called “the media”. Why should the media give anarchists and anarchism such a bad press?

        Could it be because they see anarchism as the greatest threat to their desire and ability to rule over and exploit the people of this world. The state is a hierarchical structure set up to control the people and legislate to protect the wealth of the corporate greed machine. Anarchism is a non-hierarchical system of sharing and mutual aid to the benefit of all in society, the two are totally incompatible. The corporate greed machine works to exploit the population and drag all the wealth up to a privileged few, it puts a price on everything and excludes all those who can’t pay the price, be it healthcare, housing, leisure, services or the necessities of life. Anarchism seeks to see to the needs of all in society and for society to be shaped by all those who take part in that society. The state/capitalist/corporate system produces an ever widening gap between rich and poor, plunders and rapes the planet in an endless drive to increase profits to the shareholders of the corporate beast. Anarchism seeks sustainability through a system based on free association, voluntary co-operation and mutual aid. Given a choice why choose to be exploited, why choose to struggle for the benefit of the privileged few, why sell your children into poverty? We can produce enough to see to the needs of all on this planet, the reason we don’t is not lack of resources it is simply that the system says “NO”, there must be profit in every action, profit for that greedy privileged few who control the corporate greed machine.

         We accept a system of winner take all and to hell with the hindmost, our compassion and commonsense surely demand we look at the alternatives. It is only commonsense to attempt to break the downward spiral of the corporate driven consumer juggernaut that destroys the environment and creates the illusion that happiness comes in pretty packaged boxes, at a price. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to try to create a better world of peace and freedom from deprivation for all. Anarchists point the way, anarchism is the tool.

 

 

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AN APPEAL TO LABOUR PARTY MEMBERS.

   

     To all those socially minded Labour Party members and supporters let me remind you where you are.

     You are in or supporting a Party that lied this country into an illegal, unjust and unnecessary war, with all the bloodshed and misery that has unfolded since. You give strength to a Party that has introduced extraordinary rendition, torture and secret prisons at the core of its “anti-terrorist” strategy. You are the life blood of a Party that is, according to Amnesty International, ripping up the precious freedoms of this country.

      To stay comfortable in such a Party you have to swallow the lies and the spin and the sickening self justification and you will continually bleat about change from within. Such bleating has been heard from the loyal members and supporters since before the 60s. In all that time your Party has continually moved to the right. It isn’t working.

       Take your socially mind conscience out of the Party and on to the streets, join the thousands, perhaps millions would be more accurate, who wish to see real change by community based non hierarchical direct action. Grow up, cut the umbilical cord between you and the Party system, be a free thinking compassionate human being.

 

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FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION - UNLESS YOUR AN ATHEIST??

        

      The following short article highlights what is a direct attack on the freedom of expression. Are we not to be allowed to criticise religion and show what we consider to be the foolishness of some of its beliefs? To poke fun at something can highlight the foolishness of a particular opinion, if it can't stand up to that ridicule then so be it. How often have the views of the left be held up to ridicule by all the mainstream media, can we have ASBO's pasted on to the TV and certain newspapers? Anarchist have for years been ridiculed by most politicians, can we take them to court and have them sentenced to 6 months?

       Somehow to hold an irrational set of opinions seems to give you the protection of the courts but to hold a set of views that can be backed up by rational debate and historic evidence leaves you open to ridicule. Why should religion be beyond criticism, it is just another set of views held by a group of people, albeit, an irrational set of views. What a strange society we have created, why should any view, religious or otherwise have special privileges and protection from public opinion?

       Can anyone explain to me why Mr. Harry Taylor should not be allowed to carry and distribute his opinion of a set of irrational beliefs, beliefs based on the writings of a couple of members of Middle Eastern nomadic tribes from a long time ago?

      Atheist given ASBO for leaflets mocking Jesus By Jerome Taylor, Religious Affairs Correspondent Saturday, 24 April Independent.

      An atheist who left leaflets mocking Jesus Christ, Islam and the Pope in an airport's prayer room has been given an ASBO. Harry Taylor, 59, from Higher Broughton, Salford, left the anti-religious posters in prayer rooms at Liverpool John Lennon Airport in November and December 2008. But he was found guilty by a jury and given a suspended six-month sentence yesterday, as well as an ASBO forbidding him from carrying anti-religious leaflets in public.

      One of the posters Taylor left at the airport depicted a smiling crucified Christ next to an advert for a brand of "no nails" glue. In another, a cartoon depicted two Muslims holding a placard demanding equality with the caption: "Not for women or gays, obviously." A third poster showed Islamic suicide bombers at the gates of paradise being told: "Stop, stop, we've run out of virgins".

       Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, has been left angry over the conviction. "The six month sentence may have been suspended, but it is still totally out of proportion for what Mr Taylor did. The professional 'offence takers' in religious communities will now feel that they have a strong weapon to use against anyone who is critical or disapproving of them. It is, in effect, a blasphemy law that covers all religions and is much more powerful than the one which was abolished two years ago."      

 

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FEVER PITCH??

     As the UK election campaign for the Westminster House of Corruption rolls on to its ultra boring conclusion, the media keep referring to the elections having reached “fever pitch”. So far we have had a television “debate” by the three “leaders” where there has been rantings about how well each projected himself. We have also had a mountain of coverage on how well each of their respective wives were handling the affair. We have also had photos of the young Nick Clegg at his posh school with some other toffs.

     Any words that they vomit out at the various photo opportunities are preceded by, savings and cuts that wont hurt anybody, and of course “change”. They are all for change, time for change, our change will be better than their change and other crap waffle. They get quite excited about when the cuts should come, now, later, not at all. The savings are always in meaningless numbers, a billion here and a billion there. Absolutely no detail, no meaningful explanations. They think the electorate is stupid.

      With about two weeks left for you to decide who gets their snout in the pig trough we have heard nothing about any of the real problems facing the ordinary people. It is incredible that we approach a national election and the country has been nine years at war and not one of the main parties have even mentioned the war. A war that has claim almost 300 young British lives, not to mention the other lives lost in that unfortunate country, yet it is not an issue at the national election. They don't want the public to discuss the killing of working class youth.

      So what are you voting for? The three main parties all agree on all but the cosmetics, so what you are really voting for is to see that somebody gets a salary of at least £64,000 plus “expenses” nudge-nudge, and a host of other money making perks, while you can look forward to cuts in all departments of your life. Cuts in health, education, pensions, social benefits, wage cuts and wage freezes, higher unemployment, working longer before you get your reduced pension. You can sit back and watch the billionaires get fists full of tax payers money while you head for a return to the Victorian era. Are you mad!!

      This system of capitalist exploitation is not set in tablets of stone, it is a man made system that benefits the few at the expense of the many. There are alternatives, surely we have sufficient imagination to take control of our own lives and devise a system of justice and mutual aid, a system that sees to the needs of all in that society and not pander to a bunch of greedy power hungry parasites.

 

 

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THE ISRAELI STATE, JUST ANOTHER BRUTAL STATE.

       Some time ago the media was focusing on the plight of Israelis being forced to end their illegal occupation of Gaza, showing pictures of distressed Israelis being lifted and carried off the illegal settlements. No matter how much they resist, the force against them is never to the extent that they are hospitalised or killed. Nor does it mention that they will each receive $140,000. They also seldom mention that settlements in the occupied West Bank continue to accelerate while Palestinians, whose land it is, are forcibly and brutally evicted as they have been for the last 50 years, with no compensation and in numerous cases hospital and death are part of the eviction process. Those moving onto the illegal settlements on the West Bank are from all over the world, not residents of the Middle East. The only qualification required to grab a piece of somebody else’s land is that you belong to a particular religious faith. The separation wall being built by the Israeli state within their illegal grab of the West Bank is cutting farmers from their fields, workers from their jobs, students from their schools and the sick from hospitals and perhaps the most vicious attack of all is that 90% of the water in Palestine is now under Israeli control.

 

       The catalogue of cruel vindictive crimes heaped on the Palestinian people by the Israeli state reads like some fictional horror story. Since September 2000 the Israeli state machine has seriously injured more than 42,000 Palestinian civilians, killed more than 3,000, it has destroyed over 3,000 homes and damaged more than 43,000. Well over one third of all those injured are under the age of 18. On top of these heinous state crimes the Israeli state machine has also bulldozed 900,000 Palestinian olive and fruit trees plus 28,000 acres of Palestinian farmland, removing the very basic means of survival for the ordinary Palestinian people.

      The Israeli state with its catalogue of vicious crimes against the people of Palestine is not unique in the annals of state history. Being the most powerfully armed state in the area and backed by the world’s most powerful states, it will do what powerful states always do, expand and grab what resources it so desires, be it land, water, oil or whatever. If that means brutal death and destruction, then so be it, if it means genocide, then so be it, Until the people of the Middle East, the rest of the world is not exempt, realise that it is in their mutual interest to end the power of the state with its inherent brutal expansionism and begin to build their society on the basis of equality across and between communities, on communities that are shaped by all those who take part in them and work with co-operation and mutual aid towards a better world for all peoples, then the brutality of this state or that state will continue, war will follow war, occupation will wreak havoc on ordinary people and our children will inherit that brutality.

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THANKS BRITISH AIRWAYS.

     This scene took place on a British Airways flight between Johannesburg, South Africa & London ..

     A white woman, about 50 years old, was seated next to a black man. Very disturbed by this, she called the air hostess. 'You obviously do not see it then?' she asked. 'You placed me next to a black man.

I did not agree to sit next to someone from such a repugnant group. Give me an alternative seat.' 'Be calm please,' the hostess replied. 'Almost all the places on this flight are taken. I will go to see if another place is available.' The hostess went away and then came back a few minutes later.. Madam,just as I thought, there are no other available seats in Economy Class. I spoke to the captain and he informed me that there is also

no seat in Business Class. All the same, we still have one place in First Class.'

    Before the woman could say anything, the hostess continued It is not usual for our company to permit someone from Economy Class to sit in First Class. However, given the circumstances, the captain feels that it would be scandalous to make someone sit next to someone so disgusting.' She turned to the black guy, and said, 'Therefore, Sir, if you would like to, please collect your hand luggage, a seat awaits you in First Class.' At that moment, the other passengers, who'd been shocked by what they had just witnessed, stood up and applauded.

     This apparently is a true story. Nice to get some pleasnat news, but then again, it wasn't the company but some of their employees. So thanks to the staff of the particular flight.

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THE STATE IS WAR.

       
       War is the biggest carbon footprint, war is state engineered, the state is the biggest carbon footprint, Save the planet, get ride of the state and in doing so get rid of war.

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WAR WITHOUT END!!!

      

       It is difficult to read through history and find a period when this state has not been at war with that state. If it has not been actual physical war it has been threatening war. With that state hurtling abuse at the next state, each proclaiming their threats have a righteous legitimacy. War is never caused by the people, never is it a case of a bunch of German truck drivers running across the border and attacking a group of French florist. It is always the state, the power mongers, the powerful and the wealthy, egged on by wealthy groups with a vested interest and the people are the ones who are called on to get on with the slaughter and be slaughtered. While the people bleed the various states and the privileged parasitical wealthy collect the gains.

       As long as we hold on to this system of state power, each power structure will see the other as a threat. The wealthy power groups in each state will demand that their interests, wealth and privileges be protected and enhanced at the expense of any co-operation. Wealth is enhanced by grabbing what belongs to others and violence is the state's and the privileged parasites main method, since they don't actually get involved in the violence. Those who actually have to do the “violence” gain nothing. Hence, under the present system we will have war without end.

      "Well, there’ve always been people going around saying someday the war will end. I say, you can’t be sure the war will ever end. Of course, it may have to pause occasionally–for breath, as it were–it can even meet with an accident–nothing on this earth is perfect–a war of which we could say it left nothing to be desired will probably never exist. A war can come to a sudden halt–from unforeseen causes–you can’t think of everything–a little oversight, and the war’s in the hole, and someone’s got to pull it out again! The someone is the Emperor or the King or the Pope. They’re such friends in need, the war has really nothing to worry about, it can look forward to a prosperous future."

Bertolt Brecht, Mother Courage (1938)

 

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WORKERS, KNOW YOUR HISTORY

        

          Like the workers of every city in the world, Glasgow's workers history has been a continuous history of struggle which continues today, Our struggles of the present day should not be seen as something new, it is the same struggle down the centuries for a decent life, a fairer society, and justice for all. If we forget our history we get a distorted view of society and see today's struggles as blips of discontent and not as the same battle to free ourselves from the grip of exploitation. A struggle to take control of our own lives and shape society for the benefit of all.

June 1725 - The malt tax riots:

Due to the hatred of the 'Malt Tax' there were wide spread riots across the country. The most serious was June 1725 in Glasgow. When Revenue Officers arrived to assess the Maltsters, they were met by large angry crowds who barred their way. On June the 24th a large crowd decided to attack the house of Duncan Campbell of Shawfield believing that he had supported the tax in the Houses of Parliament. The angry scenes prompted the Lord Advocate Duncan Forbes to call in troops from Edinburgh.

15th February 1800:

Unemployment and high taxes during this period caused wide spread demonstrations which culminated on the 15th. of February 1800 when angry and hungry crowds took to the streets. They marched along Argyle Street attacking meatsellers and grocers’ shops. Meanwhile crowds in Townhead and Calton were also smashing into similar shops. The authorities called out the troops to disperse the rioters.

1812 weavers strike:

1812 saw the largest strike in Scotland until that date. The weavers were on strike in an attempt to protect their living standards. The strike was on the whole peaceful, though the Magistrates and the Government claimed otherwise in an attempt to come down heavy on the strikers. The strike lasted three months, it eventually run out of funds and collapsed. Because of this strike Trade Unionism was declared illegal in Scotland and remained so until 1824. Seven strikers were arrested and charged with 'illegal combination' and sentenced to 18 months in prison.

6th March 1848:

There was a serious riot in the city of Glasgow on the 6th of March 1848. It came about when the unemployed operatives had expected a distribution of provisions. The provisions never appeared and the starving and angry crowds set off up Irongate and other main streets of the city centre breaking into food and gun shops. Business in the city came to a stand-still and all city centre shops closed. The people continued to march through the streets shouting 'bread or revolution'. Eventually the 'riot act' was read. Other groups marched off in other directions entering food shops and demanding bread. The alarmed authorities, sent to Edinburgh for more troops.

1915 rent strikes:

1915 saw Glasgow and Clydeside districts organise a massive grass roots movement against large rent increases. Over 25,000 tenants refused to pay rent increases. The struggle spread to the Clydeside engineering and shipyards, forcing the government to introduce the 1915 Rent Restriction Act.

1919 'forty hour week' strike:

1919 the struggle for a shorter working week came to a head with a strike which had the support of practically all the workers in the area. Marches and demonstrations were organised. One massive demonstration in George Square caused the authorities some concern and the police baton charged the crowd creating mayhem. The government fearing revolution sent English troops with tanks into the city.

 

More of working class struggles in Glasgow's

 

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LEEDS ALTERNATIVE HOUSING ADVICE DAY ON 15TH MAY

* * * * * PRESS RELEASE * * * * *

      'Take Control of your Housing' ? that's the message from organisers of  an information day in the centre of Leeds on Saturday 15th May. The aim of the event, being held at St John The Evangelist, next to the St John's Centre, is for people in unsatisfactory housing to discover options outside conventional social and private landlords and home ownership.

     Organiser, Helena Gonzales said, "people are welcome from 11am ? drop by to learn about diverse housing and lifestyles. We'll be showcasing different ideas which allow individuals, families and groups to take control of more aspects of their lives. Our motto is "Do it Yourself and we want to show how people can do just that, even with very little money." The event is free and will be a day of stalls, workshops and discussions exploring issues such as self-build housing, housing co-ops, boating, communal living, low-impact dwelling, squatting, bringing up children in unusual situations and more. The organisers are individuals who themselves have experience of living in these situations and want to share their skills and knowledge.

There will be a refreshments stall and participants are invited to an evening meal afterwards at The Common Place social centre on Wharf Street, LS1 - £3 non-members, £2 members. For more information, see the http://www.diyhousing.wordpress.com/ or call 0113 262 9365.

Notes:

1. The day runs from 11am-6pm, 15th May at St John The Evangelist deconsecrated church, 23 New Briggate, Leeds.
2. Contact Cath Muller for more information on the above number, or at diyhousingleeds@aktivix.org
3. The event is being funded by Cornerstone Housing Co-op and by Groundswell, the charity which helps homeless people to help themselves
4. Other contributors to the day include: Leeds Asylum-Seekers Support Network, LATCH (Leeds Action To Create Homes), SNARL (Squat Network & Resource Library), Radical Routes (UK network of radical co-operatives working for social change), LILAC (Low-Impact Living Affordable Community ? Leeds' Ecovillage project) and many more.

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THE THEATRE OF ELECTION.

    

      As our unloved politicians gallop maniacally around the land seeking enhancing photo-opportunities and vomiting meaningless sound bites, it tells you all you need to know about our political system. It is all show and appearances, it is a personality contest, wives included. They call it democracy, I call it theatre. It is baffling how in a country that has been fighting an illegal war in Afghanistan for the last nine years can run up to an election and not one of the main parties mentions the war. Is this a coincidence or is it a pre-arranged set up by the leaders of these little political cabals to make their jabberings all on the narrowest of topics where they can speak volumes but say nothing that is related to reality.

      Imagine living in a land where the system allows you real influence and real choice. Imagine at election time engaging in debate about the war and how to end it, is the “war on drugs” a waste of time and resources, the pointless expenditure on a nuclear deterrent, should we have a religious or a secular society, why do we allow the pharmaceutical industry to bleed the our National Health Service, should we permit the privatization of the Health Service, Can we ever hope to openly debate at election time the morality of the British arms industry, the ineffectiveness of our prison system, or the unfair distribution of wealth within our society, why do we still have a Monarchy. Glory be, that would be going too far.

      What is an even greater stretch of the imagination is having been able to debate any of the above, is the possibility of that debate having any influence on those elected. No matter what is debated, it has no bearing on the policies of the elected government, that just wouldn't be British politics, that might be getting too close to democracy.

     Only with the abolition of the state and all its authoritarian institutions and replacing them with a system of free association, voluntary co-operation and mutual aid based on sustainability that sees to the needs of all our people and not to the needs of the privileged parasites that control this type of society, can we hope for fairer and just society. We need an society of communities controlled by all those who take part in those communities working in federation with each other.
For ann arky's view on elections READ.

     

 

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THE PROPAGANDISTS.

THE PROPAGANDISTS.

When the hordes run with their flaming torches,

When they light the torch of freedom

Burning all injustices

Scorching all hypocrisies

Making a bonfire of poverty

Throwing dogma, patriotism and religion on the flames,

I’ll be there, among them with my box of matches.

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THE PREFERRED CHOICE..

         The aim of anarchism is to build a society free from exploitation and repression in all their forms, sexism, racism, ageism, free from religious domination and economic coercion. To accomplish this we first have to abolish the state and all its institutions. Anarchism will be created by the class struggle between the vast majority of society, the group that produces all the goods and services in society, (the working class) and the small privileged minority who own all the means of production and distribution and who control society. The revolution can only be successful when anarchist ideas become the leading ideas within the working class. As this will not happen spontaneously one role of the anarchists is to propagate anarchist ideas connecting them with everyday situations, bringing anarchist ideas into every debate and action for change. It follows from the above that anarchists are opposed to imperialism but must always state their alternative to nationalism. We therefore support all grassroots anti-imperialist movements while arguing for an anarchist rather than a nationalist solution. An anarchist society based on the principles of free association, voluntary co-operation and mutual aid must surely be preferable to the vast majority of mankind than one of capitalist principles of economic repression and poverty for the vast majority and privilege and power to the few.

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HIGHER PROFITS = LOWER WAGES!!!

US Beverage-Maker Mott's Celebrates Booming Sales and Share Price by  Attacking Wages!

    This is of course the pattern of things to come as companies across the globe play on the fear of employees as they see lots of jobs disappear. Strong organised union and solidarity between different trades and occupatioins is the only answer. Of course the ultimate aim should be to organise to occupy and run the various workplaces that try to return workers to the Victorian era. 

     Workers at juice and beverage manufacturer Mott's in Williamson, New York, members of the RWDSU-UFCW Local 220, are being asked to celebrate the company's highly successful sales and stock performance by agreeing to steep cuts in their wages and the elimination of their pension plan. Mott's is a subsidiary of the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, the North American beverages division spun off by Cadbury Schweppes in 2008, whose leading brands in addition to Mott's include Snapple, Yoo-hoo, A&W and Hires root beers, Crush, Sunkist, Hawaiian Punch, Canada Dry, Squirt, RC Cola, Diet Rite, and of course Schweppes, among others.

      In negotiations for a new collective agreement, management is demanding an across-the-board reduction of wages of USD 2.50 per hour and the total elimination of their company pension scheme! The company's only announced rationale for these steep cuts has been that the workers simply earn too much an astonishing claim for a profitable, growing company.

     You can support the union by sending a strong, simple message to Dr. Pepper Snapple CEO Larry Young: the company's demands are unacceptable!

To send a message go to:  http://www.iuf.org/cgi-bin/campaigns/show_campaign.cgi?c=500

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