State Manslaughter.

       How well has buccaneer Boris and his motley crew been doing in the handling of this pandemic? Well according to the most recent figures, not very well. We are the fourth worst in Europe, but also fourth worst in the world, per head of population. For a supposed highly developed and very rich country, that is a disastrous result by any reckoning. Our lords and masters always punt the story that we are the best at almost everything and we are lucky to live in such a well prepared, organised and caring society. These results show us just how inept at building a truly civilised society our lords and masters are, profit always trumps humanity in this profit driven economic jungle. Surely with all these avoidable deaths we have arrived at judgement day, and will call this bunch of greedy, inept, bumbling careerists to task, then charge them with state manslaughter and make sure that they can never take control of our lives ever again.

	Confirmed deaths (absolute)	Population (in millions)	Deaths per million
Belgium	5,828	11.42	510.24
Spain	20,852	46.72	446.28
Italy	24,114	60.43	399.03
France	20,265	66.99	302.52
United Kingdom	16,509	66.49	248.3
Netherlands	3,751	17.23	217.69
Switzerland	1,429	8.52	167.79
Sweden	1,580	10.18	155.16
Ireland	687	4.85	141.55
United States	42,296	327.17	129.28
Portugal	735	10.28	71.49
Iran	5,209	81.8	63.68
Denmark	364	5.8	62.79

For figures on the rest of the world click HERE:

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

To Weather Seasons Such As These.

      Two very recent reported incidents from within our very rich country that should make us all rise up and  crush this pitiless economic system of greed and inequality.

    One is the recent case of a man dying in a carpark in Glasgow in sub-zero temperatures, the other a man dies in the job centre after being told he is fit for work. What kind of society can tolerate this inhumanity? these are not isolated cases. Deaths from the cruelty of the universal credit system runs into thousands, deaths among the homeless runs into hundreds. These are not accidents, these are the result of deliberate policies legislated by people with lots of money and in most cases at least two homes, our political ballerinas. all of them well shielded from the ravages of their ideological policies.

     William Shakespeare's words from "Seasons Such As These" are probably very apt for our times as they were in his:

Poor naked wretches, wherese're you are
that hide the pelting of this pityless storm,
how shall your houseless heads and unfed sides,
your looped and windowed raggedness, defend you
from seasons such as these.

 

       Homelessness is not a failing of the individual, it is the abject failure of the system we tolerate, but for how much longer, for how many more avoidable deaths?

The Warmth Of A dream. 

He lay in a dark doorway, dreamed of home,
night frost locked his joints
morning rain chilled the marrow of his bone.
In the dream there was a sister,
a pram in a garden, a crowd of youngsters
who called him “mister”, a time of little pain.
Are these youngsters the same young men, who
now laugh at him, throw beer cans,
piss on him as he lies drunk in some dark lane?
When was that first step down this slippery slope,
when was that first step to no forgiveness.
No will to rise to beg for food,
numbness kills the pain.
The dream brings a warmth that feels good,
dark fog shades out consciousness,
an ambulance carries off a body washed in rain.

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

Acceptable Deaths.

          How the state spends your money gives an indication of its priorities. Here in the UK, and I don't think other states are much different, counter-terrorism is a top priority, there will always be more money for that particular state fear. A recent Home Secretary, Amber Rudd, raised the counter-terrorism budget to £757 million, with a more recent increase of £50 million on top of that. The counter terrorism budget has increased by more than 30% since 2015.
       The likelihood of being killed by a terrorist in this country is approximately 1-in 2.2 million. Compare this with number of people killed on our roads, approximately 2.8 deaths per 100,000, has road safety seen a 30% funding increase recently?

 

       Another source of deaths in this country, and other developed countries, is air pollution. Each year, inhaling particulates causes around 29,000 deaths in the UK, which, on recent evidence, may rise to around 40,000 deaths when also considering nitrogen dioxide from diesel engines. 

 

       Then there is the humble cyclist, in 2016, 18,477 cyclists were injured in reported road accidents, including 3,499 who were killed or seriously injured. Where is the 30% increase in funding for safer cycle lanes?

 

 

       Why the lavish 30% increase in funding for counter-terrorism, but no similar increase for other forms of avoidable deaths? Could it be that the powers that be see terrorism as a threat to the state, while the other causes of avoidable deaths simply affect that disposable product, the humble citizen?

      We will only get our priorities right when we take control of our lives, our communities, and our work places. Only when we wrestle control from the hands of that cabal of leeches and parasites who are steeped in their vested interests and ill-gotten wealth, will we be able to create that society that sees to the needs of all its citizens, freed from the vested interest of privilege and power. 

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