Rethink.

 

         Last year 2020, apparently, there was a survey done by the marketing and public relations firm Edelman, the result of that survey was that 57% of people worldwide said that "capitalism as it exists today does more harm than good in the world". We the ordinary people of the world didn’t need a survey to tell us the capitalist system is crap, millions live with this “harm” day and daily, we are well aware of and living with, the monstrous ecological damage the system of capitalism spews across the planet. Of course the result of the survey doesn’t mean that the powers that be and their survey merchants have decide to call a halt to their sacred greed driven exploitative system of capitalism. No, what they want to convince us of is that capitalism can move to a new stage, a fair and sustainable system, it just needs a little adjustment here and there. This new adjusted capitalism will of course not see the end to £150 million private yachts, private jets, personal luxurious mansions dotted around paradise islands, tax havens, where billions of £s are salted away for personal use. These plundered “privileges” will still be reserved for the masters of the system and their backside licking cronies. It will mean that the exploitation of the many, to maintain this imbalance, will be painted “green” and in all possibility jobs will be more precarious as the capitalist beast writhes and slithers to survive. 

           So it appears that 57% of the world’s population now accept capitalism is a harm to the people and the planet, will that be the tipping point where we, the ordinary people come together and start to dismantle this cancer that is eating our very existence. A realisation that it can’t be adjusted, reshaped or re-modelled into a fair and just system, it can be nothing but an exploitative system that benefits the few at the expense of the many. The answer is to abandon and destroy capitalism in all its various guises and start with a community based system of free association, mutual aid, fair and just distribution of the fruits of our labour, a system of sustainability that sees to the needs of all our people, free from the cancerous force of profit.

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

Whose Tomorrow?

 

    Over the last year or so covid19 has allowed the state to impose on us a new “normal”, one of subservience, standing by waiting for our next set of instructions as to how we can live our lives. Though most people will say it was necessary under the circumstances, rationalism and evidence tells us that it could have been done differently, with more control at community level and with science, health and welfare as the guiding factor, taking the political/economical aspect out of the decision making equation entirely. It has been obvious from the beginning of this crisis, that the political and economic factors played a major role, in how it was handled, putting the science and the well-being of the people second.
Now the crisis is easing and the establishment is keen that we get back to their designated “normal”, spend, spend, spend, increase consumption, get their tills ringing madly, the economy once again takes centre stage. We would do well to remember that the state will do all it can to hold onto that subservient attitude of the population. Expect lots of new legislation defining how we can live our lives, the state never relinquishes control it has engineered.

      During this crisis the only group that comes out better off then they went into it are the billionaire class. Now that we are seeing the possible end to the covid19 disaster, that same class is keen to keep that ill-gotten booty growing. So we can look forward to new aspects to their deemed “normal”, slashing of working conditions. Thousands of workers are being forced to sign new contracts or leave their job, the new contracts of course benefit the corporate bodies at the expense of the workers. Unemployment will soar, giving the boss class another weapon to threaten your conditions, pointing to the queue at the door waiting to take your job.
 

     

  It doesn’t have to be like that, we can ignore their god, “the economy”, and structure our lives around mutual aid, community organising and swap-shops among many other means of self help and organising. During the covid19 crisis we have seen mutual aid grow, common sense tells us that it shouldn’t die because the billionaire class want you to increase their wealth power and privileges, at our expense Over the last year the state has had more or less a free hand at shaping our “normal” let’s now take that power into our own hands and come together to shape our desired normal, one that sees to the needs of all our people, not one that pays homage to the corrupt bloated and privileged pampered billionaire parasite class.

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

ACE Info.

        This pandemic has called a halt to so many things in our life and has created so many difficulties for communities and individuals, but as always happens the communities rally round and help each other, by various means, mutual aid being the foundation. ACE in Edinburgh, ever active, are in their helping to brighten up the dull covid Edinburgh days. Below is some of their activities, I'm sure there is something there for you to get involved in or to start in your own community if you haven't already done so. 

 

NEWS FROM THE AUTONOMOUS CENTRE OF EDINBURGH
        We are pleased to bring you news of the new food and resources bank open to all at the ACE premises every thursday 10.30am – 2pm : details below.
        Other activities in the premises are suspended in order to keep people safe during the covid pandemic – but the groups based at ACE are still active and welcome your involvement. See below plus go to http://autonomous.org.uk/groups-activities/ and information on each of the groups based at Ace can be found on the ‘Groups & Activities’ drop down menu (Plus we recommend the tenants union LIVING RENT)
        See also the regularly updated ACE facebook https://www.facebook.com/AutEdinburgh
        This newsletter also attached in PDF.
FOOD SOLIDARITY
        Food and Resources Bank at ACE every thursday 10.30am - 2pm. Organised by Oficina Precaria / Precarity Office Scotland / PIE – non-perishable food, toiletries, hygiene products and some children’s clothes are available free.
        The Oficina Precaria Resource Bank is now OPEN as an emergency service on Thursdays from 10:30am – 2pm at ACE, 17 West Montgomery Place EH7 5HA. No referral or prior booking needed. Please note Covid safety measures in place: masks, hand sanitiser, only one person per household inside the premises please, and only one person visiting the foodbank at a time.
        All welcome. You do not need a referral or to provide any paperwork or ‘proof of status’. Oficina Precaria https://www.facebook.com/piescotland https://piescotland.org/en/
        More info on food solidarity initiatives and coronavirus support at http://edinburghagainstpoverty.org.uk/?page_id=2568
        For food solidarity also contact
Mutual Aid Edinburgh https://www.facebook.com/MutualAidEdinburgh
Mutual Aid Trans Edinburgh https://www.facebook.com/matedinburgh

LEITH CHOOSES 2011 - VOTE FOR THE PRECARIAT OFFICE SCOTLAND PROJECT
Precariat Office Scotland write:
         We have launched a campaign to encourage people to vote for us for a project called Emergency One stop shop.
         Emergency ‘One Stop Shop’: COVID-19 is causing unprecedented hardship. We serve migrants (mostly from Western Europe, but we welcome everyone) who often work in hard-hit hospitality and tourism, and don’t have any family/social support network locally. Our weekly ‘shop’ will help prevent people falling below the poverty line. It will include resources bank, soup kitchen, information and legal/welfare advice in the person’s own language. Also access to free online English classes (improve job opportunities) and yoga/self-defence classes (health and wellbeing).
        We are a volunteer run organisation and the grant money would be spent on resources for the bank, equipment and ingredients (for soup), sessional workers (to run classes). Outcomes will be reducing isolation and improving people’s lives during this crisis.
       If you live, work, volunteer, study in Leith (and are over 8 years old) please VOTE!
        From 25 Jan till 31 January, vote for PIE Scotland at bit.ly/LeithChooses2021. Help us support people like you with free meals, English lessons, legal advice and self-defence classes in Leith. #VoteAndGetIt
        Please help us to spread the word to community centres, schools etc.
Thanks!!!
Precariat Office Scotland - PIE
Oficina Precaria de Escocia - PIE
http://piescotland.org
[SCIO] - SC047145
       PLEASE NOTE You are eligible to vote if you are over 8 years old and live, work, study or volunteer in Leith. Voting continues till 31 January.

ECAP SUPPORT AND SOLIDARITY
ECAP write:
         Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty Tuesday Sessions at ACE are suspended and we are not able to hold Face to Face appointments during the current Coronavirus lockdown. But we are continuing our support for and solidarity with claimants as well as all those up against the authorities – so please do get in touch if you have a benefits, debt, housing or other poverty-related problem. We’re asking people to contact us by Phone, Email or Facebook in order to arrange an appointment via phone – or please email us with your issue.
Contact: Ring 0131 557 6242 and leave a message – please speak slowly and repeat your contact details. E mail ecapmail@gmail.com
        PM Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty on Facebook
More info: http://edinburghagainstpoverty.org.uk/?page_id=2193
       We welcome your involvement in ECAP – read what we are about here http://edinburghagainstpoverty.org.uk/?page_id=2 and get in touch if interested.

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

Simple?

        I suppose I'm an old fashion and simple minded guy, so I get a bit confused with the number of variations of anarchism I hear about, I reckon we out variety Mr. Heinz with his 57 varieties. To name a few, we have, Social anarchism, Collectivist anarchism, Anarcho-communism, Philosophical anarchism, Egoist anarchism, Individualist anarchism in the United States, Individualist anarchism in Europe, Anarcho-naturism, Anarcho-Transhumanism, Anarchist-Capitalists, 

 

        I don't claim that this is the definitive list of variations, it is just a hotch-potch of varieties that I got from my friend Mr. Google.
       I embraced anarchism at the sweet and tender age of 17 while an apprentice in Fairfield's Shipyard on the Clyde, that wasn't yesterday. However I have always found that the simple word "Anarchism", was well and fully explained in the myriad of leaflets, pamphlets and books that have been around for many years. To me what it simply boils down to is that, no group or individual has the right to authority over any other group or individual, no group or individual has the right to exploit or abuse  any other group or individual, we respect each individual and function on the principles of free association and mutual aid, communities are organised on a horizontal structure and decisions taken in that manner, all based on the sustainability of the planet's ecosystems. Each can contribute in accordance with their ability and should receive according to their needs. What ever direction these societies, large or small, take, should always be governed by these simple principles. Like I said, I'm a simple minded guy, but I believe these simple principles embrace all our causes for freedom and justice, and attend to such matters as war, gender, race, patriarchy, patriotism, power, privilege, wealth accumulation and the swamp of inhumanity that smothers us in this present state/corporate capitalist system. I don't need adjectives, before or after the word, to me and my simple mind, the word "Anarchism" speaks loud and clear. Let's leave the philosophical table and take our simple word and its principles to the streets and workplaces.

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

It's Obvious.

          I make no excuses for having posted the following article several times in the past, and will probably post it again in the future. I think now, more than ever, it is the line of thought and action that needs to be more widely spread, a truth we have to shout from the roof tops, as our world rolls merrily along the road to ultimate disaster. Only anarchism can put a brake on that trajectory.

WHY ANARCHISM:

Freedom and Equality.
       Fundamentally, anarchism is the struggle for freedom. Freedom from rulers and corporations who dominate our lives and are destroying our earth. Freedom for workers, women, and all oppressed people in all parts of the world. We believe that this sort of freedom can only be achieved together with equality and a fair distribution of resources.
Individual and Collective.
      Anarchists believe in the inherent dignity and humanity of the individual. But this dignity and humanity can only be fully realised in a co-operative, egalitarian society. This is why we are in favour of working together collectively and being organised. It is incorrect to equate anarchism with individualism or chaos.
Revolution.
        Anarchists understand that this truly free and equal society can only be achieved through revolution – meaning a complete transformation of society. This society cannot be ‘given’ to the people by politicians or bureaucrats. It must be built by people from below.
Change by Direct Action.
       Anarchism opposes the violence which is an integral part of capitalism and the state (this violence comes in many forms: war, patriarchy etc.). We believe that means shape ends – in other words, the way we struggle will shape the outcome of the struggle. This is also why we do not support the seizure of State power by authoritarian political parties. However, anarchists do believe in direct action – action taken by everyday people to address the power imbalance in present day society. This includes strikes, boycotts, work-to-rule’s and occupations.
The Past.
      Both authoritarian communism (as in Russia, China etc.) and ‘labourism’ (ie. The labour parties of the world), have failed to solve our global crisis. We need a different path to a better world. Anarchism offers itself as a guide on that path.

What Might An Anarchist Society Look Like? 

1 The world’s resources would be held in common and shared with all the diverse life on Earth.
2 People would manage their own lives, work and communities, and everyone would have a say in decision making through decentralised forms of organisation.
3 Relationships in all areas of life would be based on mutual respect and equality regardless of gender, skin colour, sexual orientation,disability, age, culture etc.
4 Work wouldn’t be boring and repetitive, but instead would be a means of voluntary self expression and fulfilment; unpopular or difficult jobs would be shared.
5 Education would be integrated into daily life to produce free individuals who think for ourselves.
6 Goods and services would be produced ecologically for human needs based on the principle “from each according to ability, to each according to need”.

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

Tomorrow?

        Today is the day that most ordinary people have been dreading, Saturday, October, 31st., no, it's not trick-or-treat at your door, it's the end of the governments support schemes. Mortgages holidays and furlough end on this date, and that raises the anxiety level on millions across the country. Yes there are new support schemes being put in place but, they fall short of the schemes that are ending. At present millions are suffering and struggling to keep the heads above water, who knows what tomorrow will bring.
         Of course you can blame the covid19 for all this suffering, but in fact it can be squarely laid at the feet of the capitalist economic system that dominates our lives. Under this insane, exploitative system, our quality of life depends on money, and that depends on you selling yourself to someone else or a corporation who will only use you if it makes more money for them, and of course they will always pay you the least that they can get away with. So your quality of life depends on someone needing you to enrich themselves. 

 

 
       Imagine living in an anarchist-communist society where money has has gone, you don't have to depend on it to survive, a society that works to see to the needs of all the people, no matter those needs. Covid19 would not mean losing your home, it would not mean you and your kids going hungry. The stress, misery and anxiety that results from the lack of sufficient money in this society would just not happen. The present system is crumbling before our eyes, we can try to struggle on with the present unfair, unequal, system of dependency on our corporate bosses, or we can take this opportunity to bring this system of exploitation, anxiety, poverty and misery, crashing down. Take control of our communities, organise through mutual aid, take control of our workplaces if it is a benefit to our communities. We don't need CEO, shareholders and bankers, they are the parasites eating away at the produce of our labour. Think of tomorrow as ours, shape it to our needs, not that of the capitalist economy. Two paths are open, one, continue with the stress, struggle, anxiety and impending poverty of the present system, or, take control of our lives and shape society the way that sees to all our needs, without carrying on our backs an army of plundering parasites who live the life of opulence. Unlike some people believe, capitalism will not fall, it will have to be brought down by the people organising in solidarity against the system.

 

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

Opportunity.

         I keep saying the same thing, because I believe it should be the main focus of our struggle to create that new normal in our favour. This pandemic is an opportunity, and is being used as such, to further the state and capitalism's aims, with a vicious attack on our living standards, an increase in privatisation, shedding of labour, crushing of autonomous spaces, curtailing the voices of the independent thought, crushing dissent, and the creation of a subservient population, that they hope will subdue any mass protests as anger grows over our deteriorating conditions, and ensure their success.
       We have to see the pandemic as our opportunity. We will never beat them by legislation and/or appealing to the various political parties, this whole edifice to finance, that shackles populations to an economy that favours the few, will only be beaten in our communities with mutual aid, in our workplaces by workers control, and on the streets by mass protests that lead to that dramatic revolutionary change in the structure of society in favour of our class, all the people. We abandon the streets at our peril.

The following is an extract from APO Squat-Host:

        Neither with prisons, nor with laws, fascism can be smashed only in the streets.

     -------Seven years after Fyssas death, we are facing the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic and the intensification of State’s and Capital’s attack to the society. The beginning of a new round of pillage of the social base, with main points: labor’s devaluation, the abolition of social insurance, the continuation of privatisations, as also the restructuring of educational system and the criminalisation of syndicalist action. From the normalization of the state emergency through the repression of social and class movements and especially the anarchists/antiauthoritarians, the evictions of squats, the police occupations of entire areas, to the banning of demonstrations and the generalized upgrading of the legislative arsenal against the people of the struggle. From the expansion of war against refugees and migrants and their attempts that aim to their demonization and their extinction from the public space, their incarceration into concentration camps, to the looting of nature, through the activation of capitalist engines of development that destroy local communities, mountains, rivers, lakes, seas and forests, in the name of profit and of their total imposition over humans and nature.

       State’s repression constitutes today the dominant component of State’s policy. This declaration of war against all of those who are struggling, is a part of the systematical attempt of the Greek State to subdue social and class resistances and impose a complete submission for society that goes on for decades. An attempt that was blocked by the massive mobilisations, revolts and struggles over the last years.
        With solidarity as our weapon, let’s continue the counter-attack against state and capitalist brutality. Let’s revitalize social and class resistance. The only real answer against war, nationalism and fascism born and raised by the state and capital, is the organisation of the social and class counter-attack. Without any illusions that the exploitation and repression system can improve, without any illusions that any government can raise a real barrier against fascism, let’s fight together from below, with internationalist and class solidarity as our weapon. Let’s struggle together, locals and migrants, workers and students, for the construction of a society of equality, justice, solidarity and freedom.
       We do not forget Pavlos Fyssas assassination on September 18, 2013 at Keratsini. We do not forget the assassinations of S. Luqman, Al. Grigoropoulos, Zak Kostopoulos and P. Zifle

 The current text was written before the Golden Dawn’s trial on 8th of October 2020.

Read the full article HERE:

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

Choices.

(Image: Daily Record/Tom Ross)

        Stefan King, reputed to be worth a cool £54 million, owner of Glasgow's Corinthian, Delmonica's and The Social, has suggested that his staff take three months unpaid leave to save their jobs, not to save his company of course. He has also put it in such a fashion that he is doing them a favour. This is the same Stefan King who was back in 2015 reputed to be paying staff below the minimum wage, and in 2019 had questions raised by the Gambling Commission about suspected money laundering at his Corinthian gambling club.
        No doubt as the catastrophe that is Covid19, and the ticking time bomb that is the Brexit fiasco, burst upon us, we will see more of these type of offers coming from those extremely wealthy corporate beasts as they try to milk the situation for all it is worth.
        As unemployment soars and social services diminish, there is very hard times in store for us the ordinary people. What are we going to do about this sledgehammer of poverty and deprivation that is about to strike us? Shall we appeal to our lords and masters the political ballerinas, to please take our taxpayers money and give it to the corporate world so that they will employ us again? Or will we look inwards towards our communities and organise mutual aid, self help, co-operatives and take what we need for the welfare of all our people. Commandeer those workplaces that we deem to be necessary for the health and well-being of our communities. Take control of our own lives and decide how we want to live without the exploitation of the profit driven capitalist system, owned and controlled by muti-billionaires, who by the way, while you and I have seen our struggles stiffen,  have seen their wealth grow immensely during this pandemic. The choice is ours to make, accept more of the same, or take control of the change we want to see.

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

Ace Events.

        As usual, our friends at ACE Edinburgh have been busy doing their organising and have come up with some events worth pursuing. Why not pay them a visit and show solidarity and support.

NEWS FROM THE AUTONOMOUS CENTRE OF EDINBURGH
Summary:
ONE: Thurs 1st October – Ex Black Panther Lorenzo Komboa Ervin live from the States in online meeting.
TWO: ECAP and Oficina Precaria re-start support appointments at ACE plus more solidarity news
THREE: Global Climate Strikes restart, in Edinburgh demo at Scottish Parliament
FOUR: ACE groups continue activities  More Info 

 
ONE: 

       Thurs 1st October – Ex Black Panther Lorenzo Komboa Ervin live from the States in online meeting.
Lorenzo Komboa Ervin, in person
     Anarchism, poverty, and black activism. We need to talk about austerity, capitalism, and government repression, and compare notes, and offer international solidarity. (organised through Action against Austerity)
Time: Oct 1, 2020 07:00 PM Dublin/Dundee/Glasgow.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87508008832?pwd=NzFyUzgzbFltQmd1ZDB0R2hYRjlTdz09

Meeting ID: 875 0800 8832 Passcode: 218912
+44 203 481 5240 United Kingdom
+44 203 901 7895 United Kingdom
+44 131 460 1196 United Kingdom
+44 203 051 2874 United Kingdom
+44 203 481 5237 United Kingdom
Meeting ID: 875 0800 8832
Passcode: 218912
        Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kJXo7jybo
MORE INFO
       Very recent interview with veteran organizer and former Black Panther and political prisoner Lorenzo Kom’boa Ervin on the current political crisis, fascism and rising relevance of Black anarchism.
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/william-c-anderson-ungovernable-an-interview-with-lorenzo-kom-boa-ervin
      Pamphlet written by Lorenzo
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/lorenzo-kom-boa-ervin-anarchism-and-the-black-revolution
      Please note, while this meeting is not being advertised in open spaces like public facebook, we encourage people and groups to inform friends and contacts.
 

TWO:
      EDINBURGH COALITION AGAINST POVERTY AND OFICINA PRECARIA RESTART APPOINTMENTS AT ACE plus more solidarity group news
EDINBURGH COALITION AGAINST POVERTY write:
        ECAP Tuesday Sessions are reopening as appointment only for the time being. (Please note the situation could change at short notice) If you need solidarity on a benefits or poverty-related issue we’re asking people to contact us by Phone on 0131 557 6242, Email ecap@lists.riseup.net or Facebook private message to organise an appointment.
        More info including covid safety measures which need to be followed http://edinburghagainstpoverty.org.uk/?p=2806
           OFICINA PRECARIA
          Support, solidarity and mutual aid to combat precarity, OP give a wide range of support focusing on migrants to Scotland, including support with Settled Status applications. To make an appointment with OP the best way is via the web: https://piescotland.org/es/contacto or alternatively contacto@piescotland.org
       Safety measures for OP appointments here https://www.facebook.com/piescotland/posts/3683622891657118 Facebook @piescotland website https://piescotland.org/en/
MUTUAL AID EDINBURGH:
       “Solidarity not Charity” https://www.facebook.com/MutualAidEdinburgh
MUTUAL AID TRANS EDINBURGH:
     “MATE (Mutual Aid Trans Edinburgh) was set up during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide direct support by and for trans and queer people in Edinburgh.” https://www.facebook.com/matedinburgh

THREE:
CLIMATE JUSTICE:
          Global Climate Strikes restarted on 25 September, in Edinburgh there was a demo at Scottish Parliament, look out for future action…..
Scottish Youth Climate Strike
https://www.facebook.com/syclimatestrike
https://climatestrike.scot/
Green Anti Capitalist Front Edinburgh
https://www.facebook.com/EdinburghGAF
Extinction Rebellion Edinburgh
https://www.facebook.com/xrEdinburgh

FOUR:
ACE GROUPS CONTINUE ACTIVITIES
         Although the ACE premises have had to close for public events during the Covid-19 emergency the groups based at ACE are still active – go to http://autonomous.org.uk/groups-activities/ click on the drop-down menu and check out the different groups current activities via the links. Also check for events at https://www.facebook.com/AutEdinburgh and http://autonomous.org.uk/events/ plus there are links to some of the ACE groups at http://autonomous.org.uk/links/
         We also recommend Living Rent tenants union https://www.livingrent.org/ To UNSUBSCRIBE: email acemail@gmx.co.uk with 'unsubscribe acenews'. Thank you.
     ACE premises are currently closed due to the Coronavirus emergency. Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh, 17 West Montgomery Place, Edinburgh EH7 5HA See ACE Facebook @AutEdinburgh and www.autonomous.org.uk for special events and regular meetings online.
       Tel 0131 557 6242 - the phone is being checked and we will try and respond within a couple of days. Email acemail@gmx.co.uk (please note that the acenews email does not accept messages).
      To unsubscribe: <mailto:acenews-unsubscribe@lists.riseup.net>
List help: <https://riseup.net/lists>
[acenews] News from the Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh.

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

You-topia.

 

        I found this film, informative and inspiring, though there is hardship and bitter struggles, it unfolds in poetic beauty, its narrative is woven with hope and determination and a strong reminder, as the film says, "Remember, you are the You-topia." I hope you get as much from it as I did.

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

Misconceptions.

Anarchy is for lovers.

    It's common practice for the media and political pundits to "blame" anarchists for any violence that happens at demonstrations. Seldom a reference to why there is such underlying anger and rage in this society and a total ignorance of what anarchism is and stands for, its ideology, its aims and dreams.

     Although the extracts below are references about America, they equally apply in all states. The open sustained brutality and repression by the state apparatus against anarchists in Greece, Italy, Germany, Russia and Italy, to name a few, is testament to this violence against and hatred of anarchists by the establishment. The establishment in no way will allow the freedom and justice that anarchism has to offer.

The following extracts are from an article by Kim Kelly:

       Stop blaming everything bad on anarchists

       A demonstrator wearing black and holding a black flag stands facing a police cordon at an anarchist protest in front of the Polish Parliament during a demonstration demanding that the poorest be included in the government's assistance program during the coronavirus pandemic. (Janek Skarzynski/AFP/Getty Images)

       As protests continue to sweep the nation, a narrative has emerged blaming alleged “anarchists” for stirring the pot. They are, the story goes, materializing out of nowhere to sow chaos, put marginalized people at risk and generally make more peaceful protesters look bad. On June 1, President Trump retweeted a video implying that a man who later explained that he was helping other protesters buy medical supplies was instead paying them to incite violence. In his tweet, Trump added, “Anarchists, we see you!” After surveying damage to city property, Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price declared, “It’s not protest, it’s anarchy.” The next day, Post opinions contributor Helaine Olen wrote that Trump is “the real anarchist.” Her only basis for making this claim appeared to be the common use of “anarchy” as a flawed synonym for “chaos.”
        This reflexive tic to associate anarchism with thoughtless discord betrays a profound ignorance of leftist ideology. The problem is that no one seems to understand what anarchism is or what its adherents are seeking to accomplish — and that lack of understanding is going to end up endangering a lot of people. We’re rapidly approaching a point in which dissent is further criminalized, the justified rage and pain fueling these protests is further delegitimized, and anyone who engages in any form of protest outside the preapproved liberal template becomes a target for surveillance, or worse. On June 3, with zero evidence backing its claim, the White House Twitter account trumpeted: “Antifa and professional anarchists are invading our communities, staging bricks and weapons to instigate violence. These are acts of domestic terror.” At least one of the supposed weapons caches appears to have been part of a security barricade in front of a Jewish community center.-------

And ------

     -----So what is anarchism? As I’ve explained before, it is a radical, revolutionary leftist political ideology that advocates for the abolition of government and all other unequal systems of power in favor of a society organized around direct democracy and voluntary association. Though it encompasses many schools of thought, most anarchists are committed to a basic set of beliefs. Key anarchist principles include mutual aid (a reciprocal approach to community care in which people share resources), direct action (the use of political protest to achieve a goal) and horizontalism (a non-hierarchical organizational system in which decisions are made by consensus). Anarchists advocate for abolishing institutions such as prisons, police and the military, which they hold to be inherently oppressive. Anarchists are by definition anti-capitalist, anti-racist, and directly opposed to all other forms of bigotry and oppression. They are anti-fascist (though not all anti-fascists are anarchists!), which opens up another potential avenue for repression now that the president has fixated on antifascists, or “antifa,” and law enforcement has continued to surveil and target leftist activists.
        In practice, to be an anarchist is to dream of a kinder, more equitable society, and to do one’s best to get us closer to making that dream a reality. For every minute of protest footage showing anarchists out in the streets, there are untold hours spent attending endless meetings (anarchists love meetings), cooking and delivering food and supplies to those who need it, researching far-right groups, planning demonstrations, providing child care and other support to comrades, and taking part in other communally minded projects. It may sound hokey, but anarchism is about love as much as it is rage; there is a certain utopian romance to it.-----

And:----

     -------All of this obfuscation and misinformation is a shame, because anarchism has many lessons to offer about caring for our communities and all of those in need. The concepts that make up its core have become increasingly popular, even as anarchism itself has been dismissed as a mere thirst for destruction. As long-running anarchist collective Crimethinc wrote in their anthology “Expect Resistance: A Field Manual,” “No one is more qualified than you are to decide how you live; no one should be able to vote on what you do with your time and your potential unless you invite them to.”
      As others survey the smoldering ruins of the American Dream and beg politicians to take mercy on the most vulnerable, it’s worth reminding people that life doesn’t have to be this way. The government has shown that it won’t save us. We know that the rich won’t save us. But if we embrace the true spirit of anarchy, maybe, just maybe, we can save ourselves.

Read the full article HERE:

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

Our World.

           There is a lot of rumblings about the aftermath of this covid19 pandemic, but one thing we can be sure of is that we the people will be expected to take the pain. Government support schemes have kept some businesses afloat by throwing billions of pounds at them, paying company wages etc.. All this was to try and ensure their economic system would survive and unrest among the public would be limited. However, government support schemes will be withdrawn and borrowers, individual as well as businesses will start to come up short on their loans. So far banks have been seen as supportive of all this and not being to ruthless with their customers. For how long will the banks be able to hold on to that helping hand posture.
       No matter how hard they may wish to be seen in the public eye as the supportive saviours of the system, crunch time will come. The time will arrive when companies go bust and all that borrowed money lavished on them has to be paid back. The survival of the banking system will make them completely ruthless. That mountain of debt the government has thrown at its corporate friends will be called in by the financial Mafia they borrowed it from. That’s when you and I come in. The conditions for that pay back will be dictated by the moguls who run the financial Mafia scheme. 

       First thing will be cut government spending so that they can use more tax payers money to service the debt, then sell public assets to raise cash to service the debt, that puts more of our wealth in the hands of the corporate world. That translates as the financial Mafia get all their cash that was thrown at the corporate world back in their coffers, but you and I will take the pain. It will be Austerity writ large and bold across the generations of the ordinary people. We have yet to recover from the previous corporate gambling crisis and we are now about to be hit harder this time round, all to save the precious economy of the pampered wealthy powerful few. 

      We have to ask ourselves, is it worth sacrificing the lives, health, welfare and potential of our children to preserve the well being of a privileged, pampered parasite class. You know there is a better way to distribute the wealth that we the ordinary people create. They need us, we don’t need them, we make and distribute everything, it’s our world, we just have to take control of the system for the benefit of all our people.

WE THE LABOURING MASSES.

We the people have, every brick laid,
have fed the world with sweat and spade,
every instrument played in every band
created by the skill of the craftsman's hand.
We made every truck and every load,
our toil our effort every winding road,
every ship that ever sailed the sea,
our power our imagination made it be.
Cities and towns large and small,
our labouring hands fashioned them all,
every home, every spire,
luxury mansion or humble byre.
No matter what dreams the mind might spawn
without labour's hand, never see the light of dawn,
without labour's strength and labour's skill,
we would be foraging beasts in a jungle still.

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

Prepare.

      With a brutal recession most certainly coming, what should we be doing to prepare for this capitalist inevitability? Where you live and your circumstance can and will dictate a great deal of how you manage the situation, but we should always remember, mutual aid, sharing and community co-operation are key to not just surviving, but winning in this battle between survival of capitalism or a better way to live for all.  

      The covid19 pandemic taught a lot of people the benefits of mutual aid, let's not lose that knowledge, we should expand it, learn from it and take those tools with us into this battle for survival, remember, a community can grow a lot of its own food with a wee bit of co-operation and effort. When the scourge of the capitalist recession hits us, the ordinary people, it will be brutal and you can be sure the establishment's main aim will be for the survival of capitalism, no matter the cost to human health and welfare. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to reverse that plan and see to the health and welfare of all our people at the expense of capitalism. They need us, we don't need them.

     A few words of commonsense from Not Buying Anything:

 Our pantry order arrived! Not a bit of plastic. Everything is packaged in heavy paper sacks.

      We have been working on our pantry since we moved to Nova Scotia in 2014, but didn't really maximize on the space, having never had a real pantry before. We needed to get motivated. The pandemic provided us with a good kick in the butt, and this year we finally got down to business.
      When we were researching our new home area, we discovered an agri-business in the Maritimes that specializes in locally grown organic staple foods. We also found a food buying group in our community. But we had not yet connected the two.
          Enter The Virus and we had that extra bit of motivation we needed.
        We tried to order directly from the wholesaler, but were told because of the pandemic they were very busy and had to enforce a minimum order of several hundred dollars or 600 pounds of delivered weight.
         We couldn't do that. We are building a pantry, not a bunker.
      Therefore, we contacted the local food buying group, and found that they deal with the supplier! We could order whatever we wanted, in any quantity.
      They took our order by email, we paid by e-transfer, and when it came in a couple of weeks later, it was delivered right to our front door free of charge.
      As much as possible, the products are from local organic farms. All their flour is stone ground, a process which retains more fibre and nutrients than steel roller milling which causes the loss of anywhere from 20 - 30% of the good stuff.
      This is what was in our order. All of it is organic.
- 2.27 kg sesame seeds
- 2.27 kg soybeans
- 2 X 2.27 kg cornmeal
- 2.27 kg sunflower seeds
- 20 kg oatmeal
- 10 kg whole wheat flour
        I have never seen a 20 kilogram bag of rolled oats before. What a beautiful thing, if you love oats, and we do. We were buying non-organic large oats (for the same price) in 1 kg plastic bags from the store previously.
        That's 20 plastic bags we will not be using!
       Over the next few weeks we will be augmenting our progressing pantry with food from the garden. We have already made strawberry jam, and we are looking forward to drying herbs, making pesto, canning pickled beets and cucumbers, as well as tomatoes and/or salsa.
       We are also freezing things like bush and pole beans, peas, and kale.
       We have also increased some amounts of pantry items. For many things, we try to always keep 2 in stock. Now we are keeping 3 of certain items, like peanut butter. The less we have to shop, the better, and this allows us to take advantage of sales when they come up.
     Our food storage has never been this prepared before, and the timing couldn't be better. It all fits with giving up our vehicle, the pandemic, and an impending Greatest Depression.
       And who knows what else?

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

Prepare.

 

       The Covid19 seems to be on the decline here in UK, though we should still be very cautious on how we conduct ourselves in public. However, I think we should be shifting our main focus on the aftermath. We are facing massive unemployment and that of course, will hit the ordinary people hard. The list of companies planning to pay off workers grows by the day. Yes, we will get the usual rhetoric from our bungling political ballerinas  about how they will put in place schemes to help get the unemployed back to work. This usually translates into giving big business millions of tax payers money to employ some more people. The money will be taken up, but the jobs will be minimal. 

     With the downturn in employment there is a downturn in tax revenue to the state apparatus, this added to the monumental debt that the government has run up, will mean a savage cut in government spending. You all know what that means for the ordinary people of this country. A freeze of public sector workers pay, possible cuts, or having to do more work for the same pay, as the government cuts staff levels. more zero hours contracts, decimating working conditions, there's a queue waiting to take your job, drastic cuts to all social services, closure of public facilities, libraries, swimming pools, etc. and of course more privatisation as the state farms out more services to the private sector and sells of public assets to its corporate buddies, to help raise cash. Under our economic system there will be no quick fix, we the ordinary people will have to grin and bear it for some considerable time to come.

 I'm a very rich banker, trust me!!

    Or of course, we can start to organise our communities around mutual aid, that grows independence and solidarity across our communities and at the same time frees us from the dependency of the profit making market place of capitalism. There are a multitude of ideas from swap shops, clothes, books, toys, etc. to skill sharing schemes. I'm sure our imagination and skills can come up with a catalogue of ways we can enhance our lives and at the same time, short circuit and undermine, the corporate beasts that would rather you starved than they run without a profit.

   There is a storm coming, we can prepare to defend ourselves, or we can appeal to our rich and wealthy lords and masters, to please help us and give us a wee handout.

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