A swamp

Image courtesy of Ray Davies. 

          Looking at today’s politicians is a bit like looking at the lives of charlatans. Across the Atlantic we have the Trump saga of corruption and delusions, the Biden affair of having classified documents lying hither and thither about his home and various offices. Over here at our end of the swamp we have in that chamber of pomp and privilege, the House of Lords, one of their members, millionaire Michelle Mone, faces accusations that her husband has been linked to at least three tax avoidance schemes by HMRC, so she takes “leave of absence” from her place in the house of ermine, which means of course that she doesn’t have to disclose her financial affairs. Down among the millionaires in that misnomer, The House of Commons, when in fact it is a house of millionaires, we have ex Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi being fined by HMRC for a reported sum of over a million pounds for avoiding having paid a reported sum of over £3 million in tax. According to him and his cronies, it was an oversight and not deliberate. This is a man who is reputed to have a personal wealth of £100 million. Now one would imagine that a shrewd business millionaire would have the sense to employ a shit hot accountant to make sure his tax affairs were in order, just to keep his “good” name. Will we hear of an accountant being dismissed? Knee deep in wealth, failing to pay over £3million in tax in a tax avoidance scheme, just an oversight, yes and the moon is made of cheese. Of course we know that one Boris Johnson is never far removed for scandal, lying and bluster, well true to form another little piece of skulduggery has surfaced. It appears the Boris was strapped for cash and needed a guarantor for an £800,000 loan, and according to a report in The Sunday Times, a meeting was arranged between Canadian business man Sam Blyth, Mr Sharp and Boris with the idea of Mr. Sharp being a guarantor for Boris’s loan. Mr Sharp was later appointed as chairman of the BBC, an appointment that is made by the Prime Minister and Culture Secretary. Are you reaching for your mask to try and avoid the stink coming from the sewer that is politics today. When will we wise up and bring this festering sewer of a swamp to an end, can’t you hear them laughing at us. We struggle to heat our homes, put food on the table and are told how to live our lives by multi-millionaires who see £3+ million tax avoidance as an oversight. Do we really think this is the way to organise our lives? Is this the society that we want for future generations?

Image courtesy of Global Witness.

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

Quiet.

           Though we have millions of people who take their anger on to the streets and show it in other very visible means, direct action etc., we should not forget that quiet multitude. Their silence does not equate with acceptance of this unjust capitalist system. They are aware that their lives are not what they could be, they are aware of the inequality. These are the people we have to convince that we can build a better world for all, without that quiet majority we are going nowhere. They want a better world, we have to raise their anger, so that they will join us on the streets, in strikes, in solidarity with all those in open struggle against this festering greed driven capitalist system. 

                                             Image courtesy of Kids Creative Chaos.

Another wee gem of a poem from the Chinese poet Xu Lizhi.

"Conflict"

They all say
I'm a child of few words
This I don't deny
But actually
Whether I speak or not
With this society I'll still
Conflict

 

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Everywhere.

        An extract from an article in Enough is Enough. In truth, we are everywhere, we are everybody. I think well worth a read, a very interesting read and food for thought.

           We are post, we are autonomous, we are anarchists, we are communists, we provide humanitarian aid in Ukraine, we chase the uprisings, we are brutal feminists and we look after each other, searching for truth and yet disoriented, we fight in our neighborhoods and look for every opportunity to throw a stone. We come from the solidarity movement with Latin America, from the housing struggles of the 80s, from the fading Antifa of the 2000s, from the anti-globalization movement, and finally from today, which does not yet have a name. We want everything and nothing

 

         The world is decaying. The Greens, in their compulsive good face game, try to stop or heal this decay with aloe vera. The fascists try to breathe new life into the decaying world with their necromancy of family, fatherland and Christianity. The old capitalists just continue as before. And the left, in its unsurpassed wisdom of the both-as-also dialectic, also tries its hand at the necromancy of concepts from the 19th and 20th centuries, also adding a pinch of aloe vera to the alleged magic potion that gives them the feeling of moving forward. Even the disciples of Andreas Malm pay homage to a despondent Leninism that trivializes the seizure of power in questions of militancy and pressure to act. Gramsci and Lenin would turn in their graves.
         We stand stunned before what nowadays calls itself revolutionary politics, and yet is only a pile of rubble of left-wing social-democratic politics, which pounces resentfully on the FDP, still has not gotten over the betrayal of the SPD of 1914, and does not realize that the Greens have taken these “Punch and Judy” parties to their side as welcome idiots, in order to comfortably consolidate their project of Green Capitalism without causing a stir:

 

Continue reading HERE. 

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Barbarism.

          In Italy the vindictive state sits silent, and callously watches a man slowly die, when it is their hands to prevent this state murder. This is raw cold-blooded state power in action, This brutal act is for no other reason than to uphold the rotten stinking carcase that is the state institution and its bed-fellow, capitalism. There is no way of reforming the festering marriage of state and capitalism, as they are so intricately intertwined and interdependent. The only way to stop these acts of vindictive barbarism is the total destruction of that blight on humanity, state and capitalism. We all have to choose which side we are on, barbarism and exploitation, or freedom and justice for all, there is no middle ground.

The following from Act For Freedom Now.

DEMONSTRATION IN SOLIDARITY WITH ALFREDO IN THE CENTRE OF MILAN

         This evening [December 29th, 71st day of hunger strike by Alfredo Cospito] a presence of about 300 comrades gathered at the end of via Torino, on the edge of piazza Duomo, heavily enclosed for the occasion by almost 30 armoured vehicles and a large contingent of police agents. After an hour of speeches under the shadow of Milan’s cathedral in solidarity with Alfredo’s struggle against the 41 bis prison regime, we moved in a demonstration along the crowded via Torino. Amidst slogans, chants, firecrackers and speeches by the various groups and collectives that were present, the demonstration moved to piazza XXIV Maggio, where it disbanded.

       We relaunch the mobilisation and invite everyone to the demonstration in Rome on December 31st under the DNAA, ‘National Anti-Mafia and Anti-Terrorism Directorate’!

Alfredo out from 41 bis!
Everyone out from 41 bis!
Against every prison!

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Polluters.

 

                                                Image courtesy of Wealthy Guerilla.

             It is frustrating to listen to the various government bodies talking about minimising the temperature change on the planet, in an attempt at saving humanity and host of other species. They talk of green energy, while industry drags its feet, they encourage you and I, the peasants, to take shorter showers, shallower baths and turn the thermostat down a degree. However they never mention the biggest polluters on the planet. By far the world's largest polluter is the military industrial complex, the pentagon etc. and then there is the millionaire/billionaire parasite class, with their massive limousines, several mansions, private jets, and those monstrous gas guzzling multi-million pound yachts. Until we tackle these mass polluters, we are peeing against the wind. Considering they, for the moment, are the ones who hold the reins of power and control all the wealth, they are very unlikely to to do much to change that situation. If we are to save the planet and humanity, though the planet will survive and probably flourish without us, we, the ordinary people, will have to do the job ourselves, by bringing to an end, this insane greed driven system of capitalism and its plundering of the Earth's resources simply for the profit and wealth of the few. I don't believe we have that much time, so drastic action on our behalf will be necessary.

                                              Image courtesy of The Guardian.

Image courtesy of Council of Europe.

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

Revolt.

 

            The latest from SubMedia in their System Fail series is now available, System Fail 20, Picking Sides. This episode covers South America and the U$A involvement in the various coups  as well as mass public uprisings. It also takes a look at Greece and Italy. Most of this will never be seen on mainstream media, thank you SubMedia.

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

Callous.

Image courtesy of Church Times.

        As more and more workers are continuing to repeat their call of enough is enough, the various government mouthpieces pour out any statement that they think might sound good to their followers. Each statement proving they don't give a shit about you and I. Take their response to the ambulance strike. The recent inane statement was that hospitals will have to free up beds to cope with the ambulance strike. Hospitals have been screaming for years that they need to free up beds but can't due to the total inadequateness of the social care system. This has not been fixed, but government mouthpieces are suddenly calling for hospital beds to be freed up, as if the hospitals have not been trying to do this for years. Will they sort the social care system to sort this, not a chance. Another inane statement from the government propaganda machine that proves once again,don't give a shit about you and I. To cope with the ambulance strike they are drafting 1,200 military personnel. When it comes to driving an ambulance, a bus driver could do it, it's not the ambulance moving that matters, it's the paramedics that go with the ambulance. Imagine you are in desperate need of an ambulance to get you to hospital for something serious, would you prefer a paramedic to arrive assess your problem and what you need immediately, before getting you to the ambulance and on to the hospital, or would you prefer a squaddie, well trained in how to use an automatic rifle, to do that assessment? 

Image courtesy of The Guardian.

 

            The posh brigade in the Westminster Houses of Hypocrisy and Corruption, with their callous approach to you and I, are obviously quite prepared to see the NHS collapse, poverty and destitution to mushroom spouting their mantra that there's no money. However we continue to pour millions into Ukraine to prolong a brutal war. They have plans to increase defence spending (war spending) in the near future. The UK sits on a mountain of wealth, but not for the needs of you and I, it's for squireling away in off shore bank accounts of the millionaire/billionaire parasite class.
         We are mugs if we accept this plundering of the ordinary people, to keep the financial Mafia and CEO happy. Get behind the strikers, join them on the picket line, given them all the support and solidarity we can. They are fighting our battle for a decent life for all.

 

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

Madness!

 

           Centuries ago,when capitalism first got a grip on humanity, the people have petitioned, protested and marched, and all that has happened is that capitalism has grown in strength and tightened its grip on humanity. If we continue quietly petitioning, marching and protesting, we can expect the same pattern to be repeated. They say the first sign of madness is to keep doing the same thing but expecting a different result, are we mad, will we continue the same old routine?
           If we expect capitalism to desist from plundering the planet, exploiting the population and grasping ever great slices of the Earth's resources, and at the same time creating ever great wealth for that handful of privileged parasites, then we will have to think of a different way of destroying the voracious beast that is capitalism.
           It may seem that capitalism is so strong and powerful that it is impossible to be removed, but there were those who thought that the divine right of kings was impossible to remove, but it has gone, into the dustbin of history. Capitalism may seem invincible, but it has many weakness, many points that are vulnerable, many ways that it can be brought to its knees, we have the numbers, we have the desire, and I'm sure we have the intelligence and imagination to bring this festering cancerous economic system of insanity to a few footnotes in a dusty old history book.

The following article from Anarchist News 

 From La Nemesi Via Dark Nights

          Capitalism is voracious, our rage ferocious. Claim of the incendiary attack against four CAT machines, by the Informal Anarchist Conspiracy (Fivizzano, November 2022)
          The Informal Anarchist Conspiracy is anarchist and informal, therefore without organisational programmes or leaders, the result of the free union of individuals moved by their own will and reciprocal felt need to strike at those responsible for the misery.
          In November, one year after the burning of two vehicles at the Boccanaglia Alta quarry, the Informal Anarchist Conspiracy celebrated its birthday by doubling down on the avenging fire. Four CATs from the Walton quarry in Castelbaita (Fivizzano – MS) were completely burnt.
          Unfortunately, apart from the birthday, there is little to celebrate. Tons of mountain pieces are taken away every year, with terrible consequences for nature in all its complexity. Also paying the price are the inhabitants who find themselves without drinking water or with floods that will continue to hit the area.
          Marble mining is part of the capitalist system of exploitation, to the point of depletion of every cm of soil, water, subsoil and so-called resources. The extractive economy is directly linked to the wars that from Yemen to Ukraine fatten the bosses. Every single industrialist is responsible for climate change, as well as for the existence of borders and the thousands of people slaughtered in the Mediterranean and in lagers defending borders.
            It is known that the bosses are hypocrites and fill their mouths with deceitful words. Big speeches about energy transition, emission reduction and other green masks are on the lips of politicians, bosses and phoney environmentalists. They propose and promise reconversion. They practice the destruction of this planet, the moon, the universe and everything. They talk a lot about alternative energies but never about alternatives to capitalism. Because according to them, this is the best of all possible worlds. We remind ourselves that exploitation and devastation is done on the skin of the many for the profit of a cowardly few.
          Last year environmentalists cried scandal over the violence against the bosses. This year they are crying for the right to work. These jackals only want to keep the world as it is. Any compromise with the ravagers of the earth is complicity. Every river, every forest and every mountain in the world shouts this.
          By letting the bosses make their profits, we all lose out (animals and humans). We lose slices of mountains crumbled and chewed up for construction, cosmetics for the toilets and yachts of the rich. We lose slices of the possibility of a better and beautiful world to live in. It is the worst one can live in. And so we regret to admit that the violence we deploy is still too weak a response. We conspire and will continue to conspire in the knowledge that if a violent fight against society does not open up the present, then the future will be rotten and poisonous.
         Immediate closure of every quarry and every industry. Against labour and society no reconversion or wait-and-see. Direct action and social war.
         To bosses and lackeys: this time we hit the means you use for your dirty deeds but we are clear that it is your hands that move them.
        With this action we say greetings to all our prisoner comrades. In particular Alfredo, Anna, Juan and Ivan.
         Immediate declassification of Alfredo from 41 bis.
         We greet with joy the Anna Maria Mantini autonomous cell in Germany – the Negra Venganza in Chile – the Augusto Masetti FAI/FRI Brigade in Italy.

Forward Comrades!

LONG LIVE THE FAI/FRI.
LONG LIVE THE BLACK INTERNATIONAL!

Informal Anarchist Conspiracy

[Taken from “Bezmotivny“, internationalist anarchist fortnightly, year II, number 23, 5 December 2022]

 

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

Disrupt.

 

 

Image courtesy of Youtube.

  

          This so called democratic system we live under is stinking rotten to the core. Our lives are shaped by corruption, self seeking power mongers, authoritarianism, and that deadly virus patriotism, all this officiated over by funny people in funny clothes. This seemingly invincible edifice to power, privilege and wealth, is vulnerable in so many ways. We can attack the system in so many ways from disturbing the placid followers of the system as they blissfully ignore the real world around them. Its lines of communication are vulnerable, strikes can disrupt its flow of money to the parasites, Go slow working to rule rule can play havoc with their production of crap for sale to the gullible public. If we wish to rid ourselves of this cancerous exploitative, greed drive system, we have to use every means at our disposal, just as the system uses ever means at its disposal to control and intimidate the population into a homogeneous placid obedient mass.

 

 

Image courtesy of The Guardian.

 

The following from Anarchist News.

Via Inferno Urbano Translated by Act for freedom now!

         Interruption of a performance at Teatro Argentina in solidarity with the imprisoned anarchists on hunger strike against 41bis (Rome 26th November 2022)
         Today, 26th November 2022, the play ‘Hamlet’ was interrupted at Teatro Argentina in Rome. In spite of the fact that the theatre workers turned into a real security line-up to protect the bosses’ interests, we determinedly managed to get on stage and unfurl a banner that read “Something is rotten in Italy: NO to 41 bis”, throw leaflets and read part of the communique which we are reproducing in full here below:
         We are here because Alfredo Cospito is under 41 bis. 41 bis is a prison regime specifically designed to annihilate the individual. We are here because Alfredo has been on hunger strike for over a month. We are not here to cry over an injustice suffered by our anarchist comrade, because it is not such. Just as it is not a legal aberration. It is the logical reaction of the democratic State to the attacks launched by Alfredo. First physical, with the wounding of the bureaucrat Adinolfi, at the time CEO of Ansaldo Nucleare, for which he has finished serving the time he was sentenced to.
           Then in the words through which he contributed to the debates of the anarchist movement while in high security detention. 41 bis to Alfredo is not just revenge, is also the will to take away the word. Because the word, when it does not remain a mere rhetorical exercise, is a weapon.
           Alfredo has been on hunger strike for over a month to obtain his reclassification and against life imprisonment without parole.
           He has been joined by the anarchist prisoners Juan Sorroche, Ivan Alocco and Anna Beniamino. They are using the hunger strike because in the condition of isolation in which they find themselves it is perhaps the only form of struggle available to them. With strength and courage they are risking their safety, their lives… while you are sitting here watching a sham and do not realise that everything is such. Every day something is taken from you, for the time being, it does not affect you and so you look the other way. Blinded by your privileges you think that democracy is the best possible system and you look indignantly at exotic nations where people are being trampled on. You want truth and justice for Giulio Regeni and don’t give a damn about the 14 deaths in prison on the 8th of March 2020 by Italian democracy. You don’t give a damn about the 80 prison suicides from January to today. You don’t give a damn about the migrant concentration camps scattered around the Bel paese.
           We have not come to sensitise you. If you are sleeping soundly… we will spoil your entertainment.

Let’s break the social peace in which you are basking.

Death to the State!
Long live Anarchy!

 

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

Good Read.

 

           December, so another Read of the Month from Spirit of Revolt. This month we bring you Manifesto of Libertarian Communism by Georges Fontenis, ACE, Anarchist Communism Edition No·3, from our K M Collection, T SoR 4-1-3. An excellent read for those who want to know more about Libertarian Communism, or refresh their thoughts on the subject. You can of course delve into our website where you will find a multitude of information on Anarchism and Libertarian Socialism and the people and struggles involved in that struggle for that better world for all.

 READ ON LINE.

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

Rising??

  Food for thought as we face a winter of cold and hunger, midst abundant wealth.

 “Pity the nation whose people are sheep
And whose shepherds mislead them
Pity the nation whose leaders are liars
Whose sages are silenced
And whose bigots haunt the airwaves
Pity the nation that raises not its voice
Except to praise conquerors
And acclaim the bully as hero
And aims to rule the world
By force and by torture...
Pity the nation oh pity the people
who allow their rights to erode
and their freedoms to be washed away...”- 

 Lawrence Ferlinghetti, poet

 

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

Solidarity.

 

         We are all suffering from this crisis in exploitation, in relation to inflation wages are dropping rapidly, prices are skyrocketing, the winter promises illness and deaths, through lack of heating, plus the prediction that in two years time we will be 7% poorer than we are now. We must, on the streets, in a untied and determined manner show our anger and disgust at the powers that be who are heaping this poverty on us, shout loud and clear, that we will not tolerate this any longer, there is no law that says we must be poor so that the rich can get richer. There is no rationale that says we must pay for the blunders of the capitalist financial gambling casino Time to say, Enough is Enough, support the strikers in every and any way you can, it is not just their fight, it is our fight for a decent standard of living. 

 Glasgow Keelie supports the strikers.

          Multiple pickets around schools, universities, and Royal Mail centres on Thursday. We have been asked to support one at Strathclyde University by folk in UCU and students solidarity group. Their main picket at Strathclyde on the morning of the 24th will be at the Collins Building or the Learning and Teaching Building on Richmond Street from 9am, probably marching to Glasgow Green for 12.30 for the big union rally.
         Friday the main event will be a joint union rally at Buchanan St steps at 12.30.
And on Saturday, there is the annual Anti Racism march gathering at Glasgow Green at 10.30, leaving at 11am sharp.
All welcome! 

Here’s the info from Glasgow Strike solidarity about other pickets:

*TOMORROW* *TEACHERS 🤝 POSTIES*

Tomorrow's the big day and we've been hard at work linking up local school and postie pickets. *If you've got time before work tomorrow, find your nearest postcode and head along to both!*

*G4:*

📮Baird Street, Townhead G4 0AA;

🏫St Mungo’s PS;

*G11:*

📮 283 Clarence Drive, Hyndland, G11 7JP;

🏫Thornwood PS, Broomhill PS, Hyndland Secondary

*G13:*

📮28 Lincoln Avenue, Scotstounhill G13 3RJ; 🏫 Bankhead PS, Corpus Christi PS

*G20:*

📮22 Lochburn Road, Maryhill G20 9AN;

🏫St Mary’s PS

*G21:*

📮Mail Centre, St Rollox, 20 Turner Rd, Garngad G21 1AA;

🏫Barmulloch PS, St Roch’s PS, Royston PS

*G22:*

📮284 Hawthorn Street, Milton, G22 6RY;

🏫St Teresa’s PS, Springburn Academy

*G32:*

📮14 Fullarton Drive, Cambuslang, G32 8FA;

🏫Carmyle PS and St Joachim’s PS

*G33:*

📮87 Gartcraig Road, Riddrie G33 2NN

🏫Carntyne PS, Smithycroft Secondary

*G42:*

📮86 Victoria Road, Glasgow, G42 7JB;

🏫Cuthbertson PS, St Bride’s PS, Annette St PS, Hollybrook Academy, Govanhill Nursery

*G44:*

📮Muirend Avenue, Glasgow, G44 3DZ;

🏫Merrylee PS and Our Lady of the Annunciation PS

*G51:*

📮7 Summertown Road, Govan, G51 2BT;

🏫Gaelic PS, Little Stars Nursery, Ibrox PS

*G52:*

📮26 Queen Elizabeth Avenue, Hillington G52 4TT;

🏫Linburn Academy

*FOLLOW THE BANNER* 🚩

The strike solidarity banner will visit these pickets. We need numbers, so come join other strike supporters! 👇

1. Start at *Viccy Road Post Depot at 7.45*, followed by a visit to *Cuthbertson Primary* round the corner for cross-union solidarity! 🤝

2. Next, on to the *Adam Smith Building at Glasgow Uni, 8:30 to 10:30*. Show staff and students on campus that we support the strikes! 💪

3. Finally, meet at *12:50 Glasgow Green* to march and join the *EIS rally*, led by striking workers! 🚩

*LOCAL GROUPS*🧭

Local groups will be all over the city tomorrow! East will be at *Whitehill Secondary* at *7.30* before heading to *Baird St.* West will be at *Clarence Drive for 7.15*. And Southside will be at *Victoria Road* and *Muirend* depots at *7.45* before going to local schools.

Get active in your local group here 👇

*Southside*
https://chat.whatsapp.com/Iy47tKNP6eY6sOK0BpO9z4

*East*
https://chat.whatsapp.com/ItvE9IeL8L86dj5tTF4lCO

*North*
https://chat.whatsapp.com/BYVbjuJ05hD6Gf0n47nGmO

*West*
https://chat.whatsapp.com/HOlkXLUrGXFD2wiU4LSEBK

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

Crisis.

 

               Saturday 12th November, an opportunity to show your anger and disgust at a system that destroys the planet, plunges millions in to poverty and fattens the bank accounts of those destroying the planet. A chance to show your anger, disgust and distrust of the managers of the system, the politicians, who are in the pockets of big business, and who hand in hand are dragging us to oblivion.
        November 12th. raise your voice, show your anger.

 

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

Fail 18.

 

           Again SubMedia brings you the news that the mainstream media seem not to notice. Our mainstream media tend to show how well capitalism is working, somehow or other overlooking the mass unrest and anger among the population across the planet. This episode, System Fail 18 takes a look at the elections in Brazil and protests across the world. Thanks SubMedia for shining a light on the reality of capitalism and its corrupt so called democracy.

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