An Open Letter.

      Willie McDougall was one of Glasgow's life long anarchists and a bitter anti-war campaigner. As a conscientious objector he was sent to Dartmoor prison. Somehow he managed to get his hands on a bicycle and proceeded to cycle off, making his way back to Glasgow, where he continued his anti-war campaigning. 

 Photo courtesy of Bob Jones and Gina Bridgeland.

       This is an extract from an open letter he wrote to Mr Callaghan, leader of the Labour Party. Though some what dated, it still makes for interesting reading.

        The entire letter can be read at Spirit of Revolt, "Read of the Month"

RENT, INTEREST AND PROFIT.

      The old Fabians, although reformist, carried out a vigorous propaganda against Rent, Interest and Profit, all legalised forms of robbery of the common people. This view was also held by such famous socialists as Upton Sinclair and Robert Blatchford.

      In order to buy off counter-revolutionary violence the latter were prepared to pay modest compensation to these robbers, but only for their own life time. In the case of landowners they quoted John Ball, the Kentish Priest, whose text was: "When Adam delved and Eve span who was then the Gentleman?" He was hanged for demanding the land for the people.

      Somewhere along the line in all countries the land was stolen by force, or deceit from the common people. The Red Indians in America, the Zulus in Africa, the Aborigines in Australia were massacred, while in Europe and in Scotland there were Sutherland-type Clearances.

     Jack Jones has quipped that two-thirds of the members of the House of Lords are descendants of cattle thieves, land thieves or Court prostitutes. This applies also to our landlords. Whoever got the original titles had no moral or ethical right to acquire, sell or bequeath them.

     Blatchford cleverly shows the unfair parallel with the useful writer or inventor.... The latter's copyright lasts only 50 years whereas land rights, like interest are in perpetuity. The burden of interest which lies like an Albatross round the necks of all our big cities, causes rents to be at least three times higher than necessary. As our great Scottish revolutionary, John Maclean, pointed out, the perpetual burden of interest on the nationalised industries makes it difficult for them to be viable.---- 

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

SO, WHY AM I AN ANARCHIST?

Why am I an anarchist? Well ask any anarchist and they will probably come up with a thousand or so answers. In today's world there is so much wrong and it is all down to man made systems. Yes there are natural disasters, but with true human un-costed, co-operation we could could alleviate most of the misery from them, and in lots of cases we could prevent human suffering with proper planning, but cost prevents that. However we can't get away from the fact that most human suffering is from man made systems. Wars are part and parcel of the corporate capitalist system, hunger could be prevented, but in a capitalist world cost is the governing factor. In most cases disease can be eradicated, but cost is a hindrance. The corporate capitalist system of profit puts lots of answers to human suffering out of reach, it's not that we don't have the answers or the resources, it is simply that the corporate world can't make enough profit from that particular area. A system based on mutual aid and co-operation would bring unimagined benefits to mankind. So why don't we destroy this man made, profit first system, and replace it with a needs based system the will see to the needs of all our people?

So, why am I an anarchist?

So, why aren't you an anarchist?

 ann arky's home.

MURDOCH MAFIA SEWER.

   

         As the Murdoch Mafia sewer continues to spew out its toxic dogshit we start to get a better picture of how our political system works. It would seem that the necessary constituents for our “democracy” to function are bent cops that sell information to journalists, reporters that bribe police, officials and hack into phones and computers. The final part of this morally defunct system is the fawning politicians, eager to get into bed with and prostrate themselves before a greed driven media mogul who sits at the top of this pile of shit. He sets the political agenda, his scumbag media Mafia exerts the pressure and the subservient politicians push it through for fear of being out of favour with the mighty mogul and being forced of the gravy train.

       This then is British “representative democracy” a cesspool of duplicitous, greedy arrogant individuals hell bent on seeing to their own ends and screwing the public for all they are worth. Where in all this charade is there anything that is for the benefit of the ordinary people? Where are the benefits for all those who daily grind out an existence, the ones that create all the wealth and carry out all the services in our society? What has this bunch of low-life ever done other than gather up their millions and grasp at power for the own ends. Who needs them? Who wants them? The power they have over us is simple our refusal to use the power we hold ourselves. We are governed by consent, it is about time we withdrew that consent and used our power to create a world that will see to the needs of all our people. As system freed from the profit motive based on mutual aid, sustainability and mutual respect.

ann arky's home.