It's Insane To Call It Democracy.

       I find it fascinating how the wrong meaning of a word can come into normal use. Take the word "democracy", ask anybody in the street what "democracy" means and they'll probably give a fairly accurate definition, then ask them if we live in a "democracy" and you'll be surprised how many say "yes". Of course our babbling brook of bullshit, the mainstream media, continually  reinforce this misuse by their constantly referring to the "Western Democracies". The UK version of "democracy" is one where there are seats of power, and practically all those seats of power are filled from a small pool of rich pampered parasites, and most of them come through that elitist sausage factory known as "Oxbridge". Once the rich pampered parasites are processed through the Oxbridge sausage factory, they then spend a few years playing with their pals, and are then slotted into a position of power, over a section of the country that they nothing about. That my friends is UK "democracy".

       Only around 7% of the UK population attend private fee paying schools, yet many of the UK's judges, journalists, public officials, armed forces chiefs, media executives, are all privately educated before heading to the finishing process at the Oxbridge sausage factory. A report by Social Mobility and Child Poverty Group, concluded that Britain's elite is still  "formed on the playing fields of independent schools" and "finished in Oxbridge's dreaming spires". 

 

      Other figures from the report state that 71% of senior judges, 62% of senior armed forces officers, 55% of government permanent secretaries, 53% of senior diplomats, 45% of public body chairpersons, 44% of The Sunday Times Rich List, 43%  of newspaper columnists, as well as 26% of BBC executives were all privately educated. All that power lying in the hands of a group drawn from a very small 7% privileged bunch, and they call that "democracy".

      Another statement from the report says:  "Our research shows it is entirely possible for politicians to rely on advisors to advise, civil servants to devise policy solutions, and journalists to report on their actions having all studied the same courses at the same universities, having read the same books, heard the same lectures and even being taught by the same tutors."

     Where do we the ordinary people come in on this, when those making the decisions that shape our lives, have no experience of the world in which we the ordinary people live. 

      This ties in with another finding, that as all the countries in the world develop towards being more equal, the divide between rich and poor within each country is getting wider. This model of "democracy" means that the elitists in each country look after their own class, strengthen their power and grow their wealth at the expense of the vast majority of the world's population. How long can this privileged bunch of parasites continue to suck the wealth from the majority into their private coffers, before that majority steeped in ever deepening deprivation, rebel, and change things to a proper "democracy"? 

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

The Establishment's Weaving Of Lies.

       That babbling brook of bullshit,the mainstream media, always gets it wrong. At the moment it is pouring out lots of hate rhetoric against Russia, but precious little against the murderous onslaught by the Israeli state against the people of Gaza.

     Also on the WW1 "celebrations", they throw their weight behind the establishment view, of it being a heroic and glorious battle for democracy, which we, being the democratic half of the contest, won of course. I wonder what the German people think about that?

      What we should never forget is that the blood letting that goes by the name of WW1 wasn't won, it was an armistice. It was stopped because the imperialist psychopaths were faced with mutinies, rebellion and spontaneous out breaks of truces between the ordinary soldiers on the front line, some of these young men paid with their lives in front of a firing squad for the act of humanity. At home, the imperialists were faced with another battle, strikes and civil unrest across the continent of Europe. Another factor that brought the war warmongering nut-cases to call a halt, to the greed driven slaughter, was the fact that the death toll continued to soar and the maimed continued to be carried home, they were simply running out of canon-fodder. WW1 was an unimaginable spilling of mainly young blood, to further the aims of greed driven imperialist ambitions, in other words, greed and nothing more.

    Up to the start of that unnecessary blood letting of WW1, Europe had no democracy to defend. After the bloody event, Europe had no democracy anywhere. 100 years after that imperialist blood letting, we the ordinary people are still fighting for democracy in Europe.

Part of an email I recently received: 

         As the UK commences four years of commemorations of the centenary of World War 1, the Northumbria and Newcastle Universities Martin Luther King Peace Committee has released a set of resources to help schoolteachers mark the December 1914 Christmas Truces as part of their World War 1 teaching. They are designed as a corrective to the government-sponsored commemorations of the slaughter in the trenches as a heroic and necessary war.

        The December 1914 Christmas Truces, when British, French and German soldiers stopped fighting to celebrate Christmas, exchange gifts, sing carols, and even play football, are one of the most extraordinary episodes in modern military history. These were not isolated incidents. Following weeks of spasmodic fraternisation by men unconvinced by war propaganda, the Christmas Truces occurred right down the front from the North Sea to Switzerland. Made possible by shared traditions of Christian celebration, they were a hopeful moment of recognition of common humanity and a (brief) rejection of the terrible violence of industrialised war pursued by rulers in a deadly game of global imperial competition for territories and resources. They were quashed by orders backed by threats, and by replacing troops with men 'untainted' by the Truces.

         The truces are worth teaching about because they are simply so remarkable and evocative in themselves. Ordinary men recognising their common humanity infuriated high commands by temporarily stopping the industrialised slaughter of the trenches. However at a time when revisionist historians and politicians are offering retro-chic defences of the First World War as somehow necessary or even heroic, the truces can also teach an important message that may otherwise be overlooked in the centennial commemorations.

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

Anarchy, -Civil or Subversive-.

 

        A page from a new publication called Anarchy, -Civil or Subversive- from 325 This page is from the chapter called The Submissive Crowd.

The Submissive Crowd.

     “All revolutions have failed? Perhaps. But rebellion for good cause is self-justifying – a good in itself. Rebellion transforms slaves into human beings, if only for an hour.”

Edward Abbey

         You can be the most pleasant, easy-going, kind-hearted person, but it really doesn’t matter to the “normal’ members of Society: “the followers”, those who are scared and hostile towards anybody they see as different from what they perceive to be acceptable or decent. Wearing differently cut clothes or having a weird hair cut is enough to risk the ire of the “good people” it seems, without even mentioning possessing different manners or perspectives counter to the mainstream. If you have ideas that challenge the status quo, and you’re determined to commit them to experience , be ready for their anger and grudges. With narrow minds and low horizons, the submissive crowd is the eyes, ears and mouths of repression; Grovelling conformists, who, -when they are not looking out for “terrorists” and “criminals” - are busy sniffing and snitching out any of those who don’t go through life like one of a herd of sheep.

      Sheep who scrabble for money , lie, cheat and back-stab to get what they want, dominate other people when they can, and beg for protection and mercy from the authorities. “Neighbours”, “communities”, and “citizens”; mostly just more words for those who fill the streets with their xenophobia, nationalism and hypocrisy. Those who respect social mediocrity and fawn to power deserve my contempt. Their world must go. What is normal? I ask because obviously , from the reaction of those strangers I live amongst, I am not remotely ‘normal’. Holding down some shit job, marrying and breeding, running to own your own house, consumerism, drinking beer and watching TV after a day at work: this is the good life, this is the normality that those who love Society check everyone else against. These citizens hate anybody who dares to shine brighter than that and will do everything in their power to destroy the light-bringers. Because it is the Unique ones whose light makes the ignorant aware that their own grovelling conformity is nothing but a shadow of life.

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

World War 1, A Period Of Mutiny And Strikes.

     We are approaching what will be one gigantic propaganda exercise glorifying World War 1. The 100th anniversary of the start of that insane episode of human carnage is to be turned into a spectacle perpetuating that myth of British unity and patriotism. However, history tells a different story, 1914 to 1918 was a period of widespread industrial disputes and the “military campaign” was littered with rebellion among the troops. Forget that tale of the Xmas football match between opposing armies, there were mutinies popping up at regular intervals, among them the ÉtaplesMutiny 1917, even just after the war there was the Southampton Mutiny 1919. Then there was the British West Indies Regiment mutiny. This one highlights the arrogance and xenophobic attitude of the British ruling class. In the need for cannon-fodder it was suggested that their could be a black West Indies regiment, but that bulwark of British ruling class Lord Kitchener was of the opinion that black people should not be allowed into the armed forces. It was the intervention of King George V, probably realising that his empire was at stake and he needed that cannon-fodder, over ruled the noble lord.

     So the British West Indies Regiment was born, but at the front they were not to do the fighting and were unarmed. Their task was to load the weapons build the fences, load and unload vehicles, clean the toilets, in general be the general dog's body and do the white man's donkey work. On Armistice Day stationed at Taranto in Italy, they then found out that the white soldiers were give a pay rise but the black soldiers were not. This on top of the way they had been treated was the final straw and on December 6 1918 they attacked their officers. The mutiny lasted four days, the punishment handed out to some of those involved   varied from 3 to 5 years in prison, one man got 20 years, and one was executed, (murdered) by firing squad.

     The true history of World War 1 is a far cry from the bilge that will be poured out in the coming year by our lords and masters, who will wrap themselves in “the flag” and from their pampered and privileged background claim the horror, degradation and bloodshed, as a glorious episode in our history. And so that mythical history of the all patriotic hang-together loyal British public will get another coat of varnish. But we the people know the real history, we know the truth.

Vann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk

 

I Know People, But Only a Few---

From 325.nostate.net :
      ‘I want Comrades, not the mob…’ by the imprisoned members of CCF, plus Andreas Tsavdaridis and Spyros Mandylas (Greece)


I know people… people silent and chatty,
coward and audacious, humble and arrogant…
People, who live obediently, like sheep and others,
who lurk treacherously, like hyenas.
I know people who dream without fantasy
and others, who live without dreaming… people, whose eyes
are used to staring low and whose ears
are used to taking orders “wake up”, “work”,
“pay”, “buy”, “believe”, “comply”…
People from the lonely crowd, who patiently wait
in the line of life… for the eternal tomorrow,
for the better days, the optimistic future, the answers to their prayers…
They are waiting to believe in every prospective savior
and in any conman of thought, who will promise them a better life.
But those, who wait to live a better tomorrow,
are today, already dead.
I know people, but only a few of them are my comrades.
Slow Death or Insurrection here and Now…
These are the two paths, that unravel before us.
We choose to be there, where the strong ones dare.
The air is cleaner and the crowd, which bows before its false idols,
doesn’t ugly our aesthetics.
It is nice to look down from the mountain Peak of the Unique
even if the crowd secretly wishes for you to fall into the abyss
in order for it, not to be ashamed of its short stature.
Our words, carve today like a blade
and our actions burn the bridges with yesterday…
With tenacity and will, until we murder authority.
For Nicola and Alfredo.
For the Anarchists of Praxis.

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

Get Out With Your Flints!!

       I have always said, "we never know the spark that will start the fire". If there is enough fire tinder around any tiny spark could start an uncontrollable blaze. As far as our society is concerned we are knee deep in combustible fire tinder. Increasing poverty, declining social services, high unemployment, thousands being forced to work for nothing, thousands having their benefits sanctioned. Every section of our communities are being attacked, the unemployed by means of workfare and benefit sanctions, the disabled at the hands of ATOS doing the governments bidding, the employed by wage freezes/cuts, zero hours contracts, massive increases in energy bills and then the bedroom tax. A few months ago, Brazil exploded when bus fares were increased a few pesetas, it wasn't the bus fares, it was the fact that the people of Brazil were, like us, knee deep in fire tinder, they were being pushed ever deeper into deprivation in the midst of blatant greed and corruption, the bus fare increase was the spark. When we suffer this type of attack and push to deprivation, in a country where the number of millionaires is increasing, where lavish extravaganzas are flaunted in front of our ever increasing poverty, where blatant greed and corruption, stride pompously through the corridors of power, the spark is inevitable. A country where there is a vast unbridgeable chasm between the ordinary people and the wealth of that country, where there is a complete disconnect between those who hold the power and the ordinary people, cannot and should not hold together. 

 

      Perhaps all we can do at the moment is keep working with those flints.

This from TruthDig: 

  Revolution usually erupts over events that would, in normal circumstances, be considered meaningless or minor acts of injustice by the state. But once the tinder of revolt has piled up, as it has in the United States, an insignificant spark easily ignites popular rebellion. No person or movement can ignite this tinder. No one knows where or when the eruption will take place. No one knows the form it will take. But it is certain now that a popular revolt is coming. The refusal by the corporate state to address even the minimal grievances of the citizenry, along with the abject failure to remedy the mounting state repression, the chronic unemployment and underemployment, the massive debt peonage that is crippling more than half of Americans, and the loss of hope and widespread despair, means that blowback is inevitable.

Read the full article HERE:

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

The End Of The World As We Know It.

      

  Chemical weapons, Fukishima, Tokyo Olympics, Massive debt, Columbia, rebellion, is it the end of the world a we know it, and do you feel fine?

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

Brazil, A Month Of Rebellion, Now Everything Is Fine!!!

      Mass protests are now an everyday occurrence across the globe, as the people try to shake off the shackles of this exploitative, repressive, corrupt capitalist system. Some, we get distorted details of from that babbling brook of bullshit, the mainstream media, others we hear very little. During the month of June the whole of Brazil exploded in mass rebellion, there were a few mainstream broadcasts of images, but no real detail of what was going on. A month later and as far as the babbling brook of bullshit is concerned, it's all over and forgotten. What really went on? what is still happening? Are the people now back doing their law abiding duties? A country explodes in rebellion and a month later all is forgotten? So the powers that be would have you believe.

Obviously a vicious terrorist, but which one?

 

     There is a very detailed article from Crimethink:

"-----The anticipation building up to the fifth major demonstration was intense. It was called for June 17. The media was buzzing. GLobo—the biggest TV company of Brazil and one of the world’s biggest—interrupted their programming to disseminate news about the demonstrations. Initially, the corporate media depicted the movement as a bunch of criminals; then, when it gained momentum, they began to make a distinction between peaceful protesters and vandals in an attempt to marginalize the more radical sectors.
     Yet once again, the demonstration assumed a radical character. Large banks, chain stores, and department stores were beautified with graffiti; protesters nearly overran the headquarters of the state government of São Paulo, the Palácio dos Bandeirantes; busses were vandalized…

Read the full article HERE:

ann arky's home.

THE WORLD WE HAVE CREATED.

        Perhaps a little on the long side, but informative, if at times both depressing and inspiring.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BzNQixqun79Db2lyR2VWa3JOUWs/edit?pli=1

ann arky's home.

HOW WESTERN DEMOCRACY WORKS!!!

    

  This little video is just one example of how Western representative democracy applies austerity cuts to its electorate. An example of how your representatives respond to your wishes, remember, you elected them to do your bidding!!!

ann arky's home.

THE REBEL.

THE REBEL

Rebel rebel break the rule,

What does it matter that a “wise” man sees a fool.

Not for you the herd’s dull beat

Making tomorrow, yesterday’s repeat,

Living out the life of a clone

Marching with the crowd but always alone.

Shaping your life from some dusty tome

Playing it safe, staying at home.

Rebel rebel break the rule

Swim in the sea, never the pool.

Live your emotions, feel the surge

Follow your dreams, chase the urge.

Make life though short, an exciting game

Not a mad march for fortune or fame.

Capture the moment, live it now

Being alive your only vow.

Rebel rebel break the rule

In the end, you’re humanity’s jewel.

ann arky's home.

A MOVING MOVIE!!!

           In a journey from the mountains of southeastern Mexico to the northern border with the United States, Subcommander Marcos, Zapatista spokesperson, and the people of Mexico trace the forgotten face of a country. A celebration of the struggle for land and dignity.

Glasgow Screening

Sunday 8th May

5.15pm

Glasgow Film Theatre

12 Rose St

Glasgow, G3 6RB

Followed by Q&A with the director Nicolas Défossé

          A merchandise stall will be at this event selling Zapatista t-shirts, coffee and crafts. The money raised goes to health clinics and schools run by the Zapatistas in the Highlands of Chiapas, Mexico.

           City of Los Angeles, USA. In the heart of the city, undocumented Mexican immigrants are hunted by the police and struggle to earn a living without losing their identity. On the other side of the border, in the mountains of southeastern Mexico, dawn arrives, hidden in mist. It is January 1st, 2006; thousands of indigenous Zapatistas prepare to say farewell to their spokesman Subcomandante Marcos. His mission: to travel across the country for the next six months to learn from the resistance of Mexican men and women who fight for a better Mexico. So begins a journey that plans to reach the border with the United States, at the other end of the country...

            From Chiapas to Quintana Roo, from Yucatan to Oaxaca, from Nayarit to Colima, from Michoacan to Guerrero, from the State of Mexico to the heart of the country and the enormous metropolis known as Mexico City, we follow the steps of this journey that traces the face of the "other" Mexico, made up of the humble and simple people, a face much different from the one TV shows us every day. It is a journey that dares to “start building the image of the people we really are.” as expressed by Subcomandante Marcos.

           This challenge is not without risks… by uncovering Mexico’s dignified and rebellious face, irrigating the seeds of rebellion and solidarity of an entire country, this journey is a provocation against those who control the country's economy and it's image. What starts as an isolated murmur will become a clamour of hundreds of thousands of voices, "Viva Mexico" How will those in power respond?

Glasgow Chiapas Solidarity Group:
glasgowchiapassolidarity@googlemail.com
http://glasgowchiapassolidaritygroup.wordpress.com/
http://www.vivamexicofilm.com/eng.html

ann arky's home.