Anybody fancy a bit of chicken, or a nice pork chop? The power of marketing, the slick propaganda creators, sell us cruelty and shit and we swallow it, literally.
Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk
views and poetry from an anarchist perspective.
Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.ukThe 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 AbbeyYou 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.
We are standing Class War candidates in the general election on May 7th 2015. We are doing this to launch a furious and co-ordinated political offensive against the ruling class with the opportunity an election gives us to talk politics to our class. We in no way see the election as an alternative to direct action. By the brick and the ballot.Read the full article HERE:
We are not talking community politics here. It’s too late for a patient slowbuild like the IWCA. The ruling class have us by the throat -they need a short sharp kick in the bollocks. Our election campaign will use any means necessary. we won’t be ushered away by PR minders – we will make ourselves central to the campaign in a funny, rumbustious combative and imaginative way. We will be on the streets and in their faces.
Comrades whatever our yesterdays you are welcome now. join in. reject cynicism. have fun.
FULL STEAM AHEAD THROUGH THE SHIT
Read the full article HERE:If the chronicles of the recent events in Barcelona have turned into summaries and the summaries grow shorter, this does not reflect a diminishing of activity, but the contrary.During the day, conversations among friends repeated what was more or less insurrectionary common sense: today is the key day. A riot continuing from one day to the next was unprecedented in Barcelona since the end of the dictatorship. Now, if it could continue for a third day, it would have the chance to expand. Otherwise, calm would be restored until the major protest convened for Saturday, politics as usual with or without riots.Until nightfall, normality reigned, although people across the city were discussing the events. In the evening, people gathered in many different neighborhoods. In Nou Barris, a potentially rebellious proletarian zone, a strong police presence prevented the gathering. In Sant Andreu, a gathering blocked a major avenue with burning dumpsters. Most other neighborhoods went to Sants, probably making things easier for the police to contain, but giving many first-time or unexperienced participants who did not yet feel prepared to take over their neighborhoods a chance to win street experience.---
1. Very interesting 'Angry Games Residents Meeting' last night: http://gamesmonitor2014.org/2014/05/28/residents-vent-games-anger-at-packed-meeting/
2. We meet next at 6.30pm-8.30 pm, Monday 2nd June at UNITE the Union offices, John Smith House, 145/165 West Regent Street, Glasgow G2 4RZ. All welcome! http://gamesmonitor2014.org/meetings/
3. Event challenging stigma in the East End, 5.30, Thursday (tomorrow) 29th May, Parkhead Library (Community Meeting Hall), 64 Tollcross Road, G31 4XA: http://gamesmonitor2014.org/2014/05/28/event-beyond-stigma-exploring-everyday-lives-in-the-east-end-of-glasgow-and-the-cwg2014%e2%80%8f/ Cheers,http://gamesmonitor2014.org/Also from Glasgow Games Monitor:
This event tomorrow night may be of interest to people in the East End especially... Beyond Stigma: Exploring Everyday lives in the East End of Glasgow and the CWG2014 The East End of Glasgow has had a lot of negative media and political commentary attached to it. With your help, we want to explore the lives and promote the voice of people actually living in the East End of Glasgow. We are looking for people to keep diaries of their thoughts and experiences throughout the Commonwealth Games 2014 and beyond. To be involved, please come to our community meeting at:Parkhead Library (in the Community Meeting hall)Thursday 29th May 2014 at 5.30pm64 Tollcross Road, G31 4XA If you would like to be involved, or want more information please contact Vikki McCall.Phone: 01786 467698; e-mail: vikki.mccall@stir.ac.uk
More about the Project… We seek to explore the impact of territorial stigmatisation on the people that live in the East End of Glasgow in the context of the Commonwealth Games 2014 and other social and economic changes that are impacting on the city.The 2014 Commonwealth Games sets out ‘Glasgow’s ambition… for a meaningful legacy that will go beyond 2014 and will benefit everyone’. Yet beneath the fanfaring, there is little supportive evidence that mega sporting events can achieve the aims set out by local government. Further still, this regeneration initiative was envisaged in different set of economic and political conditions.The City of Glasgow has the highest number of people living in conditions of multiple deprivation and the East End in particular is subject to negative media and political discourse and stigmatisation. Those living in the East End of Glasgow will have a certain level of awareness of these discourses and are also actors in negotiating the process of stigmatisation as well as living with the consequences of it. But how exactly are such discourses being received and experienced in the East End? Do they create further material inequalities? How do stigmatizing narratives and structural inequalities coalesce? In asking these questions, this research will examine the relationship between territorial stigmatisation and gentrification/regeneration.It will explore the material underpinning of narratives of lack which devalue and/or valorize neighbourhoods and people of those places. It will compare these narratives to the everyday lived realities of Glasgow’s East Enders. Who is involved… The project is led by Dr Gerry Mooney, from the Open University in Scotland.The project is being managed by Dr Vikki McCall, from the University of Stirling. Vikki lives in the East End of Glasgow and is on the Board of Parkhead Housing Association. Please feel free to tweet @vikki_mccalland Dr Kirsteen Paton from the University of Leeds.
Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.ukWould you trust private companies like G4S, Atos or Serco to look after vulnerable children? Or to influence decisions about taking children into care? Protecting children is one of the most difficult and sensitive roles for a government to perform. But education secretary Michael Gove is consulting on whether to outsource this role to profit making companies.
If we want to stop this, we don’t have long - the consultation closes this Friday. So far, the issue’s had very little media coverage, and the consultation has barely been publicised. If thousands of us write in today, we can show Michael Gove that we’re watching - and make sure he drops these plans.Please can you write to the consultation today:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/childprotectionDecisions by child protection professionals affect lives and can break up families, these decisions should be kept miles away from any hint of a profit motive. Adoption services have already been protected from privatisation. And there’s no evidence to suggest that outsourcing services is a good idea anyway.The government’s proposal argues that letting private companies provide children’s services will encourage innovation. But we all saw the mess that G4S made of providing security at the Olympics, would we really want them to care for vulnerable children’s lives?Experts have already voiced outrage at the plans, now we need to hammer the message home with people power. Previously when 38 Degrees members have responded to Michael Gove’s consultations, our voices have been heard loud and clear. Last year, he dropped his plans to remove climate change from school curriculums after we wrote in our thousands to oppose them.Can you write into the consultation and help stop these plans today:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/childprotection
Thanks for everything you do
Robin, Ali, Blanche and the 38 Degrees team
NOTES:
[1] The Guardian - Privatise child protection services, Department for Education proposes: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/may/16/privatise-child-protection-services-department-for-education-proposes
[2] Public Finance - Child protection: not for sale: http://opinion.publicfinance.co.uk/2014/05/child-protection-not-for-sale/
[3] The government proposal: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/304660/Powers_to_Delegate_Con_Doc.pdf
[4] The Guardian - Child protection services too important to be privatised: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/may/16/child-protection-privatised
[5] 38 Degrees blog - Victory: Climate change will stay in the curriculum: http://blog.38degrees.org.uk/2013/07/09/victory-climate-change-will-stay-in-the-curriculum
In 2012, 46.5 million people (15.0 percent) were in poverty.In 2012, 26.5 million (13.7 percent) of people ages 18-64 were in poverty.In 2012, 16.1 million (21.8 percent) children under the age of 18 were in poverty.In 2012, 3.9 million (9.1 percent) seniors 65 and older were in poverty.The overall poverty rate according to the Supplemental Poverty Measure is 16.1%, as compared with the official poverty rate of 15.1%.Under the Supplemental Poverty Measure, there are 49.7 million people living in poverty, 3.1 million more than are represented by the official poverty measure (46.5 million).
Food Insecurity and Very Low Food Security
In 2012, 49.0 million Americans lived in food insecure households, 33.1 million adults and 15.9 million children.In 2012, 14.5 percent of households (17.6 million households) were food insecure.In 2012, 5.7 percent of households (7.0 million households) experienced very low food security.In 2012, households with children reported food insecurity at a significantly higher rate than those without children, 20.0 percent compared to 11.9 percent.In 2012, households that had higher rates of food insecurity than the national average included households with children (20.0 percent), especially households with children headed by single women (35.4 percent) or single men (23.6 percent), Black non-Hispanic households (24.6 percent) and Hispanic households (23.3 percent).
It would appear that the plenty is not spread around. Ah, that's capitalism at its best.And according to the November 2012 US Census Bureau, more than 16% of the population lived in poverty, including almost 20% of American children