DEATH IN POLICE CUSTODY.

        Not a new film but still just as relevant today as when it was made.

INJUSTICE

Winner Best Documentary - BFM London Film Festival 2002, Winner National Social Justice Award 2003, Winner Best Documentary (Human Rights) - One World Film Festival 2003, Winner New Nation Campaign group of the Year 2004.

(2001/98 minutes/UK/Dir: Ken Fero & Tariq Mehmood/Migrant Media)

   http://vimeo.com/34633260

The struggles for justice by the families of people that have died in police custody.

         In 1969 David Oluwale became the first black person to die in police custody in Britain. Many others have died since then. None of the police officers involved have been convicted of these deaths. In this documentary, the families of these victims ask "Why not?"

         This is a blow by blow account of the relentless struggles of the families as they find out how they lost their loved ones in extremely violent deaths at the hands of police officers.
Each family is met with a wall of official secrecy and the film documents how they unite and challenge this together. The documentary uses powerful exclusive footage filmed over a five year period and witnesses the families pain and anger at the killings. It documents the fight to retrieve the bodies for burial, the mockery of police self-investigation and the collusion of the legal system in the deaths. The film asks why an accused killer in a police uniform is not judged by the same standards as the rest of society.

I N J U S T I C E documents the horrific loss of life at the hands of the state and it's attempts to cover up these killings. The British police have been responsible for hundreds of deaths and have walked free. The families of the dead want justice and they will not stop until they have got it.

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SOUP KITCHENS NOT ALLOWED.

         While the Greek political class prostrate themselves in front of the financial Mafia, trying to get a deal that will not cost the financial moguls too much, what is happening to the Greek people? In freezing conditions, yes it is very cold in Athens at the moment, the homeless of the city, approximately 20,000 in Athens alone, were being helped out by various political groups setting up soup kitchens. However the caring compassionate government has issued a decree, which, claiming public health issues, closes these soup kitchens. Secretary of Public Health, Dimopoulos, obviously thinks that getting free food is more dangerous than going hungry in a freezing city. His decree states that only formal agencies can publicly offer free food, churches, municipalities and NGOs. Others wishing to offer help to the hungry have to get official approval from the authorities.

        It was not just the homeless that were turning up at these soup kitchens, even those who still have a roof over their head can't afford to eat. Spontaneous self help and mutual aid, are terms that are an anathema to the authority worshipping political class. In another recent show of compassionate government, in Athens, while it was snowing and the temperature plummeting 24 or so of the 20,000 homeless in Athens squatted an empty municipal coffee house. The Mayor of Athens, Kaminis, order action to be taken against them and the riot police arrived and arrested 15 of the squatters. The Mayor, for whatever reason withdrew his complaint but the General Attorney of Athens charged the 15 with criminal damage and theft (of electricity). The arrestees were detained at Exarcheia Police Station where 100 or so people gathered outside in protest. The detainees were then transferred to Police HQ, where as far as is known, they are still there.

        What we can take from these type of political actions is that the state apparatus is more concerned with the protection of property and maintenance of authority, than it is in the well being of the people. To them it is acceptable to have empty property and people sleeping on the streets in freezing temperatures, rather than free up that property. It is acceptable to have people go hungry in cold winter conditions rather than have unauthorised concerned groups offer them warm food. These are the standard procedures of this profit drive system of corporate financial fascism that we the ordinary people suffer under. This system cannot be modified to take care of all our people, there is no such beast as caring, compassionate capitalism and the call for “moral markets” is a call for the fox to walk with the chicken.

The information in this post was taken from OCCUPIED LONDON.

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PAN-EUROPEAN DAY OF ACTION.

          Today the ordinary people of Europe are facing the most concerted and vicious attack on their living conditions since the second world war. This is not an attack by your own particular government, this is an attack my the financial corporate world, your own national government is merely a tool in the hands of that financial corporate monster. Organising at local level is essential but we have to realise that the enemy is not your local tweedle-dee or tweedle-dum political party, they are just the managers of the system being run by international corporate fascism. The enemy is organised across borders, to defeat hem we also have to organise across borders.

This from Germany www.march31.net

Dear comrades!

       I am writing in the name of an left wing and libertarian initiative, which wants to set up an European day of action against crisis and capitalism. On a long term, we see this project not only to organise one common day of mobilisation in Europe, but seize to establish a continuous networking (exchange of experiences, discussions, actions) between anti capitalist groups and initiatives on an European wide level.
        In order to get an impression of our motivation and our aims for this project on March 31st, you can have a look at this excerpt of our call for action:

        "Current policies in the EU and in Europe as a whole are as speculative as capitalism has ever been. That’s because austerity measures are jeopardising economic stability just as much as debt-inflated growth. There can never be salvation in capitalism, only endlessly recurring crises. So why continue wasting our lives for this? Let’s fight neoliberal ideology, let’s get organised on a European level. Our Day of Action on March 31st 2012 will be a first step. Simultaneous demonstrations in many European countries are more than just a signal of solidarity. They’re already sparking transnational discussion and cooperation. We invite all emancipatory initiatives to join this process. We strive to grow independent of official institutions, and are prepared for a persistent struggle. “
        You can get to read the whole call and receive much more information about this project on the international homepage www.march31.net.

       The practical concept of this action day is clearly decentral. It's up to the local groups/initiatives/assemblies, with which kind of an action they want to participate. In Germany, for example, we decided on a central demonstration and actions in Frankfurt (location of the European Central Bank), while in Greece different actions will probably take place in several cities.
      The UK and especially England, though not part of the currency union of the Euro, is concerned by the crisis. Besides, it plays a tremendous role in the European Union and also in the European wide policies.
        This is why we would appreciate it, if at least some of you would be interested in this project and on the long term for a better network for anti capitalist structures throughout Europe. If you have any questions or would like to participate, write an email to m31@umsganze.org. In the case you are interested in the project we can imagine to visit you and organise together with you closed or public meetings

Hope to see you in the streets! Best,

Arthur (Cologne, Germany)
Antifa AK Cologne

www.march31.net

www.umsganze.de
www.no-racism.de

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THE POP-UP SOCIAL CENTRE.

Pop-Up Social Centre Friday 10the February Kinning Park Complex

Urban Activism and the Commons (free entry)

6.30pm: Doors Open (Tea and Coffee and biscuits)

        7pm: Urban Activism and the Commons: This introduction to the evening attempts to dspel some of the myths surrounding common property in terms of what distinguishes it from private and public property and what rights we have in relation to it. By paying particular attention to ‘City Property (Glasgow) LLP’ (an Arm’s Length External Organization) the talk will also introduce the harsh reality for the future of both common and public property in our city if privatization is allowed to continue unchallenged.

       7.20pm: Kinning Park Complex: Given by a long-term and active participant in the Kinning Park Complex, this talk tells the remarkable story of the building thus far. This is a story of struggle, community solidarity and commitment in the face of powerful actors in local government and big business. Recent developments in the management of Glasgow’s property portfolio, would suggest that Kinning Park’s story is by no means over.

       7.40: Sustaining Activism over the Long Term: Towards the end of last year fellow activists from Glasgow and Edinburgh, along with likeminded folk from around Europe, took part in a week-long series of workshops in Northern Spain. These workshops were geared towards sustaining a commitment to social and environmental justice over the long-term. Some of those who attended the event invite you to participate in a workshop built around reflections of their experience.

       8.30pm: Film: The Garden – The 14 acre community garden in South Central Los Angeles was the largest of its kind in the United States. It was started as a form of healing after the devastating L.A. riots in 1992. Since that time, members of south central’s community have created a green oasis in one of the country's most blighted urban neighborhoods. Growing their own food; feeding their families; creating a community. But now bulldozers threaten their oasis. The Garden is an unflinching look at the struggle between these urban farmers and the City of Los Angeles and a powerful developer who wants to evict them. Beer, softdrinks and pop-corn available throughout the duration of the film.

        9.45pm: Finished in time for last tube. Kinning Park tube station is directly across from Complex.

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THAT'S JUST A BONUS, NOT THE SALARY.

          Trying to grasp the extent of the wealth that we produce to give to the army of parasites that feed of our backs is difficult. We tend to live in the real world of wages that keep you scurring back to work to pay next months bills. While sums of money that look like your mates phone number just don't register properly and are impossible to imagine dropping into your bank account on a regular basis. Staying with Think Left, this article helps put it into some perspective.

Royal Bank of Scotland chief executive Stephen Hester has agreed to waive his bonusof approaching £1million after the Labour Party threatened to call a parliamentary debate on the issue.

“these men can afford to refuse what the rest of us would consider a fortune”

       This follows close on the heels of the RBS chairman, Sir Philip Hampton’s, decision to refuse his own bonus of £1.4million. As a measure of wealth these figures are pretty striking. They are bonuses not pay. Mr Heston still stands to pocket in the region of £39million during his time with RBS.

       Apparently these men can afford to refuse what the rest of us would consider a fortune. To put it into perspective, if you were to put £1.4million into a savings account at 5% interest, this would earn you £70,000 a year.

Continue reading:

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STITCHED UP.

             This society that we live is is always spouting that it gives you choice, but seldom is the choice what you REALLY want or really need. It is a choice from what others say you want and need, the others being the ones that make billions from your illusionary need. There is another factor that governs your choice, money, we live in a society of financial apartheid, you don't have the money you are excluded from any choice. One of the biggest money spinner for the parasite class is the fashion industry. An industry where the bright colours, luxury feel and the exotic launch of the latest offering, conceals the poverty, deprivation and health hazards at the production end of your latest must have necessity.

An interesting article from ThinkLeft.    

     What’s on your back today? Is it exploited children and abused women, products of a rapidly disappearing and polluting fossil fuel, or is it toxic dyes polluting our planet and our people?

     What we wear really reflects the fabric of our society. It reflects power, hence shoulder pads, Roman togas and Eton ties. It leads women to starve themselves, leads children to become sexualised at young age and makes billions for the fashion industry. A close look at the fashion industry reveals how the greediest in the world shamefully make their unethical profits without thought for the environment or the workers who produce it. For the vast majority consumers who buy the cheap and poor quality, quick-to-be-discarded goods, there is little information as to how their must-have garment came to be.

Continue reading:

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PIZZA HUT PICKET GLASGOW.

        Along with other UK cities there was a Solidarity Picket with IWW Pizza Hut Workers Satuday 4th February, Time12:00 until 13:30 at Pizza Hut Argyle St, Glasgow, G2 8BU. with Solidarity Federation and Clydeside IWW members participating, with an appeal to Refuse to eat at Pizza Hut until management negotiate with the collective demands of organised workers in Sheffield. At the Glasgow picket over 500 flyers were given out with considerable interest being shown from people walking past, also several people were convinced by the information, not to eat there.
The Sheffield Pizza Hut Workers Union, part of the Industrial Workers Of The World demand for all Pizza Hut workers:

1. Bank Holiday Pay – Standard practice time and a half for unsociable shifts.

2. Delivery Drivers Commission – Delivery commissions have not risen despite a changing delivery radius and the rising price of petrol. The recommended rate from the AA is 45p per mile.

SOLIDARITY.

pizzaHutIU640@IWW.org.uk
More info: iwwgmbsheffield.wordpress.com/

Pizza Hut Workers Union.

           Welcome to the home page of Sheffield Pizza Hut Workers Union - 460. Sheffield is the birth place of our union, which started up the hill in Crookes. Get Organised Get Involved - email us at pizzah..

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CHILD POVERTY, IT ISN'T AN ACCIDENT.

            As the cold spell continues to bite, we have to admit that we can't do a lot about the weather. It is not the decisions of politicians or financiers that causes the cold spell. However, what we should realise is that in this very rich country there are families living in fuel poverty and children living in severe poverty. Here in Scotland the percentage of children living in severe poverty is 20% with lots of areas where the percentage is over 30%, Springburn in the north of Glasgow being the worst with a staggering 52% of children living in severe poverty. These figures are not an accident of nature, a natural phenomenon. These figures are the result of politicians choices, of politicians following the dictate of the financial Mafia. It is human beings sitting in the comfort and luxury of marble halls that are the cause of children living in severe poverty in the middle of winter in a very rich country, no accident. In a sane society where the purpose was to see to the needs of all our people, we would not have kids pulling on a scarf and hat, keeping their jackets, on while huddling over a two bar fire in an attempt to keep warm in their home. It is not an unavoidable natural event, it is an engineered situation. A situation brought about by the desire by the millionaire class to protect their ill gotten gains. While children and the elderly freeze in their homes, and in some cases die from cold related disease, we are awash with money. We have billions to spend on subsidising the corporate world, billions to spend on armaments, billions to spend on nuclear submarines and billions to spend killing the people of Libya and Afghanistan, but we can't afford to heat the homes of our elderly or our kids. If that isn't an insane, unjust, immoral corrupt system, then Lord Archer is a saint.

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UK POLICE,PLC.

         A recent report states that Richard Branson's Virgin company paid the London Metropolitan Police more than £5,000 after police raids aimed at proving television set-boxes were being used to view channels without paying. It is very likely that the police only conducted the raids because of the money offered by Virgin. This is a trend that we will see more of as the state hands over more and more to the corporate world. The present philosophy of privatising everything from education to health will continue and there is no ideological reason why the police can't be run by the highest bidder. Police priorities will shift according to who is prepared to pay the most, as state funding dwindles the police force will be obliged to raise money from its activities and eventually show a profit. What chance will you have then if your house is burgled, or a member of your family is ripped of in some scam, if the big paying police customers want them to spend their time trying to track down those who might be downloading their stuff for free on the internet. He who pays the piper calls the tune. Corporate fascism is well and truly embedded.

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GLOBAL SOLIDARITY.

An injury to one is an injury to all. This from Labour Start.

They're calling it the "uprising of the invisible." Cleaning workers in the Netherlands have been on strike for 30 days and have now asked for international solidarity.

 Please send off your message today and spread the word.

 

           Thousands of Dutch cleaners, members of trade union FNV Bondenoten, are standing up to fight their invisibility in society. They have been on strike for more than 30 days to demand respect and fair pay on the job. The cleaners' work is important: it provides a healthy and clean atmosphere to executives, doctors, bankers and ministers. The cleaners aren’t asking for millions or great riches. They just want ordinary things, such as sick pay, enough time to do the job, security for timeworkers and a fair wage to take care of their families. Big, wealthy clients like Philips, ING, Ahold, Dutch government ministries, the tax authorities and universities expect miracles for impossibly cheap cleaning deals. FNV Bondgenoten members need your help. Please support the cleaners and send a message to their bosses and the most important clients: Hans Simons the chairman of the empoyers’ group, Anton Witte is the main negotiator for the employers and Norma van den Berg represents cleaning giant ISS in the negotiations. Hans Schelbergen is responsible for the cleaning contract at Philips, which cut 1.3 million euros from its cleaning budget while paying out 3 million euros to six executives. Peter Specker is responsible for the government cleaning contracting. The cleaners ask their friends around the globe to support their Uprising of the Invisible. Let us never be silent or invisible anymore. The price of outsourcing is the same around the globe: it has negative effects on quality, health and prosperity. The cleaners of the Netherlands, who have roots in all the countries of the world, are standing up and speaking loud and clear: SCHOONGENOEG (Clean enough!)

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ANOTHER LITTLE SLIMY CHEAT.

          At last, after an eight month investigation concerning an offence that took place 9 years ago, Chris Huhne is to be charged with perverting the course of justice. The charge is in relation to trying to get someone else, his wife at that time, to take his speeding offence so the he would not lose his licence.    

        So another one of our “Honourable Gentlemen” bites the dust. They all strut about full of self importance, spouting to us lesser mortals about how to live our lives, they take the fat salary and all the perks as if they were worth it and more, when in actual fact so many of them are no more than little greedy shits and cheats. How many of those “Honourable Gentlemen” from the Westminster Houses of Hypocrisy and Corruption, have been caught with the hands in the till, how many have fiddled and twisted the rules so as to extract as much as they can from the public purse? Fiddling and cheating seems to be par for the course, in that establishment. It would be difficult to find more millionaires and very rich people collected in one place anywhere else in the country than in Parliament, yet the place keeps turning out fiddlers, liars and cheats. They will start to foam at the mouth and shout kill them, kill them, at the very mention of so called, “benefit cheats”, but will stay dumb or merely tut-tut at any of their members caught fiddling. The main difference between “benefit cheats” and our “Honourable Gentlemen” is that the former is usually someone trying to survive one step above the gutter, while the latter are usually stinking rich and trying to get their hands on more and more, while preaching austerity to the rest of us.

As an MP, I know what I would do with those benefit cheats.

          Chris Huhne's offence may have been a fiddle with his licence, and not one of his hand in the till, but was committed to make sure he stayed on the gravy train as an MEP, as he was at that time. He was sitting pretty on a fat salary plus mouth watering expenses from the public purse, and for that amount of money that we were paying him, we were not under the impression that we were paying for a little shit of a cheat. I'm sure if we had wanted a cheat we could have got one much cheaper than what we paid Mr. Chris Huhne. Of course Chris is no stranger to cheating, he also cheated on his wife.

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DON'T EAT AT PIZZA HUT.

Solidarity Picket With IWW Pizza Hut Workers

Pizza Hut Argyle St

Glasgow

G2 8BU

Saturday 4th February

12 noon-1.30pm

           Refuse to eat at Pizza Hut until management negotiate with the collective demands of organised workers in Sheffield. The Sheffield Pizza Hut Workers Union, part of the Industrial Workers Of The World demand for all Pizza Hut workers:

1. Bank Holiday Pay – Standard practice time and a half for unsociable shifts.

2. Delivery Drivers Commission – Delivery commissions have not risen despite a changing delivery radius and the rising price of petrol. The recommended rate from the AA is 45p per mile.

PizzaHutIU640@IWW.org.uk

iwwgmbsheffield.wordpress.com/pizza-hut-workers-union

Facebook Event Page:

http://www.facebook.com/events/289515507775551/?context=create#!/events/289515507775551/

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SHE NEVER SAW IT COMING.

From Stop The War:           THE GIRL KILLED BY BARACK OBAMA.
     Barack Obama has authorised over 260 drone attacks -- five times as many as George W Bush -- in six different countries. Close to 3000 people have been killed, many of them civilians, including women and children. On 30 January 2012, Obama claimed that the drone attacks he authorises are targetted only at named people on a list of active terrorists who are a direct threat to America. The facts tell a different story, as this video shows.

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CLEARING THE GROUND FOR WAR AGAINST IRAN.

       Here we go, here we go, here we go, the three nuclear bullies of the West, America, UK and France, are foaming at the mouth like rabid dogs as they circle Iran. The US has sent another carrier to the Gulf, and the shrieks from the war mongers in the various parliaments is reaching fever pitch. The second world war lasted 5 years, but since 2001 we have been at war in Afghanistan, that's 11 years. The West has been killing in Iraq since 2003, more than that if you include the killings from the ten years of sanctions before we invaded, and though the UK is out, the Americans are still there and the killing still goes on. However even with this amount of blood on their hands they want more, they are ratcheting up the tension to the same pitch as the “weapons of mass destruction” in Iraq and we all know the validity in that line.

       Why is it that the so called defenders of freedom and democracy seem to be the only countries that invade other countries? Shouldn't it be the other way? After eleven years of bloodshed in Afghanistan to remove the Taliban, we are all set to leave and a leaked report form the top military, states that the Taliban are poised to take control after we leave. Iraq, nine years after we bombed them into liberation, the country is in turmoil with death a daily occurrence. With these kind of results you would think that invasion would be away down the list if ideas, but no, blood and death are of no consequence when the country to be decimated contains lots of oil and gas. Corporate fascism will spill the blood of any amount of ordinary people just to get control of what they deem valuable assets. How long will we tolerate the type of insanity that trades our blood for oil?

 

From Stop The War: 

            There is a frightening crescendo building towards war in the Middle East. The UN is debating a resolution on Syria demanding regime change. This follows the withdrawal of the Arab League delegation there and calls for intervention. The US military is clearing the ground for war against Iran. In a report to Congress, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper claimed that Iranian leaders "are now more willing to conduct an attack in the United States."
             Meanwhile Defence Secretary Leon Panetta went on TV to assert that Iran would have a nuclear bomb within a year. The US is conducting a military build-up in parallel to the propaganda offensive. A third US carrier is now on the way to the Gulf. On 28 January, Stop the War launched its national DON'T ATTACK IRAN campaign at a 500 strong rally outside the US Embassy in London. SEE REPORT & VIDEOS OF SPEECHES: http://bit.ly/zMKNEL.
             We are asking Stop the War local groups and supporters to organise urgent activists' meetings in every area to start planning local campaigns against an attack on Iran. On Saturday 11th February we are calling a national day of action with protests, die-ins, sit-ins, mock air raids, petitioning and street meetings, to publicise the arguments against an attack.
          Please check the Stop the War website for details about local activities as they are published. FOR UPDATES SEE: http://bit.ly/wTXnfL
The Facebook Event for the day of action is here:
http://on.fb.me/werrhn
If you want to get involved in the Don't Attack Iran campaign please e-mail office@stopwar.co.uk or call 020 7801 2768.

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PUBLIC HANGING OF ABORTIONISTS, --IN AMAERICA!!!

          Our political system is riddled with loud mouth idiots, power hungry fundamentalists, crooks and liars. Sometimes we dismiss them as harmless fools, but I don't. I see them in a position to create legislation which the majority of us disagree with, but will be obliged to follow or suffer the consequences. I see them in their greed for power being influenced by institutions to create and pass legislation that is against the general good but suits the particular institution. Then there those others, the real raving lunatics and you have to ask yourself, how did this dangerous idiot get into this position of power. The frightening thing is that out there there are people who want this type of dangerous lunacy. One of the more dangerous lunatic politician is a Mr. Larry Pittman, North Carolina Republican, a staunch anti-abortionist who favours public hanging for abortionists. This is a short extract from Care2

---Pittman expressed this view in an email to every member of the North Carolina General Assembly. From Pittman’s email: “We need to make the death penalty a real deterrent again by actually carrying it out. Every appeal that can be made should have to be made at one time, not in a serial manner,” Pittman wrote in the email. “If murderers (and I would include abortionists, rapists, and kidnappers, as well) are actually executed, it will at least have the deterrent effect upon them. For my money, we should go back to public hangings, which would be more of a deterrent to others, as well.”

Continue reading:

        Well, there you have it, legislative power in the hands of a raving dangerous fundamentalist right here, doing his thing at the heart of our political system. While our media reports on every Arab fundamentalist who attempts to curtail women's rights, calling for everything from having him banned to imprisoned, and with rightful indignation, shouts outrage at public executions in other countries. We in the West continually preach human rights to the rest of the world, where do the Larry Pittman's of this world fit in that preaching?

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A DESTRUCTIVE SYSTEM OF FINANCIAL APARTHEID.

SPRINGBURN PARK - Vox Pops from Diversity Films on Vimeo.

        I recently posted an article on the percentage of children in this country who live in severe poverty. The worst area in Scotland was Springburn in the north side of Glasgow, the area where I live and have spent most of my life. This district, once the centre of steam locomotive building in Britain has seen its entire industrial history wiped out. The factories closed and large swaths of the district were demolished to make way for a dual carriageway. Parts of Springburn are attractive with trees and greenery and a very pleasant park. However, pleasant scenery on its own doesn't make a life. The area has massive unemployment with precious few opportunities for jobs. The percentage of children in Springburn living in severe poverty is an outrageous 52%. Of course that figure can't be taken in isolation, with children living in severe poverty comes adults living in poverty, teenagers living in poverty, homes in poverty. Then there are the health problems, including mental health problems. Depression and suicides increase in relation to poverty and unemployment. These are the same people that designed, built and exported the finest steam locomotives in the world, so we can't blame the people, it is the immoral, unjust, crazy, exploitive economic system that we allow to govern our lives. These people, because of that system, are priced out of society. It is a system of financial apartheid with subliminal signs everywhere saying, “KEEP OUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE MONEY” The people of the world fought hard to rid the world of the South African apartheid system based on race, now is the time for the people of the world to unite and rid the world of this more widespread system of financial apartheid.

NORTH GLASGOW Vox Pops - Pressure from Diversity Films on Vimeo.

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A BLOODLESS COUP???

 

         For some strange reason beyond my ken, earlier today this post disappeared of the blog, so I have just re-instated the piece.

 

          I know I go on and on about corporate fascism, claiming that we are living under such a system, but it is becoming increasingly clear with each statement coming from the cabal that sits in Europe's marble halls discussing how to enlarge and protect their billions, that that is the system which controls our lives. The Greek people are now living in a pit of deprivation, their elected government has an unelected "technocrat" installed as its leader and now the financial fascists at the centre of Europe are demanding that they take over the fiscal running of that country. It is a coup by the corporate fascists and they will do it to any country they wish, if they think it is the best thing for their money. Though some would say it is a bloodless coup, that is not exactly true. The Greek people have already paid in deprivation, a stratosheric increase in unemployment, increase suicides and a massive increase in health problems, these are just some of the casualties of this war. It is a class war and the corporate fascists are beginning to show their teeth.

It was tried previously (several times) under "slightly different" circumstances, and failed. Yet when it comes to taking over a country without spilling even one drop of blood, and converting its citizens into debt slaves, Germany's Merkel may have just succeeded where so many of her predecessors failed. According to a Reuters exclusive, "Germany is pushing for Greece to relinquish control over its budget policy to European institutions as part of discussions over a second rescue package, a European source told Reuters on Friday." Reuters add: "There are internal discussions within the Euro group and proposals, one of which comes from Germany, on how to constructively treat country aid programs that are continuously off track, whether this can simply be ignored or whether we say that's enough," the source said.' So while the great distraction that is the Charles Dallara "negotiation" with Hedge Funds continues (as its outcome is irrelevant: a Greece default is assured at this point), the real development once again was behind the scenes where Germany was cleanly and clinically taking over Greece. Because while today it is the fiscal apparatus, tomorrow it is the legislative. As for the executive: who cares. At that point Goldman will merely appoint one of its retired partners as Greek president and Greece will become the first 21st century German, pardon, European colony. But at least it will have its precious euro. We can't wait until Greek citizens find out about this quiet coup.

Continue reading.

 

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AND SO - WHAT NOW?

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        As the corporate fascist machine moves into overdrive, the entire fabric of our society is being dramatically changed. All public assets are being privatised, all public spaces are being sold off at bargain basement prices to that same corporate machine. We the public will be rootless individuals in a fragmented society owned by the financial Barons of the corporate world. Anarchism holds up a vision of a society that could be, a society where we the people own everything in common ownership. A society that sees to the needs of all its people, freed from the grip of the profit motive that feeds the parasitical army of the corporate fascists. But are anarchist going about it in the right way? With all the rapid and dramatic changes taking place in the world today perhaps it is time to examine ourselves, to ask questions, to re-adjust, to shape to the new dangers of that rampant corporate fascism that confronts us today.

The following is from an article from FREEDOM;

         Putting things in perspectiveAnarchists in the UK today stand at a historical crossroads. Whether we identify as students, workers, unemployed, as members of a network/organization or not, we are called upon to answer this fundamental question: what is our political relevance to the larger world in the context of the struggle against austerity and beyond?

Other important questions lead on from here:-

• Are we existing in a tacitly recognized political ghetto, where we see ‘our’ concerns as more or less unrelated to the more ‘mainstream’ struggles of the students and the workers (public as well as private sectors)?
• If many of the anarchists identify themselves ‘as class struggle anarchists’, are we adequately engaging in that class struggle?
• Perhaps the term ‘class struggle’ itself needs to be sufficiently defined in order for us to engage in it?
• How do we relate to the rest of the anti-cuts movement, which falls within the ambit of ‘class struggle’? Is there a desire to do so?
• Most crucially, as social anarchists, how do we act collectively and in a unified way, as an ‘anarchist movement’, not just in name but in deed?

Looking forward
The answers to the above questions – the desire to engage with these questions – will determine our future as to whether anarchism has an appeal beyond the visuals of menacing-looking black blocs and street battles with the police. Do we have answers to the thorny problems of everyday life? Can we practically and materially create the alternatives needed that the Left has no desire to do? Or, are our ideas mere rhetoric, and incapable of being implemented?

Organizing ourselves, and mobilizing people to this end, not just in the current social unrest but also in the long-term, is key to the continued political life and growth of anarchism. Otherwise, the title ‘anarchist’ would mean nothing at all, and we may have to consider ceding the way to new political subjectivities and new political subjects who are better able to adapt to the changed circumstances. The is true of the Left as much as it is true of anarchists.

Perhaps we can begin this self-critical, but also self-renewing process, by examining whether our current organizations and organizational frameworks have been adequate to meeting this challenge, or do we need to create entirely new spaces and structures that are efficient, inclusive, and non-sectarian. For there is no doubt that the need for such structures and procedures exists, and if we can begin to build them together it might just spell the difference between our political obscurity and a political rebirth.

Continue reading

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SKILL SHARING WITH GUERILLAS??

         Glasgow is a city with an army of activists all passionate about their particular “thing”, all of them working hard to further their cause. Well, in Glasgow we are also fortunate that we have Camcorder Guerillas. They have the credibility, experience, and technique to push forward any campaign and what is more they are offering their skills and experience for free. The following explains their latest event.

FREE VIDEO TRAINING FOR ACTIVISTS:
Are you involved in a grassroots or community struggle? Learn how to make short online films to boost your campaign. Book your place by February 10th!

Camcorder Guerillas are running a series of free video workshops aimed at small community or grassroots campaigners with little or no funding. The training takes place over two half days at the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) in central Glasgow and it is organised according to different campaign themes.
TRAINING THEMES & DATES

1 ANTI-CUTS Monday 5th March & Wednesday 7th March
2 DISABILITY RIGHTS Monday 12th March & Wednesday 14th March
3 ENVIRONMENTAL & CLIMATE CHANGE Monday 19th March & Wednesday 21st March
4 ASYLUM SEEKER/REFUGEE RIGHTS Monday 2nd April & Wednesday 4th April

The training is over two half days from 1pm-5pm.

Mondays: Planning and Filming
Wednesdays: Editing and Online Distribution
See attached booking form for more details.YOU MUST BE ABLE TO ATTEND BOTH DAYS
TO APPLY FOR A PLACE
Priority will be given to people who are campaigning on a voluntary basis or for organisations with little or no funding. Places on each course are limited to six, with a maximum of two people from any one campaign group. To apply, choose you theme and dates from the list above (making sure you can attend both days). Then complete the attached booking form and email it to info@camcorderguerillas.net or post it to

Camcorder Guerillas, CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow G2 3JD.

If its easier for to apply over the phone please call Tim or Inigo on 0141 332 9775.
The deadline for applying FRIDAY 10 FEBRUARY and we'll get back shortly after this to confirm if you've got a space. To prevent people from booking and then not showing up, we will require those offered a place to pay a deposit of 20 per person to secure the booking. This deposit will only be refunded to those who attend both training days. If, as expected, the training is oversubscribed we will be keeping a reserve list in case we are able secure more funding to run repeat sessions.
IN-HOUSE TRAINING
For funded or larger organisations, we'd be happy to talk to you about the possibilities for buying in-house training which can be adapted to suit your needs. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss this.
CAMCORDER GUERILLAS GET IN TOUCH:

EMAIL info@camcorderguerillas.net
TEL 0141 332 9775
FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @CamGuerillas
WATCH OUR FILMS ONLINE www.camcorderguerillas.net
CAMCORDER GUERILLAS
CCA, Centre for Contemporary Arts,
350 Sauchiehall Street. Glasgow, G2 3JD

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IT'S FRACKING AWFUL!!

        The oil companies are increasingly looking at the technique of "fracking" as a source of oil, even although they are aware of the possible problems. Problems like poisoning the water table and triggering earth tremors. Recently there was a case in America where after "fracking" started methane found its way into the towns drinking water, which could be shown by turning on your drinking water tap and setting it alight, yes water on fire. In our own country the area around Blackpool suffered minor earthquakes after "fracking" started in that area. To the oil companies none of this is of any consequence when it comes to making money. Of course none of the oil executives live in the area where the "fracking" will take place. To the corporate world the destruction of the planet doesn't enter the equation when it comes to profit, the planet is there to be plundered to produce wealth for the parasites in control of this crazy system.

From Barry:

Friends,
        I just created a petition: The Scottish Government: Establish a moratorium on fracking in Scotland, because I care deeply about this very important issue. I'm trying to collect 1000 signatures, and I could really use your help. To read more about what I'm trying to do and to sign my petition, click here:
http://www.change.org/petitions/the-scottish-government-establish-a-moratorium-on-fracking-in-scotland?share_id=tsUrkrvWJI&

It'll just take a minute!       Once you're done, please ask your friends to sign the petition as well. Grassroots movements succeed because people like you are willing to spread the word!

Thanks Barry.

'the wisest man is the man who is most aware of his own ignorance'. Socrates.

*Business:* www.deargreenplanet.co.uk
*Blogs: *http://deargreenplanet.blogspot.com/
*Sign my petition: *
The Scottish Government: Establish a moratorium on fracking in
Scotland<http://www.change.org/petitions/the-scottish-government-establish-a-moratorium-on-fracking-in-scotland>
       <http://deargreenplanet-consumer.blogspot.com/>

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