Anti-TTIP Global Day Of Action, Glasgow.

         Right now, our MP candidates are making all kinds of claims about how they’ll protect our NHS. But there’s a key issue our politicians are keeping quiet on - TTIP. It’s the US-EU trade agreement being drawn up in secret - it threatens many of the things we hold dear, from our democracy and environment, to the NHS. [1]

      So this Saturday 18th April, 38 Degrees members from across Glasgow will be gathering at the Buchanan Street steps to join a global day of action to stop TTIP. [2] It'll be a chance to hear from campaigners across the country and take part in exciting public stunts to shine a light on this dodgy deal.
      The more of us that join in, the bigger our impact will be - so can you come along on Saturday?
WHEN: Saturday 18th April, 11am
WHERE: Buchanan Street Steps, Glasgow

YES, I’LL JOIN IN
          The TTIP trade deal could open the doors to US medical companies buying NHS services, with one motive in mind - profit. And our NHS isn’t the only thing under threat: schools, social care and our treasured public services could also go under the knife. [3]
         Recently 38 Degrees members have been taking action in huge numbers to tell our candidates standing for election that they must take a firm stand against TTIP - collecting signatures, emailing and tweeting candidates, and holding street events. [4]

        On Saturday, let’s make sure MP candidates from every party see us out on the street mobilising people across Glasgow against TTIP. Together, we’ll spark hundreds more important conversations as the election draws near.
Saturday's event is being organised by a host of local groups across Glasgow and national groups who have been campaigning to stop TTIP. [5] Can you spare an hour or two on Saturday to join in? Everyone is welcome and it will be a great way to meet other 38 Degrees members who live near you.
Please click the link to let other 38 Degrees members know you’ll be there:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/TTIP-Day-Glasgow-18th

Hope to see you on the streets!
Jen, Bex and the 38 Degrees team
PS: If you can’t make it on the day, can you take two minutes to support the fight against the dodgy TTIP trade deal by emailing your MP candidates? Just click the link here to get started:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/ttip-scotland-petition
 

NOTES:
[1] The Independent: What is TTIP and six reasons why it should scare you:
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/what-is-ttip-and-six-reasons-why-the-answer-should-scare-you-9779688.html
[2] Global Justice Now: Global day of action against TTIP:
http://www.globaljustice.org.uk/events/ttip-day-action
[3] 38 Degrees blog: John Hilary, Executive Director at War on Want's analysis on TTIP:
http://blog.38degrees.org.uk/2015/02/27/ttip-leaked-text-analysis-by-john-hilary-war-on-want/
[4] 38 Degrees blog: Day of Action against TTIP in Scotland - come rain or shine!:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/ttip-scot-DOA-update/
[5] Saturday's event is being supported by Global Justice Now, War on Want, and the local 38 Degrees group in Glasgow

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

Glasgow, March For The Homeless.

       Glasgow's "March for the Homeless" demonstration, April 15th. outside the city chambers, though not a large gathering, was well attended and vociferous. It is always good to see a variety of groups coming together to support one of the most vulnerable sections in our society. Homelessness is an indictment against a system that puts profit before the needs of the people. Homelessness stands as testament to the failure of the capitalist system, a system wallowing in wealth that spawns rough sleeping and homelessness, a system that has to be destroyed and replace by social justice.

 

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

Our Inheritance.

        Half way through the National Poetry Month, this could become a habit, you should try it.

Our Inheritance.

Now is the time to arm our desire with anger

time to claim our rightful inheritance.

Inheritance, built by generations of poverty and toil,

river of wealth channelled to financial institutions,

stolen by the power crowned few.

Treasure, fearlessly wrestled from angry seas.

Riches, arduously torn from the bowels of the earth.

Bounty, labouriously scratched from unforgiving land.

Assets, ours by right of life and limb.

Our toil sent a director's son to Eton.

Our poverty paid his daughter's dowry.

Our sweat created the plunderer's sea of plenty.

Our humility gave his crime legality.

Now is the time to arm our desire with anger,

time to claim what's ours, with fist and fire.

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

Emancipation Via The Troika????

         Lots of people saw the Syriza victory in Greece as a giant step forward for the left in Europe, change was on its way. However, as soon as they put on the robes of the state and start to debate the rules in the state's rule book with other states, they are doomed. They are playing the game to the tune of the state power mongers. I have no doubt that there is a possibility there will be a few extra crumbs for the people of Greece, but "balancing the books" according to the rules of the financial Mafia will still be a priority. Paying "the debt" by one means or another, privatisation, taxes and "austerity" cuts, will still be on the agenda. The people of Greece deserve more than this from their arduous and brutal struggle over the last 7 years, but their emancipation will not come through the auspices of the Troika, (EC, European Commission, ECB, European Central Bank, IMF, International Mankind Fuckers) or any debate with that particular cabal. Their future, like all of us, lies in our own hands, at our level, it will not come down to us from above.

Greece's Obama.

This from Dialectical Delinquents:

      But the germ of this retreat and recuperation was already there in the Sic/Theorie Communiste  mentality, its heavily abstract notion of theory. This mentality always takes on an idea of theory as something specialist, for theoreticians. That’s why it’s often a question of theory of theory. But it is rarely something for proletarians in struggle, as a support, encouragement and clarification of this struggle (which is not to say that those low in the Sic/TC hierarchy don’t sometimes contribute to proletarian practice – e.g. in the anti-shale gas struggles, or by opening up squats).  This produces in those who identify and produce these “ideas” an intellectual role with an attitude of superiority towards people who haven’t read all the abstractions of Roland Simon or who haven’t read all 3½ volumes of Capital 1000 times and can quote them as quickly as other people can yawn. It’s a theory which considers practical risk, and practical consequences as of a far lesser importance than the sophistication of their ideas. Oh, how they just love to wallow in the notion of their own sophistication!

      Above all, this role demands no break with the hierarchical comportment learnt from dominant social relations and it’s not too hard for those people entrenched in this hierarchical role to “transform” themselves without embarrassment into a politician. It’s not surprising to hear that the TPTG broke with Blaumachen in 2009 precisely because of the Machiavellian manipulations of Woland.

  There is also a link with the political mentality and the determinism of Theorie Communiste. Those who have created their own “good reasons” to see revolution as inevitable invariably create a hierarchy in which the partisans who recognise their explanation are placed at the top; the as yet neutral masses are in the middle, and their opponents who may have competing reasons or no reason at all, are at the bottom. Determinism, in turn, is a logical outcome of the separation reinforced  by this “revolutionary” mentality between themselves and the rest of the proletariat. If one cannot conceive of the masses as individuals capable of determining the conditions of their existence through conscious choice, as people capable of choosing to make a revolution, then it is necessary for a special enlightened group to supply them with an external motivation they can’t resist and which becomes a mentality of faith in the thought of this group which replaces their own theory, colonises their own point of view.

I could say more about Theorie Communiste and all this Sic shit, but for the moment, I’ll leave the last word to a contact who wrote:

Read the full article HERE:

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

Homeless.

      The silent invisible army whose daily diet is anguish and isolation. We know they are there, we just don't see them.

HOMELESS.

Tenebrous spectres, they exist,   out there,

on the crumbling edge of chaos.

A father, a son, a brother,

a daughter, a sister, a mother.

Fragments of some shattered family structure;

waste products

from a society being driven to destruction

by a hurricane of greed

living a life that wears out life,

dying,

the devious death of exhaustion from existence. 

March For The Homeless 2015 is a protest/march originally founded by Darren Bradley in Dublin,Ireland. The protest is taking place on the 15th of April 2015 in Ireland, England, Scotland, USA & Canada

      We will no longer let these people be ignored, go hungry or be able to sleep safe at night. 

     A static protest outside Glasgow city Chambers. Wednesday April 15th, 14:00.

 Bring your voices and banners.  We will also collect any donnations of food etc... more details to follow

https://www.facebook.com/pages/March-for-the-Homeless-2015/766626843416968

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

 
  

 

The Vicious Circle.

And so it goes on---

The Vicious Circle.

To escape the days battles

I welcome night's embrace,

lose myself in darkness

all problems to erase.

Let darkness banish conflict

bring me thoughts sublime,

bring my world to rest

still the hand of time.

Alas,   darkness hides the clock

not the pendulum in my mind,

anguish, swinging backand forth

measuring relentless time.

Until,    at last!

Night, fleeing dawns advance

surrenders to the light;

consciousness grasps the moment,

another day, another fight.

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

Trident: Time To Move On.

       Most politicians will try to keep Trident and weapons of mass destruction of the agenda for the present Crooks and Liars competition, the general election, as it is sometimes called. However it should be shouted from the rooftops, and continually shoved in their faces, these weapons are unnecessary, illegal, immoral and are weapons against the civilian population, destroying cities in one fell swoop. On the financial side, they drain resources from social projects, billions of pounds being squandered on these mad men's status symbols. This is the 100 years anniversary of the 1915 rent strikes, then, practically ever window had a sticker, stating "We are Not Paying". Wouldn't it be great to use that same principle and cover our cities and towns windows with stickers saying, "We Will Not Have Trident", making sure each of the Crooks and Liars in the competition gets the message.

From Move On Trident:

Trident: Time to Move On has launched!

     Some of you may have seen the letter in the Observer on Sunday -
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/apr/11/letters-trident-not-desirable

     Together with a piece by Daniel Boffey the establishment of our website - including two promotional videos - and the petition hosted by 38 degrees, we are all systems go.

      Please do share the links - especially the petition - with your networks now as every single signature will count over the next three weeks as we attempt to demonstrate to politicians and the mainstream media that any complacency around this issue is sorely misplaced.

       We are still collecting high profile names to keep extending the list already committed here, so any further help with that will be much appreciated.

    Thanks again for all your warm support till now,

Indra
Compass
www.moveontrident.com

40 Days of Hunger Strike!!!

       The prison hunger strike in Greece, still continues, 40 days and lives are at risk, but still the Syriza government will not repeal the draconian measures introduced by the previous right-wing puppets of the financial Mafia. Syriza, where are your, for the people principles? No matter, if its left-wing, or right-wing, or middle of the road, the state and its apparatus in its many guises, will always attempt to crush any resistance, real or potential, to its power.

From Contra Info:

     On April 12th, anarchist prisoner on hunger strike Giorgos Karagiannidis, participant in the Network of Imprisoned Fighters (DAK), was transferred from Koridallos prison to the General State Hospital of Nikaia in Piraeus.
The comrade has now lost 19% of his initial body weight and presents with symptoms such as hypotension, bradycardia, weakness, hypoglycemia and severe dizziness.

Open letter from the hunger strikers:

       Below is an excerpt from an open letter released in the small hours of April 11th 2015 by hunger strikers of the Network of Imprisoned Fighters.
[…] When we started the hunger strike, we knew it would be an uphill struggle that would stretch us to our limits. And it’s true that some of us, after 40 days of tough struggle, run the risk of developing serious health problems. Nevertheless, we’re not going to concede any ground to anyone who’s taking advantage of the government’s strategy in their attempt to wear us down and annul the effectiveness of our struggle. Therefore, we reiterate that we continue the hunger strike until the fulfillment of our demands, despite the visible risks to our health. We owe it to all the comrades who’ve felt we are giving a joint struggle against the state of exception, but above all we owe it to our own selves and to the means of fight that we have chosen. We invite all comrades to reflect on the cruciality of the situation (four comrades have been on strike for more than 40 days) and turn Every Day of Hunger Strike into A Day of Action.
Every fight exhausts its potential only when we give up, and this fight has neither exhausted its potential nor completed its cycle.*
PS.1: Yesterday [April 10th], our comrade Tasos Theofilou stopped the strike as well. We walked together this far, and remain united in our common struggle. Tasos, we wish you a good recovery.
PS.2: We send our solidarity to the revolutionaries from Turkey [incarcerated in Greek prisons], who stand beside us in this battle. We wish Giorgos Inglessis [who suspended hunger strike] a good recovery.**
PS.3: Solidarity with the migrants who went on hunger strike at the concentration camp in Paranesti, near Drama.***
Until the End – Until Victory Not One Step Back
Network of Imprisoned Fighters

Translation notes:
* A reference to the opinion expressed by imprisoned comrade Nikos Maziotis.
** According to our information so far, the prisoners who remain on hunger strike are eight anarchists of the Network of Imprisoned Fighters (DAK), Andreas-Dimitris Bourzoukos, Antonis Stamboulos, Argyris Ntalios, Dimitris Politis, Fivos Harisis, Giorgos Karagiannidis, Grigoris Sarafoudis and Yannis Michailidis, as well as communists from Turkey & Kurdistan incarcerated in Greek prisons.
*** On April 10th, the No Lager Assembly in Thessaloniki, having established ties of solidarity and constant communication with the imprisoned migrants, reported that only one migrant is still on hunger strike in Paranesti camp, also noting that comrades from various collectives in Thessaloniki, Drama, Patras, Athens and other places supported and publicised the strike.
see related updates

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

The Mystery Of Life.

     Poetry, that place between conversation and song, a world of magic, mysticism, reality, hope and fears, loves, hates and desires, a secret world that can be made public, a public world that can become a secret.

My Foolish Heart.

Rich, gold encrusted autumn

most precious of the seasons,

though death hangs as a mist

on yon not far off horizon;

within my heart still burns,

unashamed and unabated,

that fire of eternal spring

the mystery of life created.

 

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

DPAC Wants Revenge.

       Since the Oxbridge millionaire gang of Cameron/Osbourne seized control of the Westminster Houses of Hypocrisy and Corruption, people with disabilities have come in for some very rough treatment. First there was the Cameron/Osbourne mob's well paid hit-men, ATOS, who carried out a brutal reign of terror against anybody claiming disability allowance. However, due to a continuous and courageous campaign waged by those on disability allowance and their supporters, ATOS was forced to withdraw from its lucrative bullying job. Of course the brutal intimidation and terrorising didn't go away, a new mob of corrupt hit-men, Maximus, were given the contract, and so the terrorising continues. Undaunted, those of Disabled People Against Cuts, and their supporters, who campaigned and kicked ATOS out of the park, are still fighting back and are looking for "REVENGE", we should give them all the support we can muster. Solidarity wins battles, when it comes to these struggles for justice, as far as the ordinary people are concerned, we are all in this together.

From DPAC: 

     A fortnight of Fight Back and telling politicians throughout the UK what we think of them and what they MUST do if they want our votes.

    Everywhere from April 18th – May3rd. Select your favourite politician or issue to campaign on.

      Some funding is available for travel bursaries with priority given to members.

      April 23rd (Thursday) National DPAC will be going to Wirral West constituency to visit Esther McVey. Meet noon at the Job Centre, Market Road, Hoylake.

      Actual address is Town Hall Chambers, 1 The Quadrant, CH47 2EE just off Market Street.

      Esther’s constituency is very marginal and at the moment she looks set to lose her seat. We want to help facilitate that.

      April 25th (Saturday) National DPAC will be going to Chingford to visit Iain Duncan Smith. Meet 2pm outside Chingford Rail station. Trains from Liverpool Street.

       Please get in touch with us at mail@dpac.uk.net to let us know if you want to go to one or more of these events or would like help with travel costs.

       Please also arrange your own events and send us details.

Facebook event – https://www.facebook.com/events/726806607436136/

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

TTIP Is Still There.

      TTIP still growls away in the dark corridors of power, its proponents wheeling and dealing, slicing and dicing, between themselves and the corrupt politicians. We can only expect them to come up with a plan that will allow the corporate juggernaut roll mercilessly over any illusion of democracy that still remains. 

     There will be an international campaign of action on April 25th. Across Europe people will be coming together to voice their opposition to this attempt to cement corporatism on to our backs, giving the corporate bosses full control over any legislation that they may consider to be harmful to their profits. 

This from Global Justice Now:  

      On Saturday 18 April people across the world will be protesting against “free trade” deals that are undermining our democracy. In Europe people will be taking part in 100s of actions to stop TTIP, the “trade” deal between the EU and the US.

     With the election coming up in May it is important that we make sure TTIP is on the agenda. People are organising exciting actions across the UK to raise awareness about TTIP and stop this corporate grab of our democracy.

You can find out about existing actions or organise your own on our website.

     People are standing up to “free trade” deals globally. If we stand together, we can defeat these assaults on our democracy. Please join us to protest on 18 April.

Best wishes,
Guy Taylor
Trade campaigner at Global Justice Now

     Already the tobacco giant Philip Morris is suing Uruguay for having some of the best anti-smoking laws in the world, and there’s a good chance it could win, unless we strengthen the fight in court.

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

Remember Iraq?

     As April, National Poetry Month glides along, I again through my tuppence worth in.

Remember Iraq?

Mammon, God of the New World Order

has spoken:

Any nation who blasphemies 

against the scriptures

of the Holy Free Market economy

shall find its people scorched by fires

that rain out of the western skies

and the people shall suffer perdition

through all eternity.

All the world shall see

Mammon's hi-tec retribution.

          

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

Quebec Is Rising.

       In 2012, student protests rocked Quebec, Montreal became a battleground as students took to the streets in tens of thousands. At that time it was a struggle to defend education, mainly students with support from various groups. This year, 2015, the protests have again erupted, this time round, the protesters have learned, it is not just a battle to defend education, it is the system that is wrong. Students have linked up with other groups, environmentalists, indigenous struggles, workers, unemployed and others. They have formed a broad grouping and are organising in communities and work places and taking their struggle to the streets in a united front. This is an encouraging change, as individual groups battling their own little corner can soon be picked off one by one by the state. There struggle demands solidarity across all borders.

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

A Date For Your Diary, Glasgow.

       As the state apparatus continues to sell WW1 as a period of glory, and a victory for democracy, there is a multitude of people out there doing their best to propagate the truth. The truth being that WW1, was in fact a bloody, totally unnecessary, imperialist land grab. A war littered with bloody blunders by stupid, blinkered officers and parliamentary ministers, blunders that cost millions of young lives and blighted a generation. All for the power and glory of our imperial masters. One such horrendous blunder was Gallipoli, an idiotic plan, or lack of plan, by the UK fascist, First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill, which resulted in around 100,000 dead and almost 500,000 casualties, (Wikipedia) 

        If you're in or around Glasgow on the 25th. of April, you could take the opportunity to find out more about this particular disaster of war, and some of the many others, the Scottish Peace Network will be doing a film show and talk/discussion in the CCA, Glasgow.

      April 25, Saturday, 1pm in the cinema room at the Centre for Contemporary Art at 350 Sauchiehall Street. This day marks the centenary of the World War I battle of Gallipoli, a disaster that cost the lives of hundreds of thousands. We will be showing part of a movie made by Peter Weir, and featuring a young Mel Gibson. The movie will be introduced by three short talks, one setting the context of the battle and the connection to Scotland, another on the enormous impact Gallipoli had on New Zealand and Australia and finally a talk putting this centenary event in the context of the counter program to the government's glorification of the war and of militarism. The movie will be followed by a discussion. FREE. All welcome. Sponsored by the Scottish Peace Network.

 

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

A Vicious Faith.

Another day, another poem.

A Vicious Faith.

Pecuniary priests, the canons of faith dictate;

from pulpits of financial cathedrals proclaim

humanity must accept its fate

pawns in a free market game.

Its laws immutable,

its march inevitable,

a system with a purpose of its own,

human freedom expendable,

the mighty dollar on the throne.

Human need sacrificed to greed

all power to the market place,

you who make the people bleed

the scriptures of profit embrace;

your system breeds voracity

showers gold on a worthless few,

to the common-man aridity

the beauty of life all askew.

Raise loud your ritual chants

as all freedom you try to sever,

to your system our poverty yields,    But tyrants,

be warned,   our hearts,-----------never.

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