Back On The Road Again.

         I have been out on the bike quite a few times recently, but have never bothered to post anything about the journeys. The main reason being that they have all been of the soft option, easy and short, along the Forth and Clyde Canal. 

          Today, for a wee change, I thought I would have a go at my favourite patch, the Campsie area and post a few photos, just to let my friends know that I am still out pushing the pedals. Though nowadays I don't refer to myself as a cyclist, more an old guy who goes out on his bike.  Part was on the road to Strathblane, where my old legs complained a little at the hills, and my pace was pathetic. The other part was on the Strathblane Railway Path. I suppose it used to be a railway that served the rural area, until Beeching put paid to that. I never feel happy on these cycle paths and canal paths. They seem too narrow, and with joggers, dog walkers, families with prams and kids, and cyclist, all moving in both directions, I get a little frustrated and apprehensive. I'm happier on the road I just have the vehicles to contend with and they are all moving in the same direction as myself.  Well that's my wee moan over for the meantime.

The road at Strathblane just before you enter the cycle path.

A view from the cycle path.

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

 

 

Just Text Death.

 

      At the age of 84, sometimes a wave of despondency washes over me. Having spent more years than I can remember fighting against, and shouting about, the insanity and savage brutality of this economic system that controls or lives, a quick glance tells me things are worse than ever. The opulence of the few grows ever greater, the poverty and misery for the many persists and keeps growing.

      Take the Democratic Republic of Congo avast country sitting on incalculable wealth but for the people of Congo unimaginable poverty, disease and bloodshed. The reason the people of Congo suffer so much is because of the countries vast wealth, surely a sign of greed and insanity.

      Four years ago I wrote a piece on the Congo, then, 2014, the so called First African World War, had been shedding the blood of the poor for 17 years. Today the bloodshed, poverty and death continues.
From The Guardian: 

         The humanitarian situation is dire. More than 13 million Congolese need humanitarian aid, twice as many as last year, and 7.7 million face severe food insecurity, up 30% from a year ago, the United Nations said in March. Many humanitarian officials complain that global attention has been diverted to more heavily reported crises in the Middle East.
          More than 4.5 million people are displaced, the highest number in the DRC for more than 20 years, latest figures show. There are outbreaks of cholera. The fighting is, as Kapitu feared, getting worse.

        Yes, our babbling brook of bullshit, the mainstream media, has a basket of dire world crises from which to cherry-pick.

         The article I wrote four years ago, the only change has been an increase in poverty, bloodshed and death, for the ordinary people, and increase in the wealth of the corporations milking the natural resources:

         It says a lot about our present economic system when you look around the world and find that countries with the richest natural resources have some of the poorest people on our earth. The Middle East is a wash with oil, which transfers into unbelievable wealth, but you can't say its people are all very rich. This pattern is repeated across the planet, another example is the Democratic Republic of Congo. A vast country, the second largest in Africa, the 11th largest in the world. As well as having coal, oil and diamonds, it is also the richest source of cobalt in the world. That rather dull looking material produces unimaginable wealth for the corporate world, but little for the people of the that country. In fact it is the opposite, this immeasurable wealth is probably the main cause of the suffering of the people.
         Because of the economic system that prevails today, blood will be shed to get control of that wealth. Sadly that blood is shed for the end product of things like mobile phones and laptops, and these are products that the vast majority of the people who produce that raw material will never see.
        If it was just dreadful working conditions and poor pay, that would be bad enough, but we are talking about millions dying and millions more suffering unimaginable violence. Since its bitter struggle to be free from the Western colonialists, the country has been blighted by violence, and at the root of that, is the fact that it is very rich in raw materials like cobalt.
      The Second Congo War, sometimes referred to as the “African World War”, as it involved around twenty armed groups and nine other African countries started in 1998. No doubt all eager to get a slice of that wealth. Although “Peace Accords” were signed in 2003, fighting continued in the east of the country through 2007. In this region the prevalence of all manner of sexual violence and rape is often described as the worst in the world. Since 1998 this conflict has claimed the lives of more than 5.4 million people. Though this was a brutal conflict, more than 90% were not killed in combat, they died from such things as malaria, pneumonia, diarrhoea, and malnutrition, brought about by the usual companions of war, displaced populations ending up living in unsanitary, over crowed conditions, combined with lack of shelter, clean water, food and medical care. What is even more tragic, 47% of those deaths were children under five.
         The country also has great agricultural potential but this is being stifled by this conflict, which still continues. It is the struggle to control those vast mineral resources that drives this most brutal and savage conflict. Is your mobile phone worth it?
       Surely we have the imagination and the ability to devise a economic system whereby natural resources do not equate with misery, poverty, deprivation and bloodshed for the many, and unbelievable opulence for the few.

ann arky's home.

Words Of Fire.

 

       I always like to give as much publicity as I can, to the writings and words from inside the state's cages of repression. It is in the hope that I, as well as others can grasp what this system does to the human mind. In spite of the inhumane, brutal, unnatural conditions of the prison system, the human mind still tries to express itself, and does it wonderfully.

     The latest edition of Words of Fire, No. 9, has just been released:

Greetings!
       We are excited to announce that we finally published the 9th edition of Words of Fire, our semi-regular ‘zine of writings, drawings, and poetry by people in prison!!
It was actually completed in May 2017 and we’ve been sending it into prisons for the past year. We’ve just been slow to post it on our website. It includes some great poems and essays, along with beautiful drawings!! Although many of the submissions are from North Carolina and nearby states, our cover images was drawn by someone from a prison in Oregon!
      We are incredibly grateful to all the authors for sharing their work with us. We also owe a huge thank you to the dedicated students from Criminal Justice Awareness and Action at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. They spent the 2016-2017 school year typing up, proofreading and then laying out Words of Fire 9. Check CJAA out on Facebook as well.
      Check out past issues of Words of Fire, along with a print-ready version of WOF 9 on our projects page.

Download the PDF HERE:
      It is filled with outpourings of real emotion, in the form of poems and prose. The two poems below are ones that I found particularly moving.

The Truth Is
By M.J.B.

They say the truth will set you free
But nah... not me..... I disagree
 say tha truth is a disease
& it could kill you..... like a terminal illness.
Especially when the truth is not the truth at all
& who’s 2 say the truth is what you saw
& who knows who was involved
& who knows... you know... you don’t have a clue at all
but ‘chu act like you do.....
but ‘chu never even knew..... The few... Minor details
& gossip is so rude & it’s sumthin’ you should not do -
unless you’re a female.
For the we’ll make an exception.
because today my friend... I’ve had a recollection
AN inception..... That tha truth is not tha truth anymore
& tha youth..... is not tha youth anymore.
They are but yet A vessel
A personification of everything you saw fit.
& what ‘chu see is what ‘chu get
but what ‘chu see is not legit
A minor misconception of a misfit.
Because tha truth is not tha truth anymore
& tha youth..... is not tha youth anymore
The truth is... the youth is....
A reflection of what ‘chu did..... it’s useless
When it eats away at your tissue like the bite of a brown recluse
does.
& it’s all because.....
the guardians that were put before the guardians -
that were put before you... Never knew... Luv..... That’s why you do
the thangz you do -
because you just don’t have a clue... Luv
but who does..... The truth was _
this world doesn’t luv you... At all.
IT Loves what ‘chu have 2 offer,
it luv’s what ‘chu have 2 bring 2 the table
& when they use that all up you’re disabled, you’re labeled -
As a liability.
& tha truth is.....
That I don’t know the truth at all
I’m just giving my perception of what I saw
My opinion about the I..... in dominion
so don’t ask why... when you’re descendin’
open your eyez... cuz they’re pretendin’
& tha truth is.....
only you are held accountable for what ‘chu did
So whether tha truth lives... or truth lies
Society only believes in tru Lies
deceptions that’re deeper than tha bluest tides
Tha Bluest Eyes.....
Couldn’t see through tha deciever
So if you died they won’t cry
& the truth.....
Nah it won’t come out neither.


In Vain
By M.W.
Butner, NC

After all the protesting,
Shouting and wailing around
town
U entered their establishment
And sat down
Ordering a drink
And Resting your feet
Frustrated over Mike Brown
Lying in the street
What you all are doing
Is righteous an I respect your
minds
But did U think about
Who you were spending ur
money with
When U made them signs
My daughter seen the Protesters
And fell in love wit shorty boots
I refuse to purchase Timberlands
Because Darren Wilson chose to
shoot
They refuse to recognize evidence
And pursue the Case B
They even follow you around in
Macy
You witness what Walmart done
to Tracy [Morgan]
Yet U continue to spend money
At these places
While consciously knowin they
are racists
Damaging Property
This must STOP
No more Homemade cocktails
And Throwing rocks
If U want their attention
Then We must boycott
Those who choose not
That’s a shame
It only means
Renisha McBride, Jesus “Chey”
Huenia, Ezell Ford, Omar
Arneco, John Gnawono, Eric
Ganner, Tamir Rices, and Mike
Brown
DIED IN VAIN

ann arky's home.

Land And Liberty.

       Life in the modern city is far removed from life in a rural or agricultural area, and though millions of people live crammed into cities, land is still a very important issue. The greedy parasite class knows this well, and gobble up as much of the earth's surface as they can grab. To them land is power, wealth and control, an asset that is above all else.  

      Though the city appears to be the hub, we should never forget we don't just want the factories, market places, and the logistics infrastructure, we also must have the land.

       From an article by London based Anarchist Communist Group, three quotes from Flores Magon:

The anarchist Flores Magon explains why land is crucial to anarchism:

“We want bread for all. We consider it absurd that a few people should possess the earth, and the many not have a place to lay down their heads for rest. We want, then, that the land be accessible to all, just the same as the air, the light, the warm sun rays are there for all creatures on earth. We consider it absurd that those who neither toil nor produce should enjoy all at the expense ‘of those who till and toil and have a life of misery…”

However, Magon made it clear that land was directly linked to liberty:

“We think that political liberty is a beautiful lie so long as it has not for its basis economic liberty and towards the conquest of that liberty our steps are directed… We demand that the proletariat of Mexico organize and by doing so enable itself to take part in the tremendous struggle that alone will liberate the proletariat of this world, the struggle which someday — maybe in the near future-will place all the goods of this earth within the reach and power of all human beings.”

Expropriation is essential if the workers are to be free. Magon:

“In short, I see a society of workers economically free; owning themselves, because, at every step, they own the material on which they work; the land where the potatoes grow; the trees they fell and strip; the timber they fashion into lumber; the houses into which the lumber goes, and so “ad infinitum.” A society purged of tribute to the parasite.”

The article starts with:

       The slogan ‘Land and Liberty’ has long been an anarchist slogan. It was the name of the Russian revolutionary organisation ‘Zemlya i Volya’ in 1878 and was used by the peasants in the Russian Revolution. When women marched in St Petersburg on the 8th of March, 1917, helping to kick off the revolution, the slogan was Bread, Land and Peace. ‘Tierra y Libertad’ was prominent in the Mexican and Spanish Revolutions and is still used today as the name of the Iberian Anarchist Federation paper.

       It is not surprising that land is a key demand. Rural land workers represented the majority of the working population well into the 20th century in much of the world. Land ownership was concentrated in the hands of a few large landowners and people struggled to survive under this semi-feudal system. And it is still an important demand for many peasants and agricultural labourers around the world.

Read the full article HERE: 

ann arky's home. 

 

The Crisis Of Credit.

         A lesson in capitalist economics, not a new lesson, but has anything changed? I think not, after all it makes a lot of very greedy people rich, and when it goes wrong, they just get the various governments to plunder the public purse to re-coup their gambling losses. A nice old merry-go-round for the rich greedy parasites of this world. The cycle will keep repeating itself and re-capitalise itself by making the poor poorer and poorer, until their is no public spaces, no public assets, no public services, no public health service, no public education system, etc. etc., unless of course, we do something about it ourselves, like bring the whole insane, greed driven capitalist system down.

ann arky's home.

The Internationalist Commune Of Rajava.

One year in the Internationalist Commune of Rojava

Posted on June 12, 2018 by MW IntCommune:

Dear friends,

        One year ago, 12th of June 2017, we shared the first public statement of the Internationalist Commune of Rojava, presenting our project to the world. Today, after one year of non stop working, we look back and see the big steps we have achieved in this year.

         After the public presentation of the commune under the slogan ‘learn, support, organize’, we started to develop our work and our projects, putting in practice the ideas and dreams we had, and searching for a place to build the first internationalist academy of the Democratic federation of Northern Syria. After a few months, we finally found the right place, and at the end of summer in 2017, we started to build of the academy. Since then, we have been working mostly focused on 3 main lines: internationalism, women liberation and ecology.

      Concerning internationalism, our main task has been the construction of the Internationalist Academy, the place to debate, study, research and also to host new internationals who also want to learn, support and organize the Rojava Revolution. At the same time, we have also been working on the up building of the Internationalist Commune itself, as the organizational frame for us and other internationals who want to join, developing a system and a network to integrate and strengthen the international dimension of this revolution.

         Concerning ecology, we launched the ‘Make Rojava Green Again’ campaign in coordination with other institutions working topics related with ecology. We wrote a book that we will start to publish soon in different languages, presenting our project and what motivates us to carry it out. Our main goal is to spread an ecological perspective of the revolutionary life, building our academy with a sustainable approach and starting a tree cooperative to help to reforest the arid lands of the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria.

         Concerning the liberation of women, the women of the commune are organized as an autonomous group, connecting directly with the different institutions and structures of the women’s movement in this revolution. We also supported different projects and campaigns of the women movement, taking part in the work developed by Jinwar, the women’s ecological village. We also studied and organized education programs about jineolojî and the women liberation movements.

         In the middle of this first year of life as a Commune, the Afrin war erupted. We know that the revolution will be in defense of the land or there will be no place for the revolution, so we saw the need to slow down our normal projects and take part in the Afrin Resistance, mostly doing translations, international solidarity work and other kind of media work.

        The Afrin invasion was hard and brutal. It’s very sad to see the Turkish army and other islamist armed forces destroying the most beautiful region of Rojava. The war in Afrin affected us in ways we were not able to imagine before. The invasion, the struggle, the resistance… it opened for us processes of debate and reflection about what should be, and what can be, the role of internationalism today. Also about how can we help and contribute, as internationalists, to the Rojava Revolution and to all the resistance movements and struggles around the world. A lot of friends lost their lives fighting to resist the fascist invasion, and also several internationalist friends fell sehids in this war. In their memory we will continue walking their path.

        In this last month of May, after several months building the academy, we have finally finished. We have decided to name it the ‘Internationalist Academy Sehid Hêlîn Qereçox’ in memory of Anna Campbell, the British YPJ fighter who became sehid in Afrin. With sadness for her loss, but at the same time with the will to continue her struggle against fascism and patriarchal oppression, we started the first education course of our academy. We also continued the ecological work for the Make Rojava Green Again campaign, translated and published in different languages an article about the importance of the women struggle in the revolution, started an internationalist radio project in collaboration with other internationals in Rojava, published different articles and letters of international solidarity in our website, etc. But of course, our main project this month has been to organize this first education course.

         Now, after one very intense year of work, we have succeeded in organizing a one-month education course for the new internationals, together with the ones who have been here since the beginning of the commune. The education included Kurdish language lessons, ideological debates, knowledge about the society, the history of Midle East and the Kurdish people, and of course, debates about internationalism and the history of the Commune. A few days ago we finished this first education course, and a new wave of internationalists from different parts of the world are just starting to work and travel around Rojava, taking part in the Commune’s work. We are really happy to see how this project is growing and evolving, consolidating and step by step turning into reality the dreams and ideas that one year ago were just in our minds.

         Today, we are proud to say that the Internationalist Commune of Rojava is stronger than ever, and that this is just one step more towards the democratic and revolutionary movement that is growing and being connected all around the world. For all those reasons, we invite all the internationalists, revolutionaries and democratic forces once again, all those who want to walk with us, to learn, support and organize this revolution. Because we know that Rojava can be the spark that ignites a new way of understanding life, of developing a society outside capitalism, patriarchy and Nation-States. And because we know that this is just the beginning. As sehid Hêlîn once said:

You should fight with us, and light the fires of resistance.

Biji Soresa Rojava!
Long live international solidarity!

ann arky's home

 

"Progress"

        The cabal of pampered parasites and political ballerinas that support this insane economic system, always spout about "progress". However the only "progress" I see, is in the production of ever more sophisticated playthings and trinkets for the well off, and ever more destructive devices for wars of plunder. Sadly, in "progress" in the field of well-being for the human population of this planet, I struggle to find any.

     The following piece is an accurate picture of our world today, however, sadly I wrote this post around 8 years ago, where is the "progress"?

          It is difficult to grasp the state of the world that we have created. A world where there is an abundance of almost everything conceivable and yet to the vast majority of the world’s population it is all out of reach. A world where a small elite live a life of obscene and wasteful wealth while millions die of starvation and millions of children die from the lack of clean drinking water. In this capitalist made world there are small enclaves where the rich, in safety, play games with their expensive toys, private jets, luxury cars, yachts and several holiday homes in “exotic” locations. While just over that financial apartheid wall there is the stench of squalor and death for countless millions living in total deprivation and endless wars,
        In this capitalist created world, 8 million people die every year from poverty, One billion children live in abject poverty, 640 million do not have access to appropriate shelter, 140 million have never attended school, 400 million do not have access to clean uncontaminated water, 500 million do not have basic sanitation, 270 million have no access to health care, and 90 million are severely food deprived. Approximately 12.3 million people worldwide live in conditions of “modern slavery,”while over one billion people live on less than one dollar of income per day and over three billion live on less than two dollars per day. Then there is the strata in between that manage to scrape a reasonable existence that seems to keep them from revolt.
        All this misery in spite of the fact that the world economy actually produces one and a half times the amount of food necessary to provide the entire human population with adequate and nutritious meals. The fact that the capitalist system will not allow this to be shared out to those in need tells us that it is not a natural problem but a political problem. Perhaps the words of Derrick Jensen come close to capturing something of that world.
       “We are members of the most destructive culture ever to exist. Our assault on the natural world, on indigenous and other cultures, on women, on children, on all of us through the possibility of nuclear suicide and other means—all these are unprecedented in their magnitude and ferocity ... What this means is that corporations and those who run them cannot stop exploiting resources and amassing wealth until they have...I cannot finish this sentence, because the truth is that they can never stop; like cancer, they can only continue to expand until they kill the host ... For us to maintain our way of living, we must tell lies to each other and especially to ourselves. The lies are necessary because, without them, many deplorable acts would become impossibilities.”

Eighteen Hungry Children

Eighteen hungry children die

every minute of every day

eighteen of tomorrow’s people

cruelly thrown away.

When pandering to a fashion

gratifying our greed,

think, theirs is no desire

but a basic need.

Envisage a familiar face

a child that calls your name,

try to be the parent

try to place the blame.

Eighteen hungry children die

every minute of every day,

eighteen little faces

that never learnt to play.

Walk past your local school

listen to the shrill,

stand and count to sixty

imagine hunger start to kill.

Fingers must be pointed

at decisions made on high,

questions must be asked

loudly asked by you and I.

Eighteen hungry children die

every minute of every day,

eighteen precious lives

the claws of hunger slay.

WHY?

annarky's home.

A Recurring Thought.

I have this recurring thought, but when?

A NEEDLESS SEA OF TEARS.

Though we live in a world of callous commerce

and know justice

is an altar where the caring are sacrificed,

see freedom as a river that runs parched

in the fierce desert of poverty,

our thoughts cannot be chained

our dreams will not be caged.

We will think beyond the profit race

dream beyond the market place

in friendship clasp each human hand

with compassion try to understand

our differences, our hopes, our fears,

dragging this world from its needless sea of tears 

ann arky's home.

Glasgow's Anarchist Library?

Ah, where is Glasgow's anarchist library??? Hello Spirit of Revolt!!

        We are happy to tell you that the anarchist library “Fermento” in Zurich has found a new location and will be regularly open again starting from 16th of June.

Anarchistische Bibliothek “Fermento”
Zweierstr 42,
8004 Zürich
bibliothek-fermento.ch bibliothek-fermento@riseup.net

Opening Hours (from 16 June 2018):
Wednesday: 15:00-20:00
Thursday: 16:00-21:00
Saturday: 15:00-20:00
Sunday: 15:00-20:00

Poster for the opening: 

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

Sexism In Anarchist Circles!

         Yes, sexism does exists in anarchist circles, and should be constantly challenged, it is encouraging to see it challenged in such an open and powerful manner. This from Mpalothia:

Mexico: 

Communique from the Informal Insurrectionist Anarcha-Feminist Coven.

       Public response to a misdiagnosis that circulates on the internet. To the anarchists of Mexico and the world, to all the witches fighting in the universe.

 «My Mother, go to your room and take care of your work, the loom and the spinning wheel (…) The word must be a thing of men, of all, and above all of me, of whom is the power of this palace». – Telemachus, The Odyssey

---------Thus, the Bolshevik libertarians try and prevent our participation in the anarchic war and ask us to return to the school, to the metate, to the molcajete, to caring for our daughters and darning socks. Like Telemachus to Penelopes, they send us to the knitting room. Once again, the cry of patriarchal power disguises itself as ‘libertarian’ and condemns us to shut us up and keep us from ‘the things of men’.
       Before continuing we want to clarify that we are not Rodriguistas, and not because we don’t share the theory of compañero Rodriguez but because we are not Bakunistas, nor are we Malatestas, we are not Magonistas, nor are we Goldmanistas. We follow ideas not people.
       We are anarchists and we believe that there is only one way to confront power and authority, and that is the anarchic insurrection, that is why we conceive anarchic organization in an informal way through collective affinities and permanent conflict against the patriarchal civilization as a whole. That is why we reject the misogynist authoritarianism of the these Bolshevik libertarians, and why we do it publicly. To fight against sexism and misogyny is to fight against gender, and to fight to destroy gender is to also fight to destroy the whole patriarchal civilization.
        We do not represent all the insurrectionist anarchist comrades, we only represent a collective of affinity based in the central region of Mexico. We recognize the struggle of all the other anarcha-feminist insurrectionist compañeras, from those who individually confront the patriarchal civilization, to the compañeras who do it in anonymous collectives and those who have decided to group themselves under new acronyms and claim their actions.

Our fight is the same.
Neither God, nor State, nor Master!
Against the patriarchal civilization!
For the control of our bodies and our lives!
For the destruction of gender!
For the anarchic insurrectional tension!
For Anarchy!

Informal Insurrectionist Anarcha-Feminist Coven

Read the full article HERE:

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

 

Solidarity Forever.

      Something that a lot of people, especially among the young, seem to take for granted are lunch breaks, paid holidays, etc. they seem to accept them as a given, probably given by that kind employer. Of course the young people in the "gig" economy, they know different, they are being slapped in the face with with raw capitalism. No holiday pay, no lunch break, no health and safety, no guaranteed wage, no fixed working week, just used as needed. What all of us must remember is that whatever conditions we have, we wrestled them from the employers, through solidarity and struggle. Sometimes those involved in that struggle paid with the loss of their employment and/or their freedom, some paid for them with their lives. Not one of the benefits we have, were ever give by the employer, nor legislated for by the government, without that long and bitter struggle by the ordinary people. 

     The employer class at the moment feel they can now, with the aid and protection of the government, claw back lots of those hard won benefits. Once again we must turn to solidarity, across all work places, to protect what little benefits we have, and to struggle to end the exploitation of people by capital.

     The following is a little reminder of our need for solidarity, the weapon that can defeat the greed driven class of capitalist exploiters.

This from The zine formerly known as “The Call” Issue 4, –May Day 2018: 

Read PDF ll Print PDF

Solidarity Forever!

         “What force on earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one?” A revolution is the product of the combined determination of individuals. Capitalism uses isolation as a tool to steal the empowerment of the people, driving a wedge between the individual and their sense of community. The ruling class knows there exists power in unity, and in that power, a threat to their system of hierarchy and inequality. Solidarity is the greatest weapon possessed by the people. Through solidarity and struggle, workers demanded and won their rights, and through solidarity greater obstacles will be conquered. “In our hands is placed the power greater than their hoarded gold. Greater than the might of armies magnified a thousandfold

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

Rubble And Death Are The Hallmarks Of Western Victories.

         Once again the the Western imperialists, claiming the high moral ground have been exposed, as the brutal, savage, warmongering power seekers, that we all know them to be. The latest report from Amnesty International on visiting Raqqa, states that the Western allies attack on the city of Raqqa saw the worst artillery and air-strike bombardment of any city since Vietnam. Their evidence is of total destruction of an entire city with the indiscriminate killing of civilians. Of course the picture the Western imperialists pedal to the world is precision targeting with smart bombs and artillery, taking care never to kill civilians. When you pulverise an entire city with modern fire-power and say that no civilians were killed, you are a lying hypocrite. 

Photos from The Independent:

     This is what a glorious Western victory looks like to an Arab.

From The Independent:

        US, Britain and France inflicted worst destruction 'in decades' killing civilians in Isis-held city of Raqqa, report says, 'More artillery shells were launched into Raqqa than anywhere since the end of the Vietnam war' says Amnesty International

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

The Natives Are Revolting.

 

        We are a wee bit late with this one, it seems to have got delayed in the merry-go-round of our activities. It was Spirit of Revolt's first "Show and Tell" in conjunction with The Mitchell Library, and was based on material from the John Cooper Collection, we were very grateful for John being present to gives us some live memories from his activities as a life long radical activist. The title of the event was "The Natives Are Revolting". It is now up on our "audio-video" section.

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

Palestinian Death Causes No Ripples.

       The misery, death and destruction visited on the people of Gaza by the Israeli Zionists regime continues, while in the UN, America vetoes an action that might investigate this genocide and the UK in it usual colonial mindset abstains. So the Zionists are free to continue with their genocide and land grab. All based on the ludicrous insane belief that an invisible man in the sky gave them this land around 2,000 years ago. A fictitious foundation for a savage reality, insanity rules. 

       June 1st. saw a crime that should have brought all civilised people onto the streets in righteous anger, demanding justice and an end to this Zionist genocide, but it hardly got a mention in that babbling brook of bullshit we call the mainstream media.

      On June 1st., in the besieged Gaza strip, Palestinian nurse Razan al-Najjar was shot in the chest and killed by an Israeli Zionist sniper. At the time she was providing medical aid to injured protesters. One Zionist rifle aimed deliberately at the chest of a young woman providing medical assistance, one deliberate action on an unarmed young woman, and the silence is overwhelming, why?

       In another incident, it takes courage to confront your armed Zionist jailers, who treat you as sum-human.

Thanks Loam for the video link.

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

Spirit of Revolt New Additions

 

         As usual, all at Spirit of Revolt have been busy, for our June "Read of the Month" we have selected a small booklet, Collectives in Spain, an anthology published by Black Dog Press, 1971, well worth a wee read. We have also added two new videos to our "Audio-Video" section. One is our recent Show and Tell on the Hetherington Occupation at Glasgow University. The other is of our Glasgow Radical History Walk, part of our May Day Week celebrations.

    Go on, have a wee look, I'm sure you will enjoy our new entries.

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

Democracy And Police Violence.

           It appears that in Germany you can't put up posters depicting police violence, without dire consequences.
This from Hyperallergic:

 Kalabal!K Library

           An anarchist library was raided earlier this month in Berlin after police executed search warrants in the hunt for two men wanted in connection to a series of posters depicting police violence during the last year’s G20 protests in Hamburg.
          Kalabal!K, located on Reichenberger Strasse in Kreuzberg, was searched on the morning of May 9 after police suspected two men wanted for libel were located inside. Just after 5:15am, Berlin police reportedly broke open the door of the anarchist library with an angle grinder. They also stormed an apartment in the same building, as well as three other apartments in the Neukölln and Tempelhof districts.
           The State Office of Criminal Investigation (LKA) gave Berlin police permission to search the premises of Kalabal!K, which is located in a left-wing project house known as “Reiche 63a,” part of a collective run by the Self-Governing Comradeship of East Berlin, where police reportedly seized evidence including data carriers, as well as illegal weapons and guns.
         Police arrested two men, aged 24 and 27, on suspicion of spreading slander in connection to the “wanted” signs that were posted around Kreuzberg in December of last year following the violence at the G20 summit in Hamburg. The posters in question depict several members of the Hamburg police and local politicians, who are accused in the renegade poster of forming “a terrorist group for the purpose of attempted manslaughter, serious injury, mistreatment and kidnapping.”
          Politicians depicted in the poster include the Federal Minister of Finance and Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz; Senator Andy Grote; and Hamburg’s Chief of Police Hartmut Dudde. According to activists, these individuals were responsible for motivating police aggression during the Hamburg G20 protests last July, where for several nights left-wing groups demonstrated against the summit.
           Criticism of police aggression during G20 was widespread, with several journalists reporting a disproportionate use of force to put down demonstrators. According to a report by Constanze Nauhaus in Der Tagesspiegel, “the police deployed such a massive force to surround the demo’s starting point at Hamburg’s Fischmarkt square that it was almost impossible to count the number of water cannon and reinforcement units stationed in the surrounding streets.”

This is the offending poster:

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