THE GREAT ILLUSIONIST!!

    

      A lot of public anger regarding the decimation of the social fabric of our society, is hurtled at the Cameron/Clegg millionaire public school thugs, and rightly so. However we should remember that though they may be pushing for the privatisation of every thing that their pals can make money from, we have to realise that they have an army of back-room boys, (advisers) who come up with the ideas on the how and wherefore. Sometimes these millionaires' flunkies speak the truth, but we are not supposed to hear. Take the NHS, while Cameron, in public, goes on about protecting the NHS and only wanting to improve the service that it provides, one of his back-room adviser poodles, a certain Mr. Mark Britnell is telling a conference of executives from the private sector, that future NHS reforms would “show no mercy” to the NHS and these same reforms would offer a “big opportunity” to the for profit sector. He also stated,  the NHS could be improved by charging patients and will be transformed into a "state insurance provider, not a state deliverer" of care.

         There you have it, the Cameron cabal's true plans for the NHS, improve it by charging people and turning it into a nice little money earner for their millionaire friends in the corporate world. So while his adviser is spouting the truth to his corporate friends, Cameron is putting on a smiling and compassionate theatre act for our benefit. He is the great illusionist, but unlike a theatre act, he is extremely dangerous. Will he now come out and agree with his poodle Mr. Mark Britnell, or will he dismiss him? With this information now public, will he now scrap the plans for the privatisation of the NHS or will he carry on spouting one message for our ears and another truthful message for his pals in the corporate world. There is no doubt that Cameron will soon take his place among those other great actors like Tony Blair and Sir Laurence Olivier. Though only the latter had any integrity.

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PAKISTAN AND SCOTLAND A REPUBLIC, DISCUSION.

Listen to internet radio with polizeros on Blog Talk Radio

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TWO CLASSES, TWO SETS OF RULES.

       Imagine you are in a well paid job and you fiddle the expenses to the tune of a five figure sum and are caught out. There is an enquiry and it finds that you were, “guilty of a series of serious breaches of the rules, over a considerable time.” What do you think your employer would do? Fire you? Hand the info to the police? Well either or both probably, that is unless your an MP.

      It seems that Libdem MP, David Laws, former Chief Secretary to The Treasury did that wee fiddle to the tune of £50,000 or there abouts, and was found out. There was the usual investigation by the Commons standards watchdog, who eventually came out with the statement that Mr Laws had been, “Guilty of a series of serious breaches of the rules, over a considerable time.” The sack? The cops? Well no, you see he is an MP and the rules are different for them, it is suggested that he be suspended from the House of Commons for 7 days, WOW, that'll make him think twice about any future fiddles.

      Why do we put up with such crap, at a time when the public school thugs sitting the Westminster Houses of Hypocrisy and Corruption are slashing at the very fabric of the social structure of our society? When we the public, who pay for their every whim, are seeing our standard of living being decimated, this little cabal of millionaires keep a rule book that sees them as very special people, immune to the normal rule of fairness and justice.

It's oor money they're fiddlin', thow them oot.

        It's our money, we pay them, if they fiddle, at least throw them out, even if the do decide to pay it back after they're caught. A fiddle, is a fiddle, is a fiddle, and the perpetrator is a fiddler.

What you lookin' at? I'm an MP!!

       Of course you and I know that we will not stop the old boys network that exists in the system of party political politics. It is the system that stinks, not just the players. We have to scrap this illusion of democracy and put the power in the hands of the people. A non hierarchical grass-roots system freed from the profit motive and the stranglehold of the corporate world. A system free from privileged parasites and based on needs, mutual aid and co-operation. We can do things by ourselves, why bother with arrogant, self-centred, power hungry parasites that claim to be doing it all for our good, BULLSHIT.

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TEAPOT COLLECTIVE INTRODUCTION TO ANARCHY PAGE 10.

       Here we go with the next exciting page from The Teapot Collective Introduction to Anarchy. Enjoy page 10, page 9 can be found  HERE.

       Women were conditioned and beaten into the roles of dedicated mothers, housewives and general carers. We were (and still are) there to make everyone happy but not to demand anything in return. Feminists broke out of this, challenging the way women are brought up, sexually used, denied our own thoughts and judgements. And they fought for this, bring about many changes we take for granted today. Feminist also created their own structures to deal with life and to practise mutual aid. One example was "consciousness raising groups", where women came together without leaders to talk about their lives, support each other and organise.

      One large anarchist current today consists of those influenced by ecology which seeks to understand the living earth as a whole, including us. This is one of the most critical periods in the history of life on earth - by the end of next year another 10%  of the world's species will be extinct. Industrialisation is a tool created by elites to shackle humanity and control nature,---

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WORKERS KNOW YOUR HISTORY - THE LEVELLERS 1649.

     

       May 17 marks the 362 annversary of what has become know as Levellers Day. The Levellers were a radical political movement from the period of the English civil war, who believed in  democracy, religious freedom and civil rights. At first the Levellers saw Cromwell as some sort of liberator but soon found themselves on his wrong side and saw him as a dictator and fought on the side of parliament against Cromwell. Just as they were determined to fight against Cromwell, he was just as determined to crush them. In 1649 over 300 Levellers were captured by Cromwell's troops and lock up in Burford Church. On May 17 of that year 3 Levelers were taken out to the church yard and executed as the ring leaders.

    

      State power is still at it, from across the world we hear of ordinary people being imprisoned and/or executed for their beliefs and sometimes killed while on the street seeking those freedoms. From the Levellers and before up to today, the struggle still goes on, the desire to be free and to see others enjoy that same freedom has cost the ordinary people dear, but they are never intimdated for long. I have no doubt as the various states feel threatened by that desire for freedom, more people will suffer at the hands of the state, but I have also no doubt the the voice of the people for freedom will only get louder and will eventually triumph. 

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PICKETS CAN BE FUN.

        The above is what we think of the Con/Dem's policy on disability benefit. It is cruel, unjust, damaging to the mental heath of those targeted and is nothing more than an exercise in squeezing the vulnerable to save money, and at the same time generating money for these large companies at tax payers expense.

Picket and Picnic at Atos
Thursday12th May 5pm-6pm

Ca'D'Oro Building,
45 Gordon Street,
Glasgow, G1 3PE

Bring food to share.
Part of the National Week of Action Against Atos
 http://benefitclaimantsfightback.wordpress.com/
http://thecrutchcollective.blogspot.com/
thecrutchcollective@gmail.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Crutch-Collective/132893236781931?sk=wall

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SHINING EXAMPLE OF WESTERN HYPOCRISY.

        So Osama Bin Laden is dead, after 10 years of war, several trillion dollars and the destruction of a country, and already they are talking about “Bin Laden” model 2. I suppose it is a matter of the king is dead, long live the king. The headlines in The Sunday Times, May 8, US launches drone airstrike on 'new Bin Laden' in Yemen. So how many will there be, at 10 years a time this could be the 100 years war and at the same time bankrupt the world. How far down the chain of command will they go, perhaps some guy in some quiet corner of the world looking at an Islamic move could be targeted and then maybe his pal down the road, just in case.

       Ten years and several trillion dollars to get rid of some guy the CIA trained, armed and funded to go out and fight the Russians. It seems like a very bad deal. Their little exercise in Afghanistan has left the country a far more dangerous place than ever it has been, plus they killed thousands of Afghan civilians in the process. This is how you bring democracy to the world, Western style.

      The manner in which he was executed is being applauded by all and sundry in the West, yet when the the Israeli's assassinated Hamas co-founder, Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi in Gaza our former British foreign secretary, Jack Straw stated, “The British government has made it repeatedly clear that so-called 'targeted assassinations' of this kind are unlawful, unjustified and unproductive.” Come on Jack, let's hear it for Osama Bin Laden, and what's your view on the attempted assassination of Colonel Gaddafi?

      Think of a world where any country can send a band of armed killers into any other country and execute anybody they feel has harmed their country. This is the ideology of the Western power mongers, the so called leaders of the “free world”, but woe betide anyone outside their little club how tries it in their country. When you're the big bully you don't need to bother with the rules, hypocrisy, the main ingredient in Western democracy.

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CAPITALISM, THE UNSUSTAINABLE SYSTEM.

      

        As our very own public school thugs of the Cameron/Clegg club go about trying to privatise everything in sight, perhaps we should cast our minds back to when Argintinian President Menem got a free hand to do just that. It created a few problems and perhaps the British people should be looking at how to handle the situation that might transpire.

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It’s My Party….an you’re no gettin’ in!

A true account of how the Labour Party lost the election in Scotland.
It’s My Party….an you’re no gettin’ in!

      A week ago householders in parts of Govanhill received a letter from the Labour leader Iain Gray inviting residents-and their families to a meeting on Mon. 2nd May at the Victoria Halls in Coplaw St. A number of local residents decided to take up this kind invitation.

       The letter instructed those who wished to attend to ‘phone and register,-which we did.

When we arrived for the meeting, there were a couple of Labour Party workers at the doors checking people’s names against a list as they arrived. The list was almost superfluous as most of those attending were well heeled, well scrubbed Labour Party hacks who arrived in cars , the majority of which I’m convinced didn’t even come from the local area,- and if anyone in the Labour Party claims otherwise,- prove it- you’ve got the list! 

      In the vestibule a zealous wee Party worker with a checklist was alarmed when she heard that my son and I had the same forename and surname. She seemed to regard this as some sort of underhand trick. She was also worried about our family and friends who were with us, and started asking a string of questions.

As none of the Party faithful had been interrogated in this manner at the door, my son reminded her that we had all registered for the meeting as required and as our names were on her list why were we being quizzed? This really freaked her out and we were instructed to wait where we were and she went and fetched a couple of colleagues.

     After another round of questions she asked us to leave. I replied that we had been invited and accepted the invitation and so would rather stay. After a brief confab with her pals she told us in a slightly smug and superior manner that our invitations were now withdrawn. Well, as you can imagine we were beside ourselves with anxiety and trepidation!

      She had played her trump card and what a winner! She had pulled the red Labour carpet from under our feet! We had come particularly to hear her esteemed leader and legendary runner, the Lion Rampant himself, - Fearless Ian Gray.

      We wanted to hear more from the man who had walked (or ran) the killing fields of Cambodia etc. We wanted to sit at his feet in admiration, to bask in his glory and feel the comforting warmth of his courage around us like a woolly red blanket, to listen with awe and childlike wonder to further tales of derring- do. We had come so close to realising our dreams only to have our hopes dashed by this naughty (but nice) wee lassie telling us to leave!

     Wounded by this cruel rejection, in an act of wilful disobedience we gave her the only reply we could, - we said “Naw!” This really brought out the Democrat in her, and her pretty little face turned scary and spiteful. “Well in that case we will call the Police”. She said this with such an air of confidence and authority, that for a moment we were afraid she had her own personal rapid response unit in her commodious- yet stylish handbag.

      We knew of course that the Labour Party - as the party of law and order, were very quick to call on the strong arm of the Law to suppress anyone who doesn’t agree with them, - they are famous for it! But to threaten constituents a few days before an election seems a bit silly. After all surely the idea is to win the voting public over, not jail them!  We told the wee lassie and her pals that we were staying for the meeting but we might ‘phone a couple of news desks to see if we couldn’t get a some journalists down to Coplaw Street to witness Labour Party hospitality and canvassing techniques in action.

     A few minutes later the pals reappeared minus the wee lassie. They told us we could stay as long as we promised not to cause trouble! (Like threatening people with arrest perhaps?). We assured them we had come only to ask a few questions, a daily, non alarming occurrence in many democratic societies. They still looked a bit uncomfortable. It was clear that the idea of democracy scared them, they were not used to this kind of reckless freedom in the Labour Party, but while they were struggling with this new and difficult concept, they allowed their guard to slip a little bit and offered us belated tea and biscuits.

      Despite still smarting from the recent threat of jail we showed our ability to forgive and forget and even dispensed some light hearted humour in exchange for their refreshment and non chocolate super saver biscuits.

       We were allowed to sit at the back of the small hall. All the front seats had been taken by the Party faithful and a very few local residents who had managed to avoid the nets. The crowd were gossiping amongst themselves for a few minutes then suddenly the chattering died down and we became aware of a powerful entity in the room. Our hearts leapt, could this be the great man: his Gray Eminence? But no, it was a lesser entity,- still a powerful being nevertheless, as you could tell by his well scrubbed New Labour cheeks which shone with health and vitality,- but not Gray the grayhound.

      Despite this the worshippers gave him a well rehearsed welcome. This was Stephen Curran, Labour’s candidate in the forthcoming election. He was a jovial mixture of affability and insincerity. The flock liked him and baaad in approval. He acknowledged their subservience by waving the palms of his hands to his audience to reassure them they were empty. Like any good games show host he knew how to work the crowd addressing most of them personally. He kept them waiting just long enough; then at the right moment gave them what they were there for. The low reverential murmur grew in volume until it sounded like a busy beehive, then suddenly without warning, like a young god appearing on a sunbeam (the hall lights were unnecessarily bright) the Gray man appeared before us.

      The faithful could hardly believe it! The Gray man had descended into their very midst! They could almost touch him! Some of the worst affected actually dared to touch him! - And were instantly cured of all doubts and the ability to think! The applause and adoration of his followers, the true believers, had assumed orgiastic proportions, and many of them had inadvertently cum in their pants!

      As newcomers we had expected to fall under the Gray mans spell, - his charisma and dynamism are legendary- but this spectacle, this nauseating, sycophantic grovelling display by his worshipers, which would be extremely distasteful to any right minded self respecting person - even us, helped to pull us back from the brink just in time.

       Immediately the scales fell away from our eyes. We realised we could not possibly vote for, or support the Gray man‘s policies or any of his representatives on earth. We saw that his supporters had obviously been hypnotised, possibly even drugged by unseen hands. This was no way to treat voters or change society.

When the followers had stopped twitching and started breathing normally again the meeting began. The Gray man and his familiar uttered spells in the guise of meaningless speeches and sedated the true believers who applauded obediently at the right bits. Even the non believers like us were not immune from the soporific effect of the Gray man and his disciples’ evil magic and a few times almost lost the will to live. 

        Despite this we managed to get in a few questions between us. One of our number managed to question the Gray mans Party’s murderous and illegal activities in pursuit of oil, but the Gray man blamed it on his previous boss, who although he agreed killed lots of people, did it with the best of intentions.

        A few other questions we fielded regarding criminals inside Parliament, and the incredible disappearing man Steven Purcell ex Glasgow Cooncil, were clumsily kicked into the sidelines by New Labour’s New Stephen. Further difficult questions which we demanded answers to were blatantly ignored, despite the word transparency being used repeatedly throughout the stage show by Gray and his acolyte.

      At the end of the meeting we were berated by some of the Party hacks and told off for our bad manners!

Obviously the whole jamboree was never intended to be a public meeting although Scottish Labour will try to make out that it was in any forthcoming propaganda material. The event was a tightly controlled, back slapping, morale boosting get together for the opportunistic adherents of New Labour who can pretend they are doing it all for us.

     The reason that people attending the event were vetted was to ensure that the Party faithful would be in the majority and therefore would definitely outnumber any non Labour elements. This is necessary because the Labour Party cannot subject their leader Iain Gray to any demonstration of genuine public dissent in case he does a runner! Remember he legged it from a posse of pensioners and mothers during a recent badly managed P.R. event in Central Station.

     Well, Man in Gray, - as the saying goes, you can run but you can’t hide. You might try to hide behind your shiny New Labour opportunist gang, but the general public can see through you as they see through the gaping holes in your phoney policies. At one time the Labour Party did represent working class interests, but not anymore. Now New Labour represents themselves and their business pals.

      New Labour doesn’t care about individuals or communities or people’s needs and desires. They have lost all contact with that. They see Councils as businesses and themselves as managers. They are managers who run businesses. Of course they make sure they get a bosses salary with the golden handshake at the end of it; New Labour are the New Bosses.

     The unfeeling, uncaring supporters of New Labour have been complicit in an illegal war responsible for the deaths of countless innocent men, women and children. Not only Iraqis and Afghans but British and Allied personnel, - some of them no more than children themselves. I would ask New Labour Party members these questions: Have you no pity? Have you no compassion? Can you even understand the meaning of empathy?

     Is it so hard to realise that these children could be your children? Can you imagine your own child or grandchild screaming in agony and being powerless to help them? Don’t just think about it, or imagine it, feel it.

      Almost every Labour Party member you speak to denies supporting the war in Iraq. In that case-how did it happen?

     If it happened without your consent,-the murder of innocent people for Christ’s sake, - why the hell are you still in the Labour Party?

     If you care for others and have any shred of decency and dignity, - why are you still in the Labour Party?

If you call yourself a socialist – why are you still in the Labour Party?

      Leave the rats to go down with the sinking ship you don’t need to go down with them.

Tony Milliband

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BOLD NATIVE.

              Glasgow vegan society are showing 'Bold Native' at the Free Hetherington on Tuesday at 8.00 followed by a discussion on direct action and animal liberation. 'Bold Native' is a feature film and is a really good film regardless of where you stand on the issue of animal liberation and direct action and it would be good if a lot of different opinions were represented in the discussion. I'll post a blurb and link to the trailer below:

                'Bold Native' is a fiction feature film. Charlie Cranehill, an animal liberator wanted by the United States government for domestic terrorism, emerges from the underground to coordinate a nationwide action as his estranged CEO father tries to find him before the FBI does. The film simultaneously follows a young woman who works for an animal welfare organization fighting within the system to establish more humane treatment of farmed animals. From abolitionists to welfarists, 'Bold Native' takes on the issue of modern animal use and exploitation from several angles within the context of a road movie adventure story'

http://boldnative.com/trailer/

Tuesday 10th May,
Free Hetherington,
13 University Gardens.
Glasgow.

https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=113279282091315#!/event.php?eid=113279282091315

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DAVID BUCCOLA ON ANARCHISM,IWW.

It is always good to listen, as long as it accompanied by thought and followed through with action.

Listen to internet radio with polizeros on Blog Talk Radio

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THE SHOW IS OVER, CRUNCH TIME, DID THEY LIE ENOUGH???

        

        Today is the day, the day when our political masters, masters of illusion, hypocrisy and corruption, sit in anticipation of taking their place in the corridors of power. Will it be their chance to stick their snouts in the trough, to sort out their golden handshakes and lavish pensions. It all depends on you, you have to show you have been duped by their empty promise, their phony smiles, you have to believe that the crooks and liars, are not crooks and liars. Yes, it is the Scottish elections, theatre time. They have all put on their best show, though to those who have been around for a while it is probably the most boring show in town. They have grasped strangers hands, kissed babies and turned up at hundreds of photo opportunities. They have mouthed their party's mantra and spat venom at the others on stage. Soon the new cabal will reap the benefits of their acting career, the others will just have to do with playing second fiddle. However, for you and I, nothing will change, we go through this ritual farce every four or five years, all to the benefit of some politicians and to the detriment of others. We on the other hand will just have to keep on struggling with our daily lives. Struggling against the decisions made by those, the mislead or foolish have voted on to that gravy train. We the non-voters are not apathetic, we just know your are crooks and liars.

    There is a better way to shape our society and it does not involve abdicating our power to a bunch of self-seeking power mongers. It is all about organising our lives round the desires of the community and working in federation with all other communities. It entails basing our society on mutual aid, co-operation, voluntary association and sustainability. It means abandoning the profit motive and keeping the decision making in the hands of the people. We don't need leaders, presidents, or prime ministers, their past record is one of corruption, war, deprivation, greed and self aggrandisement. Let's take control of our own lives and send the party political system and its bed companion capitalism to the dustbin of history.

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ELECTIONS, DEMOS, PETITIONS, TWITTER, --- WHAT NEXT??

    

The following short extract is from  ADBUSTERS.  The full article makes good reasding.

   

' ----Everywhere we look there are signs of moral decay, political corruption and fascistic tendencies. However, activists have not been passive. For decades, since the end of democracy in America first became undeniable, we have tried every tactic to avert catastrophe. We have voted, written letters, donated money, held signs, protested in marches, clicked links, signed petitions, tweeted websites, written books, taught classes, knitted sweaters, learned how to farm, turned off the television, programmed apps, engaged in direct action, committed petty vandalism … All this has been for naught. Popular revolution remains the only reasonably viable tactic remaining.'

         This was written concerning America, but it could equally well apply to any Western country. We, here in the UK, could say exactly the same. The more we tweet/facebook, march, petition the further that democracy slips away. Millions marched to try to stop the illegal Iraq invasion but the UK spent 5 years destroying the infrastructure of that country and the US is still there. Since 2001 there has been innumerable demonstrations/marches and petitions to pull the troops out of Afghanistan, we are still there killing and being killed.

        Now we face savage cuts to our standard of living, the decimation of our NHS, the privatisation of the Universities, the rapid erosion of our education system and the slashing of any social benefits. All this is being done against the wishes of the people of this country, simply to save the bankers and bond merchants form losing some of their unearned wealth. Our millionaire public school thugs, sometimes know as the cabinet, know who there friends are, and it certainly isn't you and I.

       So do we continue tweeting/facebooking, marching, petitioning, demonstrating, writing letters, waving placards and every 4 or 5 years running out to vote in, another bunch of duplicitous smiling crooks and liars. Or do we finally take up the only road left open to us, if we want to change this stinking system of inequality and exploitation, a popular uprising of the ordinary people, not asking for change, but making those changes we want to see?

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GLASGOW'S MAY DAY.

      Glasgow's May Day parade took place this afternoon in the city centre, it was a colourful affair with most left political groupings present. This year saw a good turnout, perhaps the weather had something to do with that, but I feel it was because people are looking for ways to display their anger at what is happening in their communities across the country. The chanting and coloured banners symbolised their hope that something can be done to stop the savage cuts to their standard of living.

      However, though they are looking for answers, unless those answers include a dramatic change to the economic system its self, those hopes are going to be dashed. To call for no cuts means keeping the system, which really means postponing the cuts for another day and another generation, as we have struggled against cuts for about as long as we have had the capitalist system.

      May Day, is about the people and their desire for a better world for all, it is not about asking our lords and masters, the parasite class, for some relief from the perpetual struggle, a struggle for which they are responsible. So I to have hope, I hope that all those involved in the May Day celebrations go back to their communities and their work places and begin to organise with their workmates and neighbours, to change society forever and to the benefit of all our people. If not, our children and grandchildren will still be struggling and hoping as they march on future May Days.

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A MOVING MOVIE!!!

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

Glasgow Screening

Sunday 8th May

5.15pm

Glasgow Film Theatre

12 Rose St

Glasgow, G3 6RB

Followed by Q&A with the director Nicolas Défossé

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

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

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

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

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

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A REMINDER.

Just a wee reminder that tomorrow ios MAY DAY, family fun day, workers day, our day.See HERE.

This from The Freedom Socialists.

May Day 2011:

A tribute to modern-day Haymarket heroes and heroines.

    On this day, amid spiraling resistance around the world, we pay respects to struggles that gave birth to May Day as an international workingclass holiday 125 years ago in Chicago, Illinois. The fight for the eight-hour day, led by anarchists and socialists, was gaining steam. In an attempt to destroy the movement, police provocateurs threw a bomb at a peaceful labor rally in Haymarket Square. Eight radical leaders were charged with murder, and four were hung. A defiant August Spies exclaimed before his execution:

    If you think that by hanging us you can stamp out the labor movement...the movement from which the downtrodden millions, the millions who toil in want and misery expect salvation--if that is your opinion, then hang us! Here you will tread upon a spark, but there and there, behind you, and in front of you, and everywhere, flames blaze up. It is a subterranean fire. You cannot put it out.

The Freedom Socialist Party offers its gratitude to the Haymarket Martyrs and those who tried to save them, such as Lucy Gonzalez Parsons, the widow of Albert Parsons. She spent the rest of her life building
international recognition for her fallen comrades, while also speaking out as an ardent Chicana feminist and antiracist agitator. These early radicals were principled internationalists. Albert Parsons dismissed bigots who derided his Haymarket brothers for being "foreigners":

     My patriotism covers more than the boundary lines of a single state; the world is my country, all mankind my countrymen. That is what the emblem of the red flag signifies; it is the symbol of the free, of emancipated labor.

       Today, the Haymarket rebels' vision of international class solidarity is alive and growing. This was dramatically clear when democracy protesters in Egypt and labor activists in Wisconsin carried signs supporting each other's struggles. Both movements have wakened ever-widening revolts. Rebels across North Africa and the Mideast, from Tunisia to Yemen, are exchanging strategies and tactics to foment change. Many workers and students are realizing they need to move beyond replacing corrupt officials at the top. Protests globally are opposing imperialist intervention in Libya. Solidarity with Palestine is rising. Iraqis are demanding that the U.S. get out of their country. The U.S. and its allies are doing everything possible to contain these insurgencies and prevent them from concluding that socialism is the solution. But is this possible in a world where rebellion is reaching the boiling point?

      In the Ukraine this March, female electronics workers who had not been paid for 14 months stormed the bosses' offices and overwhelmed top officials and the police who tried to save them. Throughout March, teachers in Honduras held massive demonstrations against privatization of schools that sparked a general strike against austerity measures. For several weeks in April, thousands of Bolivian workers, farmers and students protested neoliberal economic policies. Miners expressed their discontent by throwing dynamite and battling police in the capitol of La Paz.

In the U.S., outrage is mounting over the criminal slashing of needed social services and jobs by both Democrats and Republicans. Radical voices are calling for a new political party, one that will represent workers' interests and make the bosses pay for their crisis.

The Freedom Socialist Party offers solidarity to modern-day Haymarket heroes and heroines across the globe. This is a crucial time for those on the left to work together in united front efforts to challenge capitalist rulers and create revolutionary change. Together, we will prevail!      May 1, 2011

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GLASGOW WEDDING DAY PARTY.

       A royal wedding day party in Glasgow's Kelvingrove Park. Are the Glasgow police anti-royalists? Seems odd to break up a party when Cameron was asking everybody to get involved in street parties. Perhaps the police are SNP supporters, who knows, it is difficult to follow the logic.



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THE MAN WHO WOULD BE PRESIDENT!!

      

       There is a lot of talk of billionaire Donald Trump running for the Republican nomination for president. One thing about America, it can turn up some real weirdos for the presidency. We should be concerned, to give somebody the biggest arsenal in the world we should at least consider their suitability. It's our lives they're messing up. However, you don't have to say anything about Trump to criticise him, he does that very well every time he opens his mouth. Here are just a few of his remarks on the world situation.

On Libya: “I would go in and take the oil --- I would take the oil and stop all this baby stuff.”

On Iraq: “We stay there, and we take the oil --- In the old days, when you have a war and you win, that nation is yours.”

What America must do: “Stop what's going on in the world. The world is just destroying our country. These other countries are sapping our strength.”

On the rising price of oil and OPEC: “I'm going to look them in the eye and say 'Look fellows you've had your fun. Your fun is over' ”

What he thinks about the ordinary people: Well apparently he will not shake hands with ordinary Americans when out canvassing, saying, “You catch all sorts of things.”

Having claimed that he was responsible for making Obama produce his birth certificate, I think it is only fair that he should come clean on his hair. Is it really his? Or is it an unnatural immigrant and has no right to be there?

      Is this the best that the American political class can come up with, is this the pinnacle of their elite?

ann arky's home.

THAT RIGHT ROYAL THINGY!!!

    ONE OF THEM

       I thought I might get through the week without mentioning IT, but I just couldn't keep my mouth shut. Here we are, putting on one of the most spectacular displays of privilege, a display of parasitical living, all paid for by tax payers, and beaming it all over the globe. What we are saying to the world is, this is Britain in the 21st century. However it is a lie, it is not Britain, it is a glimpse of a slice of the upper crust, the pampered elite, the parasites. Britain today is a country with mass unemployment, children living in poverty, pensioners dying of hypothermia during our cold winters. Britain is a country that can put on a extravaganza that takes your breath away by its sheer opulence, but can't put together a system whereby most young couples can afford their first home as they try to start up on their own. A country where couples struggle to try and give their kids a decent up-bring, let alone a lavish wedding.

    ONE OF US.   

       It was probably the biggest, most lavish display of privilege and unearned wealth seen on the planet, from a country that is fighting a war in Afghanistan, supporting a war in Libya, while cutting education, health care, disability benefits, and the social fabric of society, well that part of society where the real people live. This is a display that says Britain is a very rich country, but we don't want to spend it on the ordinary people. It says, Britain is a country of centuries of kings and queens with super wealth at the pinnacle of society, and has still failed miserably to create any semblance of equal opportunity or hint of fairness.

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