AUSTERITY - NO PAY FOR THREE MONTHS!!!

    Not been paid for three months and then being put on part-time 20 hours a week at €200 a month, that's capitalism IMF (International Mankind Fuckers) style for you.

This from Teacher Dude's Grill and BBQ:

Unpaid for three months - 

shop assistants in Fokas department store protest

 

       Employees at the Fokas department stores, one of the most well-known retail outlets in Greece taking part in a 24 hour strike over unpaid wages dating back to June. In addition according to Union of Shop Workers, the company is in the process of replacing full time positions with part time ones paying just 200 Euros a month for a 20 hour week.
       (200 euros a month is just enough to cover rent on a modest one room apartment in the poorest parts of Thessaloniki.)

enosiemporiothess@gmail.com

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COMING TO A CITY NEAR YOU!!

       It could be Germany in the mid-1930's, but no, this is Greece 2012. Rampant neo-nazis backed up by the police beating up immigrants and all opposition to the state. Street violence is the last resort of any repressive regime in an attempt to break any opposition, organisation and resistance to the powers that be. It is not confined to Greece, all states have used violence to break the public's resistance and they will all use it again if and when they feel the need. So let's not be complacent and think that it can only happen over there somewhere. Read your history and look at the present, it is coming to a city near you.

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A NEW EUROPE.

From Red Pepper:

Joining forces for another Europe

      In November, European social movements will meet in Florence to plan continent-wide responses to austerity and the European crisis of democracy. Tommaso Fattori calls for us to make ‘Firenze 10+10’ a priority

      In Europe we are living in particularly dramatic times. Democracy is in death-agony and we are witnessing post-democratic processes taking over at the national and supranational level. EU leaders have further concentrated decision-making power on public and fiscal policies in the hands of an oligarchy of governments, technocrats and the European Central Bank (ECB), which are subject to the dictates of the financial markets. Neoliberalism, the real cause of the crisis, not only is not dead, but it appears to be in perfect health: it uses the crisis to destroy social rights and workers’ rights and to privatise commons, public goods and public services.
      Finally, the most incredible propaganda operation of our times is in full swing, in which states and ‘markets’ try to make people believe that public debt was caused by excessive social spending and high salaries. In fact the financial sector caused the crisis and the fiscal deficit in the EU is the result of the crisis, not its cause.
      A moment like this needs a strong social answer: it is urgent to act now, uniting our forces, creating the conditions for a common social response, for a pan-European mobilisation. There is an objective need to build a European space of ‘strategic alliances’: in order to elaborate common strategies and initiatives and to rebuild solidarity. When the attack on Greece by the great  economic powers and the ‘troika’ [the International Monetary Fund, the European commission and the ECB]  began, we, in Europe, were unable to organise a social response. Rather, each stayed wrapped up in their own crisis and their own national dimension, leaving the Greeks alone. It must never happen again. 

Continue reading HERE:

 

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DEMOCRACY'S BANKRUPT.

       Yea, it seems a good idea, just test their logic. I have no doubt that you will find it wanting. We vote for a system of crooks and liars, hypocrites and millionaires and pampered parasites, WHY?

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ZIONIST DEMOCRACY!!!

      Israel always touts itself as the only democracy in the Middle East in spite of what others inside and outside the area may think. However, though this is the message from the Zionist state of Israel, it seems to differ from the view held by those ordinary Jewish citizens of that state.

     In a recent poll held in Israel the findings point to anything but democratic aims of a society. The poll results found that the majority of Israeli Jews believe that the state practises apartheid. Also revealed in the findings of the poll was the fact that this was not against the wishes of the Jewish citizens. A third of those who took part in the poll believed that Israeli Arabs should be denied the vote, with 47% wanting the Israeli Arabs to be stripped of their citizenship rights. Another disturbing finding from the poll is that 59% of those polled believed that Jews should be given preference to public sector jobs over Israeli Arabs, with 50% stating that Jews should be better treated than Israeli Arabs. Even more disturbing is that 40% polled, believed that there should be separate housing and classrooms for Jews and Israeli Arabs. It should be noted that Israeli Arabs make up about 20% of the population of the Israeli state.

       So much for the only democratic state in the Middle East.

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THE BOOKFAIR.

         From Circled A, a talk on the coming London Anarchist Bookfair, which will be held this Saturday, 27 October, at Queen Mary, University of London. Plus a little bit of a tribute to the soon to be no more Chumbawamba (http://www.chumba.com/) at the start and end of the show.

 

(http://thecircleda.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/circled-a-show-october-23rd-2012.mp3)

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LONDON ANARCHIST BOOKFAIR.

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THE PAINFUL END TO AN EXPERIMENT!!!

 

       The plundering of the public purse by the financial Mafia and the resultant misery that falls on the ordinary people, forces people in all different directions. Some stay on the belief that things can only get better, others decide to stay and fight for something better, while others cut that bound with friends and family and leave for some foreign land. None of these options are easy, all inflict misery and hardship, some physical, others emotional, some both.

Another excellent article from Teacher Dude's Grill and BBQ.  

 

Is the European experiment grinding to halt? 

      Earlier this morning I got a call from a friend, saying that she'd found a job but I was at a loss whether to congratulate her or not, as she will not only leave her country but her two young children as well. For the next nine months my friend will be teaching English at a private school in the Gulf States. In doing so she'll be following a path trailed by many other friends and acquaintances over the last few years.

     Her children will remain here to be looked after by grandparents for the duration, a story reminiscent of the sacrifices that many Greeks were obliged to make in the 60's and 70's as guest workers who went north to find jobs in the booming economies of northern Europe and especially in German factories then powering the country's export led economic miracle.

     As with so many other Greeks six years of recession has forced my friend to consider working abroad as the only alternative to a slow slide into poverty at home so repeating a story that has been told and re-told so often here over the last 100 years. However, this latest generation is both luckier and unluckier than their parents and forebears.

Continue Reading HERE:

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PSYCHOPATHS IN UNIFORM.

Advice, before being arrested, go for a piss!!

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THE HEALTH OF PEOPLE V CORPORATE PROFIT.

 

       Do you remember the days when the City Councillors took the time, by means of smoke and mirrors, to weave the illusion of doing the people's bidding? Now however, they are so arrogant that they don't even bother with that thin veneer of illusion, they just ride roughshod over the will of the people in an attempt to appease big business. Today they see themselves as managing our city and its assets to suit the corporate world, the people are a bit of an inconvenience. What does the health of the people matter if there is money to be made for their corporate masters.

25 Years of Pollution and Congestion for Southside Residents

        This from a friend and comrade, C L: 

      It is now known that Glasgow City Council has already signed a 25 year contract with a company called Viridor to deal the City’s refuse, even before planning permission has been granted for the plant. They plan to build a recycling and gasification (yes a big incinerator to you and me) facility at Polmadie; but don’t worry, the planning authority is Glasgow City Council! At a time when other countries such as Sweden are moving away from incineration to deal with their rubbish, it seems the City Council is determined to commit us to having this toxic monstrosity on our doorstep for the next quarter of a century or more. Local people are understandably angry about this and have many valid objections to this scheme including the following:

     As the client and planning authority Glasgow City Council has a clear conflict of interest and must not decide the outcome of the planning application. The contract guarantees a minimum amount of waste that will be provided for the plant. This in itself will make recycling less attractive as it reduces the amount of waste for burning. Recycling is not only less wasteful of natural resources but will create many times more jobs locally than burning the rubbish will. If the Council can’t fulfil this commitment to provide enough waste, it will be liable for penalties or will have to bring in refuse from other areas increasing pollution and congestion.

    Local residents are very concerned about the pollution from the plant including highly toxic nitrous oxide (NOx) and dioxins resulting from combustion at the site as well as disturbance and traffic congestion from its 24 hour operation . Children are particularly susceptible to the effects of extremely low concentrations of these chemicals. There are many schools including Holyrood, the largest secondary in Scotland, in the surrounding area.

     This part of Glasgow already is an area of social deprivation, poor health and low life expectancy. It is also adjacent to the motorway network. To introduce another source of pollution and traffic will only serve to compound these factors and reduce further social and health inequalities.

    There has been no proper consultation by the company with the local population as required by law. Only a small proportion of households have received information from Viridor.

      A number of well attended public meetings have been held and a campaign group has formed. At present the effort is concentrating on written objections to the planning application and lobbying councillors. Whilst that is useful, I'm sure you all, like me, have previous experience with so called elected councillors who ignore the people that they claim to represent. If we really intend to stop this plant being built we must get ready to take direct action to stop it. We the people have the power, not these self-serving politicians and it is about time we showed them who decides these important matters!

   For more information search Facebook for Glasgow Alternatives to Incineration or email glasgowgain@gmail.com

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PAN-EUROPEAN STRIKE, - THEN WHAT?

     There is the possibility of a pan-European general strike on November 14, if so, what then? Will it be a display to show our lords and masters how angry we are, and if they don't throw us a few more crumbs, we will cause them more inconvenience? Or will it be a decision by the people to change the structure of our society, to stop feeding the parasite banksters and their greed driven billionaire corporate friends. Will the people really take control and set about creating a society based on the needs of all our people, and send the party political system along with the profit motive, to the dustbin of history? Four countries, Portugal, Greece, Spain, and Cyprus have already drawn up plans for a general strike on November 14 with unions in France and Italy considering adding their numbers. 

      A pan-European general strike could be a golden opportunity to bring down this system of exploitation, greed, poverty and deprivation, and build that better world of federated communities based on co-operation, mutual aid and sustainability. Of course a one day general strike will be no more than a midgie bite to the corporate beast that sits on our shoulders. At the end of day of marching, speeches and flag waving, it will be deflating to the thousands that took part, as all they will get is promises of perhaps, a slower squeezing, and pie in the sky in the bye and bye, and more of the same for the foreseeable future.

      If this pan-European strike does go ahead, it has to be of an indeterminate time, with the one aim of bring an end to the foul system that has wreak havoc across generations and continents. To expend all that energy for nothing more than a better crust, with the possibility that it could be taken away again when the next "crisis" hits the system, isn't really worth the effort. It is that moment, it is all or nothing at all.

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TAR SANDS OIL.

   Some years ago I visited Canada and went to the Athabasca Glacier in Alberta. It was an awe inspiring visit, the whole area was a wilderness of beauty on a grand and rugged scale. It was probably the most impressive part of the whole visit. 

   However, this is corporate capitalism and that area is just another source of wealth for the corporate greed machine. Tar sands oil, big bucks, so 54,000 square miles of that wonderful rugged beauty is now the biggest shit pan on that continent. This is planet destruction on an unbelievable scale, and it will go on and grow until they suck the last possible dollar out, and what was a wonderland of rugged beauty will have gone forever, transfered into some fat corporate body's bank account.

   Take a few minutes to look at these pictures from Business Insider, this is the money men at work, plundering and destroying the planet that we all need to survive.

    Canada's economic boom depends on tearing up 54,000 square-mile of pristine Alberta wilderness. Development of the world's third largest oil supply is proceeding rapidly. It already represents a $3.5 billion annual paycheck to the Canadian government and 75,000 immediate jobs. But many are aghast at the project, which is also the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas in Canada.

    When you see the pictures, you may feel the same. We're not saying the project is good or bad. We're just saying the scale and severity of what's happening in Alberta will make your spine tingle.

Read the article and view the photos HERE:

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AN ANARCHIST LIFE.

     It is always important to keep alive the deeds and names of anarchists who have lived their life with honesty and a dedication to the principles of anarchy. They make our history something to be very proud of and worth broadcasting far and wide. From them our generation and those that follow can draw inspiration and they add to the richness that is anarchism. For those interested in the lives of anarchists, past and present the DVD of the life of Umberto Tommasino is now available at: An Anarchist Life.

      A documentary film on the life of Umberto Tommasini, an anarchist blacksmith, born in Trieste in 1896, then moved to Vivaro and then back to Trieste, he crossed the 20th century, through revolutions, wars, social struggles with an enthusiasm and a vitalism unique and fascinating. Between Italy, Paris, Spain, the fascist confine, the Catalan revolution, the 68 movements and beyond, a story collected in the book of Claudio Venza and Clara Germani "The Triestine anarchist" now to be republished by Odradek with a presentation of Claudio Magris. An incredible man, from the book you have the impression of vitalism and such a strong irony, a human approach to all issues, and a contagious enthusiasm.
       We will enjoy to cross the 20th century and Europe accompanied by this humble man, that partecipated directly to the making of history, facing the Big Characters of European History with an anarchist attitude, as equal (Gramsci, Di Vittorio, Vidali and so on..) as a simple and direct human being, that risks, gets into action with no compromises, keeping alive his enthusiasm and coherence.
      The reasons to make this film are many, maybe one is to tell about what was the partecipation in politics in the 20th century, not only the image of negativity of the ideological clash and violence that today's post ideologic ideology tries to present us. It will be a film on what we lost and why.

Excerpt from:  Produzioni dal Basso:

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Glasgow Defence Campaign: Hands off George Square: defending democratic righ...

Glasgow Defence Campaign: Hands off George Square: defending democratic righ...: The gloves are off! The time is now! Get organised or get banned from protesting in your own city centre square! A gathering of Glasg...

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BEYOND RESISTANCE.

           I know that I harp on and on about Greece, but I see what is happening in that country as a tide that is coming our way. It is not that Greece is doing something different from the rest of us, it isn't even a self-inflicted wound. What is happening in Greece is being directed by the financial mafia, better known as the "Troika", which as we all know doesn't even sit in Greece. We also know that these policies are the very same policies that are being forced, at the dictate of that same "Troika", on every nation in Europe. We would be naive to believe that somehow these policies will have a different effect on us, than other countries, that somehow the "Troika" will look more favourably on us than it would the Greeks. We are fortunate in so much as by looking closely at what is happening in Greece, we can see the road that the "Troika" is driving the people down. 

    To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Shall we wait for the decimation of our society, shall we wait for the deprivation and then try to pull ourselves out of the chaos and misery. Shall we wait until our children's' futures are destroyed completely, and hope that the financial markets will look more kindly on us? Or perhaps we could do a George W. Bush and go for a pre-emptive strike? Self defence is not a crime.

Another interesting article from A World to Win:

How we can move beyond resistance

     Everyone joining tomorrow’s anti-austerity march in London called by the Trades Union Congress should take heed of what is happening in Greece if we are going to find ways to move beyond resistance to the deepening crisis.

     The Greek trade unions this week held their 20th one-day general strike in two years against the absolutely savage cuts in living standards imposed by governments of the left and the right, as well as coalition regimes. Regarding the strikes as short-lived protests, the Greek state is standing firm on behalf of the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank and European Union governments – the infamous Troika.

     Their riot police are working hand-in-glove with the fascist Golden Dawn to protect the authorities as society edges towards breakdown. Only just in the background stands the Greek army, whose colonels are not averse to staging military coups and taking power as they did from 1967 to 1974.

      Despite the widespread hatred of the measures that have reduced many Greeks to penury – to the point where many can’t even afford to bury their dead or obtain vital drugs – the misery is scheduled to worsen, with further pay and pension cuts. One in four are already out of work and job losses are continuing.

     Britain’s situation is not like Greece’s, you could argue. But that would be a superficial view. Greece is at the sharp end of a global crisis of capitalism that is driving policy making in every single country.

Read the full article HERE:

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AUSTERITY = CIVIL WAR!!!!

     I'm back from my wee break, and for a few days I lived the idyllic life at a beach in the sun. It was hard to equate the life style there with what is happening across the world. Not too far away from where we were, in a country being lapped by the same sea and bathed in the same warm sun, the people are facing the possibility of civil war or a fascist take over. In Greece where the IMF (International Mankind Fuckers) policies are ripping up the social fabric of the country and driving the people ever deeper into the swamp of poverty, the people are struggling for answers and as usual in these circumstances, the fascist come out of the sewers with their package of vile answers that will bring the people nothing but more misery. The ballot box will not protect the Greek people, it has already given them poverty and deprivation and fascists in their parliament. They have to restructure their society away from the party political system which is driven by power mongers and economic parasites. 

    This extract from a BBC article is worth reading in full and the video should be seen as a pattern that will be repeated across Europe as the financial Mafia plunder their way across the continent.

      Greece's far-right party, Golden Dawn, won 18 parliamentary seats in the June election with a campaign openly hostile to illegal immigrants and there are now allegations that some Greek police are supporting the party.

     "There is already civil war," says Ilias Panagiotaros. If so, the shop he owns is set to do a roaring trade.It sells camouflage gear, police riot gloves, face masks and T-shirts extolling football hooliganism.
On the walls are posters celebrating the last civil war in Greece, which ended in 1949. "Greek society is ready - even though no-one likes this - to have a fight: a new type of civil war," he says. "On the one side there will be nationalists like us, and Greeks who want our country to be as it used to be, and on the other side illegal immigrants, anarchists and all those who have destroyed Athens several times," he adds.
    You hear comments like this a lot in Greece now but Ilias Panagiotaros is not some figure on the fringes: he is a member of the Greek parliament, one of 18 MPs elected for the far-right Golden Dawn in June's general election.

Read the full article HERE:

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A WEE BREAK.

     ann arky will be away for a wee break for 10 days, so there will be no postings on the blog for that period. I'll miss you all.

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THE COUNTRY, LIKE THE STREETS, BELONGS TO US.

 

      Saturday 20th October the STUC, has called for a massive march and rally in Glasgow, to protest against the coalition government's policy of cuts. There will be on in London on the same day. Let's be clear on this, this is not a trade union protest. It is a national protest of trade unionists, unemployed, pensioners, disabled, students, teenagers, unpaid carers and housewives. This is not a battle of trade unionists against the government, it is a people's protest against the cabal of millionaires who are shoving their ideology down the throats of the ordinary people. Nothing in this ideology was ever in their manifesto, they don't have a mandate to impoverish the people of this country for the benefit of the banksters. They don't have a mandate to build corporate fascism in this country at the behest of the financial Mafia, nor do they have a mandate to sell off the people's assets to their millionaire friends in the corporate world. No where in their manifesto did it say we will privatise the National Health Service, we will decimate your education system, we will close libraries and nurseries. The election and their much publicised manifestos were,  no more than a sham, a con-trick, what they say before the election and what they do after, have no relation to each other.

 

 

 

      So let's make this people's protest against this dictatorial elite of pampered millionaire parasites, this cabal of privileged leeches, the biggest and noisiest this country has seen in many a year. We will not accept poverty imposed on us by millionaires who know nothing of our problems, who are products of plundered wealth, tax dodges and privileged upbring.

      While they stand in expensive suits, and preach to the general public that sacrifices have to be made, tough decisions have to be made, knowing full well that such tough decisions and sacrifices, will in no way impinge on their lavish, unearned lifestyle. They can never see the decimation they are deliberately heaping on the ordinary people, as they always have one eye on their shareholdings and another on their bank accounts.

     This protest must shout loud and clear, we the people are the country, we will decide how this country will be run, and it will be run for the benefit of all our people, we will see to the needs of all our people, we will not starve our children nor sacrifice their future to fatten banksters and bond market gurus.

     October 20th. Take to the streets, fill Glasgow to overflow, with noise, and determination. Don't wait for the STUC to contact you or inform you, form your own group, contact other local groups, Clydeside IWW, Glasgow Anarchist Federation, but turn up, be part of this. Let this be the start of complete solidarity between employed, unemployed, pensioners, students, disabled, teenagers, unpaid carers and housewives. It is your world or it is their world, they are not prepared to compromise, under no circumstances should we, we have the the lives of our pensioners and the vulnerable of society and the future of our children and grandchildren, in our hands.

 

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SOLIDARITY WINS BATTLES.

The world is our battlefield, solidarity is our weapon. It is a weapon that can't be beaten. People power will change the world.

 

 

 

This from LabourStart:

       A month ago, I wrote to tell you about Said Elhairech, leader of the dockers union in Morocco. Said was arrested in June on unfounded charges relating to "national security". You responded in your thousands -- to be precise, 5,657 of you sent off messages of protest as part of a world-wide campaign coordinated by the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF). And last week we learned that Said has been released and all serious charges against him have been dropped. (Full details here.)
     And last week, I wrote to you about the case of IUF representative and human rights activist Yacine Zaid, in neighboring Algeria, who had been abducted by unidentified men. I asked you to support the IUF's global campaign to get Yacine released. Over 11,000 of you responded and the result was immediate: the Algerian authorities decided his crime was "insulting a police officer"; he was fined the equivalent of 100 Euros and let go. (Full details here.)
     Yacine and Said, who are both outstanding leaders of independent trade unions in their countries, are now free men thanks to the efforts of thousands of trade unionists around the world.
       This is therefore an opportunity to remind you of seven things you can do right now to keep up the momentum, and to help us build a global network of activists who can be mobilized at a moment's notice in cases like these.
        If you have the time, please do all seven. But if you can do even one of these things, you'll be helping.
       1. See which other campaigns are still live and show your support. Workers in Guatemala, Pakistan, Swaziland, Turkey and Zimbabwe need our help today. Click here to see the five current campaigns we're running.
      2.  The fastest way to learn about new campaigns like these is by following LabourStart on Twitter,
       3. You can also show your support for the campaigns by liking LabourStart on Facebook.
      4. Encourage your fellow trade union members to sign up to our mailing list.
      5. Make a secure online donation to LabourStart to allow us to continue with our campaigning work. Does your union support LabourStart? Find out and encourage your union to donate as well.
     6.  Get your union to show a list of live LabourStart campaigns on its website. Full details are here,
     Finally, spread the word to your fellow trade unionists -- pass on this message!

Thank you very much!

Eric Lee

 

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