Death for Bread!

           Once again Spirit of Revolt, and Glasgow Keelie Group, with assistance from other comrades put on a very moving and poignant display on Glasgow Green Drying Green area to mark Workers Memorial Day. The display will stay until after the May Day picnic on the Green May 1st. 3pm, to be held on the Drying Green, come along and celebrate workers day, May Day on The Green. This year saw the addition of high vis jackets, listing some of the deaths, illnesses and injuries people suffer from just trying to earn their daily bread. In no civilised society should working to survive risk life and limb, however in this society, where profit is the main motive of production, human welfare is listed as a cost and must be minimised to help increase profits for the shareholders who seldom indulge in the actual work, they just reap the bonuses. Not until we the workers own the means of production and distribution will we see human safety and well being at the top of the list. Only we, the ordinary people can create that environment, don't expect the shareholders and financiers to alter a system that allows them to live a life of luxury at other people's expense.

 

 

 

 

 

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Fiddlers!!

 

                                                  Image courtesy of Dorset Eye.

     How much lying, cheating and corruption will we the public accept from the powers that be before we call, enough is enough, and get rid of the whole rotten bunch of self seeking, money grabbing charlatans for once and for all.  From the top to the bottom of the centre of this power edifice it stinks like a sewer. Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak over £700 million personal wealth, but forgot to mention that tax payers money he was handing out to businesses, that his wife would gain financially. Nadhim Zahawi, ex-chancellor had to pay the tax office millions to settle a little taxable amount that he "FORGOT"  to mention. MPs and ministers being found to have take money for lobbying and had to resign. MPs taking 2nd and 3rd. jobs worth more than their sallary. Peerages for friends and those who donate to the party funds. Others charged with sexual offenses, bullying and intimidating behavior, and let's not forget the partying during lock-down. Most MPs are extremely rich, yet we continue to pay them fat salaries plus extortionate expense and subsidised meals at the Westminster Houses of Hypocrisy and Corruption. They live the life of luxury at our expense, while we struggle for a half decent standard of living. Surely we can come up with a better system than this cesspool that controls our everyday life.

                                                Image courtesy of Labour Heartlands. 

 Visit ann arky's home at https://spiritofrevolt.info   

Democracy!

                                               Image courtesy of Crowdfunder.

       Democracy has never seen the light of day in this patch of land known as the United Kingdom. We have moved from divine rights of monarchs to a so called constitutional monarchy, where a person elected by the people goes to the monarch to ask permission to form a government. That same monarch signs the death warrants of individuals in certain places known as crown dependencies. So it should come as no surprise that the subservient elected government should continue this system of control to keep the power and wealth where it is. This requires total control over the population. Hence all the draconian measures to ban protests, make strikes illegal and censor what you can say or read. The following quote gives some idea of how UK democracy works.

                                        Image courtesy of Hertfordshire Mercury.

The decline of free speech in the United Kingdom has long been a concern for free speech advocates. A man was convicted for sending a tweet while drunk referring to dead soldiers. Another was arrested for an anti-police t-shirt. Another was arrested for calling the Irish boyfriend of his ex-girlfriend a “leprechaun.” Yet another was arrested for singing “Kung Fu Fighting.” A teenager was arrested for protesting outside of a Scientology center with a sign calling the religion a “cult.”

Recently we discussed the arrest of a woman who was praying to herself near an abortion clinic. English courts have seen criminalized “toxic ideologies” as part of this crackdown on free speech.

                                     Image courtesy of The Guardian.

              All this makes it easier for the state to shut you down if it doesn't like what you are saying or doing, hardly the hallmark of democracy. Of course all this clampdown on freedom of expression requires a massive surveillance system, which the state already has but wishes to push this further in their favour. They are now calling for the end of encrypted messages, so that they can snoop on anything and everything you might wish to send to friends and family. It is all backed up by those boys in blue, known for racism, homophobic attitudes and abuse of power.
          If we want a democracy then we have to get rid of the state system, the power structure that reinforces that system, we have to end this system where wealth means power. Democracy can only survive in a free and equal system of mutual aid and co-operation a system without borders, leaders and the profit motive. We could try the one system that stands for these things, it's called anarchism.

 

Image courtesy of Nation News Hour.

 

Visit ann arky's home at https://spiritofrevolt.info    

May Week.

 

      Continuing with their May Week celebrations, Red and Black Clydeside's bring you a great poetry and music night at Red Rosa's 195 London Road Calton Glasgow. Some well known Glasgow poets and some from further afield, with some music thrown in for good measure. A night not to be missed, so mark your diary.

Visit ann arky's home at https://spiritofrevolt.info 

Dog Food.

 Wild and free.

Image courtesy of The Roar.

          Follow up on yesterday's blog on the Grand National race. During yesterdays racing one horse was "put down" after it fell at the first fence, two more were taken by horse ambulance for further assessment. Breeders and race horse owners are not interested in horses that can't perform at the top of the range, and earn lots of money for their owners, so there is every chance these two animals could end up has horse meat. Just one of the callous cruelties that we tolerate so that the rich can get richer.

 

Yesterday's winner?

Image courtesy of Daf pet food.

 

 

We Have All Eaten Horse, Like It or Not

         

         For years, there's been horse meat in hamburgers, lasagnas, raviolis, tortellinis, sausages, prepared spaghetti bolognese, bottled bolognese sauce, chili con carne, shepherd’s pie, moussaka, many other “meat dishes,” frozen and not, cheap and expensive.
           The list of “tainted” foods grows by the day all over Europe, and along with it, the size of one of the biggest crises of the modern processed food industry.

Visit ann arky's home at https://spiritofrevolt.info   

You Bet!

         Today, April, 15th. is Grand National Day, a day of pomp, ceremony, tradition and lots of MONEY. The grand spectacle, of fun and entertainment, at a price. Every year hundreds of racing horse die because of the money that can be made form pushing them beyond their limit. However this is covered up so as not to spoil the flow of big money to the gambling corporations and the large breeding stables. 2021 was a year of record horse deaths, Racecourses were responsible for taking the lives of 220 horses in 2021, there is no defence for this pointless slaughter. You will not find this information on the news our in the press, it is hushed up to keep the public ignorant of this perpetual slaughter in the name of greed.
          It is just another example in this society of exploitation of anything that can generate money for the rich and powerful, another branch of "bread and circuses" for the poor, to fill the coffers of the rich parasite class. They will dress any form of slaughter as entertainment, necessary, or just hide it from public view, to keep the necessary flow of wealth streaming in the direction of their grubby money grabbing hands. If we want justice for all, that must include all animal life on this planet. After you place you hard earned cash on a bet and watch these animals being pushed beyond their limit to enrich a few, think, how many will not be alive next week.

The following from Animal Aid.

       

Racecourses took the lives of 220 horses in 2021 – for which there is no defence.

          Despite this shocking statistic there is a public silence from racing’s rulers, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) and its Horse Welfare Board. Its flagship welfare strategy document titled, ‘A life well-lived’ is, after just two years, in a chaotic free-fall.
          The Welfare Board’s incoherent policy has, in racing terms, ‘fallen at every hurdle’. Whether that is race horses being sent for slaughter because of unregulated breeding, mirrored by a lack of post-racing aftercare; violent behaviour towards horses with the use of the whip; or deaths on racecourses.
          But the BHA’s Horse Welfare Board is not alone in its failure. The ongoing killing of horses requires associated support structures. Horse welfare organisations and vets are tight lipped too, from either ignorance or apathy.
        With uncontrolled power, racing’s big players, comprising, racecourses, multi-national betting operators, and massive breeding and racing operations, all seem content with the current situation of equine exploitation and maltreatment. Whilst polarised political views from Westminster weakens positive horse welfare change.

 

 Visit ann arky's home at https://spiritofrevolt.info  

Mary?

 

Image courtesy of Entertainment.

 

            I often think that this God guy should come down from his home in the sky and explain his virgin birth caper. If he did, every TV outlet on the planet would give him air time to explain himself. After all, when he made Adam he just used some dust, and for Eve he took a rib from Adam, so why when he wanted to create a son, he had to come down to Earth and screw somebody’s wife? After all he had proclaimed his dogma that a marriage is one man and one woman, so why the adultery? Was this his first and only erection, or did he have them on several occasions, but this time decided to use it more productively? Did he enjoy the sex, did Mary, was she even aware of it? If not, then this was rape. Then of course there is the other question, since God doesn’t eat or drink, unless there is a supermarket and a kitchen in heaven, why on earth, or in heaven, did he give himself a penis. Its only purpose is to get rid of urine and for sex? Was he planning in starting a family through the usual means? Are there urinals in heaven? There are just so many questions he has to answer. I also think Joseph has a case for a divorce and perhaps Mary could bring rape charges against him. If he is a decent guy he should show up and explain himself.

 

 Image courtesy of ImgFlip.

 

Visit ann arky's home at https://spiritofrevolt.inf  

Kropotkin.

 

           Last wee reminder, tonight, Red Rosa's 195 London Road, Calton, Glasgow. Start of Red and Black Clydesides's May Week Celebrations, Kropotkin Night. Learn more about the man and his ideas, a must for those looking to create that better world for all.

 

Visit ann arky's home at https://spiritofrevolt.info  

Resist.

 

                   There should be no doubt in anybody's mind that we are in the midst of probably the most brutal class war for some considerable time. The system is determined to recapitalise after some nasty shocks to their money making system of exploitation. The same cry comes from government after government, there is no cash for social services, health care, education, pensions and community services. However there is billions in subsidies for energy companies, who are making record profits in the billions, tax breaks for multi million corporations, unlimited cash for weapons for a bloody war in Ukraine, where the ordinary people are maimed and killed while the industrial military complex feeds its shareholders extra bonuses, to them war is profit. The powers that be are well aware that it is a class war, they are plundering everything that is public and transferring that wealth to the private corporations and billionaire/millionaire parasite class. The technique is quite simple, freeze wages, increase prices, raise the pension age, all this increases profit margins. Cut taxes, increasing big business and wealthy billionaires income, but this cuts spending on social care and this again increases profit margins.
           This will not stop because we are suffering, or if we appeal to the wealthy power mongers, it will continue until their is nothing left to milk and we find ourselves in a society where the health, education and social care you get will totally depend on how much you have to spend. We can accept this future for ourselves and our grand kids, or we can stand up and challenge, disrupt, damage beyond repair, their greed drive economics of exploitation of the many for the few. At the moment, there are mass protests and strikes in most countries across Europe, at the moment, France being the most determined and forceful. It is up to us to join hands and bring this together as one mass European revolt against injustice, inequality and exploitation.

 

Visit ann arky's home at https://spiritofrevolt.info  

Kropotkin.

 

          To kick off Red and Black Clydeside, May Week celebrations, a bit early, but to get you in the mood. We start with a Kropotkin Night at Red Rosa's 195 London Road, Calton, Glasgow. Come along and get to know a wee bit more about the man and his ideas. Get to know more about The Paris Commune and the Kronstadt Revolt and lots in between.

Vist ann arky's home at https://spiritofrevolt.info  

Bulldozer.

 

          Spirit of Revolt for its April “Read of The Month” gives three for one, three copies of prison reform magazine Bulldozer. It is from our Bratach Dubh Collection, T SOR 5-1-20. The Copies are NO.s 2 & 4 & 5 from 1981-1983. Some wonderful images, excellent articles and lots of useful information. If you have any copies of Bulldozer and would like them placed in a safe archive, why not send them to Spirit of Revolt, details on our contact page. While there, delve into our Aladdin’s cave of anarchist and libertarian socialist history, history from below, your history.

READ ON LINE.

 

Visit ann arky's home at https://spiritofrevolt.info  

May Day.

       To celebrate May Day, Glasgow is hosting three events all worth attending. These events are to turn May Day into May week of radical events, films, discussions, poetry and music events, culminating in the Red and Black Clydeside Bookfair and Gathering. Let's make Glasgow May Week something to get people chatting about and getting involved in trying to make this society a better and fairer place for all, not the milking ground of the billionaire/millionaire parasite class. Remember, people make Glasgow, councils, state and millionaires destroy it.

First off, Kropotkin Night at Red Rosa, London Road:

Then there is a wonderful Poetry and Song night.

Culminating with the Red and Black Clydeside Bookfair and gathering.

All not to be missed events to fill your May Week diary.

          There are also plans for a May Day picnic on the Green, this proved very popular in the past so watch for details.

Visit ann arky's home at https://spiritofrevolt.info  

Myths.

 De-deifying Mary Barbour.

 Image courtesy of Internationalist.

          Mention the Glasgow-Clydeside rent strike and people will say Mary Barbour. It is as though nobody else played any major role in that class struggle form 1915. The rent strike didn’t even start in the district where Mary Barbour lived, Govan, it started in Linthouse and spread to Glasgow and down as far as Clydebank. There were thousands of ordinary women threw threw themselves into the struggle many took a major role in this event. Communities across this area of Scotland organised groups to stop sheriff officers entering buildings to serve eviction notices. This was a vast community event with ordinary people playing the major role. Mary Barbour was just one of them. There is never any mention of Jean Ferguson, an activist who played a major part in the Glasgow struggle. Jean’s husband was an anarchist, a shipwright at Fairfield’s Shipyard, who was fined for organising strike, which was illegal during this period, refused to pay the fine and went to prison, Jean shared his anarchist principles. There were thousands of “Jeans” who played a major part in this tremendous struggle, who after the strike went back to being housewives, factory workers, shop assistant etc..Mary Barbour owes her fame to the fact that she went on to be a Glasgow councillor, and became well known as Mary Barbour of the rent strike. When the rent restriction act was passed freezing rents, the Glasgow part of the strike called it off. However a little part of history that seems to get over looked is that Clydebank didn’t. They carried on the strike for a further 6 months, claiming that the rent increases that had been passed on to the tenants were in fact illegal. Eventually it went to court and it was stated that in Scotland a landlord can’t just increase the rent. They first must draw up a new tenancy agreement with the tenant who has to sign the agreement, the tenant failing to do so the landlord can then apply for an eviction notice. Since none of this was done, the court ruled that the increases were therefore illegal and those who had paid the increases should be refunded. This again was the ordinary people of Clydebank who came together as one force and beat the system, six months after the Glasgow strike had had been called off, and Mary Barbour was well on her way to becoming a City councillor.

Visit ann arky's home at https://spiritofrevolt.info   

Low Tech.

 

             We seemed to be completely hypnotised by modern technology it has swamped our lives, we have become dependent on it throughout our daily life. Each new piece of technology we are lead to believe it will improve our life, make life easier, but does it and at what cost? Modern technology has enmeshed us in one massive surveillance machine, the powers that be and some commercial concerns gather facts about your daily life and can use it to their advantage without your knowledge. Cameras monitor your very movement, your phone is a tracking machine and can pin point where you were at any given moment. Modern technology takes away many of your skills that helped you to be independent. It can isolate you but give you the impression that your are part of a community, social media, where some people have a thousand "friends" but have met very few. A strange world of community in isolation. 

These words from Not Buying Anything must surely provoke some thoughts        

 

Wendel Berry at work... without a computer.

       In 1987 Wendel Berry explained that he did not wish to buy a computer with which to do his writing. He never did relent, preferring the low tech and less flashy pencil and paper combo.
       His goal was always, "to make myself as plain as I can". Towards this goal he shared his standards for technological adoption.

They are as follows:
1. The new item should be cheaper than what it replaces.
2. It should be at least as small in scale.
3. It should do work that is clearly and demonstrably better than what it replaces.
4. It should use less energy than what it replaces.
5. If possible, it should use some form of renewable energy, such as solar or that produced by the body.
6. It should be repairable by a person of ordinary intelligence, provided that he or she has the necessary tools.
7. It should be purchasable and repairable as near to home as possible.
8. It should come from a small, privately owned shop or store that would take it back for maintenance and repair.
9. It should not replace or disrupt anything good that already exists, and this includes family and community relationships.
       Using such standards would mean that much of the technology we use now would no longer be produced or consumed. How much of modern technology advances the human condition, rather than advancing surveillance, control, and profit-making? Maybe we need less technology, not more, or perhaps the answers we need can only be addressed by low tech rather than high. But talk that way and most people will think you are insane. We have accepted high tech unconditionally as a good that always makes life better.
        Berry says, "The Luddites asserted the precedence of community needs over technological innovation and monetary profit. The victory of industrialism over Luddism was overwhelming and unconditional. It was undoubtedly the most complete, significant, and lasting victory of modern times.
        To this day, if you say you would be willing to forbid, restrict, or reduce the use of technological devices in order to protect the community, or to protect the good health of nature on which the community depends, you will be called a Luddite, and it will not be a compliment.

Technological determinism has triumphed."

         In an insane world, the sane will be seen as the ones who have lost their minds. Some would say that Wendel Berry was not thinking straight to consider that using a pencil for writing, and editing on paper with his wife, could not be improved upon by the purchase and use of a computer. And yet, he still resisted.
        "The individual", Friederich Nietzsche said, "has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe." He thought that if you tried it, you would often be lonely, and sometimes frightened. But, he thought, "no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself".
         You could say that Berry was off his rocker for not being an enthusiastic cheerleader for high tech. But you couldn't say that he didn't own himself. We would do well to consider his standards for technological adoption, and seriously question all new innovations before we choose to adopt them in our own lives. Contrary to what the tribe believes, new technologies are not always improvements that benefit humanity.

Visit ann arky's home at https://spiritofrevolt.info