Comrades.

   

          The photo below is of the Glasgow Anarchist Group from 1915. The photo is known to lots of anarchists but we are all stumped as to who they all are. We have some info but haven’t had it properly verified and would dearly love to know who these people were. Though it is dated the 1st January there is not a glass on the table, all cups, saucers and cakes, love and cakes, the essential of any anarchist society. Does that tell us something about the group?

 

 The info we have at the moment is;

1. Molly Loyd, she married the guy to her left No 2.

2. Charles McPherson, lived in Harmony Row, Govan, worked in Fairfield Shipyard.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7. Willie MacDougal, we know a good bit about him, see; HERE. 

      As for the rest we would love to receive any info on any of them, no matter how small the detail it could help to lead us to further info. Any further info on Molly and/or Charles would also be very gratefully received.

Send any info to info@spiritofrevolt.info 

Visit ann arky at https://spiritofrevolt.info    

Anarchist Vision.

 

         A bit late with this, but it is still August. Spirit of Revolt for your August Read of the Month brings you a publication from our Charlie Baird Collection, Of Man and Revolution: An Anarchist Vision. Michael Tobin T SOR 6-7-21. Well worth a read, and while on our site why not browse through what is probably Scotland's largest collection of Anarchist and Libertarian Socialist history and memorabilia. Lots of personal photos, letters, documents, pamphlets, posters, and much more, lots of it on line for you to read for free. 

https://spiritofrevolt.info T SOR 6-7-21 Of Man and Revolution: An Anarchist Vision. Michael Tobin 

READ ON LINE:

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Freedom.

 

         In conjunction with Call for International Week of Solidarity with Anarchist Prisoners 2023 // 23 – 30 August.

From Bloomington Anarchist Black Cross

[PDF for printing]

         Fire Ant is a quarterly publication focused on spreading the words of anarchist prisoners and generating material solidarity for our imprisoned friends. Begun as a collaboration between anarchist prisoners and anarchists in Maine, Fire Ant seeks to raise material aid for anarchist prisoners while fostering communication between anarchists on both sides of the walls.

        Issue #16 features art, poetry, letters, and essays by Sean Swain, Marius Mason, Michael Kimble, and Eric King; and an update on Thomas Meyer-Falk.

Visit ann arky at https://spiritofrevolt.info  

It's a Con.

 

Image courtesy of the Guardian.

 

           While our planet goes through a man made catastrophe of monumental proportions that risks the demise of most of the species on the planet, including our own, our political ballerinas pump out a mixture of bullshit and garbage. We are told it is our life style, that of you and I, the ordinary people have to change. We are offered advice on how to safe the planet, from taking shorter showers, shallower baths and only boiling the water we need in the kettle. This might be good advice in saving on energy bills as we all live in or on the edge of poverty, brought about by the economic system that is destroying the planet. However this advice will not save the planet nor make much of an impact. The only way to save the planet from this threatening doom, is go after the ones with the biggest carbon footprints. Instead of taking a short time in the shower, how about demanding that those in the billionaire/millionaire parasite class get rid of their co2 pumping massive luxury yachts, their gas guzzling limousines and private jets, and their several luxury mansions dotted around the planet. The carbon footprint of one of these greedy thoughtless parasites is probably equal to a small village and all its inhabitants.

Image courtesy of News Junkie Post.

 

       Then of course their is the one that must not be mentioned, the largest carbon 

footprint on the planet, wars and the military industrial complex. States will take no measure to ban wars but will ban non electric cars and replace them with electric vehicles which still produce all the co2 in the production of the internal combustion car, plus their insatiable requirements of lithium for their enormous batteries. Of course lithium comes with a massive carbon footprint in its mining and refining and shipping around the planet and massive distribution centres. The disaster of climate change we are all facing will not be solved by you and I changing a few things in our lifestyle. It will take root and branch destruction of the present economic system which is based on perpetual growth for profit for the few and poverty for the many. A system that allows a select few to amass unimaginable wealth at the expense of the planet and our civilisation, and who stand unaccountable. What sane mind would accept this unnecessary mad suicide dash because of a greedy thoughtless few. 

 

Image courtesy of South China Morning Post.

 

Visit ann arky at https://spiritofrevolt.info     

Niger.

 

                                                      Image courtesy of BBC.

           Our imperial masters don't like the goodies they pillaged from the lands they stole in their imperialist wars to go anywhere except to their benefit. France is in a tizzy because the people of Niger decided that they no longer want the rich resources of their land to be plundered and pillaged to the benefit of imperialist France and the West. France and other Western countries are quite prepare to shed the blood of other nations to protect their golden goose. Hence they are encouraging, probably exerting some pressure on, the coterie of their puppet governments in that part of Africa, the (ECOWAS) Economic Community of West African States, to marshal up their forces and invade Niger, no doubt with a bit of help from the West. What is at stake is not the well being of the people of Niger not the defence of democracy, but the rich source of uranium, oil and gold. Niger is very rich country in resources, and all those riches go to feed the western corporations while making sure the resident population of Niger live in poverty. However, it is not all going to the imperialist's plan, on Wednesday 16th August (AU) the African Union stated that it will not support military intervention in Niger to return the ousted President. No doubt the imperialist nations of France and U$A will continue to push for war. For them it is a no loss situation, the citizens of Africa will supply the blood, death and destruction, the West will supply the arms, booty for the Western Military Industrial Complex. Shades of Ukraine. 

Image courtesy of AP NEWS.

 

Visit ann arky at https://spiritofrevolt.info  

Gaza.

 

            Being locked up in one of the states institutions of repression, prisons, you have enough problems of your own, but somehow some find the time and the compassion to think of other people's problems. Another poem from the prisoners in Kilmarnock Prison.

Image courtesy of The Sun.

SONNET TO GAZA.

Shalom? This is not the time for clandestine poets
To hurl shoes over Jerricho's fortified walls.
Stay calm. The stench of exploding verse
Will not deter the invading tanks of Saul.

You bragged that the lost tribe of Israel
Would not be dragged through the eye of a needle.
There would be corrective fury. An iron heel.
An eye for an eyelash. A fire that is truly biblical.

So you came in numbers. The Genesis of hate.
Judges & Kings till the job was complete.
Holy revenge against David's puny catapult
Daniel dismembered by the lion's savage maul.


When you heard the words "suffer little children"
Did you think it was one of the Ten Commandments?

KEVIN WILLIAMSON. 

From the book Independent Minds, New poetry from HMP Kilmarnock. Published by Luath Press Ltd.

ISBN 978-1-910021-00-2 

 Visit ann arky at https://spiritofrevolt.info   

The Lie.

 

                                                 Image courtesy of The Guardian.

           It's amazing how the propaganda machine for the state manages to convince most people in the UK that we live in an advanced democratic country, ahead of most other developed countries. Of course the intelligent and informed section of the population are aware that this is a load of bullshit. There is the lie that migrants flood here because of our wonderful social services and generous benefit schemes. When in fact or social services is in terminal decline, our retirement age is the oldest in the developed world, many people dying long before they reach the retirement age, and our pensions are the lowest in the developed world. Another aspect of of our so called democratic country is the number of people we lock up in prisons. Recently an Irish judge refused to allow the extradition of a prisoner to Scotland, stating that he could not guarantee the prisoner would be treated humanely, slating our prison system. In Scotland the number of the population held in our dilapidated and cruel prison system is 136 per 100,000 of the population, in England it is 132 per 100,000, where as the European average is 117 per 100,000 of the population. Another factor that tells us of the cruelty of our prison system is the suicide rates. In Scotland the suicide rate per 10,000 prisoners is 16, England and Wales it's 11, the European average is 9. Time and time again our prison system has been condemned as cruel, inhumane and over crowded. The state is not likely to spend money on doing anything about these inhumane statistics, as they see it as a means of helping to produce a submissive population, which they deem necessary for control. While prison walls stand democracy will die.

Image courtesy of The Times.

 

Visit ann arky at https://spiritofrevolt.info 

Avoidable.

 

 

Image courtesy of Live Science.

 

          I wrote the following article away back in March 2007, but I think is more relevant today that ever before. We are at present witnessing the disastrous result of climate change and at an ever increasing rate. To persist with the present insane self centre greed driven economic system is to be blind to the obvious disaster that we all face.

Image courtesy of Conversation.

You Must be Red to be Green

           Green issues are frequently spouted on TV, radio,and the press with lots of business hot shots and pompous politicians commenting on this solution and that solution, of course never mentioning,that it is the corporate greed machine and its ever increasing quest for profit that is the prime cause of our environmental problems. However the truth is, not until there is sustained and successful challenge to the short term interests of this planet-trashing corporate greed machine and its replacement by a sane and sustainable system of seeing to needs rather than greed, will any of the suggested solutions make an impact.
         The economic structures of society have to be changed before environmental issues can be seriously dealt with and resolved. As long as the primary economic structure is the greed driven corporate profit motive, blessed and implemented by the usual corrupt state power, any attempt at resolving environmental problems will be ineffective. The present economic system is plundering and raping the planet for profit and is taking us and our descendants down a road to environmental disaster. To ask the corporate world to be more caring and compassionate and think of the long term interests of us all, is rather naive to say the least. they have to compete with each other or die and will always work to maximise their profits come what may, or their shareholders will leave in droves.
         The corporate world is just one big greedy machine, avaricious and insatiable, within the corporate greed machine is a ruling class that puts its interests before the interests of society as a whole. It is obvious that this is in direct conflict and contrary to the long-term planet wide solutions required to reverse global warming. This short term self-interest of the corporate greed machine must not be allowed to override the interests of the world's population. We cannot allow the short term interests of the pampered privileged parasite shareholders to govern our world, all our futures are at stake. Only when we have eradicated this short-term self interest of the corporate greed machine, abandoned parasitical shareholders to the dustbin of history, can we hope to reverse the environmental disaster we are facing. The future of our children and grandchildren depend on us carrying out this necessary restructuring of society. The more you examine today's environmental problems the more it becomes obvious, that to be Green, you have to be Red.

 

Visit ann arky at https://spiritofrevolt.info    

Blood Money.

 

      

                                                   Image courtesy of UN News

          Ukraine, its been a good war, champagne corks are popping as rapidly as the artillery fire in that blood bath that is Ukraine. Western weapons manufacturers have been reeling in the big bucks since the start of this human catastrophe. Apparently these pimps of war, the Western weapons manufacturers, have seen their total revenues for the previous year, reach a staggering $400 billion, lots of shareholders bonuses and lots of new exploitation investments. What's more, they expect that figure to rise in the coming year by approximately a further $50 billion. So you see for capitalists, war is good for business, so why try and stop the slaughter. That $400 billion is paid for in the deaths of of thousands, the maiming and injuring of thousands more ordinary innocent people.

image courtesy of Reddit.

        Why in the name of the wee man in the sky would Western capitalists do anything that might bring about peace? The big banks and construction companies are also calculating how much they will earn in the rebuilding of the torn battered piece of land know as Ukraine. The insanity, make billions destroying a country, then make billions in its rebuilding.
       This is the economic system that shackles us to insanity and endless wars, a system that spawns poverty and destitution for the many, while the few live in opulence and obscene excesses, all at our expense.

Image courtesy of twitter.

       To harbour any illusion that we live in a democracy is political blindness. Governments are all now in the thrall of the world's financial Moguls and follow the dictate of the world's big corporations, we live in what Mussolini called corporatism. Until we recognise this fact and bring this insanity to an end by overthrowing and destroying forever, this insane man made economic disaster,  we will continue with endless wars, poverty, inequality and injustice, and sadly hand this legacy to our children and grandchildren. 

Visit ann arky at https://spiritofrevolt.info  

The State.

  

                                                 Image courtesy of Socialist Party

       While assistant Fuhrer, Braverman, keeps drawing fascist legislation out of her rabbit hole at an ever increasing rate, much to the applause of her stormtroopers in Parliament, she is not lone. Across the globe states are moving further and further to the right in an attempt to keep control of an every increasingly angry population.

Image courtesy of The Telegraph.

      The capitalist system has succeeded in it is aim of syphoning the world's wealth and resources into the hands of a few billionaires and multi-national corporations. However the public are becoming ever more alienated from their grand plan and unrest is rising. It becomes ever more obvious that poverty and destitution are not inevitable results of some immutable law of nature, but the results of a human designed economic system. Wars are not the natural state of humanity, they are engineered by those same billionaires and corporations to further their aims of world domination. All this requires a submissive population, and that is becoming ever more difficult, unrest is on the rise, and rightly so. Hence the ever increasing repressive laws and and punishment for those who dare to dissent and challenge this insane economic system based on greed of the few. There can be no freedom or justice if inequality is the norm, there is a better world we all have it in our minds and hearts, all we need is the will to create that better world for all. Resistance to state repression is now an necessity, if freedom and justice is our desire.

Image courtesy of Colombo Telegraph.

The following from Act For Freedom Now.

      

  Carrara, Italy : REPRESSIVE OPERATION AGAINST THE ANARCHIST PAPER BEZMOTIVNY

Testo (1)
         At dawn today, 8th August, the State, through the public prosecution of Genoa (in the figure of prosecutor Federico Manotti) and the DIGOS of La Spezia, carried out yet another repressive operation against the anarchist movement. Their aim is to silence any revolutionary desire and aspiration – as already happened with “anatianarchist laws” over a hundred years ago.
         Ten anarchists have been accused in this investigation including five comrades of Carrara for whom the prosecutor had requested imprisonment, which the judge for preliminary investigations Riccardo Ghio changed to four house arrests with full restrictions, followed by five forced residences with curfew, and one comrade with no restrictions. One of the four comrades under house arrest was ordered to be taken to prison as he did not have a certificate of residence: so Luigi has been transferred to the prison of La Spezia.
         As well as the house searches the historic anarchist place in Carrara, Anarchist Cultural Circle “Gogliardo Fiaschi”, was also searched. Magazines, books, leaflets, posters and digital material were confiscated.
        The comrades have been accused of subversive association with aims of terrorism (art. 270 bis of the penal code) and incitement to commit criminal acts (art. 424 c.p.) aggravated with aims of terrorism in relation to the publication, starting from 2020, of the internationalist anarchist fortnightly “Bezmotivny”, as well as offence to the honour and prestige of the president of the rebublic and illegal printing.
         Updates to follow concerning initiatives that will be carried out in solidarity with the comrades.
         Revolutionary solidarity with the arrested comrades and those submitted to restrictive measures!

No gods, no State, no servants, no bosses!

Anarchist Cultural Circle “Gogliardo Fiaschi” Carrara, 8th August 2023

The address for writing to Luigi:

Luigi Palli
Casa circondariale di La Spezia
Piazza G. Falcone e P. Borsellino n. 1
CAP 19125
La Spezia (SP)
Italy

via: ilrovescio.info
Translated by Act for freedom now!

Visit ann arky at https://spiritofrevolt.info     

Iraq.

 

 

Image courtesy of Radio Free Europe.

 

        If your are able to get down to the Nottingham area around the end of September then this would be the place to visit. The Iraq war was probably the most brutal act of subterfuge and downright lying by any state in history. The callous description of "Shock and Awe" translated into the savage destruction of a country and the killing of hundreds of thousands plus the displacement of millions of innocent people. We must never let this brutal crime be lost in history, it must be continually brought to the public to make them aware of what our lords and masters are capable of in their quest for power, privilege and wealth.

Image courtesy of The Independent

From the Sparrows Nest

 

          Although our initial dates in July could not go ahead, the power cutting gremlins could not stop us for long - the photo exhibition re local opposition to the 2003 Iraq Invasion is back on!

          Regime Change Begins at Home - Nottingham Opposition to the 2003 Invasion of Iraq

https://peopleshistreh.wordpress.com/2023/08/01/rescheduled-regime-change-begins-at-home-nottingham-opposition-to-the-2003-invasion-of-iraq-21-24-sep-2023/

An exhibition of photographs and local campaign materials at Broadway Cinema.

21st to 24th September 2023 – Free Event.

             This exhibition marks the twentieth anniversary of the disastrous invasion of Iraq and looks back at the movement which opposed it. The anniversary seems to have passed with surprisingly little mainstream comment – something we want to go some way to addressing. We will display images of protests in Nottingham taken by local photographer Alan Lodge (aka Tash), contextualised with leaflets, newsletters and other materials, mostly from the collections of the Sparrows’ Nest Library and Archive.

Exhibition Opening Times

Thu 21st Sep 7pm-9pm

        Opening event with Alan Simpson, ex Labour MP who opposed the war.

Fri 22nd Sep Midday to 5pm

Sat 23rd Sep Midday to 7pm

           All day: deposit documents and record your stories. Donate relevant materials for posterity and share your memories of the campaign when you drop in to see the exhibition.

Sun 24th Sep Midday to 7pm

       All day: deposit documents and record your stories.

         2pm: Guided history walk Agitating the Lawless Rabble, starting at the Left Lion (Council House), ending at the back of Broadway Cinema.

Featuring Photographs by Alan Lodge (aka Tash)

https://alanlodge.co.uk

 

Visit ann arky at https://spiritofrevolt.info   

Niger.

 

     
      
They keep French electricity supply flowing.

Image courtesy of Dunia.

          Western media is pumping out the usual imperialist crap about the coup in Niger. All about restoring stability, and talking up military intervention to return democracy to the people. What was in place before the coup, was a stooge of the West who allowed the French state to continue plundering Niger of its natural resources. Niger is a very rich country with a poverty induced population. Among Niger's natural resources are Gold, Silicon, oil an estimated two billion barrels, then let's not forget Uranium.
         Niger supplies the EU with 24% of its uranium requirements, necessary for its electricity and nuclear weapons. It supplies 5% of the world's uranium production, this is something that Western imperialism has no desire to lose. So you can understand why the West is in such a tizzy about what is portrayed as a poor country. The country is rich but its population is poor. Despite the fact that Niger is possibly responsible for a large slice of French electricity supplies, in Niger itself, out of a population of 27 million only a fraction of those have access to electricity, approximately 18.6% according to World Bank data. The country is and has been plundered and pillaged by Western imperialism, mainly French. for centuries France has got very rich on the backs of the people of Niger. French imperialism, backed up by other Western imperialists and their puppet governments in Niger's neighbourhood will fight tooth and nail to keep that privileged position at the expense of the people of Niger. No matter if it has to spill the blood of the people it is proclaiming to protect.

They are helping make Western nuclear weapons.

                                              Image courtesy of African Volunteer.

         Western imperialism and other world domination groupings have to be destroyed, they live and grow rich and powerful on the poverty of millions of innocent people. Their final demise and the end of the capitalist insane economics is the only road to freedom and justice for all, and that better world that sees to the needs of all our people. How do we do it, I.m sure we have the imagination, the numbers and the power, all we need is the will of the people. To get their all I can offer is the words of Guy Debord.

       

"First of all, we think the world must be changed. We want the most liberating change of the society and life in which we find ourselves confined. We know that such a change is possible through appropriate actions. Our specific concern is the use of certain means of action and the discovery of new ones." (Guy Debord, 1957)

Visit ann arky at https://spiritofrevolt.info