She Won't Survive The Move---

American Sermon

I am uniquely privileged to be alive
or so they say. I have asked others
who are unsure, especially the man with three
kids who’s being foreclosed next month.
One daughter says she isn’t leaving the farm,
they can pry her out with tractor
and chain. Mother needs heart surgery
but there is no insurance. A lifetime of cooking
with pork fat. My friend Sam has made
five hundred bucks in 40 years
of writing poetry. He has applied for 120
grants but so have 50,000 others. Sam keeps
strict track. The fact is he’s not very good.
Back to the girl on the farm. She’s been
keeping records of all the wildflowers
on the never-tilled land down the road,
a 40-acre clearing where they’ve bloomed
since the glaciers. She picks wild strawberries
with a young female bear who eats them. She’s being
taken from the eastern Upper Peninsula down
to Lansing where Dad has a job in a
bottling plant. She won’t survive the move.

Jim Harrison. 

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Cuba, Re-awakening.

      What is happening in Cuba, now that American imperialism has decided not to strangle the island and its people, but to swallow them. We all know that when America softens its stance to any country the price that country pays, is to allow the army of American corporations to stomp all over the country and its people. the question is, how will the people of Cuba respond?

      Anarchism in Cuba, is shaking the dust off itself, and starting a steady re-birth. More power to its elbow. The following is an extract from an article in The Fifth Estate, some Glaswegian comrades may remember Mario, who visited Glasgow recently, and while here, among other things, popped into the Spirit of Revolt exhibition, The Rent Strikes, 100 Years On.

“We Want to Revive Anarchism in Cuba”
       The Cuban movement erased by Castro is coming back & they need our solidarity.

  Isbel, Mario & Jimmy (photo: Gabriel Uchida)

      Changes in the Cuban state’s regulation of private enterprise and in the relationship between Cuba and the U.S. over the last decade are opening up new possibilities and dangers for Cuban society.
      However, the new conditions have also inspired the rebirth of the long-repressed anarchist movement on the island. The Alfredo Lopez Libertarian Workshop (Taller Libertario Alfredo Lopez, TLAL), named for an early 20th century Cuban anarcho-syndicalist, is one of the main groups accomplishing this task.
      In the 1980s, there was a loosening of the state’s control over cultural matters. Cubans became very active in the punk movement, and street graffiti began to appear using the circle-A, understood as a symbol of freedom.
       The collapse of the Soviet Union and the so-called socialist camp at the beginning of the 1990s inspired many to think about a thorough critique of actually existing authoritarian socialism—in Cuba, as elsewhere.
        One clandestine student group active in the 1990s and early 2000s devoted themselves to studying anarchist ideas and incorporating them into their protests and challenges to the official culture. Anarchism was attractive because of its criticism of authoritarian and bureaucratic rule and its simultaneous concern for human freedom, political confrontation, self-organization, and social justice.

Please read and support.
Read the full article HERE: 

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Homelessness.

        Homelessness is an indictment against any civilised society, in a very rich country, where most people struggle to maintain a half decent standard of living and a small army live in extreme opulence, it is a savage brutal crime, an unacceptable injustice. Sadly it  is part and parcel of the capitalist system, and over recent years we have seen the numbers of homeless grow. To sort homelessness, we need to be rid of this inhumane system of capitalist exploitation of the many by the few. Society has to get rid of this greed driven profit based system, and replace it with a society that sees to the needs of all our people, based on mutual aid, co-operation and sustainability.

      In this episode of Circled A Radio, founder of Streets Kitchen Jon Glackin talks about the hardship of the homeless and the impact Government austerity is having on poor people. Streets Kitchen is an independent organisation which gives food, sleeping bags and other essential items to the homeless.

          Listen HERE:

 

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Striking Miners.

       And still on miners, striking Spanish miners show that quality that abounds in the working class, ingenuity.

      This video of striking Spanish coal miners during the 2012  miners strike. when they blocked roads and clashed with police inside a mine in the northern region of Asturias. Thanks arrezafe

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The Barbarity Of The Israeli State.

      What can you add to this video commentary, I can add nothing, except anger, disgust, and a hope that it will motivate more people to rise up against this barbarity, this inhumanity, this genocide, perpetrated by the Israeli state and financed by America, while the rest of the world looks the other way.

Why Top Veteran Journalist Reporter Anchor Jon Snow is Being Pushed From Channel 4 News
Posted by David Birkett on Monday, 7 December 2015

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From Hero To Rogue, The Working Class Journey.

 

          A poem from a previous generation, though written about the miners, it applies equally to all members of of the toiling class in this stinking exploitative system. 

The Miners.

Ye're heroes, aye, ye're heroes,

When workin' doon the mine.

They slap yer back an' praise ye,

Ye're gallant lads an' fine,

Toilin' there among the damp

Where nane o' them wid daur,

Ye're heroes, aye, ye're heroes,

When gettin' coals for war.

They humour ye, an' praise ye,

As ye keep the bunkers fu',

An' the convoys bring the foostuffs

That they ration out to you;

Or the troopships tak' yer brithers

To the battlefields afaur,

Ye're heroes, aye, ye're heroes

When gettin' coals for war.

They'll promise ye high heaven

As the furnace flames ye feed,

In a world that's mad wi' murder,

Truth is sacrificed to greed;

As factories belch their smoke-clouds

An' their profits daily soar,

Ye're heroes, aye, ye're heroes,

When gettin' coals for war.

It was yince a different story----

Das ye mind their hunnish tricks?

They battoned ye in "Twenty-one",

Ye were jailed in "Twenty-six",

Did they aid ye in the "Thirties",

As yer miseries did increase?

Ye were traitors, rogues, an' workshies

In pipin' days o' peace.

They flatter to deceive ye,

Their creed is aye the same;

Watch them when the victory's won,

The'll try the same old game

Forget their rosy promises-----

Remind them if ye daur,

An' see how they treat the heroes

Who produced the coals for war.

James Mitchell.

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Which Side Are You On?

From Rabble:
A poster to download and print. PDF (5MB) here. 

       These are the rich. They carve up the world for their profit. The work we do, the rent we pay, the debts we owe, all go to them.

       These are the cops. They are the guard dogs of the rich, programmed to use violence to protect their masters’ wealth.

       These are the migrants. They are people who were born in places exploited by centuries of colonialism and corporate greed. Who rose up against the puppet dictators of the rich. Who escaped from tyrants and bombs. Who are harassed by cops wherever they go. Who are fighting for the freedom to move.

So, whose side are you on?

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The Education Production Factory.

         Modern state education is in fact not education, it is programming children to fit into a capitalist system as a productive unit, the human aspect of the individual is secondary, if considered at all. It is also the state's way of conditioning children to accept authority, an necessary attribute for the survival of the state. Teachers in the modern state education system are the state's soft police. If they fail to shape the child into a subservient subject, then the hard police and the judiciary system will take over and continue the conditioning. The state's final policing authority is of course the military. 

        As children we are taught a false history, a value structure that puts wealth possession above well being, our future success will be measured by how much we can earn, not by what we can contribute, the progress of success is seen as a ladder, you have to climb above others, you have to climb higher. Grades, diplomas, degrees, all badges in the drive to get up that ladder, competition rather than co-operation. I know we can do better than this for our children.
From More Thought:

Wild Children - Domesticated Dreams:  

An Interview with Layla AbdelRahim

       “Schools teach children the principles of death and of suffering. They do not teach them the principles of life, which is diversity, which is being out there in the world. They teach them within closed systems, within closed buildings and walls, separated from the rest of the world. They teach them that violence is legitimate when it is applied from the top to the bottom and that it is illegitimate when it is practised in resistance or defence of diversity and life. They teach children that humanity is alien to this world, that success means pleasing those in authority who will own the products of our flesh, of our effort, of our work, of our love.” - Layla AbdelRahim 

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The Avoidable Refugee "Crisis".

 

      Our babbling brook of bullshit, the mainstream media, has grown tired of the suffering of the refugees fleeing the imperialist created hell in the Middle East, and has moved on to other images, like royalty visiting hospitals, and celebrity squabbles. However, the tragedy, the suffering and the shattered families continues on a scale not seen since the second world war. Thousands risk their lives crossing the Mediterranean, only to find they are herded like cattle and forced to exist under the most adverse conditions. In fact in this capitalist society, cattle are seen as a valuable commodity and are sheltered, fed and watered, for further use, humans however, are expendable. 

   This crisis hasn't gone away because the babbling brook of bullshit has stopped reporting it, the sick, the elderly, the children are still suffering on a massive scale, here, in Europe, one of the richest areas on Earth. We have the wealth, resources and ability to sort this avoidable disaster, but this greed driven system will not allow us.  We cease to be human if we treat humans with inhumanity.

      Eye witness report & film from the Front-line of the refugee crisis in Lesvos.
     Awareness and fund raising film screening and Q&A with film maker Guy Smallman who is just back from Lesvos, and visiting Scotland for two days only. Donations will be going to support refugees in Greece.
Edinburgh:
Tuesday, December 15 at 5:30pm
Hunter Lecture Theatre, Edinburgh College of Art, 74 Lauriston Place,
EG3 9DF
Glasgow:
Wednesday, December 16 at 7:00pm
Boyd Orr room 513 (Lecture Theatre D), University of Glasgow
https://glasgowanarchists.wordpress.com/2015/12/02/stateless-in-lesvos-screening-and-qa-with-film-maker/

      We are very lucky to be able to screen this short (25min) documentary shot this November on one of the islands considered the front-line of the refugee crisis. Focusing on the solidarity of ordinary people in the face of government-led racism and incompetence, this film will show how the working class in Greece are defying the state and showing their solidarity with refugees.
      The director, Guy Smallman of Reelnews, will be travelling to Scotland fresh from the press film screening and will be on hand to give a Q&A on his first-hand experiences. You can check out his travel-blog for the project here:http://reelnews.co.uk/the-lesvos-blog/
      This event is free to attend. There will be an opportunity to give a financial donations to send to Lesvos, but it is just as important to come along and raise awareness.
     Glasgow event co-hosted by Glasgow AFed and Glasgow Uni Anarchist Soc. https://www.facebook.com/events/194379107567573/
      Edinburgh co-hosted by counterinfo lab and the Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh https://www.facebook.com/events/106327519737862/

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Capital, The Enemy Of Workers Rights.

      To any sane person it absolutely ridiculous that being a workers rights activist should be dangerous, yet the nature of the beast that has wrapped itself around the world, makes such activities extremely dangerous. You are seen as an enemy of capital, and that in the eyes of our lords and masters, is an evil philosophy.

An appeal from IUF:

      Labour rights activists are being held in criminal detention following a wide-scale police crackdown in the southeastern Chinese province of Guangdong December 3-5. Police targeted independent worker rights centers and arrested, questioned and detained staff and volunteers against a background of factory closures and rising worker protests and strikes. Seven of the more than two dozen arrested activists are either in detention or cannot be contacted. Confirmed as being in detention and denied access to lawyers for reasons of 'national security' are Panyu Workers' Centre director Zeng Feiyang and staff member Zhu Xiaomei; Foshan Nanfeiyan Social Work Services Organization director He Xiaobo; and Deng Xiaoming.
        The IUF-affiliated Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (HKCTU) and Globalization Monitor have initiated an online petition to the Chinese government, calling for the immediate release of all detained activists and an end to the repression of labour rights organizations. CLICK HERE to add your name or that of your organization to the petition - links to translation in various languages are at the top of the page, scroll down for the English text.

 

 December 10 - International Human Rights Day - HKCTU and labour support groups rally for the release of detained labour activists on the Mainland.

This story is posted on the IUF website here

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The Corruption And Greed That Crushes The Empire.

        It is always nice when one of their own turns round and starts to speak the truth, someone who has been with them for a long time and knows how they work and why. Of course most informed people must know the truth about the great American empire, those who don't are those being spoon fed by the media and accepting it as nourishment. However, it is still refreshing to hear it from that source. 

This video was published on Dec 11, 2015.

       Abby Martin interviews retired U.S. Army Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, former national security advisor to the Reagan administration, who spent years as an assistant to Secretary of State Colin Powell during both Bush administrations. Today, he is honest about the unfixable corruption inside the establishment and the corporate interests driving foreign policy.

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Towards An Anti-capitalist Politics.

       Sometimes you read an article that draws together some of your thoughts in to a clearer understanding, it says some things better than you could yourself. Though I don't embrace every word in this particle article, I certainly think it is well worth reading in full.

    Three excerpts from Jerome Roos's article, Towards an Anti-capitalist Politics, in ROAR MAG:

     Faced with the overwhelming power of capital and the escalating violence of the state, stuck between the institutional inertia of the old left and the ephemeral spontaneity of the new, the opposition remains impotent and confused. Evidently, it is not the “historical inevitability” of the capitalist law of value, but the left’s own lack of internal coherence and the conspicuous absence of visionary post-capitalist perspectives that keeps it stuck in an endlessly repeating present.

    As the future collapses in on itself and the left’s revolutionary aspirations wither on the vine, it is the weakness of our clenched fist and the paucity of our collective imagination, far more than the “natural laws” of their invisible hand, that now makes the end of the world appear more likely than the end of capitalism. It has become painfully clear that, if the left is to truly to chart a way out of capitalist barbarity, it will have to first reinvent itself.

Let the dead bury their dead

    What could such a “reinvented left” look like? Clearly, it will not come falling out of the sky, nor can it be conceived on paper by the high priests of radical theory. Rather, its political imaginary, organizational forms and strategic orientations will all have to be constructed through collective processes of political agitation and firmly rooted in the structural contradictions and periodic crises of contemporary capitalism; in the material conditions and lived experience of ordinary working people, oppressed minorities and marginalized communities; and in the concrete materiality and revolutionary potential of actually existing struggles.

A little further on, on the rise of Corbynism:

      Democratic socialism, by contrast, appears to have been staging a cautious comeback in recent years, especially in its various left-populist forms. Buoyed by the collapse of social democracy and the constituent impulse of recent mobilizations against neoliberalism and austerity, a raft of leftist forces has been on the rise on both sides of the Atlantic—ranging from the progressive governments of the Latin American Pink Tide to the radical left parties in Greece and Spain, on to the self-declared “socialist” candidacies of Bernie Sanders in the United States and Jeremy Corbyn in the United Kingdom.

    But while the emergence of electoral alternatives to neoliberal cynicism certainly marks an advance compared to the shallow theatrics of electoral politics prior to the crisis, the defeat (and subsequent cooptation) of the radical left in Greece and the gradual receding of the Pink Tide in Latin America clearly reveal the limits of the once-vaunted model of “21st century socialism”, whose dependence on global capital and international financial institutions remains woefully undiminished.

Closing with a wee look to the future:

        Yet it often seems that the future remains trapped between the internecine squabbles of two seemingly irreconcilable “lefts”: an old one centered narrowly on taking power, and a new one still struggling to come to terms with its own potential. Beyond the haughty impotence of the former and the apparent perplexity of the latter, the theory and practice of building power offers fertile and expanding political ground for a new anti-capitalist politics. We must now explode the tensions between them into a common project that can begin to give a concrete and democratic organizational form to the restive constituent potential that is craving to assert itself from below.

       As we gather force and move along the process of construction, we will gradually notice the horizons of possibility expanding: the higher we rise, the farther we see; until, one day, all that meets the eye is the glorious sight of rebel cities everywhere rising up against the common enemy, humanity resolving at last to “throw its revolutionary broadsword into the scales.” Until then, you will find us in the streets: preparing the ground, laying the foundations—building power.

      Rather than exploding the tensions between the "old left" and the "new left", I believe the "old left" has to abandon its tried and failed ideology, and throw its lot in with the anti-parliamentarian  left of the streets, there's where success for the people starts and eventually culminates in success.  

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Repression, The State's Only Tool.

 

        The state's attack on anarchist in Spain continues, the only change is the fancy names they give each phase of the same repression. Recently in Spain they had operation "Pandora", now the have moved on to operation "Ice". Giving fancy  names to the same attack on the freedom of the people, just allows them to increase what they are already doing, trying to suppress all dissent, stifle all resistance to the power of the state. Of course it always flies under the false flag of protecting your freedom. We all know, or should know, that Spain is not unique in this crushing of desire for change from the people. It is the way that the state functions, by those in its upper echelons, the state is seen as an omnipotent deity, all powerful, and must be obeyed.

This from Act For Freedom Now:

     Spanish police decided to name their latest repressive blow against the anarchist milieu as ‘Operation Ice’. 5 comrades of the Straight Edge collective in Madrid were arrested on 4 thNovember 2015 on charges of organized crime with intents of terrorism, damages and defence of terrorism.
      Police accused them of having placed 4 homemade incendiary devices against several branches of La Caixa y Bankia bank in Madrid, of causing damages to another bank and a commercial hub in Barcelona, all actions that had been claimed with graffiti left on the spots.
     Police raids carried out mainly in Madrid allegedly uncovered materials destined to the fabrication of explosive devices and gunpowder. After being held in the police station, the 5 comrades were taken to the central tribunal number 3 of the Audiencia Nacional, where prison custody was confirmed for Juan Manuel Bustamante Vergara and Borja Marquerie Echave, whereas the others were released after about 20,000-euro bail was paid.
      The media of the regime reported that Juan and Borja were the alleged ‘leaders’ and that one of them was of Chilean origin, thus contributing to the thesis that also supports previous repressive waves.
       On their part, Straight Edge – Madrid publicly announced they were breaking up their collective with a short communiqué, which only played the game of repression, amplified State terrorism and indirectly denied any relation with those arrested thus allowing the Spanish State’s recent police policy to generate isolation and control. All our disgust goes to those who deny their relations, stances and history …

All our solidarity goes to the proud ones who won’t repent.
Solidarity with Juan and Borja!

Juan Manuel Bustamante Vergara was transferred to another
jail on 17th November. This is his address:

Juan Manuel Bustamante Vergara
Centro Penienciario Madrid IV, Navalcarnero.
Ctra. N-V, km. 27.7,
28600 Navalcarnero
Madrid
Spain

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An Ideology Of Pain.

 

       Jingle bells, jingle bells, have yourself a very merry Christmas, 'tis the season of good will, but what if your one of the nations disabled. The chances are you will be struggling, distraught, and looking at an empty table. This system which at present is being managed by a millionaire cabal from the Oxbridge sausage factory, who don't give a shit about people, is all about accountancy. Shifting wealth from the poorest and most vulnerable to the richest and most powerful. Today, the team of “Right Honourable Gentlemen” wielding the levers of power in the Westminster Houses of Hypocrisy and Corruption, are probably the most callous, vicious, self-centred and dangerous ever to stick their snouts in the political feeding trough. They will slash the living standards of all, including the poor, sick, elderly and disabled, with a gay abandon, and flourish of smug self-righteousness, portraying it as necessary reforms to balance the budget. While in the next breath, deciding to blast the Syrian people with destructive missiles at whopping £800,000 an bang. 

      Across the country people are bleeding from the claws of poverty, none more so than the disabled, all inflicted to help big business, all carried out to a strict ideology. In capitalist economics there is no place for compassion in the calculations.

This from The Herald: 

       Tibbitt, a single mother who has no other support from family or friends, applied for disability living allowance (DLA) on behalf of her son after she gave up working in an office in order to care for Jordan.

      She was awarded the benefit for one year, along with a carer’s allowance, but when her son recently turned 16 she was told she would have to apply for a new form of benefit for him, known as Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

       However, when Jordan feel ill she failed to complete the form in time for the DWP’s deadline due to the gravity of her son's illness. He had to be admitted to hospital for nearly a week and has been in and out for various appointments, including a bronchoscopy under general anaesthetic to examine his airways. He has also been diagnosed with an inflammation in his hip bone, which the doctors believe could be linked to the strong steroids he has to take, and has been given crutches to help him walk.

       Tibbitt received a letter from the DWP in late November saying her son's application for PIP had been rejected because the form had not been sent back in time. On same day she phoned the DWP to advise them of the circumstances why, sent the application form by recorded delivery and was told a decision would then be given in 10 days.

       But just days ago, letters arrived from the DWP advising the DLA and her carer’s allowance had been stopped. Tibbitt said she has been told there is no record of her previous conversation with the DWP and it will take up to nine weeks to consider the PIP application - leaving her all but destitute well into the New Year.

Read the full article HERE:

       I have no doubt this case is not unique, not the worst, but is replicated in varying degrees across the country. What makes this even more nauseating, is that it is inflicted by those with unimaginable wealth, those who don't know what it is to worry about a bill, to cut down on food to care for your child. Why do we tolerate this humiliating indignity from those who are lesser beings than ourselves. Why do we stand by and watch our sick, elderly and disabled being treated in such an inhuman manner, when we can well afford to see to everybody's needs? We create all the wealth on this planet, isn't it about time we decided how we will distribute that wealth? 

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The Tar Sands Killer.

       Tar sands, probably among the dirtiest and environmentally damaging fuels man produces. It is not pumped out of a hole in the ground, you have to remove all the topsoil and vegetation growth, and in so doing destroy all the wildlife in the area. What you leave behind is a wasteland, a barren desert, in the case of Alberta tar sands, the largest in the world, the effect on wildlife is devastating.
       Not a new video, but still very relevant today.

This from Wikipedia:

        In Northern Alberta, oil development activities bring an enormous number of people into a fragile ecosystem. Historically, population figures have been very low for this region. Water is easily polluted because the water table reaches the surface in most areas of muskeg. With the ever-increasing development and extraction of resources, wildlife are recipient to both direct and indirect effects of pollution. Woodland Caribou are particularly sensitive to human activities, and as such are pushed away from their preferred habitat during the time of year when their caloric needs are greatest and food is the most scarce. Humans' effect on the Caribou is compounded by road construction and habitat fragmentation that open the area up to deer and wolves.^[118]

      Wildlife living near the Athabasca River have been greatly impacted due to pollutants entering the water system. An unknown number of birds die each year. Particularly visible and hard hit are migrating birds that stop to rest at tailing ponds. There have been numerous reports of large flocks of ducks landing in tailing ponds and perishing soon after.^[119] Data has been recorded since the 1970s on the number of birds found on tailing ponds.^[120]

        There has also been a large impact on the fish that live and spawn in the area. As toxins accumulate in the river due to the oil sands, bizarre mutations, tumors, and deformed fish species have begun to appear. A study commissioned by the region's health authority found that several known toxins and carcinogens were elevated.^[121] Aboriginal communities that live around the river are becoming increasingly worried about how the animals they eat and their drinking water are being affected.^[122]

        While there has been no link yet made between the oil sands and health issues, Matt Price of Environmental Defense says the connection makes common sense. Deformities in fish and high concentrations of toxic substances in animals have also been identified.^[123]

       This not being done because there is a shortage of oil, there is actually a glut of oil on the market. It is simply done to make money for already rich corporations. However, there are people who are prepared to make a stand and do what they can to impede this filthy destruction of the natural environment by rich greedy corporations.

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