The powers that be say that peace and democracy have reigned in Europe since the end of the second world war, well this is how it looks.
Shared from arrezafe
Tuesday 12 November 2013
How European Democracy Looks.
Shared from arrezafe
International Anti-War Conference, London.
Speakers
Diane Abbott MP, Tariq Ali author, Tony Benn president Stop the War,
Jeremy Corbyn MP, Lindsey German convenor Stop the War, Edward Horgan
Peace and Neutrality Alliance, Ireland, Kate Hudson General Secretary
CND, Joan Humphreys Military Families Against the War, Owen Jones
author, Mother Agnes Mariam nun based in Syria, Seumas Milne
journalist, Manik Mukherjee All India Anti-imperialist Forum, Andrew
Murray Unite the Union, Explo Nani-Kofi Kilombo, Ghana, Chris Nineham
vice-chair Stop the War, Mitra Qayoom Afghans for Peace, Sami
Ramadani Iraqi writer, John Rees author and activist, Rachel Shabi
author and journalist, Jeremy Scahill filmmaker, Dirty Wars, Jonathan
Steele author and journalist
Sessions
Imperialism, war and resistance, A very short history of British
imperialism, Merchants of death: drones and the arms trade, The new
scramble for Africa, Taking liberties: surveillance, the state and
Islamophobia, The Syrian war in context, Nato: expansion and war,
Building the international movement
Background
In a historic setback for the organisers of the War on Terror,
protest and public opinion helped stop a new war on Syria. But the
West continues its interventions, creating failed states in an arc
from Central Asia to West Africa.
The US is still focused on the middle east, but Obama is sending more
military to encircle China and the West is ramping up its
interventions in the African continent, creating ever more anger and
instability.
Next year the NATO conference is coming to Britain and the conference
will launch protests in response. It will also discuss the planned
withdrawal from Afghanistan which is likely to cause another crisis
for the western powers.
We need more effective anti war resistance internationally. This
conference is a chance to analyse, build links and lay plans.
Time and date, venue and cost
Register
Share the event
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Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk
You're A Virgin, You Have A Right To Education!!!!
Is there no limit to the depths to which this homophobic world will sink?
This from watchdog.net:
A city on Indonesia's Sumatra Island is about to force female students to pass a virginity test before they can go to high school. Whether or not girls are virgins has nothing to do with their right to a good education. No male students are forced to undergo this humiliating exercise, one which shames sexually active teens and may expose rape victims to further abuse.If we don't speak out, this policy will spread in Indonesia and surrounding countries. But Indonesian authorities aren't expecting international scrutiny, which means it's the perfect time to call on Education chief Muhammad Rasyid to stop this anti-woman campaign.PETITION TO MUHAMMAD RASYID: We urge you to protect the women and girls of Sumatra and end plans to force female students to take "virginity tests" before entering high school.P.S. If the other links aren't working for you, please go here to sign: http://act.watchdog.net/petitions/3799?n=43528499.ofty-7
It's A Global Rip-off Sytstem.
Every Thursday in Madrid, protesters,
among them many pensioners, turn up to demonstrate outside the main
banks such as Bankia. When Spain's property bubble burst in 2008, the
banks attempted to balance their books by encouraging some 300,000
families to invest their life's savings into complex preference
shares. The families say that instead of being warned of the risks,
they were assured that the shares could not be safer. Now the banks
are bust, the money has gone, and thousands pensioners and families
have lost everything. There are thousands of arbitration cases, which
can take years, and some are being offered a fraction of their
savings. Of course to be a 70+ year old pensioner and told that your
case will take years and it will be a fraction of what you had, is
hardly justice. That money didn't just vanish into thin air, it went
somewhere, just one of the many ways this system siphons wealth
upwards to the pampered parasitic class.
Another way to syphon wealth from
the ordinary people to that group of leeches, is to sell off public
assets. Staying with Madrid, there have been protests there against
the selling off of publicly owned affordable housing stock, to venture
capitalists, which results in increased rents and evictions. This is
the way this system, controled by the financial Mafia, works,
everything can become a money-maker, all you have to do is force the
ordinary people to pay, if they don't, then like the banks, steal
their money, or the venture capitalists, evict them.
Main banner of the demonstration, in Spanish: 'Right to housing for everyone, out vulture funds. Against the financial scam'.
This is Spain, but it is not unique, across the globe the pattern is the same, it is a world wide con-system, a universal rip-off, a system that for the many, it produces struggle, poverty and deprivation, for the few, opulence. When the financial Mafia talk of growth, they are talking about their balance sheets, that need have nothing beneficial for you and I. The system is run by the wealthy parasites and everything they do will be to protect and increase that wealth, we are incidental to them, to be used, or abandoned as surplus to requirements. Is this what we want for our kids and grandkids? The choice is ours to make, we can destroy this greed drive system of exploitation, and replace it with one that sees to the needs of all our people. We have the imagination, the ability and the resources, all that is missing is the will. Think, what type of heritage do you want to leave to the next generation?
Monday 11 November 2013
Solidarity Benefit Gig.
This from The Greek Streets.
Hip hop against fascism benefit event: London, Saturday November 16
Hip-Hop Against Fascism Benefit Event” – a night dedicated to Killah P.Saturday 16 November 2013 from 6pm onwards / info line: 07502202177 or asflondon@gmail.com / entrance £3 donation.
All funds raised from this event will go to those arrested in the anti-fascist protests following Pavlos’ death.
Line up:
* Caxton Press
* Big Cakes
* Awate
* Logic
* Wildeye
* Mc Dekay & Act on Words
* Dope Biscuits
* Sensei C & Ruby Kid
Dj sets:
* Dj Snuff
* Dj Steaz
* Dj Dissident Island Radio
and of course discussions, films, food & bar!!!
spread the word.
My Barcelona Holiday Snaps.
I recently had a short break in Barcelona, and found it a fascinating place. We walked everywhere and covered a fair bit of the city, and saw the usual contrasts we are accustomed to in capitalist cities. There are places of beauty and tranquility,
of course that doesn't mean that all is well and everybody is happy. As a matter of fact there seemed to be some people who had a distinct dislike for banks!!
We also went to a large squat, but alas, it had been evicted some time earlier. The front of the building was covered in a magnificent mural, what a shame it was boarded up, the usual state repression on self expression.
Another notable sign of state repression was watching the African migrants selling their wares on the busy streets of the city. They had developed a wonderful strategy for making a quick get-away when ever a police presence appeared. All their wares were spread out on a sheet, the corners of the sheet had thin ropes tied to them and the seller held the ropes, which were tied together, were held in one hand, as soon as the state enforcers appeared they simply pulled the ropes and slung the sheet over their shoulder and scampered off in different directions. While sitting sipping coffee at a pavement cafe, I saw them quickly melt into the crowd on two occasions as a police van came slowly round a corner. I always marvel at human ingenuity.
We also visited the CNT library, and found it full of very interesting "things" and people, though language was a problem.
However, the highlight of the visit was to the "Local" a wonderful anarchist centre, which has been there for 27 years. It was an Aladdin's cave of books, t-shirts, badges, CDs, history and wonderful friendly people. There were rooms for meetings and other resources for helping them with their campaigns, both local and national. I left feeling a bit envious, as we here in Glasgow have nothing remotely like their "Local". Sadly when I got home I discovered I hadn't taken a photo of that wonderful centre, so all I have is the memory.
When Anger Reaches Critical Mass??
As I keep
spouting, there isn't a country on the planet that hasn't got people
on the streets, venting their anger and disgust at the present
system, voicing their outrage at the injustice and inequality that
blights so many people's lives, all in the midst of unbelievable
wealth. We struggle to survive surrounded by opulence. More and more
people are realising this is not necessary, we are capable of seeing
to the needs of all our people, but are hindered by a bunch of greedy
pampered parasites who attempt to lock us into a system that feeds
their bloated bank accounts at the expense of the well being of the
people.
I believe that awareness is the first step to change, and
awareness is spreading rapidly across the continents of this world.
People no longer accept the political system, and in most cases hold
the political class in contempt, seeing them as the paid managers of
a corporate system of greed and exploitation. Is that feeling of
anger, disgust, reaching the critical point where change is
unstoppable, where the old system will be demolished and that better
world built in its place? If so, we need to have in our minds what
that better world will look like, we need to clarify our desires and
the principles on which to build that better world for our kids and
grandkids. We need to think mutual aid, co-operation, equality,
dignity and justice for all, we must put the needs of all our people as the basic building blocks, and build on sustainability.
In America, that country at the pinnacle of the capitalist system, where, if it did what it says on the packet, everybody should be doing great. However, in that land of super capitalism, poverty, deprivation, and growing anger are the odours that fill the air.
What will it take to defeat dead-end capitalism?Dear sisters and brothers,There is a big change taking place in the United States this year. It has not yet been seen in mass outbreaks of struggle. But it is there. You can almost feel it, breathe it in the air. It is a growing change in the consciousness of the working class. It is especially strong among its most impoverished and oppressed sectors, including immigrants, but it is everywhere.There is:
Sunday 10 November 2013
Reclaim The Night.
Violence against women is not uncommon in this society, but then again it is a society that glorifies wars and "great battles", that portrays the idea of "macho-man", and promotes the idea that to be successful, women must be sexy and attractive to men. Hardly the ingredients for an equal society based on respect. It is a sad reflection on a society that claims to be civilised, when women have to campaign against rape and violence, and fight for the right to walk out at night without feeling apprehensive and threatened. This weekend, women in Nottingham held a "reclaim the night" march, demonstrating against rape and all forms of violence against women. The march proceeded, at night, down Mansfield Street and was well attended. Let's build that society where such marches would a lesson in a history book and long since obsolete.
Photo by Demotix.
Remember Our Own.
On November 11, we should always remember our own, those who all their life fought for justice for all and a society free from exploitation. Comrade Antonio Ferreira de Jesus died 6 November, his funeral will be November 11.
With great sadness we report that on Wednesday, November 6th, our comrade António Ferreira de Jesus passed away. A rebel, a libertarian and a fighter for decades inside prisons, António had recently reached his 73 years, and had only been out of jail for the last year and a half. He had been sick for a period of time, but it is still unclear of what he was suffering.He died in the house where he lived, and not in the hospital, since he would not go somewhere that felt so much like prison.For those who were close to him, it was clear that his health was directly affected by the decades of imprisonment, suffering the reprisals that a struggling prisoner faces, and being confronted with the difficulties of adapting to a “free” life, that came already too late.His funeral will be held on Monday, November 11th, at 14:00 in the city of Portimão, Portugal.For us, António will always remain an example of resistance and determination in the face of the harshest conditions imposed by the State.May he now have true freedom.Health and Anarchy!
Death Through Bottled Water.
We all know that the corporate world is a destructive force that rides roughshod over the well being of the ordinary people, all in the name of profit and power. However like all bastards, some are worse than others and Nestles comes in among the bottom of the barrel. We can certainly target the worst offenders in this brutal war for profit, but until we rid the world of this system of capitalism, that breeds, feeds and proliferates, this festering cancer of corporatism, we, the ordinary people, will be on the receiving end of its greed driven destructive force.
This appeal from SumOfUs:
Nestlé is draining developing countries’ groundwater to make its Pure Life bottled water, destroying countries’ natural resources before forcing its people to buy their own water back.Now Nestlé is moving into Pakistan and sucking up the local water supply, rendering entire areas uninhabitable in order to sell mineral-enriched water to the upper class as well as people in the US and EU. Meanwhile the poor watch their wells run dry and their children fall ill from dirty water.
Tell Nestlé to stop making Pakistan's villages uninhabitable by stealing their water.
Nestlé’s aggressive water grab is already descending like a plague on parts of Pakistan. In the small village of Bhati Dilwan, villagers have watched their water table sink hundreds of feet since Nestlé moved in. Children are getting sick from the foul-smelling sludge they’re forced to choke down. Meanwhile, Nestlé spends millions marketing “Pure Life” to wealthy Americans, Europeans, and Pakistanis who can afford to watch their kids grow up healthy. This scenario is played out again and again in countries around the globe. But this is where we say: enough!Dirty water kills more children around the world than AIDS, malaria, war, and traffic accidents combined -- and Nestlé has a big hand in it.At the World Water Forum in 2000, Nestlé led the way in fighting against defining access to water a universal right. Nestlé and other big corporations won out, and government officials around the globe officially downgraded water’s classification to a “need” instead, meaning it could be captured, commoditized, and exploited by major corporations without regard for local populations.
Tell Nestlé: Water is a human right. Stop stealing it from communities around the world.When the company's Canadian subsidiary pushed to keep draining millions of liters of fresh water from the water table in a time of drought, we joined our friends at the Council of Canadians, Wellington Water Watchers, and Ecojustice challenging Nestlé in court -- and we won! Just this month, after additional pressure from thousands of SumOfUs members, Nestlé decided to drop its appeal -- a huge win for the public.If we expose Nestlé’s disgusting game plan for Pakistan, the company will scale back its water-draining facilities to avoid a damaging global backlash. But if we ignore what’s happening there, Nestlé and other major corporations will suck up more and more the world’s water -- and that’s not good news for anyone.P.S. Nestlé’s current chairman and former CEO was caught on tape arguing that water is "not a right”, and while the clip is shocking, the reality is even worse. Nestlé’s aggressive policies are depriving thousands of people around the planet of the basic water they need to survive, all to pump up the company’s bottom line. Please get word out about Nestlé's horrific practices by sharing this campaign on Facebook.
More Information:
The Global Search For Liquid Gold, Urban Times, 11 June 2013
Bottled Life: The Story, Bottled Life, 1 January 2012
Water Facts, Food and Water Watch
A Thought For Remembrance Day.
A thought for Remembrance Day:
Patriotism
No, I shall not die for the fluttering flag,
if truth be known, ’tis nothing but a multi-coloured rag
held aloft by some foolish hand
inciting worker and peasant to kill
on some green and wooded hill,
peasant and worker from some other land.
Nor shall I shed blood for the fluttering rag
that brings out fools to stand and brag
of brutal deeds painted grand,
deeds where rustic and craftsman lie so still
killed by my brothers' misguided hand.
No allegiance have I for the Nation
this man made autocratic creation
that divides my brothers in a world so small,
binds us to a country's cause, right or wrong,
bids us follow its drum, sing its song,
then sheds our blood in some border brawl.
No, I'll be no slave to flag or nation,
have no ear for power oration,
though its iron heel is on my breast,
my back feels its leather thong,
at patriotism's barracoon, I'll be no guest.
Friday 8 November 2013
Government Plunders Lottery Fund!!
You probably thought that when you
bought your lottery ticket, if you bother, besides hoping to lift
yourself out of the daily grind, you probably thought that you were
also helping charities. As we are all told the lottery fund is there
to help worthwhile charities and not to subsides government business.
However, the sweaty hand of our millionaire Cameron/Osborne lead
cabal, has had a dip into the lottery fund. They plundered the
lottery fund of £425 million, just to help them out with the
Olympics. Not only did we the public pour billions of pounds of our
hard earned cash, by means of taxes, into this extravaganza, but we
also got trick when we had that wee flutter. Of course we should have
known, millionaires think that all money is theirs. You just can't
trust millionaires.
Saturday 9 November, International Day Of Solidarity.
The brutal and consistent crushing of
what vestige of democracy there ever was in Greece continues
unabated. The Greek government, having dismantled practically all social services, paid off
thousands of public sector workers, pushing unemployment to approximately 29%, and increased taxes beyond
breaking point for the ordinary people, the Troika, (E.C. European
Commission, E.C.B. European Central bank, I.M.F. International
Mankind Fuckers), after a visit to Greece, have come up with the idea
that the Greek government hasn't carried out enough of its austerity
plan. Along side this vicious attack on the living conditions of the
people of Greece, the government increases its attack on any sign or
symbol of people organising.
When the Greek government closed down
ERT, the Greek national radio, without discussion or legislation, the
employees occupied the building and continued broadcasting, with
massive support from the people. But once again the state resorts to
its usual brute force, to silence the voice of the people and to
break any solidarity among the people. In response the people of Greece are calling for an international day of solidarity on Saturday 9th. November.
“Police forces have just entered the studios of the Greek radio… It’s not for ERT alone. It’s not only for our jobs. But it is for Democracy itself… Don’t seek for legality… for the defence of Democracy, for holding each other’s hand, for our dignity and honour, for standing shoulder to shoulder to each other… because we met at the same street together, because we fought the same struggle… we ask you to come now at the headquarters’ of ERT… The voice of the Greek radio is silenced!”“The prosecutor said that the person responsible for ERT’s inventory now is the ‘brigadier general’ of the police forces.”
Thursday, 7 November 2013
Thursday 7 November 2013
Circled A Radio.
The latest from Circled "A" Radio, Mr G having a couple of his rants, laced with a little bit of music. Enjoy.
It Isn't Trickling Down!!!
Things are tight under this financial Mafia's regime of austerity, at least for you and I, the ordinary Joes. How has your income been doing in the last year? What with wage cuts/freezes, and inflation, you are certainly poorer this year than you were last year. However, is that the picture across the world? Well no, according to a Credit Suisse Bank, report, global wealth rocketed last year to a staggering new record of $241 trillion, that's an increase of 4.9% on last year. Global wealth is projected to rise by approximately 40% to $334 trillion by 2018.
Does that mean that you and I will be 40% better off by 2018? Well again, no, we will probably experience the same in the next 5 years as we experienced in the last year, a fall in real income. Where does all that extra wealth go? You have probably heard of the trickle down theory, well the only thing that trickles down is piss. According to Professor Shorroks, there is virtually no social mobility, 87% of the world's population stay where they are, if you're rich the chances are you will stay rich, likewise, if you're in the gutter, then you'll probably stay in the gutter. It's the system, it's the system, matey. Here in the UK, the aggregate total wealth of all private households is £10.3 trillion, but the wealthiest 20% own 62% of that total, and the top 10% of households are 4.4 times richer than the bottom 50%. As the world gets richer, that is not likely to change to a more equal position.
While all this wealth is slushing around in its very small circle, the truth is that two-thirds of all adults in the world have under $10,000 of net wealth each, and billions have nothing at all. World wide the figures for the distribution of that record $241 trillion pot of world wealth are, the top 1% own 41%; top 10% own 86%; bottom 50% own just 1%, and as we know in this system there is virtually no social mobility, so that is the way it will stay. But there is an alternative, scrap capitalism and start to build that better world based on the needs of all our people, built on the foundations of mutual aid, co-operation and sustainability, and free from the festering cancer of profit.
You can get more details on the cruel and unjust, wealth inequalities in this world of capitalism from International Journal of Socialist Renewal.
Wednesday 6 November 2013
Why Vote??
I posted this some time ago, but saw it again on arrezafe, and decided it was worth another outing.
Burn Baby Burn.
I have no doubt that all us ordinary
folks that are struggling to find the cash to heat our homes this
winter, will shed a tear of sympathy for the owner of the £8
million+ 76ft. Yacht, Kahu, that went up in flames at Cowes Marina
on the Isle of Wight, yesterday. This is the picture of the UK
austerity, homeless children, elderly dying from avoidable cold
related illnesses, food banks and kids going to school hungry, and
parasites “messing around in boats” valued at more than you or I
would ever earn in our lifetime. Capitalism, the system of
contradictions, we who produce all the wealth in the world, struggle
for a half decent life, while the parasitic wealth plunderers lavish
themselves in unearned opulence.
According to the organisation
Shelter Scotland, this year 4,847 children in Scotland will spend
Christmas homeless. While the pompous parasite class flick through
the pages of the latest yacht catalogue, we in Scotland have more
than 20% of all our kids living in poverty. In some areas it is 33%
and more. This is amongst the highest child poverty rates in Europe,
with Denmark and Norway having 10%, while in that so called, capitalist
economic success story, Germany, it is still a shocking 15%.
These figures are not just about
hungry kids living in poverty, it is about blighted lives, destroyed
potential, poor health and education, a future so much less that it
could be. None of these problems are insoluble, the knowledge and
resources are there to eliminate poverty. However because we tolerate
a system of exploitation, called capitalism, children will go to bed
hungry, elderly will die from hypothermia, while others will plan the
next cruise in their £8 million yacht.
I couldn't give a shit if every
yacht went up in smoke tomorrow, the loss of these useless toys of
the parasite class will be no loss to the ordinary people of this
world. It's a pity that the marina staff managed to save the fire from spreading to the other symbols of inequality, as far as I'm concerned, burn baby burn.
Visit ann arky's home at www.radicalglasgow.me.uk
Tuesday 5 November 2013
Austerity, Poverty, 21st. Century Capitalism.
Austerity continues unabated in Spain,
with the usual wage cuts/freezes, massive layoffs and the resultant
poverty that ensues with such policies. Monday 4 November, saw
thousands of the refuse collectors demonstrate in Madrid, it was a
noisy and colourful affair, they set off fire crackers, chanted and
started bonfires in the Puerto del Sol plaza. This was to mark the
start, at midnight, of an indefinite strike by the refuse workers in
protest against the plans to lay-off more than 1,000 staff. The
refuse workers started to converge on the Puerto del Sol plaza in the
late evening. Another city, another angry population, another country
facing deprivation, the face of 21 century capitalism.
This picture is repeated across the
world, how do you keep silent, how do you keep calm, when millions
die in poverty, while the few lavish themselves in unimaginable
wealth. A wealth created by us, the ordinary people. As children die
of hunger, the parasites grow fat on their blood. This system has
nothing to recommend it to the ordinary people, it is a system of
abuse and exploitation that favours the greedy.
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