Albert Camus (7/11/1893 -4/1/60) -Humanity's last Chance: Between hell and reason

Following Hiroshima Memorial Day, thought it would be fitting to  publish this famous essay from Albert Camus originally published in the French Resistance Paper Combat 67 years ago on August 8th, 1945. At the time not as many people spoke with such clarity, it still to has much relevance. A warning that we should never forget.

' The world is what it is, which is to say, nothing much. That is what we  all learned yesterday, thanks to the formidable chorus that radio, newspapers, and infomation agencies have just unleashed, regarding the atomic bomb. We are told, that  in the midst  of hundreds of enthusiastic commentaries, that any average sized city can be wiped out by a bomb the size of a football. American, English, and French newspapers are filled  with elegant essays on the future, the past, the inventors, the cost, the peaceful incentives,  even the military advantages, and the bombs  independent character.
Our technical civilisation has just reached its greatest level of savagery. We  will have to choose, soon, between collective suicide or the intelligent use of our scientific conquests.
Meanwhile  we think there is something indecent in celebrating a discovery in this way, whose use  has caused the most destruction that humanity has ever known. What will it bring to a world already given over to all the convulsions of violence, incapable of any control, indifferent to justice and simple human happiness,  to a world where science devotes itself to organised murder?
These discoveries must be recorded, commented upon for what they surely are, announced to the world so that humanity may have a truthful idea of its desitiny. We cannot allow these terrible revelations to be surrounded by humourous or picturesque writings.
It was already hard to breathe in a tortured world. Here now is is new source of anquish being offered, without reservation, its last chance. And that could, after all, be the pretext for a special edition. But  should  be an occassion for a few reflections and a lot of silence.......
Lets be clear. If the Japanese capitulate after the destruction of Hiroshima due to intimidation, we will be glad of it. But we refuse to draw from such grave news anything other than the determination to plead even more energetically for a real international society in ,which great powers  will not have rights superior to small or mid-sized ones, in which war, a scourge that has become definite through human intelligence alone; will not depend on the appetites or doctrines of this or that State.
Before the terryfying prospects now available to humanity, we see even more clearly that peace is the only fight worth struggling for. This is no longer a plea, but a demand to be made by all the  people  to their governments - a demand to choose  definitely between hell and reason.'

Thanks to Jane

Further Reading

Camus at Combat
1944 -1947
Albert Camus, Jacqueline Levi Valensi,
David Carrol, Arthur Goldhammer
2007.

                                                

Denise Levertov (24/10/23 - 20/12/97) - Gathered at the River

Today marks the day that on August 6th , 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese City of Hiroshima, followed a few days later by another dropped on the city of Nagasaki. This effectively, ended World War II, but at such cost - the two cities were destroyed , about 2000,000 people were slaughtered, with many more people dying later from injuries and illnesses.
Today has now become a focus for anti-war and anti-nuclear discussions and demonstrations across the globe. We must never forget, and hope it never ever happens again.

As if the trees were not indifferent...

A breeze flutters the candles but the trees give off
a sense of listening, of hush.

The dust of August on their leaves.
But it grows dark. Their dark green
is something known about, not seen.

But summer twilight takes away
only color, not form. The tree-forms,
massive trunks and the great domed heads,
leaning in towards us, are visible,

a half-circle of attention.

They listen, because the war
we speak of , the human war with ourselves,

the war against earth
against nature,
is a war against them.

The wordsare spoken
of those who survived a while,
lying shadowgraphs, eyes fixed forever
on witnessed horror,

who survived to give
testimony, that no-ne
may plead ignorance.
Contra naturam. The trees,
the trees are not indifferent.

We intone together, Never again,

we  stand in a circle,
singing, speaking, making vows,
remembering the dead
of Hiroshima,
of Nagasaki.

We are holding candles: we kneel to set them
 afloat on the dark river
as they do there in Hiroshima. We are invoking

saints and prophets
heroes and heroines of justice and peace,
to be with us, to help us
stop the torment of our evil dreams. . .

                           *

Wind threathened flames bob on the current . . .

They don't get far from shore. But none capsizes
even in the swell of a boat's wake.

The waxy paper cups sheltering them
catch fire. But still the candles
sail their gold downstream.

And still the trees ponder our strange doings, as if
well aware that if we fail,
we fail also for them:
if our resolves and prayers are week and fail

there will be nothing left of their slow and innocent wisdom,

no roots
no bole nor branch,

no memory
of shade,
of leaf,

no pollen.

Link

to C.N.D

Cymru piece about

commemorations in Wales.

http://www.cndcymru.org/hiroshima-and-nagasaki-1945-2012-anniversary-commemorated-across-wales

Poem reprinted from

Peace or Perish /A crisis Anthology

Poets for Peace, San Francisco, 1983

                          

Chris Morris & Will Self hate Sebastian Coe (I Hate Sebastian Coe EXTEnded Acid Remix)

Justice for the Critical Mass 182

Meanwhile Shami Chakrabarti

 of Liberty http://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/ in the Guardian says ' while proud  to represent Liberty holding the flag in such incredible human rights company, my lack of personal sacrifice was rarely far from my thoughts.'http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jul/29/london-2012-danny-boyle-opening-ceremony . Good then, but she was carrying the flag of LIBERTY while 182 cyclists were being kettled. This went on all night, where protestors were beaten and arrested for their right  to use the roads. What sort of Wholesale assault on Human Rights is that? A lot of blatant hypocricy coming out of Liberty's  mouths. Does Liberty officially support the Olympics or something, and perhaps  too, the nations that are taking place that it usually strongly condemns? Scotland Yard has said it respected that people had a right to protest, but said officers must stop protestors who  disrupted guests from trying to reach the Olympic Park. Protecting corporate interests again, perhaps, business as usual. All hail the free Olympics.

Critical Mass is a monthly bike ride that takes place every last Friday of every month. It has been happening for the last 18 years, so the Metropolitan Police knew in advance that it was happening.
 The authorities response to me,  contradicts the idea that  the games would encourage people to participate in sport or that these are the greenest games ever. How ironic that cyclists featured so heavily in the actual opening ceremony too, while in the real world, counterparts were being arrested nearby.

Justice for the Critical Mass 182 Petition

They were fully in their rights to take to the streets as they always have

Here is a link to a petition set up to defend  those arrested and kettled

help stand for a police and legal system we can believe in.

please sign and share.

http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/metropolitan-police-criminal-justice-system-uk-justice-for-the-critical-mass-182

http://www.criticalmasslondon.org.uk/

Fishing For Gold

So it's started then,
it seems the world has faith
in  this spectacle of celebration
this feast of people pride.

Critical opinion is tossed aside
homeless Londoners have dissapeared
they've been clearing up the town
streets have been erased, old maps have been rearranged.

It's all about the taking part I guess
not necessarily the winning
G4S have taken the money and run
in the spirit of peace and co-operation.

The Olympic idyll, adrift somewhere
amidst the corporation signs,
and the cries of sponsor, sponsor, sponsor
spin, spin, spin, the sick corpse of capitalism, waving every hour.

Perhaps no borders will be necessary,
long distances have been travelled,
hope and unity might prevail,
tales of adversity will melt our hearts.

Summers great sporting bonanza has commenced
rain clouds  are driven off, Londons famous gloomy skies
everyone celebrates, and all is good in the lie of the land.
or have we all been cajoled and misled.

Don't believe the hype myself, will turn the telly off
go and hide in the long green grass,
search for dreams that have not happened yet
go fishing for some gold.

Fit Les - The Official Fit Les Olympic Anthem

Renamed Fit Les, the colective formerly known as Fat Les, have just released this in time for the Olympics. Keith Allen explained to B.B.C Breakfast that the video was filmed using mobile phones and a camcorder, with help from members of the public.
The comedian ansd actor said that the song is not anti-Olympics, but rather the "Whoring" of the games by corporations.
The song itself is about excercising the right to be heard. It was born out of the fact that the Government has stopped peoples right to demonstrate in the lead up to the Olympics.
" I absolutely love the idea of Competitive sport, it's just the way it's been whored by corperations. " Mr Allen said.  Love him or hate him, I feel that sometimes Mr Allen is barking up the right tree.

And here is a link with some clarification on the impact Olympic Specific legislation may have on local people and anyone promoting protest or making political statements during this Summer's games.

Olympic Laws - A short Guide for Trouble Makers

http://www.gamesmonitor.org.uk/node/1799

Oh and  more than 40 groups are going to stage Olympics protests, it will be interesting to see how many are free to do so, to highlight the "corporate dominance" of the Games as well as the staggering cost of staging these games during a time of austerity.
Demonstrators will march through east London on Saturday, groups will include War on Want, campaigners against the siting of missiles, local environmental groups and Occupy London, and a whole host of others. I personally never really enjoy a spectacle that seems to be subjct to the whims of global corporations and financial institutions, which despite Mr Camerons bluster seems to be increasing  in this moment of time.
How the Olympics will sanitise its reputation after what is generally seen to be a fiasco is beyond me.
Perhaps it is only by really pulling together, and shouting enough is enough and showing our discontentment that we can make this Government of ours hear us.

Whose Games?
Whose City?

Truthfully , it hasn't even started yet, andeven though live in West Wales, and not remotely near the event,   I'm already sick and tired of the whole shenanagins.17 days where Olympic tales will be difficult to avoid, unless I bury my head in a sandpit.

Boris Johnson's Olympic Welcome

Let's just say, I'm not his biggest fan,
still incredulous that people actually voted for him.

Radical writer Alexander Cockburn dead R.I.P ( 6/6/41 -21/7/12

Alexander Cockburn, the acerbic left-wing journalist and author who though born in Scotland thrived in the political and cultural battlegrounds of the United States, died on Saturday in Bad Salzhausen, Germany, where he had been recieving medical treatment, his family have said. He was 71, the cause was cancer said Jeffrey St Clair, a friend and colleague. Mr St Clair announced Mr Cockbrurns death on CounterPunch, the web site that the two men edited. Mr Cockburn had keept his illness a secret, Mr St Clair added, and continued writing until the end of his life. "His body was deteriorating, but his prose remainesd as sharp, lucid and deadly as ever," Mr St Clair wrote on the site. that Mr Cockburn had, at various times regular columns in ideologically disparate publications like the Nation and The Wall Street Journal and became known as an unapologetic leftist, condemning what he saw as the outrages of the right but also castigating the American liberal establishment when he thought it was to timid.
Born in Scotland, he grew up in Ireland, he began writing in about the U.S in 1973, he became a U.S citizen in 2009. He was vocally critical of Israels policies and treatment of Palestine. This led to accusations of ant-semticism by many, a claim he always denied, believing it was used as a method of intimidation for his criticism of Israel, so carried on speaking the truth as he saw fit. He was also highly critical of U.S foreign policy, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He remained a leftist on most issues, standing up for free speech and social justice, and the misuses of corporate power.He did however remain a skeptic about global warming and is also remembered now for his bitter falling out with his former friend, the late Christopher Hitchens.He had been secretely battling cancer for the last two years.
The world has been robbed of one of its most radical and uncompromising voices.

Jeffrey St Clair
writing in Counterpunch
about his friend Alexander Cockburn
http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/07121/farewell-alex-my-friend/

"Alex lived a huge life and je lived it his way. He hated compromise in politics and he didn't tolerate it in his own life. Alex was my pal, my mentor, my comrade. "e joked, gossiped, argued and worked together nearly every day for the last twenty years. He leaves a huge void in our lives. But he taught at least two generations how to think, how to look at the world, how to live a life of resistance. So, the struggle continues, and we're goin to remain engaged. He wouldn't have it any other way."

" They keep telling us that in war, truth is the first casualty which is nonsence since it implies that in times of peace, truth stays out of the sick bay or the graveyard." - Alexander Cockburn

" The first law of Journalism is to confirm existing prejudice rather than contradict it." - Alexander Cockburn

Alexander Cockburn interviewd by Tao Ruspoli  Parts 1 & 2

John Berger (b 5/11/26) - The Poverty of our Century

Aldous Huxley (26/7/1894- 22/11/63) - The Ultimate Revolution (1962)

I started this months posts with a bit from Aldous Huxley,
http://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/aldous-huxley-2671894-221163-devils-of.html
I never really get  tired of him so here's a little more, below he gives a now infamous speech at UC Berkeley in 1962, titled : The Ultimate Revolution.
In his presentation Huxley gave gives historical evidence and future predictions, how the New World Order would be achieved by the ruling Oligarchy via their use of State Sponsored Terrorism to implement their desired Lock Step Police State to control the proletariat (that's you and me) by the fear  of ever increasing terrorism as a pretext  to the citizens of Western society willingly sacrificing their essential freedom and liberties for the promise of temporary security.
The fist 45 minutes is the speech and the next is followed by questions raised by the public and reporters.