No time for tears

another poem for  my  dear Jane.
holding on,  not letting go.

No times for tears, they can wait,
because under it's weight you can sink,
time now to muster some strength,
allow friends to release silent prayers,
powerful chants, in times of distress,
to  lend a hand, of faithfulness,
to  break down and open doors of light.

The brilliance of friendship,
in this present time  is good,
stitches together the continuity of hope,
sprinkles some light among the branches,
into this distracting world of thought,
giving comfort to current spaces of meaning ,
a friendly pulse, a force of good in time's struggle.

Solidarity is  love, gives us strength,
let 's keep on  delivering, it's message,
allow it to run free,
pumping adrenalin into the veins,
of all  those still grappling,
allow it to rescue and restore,
all vestiges of hope.

When then sun goes down,
and the night is long,
solidarity's breath is the master of dreams,
gives us love, harbours strength ,
so keep it protected, with all your hearts,
allow it's presence, to light  the world with change,
to serve and protect every persistent day.

Solidarity with humanity.

At a time  when people should be rising up in solidarity  about the rotten establishment, the reckless bankers, the corrupt politicians, and the greedy, people are  pointing the  finger of blame at those  that don't deserve to be attacked,  people like the unemployed, the underpaid, and  currently  receiving  much vitriol migrants.
The  language of  racism and xenophobia  on full display,  politicians daily  speaking  and inflaming the situation, with voices completely devoid of compassion, using the language of division  and hate on those most undeserving.  The spectre of fascism, once again  is on open display across Europe .
The freedom of movement is a universal  right recognised by international law, but politicians, apart from a few  do not seem to be taking this right seriously.
The crisis in Calais happening right now is a humanitarian crisis, people fleeing injustices in desperation,  we should  not be blaming  them,  or treating them like criminals, or as less than human, we should be treating  them with tolerance and dignity, offering them our hands of friendship.
It is not  by chance  that so many desperate  people try to enter the UK, as well as other rich countries, we must remember  that in their own homelands, they do  not even have  the basic conditions that dives them a means of survival. At the end of the day , they have no choice to try and escape, and try to reach Europe every day.
Collectively we must  oppose migrant detention  and removal measures to protect  these  people's human rights. The continual struggle of migrants, which they have determined  for themselves, must be supported against the daily oppression that they face. It should encourage us to  be more more active, to give  solidarity with all struggling migrants  everywhere.
David Cameron should  be condemned for playing politics  with the situation in Calais, trying to whip up fear and hostility to those that are seeking refuge, start looking  for a more  humanitarian solution to the situation. In the meantime there are thousands  of people across the  continent  who are filling the void left by politicians,  urging them to take responsibility  and solidarity in taking in more migrants.  We should also  be following the   example of   other countries, with a reasonable response,  take Sweden for example, who  are currently  allowing anyone from Syria into their country, who last year alone accepted 30,000 asylum seekers, compared to the UK's meagre pathetic 10,000.
Europe must belong to everyone, not just  profiteers,  we must continue to protect  desperate people trying to flee  imperialist wars, repression and poverty, following dangerous routes across land and sea.
No one is illegal, but solidarity is love.

When the siege is broken; A poem for Gaza

One year after the 2014 war that killed more than 2,000 Palestinians and destroyed thousands of homes, people in Gaza are still struggling to survive under awful living conditions and a crippling blockade.
A place of daily struggle for the 1.6 million living here under Israeli siege, in the tiny Gaza strip, one of the most densely populated paces on the planet, that has since 2007 suffered under the brutal Israel Land, air and sea blockade.
After the latest assault, entire neighbourhoods are inaccessible,  medical and medical disposables in shortage. The blockade has caused increased unemployment, loss of agricultural land, decline in incomes from fishing due  to restrictions imposed  by the Israeli Navy and daily problems obtaining raw materials, and everyday manufactured products. With health impaired by  a population impoverished, together with psychological problems, caused by the ordeal of confinement, to this open prison.
Lifting the blockade would enable Gaza to trade again. And if this happened the economy could grow by almost $4 billion. Local businesses and farmers could earn decent livings again. People could afford to feed their families and put their children through school or college and get access to safe water. We must be able to give some hope of a better future for the people of Gaza, it is more than enough time that they are given their dignity back to be allowed an economic life that has been denied to them for years,  to be allowed to travel and trade again.
Yes it is more than time that the blockade is lifted, for people to be connected with friends and family in the West Bank again,  the blockade of human rights and international law, an obstacle to freedom and peace.
The following a poem, that looks forward to a time when the siege and blockade is over.


When the siege is broken

From a dream within a dream,
freedom's breath kept calling,
the degradation just had to end,
a change needed to be delivered,
between the wall and sea,
the keys of promise allowed to return,
allow the struggling bird, to trace some light.

The future blossoms again,
green on the land,the dawn wakes to song,
instead of the rattle of gunfire and missiles,
the morning  moves with softness,
as cypresses sway, under the shade of oak trees,
jasmines scent floats, the smell of oranges, 
                                              sweet on the breeze.

Beyond the rubble of the past,
children play in jubilation,
farmers toil in the afternoon sun,
the fruit of their soil alive again,
a paradise is regained from oppression,
though weeping tears will never cease,
olive branches now glisten with hope,
fishermen go far out to cast  their nets,
smiling sharing salted bread,
to bring back home  a rich harvest.

Safe from captivity, no longer in a living hell,
hearts again, existing in peace,
the dream continues,
lights a path away from the dark,
as speakers ring out, a familiar call for prayer,
a conflagration of new beginnings,
returns some mercy.   

poem written last week before I became aware of extent of  my partners illness, a cause that we both share  together.                                    

Holding on

a poem, written for my wonderful friend, soul mate, partner, Jane, currently seriously ill in hospital.

Holding on

We break, get torn,
 this makes our living spaces so blue,
so we fall apart, to start again,
to shake dark shadows of our skin,
wait for calming thoughts to return,
to burn bright again,
feel the tug of another's heart,
holding on and not letting go,
souls are strong, the wind can't blow them away,
still like air, the morning she rises,
with touch and breath, smiles again,
by moonflowers and sunflowers,
we will continue to walk and talk,
allow our nights and days,
to be imbued with love.

Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah

" Love is not a victory march, it's cold and it's broken.


Hallelujah."

I have returned sooner than expected, time on my hand's,
for Alison Croydon  ( Ali) my beloved cousin, who  is being  laid to rest today,

aged 58, R.I..P.


Dear soul,

Stonehenge veteran,

intrepid traveller ,

inner and beyond, 
we light a brief candle,

both ends burning,

as we remember,

and her journey continues,
hallelujah

No to Beijing 2022

In a weeks time, on July 31, the IOC ( the International Olympics Committee will decide whether to award Beijing a second Olympic games. When China last hosted the Olympics there was a violent crackdown in Tibet and since then the repression  has only worsened. The 2008 Olympics did nothing to alleviate human rights abuses or enhance freedom, in fact since then China has become more aggressive in its attitudes to human rights in Tibet, and less willing to engage in  dialogue regarding a lasting resolution with reports of armed police attacking and beating peaceful protestors and seriously injuring many more, Tibetans imprisoned for simply singing a song, things are significantly worse than they were before. In the last few weeks over 2 human rights lawyers have been jailed in large numbers, many of which are still detained or still missing and entire communities can be punished for the act of one person.
Others too suffering, the arbitrary arrest torture, and disappearance of those they consider a threat, like the Ulghurs, southern Mongolians and Hans Chinese.
More than 175 Tibetan groups  have backed the call  for the IOC to reject China's bid. By granting China these games again, the IOC will be putting their international stamp of approval on China's continuing military occupation of Tibet. Combined with  its continuing restrictions on  civil and  political liberties this surely makes it an  unfit candidate to host these games because of it's clear contempt of human rights.

Please sign and share the following  petition. Tell the IOC that China does not deserve another Olympics


https://www.change.org/p/international-olympic-committee-ioc-don-t-reward-china-s-worsening-oppression-with-another-olympic-games

A poem for Tony Blair

Mr Blair's heart is running on empty
his soul containing only darkness,
he comes and go's as he pleases
adds nothing of value,no hidden depth
just likes to stir and pontificate
count his stockpiles of cash,
profits soaked in blood and tears
basking again today in the limelight,
showering humanity with his dismal grin
a joke that's beginning to wear very thin,
distracting us, with his vanity and deceit
can't this man be brought to account?
accept some responsibility, for all the lives he wasted
for all the pain and ruins that he created,
continues unrelentling, carries on unashamed
telling us little things,shouting down our cries,
I have become weary and unsympathetic
of this shameless charlatan, power mad junky.

"I would swim through vomit to vote against this welfare bill - John McDonnell

The Welfare and Work Bill passed its second reading in the House of Commons yesterday by 308 votes to 124, nearly  half  of  the house voting for greater social exclusion and aggressive social cleansing, more homelessness, bigger child poverty, increased attacks on the poor and vulnerable. Sadly most  Labour Party MPs have forgotten that they are supposed to be in opposition, a bunch of gutless spineless individuals, a party fast becoming devoid of principles and integrity.  Only 48 Labour MP's decided to take a stand against austerity though, among them leadership candidate Jeremy Corbyn, who with the above seems to care a lot, keeps showing himself  as a human being, despite the rest of the modern Labour Party acting like traitors to the people they should be representing. But we should not really be handing out congratulations either, surely this is why we have something called  opposition. When we live in a land of no opposition, we live in a scary place indeed.When those inside Westminsters walls carry on not listening, we must outside, carry on fighting and resisting , for the survival of us all.

The Queen's embarrasmment at old footage of her giving Nazi salute.

The Queen is said to be furious and embarrassed after footage was released recently by the Sun newspaper, showing her delivering a mock  Nazi salute in 1933. Unfortunately, this is what happens when Royalty tries to bury it's past.
The actions of a naive young girl maybe, aged only 5 or 7, who did not know what she was doing, and the full implications of her actions, under the influence of others So it's a case of blaming the adults I guess. In the black and white film footage she his shown with  her mum, the Queen mother, her Uncle Prince Edward and her younger sister Princess Margaret.
Many will say, it is time to move on, and in the hearts and minds of some of her subjects she will always remain as a dignified role model. But Republic which campaigns for a democratic alternative to the monarchy said the palace should stop  dodging responsibility. Others are saying you cannot bury history, because if you try to do this, it has a habit of coming back to haunt you.
In 1933, the fact is, due to Nazism, anti-semitism was on the rise. Hitler was  already known as  the leader of the National Socialist Working Party (the Nazis) had already started rounding up Communists, Socialists and Liberals, purging as many political opponents as possible - giving him one man dictatorial powers. Already talking of the master race, building roads on the outskirts of towns that would carry millions away to their deaths. Already they saw Jews, Roma (Gypsies) and the handicapped as a serous biological threat to the purity of the German (Aryan) race. Jews became the principal target of Nazi hatred. The Nazi salute, was already seen by many as a symbol of fear.
It could be said that the Queen, was hoodwinked, by her uncle Prince Edward, later Edward V111,  it is known he was a sympathiser of Hitler's Nazi regime, he admired Hitler's economic and social reforms as the Nazis swept to power, and wanted  Britain to offer them their hands of friendship. Later after his abdication, he visited Germany with the idea of discussing becoming a figurehead for an international movement for peace on Hitler's terms. And later on in his life his view of Hitler remained undimmed declaring him to be "not a bad chap."
Thankfully Hitler was defeated, but despite all the vestiges of privilege, this story,  will act not just as  a painful reminder of the historical past. It also serves  as a warning, an echoe to our present times, when the dangers of fascism still lurk, and governments with undemocratic mandates, run amok. Lest us forget either the Nazi sympathetic 'tendencies'  at the heart of the British establishment. At the end of the day this information should have been  in the public domain 50 years  ago, what was to hide, just an innocent secret, an honest simple mistake?

Worthless - Agnes Török

Powerful poem  on the news of a new Conservative budget, based  on the experience of living in Britain under austerity as a young, queer, unemployed female immigrant student - and not taking it any more.
Already gone viral, with thousands already having viewed this three minute call to arms, a blasting riposte to a system that glorifies the rich and its economic policies whilst telling the rest of us we are 'worthless.'




http://agnestorok.org/

Support your local hunt sabouteurs

Well done to the Scottish National Party Westminster Group who have met and decided to vote against the Governments attempt  to relax ban on fox hunting south of the border in tomorrows vote, they would have collectively voted against the Tory's proposals, so now David Cameron has been forced into a humiliating climbdown, made to delay a vote on crippling the hunting ban, it is so good to see the Tory's outfoxed, you see they can be defeated.
It is clear that the vast majority of the public are against a repeal of the Hunting Act, in both rural and urban areas. Cameron knows this but always likes to push things too far and will attempt to get the act through again, probably in autumn, because Cameron himself is a supporter and lover of this barbaric sport. For years treating animals inhumanely, a matter of course for a man who regularly uses benefit claimants, for his own legal bloodsport of choice. They don't really see a fox, they see a recalcitrant an ungrateful peasant, fox hunting just another way of expression their class rule.
Despite the vote not going ahead, remember too, that ten years after the Hunting Act in February 2005, hunts continue to meet, most notably on the sports big occasion, such as Boxing Day. There are still 189 packs recognised by the Master of Foxhounds Association.
Recently Middleton Hunt were caught with 16 fox cubs in a barn next to their kennels, taken from the wild and separated from their mothers, a clear case of trapping, the cubs to be used as an easy kill for any new hounds the hunts are training for when the hunting season commences again next month.
Thousands of people are still attending organised hunts throughout the winter, in theory hunts are now supposed to practice trail hunting. This allows hunters and riders to follow a scent trail pf fox urine laid out in advance in they are supposed to allow riders the experience of hunting without the climatic act of a fox being ripped apart by dogs. But inevitably and tragically dogs do encounter foxes and do kill, the hunt masters claiming again and again that such kills were purely accidental, which has resulted  in only a handful of hunters being ever convicted of breaking the ban, clamping down on illegal hunting is not seen as a police priority, a case of one law for the rich, and another for the poor.
Despite the ban animals are still being killed. People continue to hunt, illegally, as the law stands now, but  they carry on  regardless, without prosecution, so thank goodness for hunt sabouteurs. They are the only  organisation still taking direct action against the hunters, hunt sabs constantly  out in force trying to stop this cruel practice, I will continue to support people bravely standing up to defend the lives of hunted wildlife from this barbaric tradition and practice.
The hunting Act needs to be strengthened not weakened, because foxes are not the only animals being killed. It must not be returned. We must stay vigilant and constantly oppose this barbarism.


Look up your local  group here, and get involved.

http:www.huntsabs.org.uk/index.php/get-involved/contacts

Disconnect?

" Sometimes you have to disconnect, to stay connected. Remember the old days when you had eye contact during a conversation. When everyone wasn't looking down at a device in their hands? We've become so focussed on that tiny screen, that we forget the big picture, the view right in front of us." - Regina Bret

Disconnect?

She sits on the beach,
but is not really there,
as the surf rages all around,
her vista , is her mobile phone,
no time to gaze at sky,
just presses buttons,
of a self contained prison,
no room for actual conversation,
all the words she needs are in her hands,
to consummate all her desires.

She plugs herself in,
feeling comfortably numb,
in this ritual of abandonment,
day in, day out,
day in, day out,
always the same,
where she plays in her own personal cube,
no room for a view, of real beauty,
she is lost, she is possessed,
she is of this world.

Unity

This morning,
looking for hope,
a sea of butterflies,
fluttered down with the wind,
like a picture from heaven.

Flowers blossomed,
to try and encourage waking thought,
to gently distract from crushing blows,
that rumbled in the distance,
a government drunk on power,
that permeated and slid,
in clear sight, out of control.

A lazy sky hung in the air,
released pangs of harmony,
allowed me and friends, 
to gather up some faith,
to carry us into the world afresh.

It is good when it is warm outside,
inside cannot afford to put the heating on,
having endured so much pain before,
survival is the only key we save,
all for one, and one for all,
with our love we will endure.

Oxi to Osbourne

The Greek people in huge numbers have shown us their opposition to cuts and their refusal to bow down to the undemocratic will of the European financial elites. Across Europe people are rejecting austerity, we can also play our part over here in the UK, saying no to George Osborne's budget and continue to express our opposition to the Tory Government.
Respect to the disabled activists  earlier pelting No 10 and blocking the road outside parliament to protest against further cuts to welfare to Osbornes emergency budget that has recently been announced.
It seems  that a further £12 billion extra welfare spending cuts will be made,  hitting child tax credit, child benefit payments making a huge impact on low income households, so  it will be a case of the unemployed, the disabled and low paid looking forward to some tough times ahead. It seems that George has protected the bankers, and the wealthy elite. Cutting welfare does not help working people but does the opposite by increasing the national debt and causing deflation in the economy. As for rewarding 'hardworking people' in the public sector with a 1% pay rise George is taking the piss, as in reality this is a pay cut, because the cost of living rises above that per year. George said " Britain and left the age off irresponsibility behind" whilst giving with one hand and taking from the other. Lifting taxes such as inheritance tax, allowing homes worth £ 1 million to be passed down tax free.
Already I know of people who are not eating properly because they cannot afford basic necessities. Any further cuts will hit them hard. There certainly will be no ease of pain for many.|
Osbornes emergency budget will not be fit for the future, he is no economist, so have no idea how he qualified for Chancellor of Exchequer as he uses his power to bring further cuts to social security spending and welfare. that will bring misery to many peoples lives.
It seems at the moment that the  rich are getting richer, and the poor , poorer, our debts get higher, as Osborne and his coherts fiddle while the economy burns. As his own family  firm gains tens of thousands of pounds in a property deal between his family firm and developers. But lets not forget that the Tories don't care about ordinary people, they are Tories after all, not caring is their thing. They are cruel as simple as that.
I don't think the government understands that when they continue to hit the poor and working class of any country ( look at Greece) they will fight back
We must keep up our opposition to their ideological driven policies, resist and fight back, and back the demonstrations due  to take place at the Tory Party Conference in Manchester on Sunday 4th October. Balls to George Osbornes budget, balls to Tory fuelled austerity.

Remembering 51 day bombardment of Gaza, one year on

Today July 7th, 2014 the  51 day Israeli bombardment of Gaza began. The relentless widespread destruction and loss of life shocked the world. We should not  these 51 days of suffering that the people of Gaza had to endure. Today I remember the beginning of this devastating assault and all the Palestinians who were subsequently killed.
Codenamed Operation Protective Edge by the Israeli Defence Force,  between 7th  July and August 26, Israel  carried out  its third major military assault on Gaza in the past 6 years (2008-09; 2012, 2014, respectively). It was to be the most deadly, killing 2,251 Palestinians of which 1,462 were civilians, and included 299 women and 551 children, as well as injuring 11,231, a number  that includes 3,436 children in a bombardment from land, sea and air. In what amounts to nothing lshort than a crime of terror.
The devastation caused by Operation  Protective Edge is said to be greater than that  of the two previous wars. Gaza had been  taken back 1,000 years, but still remained as an open-air prison, where nothing is safe or certain. people still sharing a heavy burden as a consequence of this bombardment.
The Palestinians were left with their hospitals and clinics destroyed and damaged, their one  only power plant destroyed. Electricity only coming on for  about  6 hours per day, with sewage and water systems in tatters. The after effects of this war has taken its toll on all economic sectors. People left living amongst ruins, with  many children living with  the constant feeling of  fear,  left with emotional and psychological  problems. Around 100,000 people in Gaza are still homeless, one year after the  conflict and Israel's illegal blockade continues.
But despite, this, and the terrible tragedy that they had to go through, the Palestinians have reliance in their souls, and despite it all, carry much hope. I remember too, again the continuing plight of the Palestinian. I hope our dedication to ending their occupation, suffering and injustice  continues and is renewed, I remember those that were lost and long and hope that the human rights of the Palestinian people continues to be recognised and respected.
The UK must play its part too by stopping selling Israel arms, that signals it tacit approval, and allows the facilitation of future attacks.


Save The Children : Gaza one year on ; a Living nightmare


http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/sites/default/files/docs/A_Living_Nightmare.pdf


Names of Palestinians killed in war on Gaza since July 8


http://www.imemc.org/article/68429




Scenes earlier this week, across Britain in support of the Palestinian people.

Protesters shut down Israeli owned Arms Factories across UK

Respect,  Elbit systems drone factory in Shenstone has been closed for business, currently being blockaded by campaigners from across the UK, Manchester, London, Leeds, Glasgow and more.

Activists are shutting down arm factories around the world today to disrupt the global arms trade which sustains Israeli Apartheid.

The UK continues to be complicit in  Israels crimes against the Palestinian people by issuing export licences  to Israel and hosting Israeli arms manufacturers.
The British  government shamefully continued to approve arms sales totalling £4 million to Israel in the months following the Israeli military's  controversial operation in Gaza last summer.


http://europe.newsweek.com/britain-approved-4m-arms-sales-israel-after-gaza-50-day-war-329739




http://waronwant.org/resources/arming-apartheid

John Lennon - Power To The People

Well done Greece, went to bed last night very happy.
This is not just a victory for the people of Greece , but a victory to the people of Europe. The tide against Austerity has turned. Another Europe is coming!
Greece is the word, better shape up.

Happy birthday NHS

Nye Bevans legacy came into the world 67 years ago this morning,when he opened Park Hospital in Manchester at a time of rationing and shortages, when we were nearly bankrupt, a jewel  that the war generation left us with, a proud legacy, for us to all to continue to share. It offered for the first time a free healthcare system for all, and has since  played a vital role in caring for all aspects of our nations health. My own father served it well for nigh on 40 years.
Remember we paid for it, so it is owned by us, it is our precious commodity, it must suvive, we must tear the vultures hands from it.
As the Tory's and their rotten hearts seek to dismantle it,  we should not forget Nye's words who said ' It will last as long as their are folk with enough faith to fight for it.
We  cannot reach the day again where people make a profit out of our sickness.

Happy birthday Clara Zetkin ( 5/7/1857 -20/6/33) Organiser of the First International Womens Day

Happy Birthday Clara Zetkin, ( nee Eissner), pioneering German Marxist theorist, advocate for womens rights and universal suffrage.Born  on  July 5, 1857, Wiederau, Saxony [Germany,

Clara Eissner was educated at the Leipzig Teachers’ College for Women.

Perhaps influenced by her upbringing and social class, it was during her time there that she became involved with the women’s movement and  in 1878 she joined the Socialist Workers’ Party (SAP), which changes its name to Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) in 1890.  In 1878, German chancellor Otto von Bismarck banned all SPD activity in an attempt to curb the party’s power in the government. Following this act, Zetkin and other leading members of the SPD had to leave Germany to avoid persecution and prison. Zetkin migrated first to Zurich, and then to Paris. While in exile, she met her partner Ossip Zetkin. Though they never married, she took his name and together they had two sons. 

She spent most of the 1880s in self-imposed exile in Switzerland and Paris, writing and distributing illegal literature and meeting many leading international Socialists.  After participating in the founding congress of the Second Socialist International (1889), she returned to Germany and from Stuttgart edited the Socialist women’s paper Die Gleichheit (“Equality”) from 1892 to 1917.

In 1907 she was a cofounder of thegal literature and meeting many leading international Socialists.  After participating in the founding congress of the Second Socialist International (1889), she returned to Germany and from Stuttgart edited the Socialist women’s paper Die Gleichheit (“Equality”) from 1892 to 1917.
Zetkin became the leading female theorist of socialist emancipation theory and as such helped to formulate the core ideas of socialist feminism. An important medium for her to spread socialist ideas in circles of working class was the socialist women’s journal of the SPD, Die Gleichheit (Equality). Here and elsewhere she argued that women could only become emancipated if they worked like men and earn their own income, which would made them independent from men and integrated them in society and politics. They should receive the same pay and privileges as men in the workplace. For her wage inequality hurt women and men.  She strongly made this arguments in an article in Die Gleichheit published in December 1893, in which she addressed this issue. 

The article served as a call to action. It  framed women’s economic equality and social emancipation as a matter of class struggle between bourgeoisie and proletariat, only after a socialist revolution women could really become equal as women and as workers. Zetkin argued that wage inequality would hurt both, female workers because the poor wages made it incredibly difficult for women to afford adequate living conditions, and male workers because of the competition of cheap female labor.

 As a result, Zetkin called equal wages and stronger attempts pf the SPD and the trade unions to organize women in the labor movement. Only when women became equal to men at work and, by extension, in the home could they begin working towards class reforms. In addition to promoting socialist feminism, Zetkin provided some much-needed leadership and structure in the German socialist women’s movement. In 1907 she was a cofounder of the International Socialist Women’s Congress.

During the First World War, Zetkin, along with Karl Liebknecht (1871-1919) and her friend Rosa Luxemburg (1871-1919), belonged to the small opposition in the SPD that rejected the party’s policy of Burgfrieden (a truce with the government, promising to refrain from any strikes during the war). Among other anti-war activities, Zetkin organized an International Socialist Women’s  Conference against the war in Bern, in neutral Switzerland, from March 25-28, 1915, to which  all other participants had to travel illegally. 

Despite the danger of imprisonment, 25 women from, Britain, France Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia and Switzerland participated in this first international women’s conference for peace, which ended with a joint resolution.  Because of her anti-war opinions, Zetkin was arrested several times during the war, and in 1916 taken into “protective custody” (from which she was later released on account of illness). 

In 1916 Zetkin was one of the co-founders of the Spartacist League (Spartakusbund), which published  illegal, anti-war pamphlets pseudonymously signed “Spartacus” (after the slave-liberating gladiator who had opposed the Romans). The Spartacus League vehemently rejected the SPD’s war policy and supported the growing number of riots and strikes against the war all over Germany. 

In April 1917 Zetkin joined the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany (USPD) which had split off from the SPD, in protest at its pro-war stance. In January 1919, after the German Revolution in November 1918 she became a co-founder of the Communist Party of Germany becoming a member of the party’s central committee and got first elected to the Reichstag in 1920, and again  in 1932, at the age of 75, where as the oldest member she was entitled to open the parliaments first session. She took this as  her golden opportunity to bravely make a long speech, denouncing Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party .and  to o struggle in unity against fascism.

She also held the view that still holds much resonance today, that the source of womens oppression was in capitalism, and that any form of liberation, could only be served with the self-emancipation of the working class.

Elected to the presidium of the Third International (1921), she spent more and more of her time in Moscow.  Three volumes of collected works, Ausgewählte Reden und Schriften (“Selected Speeches and Writings”), were published in East Berlin from 1957 to 1960.] She died June 20, 1933, Arkhangelskoye, Russia, U.S.S.R.) aged nearly 76, 

Long may this grandmother of revolution, be recognised and celebrated. Clara Zetkin remains an invaluable fixture in modern feminist movements. Even now, women are still fighting for equal pay in the workplace, and figures such as Zetkin remind modern women that cooperation is of utmost importance, and that perseverance is critical to making progress in the movement for women’s equality. Zetkin’s most lasting legacy however, is her reputation as an organizer and effective leader. It’s no secret that modern politics and social movements are deeply affected by partisanship, so Zetkin is most relevant in that she is an example of what can be achieved with organization and cooperation.

In the garden

In  the garden, I steal myself away,
sit and inhale pungent smoke,
watch the grass grow beneath my feet,
as I try to forget the burden that humanity brings,
the shadows lift and the sun comes out.

I escape darkened patterns of thought,
walk barefoot over turf,
water flowers as senses awaken,
scatter seeds for the butterflies and bees,
in my sanctuary of devotion.

Here lies a place of  peace, a pleasant distraction,
a landscape shaped by hand,
in harmony with nature,
enabling magic to grow again,
to release its melding scents.

I could stay here for a while,
but I go and wait for loyal love's return,
and the companionship of friends,
as the earth spins gently by,
and the night sky turns silver.

Heatwave flashback

Been busy helping someone move today, gosh it was rather sweltering. But if I think its been hot this week, I recall the summer of 1976, the year of the national Eisteddfod coming home to us here in Cardigan/Aberteifi. Throughout the summer the entire country sweltered under the heat, for most of its duration, the therometers tipped 26c,  at least I was not stuck in the confines of school. 
Rivers ground to a trickle, while some even stopped flowing. Without water,  companies were forced to cut the working week, while vans patrolled the streets to make sure the hosepipe bans were strictly enforced. Today at least I had  the relief of a bit of rain, thank goodness for that.Ah days of youthful adventures by the seaside on the West Wales coast, and the dawning of the musical explosion of Punk.



The 1976 Punk explosion

Gaza bound flotilla seized by Israeli navy.

Following my last post, news  has reached me that Israel has boarded and taken over a vessel attempting to break the blockade of the Gaza strip, officials have said.
In a statement the Israeli army on Monday  said that it did not use force in redirecting, the main boat Marianne to the  Israeli city of Ashdod. 
Petros Stergiou, a spokesperson for the flotilla told Al Zazeera that organisers lost contact with the ship at around 2 am time on Monday morning as the military boats approached. Once again the Israeli government and its military has acted like state pirates and attacked in international waters. We must continue to respond and react against this injustice, as we will until the port of Gaza is open and the seize and occupation is ended.
I hop all on board will be safe.


http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/06/gaza-bound-flotilla-seized-israeli-navy-150629032943407.html

Breaking the Siege Freedom Flotilla III

Today a flotilla of at least 3 ships with supporters from over 20 countries, will try to set out across the Mediterranean Sea, bound for the Gaza strip. The aim being to confront Israels maritime blockade of the Palestinian people, and deliver symbolic  humanitarian aid to those imprisoned there.
Dismissed by Israel as a publicity stunt,and a threat, unauthorised, but serves to remind the world that the blockade is another war crime. A continuous violation of international law. A collective punishment of more than 1.8 million Palestinians.. The flotilla's journey will seek to highlight  the impact of Israel's 8 year imposed,inhumane land , air and sea blockade.
Setting sail to what is known as the worlds largest open-air prisons by many different human rights groups. The blockade having already bought a solitary confinement to Gaza's people by further restricting their movement outside the territory and curtailing  the amount of items that can be bought in.

Activists on these ships will attempt to deliver much needed medical supplies and solar panels, to people  living in disgraceful conditions, in an act of peaceful civil disobedience and solidarity. I hope we will not see a repeat of what occurred 5 years ago when a previous Gaza Freedom flotilla of 6 ships, the first including Turkish and Greek vessels, made nine attempts to break the siege. These ships  were also carrying humanitarian aid and building materials, activists and journalists and aid workers. It resulted in Israeli commanders boarding a ship called  the Mavi Marmama in international waters, in horrifying scenes it resulted in 8 activists being killed, dozens injured, in an act of piracy that also saw dozens  injured.
Since then, others have attempted to land supplies in Gaza, or even sail from Gaza to rendezvous offshore. All have sadly failed, with ships impounded and destroyed.
The journey will be a tough one, but I hope the latest attempt will succeed, that they reach Gazas port, without any fatalities or injury and bring attention to the international community the Palestinians plight and send a message of hope to the Gazans who have to endure such a punishing daily life of struggle.
This blockade must be lifted

Allright for some

Campaigners are demanding an immediate review  into the Royal families contribution to Government austerity measures. It seems the Queen will not face any cuts to Royal finances for at least another 2 years - despite an 11% increase in her income. In the 2 years since the Civil list was replaced by the Sovereign Grant, the Queens taxpayer funded income has shot up from £36.1 million to more than £40 mililon, which seems obscene to me, especially in today's uncertain economic climate. They are simply outdated and  in serious need of reform.
Surely  its time to auction of the crown jewels, give her homes to the homeless, as they line their pockets through strict nepotism and strategic alliances. The Royal  family is more than just an international embarassment, it is a crime against the British public. We should give thanks to those who have earned  it, than to those who were born to rule, simply  because they have the right last name.
The rule one for the rich and another rule for everybody else, obviously springs to mind. The cost is not the only reason I would  like to see the  back of ther monarchy ( and I can assure you that is my wish) - I would want them gone, even if they were free. But this latest abuse  of public money and their lack of concern  for the taxpayer is a symptom of an institution that cannot be held into account.
It surely is absurd that we still have them in this modern age. They are not elected, just inheritors of a status that is so outdated. Maybe having a King or Queen reminds the people of the old days, when Britannia  ruled the waves, along  with much of the world's land mass. The reality today is rather different though,  they simply serve  little purpose, other than  to perpetuate a divisive class system, at a time when Britain is the most unequal society it has  been in Queenies 60 year reign. I for one  hope their reign does not endure.
Is it not time  they were served an eviction  notice from Buckingham Palace and offered a council  house in return. But mind you they would have to wait around 8 years  for one to turn up, on the current waiting list from Westminster City Council.
Surely we must have sufficient  grounds by now for pressing for the dissolution of the monarchy.Time for them to give their palaces and silver and gold  back to the nation.  I long for the day when instead of singing God save the Queen or King, we cry out loud Viva Republic.


https://republic.org.uk/

After Austerity Demo - Time to Keep fighting

Went up from Wales yesterday to the Peoples Assembly Demo in London, one of the biggest I've attended for years. It saw as many as 250,000 people taking to the streets to protest against austerity. 
Masses of Trade Union banners mingling with  placards from the Peoples Assembly, the Green Party, a myriad of political groups, Anarchists, Autonomists, Quakers, Hari Krishnas, all religious faiths, Class War dancing in the streets, Hunt Sabs, CND, Stop the War, you name it, they were there, a broad church clamoring for change.
Amazing too to bump randomly bump into several people from various parts of the country, which was pretty amazing considering the amount of people.
Not once did I feel unsafe, people in masks did not bother me, the only time I felt uncomfortable was the sight of policemen in uniform, carrying out governmental orders, but that's another story.
The message of the day, was "This Far, No further" to the government and their cuts. The feeling I left with was one of solidarity, celebration, a largely peaceful affair, but nevertheless saw people managing to get their different messages out. Linking us all to the economic and political struggles coming ahead. As the government agrees £12 billion welfare cuts- hours after this brilliant swell of people, just adds insult to injury.
It is  not the end. We cannot allow ourselves to be distracted by rich politicians, bleeting  on about immigration  or aspiration or  EU referrendums. We must  unite against a system that seeks to oppress us all. After this big demo, we keep faith, keep fighting,  when  you see this many people marching together, it does release a good feeling, however much some speeches, being a tad lackluste . As a movement, we will keep on fighting, gaining momentum, with each step.

Peter Tosh - Equal Rights

Everyone is crying out for peace, yes,

No one is crying out for justice,

Everyone is crying out for peace , yes,

No one is crying out for justice.

( Happy Solstice, blessed be, solidarity)

Fela Kuti - Sorrow Tears and Blood

Dedicated to victims of Charleston shooting

"We fear for the things we no see

We fear for the air around us

We fear to fight for freedom

We fear to fight  for liberty

We fear to fight for justice

We fear to fight for happiness

We always get reason to fear

We no want die

We no want wound

them leave Sorrow,Tears and Blood "

No to Austerity : National Demonstration 20 June 2015

We  have to say no to the lie of austerity. Say no to the £12 billion in benefit cuts the Tory's are planning. No to the 4.5 billion new cuts  just announced. No to a Government that has no actual mandate to govern. No to a Government that  only 25% of the population bothered to vote for.
We must loudly say no to the vicious cuts, that will hit public services hard, including education, transport and local government. Making it even harder for councils to deliver key services such as social care.The NHS under threat too, as are our libraries. Things that matter a lot to ordinary people across the land.
This combined with the attack on the workers and the poor, the marginalised and the disadvantaged. We cannot afford to sit back and wait for their savage plans to unfold. Cameron and co have shown to us their  true intentions, their intent to go on a rampage with our lives. In July will deliver a budget with  £12 billion of cuts to welfare hitting the most vulnerable the hardest.
We need to stop them  in their tracks show them our resistance, our strong opposition. Counter their extreme ideology, as they threaten  to take away our freedoms and privileges and economic futures.That is why I will be joining others and travelling up from West Wales, a attend a demonstration in  the heart of London, the belly of the beast, on the doorstep of the very people who caused the crisis in the first  place, the bankers and their friends in government. We will demand that the bankers and the elite should  pay for this  crisis and not the vast majority who had nothing to do with it. I will support all that  release their justified anger, joining  the growing mood  of angry defiance to the capitalist system that is now emerging. We should not forget either the richest 1,000 people in this country who doubled their wealth  during the last parliament. How much more will they gain in the new one.
What will we achieve, we will have  loudly shown our opposition, stood in solidarity, find some strength  as we build our resistance, as we try to keep Britain tidy and kick out the Tory's. Their lies can be combatted, they can be defeated

I Am ( a poem to mark refugee week 15-21 June)

                                                         

                                                    
I am everyman, I am every woman
every current, every breeze,
I am in exile, looking for home
I am universal, a citizen of the world,
I am no trespasser, I come in peace
I am the colour of rainbows,
I drift among a mass of people
seeking refuge, carried on storms,
I am a witness of a world of poverty and war
I was born into revolution, turmoil and strife,
in rubble to the sound of bullets and explosions
my neighbours are dead, my friends are lost,
my homes have been  plundered, my wells emptied
I have escaped persecution and oppression,
I am in search of freedom and hope
but I am refused, and given no welcome,
I am vilified and abused, told to shut my mouth
I ride waves of persistence, move in many directions,
I am the blood and soil of humanity
I carry the kiss of different languages tonque,
I arrive with the weight of dignity
I have fled sleepless and anquished nights,
I am a world of belief and struggle
moving onwards with  memory and survival,
my voice  rings out on all continents
I am an endless  river, releasing the flow of endurance,
I am tired, but will  not be silenced or confined anymore
I am a dream that never ever fades.
                                                  

Refugee Week; 15-21 June 2015; No one is illegal

It is refugee week here in the UK a week to celebrate the rich contribution refugees bring to the UK and promote a better understanding of why people seek sanctuary, sadly however, we are currently witnessing the worst crisis since World War 11.
 One million refugees  still desperately in need of resettlement, some sanctuary, safe harbour.  Currently there are 4 million Syrian refugees struggling to survive in Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt. More than 3 million  refugees in Sub-Sahara Africa and  only a small fraction being offered resettlement. Since 2013, 3,500 people have drowned trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea in  2014, 1,865 so far  this year. People daily dying, due to drowning, starvation or dehydration.
World leaders are condemning millions of refugees to an unbearable existence and thousands to death by failing to provide essential humanitarian protection, because they pursue selfish political interests  instead of showing some human compassion.
Amnesty International have published today a new  briefing today in Beirut, ahead of World Refugee Day on June 20th




The Global Refugee Crisis; a conspiracy of neglect


https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/pol40/1796/2015/en/


Governments across the world have a duty to ensure  people do not die trying to reach safety, after managing to escape, persecution, torture, oppression, poverty, etc. Our own Government has not yet joined the United Nations High Commission for Refugees - a resettlement  programme, but has instead set up its own programme providing minimal assistance. Unlike Germany who have pledged to take 11,000 Syrian refugees as part of a UN initiative. Even much smaller countries with respect, like Sweden and Norway have agreed to take in a significant number,  to Britain's shame.
We must continue to counter the element of  persecution of migrants and refugees, who have been scapegoated for no fault of their own. That has been fuelled  by the rise of the racist UKIP party.
On the 25th  of June European leaders  will have the chance to take decisive action to save lives  and stop smugglers in their tracks  by offering refugees another route to safety.  We must resettle more people  bringing them directly and safely to  European Countries. Please act now and call on the Prime Minister David Cameron to protect refugees in the Mediterranean.


http://act.refugeecouncil.org.uk/lobby/medcrisis


It is  essential that we offer a safe have for desperate refugees, offering them protection and dignity, lets steer away from the mindset of Fortress Europe. To be welcomed and  accepted , to be treated with respect, no one is illegal, no one should be caged, imprisoned, quarantined, denied access, abused and vilified for simply seeking freedom. In  these uncertain times, we must offer them hope, and a means of survival.We must end the detentions and deportations. Let us stand together against racism and for international  solidarity with migrants and refugees the world over.
No one is lllegal, we are all human.

Guy Debord's Society of the Spectacle

                                 
                                            Guy Debord

In his fascinating book first published June in 1967 the Society of the Spectacle, Guy Debord leading figure of the French Situationist International argued that to succumbing to alienation caused by capitalism we have let our lives become colonised  by an immersive experience.
This spectacle has replaced social interaction and human needs. While this is superficially satisfying it  makes us isolated and lonely individuals.It is still one of the greatest theoretical examinations  of our social-cultural conditions describing in pinpoint accuracy the dreadful corporate globalization currently sweeping the planet.The spectacle accompanies us throughout our lives, via News Propaganda, advertising, enertainment and yes social media, presenting a continuous stream of imagery, projecting a constant justification for how our society and culture is formulated.
The text https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/guy-debord-the-society-of-the-spectacle.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1r_mORBe5b6eH__t7_A8iSz9ppVP2IwVVcmiVuTrqulmA5SZAwDlvSH6Q

was  a primary influence not only on  the near-revolution of May 1968 in Paris, but also on the ethos of London's  underground press and certain aspects of punk ideology. The SI developed out of an earlier Left Bank twitch of avante garde politics, carring out programs of provocation, graffit and antiparty revolutionary outrage. The Situationists were concerned to articulate a 'theory of moments,'  propogating ideas of pleasure and depicting the personal as intrinsically political (' boredom is always counterrevolutionary ' sneered one of their mottoes. Debord dissolved the SI ( proclaiming its victory over history') in 1972, their impact has been assured. Again we need t break with conventions, break out of our desolate paradigms, and be free.Viva the Situationists.
Sadly in 1994 aged 67, in the isolated village of Champot high in the Auvergne, Guy Debord shot himself with a single bullet to the heart.

Below Guy Debords 1967 text is remade into a contemporary context and turned into a mind-bending short film,with contributions from Marshall Mc Luhan and John Berger, made bt Aska with sound by Pippin Kenworthy.

Ornette Coleman Jazz Legend R.I.P ( 9/3/30 -11/6/15)

Unfortunately blog playing up at moment, again, can no longer upload certain stuff here, in the libray, hey hot despite this must mention the passing of Ornette Coleman,  legendary self-taught saxophone player who bought to the  jazz world his unconventional 'free jazz, becoming known as an avant garde genius, sadly died yesterday morning in New York aged 85.
He began playing alto sax at age 14, partucularly influenced by  Charlie Parker. In the late 1950's and early 1960's he became  a central figure in the downtown avant garde scene. A friend of poets and musicians alike.
Mr Coleman widened the options in jazz and helped change its direction. He pioneered  and presented a style  that is not for some ears accessible, but I loved most of his body of work. Hauntingly beautiful, raw and tender. He symbolisedf the outsider American spirit as effectively as any artist of the last century. His bold and exciting music has had a huge impact on me and the shape of jazz to come.Truly amazing inspirational character, thank you Ornette. R.I.P

For Ornette

A plastic saxophone,
releases free tonal notes,
passionately in whirlwinds of intensity,
simple melodies of improvisation,
breathes of illumination.
compositions leftfield,
blowing against tradition,
otherworldly and gentle,
hauntingly beautiful,
refusing to be sensible,
keeps on soaring,
long after exit time.
thank you ornette,
for your musical gift.,
your legacy, sublime,
it will stay in place,
harmolodics will keep on talking,
the sound of imagination,
always free.

Christopher Lee (27/5/22 - 7/6/15) - R.I.P Ghost Riders in the Sky

What Amazon Isn't Telling You

It's been another  good year of Sales  for Amazon.  Its never far from the headlines, if its not tax avoidance , its treatement of its workers and its union busting activities. Their CEO Jeff Brazen will tell shareholders  how rosy everything is.  But that is just spin. While  Jeff is lining his pockets,  Amazon workers are paying the price with miserable working conditions, stress, poverty  wages and job insecurity
Here's the story Amazon does not want you to see. Share it far and wide.
If you use social media why don't you join others in sending them a little message.





http://www.amazonanonymous.org/home

Release the Vortex

Mass worldy observation,
immersed in delusion and devotion,
amongst the dark swell of the afternoons' call,
that comes down daily to breach the peace.

There are no safe districts,
we all carry different scars,
force fed illusion, the need for consumption,
walls built of separation and division.

It is time to disassemble, unravel, untangle,
turn of the t.v, mobile phone, computer screen,
because there is nothing to be seen or heard,
that has not been  glanced at many times before.

The compass is broken, 
the map is torn, time to escape,
create a new destination,
where the signals of obedience do not call,
because they have all been switched off.

Thread by thread, we can rearrange,
it only takes a moment for light to return,
as rain falls down, filling in holes,
sparkles of nourishment, on breathing leaves,
release the vortex as fresh candles are lit.

Remembering the Naksa ( The Setback)

                                            Poster issued in 1967, to commemorate event

Yesterday June 5th saw the 48th anniversary of  the Naksa (the setback)  when Israel illegally seized what was left of the Palestininian's historic homeland.( the Sinai, the Golan heights,the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem )
In 1967 more than 400,000 Palestinians  were expelled  by Israel from their land  , making  it the secomnd expulsion of Palestinians from their homeland since the Nakba ( the Catastrophe) in 1948 when 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly expelled  to neighboring Arab countries by Zionist terror groups, and 150,000 Palestinians  became internally displaced in the newly  born state.
It took less than  a week for the Palestinians to be forcibly displaced for the second time. A truly dark moment in history. The life in refugee camps, is truly miserable, whether in Lebanon, Syria or Jordan, the Palestinians today seek justice, freedom and Israel to abide by International law and allow Palestinian refugees their right to return to their homelands.