Hats Off To Howard

A link here to Howard Thorp's very good blog from the left of the Green Party of England and Wales - Capitalism Creates Poverty

Howard has posted interesting recent articles on the Green Party's direction after Caroline Lucas steps down as leader and on the situation in Greece.

http://capitalism-creates-poverty.blogspot.co.uk/

Green progress in Europe

This is the news release from the Greens' European grouping:

Great Result for European Greens strengthens GREENS/EFA Group by at least 10 Seats

The European Green Party has had an excellent result in the election to the European Parliament. A total of 46 Green MEPs have been elected, up from 35. The Greens/EFA Group is now likely to have 53 MEPS (46 Greens and 7 EFA MEPs), up from 43, although the exact formation of the Group is still to be confirmed

EGP Co-Spokesperson Philippe Lamberts, who has been elected a MEP for the Belgian French-speaking Green Party Ecolo, said: “To have increased the number of Green MEPs from 35 to 46 is a great success. Our showing is even more remarkable when you consider that we have 11 more seats than before in a parliament with 49 fewer MEPS and that all other groups have shrunk. Countries which deserve a special mention from our point of view include France where Europe-Ecologie obtained an amazing 16% of the national vote and so will have 14 MEPs and Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Finland which will all have more Green MEPs than last time round and Greece which now has its very first Green MEP (The Greek Greens’ campaign demonstrated European solidarity as an Austrian-Greek Green stood as a candidate to support the Greek party). What our 31% increase in seats proves beyond any shadow of a doubt is that the Greens are a major political force to be reckoned with and that we are gaining the trust of more and more voters, not only in our traditional areas like the environment and climate policy and human rights, but also economics and social policy. “

EGP Co-Spokesperson Ulrike Lunacek, who was also elected a MEP for the Austrian Greens, who maintained 2 seats despite an electoral atmosphere marred by rightwing populism, continued:” I would like to congratulate all Green parties and their members, candidates and workers for their hard work and to thank all the people who, as our slogan said, dared to “Think Big, Vote Green. We will fight hard on their behalf for a Green New Deal for Europe, which was at the heart of our common election campaign and obviously appealed to many voters, including many who had never voted Green before. The Green New Deal would not only create 5 million new Green-Collar jobs in 5 years but would also help fight climate change as 500 billion Euros of public and private funds would be invested in renewables, energy efficiency and other future-oriented technologies. While we are generally very pleased with our showing, we are very disappointed not to have made an electoral breakthrough in the EU’s new member states or in southern Europe, with the notable exception of Greece. From now until 2014, working hard with Greens in those countries will be our major priority so that we can ensure that voters in every EU member state have a viable option of sending a Green MEP to the Parliament.”

(Note - the EFA part of the Parliamentary grouping is composed of Regionalist and Left Civic Nationalist Parties including the SNP and Plaid Cymru.)

Weekly Links 16/03/2009

Just to vary things a bit I think we will have an ABC of links this week!

A is for
Airport Expansion, which will actually destroy jobs, says a new report.
B is for
Blackpool, location of the Green Party of England and Wales conference this coming weekend.
C is for
The CNT Spanish anarcho-syndicalist union now in dispute with Ryanair.
D is for
The New Depression, a word now being heard more frequently.
E is for
Evolution - elaborated by Charles Darwin, whose bi-centenary we are celebrating this year
F is for
The Israeli Far Right, who have just joined the Government coalition there.
G is for
Greece, where "Scotland Yard" have been called in to support the tottering regime.
H is for
Maura Harrington, an environmentalist protester languishing in Ireland's notorious Mountjoy Jail.
I is for
Ireland, and its' diaspora, preparing for St Patrick's Day.
J is for
Jury Team - the latest "independent" effort to shake up British Politics.
K is for
Korea, where violations of Labour Rights are increasing.
L is for
Low Carbon Lifestyle, a blog which reported on the "Age Of Stupid" film premiere.
M is for
Montreal which saw small scale rioting at the weekend, following a march against Police brutality.
N is for
Next Left Notes, always an interesting read.
O is for
Oceans, which are apparently becoming more acidic.
P is for
Paris, which will be the place where the action is on Thursday 19th March, with a General Strike in France.
Q is for
The Queen, whose website efforts have spurred Republicans to revamp their own site.
R is for
The Russians, who as ever "are coming" and in the case of the Evening Standard have arrived! Strange Days indeed!
S is for
"Squadism" which is how Andy Newman of Socialist Unity Blog describes recent events in Leigh
T is for
Terror, which brought peace protesters onto the streets of Belfast and elsewhere.
U is for
UKWIN - the UK without Incineration Network, who are holding their annual gathering in Nottingham this weekend.
V is for
The Very Public Sociologist who this week listed some "blogs you may have missed"
W is for
Wales where a story about bullying in the Army is unfolding.
X is for
X? X marks the spot, dark matter wise.... (That was a difficult one!)
Y is for
Youth unemployment - continued rises likely to be reported this Wednesday.
Z is for
Z Net, which I have not visited for a while, but looks very comprehensive these days.

Rising Revolt - French Workers Show The Way

Events in France over the last 48 hours show that whatever the ruling class of Europe thought they could get away with in terms of making the ordinary people pay for the profligacy, recklessness and irresponsibility of the bankers (and their tame government stooges) is now seriously being questioned. This is immensely heartening.
After the people of Iceland showed what they felt and drove the neo-liberal government there from office - and Greek workers and farmers have used the example of their students and youth to go on the offensive against the capitalists - the general strike in France shows that the stakes are being raised. This crisis of capitalism gives immense opportunities, the likes of which have not been seen for a couple of generations, for a reshaping of the world into something where workers and ordinary people, not banks, corporations and corrupt politicians set the agenda.

The IMF report this week showed the scale of what is faced - and showed how in Britain this crisis is likely to be deeper, longer lasting and more consequential than elsewhere. Quite clearly this "recession" (the "D" word is still only hinted at) is said to be going to be worse than any of those of the 70s, 80s or 90s in Britain.

However, although it seems that it takes longer for the working class of Britain to rouse itself than in other parts of continental Europe, the ruling class here should not be complacent, things are beginning to move. The angry walk-outs over social dumping and job cuts that have sprung up this week are a sign of the new mood. Gordon Brown's attempt at whipping up nationalism and racism - "British jobs for British Workers" - is quoted back at him in a new and more dangerous (for him) context in relation to corporate plans to replace local labour.

Obviously there are dangers here also for the workers, in that little petty nationalists and fascists will see the nature of the dispute that has started in Lincolnshire and Teeside as a massive opportunity for the propagation of their ideas. However - the left and union activists should not allow this to happen - this is not an issue primarily about "National interest" or immigration, but about the capitalist class acting in its usual immoral and insensitive way to use working people as pawns in their money-making game. It is also about the labour laws of the new European Capitalist superstate that have been opposed in campaigns led by the likes of the RMT

Meanwhile, the ruling class fall to arguing amongst themselves - hurrah! - Obama (either because he does not see it as good PR at the moment or because he really is pursuing a different agenda) shuns the depressed elite jamboree at Davos and various others grandstand and stage walkouts there.

The opportunity is arising for raising more radical demands than it has been possible to get a hearing for for many a long year. These demands - that workers should not pay the price of the crisis, that economic democracy is something that should be taken seriously and explored, that politics should not be about swapping representatives of the same plutocratic class every few years that their inevitable corruption becomes blatant and that transition to a new "green" economy must be worker-led and socially just - can unite the disparate elements of the left and workers' organisations in Britain and begin to make the challenges that our European comrades are making. When this process gets going in enough countries we will begin to see the marvellous change in consciousness where huge masses of people begin to see that another world truly is possible.

Greenman's Occasional Awards - 2008

Bloggers Of The Year (In No Particular Order)
Daily (Maybe) - Jim J
Socialist Unity Blog - Andy Newman and Friends
Another Green World - Derek Wall
Anglo-Buddhist Combine - Matt S
La Lutte Continue! - James Caspell

Books Of The Year
1. Joel Kovel, Second Edition of The Enemy of Nature
2. Ken MacLeod, The Night Sessions
3. Dave Douglass - Geordies - Wa Mental

Storm In A Teacup Award
1. The SWP Pre-Conference "Split" (Yawn)
2. The NUM versus Climate Campers clash which fortunately was kept comradely.
3. The "Knives are out for Gordon Brown" media stories

Sporting Moments Awards
1. Rebecca Adlington's Swimming Golds
2. James Hayter ends his goal drought at Wembley giving Doncaster Rovers Promotion
3. Fabio Capello amazingly succeeds in teaching England how to play football
4. Andy Murray's comeback with the best season for a Brit since Fred Perry

"Oops - Let it Slip" Award
1.Gordon Brown "Saved The World...er saved the banks"
2.Nick Clegg letting slip what he really thought about members of his front bench
3.George Monbiot letting slip his real (aristocratic disdain and lack of concern) feelings about ordinary people in his Guardian article arguing for the "destruction of Detroit" - for which he was rightly flamed to a crisp in the comments section.

The Idealistic Liberals Misplaced Hopes Award
1.Barack Obama Presidency (Need we say more than his subsequent appointments for a flavour of what is to come)
2.The EU Constitution (And we await with baited breath what happens to the blessed Euro in the New Year after all the Europhile schadenfreude over the Pound's slump)
3.Most versions of the "Green New Deal"

The Rightist "Con-mentariat" Award For Disservice To Their Own Causes And Contributing To The Impression That Many Of them Have, er, Mental Health Issues
1. Melanie Phillips (For services to frothing hatred and irrationality)
2. Richard Littlejohn - the "stupid person's Jeremy Clarkson" (Ditto)
3. Julie Burchill (Continuing her degeneration into a permanent "toddler tantrum")
4. Brendan O'Neill of the weird Furedi cult (For anti-green monomania)

Golden Molotov Award
1. China's (In the face of a media blackout) multitudes in revolt
2. Greece's street rebels
3. Iceland's Credit Crunch Protestors
4. Italy's Anomolous Wave
5. Germany's School Students

Campaigns Of The Year
1. The Big Ask (Friends Of The Earth) Successful, at least on its own terms.
2. Republic - going from strength to strength and raising profile
3. Convention Of The Left (For services to left unity)

British TV
1. Little Dorrit - BBC
2. The Devil's Whore - C4
3. Survivors - BBC
4. Outnumbered - BBC

Hopes for 2009
1. Continued growth, development and strengthening of the Ecosocialist International
2. Development of the Convention Of The Left in Britain
3. Continued growth and development of the IWW in Britain and internationally

Weekly Links 08/12/2008

Lots happening at the moment, and very busy myself. Here are some quick links.

Climate protests

Lots of pictures of Saturday's Climate March on Indymedia UK here and also here.
Video of the Critical Mass bike ride on the day is linked here. Pictures of the Critical Mass ride here.

Today Plane Stupid have upped the ante with a new airport invasion, this time at Stansted - BBC Report. Here is the Plane Stupid Website and here is Stop Stansted Expansion website.

Riots in Greece
For Greek readers here is Indymedia Athens. Lots of reports and pictures on UK indymedia - the initial rioting in Athens after the death of the student at the hands of Police reported here. More pictures of the rioting here.

Workers' Struggles
Workers in Chicago show the way to act in a recession/depression situation - Occupy!
Meanwhile, Nottingham Trent Uni have backed down over their union derecognition plans.