Mobilise Against Austerity - And For Peace!

The TUC have arranged a major UK anti-austerity demonstration for London on 20th October.  This is everyone's chance to make a stand against the Con-Dem Corporate Puppet Government and to stand with the people of Spain, Greece, Portugal and Italy in their growing resistance to their own corporate puppet governments and the would-be Centralised Corporatist Empire of Europe.  It is abundantly clear that what the elites are about is removing every last one of the gains of European working people since 1945 - pensions, healthcare, workplace and union rights, free education - everything must go! The elite are about the task of creating a finance capitalist's wet dream world of cowed and impoverished workforces too busy struggling to survive to resist or organise,  workers who will be smashed with all the available force of the corporatist state (witness the behaviour of the Spanish State forces of late) if they dare to even complain politely.

And there is more - the storm clouds gathering over the Middle East could lead to horrors beyond imagining if the chain reaction of war is not able to be stopped by organised workers and the mobilised unemployed.  If the forces of opposition are in the field and mobilised it will be that much more difficult for the national ruling classes to rally their national populations, 1914 style, for the planned slaughter.  The lesson of 1914 must be learnt - there will be no excuse this time for not seeing what "rallying round the flag" will lead to.

Everyone who considers themselves an opponent of the current ruling class,  should be doing what they can to move people into action against the Cameron-Clegg Government and the forces they represent. I believe that as a generation we may be soon facing the most serious challenge since 1914 - with the possibility of even more catastrophic events than even the bloody slaughter of the First World War.  Being able to defeat, or at least challenge the current ruling class could well be a life and death matter.

The movement we must build across Europe and the world must have three key perspectives - an end to the power of the finance capitalists, the dismantling and defeat of the military-industrial complex
that is threatening and lobbying for war and a global recognition of the catastrophic climate change situation. 

The recent data on Arctic Sea Ice is truly frightening.  The prospect of runaway climate change, megadeaths and even species extinction becomes ever more realistic.  Equally, those who talk blithely about "surgical strikes", or war with Iran, and think that this could not spin out of control and plunge the whole world into slaughter are knowingly or unknowlingly gambling with all our futures.

All the available forces of humanity need to be mobilised to fight the disaster of climate change rather than be dragged into disastrous war.

Those who are planning for war, and those who are getting in the way of addressing the looming climate catastrophe must be recognised as potentially some of the most heinous criminals in the history of our planet.

It is easy to be cowed by the enormity of the challenges facing us.  It is still, just about, easy enough for many to hide in everyday life and its routines.  But the time is coming when "normal" everyday life will no longer be an option.  If we do not start to act now to halt the multiple threats that loom we may well find ourselves strapped to the runaway train as it heads for the collapsed bridge.

My thoughts and solidarity go out to all those taking up the challenge.  We truly have nothing to lose and a world to win.....

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.

Workers and Students On The March In Rome, Paris, Madrid And Berlin This Week

Students and workers have been on the march in many parts of Europe this week as governments, bosses and bureaucrats try to impose further cuts and neo-liberal "reforms".



Rail workers, including a delegation from the British Transport union the RMT protested in Paris this week against the neo-liberal attacks at EU level on public transport. Meanwhile, Air France pilots began a four day strike against proposed changes to their retirement arrangements, and Wildcat strikes continued at the Italian airline Alitalia over job losses likely to follow a proposed takeover by the Cai investor group.

Protests have continued in Italy against the Berlusconi regime's attack on students and education workers.



There have been solidarity protests organised across the continent. Workers and students in Italy are now moving into direct conflict with the far right regime and its fascist outriders.

In Spain this week there were demonstrations to commemorate the anniversary of the murder of a young antifascist, including an impressive manifestation in Madrid -




Protests by school students have also erupted in Germany.

High School students struck and marched across Germany yesterday in protest against classroom overcrowding, lack of teachers, and the pressure of examinations.

Some 100,000 participated in demonstration across the country, walking out of classes and marching in over 40 cities. They protested for more permanent staff, smaller classes, and against a sped-up version of the school leaving exam, called the “turbo-abitur”. School students face intense exam pressure in Germany, where they are "streamed" at the age of 10 and selected to go to either a vocational or grammar school, often determining their prospects and chances in adult life. Demands that the pressure be relieved were made, and many teachers are also reported to be supporting the students' efforts.

A 10,000 strong protest march in Berlin ended with the invasion of the prestigious Humboldt University, where the conference room and terrace were occupied and draped with banners. There are reports of university staff battling with the students to defend statues of Hegel and Fichte, and of the university president Christoph Markschies barricading himself inside his office. 8,500 marched in Hanover, 8,000 in Stuttgart, and 6,000 in Hamburg.

Let us hope that these are the harbingers of much needed, sustained mass resistance across the continent !