Yesterday there was a protest to keep Hillside jobs and work in Dunedin. It was a failure. I arrived and the Octagon was full, I'd say with around 500 people although the media has said 1000. Talking to socialist comrades, we noticed that the majority of protesters looked as if it had been their first protest ever. There were families and kids, grandparents sitting on benches and then of course hillsiders in their suits and a multitude of unions. This is good and bad. Good because it looks as if solidarity amongst unions is increasing also because many have reached a point which they can no longer stand, and they have become aware that protesting is an effective way of standing up. It is bad though because many protesters had never protested before. The protest was rigged and the wind was blowing wind into the sails of the labour party. It was not democratic and people did not have a voice- their representatives did. There were three Labour speakers, a Green, for some reason someone from Greenpeace and then about three Hillsiders. No open mic, it was electoral propaganda for Labour. It was hardly even against the National party, it was just Labour saying we would not do this. Notice the would not, it is always followed by an if. Labour's trajectory says that Labour would in fact have done the same. And they never stopped the privatisation of KiwiRail, even though they said they would have if they could to the masses.
I have to say I left early, the speeches were seriously boring- going on for 5 or 10 minutes. Chants were worse: "Jobkiller Joyce, Give us a choice". Cringeworthy.
No one else was allowed to speak, all the protesters got was an event prepared for the news, with the last full stop included. On the meanwhile though, the protesters were slowly escaping yawning. It was bad, seriously bad. And bad because people who seemingly have never protested before took part in it. They left probably not ever wanting to participate again, disapointed maybe. I almost did. This event was not democratic. It simply relayed the story we have heard again and again, give your power to representatives and every now and then they will pretend to listen, they will come down or maybe just send down a letter, and they will bore you to death. Politics you see is not a thing for you and I. We shouldn't have to know what's going on. An example of this is the speeches themselves, which sometimes got quite technical. They want us to leave it to them, ransack the countries not on our behalf but to our loss. Protesting and striking shows who has the real power, you and I can stop this groth-focussed profit-driven economy. We are the ones who get to choose when machines start and stop and we too can block the roads and demand a true democracy.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
Beating the pans.
How's it going? -"Oh, alright for a Friday"...
It wasn't any Friday. And he wasn't alright. The mood in the radio this morning was down, very down. Someone didn't turn up for work, there were few jokes, coffee wasn't being brewed. Coffee in Radio 1 is like a pair of scissors that quickly snip the wick just before it defuses the bomb. Today there was no bomb, nor scissors or wick. It was an odd day. Conversations were muffled, in low voices or seemingly unspecific. When I got added to a conversation I became aware why and I became aware that this wasn't Friday. No one was expecting the weekend, there was no excitement. A financial review of OUSA has ordered Radio 1 to be closed.
In Spain they beat pans and pots in protest. Shall we beat and pluck and dance instead? On the street?
It is not quite an order just yet, VSM may not go through and if it doesn't, OUSA will still have funding next year and thereafter. There doesn't seem to be a plan B though. Even though Radio 1 is the heart of the Dunedin music scene, even though it offers opportunities to anyone, is involved in the community and props up stations across New Zealand, it has no value- financially at least. It is up for sale and the buyer will do what? Cut the ties with the community? Are we hearing dead air?
Next week Radio 1 will run a full week of main steam shite, in protest. Without Radio 1, Dunedin has lost its soul, its rock is gone- swallowed by popular culture, mainstream capitalism.
Money is full of value... I do not value it.
It wasn't any Friday. And he wasn't alright. The mood in the radio this morning was down, very down. Someone didn't turn up for work, there were few jokes, coffee wasn't being brewed. Coffee in Radio 1 is like a pair of scissors that quickly snip the wick just before it defuses the bomb. Today there was no bomb, nor scissors or wick. It was an odd day. Conversations were muffled, in low voices or seemingly unspecific. When I got added to a conversation I became aware why and I became aware that this wasn't Friday. No one was expecting the weekend, there was no excitement. A financial review of OUSA has ordered Radio 1 to be closed.
In Spain they beat pans and pots in protest. Shall we beat and pluck and dance instead? On the street?
It is not quite an order just yet, VSM may not go through and if it doesn't, OUSA will still have funding next year and thereafter. There doesn't seem to be a plan B though. Even though Radio 1 is the heart of the Dunedin music scene, even though it offers opportunities to anyone, is involved in the community and props up stations across New Zealand, it has no value- financially at least. It is up for sale and the buyer will do what? Cut the ties with the community? Are we hearing dead air?
Next week Radio 1 will run a full week of main steam shite, in protest. Without Radio 1, Dunedin has lost its soul, its rock is gone- swallowed by popular culture, mainstream capitalism.
Money is full of value... I do not value it.
Youth Rates Speech.
Last Saturday I was at the youth rates protest in Dunedin. There were about 50 other people so it was good to see such a turn-out in such a small amount of time. At the same time there were two other protests going on in Dunedin, one against oil drilling and the other to save jobs at the Hillside train factory in South Dunedin. Funny how nothing goes on for weeks and then three separate protests are organised for the same day! At the protest I was shouted at by the ISO. I'm sure you know I'm not part of the ISO anymore. I have co-founded the organisation OGNA- Organisation for Global Non-Violent Action, thus splitting from the ISO. We still aim for socialism but for us the only way we can truly achieve socialism is through non-violence. The revolution to overthrow capitalism has to be non-violent. If not you are empowering a select few, better and probably male individuals to mow down those filthy capitalists. We are against killing, animals included (I've got some improvement to do on that one!), you only live once but most importantly, who is to decide who shall and shall not live? That in itself is unjust. Even that filthy capitalist has a right to live, with dignity. He is as much a product of the system as we all are. We are taught to behave as individuals in a competitive world. I think this is against human nature and so does Aristotle and Plato and Marx and all those current revolutionaries in Egypt, Tunisia, Spain and beyond. Proof that refutes this capitalist notion happens every time there is a natural disaster, or when communities start to face the worst. We all go back to those who we can trust- we belong in communities. The only reason these communities are divided is because of the system.
The ISO shouted at me because I publicly advertised our group- as well as the protest- on the radio. They say we have not given a letter of resignation, "that's what political groups do". Well we thought we'd made it clear enough, not attending meetings and anouncing the creation of our new group.. to them... But some people are just too keen to read upto that last full stop, which is redundant
Here is my speech:
The ISO shouted at me because I publicly advertised our group- as well as the protest- on the radio. They say we have not given a letter of resignation, "that's what political groups do". Well we thought we'd made it clear enough, not attending meetings and anouncing the creation of our new group.. to them... But some people are just too keen to read upto that last full stop, which is redundant
Here is my speech:
I worked a graveyard shift last night, I've only had three hours sleep but I'm still here. I and we shall not remain passive before these laws, we will not buy into these neo-liberal theories of trickle down effects or recessions.
While production rises, while we are forced to work more hours our wages effectively decrease due to gst and inflation.
I'm here as a student, a socialist, a worker and I find it hard to pay my bills. It doesn't matter if I'm young or about to retire, where I work or where I'm from I find it hard.
The truth of the matter is this [youth rates bill] fits into the system. It's here to divide us into age, gender, ethnicity or nationality. But we shall remain united... Only throughh unity can we achieve justice. Through union cooperation and worker's protests.
The truth of the matter is this [youth rates bill] fits into the system. It's here to divide us into age, gender, ethnicity or nationality. But we shall remain united... Only throughh unity can we achieve justice. Through union cooperation and worker's protests.
I do not want 30% less pay.I'm worth more than that and I earn more than I pay already!
Obama's lost wars.
Obama came into office saying he would get the troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan. I think I remember him saying he wanted justice for all the dead troops. I think, I'm not too sure. I too heard him say things he didn't do. Guantanamo ticked the first box. I though did not think he would change the world, by then socialism had already seeped into my brain and I knew well parliament would get us nowhere. Behind those smiling faces are hands that prop up those arched backs. Politicians are skeletons with no spirit, no muscle, no feeling behind that smile. Yes, I too recur to puppet imagery when it comes to talking about politicians, surely we can find another metaphor? How does Legomen sound? Always anchored in place for the right photo, always smiling and always looking ever-so-smart! But hollow.
Anyhow, the case is Obama is pulling the troops out of Afghanistan. They won't come out straight away, 10.000 by the end of this year, an extra 33.000 next year and then there are another 57.000 who will come out later. Later, unspecified. I'm in favour of the withdrawal of course, Obama though says it is now time for "nation-building" and is calling it a victory. Don't be dumbfounded, the US has gained nothing from this conflict but blood stained hands- and lets not forget, helped find some precious minerals (the rights to mine have probably landed on American tables). And I am seriously concerned to know what anyone can mean when calling armed soldiers "nation builders". Who's nation? What colour?
Karzai, a puppet alas with strings still visible, showed himself grateful to the US and concluded saying Afghans have gained "control of their own land". Afghans though fear the status quo in Afghanistan and say the US is leaving a country not only torn by but still at war. Afghanistan is in a worse state than what it was; there is now more corruption, less democracy and women can be sprayed with acid if they are brave enough to show their faces. The allied powers went into Afghanistan and excused the war by telling us they were going to improve these three issues. They haven't. It's a black hole in to which green notes are still being dropped. Brown University pronosticates a total expenditure of $4.400.000.000.000.
The taliban aren't being kind enough when they say there has been no progress. The taliban now effectively control almost all of Afganistan but Kabul and the American public believes that the Taliban will end up usurping power. But that doesn't matter, the US has won! They are in a "position of strength" according to Obama. Since Obama took office, more than 800 Americans have died in Afghanistan, the total number of coalition deaths in ten years amounts to almost 2600. The number of dead women, children and men are unaccounted for. The poverty on the streets, the empty fields, burnt books, burnt classrooms... All these will take longer to measure. Obama has left a war-ravaged country already, ravaged by more war, torn with inequality and with more corruption than ever before. If this is a victory, I must have my priorities wrong.
The only reason he is leaving is because he promised he'd get the troops out. He has now brushed his hands and is off to the White House again. As a side point, the White House has 132 rooms, if an Afghani family of say 8 was to fit into each of these rooms, we could house more than a thousand Afghanis, right next to Barrack and his dog! Obama no longer has time for Afganis, let alone poor ones! He has the elections coming up. Technically he is getting the troops out, after a long two-year killing spree, they are returning just on time to fulfil his promise. This is all it is, an electoral promise to apease enough voters to vote for him. From here he will have another 4 years, where to next? Where is the next oil-drunken spree?
Anyhow, the case is Obama is pulling the troops out of Afghanistan. They won't come out straight away, 10.000 by the end of this year, an extra 33.000 next year and then there are another 57.000 who will come out later. Later, unspecified. I'm in favour of the withdrawal of course, Obama though says it is now time for "nation-building" and is calling it a victory. Don't be dumbfounded, the US has gained nothing from this conflict but blood stained hands- and lets not forget, helped find some precious minerals (the rights to mine have probably landed on American tables). And I am seriously concerned to know what anyone can mean when calling armed soldiers "nation builders". Who's nation? What colour?
Karzai, a puppet alas with strings still visible, showed himself grateful to the US and concluded saying Afghans have gained "control of their own land". Afghans though fear the status quo in Afghanistan and say the US is leaving a country not only torn by but still at war. Afghanistan is in a worse state than what it was; there is now more corruption, less democracy and women can be sprayed with acid if they are brave enough to show their faces. The allied powers went into Afghanistan and excused the war by telling us they were going to improve these three issues. They haven't. It's a black hole in to which green notes are still being dropped. Brown University pronosticates a total expenditure of $4.400.000.000.000.
The taliban aren't being kind enough when they say there has been no progress. The taliban now effectively control almost all of Afganistan but Kabul and the American public believes that the Taliban will end up usurping power. But that doesn't matter, the US has won! They are in a "position of strength" according to Obama. Since Obama took office, more than 800 Americans have died in Afghanistan, the total number of coalition deaths in ten years amounts to almost 2600. The number of dead women, children and men are unaccounted for. The poverty on the streets, the empty fields, burnt books, burnt classrooms... All these will take longer to measure. Obama has left a war-ravaged country already, ravaged by more war, torn with inequality and with more corruption than ever before. If this is a victory, I must have my priorities wrong.
The only reason he is leaving is because he promised he'd get the troops out. He has now brushed his hands and is off to the White House again. As a side point, the White House has 132 rooms, if an Afghani family of say 8 was to fit into each of these rooms, we could house more than a thousand Afghanis, right next to Barrack and his dog! Obama no longer has time for Afganis, let alone poor ones! He has the elections coming up. Technically he is getting the troops out, after a long two-year killing spree, they are returning just on time to fulfil his promise. This is all it is, an electoral promise to apease enough voters to vote for him. From here he will have another 4 years, where to next? Where is the next oil-drunken spree?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)