Monthly Archives: January 2015

Fracking serious

While Lancashire councillors dither about allowing fracking exploration to continue, residents of Oklahoma worry about earthquakes occurring daily in an area where the oil/shale gas companies have had their evil way.

The Lancashire Councillors it seems have no principled objection to fracking, they just fiddle round the edges objecting to noise and nuisance. The environmental harm and consequential health hazards apparent to their constituents don’t appear to be on their radar.

In the US today’s report of what is happening in Okaloma is a repeat of what happened in Ohio. Lancashire has already experienced them, but the fracking industry, while not denying their existence, likens them to a lorry rumbling past your house at the very worst. Who do you believe and trust when so much is at stake, with governments supporting the massively powerful corporations to the hilt?

North Dakota faced another problem, this time not an earthquake but a waste water spill. Interesting to know how this is contained but more importantly how leaks occur. All this is minimised and glossed over but not just by the corporations themselves, but by the politicians who get into bed with them. They should be representing us since we voted for them. The Corporations don’t and are totally unaccountable unless you’re a shareholder, that is. In that case you want bigger and better wars, food that makes you ill so you can sell medicines, and fracking until the world has an orgasm.

Don’t vote. Won’t vote? In Greece they will and are going to it seems

There’s a view, a concern that young people don’t vote or won’t vote. They will if there’s a good reason to. Conversely they won’t if there’s no reason not to. That’s why I’m looking at Greece today with a party described as “left wing” favourite to win because it has captured young people’s enthusiasm. “Austerity” the curse placed on the World, Europe and Greece in particular is being challenged. The Greeks have with Syriza a young candidate (as Greek leaders go) at 40 and there seems a point in going to the polls.

Last year hope was raised when Syriza performed well in the European elections. Anti-austerity demonstrations were fuelled in other European countries hit hard by the imposition placed on them because the ruling elite, recently seen in Davos, says it must be so. They have messed everything up with their Capitalist projects, and they want a cuddly friendly capitalism to sort things out. If that’s what the Greek ruling party thinks is possible, today may be the day when they’re told it’s not. Enough is enough.

Back in Germany the attitude to Greece articulated by a leading member of Angela Merkel’s party says why the Greek people need to exercise their independence.

Frankenstein’s monster created by global elite

The monster that is Capitalism is frightening the global elite involved in the consequences of their own making. Just like Frankenstein it is rampaging out of control. If you’re asset rich you just can’t help making more and more money while at the other end of the spectrum no cash means no food on the table, no heat and probably no roof over your head. The consequences of inequality can come back on you if you leave it spiralling out of control.

The lengths that the ruling elite will go to is illustrated with the passing of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. Scarcely distinguishable in its barbaric practices from arch enemy ISIS (funded like other excoriated groups including Al Quaeda from Saudi sources) flags on official building are at half mast while leaders and royals are dispatched to Riyadh to cry crocodile tears.

Meanwhile back in Davos issues of earth shaking importance are announced. Prince Andrew has made his first public statement on allegations of sexual impropriety. Talk of global warming, international aid is all put into sharp perspective. This is all about 1% of the world’s population defining what the rest of us are supposed to be concerned about. Reality recedes.

Interestingly Christine Lagarde has been making references to Marx including “Capitalism sowing the seeds of its own destruction”. The idea of “inclusive Capitalism”, as with “cuddly Capitalism” and other ideas which bring to mind the idea of throwing scraps to dogs, is invoked. Capitalism by its nature is the absolute antithesis of such descriptions. Clearly others in attendance at Davos are bored out of their minds when such ideas are raised.

In Europe the Marxist response looks most likely to emerge in Greece at tomorrow’s election. Scaremongering has been rife, but as the report by Paul Mason on the state of the parties there shows, anyone tainted with “Austerity” is likely to be summarily dismissed by many making Syriza the favourite. The left are starved of political oxygen, very clearly in the UK, where the crackpots of UKIP are chased around by the media while Socialism remains an unmentionable word.

Latin American countries have developed economic and political alliances which have offered alternatives to the powerful nations in the north of the continent who continue to threat and destabilise where they can. Pressure has mounted against Venezuela following the death of Chavez, so the question is asked who will support them from going the way of Allende’s Chile? Once again it is necessary to go to alternative sources of information to get a picture.

Free speech or responsibility

The shooting of people in Paris brought about a swift reaction of revulsion, horror and disbelief. The immediate response was to want to act in a display of solidarity with all who shared such feelings that this must end. Having seen the line up of those who gathered in Paris to do just that feelings of revulsion, horror and disbelief returned as my mind cleared so that I could see just what I was supporting.

Benyamin Netanyahu has been prominent in Paris, then Jerusalem – or was it the other way round? So confusing are image upon image of the self-righteous making political capital out of this event. He claimed he had to be there because the Palestinian leader would be present. While other leaders from Western Europe have shown concern that this will fuel Islamaphoebia, their role in promoting endless wars in Islamic countries while funding Israel in some way or the other is overlooked. A massive coup for a man who hates free speech as much as anyone when it comes to his own State, and who has made it look as if he has regained his status as untouchable for whatever he says or does, particularly with regard to Palestinian people.

France was responsible for providing the highly secret nuclear reactor, maskerading as a textile factory until Mordechai Vanunu clarified its purpose back in 1986 in an article published by the Sunday Times in the UK. He remains under close supervision in Israel after serving years in prison, much in solitary confinement, for his expose providing a service to mankind. More recently Germany gifted 5 nuclear submarines to Israel capable of holding and firing nuclear missiles. There are reports that NATO have brought this frightful weaponry into commission. Israel therefore has the capacity to threaten anyone anywhere with the blessing of all those participating in the Paris street theatre.For some reason Cameron appears to have missed out on this particular photo opportunity, although it was clear that the General Election in May 2015 might have had an effect on his attendance at a demonstration. No one remembers him taking part in one before.

All are jostling to speak out in the name of “free speech” for the right of Charlie Hebdo to publish pictures offensive to Islamic feeling not restricted to “extremist” views. It has done so once more as a further act of defiance in the name of press freedom. The big problem is that the “free” press does not publish large areas of truth for our benefit, rather it kowtows to powerful corporate interest which included the media, health, food, military interests etc. etc. Mordechai Vanunu told the truth in 1986. Those demonstrating in Paris are content to let him and other courageous whistle blowers rot in obscurity. Publishing pictures offensive to large sections of the population does nothing to serve the furtherance of “free speech” where it most matters to the wider population freeing them of corporate greed and exploitation. It does serve the interests of the corporate need to divide and rule.

“We’re not Charlie” Views of young Muslims in France. While Charlie Hebdo went ahead and published a new edition with a picture of Mohammad Muslims were placed in a position where many wanted to show revulsion at the violence but at the same time their dismay at disrespect for their feelings.