Month: Dec 2022

Dec 19, 22 by Anonymous Contributor at itsgoingdown.org via thefreeonline shared with thanks

Report back from community defense of a drag story-hour in so-called Brockville, Ontario. Originally posted to Gay Mafia Protection Racket.

Like the world’s worst game of whack-a-mole, we were out again yesterday, December 17, in Brockville, Ontario to protect a drag story hour at their local library. And once again, we outnumbered them from the start, successfully keeping them out of the event and away from LGBTQ+ kids.

Library staff were happy to see us when we arrived ahead of time and set up our equipment and supplies on their lawn. That meant that for once, we didn’t have to worry about washroom access or trespass charges. When the other side’s cars, flying Canadian flags, finally arrived, they circled the block over and over again before getting out. It was obvious that they hadn’t expected such an outpouring of community support. At their peak, the fash had at very most 20, while we had several times that — something like 60 to 80 people. They went between the sidewalk and street in front of the library, and the other sidewalk across the road.

Once again, while some crews joined from Ottawa and other neighboring cities, the heart of our side was in the small-town community members themselves. Echoing some of our reflections from last time, one local commented (about the convoy creeps) that they were sick of these out-of-towners coming here to tell them what to do. As one staff member said to a news station, for every protestor they get, the library resolves to hold another drag storytime.

Everyone’s favorite Andy Ngo-wannabe landlord lawyer made an appearance, but some flag- and banner-bearing friends forced them to mostly keep their distance. Banners, flags, umbrellas, and signs are some of the best ways to block bad actors from filming.

A big, solid banner in the hands of just two or three practiced anti-fascists can physically control a good amount of space by limiting where their side can wander. If you’re short on hands, a pride flag lets you do the same on your own. Having people with both might give you a nice, strong line to hold down and the maneuverability to chase down fash who manage to skirt around it.

We also want to give a special shout-out to the baby black hole that some people brought with them. Theirs was a large black fabric held up between two tall, lightweight metal poles, smaller but inspired by the original that Pride Defenders in Hamilton used in 2019. The height means that livestreamers can’t just stick their phones over top, and your arms won’t get sore when you’re stuck covering a group of chuds for way too long.

A sound system, bubble wands, and a treasure trove of squeaky dog toys added to the atmosphere. Those Dollarama toys were a great, cheap way to make lots of noise whenever cameras came around.

Some happy news.
Brockville public library had scheduled a drag Story Time event yesterday, and the christo-fascist convoy clowns called for a protest to shut it down.
15 bigots (almost all from out of town) showed up to be drowned out by more than 100 locals defending the show.

— John Arthur Bell (@left_jabber) December 18, 2022

There were only a handful of visible cops, maybe three in the middle of the street and another two by the library entrance. For the most part, they stood around chatting with chuds and liberals and occasionally escorting a few of the first category across the road. Maybe once or twice, they stepped in when things began to get heated, but any real escalation broke up pretty quickly.

We want to remind folks here that even if they’re not attacking us this time, cops are never our friends. Never fall for their pinkwashing PR and believe that these ones could be the good ones. All of us in Ottawa saw exactly whose side they’re on when they spent weeks being buddy-buddy with the occupiers that terrorized our streets in January and February.

Brockville also shows how respecting a diversity of tactics and making room for everyone who shares our general values can help us win. The crowd was a mix of people with different orientations towards confrontation. Rad folks got up close and personal to drive out the protestors, with liberals or more risk-averse folks positioned closer to the back, taking up important space and helping make noise.

By and large, we didn’t have to deal with peace police on “our side” demanding we back off. In the same vein, there’s a place for all of our friends to show up — you don’t have to be willing to throw down yourself to be there for your community.

Caryma Sa’d is now whining on Twitter about being rejected, trying to dox the people who didn’t want her putting them in danger. Regardless of how militant or peaceful you are, if they can get their hands on your name and other information, our opponents will try to ruin your life.

Unfortunately, Ottawa and the surrounding area doesn’t really see bloc tactics. In the alternative, there are still lots of ways you can make yourself harder to pick out of a crowd. Wearing an N95 means you can protect your identity and your health at the same time. Consider tucking your hair into a hat or hood, especially if it’s brightly colored or otherwise notable. Look out for distinctive items of clothing or identifiers like logos that could be a problem.

We said this last time, but it’s worth the reminder. There’s no strategic reason to talk to fascists at events like this — you’re not going to convince them, but they are going to get footage to use against you. If someone approaches you with a phone or camera and starts interviewing you, they’re probably not just there to hear you out.

More about Caryma (2) (3)

On security culture, with more links there

photo: Screenshot via @CarymaRules

By B.N. Frank on December 19, 2022 from activistpost.com shared with thanks thefreeonline

Fracking has been and continues to be associated with causing significant biological and environmental harm in the U.S. (see 1, 2, 3).  Despite growing American opposition to it as well as legal disputes, this controversial practice isn’t going away at least in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

From Cleveland.com:

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Legislation to spur fracking in state parks and on other state-owned land, define natural gas as a “green energy,” and prohibit local pesticide bans is on its way to Gov. Mike DeWine after clearing a final legislative vote on Tuesday.

• Dec 18, 2022 | County Solar Project Proposal Denied Based on Opposition by Local Governments and Constituents

The Ohio House voted 59-33 to pass House Bill 507, which was initially introduced as a bill to reduce the number of poultry chicks that can be sold in lots before the Ohio Senate added the natural gas, drilling and pesticide provisions.

Toxic fracking waste illegally dumped in BC water treatment system

The legislation, brought by the Ohio Oil and Gas Association, seeks to push the Ohio Oil and Gas Land Management Commission to stop dragging its feet on approving rules for oil and gas drilling on state lands by requiring all state agencies to open up land they control to drilling until the commission puts such rules in place.

In 2011, state lawmakers opened state parks to oil and natural gas drilling and set up the commission to handle drilling applications. However, the commission has been slow to approve projects and missed a deadline last January to put leasing rules in place.

Ohio’s production of natural gas has soared in recent years thanks to fracking activity in Eastern Ohio.

• see also> West Texas hit by 5.4 earthquake, one of strongest ever in state2 days ago
• Evidence Says Fracking Causes Texas Quakes | Dallas Observer
• California Aquifers Contaminated With Billions of Gallons of Fracking …

It’s not yet clear exactly what the full effect will be of designating natural gas – a fossil fuel that is mostly methane, a powerful heat-trapping greenhouse gas – as a “green energy,” a term that’s typically used for renewable power sources such as sun, wind and water.

Forever Chemicals (PFAS) are a highly useful water repellant widely included in the secret toxic chemical mixtures added to billions of gallons of water pumped into the fracking wells, with zero oversight and exemption from Clean Water Laws, by the notorious ‘Cowboy Frackers’ who have then abandoned 3.2 million orphaned and abandoned wells (2021) and toxic ponds, often declaring bankruptcy to drill again with a new name, and thus pumping in ever more Forever Chemicals that can be lethal to humans at one part per trillion.

All this beneath US flags and claims to Make America Great Again, selling frack gas as LNG at astronomical prices to desperate nations deprived by the Pentagon’s wars, sanctions, cuts of Russian Gas and sabotage of Nordstream…..

State Sen. Mark Romanchuk, a Richland County Republican who successfully added the energy-related provisions to the bill, told the Energy News Network that he hoped the designation would help Ohio companies meet “ESG” investing practices. ESG standards are used by investors to identify companies that have socially conscious environmental, social and governance policies.

“I don’t know if it will work,” Romanchuk told the outlet.

The bill specifically states that natural gas projects aren’t eligible for renewable energy credits.

Guardians, Allies File Enormous Fracking Suit

Stephanie O’Grady, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, said the department didn’t request the amendment regarding drilling at state parks but has no position on its merits.

She said in the last four years, ODNR hasn’t signed any new leases for oil and gas drilling on its lands, though other state agencies may have done so. She did not offer data for previous years.

Continue reading “New US Bill Opens State Land and Parks to Fracking / Fossil Gas now labeled as “Green Energy””

from Human Wrongs Watch by Baher Kamal on 18th Dec 2022 via thefreeonline

18 December 2022 (UN News)* — Humanity faces unprecedented engineering challenges if it is to survive. Solutions to these challenges are waiting to be discovered in plants, animals, and microbes, but these are lost forever, if we do not preserve the rich diversity of life on Earth.

But all life forms are unique and must have the right to thrive, with or without dubious benefits to humans.

UNDP: Nature has inspired a wide range of engineering solutions

The UN biodiversity conference, COP15, is due to wrap up on 19 December. This weekend, we are looking at some of the ways that humanity is reliant on biodiversity for a healthy and thriving global ecosystem.

When a species goes extinct, it takes with it all of the physical, chemical, biological, and behavioural attributes that have been selected for that species, after having been tested and re-tested in countless evolutionary experiments over many thousands, and perhaps millions, of years of evolution.

These include designs for heating, cooling, and ventilation; for being able to move most effectively and efficiently through water or air; for producing and storing energy; for making the strongest, lightest, most biodegradable and recyclable materials; and for many, many other functions essential for life.

Nature’s value is not limited to human applications, but the loss of nature and biodiversity represents major losses to human potential as well.

Here are some examples of the ways that nature has inspired engineering solutions.

Way of the dragonfly

Inspired by the energy efficiency of dragonfly wings, particularly at low wind speeds, Professor Akira Obata, formerly from Japan’s Nippon Bunri University, designed corrugated blades for micro-wind turbines that turn and generate electricity, at wind speeds as low as 3 kph.

Most wind turbines perform poorly when speeds are less than 10 kph; some will not turn at all. By lowering the minimum wind speed requirements, these micro-wind turbines can harness wind energy in easily accessible locations like rooftops and balconies, and not need expensive towers to capture the higher speed winds found at higher elevations.

By studying and understanding the aerodynamics of dragonfly flight, Obata was able to make inexpensive, lightweight, stable, and efficient micro-wind turbines that can be used in off-grid locations in developing countries.

Continue reading “As Biodiversity Degrades, Nature’s Solutions Are Lost for Ever”

December 17, 2022 by : Caitlin Johnstone at caitlinjohnstone.com via thefreeonline

Listen to a reading of this article:

The Ruling Class Promotes Identity Politics And ‘Anti-Wokeism’ For The Exact Same Reasons

It’s an interesting time for culture war red herrings in the shadow of the empire. There are no major electoral races currently underway. Government Covid regulations have been mostly rolled back. The empire is waging an extremely dangerous and continually escalating proxy war with Russia that should be getting a lot of scrutiny. If one didn’t know better one might expect this to be a time when the rank-and-file public would be doing a bit less barking and snarling at one another and a bit more at the people in charge.

But if one is reading this, one probably knows better.

The world is roaring toward multipolarity and the empire is doing everything it can to slam on the brakes, up to and including ramping up for a global confrontation with noncompliant nuclear-armed powers, and meanwhile the public is growing more and more disaffected with stagnant wages and soaring inequality even as concerns grow that we are headed toward environmental collapse.

So of course, at this crucial point in history, they’ve got everyone arguing about “wokeness”.

The woke mind virus is either defeated or nothing else matters

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 12, 2022

What “woke” means depends on who you ask. According to the original AAVE definition, it means “alert to racial prejudice and discrimination”. If you ask Ron DeSantis’ lawyers when they were made to define the term in court, it means “the belief there are systemic injustices in American society and the need to address them.” Both of which sound entirely reasonable.

‘Anti-woke’ hysteria dominates Tory leadership campaigns

If you ask members of the rank-and-file right wing, though, the answers range from the incoherent to the insanely bigoted to the profoundly stupid. You’ll hear gibberish about “Cultural Marxism” (not a real thing), about communist conspiracies to give your child puberty blockers and gender reassignment surgery, about a liberal plot to normalize child molestation and erase women as a gender, and about the agenda to deteriorate society and plunge western culture into chaos and disorder because it makes Satan happy. In my experience the arguments are often intensely emotional — hysterical, even— yet entirely lacking in substance.

You’ll also run into the occasional good faith actor who sincerely believes “wokeism” needs to be aggressively opposed because the obsession with racial and sexual justice is sucking all the oxygen out of the room for more important matters and being used as a weapon to ram through pernicious power-serving agendas. It’s this category that I am mainly addressing here, because I view the previous category as generally beyond redemption.

It is entirely true that identity politics are being used to ram through establishment-serving agendas and subvert real dissent. We saw a very in-your-face example of this in 2016 with the extremely aggressive push to elect America’s first woman president, when anyone who pointed out her horrifyingly awful track record on things like war and militarism was shouted down as a misogynist.

The entire Democratic Party is essentially one big psyop designed to kill any attempt to redress income and wealth inequality, poverty, wars, militarism, money in politics, surveillance, government secrecy, police militarization and every other control mechanism designed to hold the status quo in place, while herding any revolutionary zeitgeist back toward establishment loyalism with false promises to make life better for women and marginalized groups.

Continue reading “Our Rulers Promote BOTH ‘Identity Politics’ and ‘Anti-Wokeism’ to make us Fight Each Other”