AS SchNEWS PADDLES IN THE MURKY WATERS OF THE ARMS TRADE
This week London’s Excel Centre has been hosting the biennial death-fest DSEi – the world’s largest arms fair. Part funded and organised by the British government, DSEi is the place where warmongers tool up on the latest guns ‘n’ ammo. Both the weapons used by Colonel Gaddafi and those used against him are on sale at DSEi. The UK exported £33.8m of military and related products to Libya between Oct 2009 and Oct 2010.
This year the highlight of the weapons wankathon got stopped in its tracks before it even reached the fair. Six protesters in inflatable dingies launched themselves into the path of the HMS Dauntless last Saturday as it was on its way to Victoria Docks ahead of DSEI, causing it to come to an unscheduled stop in the waters near Barking, Dagenham. It finally docked some 4 hours later. Of the 6 protesters, one got away and the other 5 were briefly detained by the river police.
The Dauntless is a Type 45 Destroyer, one of the Royal Navy’s latest, most high-tech battleships, as well as one of the newest, commissioned just last year. Supposedly able to track and destroy jet fighters and other warships, it must have been embarrassing for the captain to be caught by surprise by the tiny blowup flotilla. No doubt it will now be retrofitted with anti-inflatable technology.
DSEi wouldn’t be DSEi without several days of creative non-violent protest and a massive pig-fest, and Indymedia have a timeline of the entire thing. (See http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2011/09/484571.html)
We are living through an astonishing rush of new discoveries of planets in deep space.
2011 Feb 2: Kepler-11 is a small, cool star around which six planets orbit
The race is on to announce the discovery of the first rocky Earth sized planet with water in the habitable zone of a nearby star… NEW EARTH ONE.
The Kepler orbiting detector data, to be released on 23rd Sept could include up to 1000 new planets.
Only in the last year have humans been able to detect Earth size planets, combining supercomputing, the latest techniques and space based observatories.
Only in the last months has it been proven that Earth sized planets are relatively common, so statistically there must be MILLIONS of them in the Universe
The latest batch of data from Kepler will be publicly released on Sept 23rd. Dozens of scientific teams are working flat out on the mass of new data already out.
Just 3 months ago an amazing new technique called BLENDER has come on line The blend of the foreground target star and the background eclipsing binary using the NASA supercomputer, Pleiades, to make more than 1015 (a 1 followed be 15 zeros or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000) or a quadrillion calculations to test a transiting planet.
Only last February the first rocky planet near Earth size was discovered. But it turned out to be an inferno.
Now there are 1000s of new candidates being discovered in just Kepler’s small field of vision, plus new planets being found by dozens of other discovery centers around the world, and huge new precision instruments being built.
Very soon the quest will not be for NEW EARTH ONE, but for which of many such planets really harbours life.
There are various interactive sites where you can follow the story. For the Kepler project Nasa is the best.. see HERE
US Day of Rage, a group participating in the September 17th occupation of wall street, has just released a tactical plan and “HowTo” for holding a legal and nonviolent demonstration in New York City. Their plan clarifies many legal concerns that have been raised and offers a viable strategy for holding a prolonged occupation. This information can be found on their website:
We’ve just received our first five photo submissions for the We Are the 99 Percent project. Thank you very much to everyone who submitted a photo and we hope to see more soon!
Hey you jammers, dreamers, patriots and revolutionaries out there,
Our occupation of Wall Street is less than two weeks away … do we have it together?
The perpetrators of the massive financial fraud have been allowed to slip quietly from the scene and continue business as usual. Our elected representatives in Washington have become so tightly intertwined with the financiers and bankers that public accountability has all but vanished.
#OCCUPYWALLSTREET is all about breaking up that cosy relationship between money and politics and bringing the perpetrators of the financial crash of 2008 to justice.
On September 17, 20,000 of us will descend on Wall Street, the iconic financial center of America, set up a peaceful encampment, hold a people’s assembly to decide what our one demand will be, and carry out an agenda of full-spectrum, absolutely nonviolent civil disobedience the likes of which the country has not seen since the freedom marches of the 1960s.
From our encampment we will launch daily smart mob forays all over lower Manhattan … peaceful, creative happenings in front of Goldman Sachs; the SEC; the Federal Reserve; the New York Stock Exchange … and maybe even, if we can figure out where they’re being held, at the sites of Obama’s private $38,500 per person fundraising events happening somewhere in Manhattan on Sept. 19 and 20.
Our strategy will be that of the master strategist Sun Tzu: “appear at points which the enemy must hasten to defend; march swiftly to places where you are not expected.”
With a bit of luck, and if fate is on our side, we may be able to turn all of lower Manhattan into a site of passionate democratic contestation – an American Tahrir Square.
We will do all this with peace in our hearts. Our unshakable commitment to nonviolence will give us the spiritual strength we need to inspire the nation and to ultimately triumph in the weeks and maybe months of struggle that will unfold after September 17.
PS. Last week Anonymous endorsed #OCCUPYWALLSTREET with a video that attracted over 70,000 views. The Department of Homeland Security has warned the nation’s bankers to be prepared. Corporate owned media is taking notice. Yesterday, a columnist for MarketWatch.com posted a rousing portrait of what may now unfold:
“Listen closely. This is not another internecine political squabble. These revolutionaries are pushing America back to its roots. You sense they’re drafting a new Declaration of Independence, driven by the same powerful motivations as the 57 original signers who wrote: ‘Whenever any form of government becomes destructive … it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government.’ Back in 1776 King George III was the destructive force far away. Today greed is the corruptor, from within.”
S17 occupations of financial districts are also being planned in Milan, Madrid, Valencia, London, Lisbon, Athens, San Francisco and hopefully many other cities still to be announced. S17 could well be the catalyst that ushers in a new global economic order.
love and rage: life after the collapse of capitalism
Greetings to all, especially you FoFees (friend of the Free) hope you’re enjoying the book
Set in the Collapse of Capitalism our heroes escape their School and Family and fall in with the squatters, anarchists and gays, who are busy getting ready for the final confrontation and the Dawn of a co-op Money Free world.. It’s a thriller as well..
Just to say it is selling well..Not a surprise as it’s FREE (lol). It also makes a very economical present.
Abuse of power being consistent in our culture, where fear colludes with the bully, it is cheering to see victims organising and supporting each other . This will appeal to a great many young people. You give us moments of delight:… rolling her big eyes back to us girls … such scandal would zoom round and round the area – like a bee in a jar … Then her daffodil moment of glory: dancing and swirling, waving the flowers at the grey building … the golden snow. I’ve never heard of ‘testerical laughter’, but it kind of hits the mood of the moment.I really like your book and back it with pleasure. Pia (Course of Mirrors)
Wow; I can’t stop reading! I’ve just finished chapter 8, and I’m only stopping because it’s 1AM! It seems to remind me a little of ‘A Clockwork Orange’, combined with ‘A Child Called It’. I cannot wait to read on. I’m still not entirely sure about a lot of things (such as the political situation) but everything I’ve read so far has been wonderful. If I get the chance, I will buy this book.
Karen Eisenbrey I read three chapters and the glossary. I like your ideas for remaking society, especially the mix of practical, earnest things with more whimsical ideas of fashion etc. I especially like how in the first chapters, it’s not obvious that the story takes place in (I would guess) the near future in a shifting, alternative society. But there are little clues all over the place that things are falling apart and changing, present but not taking over the story. We start with Linda, a real, relatable character. You’ve nailed the voice here. She’s articulate and smart, but not at all formal; young, angry, scared, beaten down but ready to stand up. Good luck with The Free!…Karen Eisenbrey
Aaron Pattis wrote After three chapters, nothing will stop me from reading the rest of this book! Who couldn’t pull for a kid like this and wonder where she’s going to end up? There are some terms that I have difficulty with sometimes, like “lekky” and such, but soon enough figure it out. But I wouldn’t change that voice for this story because it adds to the richness realism in the characters. Great job and backed with pleasure..Aaron,”80 Grit”
Lmfrenchwrote Wow, what can I say? I love how you capture Linda’s voice. It wasn’t too long ago that I was a fifteen year old girl and…well…wow. I read some of this the other day and wasn’t too
Occupy The Planet. Abolish Debt. For a Co-Op world.
impressed, but I re-read it and trudged on to see what happened beyond the first page and I must say, I am very glad I did. I found myself giggling a bit and read on with a smile. It is a fun story. I am not normally a fan of 1st person POV but you seem to be able to still bring your characters to life. Very nice.
Great opening. Fast-paced and spirited way of writing. I like the talk about men drooling over Janice (lol); very typical. It’s real! and the “like a pack of randy dogs snifting after her”…This is what happens most of the time, in real life. Good job Mike. This work is so rich and moving, good humored. I can’t stop reading it.GOOD LUCK!! Emma Philips…The Dark Intruder
Well Mikey…a huge HUGE contemporary tale. Brutal and brave..comical and painful. Your style is enviably quirky. The language stripped yet so incredibly weighted. Congratulations, I wish you every success with THE FREE. . Dawn:ARK
COMUNIDADES INDÍGENAS en la zona COLONIZADA del TIPNIS… No hace falta leer en la historia la crueldad de la colonización.
En pleno siglo XXI, observamos el ETNOCIDIO cruelmente socapado por autoridades del Gobierno.
¿Qué consecuencias tuvo la
colonización cocalera en el TIPNIS?
Adolfo Moye: Hemos visto que muchas comunidades terminaron rodeadas por colonos, como por ejemplo la comunidad de Santísima Trinidad donde yo vivo junto a 140 familias indígenas mezcladas con algunos colonos; hemos quedado al centro de la zona colonizada y rodeados por cocaleros. En la comunidad de Limo los hermanos del pueblo moxeño yuracaré ahora tienen apenas una hectárea y trabajan como empleados de los colonos. Sus hijos han tenido que migrar a las ciudades capitales para buscar empleo queriendo adoptar otra forma de vida; en muchos pueblos sólo quedan los viejitos. Algunas comunidades como Puerto Patiño e Isiborito se extinguieron y no sabemos a dónde se fueron esos hermanos.
Derechos Humanos pide respetar la marcha indígena y convoca a la pacificación..Fuente: Erbol, Tarija
Foto: Shirley Lara (Conosur)
La presidenta de la Asamblea Permanente de los Derechos Humanos de Bolivia (APDHB), Yolanda Herrera, demandó a los habitantes de San Ignacio de Moxos del departamento de Beni y otras poblaciones del país a respetar la marcha de los indígenas que se oponen a la construcción de la carretera por el parque nacional.
La marcha de más de un millar de indígenas de 34 pueblos indígenas del oriente boliviano, respaldado por el consejo Nacional de Markas y Ayllus del Qullasuyu y otras, recorrió al menos 90 kilómetros desde la ciudad de Trinidad hasta el municipio de San Ignacio de Moxos, donde algunos grupos adversarios anunciaron bloquearlos.
“Les pido que respetemos la demanda y la expresión de los hermanos y hermanas de los pueblos indígenas de tierras bajas que están realizando la marcha (en defensa del Territorio Indígena Parque Nacional Isiboro Sécure) porque la violencia sólo genera la violencia y empobrece a nuestro país”, afirmó.
La representante nacional de los Derechos Humanos, en declaraciones a radio Aclo Tarija de Erbol, argumentó que la marcha del pueblo indígena integrada por los niños, mujeres, varones y ancianos se manifiestan pacíficamente ante Bolivia sus demandas del respeto a su forma de vida, costumbres y su territorio.
Sin embargo, reiteró la convocatoria al presidente del Estado, Evo Morales, para que vaya hasta la marcha y establezca el diálogo porque son escenarios favorables para solucionar este conflicto sino más adelante podría haber otros escenarios por las circunstancias sociales que van generándose.
Esta página web ha sido diseñada por la
Campaña en Defensa del TIPNIS
Denunciamos ante Bolivia y el Mundo que el gobierno boliviano está transgrediendo la Constitución Política del Estado, el Convenio 69 de la OIT, la Ley del Medio Ambiente, el Reglamento de Áreas Protegidas y otras leyes bolivianas y compromisos internacionales y pretende construir de una manera ILEGAL COMPROBADA una carretera sobre el TIPNIS lo cual ocasionaría la mayor destrucción ecológica en la historia de Bolivia. Esto ocasionaría un ATENTADO a la vida y cultura de los pueblos moxeños, yurakarés y chimanés que habitan en él. Asimismo, se condenaría a la EXTINCIÓN de fauna y flora ÚNICAS en el mundo. Por otra parte, se afectaría de una manera irreparable la naciente de ríos fundamentales, lagos y belleza escénica. Solicitamos al presidente Evo Morales que sea consecuente con su discurso en defensa de la Madre Tierra.
¿Acaso este es el aporte de Evo Morales a la destrucción de la Amazonía boliviana?
Campaña en Defensa del TIPNIS – BOLIVIA
ESCRÍBENOS, APOYA A LA SUBCENTRAL TIPNIS Y A LOS HERMANOS MOXEÑOS, YURAKARÉS Y CHIMANES…
PARTICIPA CON FOTOS, DIBUJOS, TEXTOS, INVESTIGACIONES…
Todo será bienvenido!!!
¡FORMA PARTE DE ESTA CAMPAÑA EN DEFENSA DE LA VIDA!
Freedom Press is in the process of re-printing The Adventures of Tintin: Breaking Free that perennial anarchist classic.
It features our hero, a ordinary working class lad from the inner cities, at the centre of political demonstrations, wildcat strikes, street riots, and eventually a revolutionary uprising.
It graphically depicts scenes of social unrest, workers solidarity and people looting the local Tescos.
This is what he wrote.. “I think we should start rioting, it’s about time we stopped the authorities pushing us about and ruining this country. “It’s about time we stood up for ourselves for once. So come on rioters – get some. LOL.”
This is an absolute attack on free speech. The 17 year old lives in a small village near Bury St.Edmunds.There is nothing specific in his facebook post to any area – it’s a general statement. He’s been given a curfew, youth rehabiitation order and god knows what else. He’d even deleted it so it ws only up for a short time.
The weekend before last Nik Cohen posted in The Observer ‘Why are there no riots here’ – why aint he been done. Or a thousand pieces you could read in broadsheets giving opinions or on leftie blogs like this. Why pick on teenagers?
This prosecution is worse than the other one because it’s a general statement of opinion by no mean a specific incitement. If a kid in Syria had posted this he’d be hailed a hero. It’s now a crime here to say ‘I think we should start rioting’.
I think we need a lot of people who write and blog to stand up now and be counted on this one. Maybe some mass signed statement – maybe all put our names to what this kid has said and wait for the knock at the door. First they came for the 17 year old Facebookers…….
We’ve just received our first five photo submissions for the 
The Free 