The Free

They started the Revolution without You… but you’re Welcome to Join in

Freedom Features, Apr 28th https://freedomnews.org

Easter weekend I was transported to a vision of the future. Not in some vague, William Morris, utopian way (although, all power to that!.. we definitely need more utopian visions to counter the pathological cynicism of dystopian fun-sponges), but in a very real, practical and inspiring way.

The host for our latest DIY Alliance (DIYA) meeting was the remarkable, multi award winning, Lancaster Cohousing at Halton, just outside Lancaster. As I have previously mentioned, DIYA meetings are designed to bring grassroots, self-organising, anarchist-friendly, community-focused projects together so that we can learn from each other and maximise our impact through solidarity and mutual aid.

The original plan had been to unite projects across the north of England, but the idea has gathered an unpredicted momentum which saw people from as far afield as Northampton join us for the weekend.

Among them were our old friends from Bolton Diggers, the 0161 Anti-Fascist festival in Manchester and members of A Commune in the North (ACitN) — who I shall write about more thoroughly in a future article — to name but a few. It was Cath from ACitN who invited Natalia from Anna’s House Education to give a talk about the Kurdistan Freedom Movement. More on that in a moment.

The venue itself was something of a paradise. Built on the banks of the salmon-rich River Lune, on ex-industrial land, Lancaster Cohousing is a long street of cosy homes which meet Passivhaus and Code for Sustainable Homes (level 6) standards. No cars are allowed in the residential area, so neighbours must pass each other in the street and the kitchen windows of each house face into the street so that every resident sees everyone else on a regular basis, reinforcing the sense of community.

Algeria may CUT gas supply to Spain for reselling to Morocco, breaking Sahara embargo under US pressure.. English/Spanish

mpr21 EstrategiaEditorial officeApril 28, 2022 translation thefreeonline

The Spanish government is subjected to pressure from the United States on the Sahara and shows clear signs of submission, which compromises the supply of Algerian gas.

Algeria meets 40 percent of Spain’s gas needs and in August it broke diplomatic relations with Morocco, so it cannot admit that the PSOE and Podemos government fraudulently resells Algerian gas to Morocco. In Madrid they go from betrayal to betrayal and show no scruples of any kind.

Yesterday the Algerian Ministry of Energy threatened to break the gas supply contract with Spain if it sends it “to a third destination”, amid diplomatic tensions with Madrid and Morocco over the Sahara.

Most of the Algerian gas reaches Spain through the Medgaz submarine gas pipeline, of 10,000 million cubic meters per year. Until October, another part of the Algerian gas arrived through the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline (GME), which passes through Morocco.

But Algiers closed it after the rupture of diplomatic relations with Rabat, depriving Morocco of the Algerian gas that transited through its territory.

According to a press release from the Algerian government, the Spanish Minister Teresa Ribera has announced that Spain authorizes the exploitation, in “reverse flow”, of the Maghreb-Europe oil pipeline and that this exploitation will take place today or tomorrow.

EU avoids Hari-Kiri: cheats on Anti-Ruble… Hypocrisy Works! – but Russia may win Gold Standard

This morning I checked out how the Capitalism’s civil war is going. I hoped to know how the EU/Russia Gas War may bankrupt Europe and destroy our lives.

Would the EU back down or commit economic Hari-Kiri by refusing to pay for their gas in rubles?.

Not much luck with the Western media all screaming obvious ‘False Narratives’ and the evil Ruskies up to no good.

Then I came across this gem:

“As Russian President Vladimir Putin escalates the war in Ukraine to that of nuclear threats, massacre, and the systemic rape of children in cities like Bucha, China continues its diplomatic support of Russia, including now by threatening the breakup of the European Union”. Anders Corr at the Epoch Times

**Ursula:** **Banning Order now doesn’t break Sanctions Order.**

I didn’t bother with CNN, but thought to g0 straight to the horse’s mouth.. to Russia Today.

Alas my trusty laptop informs me that:

“We will not let Kremlin apologists pour their toxic lies justifying Putin’s war or sow the seeds of division in our Union,” EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

RT it seems is banned by almost all US subsidiaries, even their YouTube music, sports and travel documentaries.

Aha, but time to warm up my trusty VPN, pick a non-west country, and bingo ! I find the facts on RT, wrapped up of course in Russian nationalist POV. (How come the MSM doesn’t trust me to read this without becoming a slave to Putin’s version of dictatorial Capitalism?)

It turns out YES.. the EU has backed down and will buy the Gas in Rubles.. bad news for the Planet I suppose. But the Commission avoids losing face by saying its Banning Order now doesn’t break its Sanctions Order.

What a laugh! So everyone can do what they like, and hardline anti Russians like Poland can just buy Russian gas quietly on the European market (or even cheaper, non-fracking Russian LNG)… Hypocrisy Works!

Putin may be giggling in his glass of vodka this morning, without Coca Cola! It seems the dastardly Russian plan is to escape from the economic dollar-tax that has allowed the US to run up $30 trillion in debt. A plot which could only be done now, post pandemic and flush with cash.