Posts tagged mutual aid

GREEK SELF HELP. 12:23 pm / 11 March 2012 by ann arky, at annarky's blog.


        Thebrutality with which the corporate fascists have hit the Greek peopleis beginning to have a bit of a blow-back effect. For years thefarmers have been screwed by the merchants who offer them a pittancefor their crops and then the produce goes to the supermarket wherethe public get ripped off along with the farmers by paying throughthe nose for what the merchants bought for a song. Now the farmersare turning to the public direct, and selling tonnes of potatoes at afraction of the supermarket price and still making more forthemselves. Let's hope that the process spreads through the whole ofthe Greek home grown produce and the friends of the corporatefascists, the supermarkets pull down the shutters and pull out. The ingenuity and resilience of the ordinary people is a rich seam, we should always remember, we don't need them, they need us, alittle bit of mutual aid goes a long way.

This fromTeacher Dude's Grill and BBQ:


Withincomes plummeting and retail prices rising the idea for farmers tosell their produce directly to the Greek public has proved to be anunexpected success. Producers from the northern region of Nevrokopisold 35 tonnes to city dwellers eager to buy potatoes at less than athird of the supermarket prices. For the farmers it is a chance tosell potatoes at a reasonable price rather than be forced to acceptmerchants's offers than did not even cover the cost of production. Inthe wake of the successful experiment other producers of fruit,vegetables and dairy products are considering following the potatofarmers lead. Clickhere for their site.

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A LIFE WITHOUT A FUTURE!! 5:49 am / 02 March 2012 by ann arky, at annarky's blog.


   

          What ishappening to the Greek people is an avoidable tragedy and is brutalby any standard of measuring. However we should not be lulled intothinking that Greece is the only problem facing the European people.Right across the continent the people are suffering in unimaginablenumbers. If we look at the unemployment numbers in some of the majoreconomies in Europe what we see is a depressing picture of everincreasing poverty. The unemployment figure for Italy is 8.5%, UK8.4%, Portugal 14%, Greece 20.9%, Spain 22.5%, that's an awful lotof people who are unable to provide for themselves or their families,an awful lot of people living in poverty. However that masks the realtragedy, the youth unemployment, in Europe we are talking in millionsupon millions. Young people who have their future obliterate becauseof the financial Mafia dictating the shape of our society. If you gothrough your early years unemployed and living on miserlyunemployment benefit what kind of life will you have by the time youget to 30 or so? How do you provide a roof over your head, how do youprovide for your family, what hope have you got of any kind of decentfuture? This so called “financial crisis” has destroyed thefuture of millions of ordinary people, but not that of the financial barons, and in doing has plunged generations of ordinary people  into poverty.The youth unemployment figures for the same major economies makeextremely depressing reading, UK 22.2%, Portugal 23%, Italy 30%,Greece 48%, Spain 51.4%, in these countries alone, how many bightedlives does this translate into? This is the real picture behind allthe nonsense spouted about the need for “austerity cuts”, thesecuts translate into lives in misery, futures destroyed, a downwardspiral for millions for generations to come.
        Thisis the reality of the system we call capitalism, this is the systemworking the only way it can, it cannot work for the benefit of allour people. If we wish to shape society so that it sees to the needsof all our people then capitalism has to go. We surely have theimagination and the compassion to come up with a fairer and more justsystem than a “winner take all and to hell with the hindmost”greed driven system of exploitation. As social creatures we cancreate a society based on mutual aid, free association and voluntaryco-operation, a system freed from the greed motive built onsustainability and the desire to see to the needs of all our people.What we have at the moment is corporate fascism that feeds the ego ofa small bunch of parasites who have a voracious insatiable greed.

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MUTUAL AID – AN ANSWER TO OUR PROBLEMS. 4:23 am / 26 February 2012 by ann arky, at annarky's blog.


          Mutual aid is the basis of any decent society, it takes us away from the capitalist consumer juggernaut, and breaks our dependency on the profit system that bleeds us and keeps us in perpetual struggle for survival. There is no avenue of our lives that we could not enrich by mutual aid. It can be introduced in education, home maintenance, making and repairing things for the community, growing our own food, book sharing schemes, toy swap schemes for the kids, the list is endless. As our involvement grows the list grows and we become more empowered and less dependent on selling ourselves to the highest bidder in an effort to support our families. The dire situation in Greece has forced the Greek people to look for alternatives to try to hold on to their dignity and try to enhance their lives, one of the latest schemes to develop is #tutorpool, a mutual aid scheme of education. The Greek education system, because of "austerity" cuts, has been decimated and is practically defunct, this scheme shows the way we can organise our society outside the state and corporate strangle hold. An extract from Occupied London.

SOLIDARITY.

      #tutorpool is an education solidarity network created by ordinary citizens living in an unordinary country in very unordinary times. Summer protests at Syntagma Square and other squares throughout the country fostered more than a profound sense of community and solidarity among citizens in Greece; friendships forged in the “square” gave way to solidarity initiatives.
#tutorpool began spontaneously in twitter after a discussion between few people and took less than a few hours to spread. That explains the use of the hash tag (#) before the name, to remind everyone that internet offers people the tools to meet, organize and work together. In less than a week, #tutorpool begun to take the form of a volunteer network, offering educational support to students whose families could not afford “coaching”. A group of volunteers managed to pull each of their skills together under the www.tutorpool.gr website and begun offering online and actual courses to students all over Greece, reaching as far as the isolated islands. At this point, less than two months later than the very first tweet, #tutorpool has more than 300 volunteer teachers, 102 students, and 205 courses offered throughout the country.
CONTINUE READING:

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DON’T MISS THE BUS!! 1:54 pm / 25 February 2012 by ann arky, at annarky's blog.

         I say it at bus stops,in shops, in the pub, I say it to friends, to acquaintances, tostrangers, I say it in the morning, in the afternoon and in theevening, I say it on the bus, on the train, so I'll say it hereagain. This is not a national problem, we are living under corporatefascism, this is an international problem. The policies beingimplemented across the developed world are the policies of a groupthat have never been elected, have no mandate from the people theyare affecting and are working simply in the best interests of theirown little group of parasites. Across the developed world the Heinz57 varieties of political governments from so called socialists,labour, social democrats, to conservative, republican and far rightparties are all carrying out the same polices, namely “austerity”.They are merely the managers of the IMF (International MankindFuckers) polices, policies that are bringing deprivation to millions anddividends and bonuses to the parasites. Who elected the IMF?




From ANONARCHIST NEWS;
            It wasGeorge Orwell, author of 1984, who said that, “In a time ofuniversal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”
        What is the situation now? Ispeaceful dissent accepted? Or is it frowned upon and discriminatedagainst? What are our world ‘leaders’ up to? Are they helping us,the masses of working people? Or are they actually perpetuating theexistence of an outdated economic system, no matter what the cost?
        What if there was another option. Analternative to all this. What if we didn’t have to live like this?If human beings on a large scale could cooperate with each other forthe common good of themselves and their community – does thatreally sound crazy? Or is it even crazier to believe that they expectus to remain docile and apathetic as they destroy our Earth.
        Is it impossible to have individualsacting selflessly if they understand that this is the better option,or would one rather live under a system where war is good for theeconomy. Where poverty is rampant on a world-scale and police-statemeasures are accepted without question.
        It seems to me like the choice isyours. For if we do not act now – it’ll be too late late.



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BEYOND RESISTANCE. 2:44 pm / 25 January 2012 by ann arky, at annarky's blog.


        Because of the nature of capitalism and its drive to control every aspect of our lives, we, rightly so, spend a lot of our time in resistance. However, part of the resistance should be looking beyond resistance. Here and now we should be setting up structures, workshops and communities that mirror the society that we want to create. We should be linking up with mutual aid projects, self-help groups, skill sharing and organising within the community to short circuit the system, making our communities more self reliant, more self determining and self sufficient.
This from BEYOND RESISTANCE.
     Beyond Resistance is a collective of people whoshare a belief in anarchism— the belief that ordinary people can organise a social system ofhuman beings living, interacting, and relating in a way that is themost fair, equal, and free of any kind of exploitation. We are basedin various locations across Aotearoa — as individuals, or, wherethere’s a number of us, as a Local. As well as supporting each other in workplaceand community struggles, we host a number of events such as filmnights, discussion forums, anarchist picnics, and more. We alsowelcome children at all events.
Feel free to check out our aims& principles for where we stand, or read more on howwe work as a group. Every member, whether on their own or in aLocal, has an equal say in what we do and how we organise.
       We have a number of skillsand resources available for your own community building, educationalevents and other kinds of activities, so please get in touch! We’realways keen to help.

 



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WHERE’S OUR GDP?? 5:10 am / 14 January 2012 by ann arky, at annarky's blog.


        I believeit is generally accepted by the public that as a country gets richer,we should all be better off. After all, that is why the powers thatbe, keep telling us about the growth of our GDP, to let us know whomuch richer we are becoming. It is safe to say that over the yearsthe UK GDP has been growing steadily, with the exception of 2008/9,but suddenly we are told that we can't afford most of the things wetake for granted. Things like libraries, nursery classes, decentpensions, and a half decent social welfare system are now beyond ourreach. We are now being told that we have to accept wagecuts/freezes, work longer to get a smaller pension, cuts in socialbenefits, rising unemployment, while our kids education system isdecimated and privatised along with our National Health Service. ButI thought our GDP had been growing year on year for some considerabletime, with just the odd blip? Well it has, so where is all that extrawealth, who has the money? What has also been happening as our GDPkept growing, was that a larger share of the wealth was beingsyphoned upwards to an ever decreasing number of individuals. Thesalary gap just kept getting wider and wider, so must of that extrawealth from our ever growing GDP, (your effort and my effort) wasending up, not in the common pool, but was heading straight into thebank accounts of the ever dwindling little bunch of parasites. If allthose gains from the ever increasing GDP had been evenly spread inthe common good, infrastructure and welfare for example, would we befacing the same problems? It is really ironic that it is those whogained all that extra wealth from our ever growing GDP, who are nowtelling us that we can't afford all the most basic parts of a decentcivilised society.

Some difficult decisions will have to be made!!


       Even a glance at such an economic system tells you that it isinefficient, wrong, immoral, unjust, and corrupt. It doesn't take anEinstein to come up with a better, fairer and more just system, basedon mutual aid, co-operation and sustainability, a system that sees tothe needs of all our people, instead of working, struggling andworrying, just to keep a bunch of millionaire/billionaire parasitesin the lap of luxury. Isn't it about time we sorted this lot out andstarted taking care of our own people?


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CAPITALISM = CHILD POVERTY. 8:16 am / 10 January 2012 by ann arky, at annarky's blog.



       Recently released figures show the shocking level of child poverty inScotland, these figures show that 13 Scottish councils have wardswhere more than 30% of children live in severe poverty. The worstareas are Glasgow, West of Scotland, Edinburgh, Dundee, Fife,Aberdeen and Stirling. A quick look at the map of Scotland tells youthat those areas just about take in practically all of Scotland'shigh population areas. The over all child poverty level for the wholeof Scotland is more than 20%. Bearing in mind that every childliving in poverty is in a home with at least one adult living inpoverty, it is a damning picture.

        Labour social justice spokesman Drew Smith said work was the bestroute out of poverty. Adding, "That is why as well as investmentin the vital early years and improving childcare, we need a renewedfocus on creating jobs and implementing a Living Wage for Scotland." What a load of crap, when has capitalism ever paid a living wage toall its workers? Dear Mr Smith, that's not how the system works. Whyare people in poverty, because they can't access their needs. Whycan't they access their needs, because we have created a systemwhereby the people's needs are priced so as to allow an army ofparasites to live in luxury. Our system doesn't produce for the needsof the people, it produces for the wealth of the shareholders. Thetwo tend to be incompatible. Also this angle of work being the answer shifts the blame onto those who are unable to find work. It's their own fault, if only they were working they would be poverty free. History tells us different.

       Onhearing the figures Scottish Liberal Democrat education spokesmanLiam McArthur said: "In light of this report, and the effectthat unemployment has on levels of poverty, it is more clear thanever that effective collaboration at all levels of government isrequired to help ensure the right conditions for creating jobs andreducing unemployment in our communities." More crap, when hascapitalism in any country in the world every produced a society whereall were employed and all had a living wage? More of blame the unemployed for the poverty in the country.

         Take two of the worst areas of severe poverty in Scotland, Govan,where I once worked in the shipyards, as part of the Clyde, it wasonce the shipbuilding capital of the world and Springburn, where Istill live, once the steam locomotive manufacturing centre of theBritish Empire. In those days, lots of employment, but also lots ofpoverty. In this society the two are not incompatible. However, it was with “effective collaboration at alllevels of government” that seen to the demise of both theseindustries. See Upper Clyde Work-in. Now Govan has a child povertylevel of 38% and Springburn has the worst in Scotland with a criminallevel 52% of children living in severe poverty. Think of that, morethan half the children in an area in the UK living in severe poverty,that's 21st century capitalism in the developed world, nota third world country.

        Of course anybody who is interested in what our society is like willknow that poverty has always been part of capitalism. The system isnot in any way shape or form fashioned to see to people's needs, itis not a needs based system, profit is the only game in town. Allthis crap about getting people into employment, being the answer topoverty, is just sound bites for public consumption, in the hope ofgetting the mouth-piece elected to a cushy job. They don't believe itthemselves, if they do, then they are more stupid than I have alwaysstated.

      Child poverty of these levels is an indictment against any system, itis condemning future generations to a stunted development, a waste ofthe future potential of a people. All this just because we are toldthat capitalism is the only route available, when common sense tellsus otherwise. Mutual aid, co-operation, sustainability and developinga needs based society is there waiting for the people to take it up.The evidence has never been more glaring, the need has never been greater.

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HUMAN SACRIFICE ON THE HIGH ALTER OF FINANCE. 10:05 am / 06 December 2011 by ann arky, at annarky's blog.


         When looking at how the ordinary people in Europe are beingpunished for the sins of their bankers and politicians, it isdifficult to know where to focus. Greece has been in the firing lineto some of the must brutal attacks to the livings standards of anyEuropean country. However a little closer to home is Ireland. Bearingin mind that Ireland has already been through 4 years of savage cutsto the conditions of its people, what is in store for them in thecoming year 2012 is frightening. The Irish government has set outits next hit list and it amounts to 2.2 billion Euros of cuts for2012. Its targets are the usual working class areas, welfare, health,education, fuel and rent allowance, disability allowance and studentgrants, on top of that lot there is VAT increased to 23%. Publicsector workers are being punished extremely brutally, having seentheir wages cut, by on average, 15%, they now face a two year wagefreeze and the threat of redundancy, as another 6.000 public sectorjobs are set to go. No doubt in the coming months we will be able totalk about the decimation of the Italian people's living standards,Spain is well down the road to social disintegration caused byrampant unemployment and cuts to social spending. We here in the UKhave similar problems with savage cuts and youth unemployment runningat well over 1 million.

       The working class of Europe are being sacrificed on thebankers' alter of greed, what ever actions are taken by the puppetpoliticians, it is always to ensure that the banks and bond markets,the politicians paymasters, don't lose out. This system has nothingto do with improving the welfare of the people, it is all aboutamassing wealth in the accounts of the corporate world and theirgreedy shareholders. It is all about holding on to that unearnedwealth and the power that derives from that wealth. The people are ofno consequence, mere pulp that can be used, abused and sacrificed asthe need arises in the game of exploitation.

"Sacrifices have to be made."


       Surely lurking somewhere in your mind you can think of analternative system, a system that sees to the needs of all ourpeople, a system that is built on mutual aid and sustainability. Itis not impossible to build such a system, the present system ofcapitalism is a man made system of a few hundred years. It is notsomething handed done from the gods, written in tablets of stone. Itwas people that devised it and it was people that drove it, surelypeople can destroy it and build from a foundation of co-operation, acaring a system that we would be proud to leave to our grandchildren.Are you proud of the inheritance that we will leave to them under thepresent system?


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THE CURSE OF CAPITALISM. 5:40 am / 01 December 2011 by ann arky, at annarky's blog.


     In Europe all the bankers and their yes men the politicians, are running around trying to find ways to save their billions. They keep coming up with grand plan after grand plan, only to find that it isn't working. Though they can hold their meetings in luxurious hotels and wine and dine their way through a multitude of exotic menus, the people at the receiving end of the grand plans are sinking fast.



    Under the present system of bankers corporate fascism, what has Europe got to offer the people? Country after country is seeing unemployment soar, some countries are at the moment away ahead of the others. At the forefront is Greece with youth unemployment almost at the 50% level, while total unemployment is at 18.3% and rising. Spain is in a similar position with total unemployment running at 22.8% and youth unemployment also approaching the 50% mark. Portugal and Ireland have approximately 30% youth unemployment, here in the UK it running at about 20%. All other countries in Europe have varying degrees of this malaise.



    This is the stark reality of conditions for the next generation of young people growing up in Europe, poverty and unemployment. These figures are an indictment against a system that can pour unbelievable wealth into the coffers of the few, while the vast majority struggle to keep their heads above water. A system that, to protect the unearned wealth of the few, is quite prepared to sacrifice country after country to a life of deprivation.



      Unemployment never comes alone, it has constant companions, the obvious is poverty, less noted but just as cruel is mental health problems, then there is the usual rise in suicides, violence, drug addiction and malnutrition. All this brings about the destruction of our social society, but only at our level. The millionaire class responsible for all this misery and destruction, go unscathed and will continue to take their yacht to the Med. fly to Dubai, and soak up the sun at St Moritz.

CRISIS!!  What crisis?

      As across the continent unemployment and poverty rises to scales not seen since the 30s and the 1% parasite class continue living in luxury on the backs of the ordinary people, it is surely obvious that the system doesn't work for the majority of the people. If the people want an end to this corrupt, unjust and exploitative system, they have to take control away from the financial parasites, remove the corrupt political class, (the parasites' managers) and organise society from the grassroots, creating a society that sees to the needs of all our people. A society based on mutual aid and sustainability, one that is free from the profit motive. Capitalism doesn't work.


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THE STATE V MUTUAL AID?? 4:36 pm / 26 November 2011 by ann arky, at annarky's blog.


         We have to accept that there is an attack on the living standards of the ordinary people, with social spending slashed communities will have their facilities plundered, it will be almost impossible to keep communities together. We have to look to new strategies that by-pass and short circuit the state apparatus and allow communities to offer social amenities to young and old alike. Empty buildings can be utilised and brought into use for the community. People can come together and by means of mutual aid and networking strengthen their community and allow their creativity to blossom. We don't need the state to provide, we have the imagination, resources and the strength to function outside the state apparatus. A brilliant idea, though not new in anarchist history, is the Bank of Ideas, in London. 


The Bank of Ideas is situated on Sun Street, Hackney in an abandoned office block purchased several years ago by the bank UBS. It is an enormous space complete with a 500-seater lecture hall.
It has been opened to the public for the non-monetary trade of ideas to help solve the pressing economic, social and environmental problems of our time.
There is also room for community groups, youth clubs, nurseries and other public services that have lost their space due to Government spending cuts.
Artists, performers and creatives are welcome to come entertain and to help transform the space. We also encourage games, workshops and skillshares on anything from yoga to yahtzee.

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