CRASS COLONIAL 'VICTORIA & ABDUL' RESPONSE TO ANTI-COLONIAL 'BLACK PRINCE'

Fast on the heels of the anti-colonial film - Black Prince, about the last crown king of the Kingdom of Punjab  - Duleep Singh - being forcibly ousted by the brit colonialists and the princely state of Punjab falling, we have this hyper pro-colonial film 'Victoria & Abdul', a deeply patronising story about brit queen victoria's servant Abdul Karim from colonised and occupied north India. This film seems to be an obvious riposte to Black Prince, which has brought new generations of Punjabis and other South Asians into the story of this part of the anti-colonial mosaic of our heritage, once that is unfinished with issues over reparations of colonial genocide and crimes in India, of the grand colonial crime of the sectarian partition of India, of the stolen jewel in the crown the Kohinoor diamond (stolen from Duleep Singh and family), and other pertinent issues.

The depiction of Abdul Karim in the film shows him seemingly much lighter skinned and slighter frame than he actually was, which seems to point to them making a him a more acceptable and more 'tamed' figure than the actually much darker and bigger real Abdul Karim.

The film also cleverly uses the time-old brit approach of dividing the different religious communities of India, although Black Prince itself imho should have depicted better and more widely Muslims in Punjab. However, this film clearly puts out a framework towards Asian Muslims but all Black and Brown people that somehow we can become british and become loved by our own colonial overlords if we are slavish enough for them.

Although this might seem a difficult strategy, in actual fact we can see all around us how effective is the assimilationist strategy of the british state that has successfully recruited vast swtahes if not basically all of our migrant communities into silencing our own on-going anti-colonial feelings, traditions and struggles, and the 'Black British' and 'British Asian' and 'British Muslim/Sikh/Hindu' etc assimilation is proving devastatingly effective. And when these communities think their sectarian supremacist (per)versions of their faith is some kind of differentiation towards the brits in the form of Ikhwan/Jamiat/Qaeda/Nusra/Daesh (Muslim), Khalistan (Sikh), BJP/RSS (Hindu) identity poltiics; in actual fact this again reproduces exactly the colonial divide and rule strategies and also they are all asymmetric mirror opposites of the western/white supremacy racism.

We don't need re-invent the wheel of anti-(neo)colonial resistance, we can improve the 'wheels' we already have that proved to be very effective in the many forms of united and allied anti-colonial resistance that was not based on a naturalised colonial separatism. This film seeks to disturb these potentials and challenges totally, and will further embed a colonial reflex and assimilation deeper into our communities being. We are in trouble.

Taru Dalmia Satkarn Shergill Amber Kevin Carter Faarea Masud Abrar Hafiz Sohel Nadeem Rahman

[music video] CRAZY HAZE's 'FRIENDS' TRACK (feat MALCOLM X)

CHURCHILL & WAHHABISM

"Ever noticed that the bigoted anti-Islam groups and mouthpieces in Britain all hold up Winston Churchill, who backed the Al-Saud family & foisted Wahhabism on the region, as an icon?

The likes of Tommy Robinson, Katie Hopkins, Britain First, Breitbart etc. all worship Churchill, yet completely ignore his role in creating Saudi Arabia.

Britain as a whole has never come to terms with the extent of their creating and supporting of terrorist groups across North Africa and the 'Middle East'. It is now accepted that Theresa May was facilitating terrorists to go to Libya in 2011 during NATOs war on the nation. One of these very terrorists blew himself up in Manchester early this year at a kids pop concert. Need we look any further than Britain's collusion with loyalist terror gangs in occupied Ireland to see how Britain uses "extremism" for their own end when it suits them." - Gerard McNamara

ANTI-FASCIST ANTI-IMPERIALISM IS A LONELY PLACE

Being a pro-active actual anti-imperialist anti-fascist is one of the loneliest political experiences in this era we're in. To actually strategically and ethically oppose fascism, racism *and* imperialism was for a long time the mainstream in global left / radical / global south networks. This started to really downgrade and collapse in 1991 with the world defeat of the 'third world' nationalist and socialist liberation struggles with the end of the socialist anti-imperialist 'Eastern Bloc'.

It's been downhill quickly since then with a brief exception defined by the Iraqi Resistance (post March 2003) and the Palestinian Intifada (1999-2003).

Today either the anti-imperialist movement is dead, with no support given to leading global anti-imperialist forces like Yemen and Libyan Resistance, or support for China, Cuba, Zim etc; or there is near total cowardice towards fascist forces with too many justifying and facilitating colloboration directly with fascist and Nazis.

From our peoples struggles since the 1920s across Africa, Asia and 'latin' America being clearly in the leadership of the struggle against fascism and imperialism, to today we have basically no leadership and the struggle is an increasingly messy hell.

Only China and DPRK in some indirect ways are giving very limited leadership, for the rest we are really all on our own.

There are literally small handfuls of anti-imperialist anti-fascists left. We must stand steadfast, persevere and do our best to raise our voices for the struggle of our peoples and martyrs.

CUBAN PRESIDENT RAUL CASTRO ON THE HURRICANE

Cuban Socialist Pres Raul Castro: "Appeal to Our Fighting People - Cuban government statement on Hurricane Irma

Monday, 11 September 2017

Let us face recovery with the example of the Commander-in-Chief of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz, who with his permanent faith in victory and strong will has taught us that there are no impossible tasks.

Hurricane Irma, with its destructive force, lashed out at our Island for more than 72 hours, from the morning of Friday 8 to Sunday 10 September. With winds that at times surpassed 250 kilometres per hour, it crossed the north of the country from Baracoa, also punished by another phenomenon of this type almost a year ago, to the vicinity of Cardenas. However, by the immensity of its size practically no territory was freed of its effects.

Called by experts as the largest hurricane formed in the Atlantic, this meteorological phenomenon caused severe damage to the country, which, precisely b because of its size, have not yet been quantified. A preliminary look evidences damages in housing, the national power grip and agriculture.

In addition it hit some of our main tourist destinations, however we will restore the damages before the start of the peak season. We have the necessary human and material resources, as one of the main sources of income for the national economy.

It has been hard days for our people, who in only a few hours have seen how everything we have built with great effort has been struck down by a devastating hurricane. The pictures of the last hours are eloquent, as is the spirit of resistance and victory of our people who are reborn with every adversity.

In these difficult circumstances, paramount have been the unity of the Cubans, the solidarity among the neighbours, the discipline to follow the instructions issued by the National Civil Defense General Staff and the Defense Councils at all levels, the professionalism of the specialists at the Institute of Meteorology, the immediacy of our media and journalists, the support of mass organizations, as well as the cohesion of the governing bodies of the National Defense Council. Special mention to all our women, including the leaders of the Party and the Government, who with steadiness and maturity directed and faced the difficult situation.

The days to come will be a lot of work, where the strength of the Cubans and the indestructible confidence in their Revolution will once again be demonstrated. It is not time to mourn, but to rebuild what the winds of Hurricane Irma tried to disappear.

With organization, discipline and the integration of all our structures, we will go ahead as we have done on previous occasions. Let us not fool ourselves, the task before us is immense, but with a people like ours we will win the most important battle: recovery.

At this crucial moment, the Central Trade Union Organization of Cuba (CTC) and the National Association of Small Farmers, together with other mass organizations, will have to redouble their efforts to erase as soon as possible the aftermath of this destructive event.

A principle remains unchanged: the Revolution will not leave anyone homeless and measures are already taken so that no Cuban family is left to their fate.

As has been customary every time a weather phenomenon hits us, there are many signs of solidarity received from all over the world. Heads of State and Government, political organizations and friends of solidarity movements have expressed their willingness to help us, which we thank on behalf of the more than eleven million Cubans and Cubans.

Let us face the recovery with the example of Commander-in-Chief of the Revolution, Fidel Castro Ruz, who with his permanent faith in victory and strong will has taught us that there are no impossible. In these difficult hours, his legacy makes us strong and unites us."

ON THE HAMMER AND SICKLE

Perhaps the most beautiful, liberation-oriented and powerful political symbols ever, although I do love the sickle/farming hoe & AK of Frelimo's symbol. I think my Father got the hammer and sickle from a recent trip to Bulgaria and my younger Brother bound them together and it's displayed proudly in our front room. We have been raised by my Mother and Father and Grandfather to have great respect, support and love for the workers and peasants, especially of our Homelands. What does it symbolise?

Most directly it symbolises the liberation and political control of society by those humans who give wealth we all enjoy - workers and peasants.

It symbolises the liberation of the most oppressed and exploited, it means the fundamental reorganisation of society to benefit the workers and peasants and for them to increasingly take over the full running of society (that's socialism, what's supposed to be the transition to a society without any exploitation and oppression), it means that the most poor get increasingly well off in housing, food and education and culture;

it means the defeat of all sectarian and divisive forces of far-right ethnic and national oppression;

it means the liberation of women from a hitherto role of being chained to home work and raising children (although it supports family by offering the *option* of socialised housework, free childcare, free community kitchens), of being increasingly freed from oppressive patriarchy.

We have only had not even a drop in the ocean of time to experience and experiment with socialism and the rule of the workers and peasants, in their experience the most liberating achievements historically from exploitation and oppression has been achieved. Socialism and communism today is going through a big nose dive since the late 1980s, and many communists and socialists especially in the 'west' and those controlled by those in the west have shown great dogma, narrow mindedness, arrogance and many have sold out to fascist forces today, but the great world examples of China and Cuba shows what we can still achieve.

WHY ARE FORMER IMPERIALIST MILITARY PERSONNEL IN OUR MOVEMENTS?

"Some thoughts on the attempts to paint Brit soldiers as victims, Veterans for Peace & the White Poppy:

British soldiers are not victims. They are the willing executioners of British foreign policy. There is no conscription in Britain and hasn’t been for a very long time. Britain’s endless conflict since the end of WW2 has seen millions pass through the ranks of this murderous organisation.

In Britain, the left propagate the myth that soldiers are victims. They will cite that the “working class” are targeted for recruitment, that said individuals have “no other choice”, that there “are no jobs”. None of this excuses nor makes them victims. Plenty of people in economic turmoil do not run off and join a psychopathic murder gang. On the day that the Chilcot report was released the British media and various lefty media outfits spoke of the plight of the families of the 179 British soldiers that died in Iraq. The millions of Iraqis killed and displaced were not even an afterthought.

Groups like “Veterans for Peace” are hailed and honoured for their so-called noble stand. I have long been suspicious of this outfit:

1. The profiteering and making careers out their murderous jolly up in the British Army is sickening. At least two senior figures in this outfit have made careers for themselves off the back of their time in the Brit Army. They have had book deals, become paid journalists, pundits and film makers.

2. Ben Griffin, a senior Veterans for Peace member, is a former SAS soldier who now complains he didn’t join the British Army to “carry out US foreign policy”.  Parroting the much loved British lefty line that Britain is a poodle of the Yanks and doesn’t really operate in the interest of Britain. Griffin was quite happy to remain in the British Army whilst he was posted to the six counties, Macedonia and Afghanistan. It wasn’t until he reached Iraq that he had an issue. And that issue was with “trigger happy” American soldiers. As if the Brits weren’t over there shooting and raping. He goes on to claim that the reputation of the British Army has been “damaged its association with the Americans”. You really can’t make this up.

3. In a recent interview with a Novara Media, Joe Glenton, a representative of "Veterans for Peace" spoke about a "good friend" of his who was a Brit solider in Malaya, he said; "a good friend of mine Walter was there... burning these peoples food, taking them off the land. He's in his eighties, amazing guy, he lives in London, he's fantastic, he's absolutely fantastic. He was there, he was involved in all this stuff". Now I'm guessing Walter (sadly not a Walter Mitty in this case) has miraculously renounced all of his evil doing and is now a fully pledged member of Veterans for Peace. This just doesn’t cut it, it takes a hell of a lot more than saying sorry and marching down Whitehall occasionally, throwing your medals about and then talking of how you were “coerced” in to joining.

4. Passing the buck and blaming the bosses. They will often say blame Tony Blair not “corporal scumbag”. Why can’t I blame both? Why can’t the soldiers, their seniors and government be held to account.

Oppose the White Poppy for Peace:

Firstly it is a symbol of pacifism. I am not a pacifist. I am proud and stand with all that resist against British and US imperialism. Supportive of whatever means they choose to use. Secondly, the White Poppy is used to remember all “victims” of war including every British soldier. It is an absolute insult of a symbol.

On the Red poppy:

The poppy is a nauseating symbol of British imperialism that promotes the genocidal actions of the British military as heroism. The funds raised from its sales are used to finance veterans of present day campaigns taking a burden off the MOD.

This year I will make sure I distribute thousands of bleeding poppies to whoever wants them."

 - Gerard McNamara