The rich bear BY FAR the most responsibility for climate change - the richest 10 percent of people produce half of the planet’s individual-consumption-based fossil fuel emissions.
And most importantly, it is the super rich who have corrupted the system so that $trillions of tax revenue has been spent on militarism etc, rather than on investment in green technology/infrastructure.
Meanwhile, it is the poorest who are most impacted by the climate/environmental devastation.
And now, the rich, having caused all the devastation, tend to blame it all on overpopulation (nonsense!), and (supposedly) want to tackle the issue by making the poor pay the most for it.
It all seems rather messed up to me.
Just imagine the world we could have had by now if we had a sane system that wasn’t rigged by the super rich - instead of killing millions of innocents in their for-profit wars, we could have put $trillions into green tech etc. Ugh!! Neoliberalism is HELL.
Tuesday, 25 June 2019
Centrism Needs To Die
All proponents of neoliberal globalisation - Thatcher, Reagan, and centrists like Blair - should really go down in history as those who almost destroyed the planet.
The ‘free market’ system that they imposed on us is an anti-democratic system that inevitably is rigged in the interests of the most successful and powerful corporations and billionaires, who're interested primarily in profit-making. The welfare of nature and humanity is secondary.
Nobody in their right mind could possibly believe that such a system of mass privatization - handing society over to oligarchs and corporations - is a sensible strategy for a healthy, prosperous future. It’s a recipe for ecocide, mass corruption and plunderous war, as has now been demonstrated.
We do sort of have planned economies - they’re just planned more in the interests of the planet-killing corporations, rather than in the interests of the planet. We need to switch to economies that are planned purely in the interests of the latter!
And for that to happen, we need governments in the US, UK, etc, that are focussed on taking on the powerful. There can be no compromises. Centrism needs to die.
Just imagine the world we could have had by now if we had a sane system that wasn’t rigged by the super rich - instead of killing millions of innocents in their for-profit wars, we could have put $trillions into green tech etc. Ugh!! Neoliberalism is HELL.
The ‘free market’ system that they imposed on us is an anti-democratic system that inevitably is rigged in the interests of the most successful and powerful corporations and billionaires, who're interested primarily in profit-making. The welfare of nature and humanity is secondary.
Nobody in their right mind could possibly believe that such a system of mass privatization - handing society over to oligarchs and corporations - is a sensible strategy for a healthy, prosperous future. It’s a recipe for ecocide, mass corruption and plunderous war, as has now been demonstrated.
We do sort of have planned economies - they’re just planned more in the interests of the planet-killing corporations, rather than in the interests of the planet. We need to switch to economies that are planned purely in the interests of the latter!
And for that to happen, we need governments in the US, UK, etc, that are focussed on taking on the powerful. There can be no compromises. Centrism needs to die.
Just imagine the world we could have had by now if we had a sane system that wasn’t rigged by the super rich - instead of killing millions of innocents in their for-profit wars, we could have put $trillions into green tech etc. Ugh!! Neoliberalism is HELL.
Thursday, 6 June 2019
Anyone Who Wants Peace MUST Support Assange and WikiLeaks
What America+allies have done to the world is indescribably horrific.
From the arming of death squads and jihadists, to the bloody toppling of democratic governments, to the installation and backing of brutal dictators, to the full-scale invasions of poor countries like Vietnam and Iraq, to the frequent and indiscriminate use of chemical weapons, to the sanctioning of poor countries so that their economies are destroyed and thousands die due to lack of medical supplies and food, to the levelling of entire cities that were previously rich with life and history...
All in the pursuit of profit and power; to impose a capitalist system globally, so that an elite few can benefit at the expense of the many and the planet. 20-30 million people killed, and the climate/environment ruined, as a result.
And all enabled by a very successful conditioning of the public, thanks to a media that prefers to protect power rather than challenge it - because said media is owned by the same corporations/oligarchs who profit from all this profitable destruction.
Julian Assange, who has been nominated for the Nobel Prize multiple times, and who has won journalism awards all over the world, has been targeted and tortured by the perpetrators of this destructive system. WikiLeaks has published information from whistleblowers all over the world. Assange’s agenda for transparency and accountability for the powerful is completely incompatible with their pursuit of perpetual profit - which relies on mass deception and corruption.
Whistleblowers have long been prosecuted - Obama arrested more than any previous POTUS combined. If not for these brave few, there is so much corruption and barbarity that would have remained secret. ‘Oh but they committed a crime, so they deserve it!’. Yes, they did commit a crime. So did many gay and civil rights activists in their fight for justice. So did Germans who opposed the Nazis. Etc. It’s an extremely ignorant/conservative opinion, that laws made by governments with a long history of oppression, criminality and corruption, are rigid and never to be challenged. One must believe in the benevolence of those in power to make such an argument, which as I say, is an extremely ignorant opinion - hopefully what I have detailed here, and this link, makes this quite clear!
But now it isn’t just whistleblowers who are being targeted. Journalists are too - Assange has been targeted for publishing truths leaked by the whistleblowers; truths that undermine malevolent power; that hinder the ability of the corrupt, psychopathic few from continuing their killing and plundering.
Is this not what fascist societies do? Will we all just sit back and allow it to happen?
If you‘d like a more peaceful, just and truthful world, support Assange and WikiLeaks!!!
From the arming of death squads and jihadists, to the bloody toppling of democratic governments, to the installation and backing of brutal dictators, to the full-scale invasions of poor countries like Vietnam and Iraq, to the frequent and indiscriminate use of chemical weapons, to the sanctioning of poor countries so that their economies are destroyed and thousands die due to lack of medical supplies and food, to the levelling of entire cities that were previously rich with life and history...
All in the pursuit of profit and power; to impose a capitalist system globally, so that an elite few can benefit at the expense of the many and the planet. 20-30 million people killed, and the climate/environment ruined, as a result.
And all enabled by a very successful conditioning of the public, thanks to a media that prefers to protect power rather than challenge it - because said media is owned by the same corporations/oligarchs who profit from all this profitable destruction.
Julian Assange, who has been nominated for the Nobel Prize multiple times, and who has won journalism awards all over the world, has been targeted and tortured by the perpetrators of this destructive system. WikiLeaks has published information from whistleblowers all over the world. Assange’s agenda for transparency and accountability for the powerful is completely incompatible with their pursuit of perpetual profit - which relies on mass deception and corruption.
Whistleblowers have long been prosecuted - Obama arrested more than any previous POTUS combined. If not for these brave few, there is so much corruption and barbarity that would have remained secret. ‘Oh but they committed a crime, so they deserve it!’. Yes, they did commit a crime. So did many gay and civil rights activists in their fight for justice. So did Germans who opposed the Nazis. Etc. It’s an extremely ignorant/conservative opinion, that laws made by governments with a long history of oppression, criminality and corruption, are rigid and never to be challenged. One must believe in the benevolence of those in power to make such an argument, which as I say, is an extremely ignorant opinion - hopefully what I have detailed here, and this link, makes this quite clear!
But now it isn’t just whistleblowers who are being targeted. Journalists are too - Assange has been targeted for publishing truths leaked by the whistleblowers; truths that undermine malevolent power; that hinder the ability of the corrupt, psychopathic few from continuing their killing and plundering.
Is this not what fascist societies do? Will we all just sit back and allow it to happen?
If you‘d like a more peaceful, just and truthful world, support Assange and WikiLeaks!!!
Saturday, 13 April 2019
The sexual assault allegations against Assange
Some info about the Swedish sexual assault allegations against Julian Assange:
One of the alleged victims - SW - did not want to press charges. The reason she went to the police was that she’d had unprotected sex with Assange and wanted him to have an HIV test. However, when questioned, she did (seemingly unwittingly) allege an assault - she said that during a night of repeated (consensual) sex, Assange had removed the condom without telling her. This was after they had agreed beforehand that protection should be used. She has also said that she was 'half asleep' when he did it. Despite this, SW later said in a text message that she "did not want to put any charges against Julian but the police wanted to get a grip on him", and that she was "shocked when they arrested him".
Assange denies SW's account and says he is certain that she expressly consented to unprotected sex.
The second alleged victim is AA. She has tweeted that she was not raped by Assange, but she has accused him of ‘misconduct’. There are reasons to be skeptical: She has suggested selling her story to a newspaper. She posted tweets on the day after the alleged misconduct, boasting about being at dinner with him - an odd thing to do, if she'd just been assaulted by him. And why did she not warn SW that Assange was an abuser? She knew that he was planning on sleeping with SW. She texted a friend - "He's not here. He's planned to have sex with the cashmere girl every evening, but not made it. Maybe he finally found time yesterday?". Her graphic description of the abuse she alleges can be read here. If she is telling the truth, it is strange that she wouldn't have wanted to warn SW.
Both AA and SW provided police with broken condoms as evidence that they had both been assaulted in the same way. As detailed in her description of the incident, AA alleges that Assange cut the end of the condom just before ejaculating. However, no trace of Assange's DNA was found on the condom that AA provided to the police.
According to Assange's attorney, text messages sent by the two women revealed them speaking of 'revenge' and 'economic gain'. AA once wrote a paper on 'The 7 Steps To Revenge' against men who 'dump you'.
Initially, Stockholm's Chief Prosecutor - Eva Finne - had closed the rape case, saying - "I don't believe there is any reason to suspect that he has committed rape", and "The conduct alleged disclosed no crime at all". Another prosecutor - Marianne Ny - reopened the case. After being questioned by Ny, Assange stayed in Sweden for five weeks, until he was given permission, by Ny, to leave. He headed to the UK, and 12 days later, Ny issued a European arrest warrant and an Interpol 'red notice' for his arrest. This was not on the basis that he was charged with any offence, but that he was wanted for questioning by the prosecutor. (UK law was subsequently changed so only a court, not a prosecutor, must sign the warrant).
Assange sought asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy after the UK Supreme Court rejected his request to not be extradited to Sweden. His (understandable) fear was that once in custody in Sweden, he would be vulnerable to extradition to the US - Assange's lawyers have said from the outset that he would return to Sweden for more questioning providing the authorities there guaranteed that he would not be extradited to the US, where, following WikiLeaks’ release of their murderous war criminality in 2010, much of the political/military establishment have openly said that they want him prosecuted on espionage charges, which would mean life imprisonment or execution. According to Yanis Varoufakis, a friend of Assange, he has always wanted to go to Sweden to face his accusers.
Assange’s lawyers have also long requested that the prosecutors in Sweden take a short flight to London, to question him at Scotland Yard, (or do it via video link), pointing out that Ny gave him permission to leave. This is common practice, and according to Swedish Law, people can be charged in their absence. For almost seven years, while Sweden questioned forty-four people in the UK in connection with police investigations, Marianne Ny refused to go to the UK and question Assange. She wanted Assange extradited before he was charged.
Ny was quoted in the Swedish newspaper as having said: “Even if I’m wrong, I won’t give up.” But she refused to take a short trip to the UK to question Assange.
Ny also refused to allow the Swedish courts access to hundreds of SMS messages that the police had extracted from the phone of one of the two women.
Given that Swedish prosecutors refused to go to London to questions Assange, as they would usually do in such cases, and given that they refused to guarantee that he would not be extradited to the US, it does not seem unreasonable for Assange to conclude that something was awry.
Ny also refused to allow the Swedish courts access to hundreds of SMS messages that the police had extracted from the phone of one of the two women.
Given that Swedish prosecutors refused to go to London to questions Assange, as they would usually do in such cases, and given that they refused to guarantee that he would not be extradited to the US, it does not seem unreasonable for Assange to conclude that something was awry.
In private messages, obtained under the UK’s Data Protection Act, UK intelligence officials suggested that Assange had been framed. One of the messages said “They are trying to arrest him on suspicion of XYZ, it’s definitely a fit-up though”.
Swedish investigators wanted to drop the case against Assange back in 2013, but the UK insisted that they carry on. A British official emailed the Swedes: “Don’t you dare get cold feet!!!”. This was discovered following a freedom of information request. Most of the other documents relating to these conversations were unavailable. They had been destroyed by the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service in violation of protocol.
The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that the UK and Sweden have abused the system and Assange should have been been allowed to walk free.
The UN rapporteur on torture has concluded that Assange is the victim of 'psychological torture'.
The head of the Swedish Bar Association has condemned the UK's and Sweden's handling of the case as 'deplorable'.
UK organization, Women Against Rape, believe the pursuit of Assange to be political.
Assange probably has more enemies than anyone on the planet. These enemies are extremely powerful and nefarious – eg the CIA. Sweden and the UK have a long history of collusion with the CIA. Both countries have partaken in secret CIA ‘renditions’ - illegally deporting people, to be tortured abroad.
The US has been covertly targeting Assange and WikiLeaks since as far back as 2008, having been identified as a serious threat. A secret Pentagon document laid out a plan to discredit WikiLeaks and smear Assange - he is on a ‘manhunt target list’, revealed by Edward Snowden's leaks; Joe Biden called him a terrorist; Hillary Clinton allegedly made a sick joke about drone bombing him. A secret grand jury in the US sought for years to contrive a crime for which Assange could be prosecuted.
Side Note: US government agencies have a long history of collusion with the media to propagandise and manipulate the public into supporting their agendas - hence the constant misinformation, and smearing and mocking of Assange, from mainstream journalists, (they also just hate him because he shows them up for the frauds that they are. Unlike most of them, Julian and WikiLeaks actually do real journalism that speaks truth to power!). On the day that the investigation began, the press in Sweden splashed across the front pages that Assange was accused of raping two women. Clearly, this was a result of coordination between authorities and the press.
If I’ve missed anything or got anything wrong, please let me know.
Obviously, the most important thing to remember is - even if he is guilty of misconduct, this is NOT why he has been targeted. He has been targeted for his incredibly brave work confronting the most powerful forces on the planet, unveiling their criminality, and hindering their ability to manipulate us into supporting more murderous conquests. Countless lives saved as result, no doubt.
I recommend watching this documentary, broadcast on Australian television in 2012.
Friday, 12 April 2019
Julian Assange arrested
After nearly seven years, Julian Assange has been dragged out of the Ecuadorian Embassy and arrested.
He is finally ‘to face justice’, say the politicians and the media. What for? For revealing the murderous and corrupt criminality of those in power - of those same politicians and propagandists who now say he must face justice.
Oh how Orwellian it all is!
We live in societies in which those who wage murderous wars for oil and profit face no consequences, but those who try and put a stop to it are, at best, suppressed and unable to publish and broadcast in the mainstream media, or at worst, imprisoned and tortured.
What a feat of propaganda it is that some still see this system as free and democratic!
It is the capitalist pursuit of perpetual wealth and power that is to blame for this nightmare that we and our planet are in. Assange and WikiLeaks are an obstacle to this pursuit - they dare to unveil truths about the capitalists in power, and hinder the ability of the capitalist media to manipulate us into supporting yet more profitable war and plunder. So far, at least 20-30 million innocents, over the last 70 years, have been killed, and our ecosystem is almost destroyed - all as a result of this pursuit for profit.
At least there is a bit of hope on the horizon with the possibility that we may soon have a socialist Prime Minister in the UK who will try and resist and transform the destructive and chaotic neoliberal, capitalist system. But will enough people wake up in time to vote for him?
He is finally ‘to face justice’, say the politicians and the media. What for? For revealing the murderous and corrupt criminality of those in power - of those same politicians and propagandists who now say he must face justice.
Oh how Orwellian it all is!
We live in societies in which those who wage murderous wars for oil and profit face no consequences, but those who try and put a stop to it are, at best, suppressed and unable to publish and broadcast in the mainstream media, or at worst, imprisoned and tortured.
What a feat of propaganda it is that some still see this system as free and democratic!
It is the capitalist pursuit of perpetual wealth and power that is to blame for this nightmare that we and our planet are in. Assange and WikiLeaks are an obstacle to this pursuit - they dare to unveil truths about the capitalists in power, and hinder the ability of the capitalist media to manipulate us into supporting yet more profitable war and plunder. So far, at least 20-30 million innocents, over the last 70 years, have been killed, and our ecosystem is almost destroyed - all as a result of this pursuit for profit.
At least there is a bit of hope on the horizon with the possibility that we may soon have a socialist Prime Minister in the UK who will try and resist and transform the destructive and chaotic neoliberal, capitalist system. But will enough people wake up in time to vote for him?
Monday, 25 March 2019
Brexit - we need a general election
However many millions of Remainers hit the streets for ‘people’s vote’ marches, and sign online petitions, it won’t change the fact that the UK is deeply divided, between north and south, city and rural, old and young, middle class and working class.
Personally, I would’ve preferred Remain (+transform) to Brexit, but I think a second referendum could be disastrous - whatever the result. Firstly, it will be another horribly hateful and divisive month or so of campaigning. Then, if Remain wins, Leavers will (kinda justifiably) feel even more fucked over than they already did following decades of neoliberalism. This thing we call democracy will have been massively undermined and right-wing populism will grow, with a Tory government still in power for another three years doing nothing to stop it.
If Leave wins, we get May’s deal. Her deal is bad for the left - it will make it harder to implement socialistic policies in the future, which is essential for addressing the root cause of the anger and desperation in society (neoliberalism).
Labour’s approach of calling for a general election and then going for a different kind of Brexit under a Labour government, seems the most sensible way forward to me. (And I’m not just saying that because I’m a Corbyn supporter!). That’s what Corbyn and Keir Starmer have been getting on with - EU officials have clearly indicated to them that they are open to their kind of deal.
Maybe if all the energy currently put into bringing about a second referendum was put into calling for a general election, there’d be a chance of making it happen somehow?
Personally, I would’ve preferred Remain (+transform) to Brexit, but I think a second referendum could be disastrous - whatever the result. Firstly, it will be another horribly hateful and divisive month or so of campaigning. Then, if Remain wins, Leavers will (kinda justifiably) feel even more fucked over than they already did following decades of neoliberalism. This thing we call democracy will have been massively undermined and right-wing populism will grow, with a Tory government still in power for another three years doing nothing to stop it.
If Leave wins, we get May’s deal. Her deal is bad for the left - it will make it harder to implement socialistic policies in the future, which is essential for addressing the root cause of the anger and desperation in society (neoliberalism).
Labour’s approach of calling for a general election and then going for a different kind of Brexit under a Labour government, seems the most sensible way forward to me. (And I’m not just saying that because I’m a Corbyn supporter!). That’s what Corbyn and Keir Starmer have been getting on with - EU officials have clearly indicated to them that they are open to their kind of deal.
Maybe if all the energy currently put into bringing about a second referendum was put into calling for a general election, there’d be a chance of making it happen somehow?
Saturday, 23 March 2019
Mueller investigation ends
The ‘Russiagate’ investigation draws to a close. As any informed person with half a brain could have predicted years ago, no one has been charged with ‘colluding with Russia’.
This fucking stupid conspiracy theory has been widespread across all MSM for over two years. Literally can’t turn on the TV in the US without hearing ‘Russia’ within 10 seconds. And these assholes preach about fake news!!
They should be ashamed and fired. But they won’t be, cos corporate media is not and never has been interested in reality - they are interested in profit, and Russiagate has been great for ratings. Who cares that millions of starving Yemeni children have been ignored as a result? Who cares that it’s fueled a new Cold War between nuclear powers? Who cares that it's massively boosted Trump's chances in the 2020 elections, as he will now be vindicated to an extent in his criticisms of the media 'witch hunt'?
There’s loads of great alt-media online now that is focussed on truth rather than profit and that doesn’t do the bidding of the elite. Seek it out! Before it all gets suppressed as ‘fake news’...
This fucking stupid conspiracy theory has been widespread across all MSM for over two years. Literally can’t turn on the TV in the US without hearing ‘Russia’ within 10 seconds. And these assholes preach about fake news!!
They should be ashamed and fired. But they won’t be, cos corporate media is not and never has been interested in reality - they are interested in profit, and Russiagate has been great for ratings. Who cares that millions of starving Yemeni children have been ignored as a result? Who cares that it’s fueled a new Cold War between nuclear powers? Who cares that it's massively boosted Trump's chances in the 2020 elections, as he will now be vindicated to an extent in his criticisms of the media 'witch hunt'?
There’s loads of great alt-media online now that is focussed on truth rather than profit and that doesn’t do the bidding of the elite. Seek it out! Before it all gets suppressed as ‘fake news’...
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