Sudan 29th November 2007: A British teacher in Sudan has been imprisoned for 15 days for insulting Islam. We do not support such reactionary and oppressive laws, but this situation is a reflection of the level of historical development of Sudanese society. The fact that she has apologised and expressed remorse for what was an unintentional cultural misunderstanding is mitigation for the offence but not a full defence. We should not condemn Sudan for upholding its own laws, just as the UK would not want to be lectured for upholding its laws against incitement to racial hatred. It would be a mistake of imperialist tendencies to hype this situation into a major diplomatic incident; instead it is for the people of Sudan to build a more progressive and secular future for their own society in their own time.
Fascism 26th November 2007: I am delighted that the fascists David Irving and Nick Griffin have been prevented from spreading their doctrine of racism and hatred at the Oxford Union by hundreds of students, anti-fascists, and ordinary demonstrators who courageously and valiently occupied the building by force of numbers. Experience shows that the supposedly balanced norms of bourgeois democracy merely help fascism to get a foothold in positions of power, from which that same democracy can be strangled, and that fascism in the past has been stopped in its tracks by the masses of the people in Cable Street in 1936, and on the streets in the 1970s against the National Front.
Pakistan 17th November 2007: Some western media and political sources may think that a new government under Benazir Bhutto may somehow be the way forward for Pakistan in leading a way out of the current military crisis. But they would be mistaken; Ms Bhutto has been prime minister twice before. She did not manage to achieve any substantial reforms in ownership of land, the end of bonded labour or gross inequalities of wealth, and she was sacked for corruption on both occasions. As an Oxford-educated member of the privileged ruling class, Bhutto is part of the problem and not part of the solution. The way out of the crisis, and the only way to prevent the entrenchment of a military dictatorship, is a people's government, if necessary by way of a revolution. There is no realistic prospect of the planned general election on 8th January being in any meaningful way free or fair when the so-called state of emergency is still in place.
Peter Phillips 15th November 2007: The entire country has been dancing and singing all day long to celebrate the 30th birthday of the most gorgeous man in the world. Maintaining the long tradition of a popular monarchy is entirely consistent with the principles of establishing a Democratic People's Loony Britain, and maintaining fraternal relations with Commonwealth countries is still viable as long as it is not used as a cover for post-colonialist neo-imperialism.
Pakistan 4th November 2007: The State of Emergency which has been declared by General Parvez Musharraf in Pakistan - in reality, a coup by the incumbent government against its own people - is an attempt to frustrate the will of the people being expressed through the democratic process. It is portrayed as a necessary step to prevent the spread of Islamist militancy, but in reality it will only exacerbate the slide towards a civil war and the construction of a Taliban-style regime in Pakistan.
The murder of Jean Charles de Menezes 1st November 2007: Sir Ian Blair has said that he will not resign as head of the Metropolitan Police, even though two of his trigger-happy officers murdered an innocent commuter in a frenzy of incompetent hysteria. He originally said that Mr de Menezes was running away from the police that killed him; that he jumped over the ticket barrier; that he failed to obey instructions when challenged; and that he was wearing bulky clothing. None of those statements were true, and neither is this one now.
Human Rights 31st October 2007: Recent cases have highlighted the fact that some foreign-born criminals cannot be deported to the countries of their birth after being released from prison, because the lack of family and other connections in those countries mean that it would be a breach of their human rights to do so. This is a correct decision. There has been no similar hysteria in the media about the routine released of British criminals. People who suggest that the legal system should pay more attention to the human rights of the victims of those criminals are missing the point; the whole point of "human rights" is that they apply to everyone, not just a selection of "decent" or "law-abiding" ones.
The murder of Jean-Charles Menezes 20th October 2007: The police commander Cressida Dick says that she did not give any orders for Jean Charles Menezes to be shot or killed, only for him to be stopped and searched in the normal way on his journey to work. The fact that he travelled on two buses without being intercepted, before boarding a train, further confirms that the responsibility for his murder lies fairly and squarely with the officers who shot and killed him.
EU Treaty 19th October 2007:
The assorted presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers of 27 European countries have agreed the
terms of a new European Union Treaty which further centralises power in the institutions of the corrupt,
undemocratic, outdated capitalist organ of imperialism which is the EU. Far from being a minor tidying-up
exercise, as is falsely claimed by our own esteemed prime minister Gordon Brown, it is a massive act of
state-building which creates a permanent EU president, a foreign minister, a self-amending mechanism which
obviates the need for future treaties, jurisdiction over home affairs by the European Court of Justice, an
EU public prosecutor, extended EU powers over social security policy, employment, self-employment, trade,
financial regulation [this from an organisation of which the accounts have not been audited for 11 years],
public health, civil and criminal legal procedures, asylum, immigration, defence, transport, energy,
sport, science and space policies.
Furthermore, the prime minister of the UK refuses to honour his own
election pledge for a referendum on the EU Treaty, because he pretends that it is substantially different
from the former proposed Constitution. This is despite the fact that the German Chancellor
says that the substance of the Constitution is preserved; the Spanish prime minister says that a great
part of the content of the European Constitution is captured in the new treaties; the Danish prime
minister says that the core of the Constitution remains; the Irish Taoiseach says that 90% of the old
Constitution remains; the Czech president says that only cosmetic changes have been made; the Finnish
foreign minister says that nothing from the original institutional package has been changed; the Belgian
prime minister says that it includes the most important elements; the Slovenian prime minister says that
it is not essentially different; and the former French president who was the main author of the Treaty
says that the proposals are largely unchanged.
In the words of the journalist Sean Thomas, "Anyone who isn’t shocked by the EU doesn’t understand it.
Laws are made by an unelected politburo, and passed by obscure people with legal immunity, that are then
scrutinized by overpaid and corrupt MPs sitting in a parliament that no one votes for, which is sited in
two countries for no good reason at vast expense, whose accounts are consistently proved fraudulent, and
the whole thing lacks any democratic legitimacy because there is no people, do demos, no single media to
provide opposition or exercise influence - and - and - and - when the people DO have the temerity to say
NO, these voices are simply ignored or bypassed with unconcealed contempt."
This undemocratic
outrage has gone too far already. It is time for all the leaders of these 27 countries to be overthrown
and swept away by a great proletarian revolutionary uprising for the traitors that they are.
Menzies Campbell 15th October 2007: The leader of the Liberal Democrats has suddenly resigned, less than two years after his predecessor was forced to resign in equally abrupt circumstances. The Conservative and Labour Parties have both been substantially ahead of each other in the opinion polls within the last two weeks, as the three main imperialist parties thrash around frenziedly in the fetid swamp of bourgeois politics. The ordinary masses of the people are meanwhile yearning for the leadership of the Loony Party to lead them up the mountainside into the sunny uplands of a progressive people-based democratic society.
Prince Harry 12th October 2007: The artist Daniel Edwards has produced a statue of Prince Harry, portraying him as a dead soldier, as a tribute to those who are willing but unable to fight for their country in warzones. This statue has been widely criticised, but I believe that it is a thoughtful work, and a worthy tribute to the courage and dedication of His Royal Hunkiness. It is a tribute to his willingness to risk his life for his fellow citizens, and has merit regardless of any arguments about the Iraq war itself.
Pre-Budget Statement 9th October 2007: The chancellor's pre-budget statement today was dominated by substantial policies which were blatantly and overtly copied from the Conservative proposals from last week's conference. None of this matters, of course, because the Conservative and Labour Parties are merely two faces of the same bourgeois reactionary coin, furthering the interests of the ruling classes by occupying the so-called "middle ground" and restricting the voters to a bogus non-choice once every four years.
March Against War 8th October 2007: The march in London today organised by the Stop The War coalition, from Trafalgar Square to Parliament Square, went ahead because of the irresistable force of numbers which made the police realise that it was a futile and counter-productive idea to think that the genuine will of the people could be stifled by an archaic item of oppressive legislation from 1839. There was a clear contrast between the self-serving narrow hierarchical stratum of MPs from the bourgeois parties in the House of Commons, and the thousands of progressive peace-loving people outside. As was stated in one of the slogans of the march, "This is what democracy looks like".
Kim Jong Il 8th October 2007: Today is the 10th anniversary of the election of the Dear Leader, Comrade General Kim Jong Il, as General Secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea. On Wednesday it will be the 62nd anniversary of the foundation of the Workers' Party of Korea. We salute Comrade Kim and the WPK on their steadfast leadership in building a people's democracy for the whole people of the DPRK and in standing up to the aggressive imperialist threats and sanctions of the USA. Following the wishes of the people, not allowing the exploitation of one class by another, and preserving the distinctive national character of the revolution, has been the key to preventing the sort of catastrophic collapse which took place in the Central European countries in the late 1980s.
General Election 6th October 2007: It comes as no surprise that the prime minister has decided not to call a general election for November. The intense frenzied speculation about a possible election, which has been increasing over the last few weeks, has come from the media, not the government.
Bhagat Singh 27th September 2007: Today is the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Indian revolutionary martyr Bhagat Singh, whom we commemorate as a guide to study and action. He was never without a book, and was conscious of the need for knowledge and understanding of theory to be necessary as a guide for political action. We also celebrate the 150th anniversary of the great Ghadar (the so-called Indian "Mutiny") when thousands of Indian workers and peasants rose up against the British authorities who had systematically destroyed and undermined the culture, education, history and economy of India, and who were consciously imposing a Eurocentric form of political administration, a western class system with a privileged class of fellow- travellers, and a distorted western education system designed to entrench that class. The current ruling classes in India are merely the historical continuation of the privileged British elite in a different form, and there has been little or no fundamental change in the condition of the masses of the peasantry. In remembering Shaheed Bhagat Singh, his foresight and his vision, we also remember his slogans: Inqilab Zindabad! Long Live the Revolution! Samajwad Murdabad! Down with Imperialism! Long Live the Dictatorship of the Proletariat!
Andrew Pelling 25th September 2007: No Comment.
Pablo Santos 15th September 2007: Today we remember the first anniversary of the tragic death of Pablo Santos. The OMRLP and WAAAAGH suggest that part of the international aid budget should be used to give grants to cute Mexican teenagers to train them to become film actors to replace those who have clumsily been killed in plane crashes.
Northern Rock 14th September 2007: Thousands of small investers in the Northern Rock building society have been panicking and queuing up to withdraw their savings because of a short-term cash-flow problem which is being experienced. This in turn is because of the tightened availability of loand and credit from other banks, a reduction in confidence in interest rates, and a wave of mortgage difficulties in the USA. This is yet another demonstration of the perversities, instabilities and speculative weaknesses of the international capitalist system; it has nothing to do with the real material situation whereby resources are physically available or usable. The only stable and sustainable society is one in which the world's resources are produced and shared on a fair and rational basis, according to the most up-to-date scientific techniques and methods of production, instead of being held hostage by irrational speculation by a small network of multi-billionaire banks and bankers.
European Union 11th September 2007: The European Union has gracefully decided to allow us to continue using imperial measurements such as pounds and ounces. Who the hell do these despots think they are to presume to tell us what they are allowing us to do? We do not need permission from an unelected and corrupt dictatorship to continue the traditions of a thousand years. It is our freedom to live, and none of their business to give us a right to do so.
Memorial Service 31st August 2007: Prince Harry's tribute to Princess Diana at the memorial service today excellently demonstrated that the best legacy she left to the world is two handsome sons with their positive and meaningful careers and energetic lives. William and Harry genuinely care about people, and the country which they serve, just as much as Diana did.
Prison Strike 29th August 2007: The Prison officers' strike today highlights the inconsistency of the government's policy on crime. On the one hand, the government is hell-bent on stuffing the prisons to overflowing and is not willing to build the necessary extras places for the criminals who are being sentenced; on the other hand it is not willing to pay the staff adequately who are charged with looking after and rehabilitating them. The argument that it is "illegal" for prison officers to strike is irrelevant; their action today was part of the struggle for the decent treatment of all of society's essential workers. Their concerns would be ignored at the government's peril.
Royalty 27th August 2007: It is understandable that the Duchess of Cornwall prefers not to attend the memorial service for Diana, Princess of Wales, due to the danger of it causing a distraction from the primary purpose. But it is also regrettable that this decision was forced by extensive media pressure, against the wishes of Prince Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry.
Migration 23rd August 2007: The front page of today's "Daily Mail" has a headline which announces the number of the UK's migrants for the last 12 months: 574,000 immigrants, and 196,000 emigrants. These numbers are a normal part of the processes of the world economy, and are nothing to be worried about per se. But the newspaper chose to illustrate the story with photographs which could have come straight out of a Nazi propaganda film: a healthy white Aryan British family, with two children, and a group of swarthy, dirty, dishevelled single men from Eastern Europe. Such tabloid stories can only be designed to stir up racism and resentment where none need exist.
American Democracy 21st August 2007: John Pilger's powerful documentary film about the USA's War on Democracy in Latin America vividly illustrates the distorted version of American Democracy, whereby small countries in Uncle Sam's back yard are allowed to have a subdued, compliant and subservient democracy, as long as the nation's assets and natural resources are stripped, scrapped or sold at low prices to big multi-national corporations. The result is that the select few who constitute the rich middle class get richer, the poor get poorer, and real power is kept out of the hands of puppet bourgeois parties. Under such a system, so-called democratic elections are a sham because it is the same international capitalists who keep the wealth, and the poor and underprivileged people who remain deprived of basic social provision such as clinics and schools. Venezuela and Bolivia show the way forward, as people can reclaim real power for themselves and control their own country's resources.
Heathrow Protest (2) 19th August 2007: I went to the protest today against the third runway at Heathrow. The demonstrators were peaceful, colourful, cultured and progressive, and were ranged against the unsmiling forces of the establishment. Ultimately it is the people who will decide whether they want to fly, or the Earth to die.
Heathrow Protest 13th August 2007: Hundreds of peaceful protesters are camping outside Heathrow airport in order to increase awareness of the dangers of climate change, and the contribution to it which is made by air travel. They have been peaceful, progressive and disciplined, and have organised cultural events and political discussions, to increase consciousness of the issues. And what has been the response of the establishment? Police are threatening to stop and arrest demonstrators under anti-terrorism legislation, to blockade roads, and are instinctively treating protestors as criminals. The media is jumping on the bandwagon with false hysterical scare-stories about protestors planting fake bombs in the airport itself. Why such reaction? Because the existing military and business hierarchy can only depend on the concept of never-ending "growth" without any conscious awareness of environmental sustainability or responsibility.
Stock Market 10th August 2007: The FTSE stock exchange in London has fallen in value by 4% in one day, the biggest fall since before the Iraq war. Apparently this was sparked off by uncertainty in the American mortgage system. Billions of pounds, dollars, euros and yen are being traded and gambled aginst each other, and the value of big international corporations are being slashed "on paper". What does any of this mean? It doesn't make the slightest bit of difference to a refugee displaced by war in Darfur, a Palestinian deprived of water in the West Bank, a single parent living in a squalid damp tenement in Glasgow, a Somali refugee, or an innocent Muslim who has been kidnapped and tortued by the American military. It does not prevent the rain from falling, the plants from growing, animals from grazing, and should not make any difference to the management of the resources of the world. So why all the fuss? Because the whole of international capitalism is designed to make profits for a small minority of millionaire businessmen who have no concept of a sustainable future, or a world which belongs to all of its people.
Mass Extinction 8th August 2007: The extinction of the baiji dolphin in the Yangtze basin - the first large vertebrate to become extinct in fifty years - highlights the urgent need to build an environmentally sustainable future for the world, based on scientific principles. Instead of relentlessly pursuing greater profit, humanity needs to find and invest in renewable sources of energy, and less pollution, and to share the world's natural and human resources on the basis of equality. If this is done, then there will be enough food and shelter for all people to live adequately. If not, and if the current scramble for oil and exploitation is continued, we may be all facing a mass extinction after a few decades of degradation, desertification, exploitation, empoverishment, flooding, disease, mass migrations and catastrophic social and energy collapse.
Foot and Mouth Disease 5th August 2007: The latest outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease exposes the incompetence of the governemnt in failing to vaccinate animals as a precaution, and in failing to prevent the apparent escape of the virus from a laboratory near to the source of the outbreak. It is also welcome for another reason, which is that it provides another progressive step towards the ultimate Loony aim of normalising the countryside.
Prince Louis 3rd August 2007: Happy 21st Birthday to the very handsome Prince Louis of Luxembourg! Best wishes to him, Tessy, and Gabriel, and congratulations on their forthcoming second child.
Cohabitation 31st July 2007: It is ridiculous to propose that cohabiting unmarried couples who separate should be constrained by the same laws of separation and asset distribution as divorcing couples. If people want to make such arrangements then they should get married.
Peter Phillips 29th July 2007: I send my great congratulations and very best wishes to the most gorgeous man in the world and his lovely girlfriend Autumn Kelly on the joyous occasion of their engagement. The utter delight which this news has given to many admirers in unbounded.
Floods 26th July 2007: Hundreds of thousands of people all over the Midlands have been incovenienced by their homes being flooded, electricity and water supplies disrupted, property damaged, and road and rail links have been interrupted. It's all their own silly fault for clumsily living in low levels, and not at the tops of hills like normal people.
Libya 25th July 2007: Several Bulgarian nurses and doctors, having been convicted of infecting children with HIV, have been repatriated from Libya to Bulgaria to allow them to serve the remainder of their sentences in prisons at home. It is normal for such arrangements to be made when citizens of one country are imprisoned in another. However, the government of Bulgaria has abused the goodwill of the Libyan authorities, by freeing the prisoners prematurely. It has been reported that the President of Bulgaria has given them a "pardon" even though it is not in his power to do so. Severe doubts have been expressed about the safety of the convictions, and the evidence on which they were based. But the unilateral breach of trust which has been perpetrated against Libya by the governemnt of Bulgaria is not conducive to encouraging such exchanges in future.
Ealing Southall 20th July 2007: Thousands of joyous citizens have been dancing and singing in the streets all night long to celebrate the joyous news that I came a very high 9th out of 12 candidates in the Ealing Southall by-election, with an enormous total of 188 votes. Never before have I managed to beat three other candidates at the same time. This is a substantial increase on my result in Bromley & Chislehurst, and a small but significant blow against the crumbling imperialist monopoly of the Lib-Lab-Con-trick parties. This is a message from the Somali, Sikh, Asian, white, Christian and atheist communities of Ealing and Southall that we remember the inmates of Guantanamo Bay; we feel the pain of the people of Somalia under the boot of the invading Ethiopian forces; we respect the path of self-defence and independence followed by the people of North Korea; we continue to be outraged at the incarceration of people under house arrest, and we demand the right to demand change outside Parliament.
Russia 17th July 2007: There is no justification for Russia retaliating for the expulsion of diplomats from the UK in response to the refusal of the Russian government to extradite the suspect for the murder of Aleksandr Litvinenko. In recent years, the Ruusian authorities have had no qualms about extraditing their own citizens, sometimes illegally and without due process, to Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, on dozens of occasions. The claim that the Russian constitution forbids such extraditions is simply being used as a fig-leaf to cover the guilt of the figures at the highest level of the reactionary and authoritarian government who ordered and arranged the murder.
One Hour of Liberty 27th June 2007: Today I spent three hours outside Downing Street demanding the resignation of the power-crazed illiberal warmonger Prime Minister Blair, and one hour demanding the resignation of the power-crazed illiberal warmonger Prime Minister Brown. In between, I felt a sense of elation as we had a golden hour of liberty with no prime minister. It was only then, for a brief period, when I felt truly free under the benign reign of the Queen, and without the burden of a tyrannical despot who oppresses the people.
Defection 26th June 2007: The defection of a Conservative MP to the Labour Party is entirely inconsequential. It makes some sense that he would want to abandon a shallow, opportunist and weak leader and to join a party which has long since abandoned any pretence to progressive polices. It only helps to confirm the fact that both of the main parties are equally degenerate and undemocratic.
Labour Party 24th June 2007: The election (albeit token and meaningless) of Harriet Harman as Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, in an election in which all six candidates started with less than 20% of the votes, demonstrates perfectly the ludicrous logic of the people who argue that First-Past-The-Post is acceptable or sufficiently flexible to elect a single position. The unopposed election of Gordon Brown as Leader also shows clearly that the Labour Party has become a monstrous clunking juggernaut which is designed ruthlessly to maintain itself in power, and to maintain the power of its vested and privileged interests, rather than to facilitate any meaningful debate on policy from the grassroots. In spite of its superficial democratic trappings, the continuing New labour regime is still obsessed with eroding the rights to free speech, assembly, protest, freedom from torture, presumption of innocence and protection from unwarranted extradition.
London Mayor 19th June 2007: The House of Lords has passed an amendment which seeks to limit the Mayor of London to a maximum of two terms in office. The reason given for the proposal is that it is a very powerful position and is the nearest that the UK has to an elected dictator. I agree with the analysis, but not the remedy. The solution should be to get rid of the Mayor completely, and allow the Greater London Assembly to elect its own accountable leader, similar to the leader of the GLC before 1986.
Falklands 18th June 2007: This week, the Falkland Islanders have been celebrating the 25th anniversary of their liberation from the illegal invasion and occupation by Argentina. The military action to restore British sovereignty was fully justified. British rule over the Falklands is not an example of unacceptable imperialism, because there is no exploited or subjugated indigenous population; there has never been any Spanish or Argentinian population and therefore no displacement when the British settled in 1833. It was right to uphold the principle of self-determination, in accordance with the wishes of the Falklanders, and it would have been right even if Argentina had been a prosperous democracy instead of a bankrupt military dictatorship.
Taking Liberties 15th June 2007: I went to see the film "Taking Liberties" today. It tells the worrying history of the progressively encroaching, systematic and continuous erosions of the traditional freedoms which have been treasured in the UK for hundreds of years. There are, in law and/or in practice, serious and substantial restrictions in the freedom of speech, right to protest, presumption of innocence, right to trial, right to privacy, and protection from torture. Instead, people have been forcibly prevented from attending peaceful protests, assaulted by police for heckling, subjected to house arrest after being acquitted of criminal charges, detained for weeks without charge, and been the victims of extraordinary (i.e. extra-judicial) kidnapping and extradition by secret American forces with the knowledge and co-operation of the UK government. These erosions of liberty have all been enacted on the pretext of fighting terrorism or protecting public safety. Exactly the same excuses have been given by the Nazis and by numerous other dictatorships and totalitarian regimes throughout history. The uncomfortable truth, as was pointed out in the film, is that this tyranny is not normally noticed by most people until they become victims of it on an individual basis.
William and Harry 14th June 2007: The interview given by Prince William and Prince Harry, in memory of their late mother, shows them in an excellent light as caring compassionate men who genuinely care about the welfare of the unfortunate, just as Princess Diana did, and who are passionate and determined in protecting her memory from the slings and arrows of outrageous tabloid hysteria. It also reminds us of the charmingly gorgeous masculinity which utterly pervades both of them; they stand as excellent examples and representatives of the next generation of the monarchy which has been the fortune of the United Kingdom for hundreds of years. There is no contradiction between the existence of the monarchy, and the pursuit of progressive and anti-imperialist policies.
Gaza Strife 14th June 2007: The violent disintegration of the authority of the coalition government in the Gaza Strip, and the de facto assumption of power by Hamas militant forces, stands as a grave warning to Israel to stop its subjugation of the Palestinian people. Money and arms have been provided to President Abbas's allies, supposedly to help him restore order and crack down on militants. In reality, this is a "divide and rule" tactic of fostering divisions between Fatah and Hamas and to prevent them from uniting in resisting the marginalisation of the Occupied Territories which is being sytematically pursued by the Israelis in the West Bank. In the last year, the water and electricity infrastructure in Gaza has been extensively damaged by thousands of Israeli rockets, and there have been hundreds of arrests or killings in military incursions and raids on Palestinian towns. This pattern of behaviour by Israeli forces is not conducive to a stable two-state solution, and betrays the reality of the intentions of the more reactionary elements in the Israeli military, which is to achieve permanent colonisation of the land and resources, and the isolation and impoverishment of Palestinians. But the events of the last few days show what can be achieved by the resistance if constructive paths to peace are deliberately avoided. I hope that it will be possible to achieve a peaceful settlement in Palestine and Israel, just as has been achieved within just a few years in Northern Ireland.
Imperialism Disguised As Aid 13th June 2007: One small example of the exploitation and profiteering which can be imposed by western powers, to the detriment of developing countries, is a recent project in Tanzania. A debt relief programme which was imposed by the World Bank in the 1990s, ostensibly to relieve Tanzania of the burden of several million dollars' worth of debt repayments, came with the imposed condition that the water and sewerage system in Dar Es Salaam must be privatised. It was not, as one might think, to improve the material conditions of the poor; in fact the privatisation programme was only developed in the areas of the city where there was already a piped water supply. But when the private company was late and inefficient in its performance and finances, and was sacked by the Tanzania government, it was the company which was able to sue the government for compensation in the World Bank's own court. The government and people of Tanzania were, according to the terms of the contract, not able to sue the company. Thus the private company, having pledged $8 million in investment and having paid only $4 million, is now demanding $25 million in compensation for loss of profits. This extraction of profits from the third world by imperialist corporations is not aid, but the modern form of imperialism.
Israel and Palestine 9th June 2007: Today I took part in the "Enough" march to protest against the continuing occupation, colonisation and marginalisation of Palestinian territories, on the 40th aniversary of the 1967 Israeli invasion. I am in favour of a two-state solution, based on the 1967 boundaries, and I fully support the right of Israel to national self-defence, as an independent sovereign nation. One of the main causes of the continuation of the present conflict is that Israel often goes over the top in "defending" itself, using unacceptable methods of oppression, repression and displacement against innocent Palestinians (and Arabs within Israel itself) as well as against legitimate targets or terrorist suspects. There must be an end to the wall, fair treatment in law of all individuals, and fair use of basic resources such as land and water. I found it regrettable to discover that there was a counter-demonstration by people with whom I would mostly agree, but who seemed to want to label me as "anti-Semitic", or a supporter of terrorism, just because I support equal treatment of all sides. It was also regrettable that some of the groups on the main march were using slogans which envisaged a one-state solution, without apparently recognising the right of Israel to self-determination and self-defence.
Libya 8th June 2007: It is rumoured that the UK and Libya may have reached an agreement whereby it will be possible for the prisoner Mr Megrahi to be returned to Libya to serve the remainder of his sentence for the Lockerbie bombing, which killed 270 people in 1988. I hope this plan will come to fruition, for the straightforward reason that if he is returned to Libya then he may be released unilaterally by the Libyan authorities, without reference to the Scottish courts. This would, of course, be welcome, as he is innocent anyway.
Princess Diana 5th June 2007: It is up to Channel 4 to decide whether or not to broadcast the documentary about the death of Princess Diana, and the programme should not be subject to explicit censorship. But, in accordance with the expressed wishes of Prince William and Prince Harry, I for one will not be watching it. Those of us who have respect for the Monarchy and appreciation of royal gorgeousness should boycott the programme en masse.
Olympic Logo 4th June 2007: The new logo for the London Olympic Games of 2012 is the most digusting, horrible, rubbishy, ugly, contemptible monstrosity which has ever been designed by anybody in the history of human civilisation. If President Vladimir Putin of Russia does want to aim lots of nuclear weapons at Western Europe, let's hope that he will test them by dropping a nuclear bomb on the person who designed it.
Gay Pride March 27th May 2007: I salute the courage of the gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, the singer Richard Fairbrass and various European MPs who were assaulted by fascists, and arrested by police, after attempting to demonstrate peacefully for gay equality and for the right to march in gay pride and solidarity. It is shameful and worthy of condemnation that Moscow police officers arrested those who were the victims of assault rather than those who attacked them.
Torture and Kidnapping 24th May 2007: The BBC documentary "Mystery Flights", presented by Olenka Frenkiel, exposed the disturbing existence of a widespread, organised criminal conspiracy of the kidnapping, detention, illegal transfer, irregular extradition, and torture of people (who may or may not be terrorists, or may or may not be completely innocent and harmless) who are held indefinitely and incognito without due process and without access to lawyers or families, who are physically and psychologically tortured and forced to make false or unreliable confessions to a whole plethora of imaginary crimes and conspiracies, and who are liable to be convicted by military kangaroo courts. In the current climate of hysteria which has been whipped up among the population by the governemnts and media of western imperialist countries, it has become less surprising, but still shocking, that such things have happened - and are still happening - in dozens of countries with the active knowledge and complicit participation of the governments of those countries. The claims by George Bush, Condoleezza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld et al that these activities are only aimed at "terrorists", and that they are necessary for the "protection" of the population or the prevention of outrages, are on a par with the slogan "Arbeit Macht Frei" ("Work Makes You Free") which greeted those who were to be exterminated at Auschwitz. There is already a crumb of comfort in the fact that the government of Canada has openly denounced the U.S.A. for its actions in kidnapping a Canadian citizen, and that these actions are gradually being exposed by dissident journalists and politicians in western countries. This American imperialist gulag of secret prisons and rendition flights will come to be exposed and denounced in future years, decades and generations just as surely as the McCarthyite witch-hunt was. It hardly matters whether Bush and Rumsfeld will be tried for their war-crimes; the verdict of history will be that this shameful episode was yet another clear example of the process of a Fascist state being built on a bedrock of fantasy, hysteria, rumour and scapegoating. For any Muslim who is even remotely, and on dubious evidence, suspected of involvement in or connection with terrorist plots or dissident activities, America in 2007 is just as brutal, arbitrary and dictatorial as the former fascist dictatorships of Chile, Argentina or Burma.
The One Hundred Million Pound Question 23rd May 2007: Aleksander Litvinenko, the former KGB spy, was murdered last November by a dose of poisonous Polonium-210 radiation which would have cost £100,000,000 to produce. Who could have afforded such an amount? Was it, perhaps, somebody who was helped, supplied, procured, employed, motivated and organised by the authorities at the top of the government of the Russian Federation? Or was it a rogue agent acting without authority? President Putin knows the answer to this question just as much as it is obvious to the rest of us. In a sense, it matters not whether Andrei Lugovoi is extradited or not, or convicted or not, of Mr Litvinenko's murder. The world has already condemned the man who is ultimately responsible for ordering the assassination - President Vladimir Putin himself.
Housing 22nd May 2007: The government minister Margaret Hodge has ratcheted up further the process of marginalising and scapegoating minorities and immigrants, by suggesting that long-standing residents and "indigenous" British citizens should be given even greater preference in the allocation of social housing than new immigrants and asylum-seekers. This is yet another symptom of the failure of the system which cares more for profit rather than fulfilling the social needs of all the people in society. A Loony People's government would supply adequate housing for all of society's members, regardless of nationality or ethnicity. If society's resources were targetted towards building houses instead of bombing third-world nations, then there wouold be an adequte supply for those who need it, instead of a points-based scramble for damp-infested homes by the most desperate. It should be remembered that every new immigrant worker has one mouth but two hands. We should also combat the reactionary myths about immigrants supposedly getting preferential treatment, or about taking "our" jobs and "our" homes. By pandering to such prejudices, Ms Hodge has added to the fuel of racism and BNP reaction rather than countering it.
Rearranging Deckchairs 18th May 2007: Nicolas Sarkozy has replaced Jacques Chirac as President of France; Gordon Brown will soon be gallumphing his way into Number 10 in place of Tony Blair. Neither will mean much change; both represent the continuation and exacerbation of the illiberal rule of the increasingly frantic and hysterical bourgeoisie. There is little prospect of an immediate end to ID cards, illegal rendition, the killing and imprisonment of innocent citizens, the harrassment of peaceful demonstrators, differential levels of marginalisation and criminalisation of ethnic minorities, scapegoating of asylum seekers, stereotyping of Muslims, and the building of barriers to the creation of a genuine Loony People's Democracy.
Metric Measurements 9th May 2007: The report that the EU Commission has decided to "allow" traders to sell fruit and vegetables using pounds and ounces, and might not be forced (against the wishes of their customers) to use kilogrammes, should not be received with a feeling of welcome and gratitude. Instead, we should all feel a sense of outrage that the EU presumes that this subject is any of its business in the first place.
French Election 7th May 2007: The election of Nicolas Sarkozy in the French presidential election will do nothing to build a safe and wholesome France; his victory represents the latest stage of ratcheting up the political atmosphere to a new level of hysteria, fear and reaction. Segolene Royal, if elected, would hardly have been better.
Scottish Elections 4th May 2007: The shambolic administration of the count for the Scottish Parliament election is the fault of the outrageous decision to put two ballot papers on one sheet of paper, and to count the votes by scanning machines. All election counts should be done openly and transparently, which means manually. I have no sympathy for the people who were too stupid to be able to follow simple instructions as to how to vote, and thereby spoiled their ballot papers. The victory of the Scottish National Party is a welcome break from the stranglehold of the imperialist New Labour machine; the people of the United Kingdom do not need to fear the prospect of Scottish independence, because that was not the basis of the SNP's victory.
Prince Harry 28th April 2007: We all respect and admire Prince Harry for his genuine and sincere wish to serve in Iraq, with no special treatment compared with the other soldiers. This is a very admirable attitude, and proves that he genuinely has guts and a fearless dedication to serving his Queen and country. But it is noteworthy that several politicians and military figures in both Iraq and the UK have serious concerns about his safety. It is inevitable that if he were to go to Iraq, he would be specifically targetted by insurgents for the purposes of kidnapping, hostage-taking, or murder. Not only would this put his unit in greater danger, but it would be a new situation which cannot be compared directly with Prince Andrew in the Falklands, who was not targetted as an individual. Thus, Prince Harry should not be allowed to serve in Iraq, specifically because of his special position as a member of the Royal family, even though this would be a grave disappointment for him.
Yeltsin 23rd April 2007: Boris Yeltsin did not destroy the Soviet Union, because it was fatally damaged many years earlier because of the errors of Khruschev, Brezhnev and Gorbachev. But after the dissolution of the USSR he presided over a catastrophic decline in the economy and social cohesion and fabric of Russian society, decline in public health, gross expansion of poverty, rampant gangsterism and profiteering by bandit billionaire asset-strippers and speculators. It was under his leadership that life expectancy fell by more than ten years, and Russia was in chaos and under constant threat of a military dictatorship, rather than a meaningful people's deomcracy or a balanced, integrated economy.
France 23rd April 2007: The result of the first round of the presidential election in France is no cause for rejoicing. If Sarkozy wins, then there will be a reactionary backlash against youth, immigrants, workers, and the lower income members of society. If Royal wins, France will be dragged even further into the clutches of the European Union, and the spectre of the threat of an EU constitution will be resurrected yet again. A choice between the demonic and the desperate should be met with a resounding "Non" to both candidates on 6th May.
Kim Il-Sung 15th April 2007: Progressive and peace-loving people all over the world are today celebrating the 95th anniversary of the birth of the Great Leader President General Comrade Kim Il-Sung. His steadfast leadership and inspiring example stand as a beacon of hope for people everywhere in the eternal struggle to improve the material conditions of the people, the security and independence and self-determination of all countries, and the resistance against the aggressive warmongering of the tyrannical regime in the United States of America. It is to the credit of Kim Il-Sung's home-grown philosophy of Juche, and the army-first policy of Songun, that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has continued to stand firm in the face of hostile and aggressive enemies, long after the capitulation of the communist governments in Eastern Europe. It should be remembered, as was pointed out earlier this year by the Korean Central News Agency, that no socialist country has ever fallen as a result of imperialist military action (despite the best frenzied attempts of the Americans) but only as a result of internal weakness, betrayal, vacillation and revisionism. The joyous occasion was celebrated by a programme of political and cultural events at a meeting in Southall, which was attended by comrades from the OMRLP, the CPGB-ML, the RCPB(ML), the SLP, the NCPB, the JISGE and numerous other acronyms. The meeting was entertained by uplifting songs performed excellently in Korean and English by the children of DPRK embassy staff, from the age of five upwards.
Will and Kate 14th April 2007: My commiserations are felt for Prince William and Kate Middleton on the news of their separation. I never jumped on the hysterical media bandwagon of assuming that an engagement was imminent or likely, but in any case it is unfortunate whenever two young people find that they no longer love each other. I hope that they will both be able to find meaningful and fulfilling enjoyable friendships and relationships with other people.
Baghdad Bomb 12th April 2007: The hypocrisy of President Bush in condemning the "bombing of innocent people" at the Iraqi Parliament building is mindboggling, compared with the routine atrocities committed by American forces against civilians in Iraq and the prisoners in Guantanamo Bay.
Iran (5) 7th April 2007: When the 15 British military prisoners appeared on Iranian television during the time they were under arrest, their statements appeared to be stilted, prompted, and scripted by the authorities rather than being genuine and spontaneous statements by the individuals themselves. When they prisoners appeared on British television after their release, their statements appeared to be stilted, prompted, and scripted by the authorities rather than being genuine and spontaneous statements by the individuals themselves.
Iran (4) 4th April 2007: I applaud President Ahmedinejad of Iran for his magnanimous and merciful gesture in releasing the 15 British prisoners - who have been treated well - unconditionally. Perhaps the Bush regime might reciproicate by releasing the 400 Guantanamo prisoners, who have been languishing in appalling conditions for years.
Iran (3) 2nd April 2007: President Bush has joined in the bandwagon of criticising Iran for arresting the fifteen British so-called "hostages" in the Persian Gulf. Instead of lecturing Iran about 15 prisoners, the British and American governments should clear up their own back yard and release the hundreds of prisoners who are illegally being held in Guantanamo Bay.
Iran (2) 31st March 2007: The 15 British sailors and marines who have been arrested for entering Iranian waters have been shown on Iranian TV, some of them clearly being prompted or coerced and speaking from prepared scripts for propaganda purposes. This improper display of prisoners for public curiosity is unfortunate, but does not negate the basic factual basis of the statements of apology and confession which they have read out.
Zimbabwe 30th March 2007: The media and governemnt in Britain have recently entered into a frenzy of self-righteous pomposity about the economic and political situation in Zimbabwe, the hyperinflation, and the oppressive acts which have been perpetrated by security forces and police against opposition leaders such as Morgan Tsvangirai. Some of the more reactionary commentators seem to think that the UK, as the former colonial power, somehow has a historic responsibility to intervene or remove Robert Mugabe from power. This is a totally misguided view. If there are hardship, shortages or oppression in Zimbabwe, then it is for the Zimbabwean people themselves to remove their governement and to further their struggle without outside interference. Any invasion by (for example) South Africa, or under the auspices of the African Union, would be rightly seen as a proxy for Western imperialist interests. Instead of indulging in muddled hypocritical post-imperialist whinging, the UK and EU should alleviate the suffering of Zimbabwe by removing sanctions. In any case, there is no particular reason to think that an alternative government under Mr Tsvangirai would be better able to manage the land and economy of the country when it is still under the present conditions.
Northern Ireland 27th March 2007: The unprecedented power-sharing agreement between Ian Paisley of the Democratic Unionist Party and Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein is very welcome. It has not come out of the blue, fallen oot of the sky or sprouted out of a magic wand; it is the fruit of negotiations of John Major, Tony Blair, Mo Mowlam, Peter Mandelson, and innumerable strugglers on both sides of the conflict over decades. It underlines the basic principle that viable government can only be done with the consent of the people, and that any authority which is perceived as being illegitimate or oppressive will eventually be overcome by the resistance and struggle of the people. More important than the question of whether Northern Ireland is to remain in the United Kingdom, or be absorbed into the Republic of Ireland, is the requirement for a structure which respects the equal status and esteem of all people in both communities.
Abuse of Power 26th March 2007: Adam Curtis's BBC2 documentary series "The Trap" clearly exposed the unrestrained and inhuman gangsterism which grew out of privatisation and unregulated market forces when it was imposed on Russia in the 1990s, and was imposed by force in Iraq in 2004. True freedom can only exist in a world in which there is dignity for all human beings, adequate provision of basic food and shelter for everybody, social programmes to enable the poor and underprivileged to take part in society fully, and protection against ruthless exploitation by gangster billionaires. Prosperous market economies in the Western world will also only be truly free when they do not rely on such vast wealth from the expropriation of resources, and desecration of the environment, in third world and developing countries.
Iran (1) 25th March 2007: The UK has no grounds for complaining about the arrest of the 15 Marines who have been arrested in Iran after straying (inadvertently or deliberately, we do not know) into Iranian waters. It was their responsibility to keep track of where they were going, and we should also bear in mind that there is little justification in their being in the Gulf in the first place. Rather than debating the details of whether they were in Iraqi or Iranian waters, the real question is why British forces are in Iraq at all.
European Union 25th March 2007: Today's 50th anniversary of the European Union is nothing to celebrate, despite the self-indulgent gallivanting of the leaders of 27 countries in Berlin. The institutions of the EU are undemocratic, corrupt, inefficient and over-regulating. What is needed is the sovereign independence of the member states, and the self-determination of the peoples of those nations.
Brown's Bourgeois Budget 21st March 2007: The media are getting into a paroxysm of false excitement about Gordon Brown's budget which has reduced the basic rate of income tax from 22p to 20p. They do not be so keen to tell us that almost the whole amount of money will be taken back by raising the lowest rate from 10p to 20p; thus there will be a substantial net transfer of wealth from low-income taxpayers to the well-off middle classes. This is unworthy of a Chancellor who pretends to be concerned about ordinary people, and is another indictment of the shambolic state to which his policies have reduced the fabric of the country.
Guantanamo Bay 15th March 2007: Khalid Sheikh Muhammed, who is incarcerated in the illegal American concentration camp in Guantanamo Bay, has supposedly "confessed" to masterminding, planning and organising the events of 9/11, planning further bombings in London and Bali, plotting to assassinate former American presidents, and beheading a journalist in Pakistan. Do the U.S. authorities really expect us to believe this fantasy nonsense of multiple confessions? Are we supposed to pretend that his statements were freely given, with no duress or torture? Will we not notice that he has not had any access to lawyers, visitors or any semblance of due process? This brutal treatment of enemies, which is the tip of an iceberg of a secret world-wide gulag of camps, torture chambers and rendition flights, puts the Bush regime on the same level as dictators such as Zimbabwe's Mugabe, or the rulers of Burma or Congo.
Trident 14th March 2007: The House of Commons has voted, by a majority of MPs from both main parties, to renew the Trident nuclear weapon for another generation, at a cost which is variously estimated to be between £15 billion and £79 billion. This is a typically Blairite capitulation to the one-sided demands of American aggressive imperialism, and is done under the fig-leaf of maintaining an independent "deterrent" in the age of an "uncertain" world of unknown future "threats" from unstable "enemies". The wretched government, under the warmonger Blair, was not so keen to let people know that British nuclear weapons could only ever be used with the co-operation of American missile guidance navigation systems, and with the permission of the incumbent Warmonger-in-Chief in the White House. The decision is also a hypocritical slap in the face to all those developing and advanced countries which are being lectured by the UK about "non-proliferation". If the countries which now have nuclear weapons, or have the desire or technical know-how to develop them, are to be persuaded to relinquish them, then the UK must take a lead in providing a shining example of unilateral nuclear disarmament. It is so horrendous to contemplate the physical damage which would be done to millions of human beings by a nuclear attack, that nuclear weapons should not be used, or even considered for use, under any circumstances. The many billions of pounds which are to be spent on renewing Trident should instead be spent on providing decent homes, houses, hospitals, nurses, doctors, teachers, medicines, libraries, creches, trains and buses for the benefit of the people. The technological and scientific expertise which is needed to build the missiles should be better employed in developing viable long-term sources of renewable energy so that the world can survive and prosper, instead of descending into a frantic and frenzied dash for the last drop of oil, the last barrel of gas, or the last pathetic crumb of imperialist booty from the countries of Africa or central Asia.
Prince of Wales 12th March 2007: The Channel 4 documentary about the financial and political interests of the Prince of Wales, which presumed to criticise him for those matters, missed the key point that he is a very important member of the Royal Family, and is therefore entitled to a certain high level of standard of living. It also suggested, inaccurately, that he would continue making political statements if and when he becomes King. Neither is the case.
House of Lords 8th March 2007: The fact that the House of Commons has voted for an entirely elected Upper House is welcome, and will put an end to the possibility of corruption in the process of appointing peers. The option of an appointed House, which I had previously favoured, is no longer viable due to the apparent prevalance of favours being given and received by the establishment against the better interests of the mass of the people.
Equus 1st March 2007: The performance by Daniel Radcliffe, in the play "Equus" by Peter Shaffer at the Gielgud Theatre, was a very energetic and intense performance by a sublimely talented and versatile actor. His ability and interpretation was more than enough to compensate for the sparcity of set or props, and puts the lie once and for all to the miserymongers who falsely try to pretend that he can't act.
Oscars 26th February 2007:
One of the important things to bear in mind in the realm of progressive politics is that everything is
political; everything interacts and inter-relates with everything else, and nothing is in isolation
from influencing other things. Culture is not just artistic, but also political and social. Artistic
creation and expression is based on real events and ideas. Accordingly, therefore, I have composed a
poem to celebrate the joyous news of the Queen winning the Oscar for best actress in the film about
Helen Mirren:
Ob glob splob spob spom;
Spim lim lib glib glim.
Ib glib splib spib spim;
Spom lom lob glob glom.
Treacle Pudding!
Treacle Pudding!
Custard
Globule.
Fragile Earth 25th February 2007: One of the lessons from yesterday's march against the war, and the attendant meetings, was that those who care about the long-term future of the planet are overwhelmingly on the left. There were delegates from the Loony Party, the Green Party, left-wing Labour Party members, and a plethora of worker, socialist and communist parties and organisations, but hardly any from the so-called "mainstream" Lib-Lab-Con parties. The obsessive fetish which modern international capitalism has for aggressive expansionist energy wars, trade disputes, and imperialist bullying against weaker countries - and the widespread social deprivation, poverty and poor health and environmental degradation which results in the people in those countries, demonstrates the basic inability of unrestrained market mechanisms to provide for progress in the long term. The old imperialist parties are on their way out. The only possible long-term option for a sustainable future for mankind, in which the basic requirements of all people are met properly on the basis of need, and not on the basis of extracting a profit by oppression and exploitation, is a society which is built and organised on a rational and scientific basis, not on the basis of selling every last scrap of material for the enrichment of a few. It is necessary to be red to be green; it is necessary to be Loony to be red.
Stop The War 24th February 2007: The March today organised by the Stop The War coalition and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has missed the opportunity for building a broad coalition of everybody who is against the continuing occupation of Iraq, and those who are opposed to further imperialist warmongering against Iran and North Korea. It should not be assumed that anti-war protesters also agree to the principle of unilateral nuclear disarmament.
Party funding 23rd February 2007: The Electoral Commission is threatening to confiscate £363,000 which was erroneously donated to the UKIP from a donor who did not know that he was ineligible. This is in stark contrast to the Lib Dems, who were allowed to keep a donation of more than £2 million from a disreputable donor.
Prince Harry 21st February 2007: I respect and admire Prince Harry for his genuine and sincere wish to serve with the Army in Iraq, with no special treatment compared with the other soldiers in his unit. But he should not be allowed to do so, specifically because of his special position as a member of the Royal family.
Gun crime 19th February 2007: In recent days, a number of young men have been shot or killed in inner city areas as a result of the prevalence of gangs, guns, drugs, knives and violence among some people, including so-called "black-on- black" shootings. What is it that makes someone so culturally impoverished and desperate that they feel the need to resort to such ideas, or to carry and use such weapons? Is it connected with the fact that a black man in the United Kingdom is more likely to be in prison than in university? Six times more likely than a white man to be stopped by the police? Three times more likely to be sectioned under the Mental Health Act? Twice as likely to be expelled from school? Twice as likely to be imprisoned for a comparable offence? Four times more likely to live in a poor area? Is it because of the long-term effects of the racist housing policies followed by some local authorities in allocating people in the 1960s and 1970s? Or because of the general decadence, hopelessness and inequality in modern capitalist society?
Fascism 17th February 2007: Hundreds of anti-fascist campaigners, politicians, artists and activists gathered in London today to continue the struggle against the threat from the BNP. The wide range of representatives who attended or spoke at the conference - including socialists, social democrats, liberals, communists, trade union activists, students, Muslims, Christians, Jews, intellectuals and bourgeois Maoist Loony people, are united in their determination to confront and bring down the threat of fascism and racism in all its forms, and in their awareness that the philosophy of the BNP is qualitatively different from that of any of the mainstream bourgeois or left parties.
Kim Jong Il 16th February 2007: Progressive and anti-imperialist strugglers all over the world are today joyously celebrating the 65th birthday of the Dear Leader Comrade Kim Jong Il, Leader of the Workers Party of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. His outstanding and visionary leadership in developing the ideas of Juche and Songun have kept the USA at bay and have prevented an expansion of American imperialist warmongering in the Far East. The resolution and determination of the leader, party, army and people of the DPRK will continue to preserve the DPRK as a progressive fortress and will not follow the path of the collapse of the revisionist and reactionary regimes in central and Eastern Europe in the late 1980s. Long Live Kim Jong Il! Long Live Juche and Songun! Long Live Independence and Diversity! Forward to a Democratic People's Kingdom of Britain!
Blood Diamond 16th February 2007: The film "Blood Diamond", starring Leonardo DiCaprio, provides a lucid and powerful explanation of the processes whereby civil wars in Africa and other third world countries can be prolonged or exacerbated by the demand from western countries for valuable commodities such as diamonds, oil, rubber and so on. The lesson to be learnt is that purchases of apparently innocuous luxuries by rich consumers do not happen in isolation, but are inevitably interconnected with international structures of economic, industrial, military and political and power. The civil war in Sierra Leone was about control of resources, and about questions of the distribution of those resources to the benefit of local people or of rich people thousands of miles away. It gives us all a timely reminder of the global process of economic and military interference by imperialist powers (and their allies in the business world) in third world countries, and the way in which any interference can easily make the situation worse. The film also brings to mind the Juche principle that an active and enlightened citizen should give full play to their creativity, with cultural attainments and artistic endeavours. Culture, in the form of films, television, art and music, is social, political and ideological, not merely artistic in isolation. The film reflects ideas and facts which exist in society and in people's minds and actions.
Korea 13th February 2007: The media is today naively "reporting" the suggestion that the DPRK has capitulated to the pressure and blackmail of the USA and has "agreed" to "give up" its nuclear weapons programme. This is a bourgeois distortion. In reality, the DPRK will continue its Songun "Army First" policy of defending itself, by building up and maintaining a nuclear and substantial non-nuclear defence policy. Unlike the Soviet Union, which collapsed due to the loss of nerve and internal weakness of its leaders, the DPRK will continue to stand steadfast as a bulwark for maintaining a balance of power in the world, and restraining the imperialist shenanigans of the USA. We should applaud this defence of independence by a sovereign state, and the regional peace and security to which it contributes. It is noteworthy that the DPRK is not being threatened with imminent attack or invasion in the way that is a distinct possibility in Iran.
Iran 12th February 2007: It is the height of hypocrisy that the Bush administration dares to lecture Iran about the evils of "interference" by Iran in funding or providing Iraqi insurgent groups with weapons and other supplies. No country in the world is in a worse position than the USA to criticise anybody for interfering in the internal affairs of Iraq, or of any other country. The supreme commander of the occupying forces still does not understand that the war in Iraq is more than just a struggle to establish a western-style bourgeois democracy; it is a civil war between Sunni and Shia, with imperialist interference from the USA and its allies, Iran, and Al-Qaeda.
Drugs 11th February 2007: Conservative Party leader, David Cameron, has been exposed as having used cannabis when he was 15. Why is he pretending that a politician is entitled to the privacy of a past life, before he entered politics? He is trying to cover up a criminal act, not just a youthful misjudgement. Are other politicians going to escape scrutiny for more serious crimes? It should also be rememebered that cannabis is a dangerous, addictive drug which acts as a gateway to more serious drugs, and we should resist any steps towards legalisation.
Bensham Manor by-election 8th February 2007 result
Death in Iraq 7th February 2007: The military authorities of the USA have been exposed yet again as having covered up the killing, by two of their pilots, of a British soldier in a so-called "friendly fire" incident four years ago. This is yet another example of the haughty and contemptible attitude of USA imperialism, which is not intersted in any sense of law, justice, openness or due procedure of law.
Chagos Islanders 6th February 2007: The British governemnt's decision not to allow 2,000 Chagos islanders return to their ancestral home in the Indian ocean is inhumane, and demonstrates the imperialist nature of the motives of UK foreign policy in kowtowing to USA military expansion. If the UK is so cavalier about displacing such people, and forcing them into poverty in exile thousands of miles away, it also stands as an demonstration of the imperialist hypocrisy of the UK in using "freedom" and "self-determination" as an excuse for using military force to regain the Falkland Islands in 1982. If the wishes of the islanders were paramount, as was claimed in 1982, then the Chagos people would also have been protected. If the domestic political interests of the British ruling class are the determining factor, as seems to be the case in 2007, then we should conclude that the Falklands war was also fought for ulterior imperialist and domestic political motives, and that 900 lives were lost instead of reaching a negotiated settlement for the people of the Falklands.
Northern Ireland 28th January 2007: I welcome the overwhelming decision by the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis to approve the principle of co-operation with the Police Service of Northern Ireland, as a positive step in the peace process towards devolved governemnt. I hope that this step forward will not be frustrated by yet another attempt by the DUP to move the goalposts and to erect more hurdles.
Bensham Manor 22nd January 2007: The Liberal Democrat candidate Christina Tyree was in the public gallery this evening at today's meeting of Croydon Council. She asked me if I was Shasha Khan (the Green Party candidate). It is nice to know that the Lib Dems are so in touch with local politics that they can't even recognise famous politicians. Mr Khan and I have both contested Bensham Manor before, but who is Ms Tyree? Not the next councillor after 8th February, methinks.
Big Brother 17th January 2007: The accusations of "racism" which have been made against some contestants in "Big Brother" are inaccurate and unfounded. It is clear from the daily episodes that the arguments between Shilpa Shetty and Jade Goody (and others) are motivated by a clash of classes and lifestyles, not by anything to do with race, nationality or ethnicity.
Union 16th January 2007: We celebrate today the 300th anniversary of the Union of Scotland and England to form Great Britain. A victory by the SNP in the forthcoming Scottish Parliament election (should it occur) would not in itself be a cause for concern because it would be based on domestic policies rather than the question of independence; and change to the fundamental constitutional structure of the UK would only happen by referendum.
Somalia 10th January 2007: The USA has bombed a village in southern Somalia; they claim it was part of the "War on Terror". But why Somalia? Why now? I think it is because the transitional government has recently made gains against the Islamist rebels. This was an act of imperialism motivated by the fundamentalist Christian lobby within the USA, not by any reason to do with terrorism.
Saddam Hussein 3rd January 2007: There are legitimate concerns about the events surrounding the execution of Saddam Hussein, the behaviour of those present, and the production of an illicit video of the proceedings. The superficial impression given is that Saddam had more dignity than those who were leading him to his death, and their behaviour had the unintended consequence of distracting from the fact that he murdered hundreds of thousands of Iraqis. However, the execution was conducted under the auspices of the Iraqi sovereign judicial process; any discomfort which I feel about it has been mitigated by the knowledge that it was not done in my name, and was not done by a puppet American tribunal. I also disagree with the statement by the CPGB-ML which describes Saddam Hussein as the "elected" president of Iraq, and which seems to be concerned only with his anti-imperialist credentials in standing up to the USA - thereby ignoring his aggressive imperialist actions against neighbouring countries such as Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Israel.
Saddam Hussein 30th December 2006: The execution of Saddam Hussein this morning will do nothing to solve the inherent class-based and sectarian divisions within Iraqi society, or to end the civil war. It is the end of one phase of history in a country, and the end of a murderous tyrant; but the continuing violence is based on the structure of Iraq and its people, not on the demagogic approbation or denunciation of individual leaders.
General Election 19th December 2006: David Cameron has demanded that there should be a "snap" general election next year after Tony Blair retires, because the new prime minister will not otherwise have a "mandate". What sort of nonsense is that? Did he demand a general election in 1990 when John Major became prime minister? He seems to be forgetting that the prime minister has a mandate from Her Majesty the Queen, not from the electorate.
Princess Diana 14th December 2006: The conclusive and comprehensive report by Lord Stevens into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, which has produced overwhelming evidence and definitive proof of the fact that there was no conspiracy, no murder, no engagement and no pregnancy, will be ignored by those who are deranged enough to believe in conspiracies - because they are (and have always been) impervious to any logic or reason anyway. The demented rantings of Mohammed Fayed are designed to provide a cover for the failings and incompetence within his own management of security at the Ritz Hotel.
Pinochet 10th December 2006: The spontaneous rejoicing of all decent progressive people at the death of the murderous dictator of Chile, General Augusto Pinochet, is qualified by regret that he was never brought to justice for the thousands of people who were murdered or tortured in his name. It is ironic that only now, in the years of his demise, we are now seeing the resurrection, in many Latin American countries, of democratic left-wing governments of the type that he so brutally overthrew in 1973.
Nuclear Weapons 4th December 2006: We should not have them, and should not renew or modernise them (at a cost of some £20 billion), because it would be wrong to use them in any circumstances. In any case, the UK can't use its own nuclear weapons without the co-operation of American satellite guidance systems.
United Kingdom 26th November 2006: I am a Unionist, by instinct and by inclination and in the inner core of my national identity. I feel British rather than English, and it is a matter of concern that a majority of people in a recent opinion poll - in both Scotland and England - say that they would prefer to see an independent Scotland. The way to build a prosperous and democratic society is to strive forward to a Democratic People's Loony Kingdom of Britain, not by tinkering with more administrative and bureaucratic layers of a bourgeois parliament.
Never 25th November 2006: In recent days, the letters page of the Daily Telegraph has been cluttered up with the selfish rantings of a small minority of narrow-minded people who feel the need to boast about their uncultured and dull lives, and openly confess that they have never, for example, seen "The Sound of Music". These unenriched morons should be forced to do so, at the point of a gun if necessary. When a future Loony government compulsorily enriches their lives in this way, they will be grateful afterwards.
State Sanctioned Murder 24th November 2006: The death of Alexander Litvinenko will resound noisily and clangorously around the world for decades to come. Those who ordered and organised his murder will have to look over their shoulders for the rest of their lives, just as the killers of Giorgi Markov have had to do.
Lebanon 22nd November 2006: The assassination of Lebanese minister Pierre Gemayel will destabilise Lebanon and increase the chances of a resumption of the civil war. It should therefore be condemned, regardless of whether Syria was responsible or not.
Gaza 21st November 2006: Hundreds of ordinary people congregated to form a "human shield" to protect a house from being bombed by Israeli forces. I support the right of Israel to defend itself, just like any other country. It is a matter of concern that Israel presumes to have the right to use excessive force in doing so.
Tonga 21st November 2006: It is wrong in principle for New Zealand and Australian troops and police officers to intervene in the internal security affairs of Tonga, even though they are there by the invitation of the government of Tonga. The unrest and rioting which have prompted the intervention are due to political tensions between the King and the people, and should be resolved by the normal dialectical processes within Tonga itself. The intervention may, on the surface, be based on good intentions, but the underlying reality is that it is an imperialist invasion by a Western power against an indigenous Pacific society.
Russia 20th November 2006: The Russian defector Aleksandr Litvinenko has become the victim of a crude and almost fatal poisoning incident, probably at the hands of the Russian security services, in retaliation for his activities in exposing the corrupt and murderous activities against a number of Russian journalists, including Anna Politkovskaya. This is another step towards the establishment of a reactionary and oppressive dictatorship in Russia, the centralisation of power, and the extinction of meaningful democracy. It should be resisted by all Russian people and media, and I salute those who continue to speak out against such abuses. It is also a matter for the Russian people to deal with, without any intervention or meddling from outside.
Zimbabwe 17th November 2006: Further video evidence has emerged of the systematic abuse, mistreatment and torture which has been perpetrated on behalf of the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe against its political and institutional enemies and opponents. The programme of land redistribution is based on legitimate principles of anti-imperialism and post-colonial restitution of the land which was stolen by force from Africans in the first place by European settlers; however, this programme has been managed and organised on a catastrophically incompetent basis, with the land not being subject to adequate management. I condemn the harsh conditions which have been brought about by Robert Mugabe and the Zanu-PF government, and I also condemn any suggestion of a neo-imperialist intervention or interference into Zimbabwe by, or on behalf of, external forces.
Demonstration 15th November 2006: The practical benefits of Loony politics were demonstrated again today when I demonstrated in Parliament Square to demand the allocation of Lottery funds to reward gorgeous royals, such as Peter Phillips, Prince Harry, Prince William and Prince Louis. There is no contradiction between this, and the other half of my protest, which was to defend the right of self-defence of the DPRK. Both are based on the principle of self-determination of sovereign nations and peoples.
Drugs in Prison 13th November 2006: Prisoners who are addicted to drugs have sued the Home Office for treating their addiction by the "cold turkey" method rather than by gradual phased withdrawal and replacement. The fact that the government has decided not to contest this legal action, and has acceded to the prisoners' demands, is a disgrace: the entire prison system is awash with illegal drugs, and it should be an integral part of the process of imprisonment that all prisoners should be required urgently to stop using drugs so that they can become suitable for a drug-free life when they are released. Furthermore, there should be a proper and sustained effort to prevent drugs from getting into prison in the first place - which means preventing physical contact between prisoners and visitors. We should also remember that the current situation is a reflection of the scourge of drugs in society at large, and consider the social and economic forces which compel people to use drugs at all.
Racial Hatred 12th November 2006: The BNP leader, Nick Griffin, has been acquitted on charges of incitement to racial hatred. The government's kneejerk response to this event is not to respect the verdict of the jury - and the weakness of the prosecution case in the circumstances of the original incident - but to say that it wants to tighten even further the laws on free speech. This is nothing to do with furthering racial harmony, or restricting the activities of fascist groups, but is entirely motivated by the desire to control and subjugate the population. The only realistic way to oppose the fasicsts is openly and squarely through debate, education, exposing the facts and the weakness of the racist position.
Liberal Democrats 9th November 2006: The Lib Dems say that they want to restore "freedom" by repealing the laws on ID cards, detention without trial, extradition on demand, DNA of innocent people, and so on. This is all very well, except that they seem oblivious to the need to withdraw from the EU as well.
Saddam Hussein 6th November 2006: Saddam Hussein has been sentenced to death for his genocidal crimes against the Iraqi people. I do not take any pleasure in this fact, because the whole trial has been a shambolic travesty of due process, with the murder or resignation of several lawyers and judges. The trial should have been held in an international court, and any fair jurisdiction would find ample reasons for demanding a re-trial. The wider picture of the continuing civil unrest in Iraq shows that long-term stability and political in oppressed countries changes can only come from within. The simple idea of "exporting democracy", of which President Bush pretends to be so fond, is not as sophisticated as the more realistic idea of the sovereignty and self-confidence of the people of a nation. The lessons which have been learned by the imperialist powers in Iraq must not be forgotten with regard to Iran and North Korea.
Migration 24th October 2006: The UK government is misguided in imposing restrictions on the number of migrant workers coming from Bulgaria and Romania when they join the EU next year. There has been a positive impact on the economy from the 600,000 migrants who came here after the 2004 expansion, with only a tiny number claiming benefits or public housing. It is lucky that the proposed restrictions will probably not be realistically enforceable anyway.
Muslim veils 22nd October 2006: There has been a lot of comment in the media about the rights and wrongs of a teaching assistant who wishes to wear a veil in the classroom. Despite having thought about the issue for several minutes, I have not been able to find any reason for understanding the people who claim that the veil is "intimidating", "frightening", a symbol of "separation", or the absurd claim that it somehow prevents the children from hearing what the teacher is saying. If she feels comfortable in wearing it, and if the children have not complained, then there should not be any problem with her wearing it, any more than there would be any problem with someone wearing glasses or a necklace.
Imperialism 17th October 2006: The OMRLP is in solidarity with the people of the DPRK in celbrating the 80th anniversary of the Down With Imperialism Union.
Russia 16th October 2006: The level of dictatorship, centralisation and authoritarianism in Russia has reached new heights of despotism, unmatched since the pre-Gorbachev era. The murder of the journalist Anna Politkovskaya is merely the latest in long line of more than a dozen murders of those who have sought to expose the murderous, corrupt and genocidal activities of the folowers of President Vladimir Putin. The western powers should stop pandering to him as if he were a beacon of modernisation or moderation, and should be more vocal in condemning him as another Pinochet or Franco.
United Nations 16th October 2006: The United Nations resolution of crude imperialist bullying against the DPRK was passed under the auspices of Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which supposedly deals with "threats to the peace, breaches of the peace, and acts of aggression". The self-defensive nature of the DPRK nuclear weapons programme (and its Songun Army-First policy) cannot be accurately described in such terms, and the five permanent members have shown that they are desperately using the name and reputation of the UN as a crude propaganda device to cover their own archaic imperialist machinations. It is to the credit of China and Russia that they prevented the inclusion of military means to impose the terms of the sanctions, but one is left wondering why they agreed to the resolution at all. The neo-colonialist and imperialist double standards of the blatantly discriminatory and reactionary Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1968 should be consigned to the bonfire of history, and I applaud the actions of the DPRK - as well as India, Israel and Pakistan - in rejecting it.
North Korea 15th October 2006: The United Nations resolution which has been passed against the DPRK is hypocritical, negative, and reveals the imperialist double standards of the five permanent members. Positive advances and constructive development in North Korea - economically and politically - should be pursued by co-operation and engagement, and by the wishes of the Korean people themselves, rather than by aggressive threats and military blockades.
North Korea 9th October 2006: I applaud and welcome the nuclear weapon test this morning by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. It should be remembered that it is the USA, not the DPRK, which has used nuclear weapons in warfare. It is the USA, not the DPRK, which has threatened to use nuclear weapons on a first-use basis. It is the USA, not the DPRK, which has invaded and bombed other countries. The threats and posturing by the USA are aggressive and hypocritical, as the USA will now realise that any attack on, or invasion of, North Korea will be met with a strong retaliatory defence by the Korean People and Army in defence of their indigenous system. The Croydon OMRLP salutes the DPRK, the WPK and the leadership of Kim Jong-Il in standing up to the imperialist shenanigans of the Bush regime and thereby helping to preserve peace and stability in Korea.
North Korea 4th October 2006: The DPRK has announced that it is going to test a nuclear weapon as a defence capability, in response to American threats and sanctions. Why are the western powers getting hysterical about it? Why does Japan describe it as "unforgeiveable"? Why does South Korea say that it is a "grave threat"? Why are they pretending that the DPRK should not be allowed to defend itself, as other countries - such as Israel, for example - are allowed to do? Is it because the DPRK has a different political system, and a different form of democracy? It should be remembered that it is the USA which has threatened to use nuclear weapons against the DPRK on a first-use basis, or as a method of ending conventional wars - not vice versa.
Gordon Brown 25th September 2006: Gordon Brown did not say anything new, or different, in his speech at the Labour Party conference. His message was "more of the same" - including the creeping erosion of civil liberties on the pretext of fighting terrorism. Those of us who care about freedom and democracy are completely indifferent to the question of whether Blair is replaced by Brown, or Johnson, or Reid, or Tweedledum or Tweedledee, or when. Building a Loony people's democracy requires, as its first step, the removal of this rotten Labour government, lock stock and barrel.
Demonstrations 22nd September 2006: A carefully co-ordinated and pre-planned series of spontaneous political and cultural demonstrations in Parliament Square this evening culminated in a huge round of applause from tens of thousands of ordinary peasants and proletarians when I sang a rendition of the Albanian national anthem using Brian Haw's megaphone. This clearly shows that the revolution is just around the corner, and a Loony Democracy will be built to replace the Blairite bourgeois dictatorship.
Thailand 20th September 2006: The military coup in Thailand was peaceful, and removed a corrupt and unpopular government. More to the point, the new provisional government has not been repudiated by King Bhumipol. His Majesty's long experience of providing stability and continuity in such times is an indication of benefits of a politically active monarchy, which will remove tyrants when necessary.
Pope and Islam 19th September 2006: If Islam claims to be a peaceful religion, why do so many of its adherents so often get so aggressive and threatening towards those who make even mild criticisms of it? Why do they feel the need to call for the Pope to be executed? Why do they bomb Churches in the Middle East? Why was an elderly nun shot dead in Somalia? Why is the media in Muslim countries so full of crude anti-Semitic propaganda and cartoons? Why did the Pope make such a clumsy part of his speech in the first place? The sooner all countries become secularised in their lawmaking and education, the better.
War and Terror 11th September 2006: Five years ago, 3000 people were killed in the events of "9/11". They were innocent civilians, killed by volunteers, for reasons connected with the anti-imperialist and anti-colonialist struggle of the third world. Since then, many times that number of innocent civilians have been killed in Afghanistan and Iraq, for reasons which are partly connected with the neo-imperialist economic interests of the western powers. Are we to suppose that one death is worth more than another? Are some killings more evil than others? Is it better to be "murdered" by a "terrorist", or to be a "collateral" victim of a "war" which is being waged by a sovereign state? Is it more heinous for someone to be killed for political reasons by a group of individuals than by a regular army?
Blair's Exit 6th September 2006: Speculation is rife about the timing of Tony Blair's departure as prime minister, and the loyalty of Labour Party members is in meltdown. The sooner Blair goes, the better. But when he does, he should take Brown, Reid, Blunkett, Beckett, Cameron and Campbell with him. Then we can elect a democratic patriotic government, leave the EU and begin to build a Democratic People's Loony Britain.
Demonstrations 31st August 2006: About 100 intrepid peaceful demonstrators made their voices heard, and banners seen, in the cause of freedom of expression and assembly. The laws which have been enacted by Blair's proto-fascist despotism mean that anybody who did not apply for permission to demonstrate a week in advance was liable to be arrested or shot by trigger-happy police officers.
Defections 26th August 2006: About 40 members of the Labour Party in the constituency of the Foreign Secretary, Margaret Beckett, have defected to the Liberal Democrats. This has been reported as if it were a major news item. But so what? They have merely abandoned one rotten imperialist carbuncle for another.
Pluto 24th August 2006: The IAU has decided to follow the correct path of defining Pluto as a "dwarf", thereby retaining the integrity of the definition of the eight proper planets and their orbits. This is a great triumph for the sensible policies advocated by the OMRLP; it is directly because of my brilliant opinion (expressed here last week) that the International Astronomical Union has made the decision to reject the erroneous revisionist 12-planet model which was also proposed.
Cricket 21st August 2006: The false accusation of cheating which has been made by the umpire Darrell Hair against the innocent Pakistan cricket team is a blatant act of imperialist aggression. If Mr Hair does not withdraw and apologise for his outrageous lie, he should be exterminated by a war of liberation by the entire nation and people of Pakistan.
Security 20th August 2006: Two passengers were forcibly removed from an aeroplane travelling from Spain to the UK because of the reactionary and hysterical demands of a few of their fellow passengers, who claimed that they were "behaving suspiciously" (whatever that means) and "because [sic] they were speaking Arabic". These bigoted and irrational demands should have led to the removal of the complainants from the flight, not the innocent travellers who were subjected to such discrimination.
Big Brother 18th August 2006: Congratulations to Pete for winning Big Brother 7, and for increasing awareness and tolerance of Tourette's syndrome. Congratulations also to Glyn for his entertaining life journey into a deserved 2nd place, and to the viewers who had the sense not to let Aisleyne win. The series has also reminded us of the high culture and enlightenment which can be built by such programmes.
WWI pardons 17th August 2006: It is inadvisable to meddle with questions which should be left for history, not the law, to judge. There is no real justification for giving a wholesale "pardon" to all the 306 soldiers who were executed for desertion or cowardice in the First World War. There is clear evidence of miscarriages of justice in some, but by no means all, cases. Justice for the few should not be at the cost of eroding necessary military discipline for the many.
Pluto 16th August 2006: Whose stupid idea was it to define Charon, Xena and Ceres as planets? Instead of expanding the definition to include potentially dozens of outlying bodies with eccentric and unstable orbits, the International Astronomical Union should reject Pluto and restrict the definition to those of a substantial size and with planar orbits. The initial error of counting Pluto as a planet in 1930 should be corrected, not exacerbated.
Freedom from Religion 15th August 2006: The government of North Korea has opened a branch of the Russian Orthodox Church, and allowed the celebration of masses, ostensibly to improve relations with Russia. Why is the DPRK indulging in this pandering to outside pressure? One of the purposes of the revolution was to liberate the people of Korea, and to make their lives free from the noxious poison of such superstitious mumbo-jumbo. The government in Pyongyang should keep their people free from religion, instead of playing second fiddle to the retrogressive paternalistic shenanigans of the autocratic reactionary despotism in the new Russia.
Fidel Castro 13th August 2006: I wish Fidel Castro a speedy recovery on the occasion of his 80th birthday, and salute the achievements of the Cuban people in building a comprehensive health and education system.
Terror Plot 10th August 2006: Yesterday, the Home Secretary said that some of the government's opponents in the media and politics "do not get" the serious nature of the threat from modern terrorist activity. Today, a plot to blow up nine transatlantic aeroplanes with liquid explosives has apparently been foiled. But it is still Dr Reid, and the rest of the government, who do not get that the people of the UK will not be made any safer by house arrest, detention without trial, and a huge unwieldy ID card database.
Health 2nd August 2006: A pensioner paid for a private operation with a cheque which he knew would bounce, in order to save his life by minimising the otherwise lengthy delay. The fact that such prompt service is not already available within the NHS is an indictment of the priorities of a society which prefers to spend money on nuclear weapons instead of decent care of its own people.
Monarchy 1st August 2006: A misguided proposal is being suggested by disgruntled backbenchers that the prime minister should be deprived of his power to send UK forces to war without a vote of approval in Parliament. This is not an attempt to restrain a dictatorial prime minister; it is in fact a dangerous proposal for the emasculation of the royal prerogative. I hope that in extremis, Her Majesty will take the initiative to defend her realm and her people against those who seek to impose a republic through the back door.
Birthday 26th July 2006: Hundreds of thousands of fanatically devoted listeners of the London radio station LBC 97.3 were ecstatic in rejoicing as Loony John Cartwright celebrated his 38th birthday by meeting the great improvisational presenter Iain Lee. In common with the late great surrealist artist Jackson Pollock (1912-1956) and the late great improvisational composer Cornelius Cardew (1936-1981), the Iain Lee (1973-????) forms a trilogy of great intellectual performers who have contributed to the liberation of thought and expression among the masses, and helped to erode considerably the oppressive hierarchicalist structures of mind-control used by the bourgeois media and state apparatus.
Israel and Lebanon 25th July 2006: The casus belli was the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers. The result so far has been the deaths of some 400 Lebanese and 40 Israelis, mostly civilians. This is disproportionate and counter-productive. However, the ultimate cause of the current conflict is that southern Lebanon is being held hostage by a terrorist force which wants Israel to be exterminated. Responsibility for ending the conflict lies not only with Israel, but also with those countries who support and supply Hizbollah in the first place.
Israel and Lebanon 19th July 2006: Why is Israel telling the people of southern Lebanon to flee north, away from the bombing? Are the Hizbollah terrorists not also going to run away to safety? Why is Israel bombing and killing predominantly civilians? Is this what is meant by "self- defence"? Is the imminent invasion going to be a quick surgical strike, or will the troops stay for many years like they did last time?
The Murder of Jean Charles de Menezes 18th July 2006: The decision by the CPS not to prosecute the police officers for the murder of Jean Charles de Menezes is as contemptible as it is predictable. The suggestion that they honestly believed that he was a potential suicide bomber flies in the face of the fact that they could clearly see, with their own eyes, the fact that he was obviously not of Somali origin, as was the suspect whom they supposedly thought they were following; and the fact that they could see that he was not carring any explosives. I, for one, am fed up with reading reports in the media stating that they "thought" he was a suicide bomber, or that he was "mistaken for" one, when they already knew otherwise. This decision is an obvious example of the blurring between the executive and judicial branches of the state; the judicial system is being subverted by the New Labour authoritarian state to become an instrument of partisan oppression rather than as a neutral arbiter. Of such are dictatorships made.
Mayor of London 15th July 2006: The government has substantially increased the powers of the Mayor of London in the areas of planning, housing, culture and the environment. These powers have been devolved upwards from the London boroughs, not downwards from the centre. Worse still, they are not balanced by any increase in the scrutiny from the GLA members. This is another stage in the building of a corporatist client state of satraps and the destruction of true people's democracy. Accountable government for London should include a GLA leader, elected by the members themselves, and accountable on a day-to-day basis.
Israel and Lebanon 14th July 2006: Israel has the right to defend its own security, and to take reasonable actions against Hizbollah positions in Lebanon. But it should exercise all due restraint and make an effort to minimise the amount of disruption or casualties among civilians.
Justice in the USA 12th July 2006: The Bush administration has been forced, after five years, to accept that the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay is illegal and inhumane. The announcement that the prisoners will now be given their rights under the Geneva convention is an admission that their treatment hitherto has been against all the normal international laws of war. Meanwhile, the UK government is indulging in the pathetic spectacle of begging the USA senate to ratify the extradition treaty in order to make it bilateral, with no realistic hope of preventing the extradition and imprisonment of the three British businessmen from NatWest. This is the action of a craven and indulgent puppet, not that of an independent and self-reliant government of a sovereign nation.
Hoodies 10th July 2006: David Cameron says that hoodies are only trying to "blend in", not to be threatening. Blend in? With what? With whom? It seems obvious to me that young people who hide their faces by wearing hoodies are being threatening, aggressive and anti-social to normal decent people; not merely in their effect, but specifically, deliberately, consciously and overtly in their intention. This is another example of the evidence that shows how much Mr Cameron is out of touch with normal Loony values.
Korea 4th July 2006: On the same day, the USA has used the most modern advances in technology to launch a space shuttle into orbit, despite NASA's own safety officers expressing concerns about the foam protection which failed catastrophically on previous occasions; and the DPRK has used its own technology to test a defensive missile capability. The USA is showing off at the risk of its own astronauts; the DPRK is not threatening anybody in its actions to maintain its position as an independent, self-reliant nation.
Sentencing 25th June 2006: The imposition of prison sentences on criminals should be done with flexibility and honesty; currently it has neither. A sentence of six years currently means that the prisoner will almost certainly be released after three years, regardless of the circumstances. There needs to be an element of flexibility in time served, so that prisoners have a realistic incentive for good behaviour. Thus a sentence of six years should mean between four and six years, depending on the good behaviour of the criminal. There is no justification for a totally inflexible sentence of six years without any hope of parole or rehabilitation.
Korea 19th June 2006: The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is preparing to test-fire a missile which may be capable of delivering a nuclear weapon to the USA. It comes as no surprise that the Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, has engaged in the midboggling hypocrisy of denouncing such an act as "provocative" and as a "serious" matter. This frenzied hysteria of condemnation comes from a country which has kept its troops in Iraq beyond the point of usefulness, which is sabre-rattling against the democratically elected government in Iran, and which has not ruled out the first-strike use of tactical nuclear weapons to "end" conventional conflicts. Why is the DPRK supposedly not allowed to develop its own defences, and to defend itself against the threat of external invasion, like any other nation? It is the USA, not the DPRK, which is acting and speaking in a "provocative" way.
Police Raids 11th June 2006: Yet again, police have targeted and raided a Muslim household and injured an innocent man, with no resulting evidence of any criminal activity by the residents. It would be acceptable if this were a one-off, but it is all too typical of many raids on Muslim households. The vast majority of such incidents result in no arrests or prosecutions. The reliability of police "intelligence" leaves a lot to be desired, and is building up a lot of ill-will for the future prospects of co-operation with the British Muslim communities.
Surrealism 3rd June 2006: Thousands of Loonies, progressives, artists and other assorted followers of diversity assembled in central London today to demonstrate in defence of Surrealism and Absurdism, and the spirit of diversity, freedom and for the liberation of the people against state oppression, in spirit and in mind as well as in the realms of bourgeois political discourse. This act of self- liberation from the hierarchicalistic tyranny of the imperialist warmonger state apparatus was hailed and welcomed by millions of tourists and passers-by, many of whom spontaneously joined with the thousands of democratic demonstrators in singing Welsh songs, assorted national anthems, and in proclaiming progressive slogans.
Iran 1st June 2006: The USA suggests that talks should go ahead with Iran, if it agrees to give up its uranium enrichment programme. It is odd, but sadly unsurprising, that the Great Imperialist regards unilateral surrender as a precondition for negotiations.
Prescott 31st May 2006: The Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott is being paid £134,000 per year for doing very little other than chairing a committee to co-ordinate the relief effort in the aftermath of the Javanese earthquake, and for indulging in reactionary bourgeois pursuits like croquet. A similar position - the chair of a state committee for something-or-other - was the only one held for many years by worthy leaders such as Deng Xiao-Ping, Mao Tse-Tung and Colonel Muammar al-Qadafi.
Energy 16th May 2006: The government's attitude at the conclusion of the energy review is that the UK should hurtle headlong into the development of more nuclear power stations. The whole premise of the review was that renewable and green energy sources can be made to be viable in the long term; it seems therefore that the whole review was conducted for the purposes of spin rather than for constructive purposes.
Crime 16th May 2006: Tony Blair has admitted that the government has not yet solved the problem of crime, despite nine years and dozens of Acts of Parliament against crime, anti-social behaviour, terrorism and so on. It might be a good idea if the police were given the resources to investigate burglaries, and respond to threatening and disorderly behaviour instead of being bombarded with more and more paperwork.
Hugo Chavez 15th May 2006: We welcome the President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez on the occasion of his visit to London. He has had the courage to stand up to American imperialism, and recognises that it is better for Venezuela's energy resources to be under the control of a large number of Venezuelan people than a small number of billionaires from the USA.
Musical Chairs 12th May 2006: The panicked re-shuffle of Cabinet ministers in the immediate aftermath of the local elections disaster for the Labour Party, and the continuing speculation about the timing of Blair's departure, are merely fluff: the desperate tinkering at the edges of a decadent and rotten edifice of a quasi-authoritarian proto-fascist government. Replacing Clarke with Reid, or Blair with Brown, will not in themselves free the country from the tyranny of their illiberal policies and totalitarian hysteria.
Cornelius Cardew (1936-1981) 7th
May 2006: Today we celebrate the life of the late composer and progressive
political campaigner, Cornelius Cardew, whose 70th birthday we remember today, and who
tragically lost his life at the height of his achievements at the age of only 45. His belief
that "life must be lived to the full in order to be meaningful" is at
the heart of the struggle for freedom of expression and spiritual existence. His
rejection of a false dichotomy between culture and politics is essential for the liberation
of the individual from the restricted class-based mindset and security-based hysteria of the
bourgeois Lib-Lab-Con-trick parties. His advocacy of free-form avant-garde music, and the
spontaneity of ad hoc performances, seeks to liberate the performer from the restrictive
dictates of the composer.
Similarly, the fundamental truth is that political power
ultimately rests with the people themselves - individually and collectively - and not merely
with a small hierarchical group of politicians who have been elected through a distorted
bourgeois electoral system. Cardew was thus an early pioneer of the Loony philosophy of
diversity and progressive broad-based alliance against the threat of fascism - both the overt
neo-fascism of the BNP, and the proto-fascism of the reactionary New Labour regime which has
renounced progressive advances and which has joined forces with the imperialist warmongering
Bush regime in the USA. The loss to the political and musical worlds caused by Cardew's
early death are immeasurable; his work and achievements are remembered still.
The Loony Way Forward 5th May 2006: The 200 votes which I received in Fairfeild ward yesterday was the highest Loony vote in this year's local elections, as it was in 2002. The 200 Loony faithful who expressed support for my progressive policies have made a valuable contribution to the process of rescuing the country from the decadent, moribund authoritarian Blair government.
Labour Loses Croydon 5th May 2006: The Labour Party has lost control of Croydon Council, having lost 10 seats. But although these seats have been gained by the Conservative Party (which also gained one seat from the Liberal Democrats), it was the minor parties which benefited most from the shift of votes. Substantial support for the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party is hidden, disguised and distorted by the blunt and distorted electoral system which has arbitrarily divided the map into two tribal areas. If the Conservative administration wants to be re-elected in 2010, it will have to remember that it still only has 45% of the votes.
May The 4th Be With You 4th May 2006: Today is the day for decision. I urge all voters to uphold the fundamental principles of Loonyism and diversity. Accountable and representative local administration is more important, more progressive, and more democratic than the petty bourgeois games of party political ping-pong between the main parties.
Charles Clarke 2nd May 2006: It is bad enough that 1,023 prisoners were released when they should have been deported; it is worse that the Home Secretary knew about it for 10 months before admitting it publicly, but it is astonishing that he now thinks that it is necessary for him to stay in office to sort out the very same mess over which he has presided.
10th Anniversary 1st May 2006 All day long, thousands of joyous citizens have been dancing and singing in the streets to celebrate the joyous tenth anniversary of the day when I joined the Official Monster Raving Loony Party. Since 1st May 1996, the OMRLP has lost its founding member, but despite this - and in spite of the continuing aggressive imperialist shenanigans and manoeuvrings of the Lib-Lab-Con-trick parties, who seek to restrict choice and the range of spontaneous political thought among the proletariat - the party continues to go from strength to strength in the continuing line of march towards Loony diversity and freedom. We have suffered, but withstood, the slings and arrows of outrageous libels and denunciations from our enemies, but we will prevail! Loony Philosophy is on the march and will never be defeated!
David Cameron 27th April 2006: Twice within the last three weeks I have received letters purporting to come from