Two very similar situations:
Number 1
Having the banks say "hey, y'know it's not all our fault, y'know, it's aaaall of us. Everybody holds some responsbility for the financial crisis, not just the bankers".
Number 2
Having someone woo you for years and years with chocolates, flowers, whisky and motorhead cds and then finally one day letting them have their wicked way only for them to give you herpes before saying that "y'know it takes two people to have sex so really it's not ALL my fault.."
Dont believe their lying slimy bullshit.
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
Monday, 2 March 2009
Love Music Hate Racism benefit gig
I am organising a Love Music Hate Racism benefit gig with the help of 32 lovely people who signed a pledge I made at pledgebank.com.
Love Music Hate Racism is at the forefront of fighting fascism in the UK and as I am a musician I am choosing to get involved by putting on shows to help raise money and awareness.
Originally the idea was to put on a little gig with us and some friends to raise a little bit of money for LMHR. But then I went and got ideas above my station...
So I asked two of my favourite bands in the UK to play with us at what I think is the best venue in London, The Luminaire. I figure if I'm going to do it then why not do it bigger and earn MORE money for the good people at LMHR and MORE awareness of the issues while having even MORE fun?
So far, fingers crossed, all is going to plan. The venue is up for it and so are the bands assuming we can find a date. But I'm not saying anything until it's all confirmed becasue I dont want to jinx it!
An adventurous gig will need adventurous promotion, decoration and execution so if you would like to be involved in any capacity you feel capable or willing of offering then please email me at backbeatking@gmail.com
What follows is my attempt to explain my reasons for doing this and to try and inspire other people to help me or to do their own thing in the fight against fascism. I am also going to attempt to do it without swearing. Quite some feat I can tell you...
THE BNP
It‘s not just the odd person down the pub spouting racist nonsense any more, the far right are organised and they are growing. They distribute leaflets/videos/propaganda, they court media publicity (and to the discredit of the UK media they get it), they march, they campaign and they knock on doorsteps. They wear suits now, they call themselves The British National Party and they hold a total of 55 council seats in the UK. By spreading lies and untruths they are breeding hate, discrimination and division though parts of our culturally rich country.
The BNP are Nazis. They see Hitler as a hero, they deny the occurrence of the Holocaust and they believe in an all white Britain. This of course is only possible by the forcible removal of all non-white people; as we know the far right are not historically known for their pacifism.
Watch this for an undercover BBC investigation with a reformed member of the BNP:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__DdFiV7aT8&feature=related
THE RECESSION
As we enter what could be a long deep recession awareness of fascism is more important right now than it has been at any point since the second world war. This is not meant to sound dramatic, but it is true. The far right is gaining ground all across Europe and the BNP are our own shameful bunch of home grown Nazis.
The far right traditionally makes massive gains in times of hardship for people. As people look for someone to blame for their misfortune the far right make sure they are there, offering up scapegoats in the form of ethnic/religious minorities. However, the BNP has never gained a council seat in areas where it’s campaigning has been challenged and “counter-campaigned” against. When the lies the BNP spread are exposed they fail and they don’t gain enough support from the good people of the UK to gain any power. We need to make sure that their messages of hate and intolerance are challenged at every step - If they try to engage in discussion then we need to win the argument, if they campaign we campaign harder, if they march we need to make sure we are there marching too with 100 times the numbers. At present this is all we have to do.
60 years ago millions of people died at the hands of the nazis and hundreds of thousands of people had to lay down their lives to stop them for us. For you and for me. Does anyone think that the Nazis of today, given money and power, would be any different to the nazis of the 30’s and 40’s?
And so…
EUROPEAN ELECTIONS AND VOTER APATHY ****READ THIS*****
This July the BNP are fielding as many candidates as they can in the European elections in an attempt to get their leader Nick Griffin, at the very least, elected as a member of the European parliament. If this happens the BNP will receive huge amounts of funding from the European Parliament as all elected MEPs are entitled to. It will be far more money than they have ever had at their disposal before. Not only that but we will have the shame of knowing that one, maybe more, of our representatives in Europe are nazis.
The low turn outs at elections in recent years and the apparent widespread disillusionment with the mainstream political parties means that every vote the BNP gets holds more weight.
If the BNP get a European candidate elected it will increase their ability to spread their lies massively. This is a VERY real threat. But we can stop it.
PLEASE REGISTER TO VOTE IN THE EUROPEAN ELECTIONS AND SIGN UP TO THE HOPE NOT HATE CAMPAIGN.
It is being run by anti-fascist publication Searchlight and the team who just ran President Obamas election campaign, Blue State Digital. To beat the BNP we need to get active and unite. These people are the guys that are trying to make that happen and we can all help with minimum effort. Visit their site. They explain it way better. I signed up and I signed the petition talked about in the following link. The petition was directly resposible for the BNP cancelling a march in Liverpool city center due for 14th March. It was easy, we can all do it and it works!
http://www.bluestatedigital.com/blog/entry/a-victory-for-hope-not-hate/
Anyway, there you go. Some light reading for you! Like I said before if you would like to get involved with the LMHR gig please email me and let me know what you are up for. Here are some useful links:
Love Music Hate Racism – http://www.lovemusichateracism.com
Hope Not Hate Campaign - http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/page/s/defeatthebnp
Unite Against Fascism - http://www.uaf.org.uk/
Searchlight Magazine - http://www.searchlightmagazine.com/
Our pledge on the LMHR website! - http://www.lovemusichateracism.com/news/2009/02/09/pledge-to-do-a-lmhr-event-london-pledge-shows-the-way/
PS I made it to the end without swearing! I didn't call them wankers, I didn't call them tossers and I definitely didn't call them scum sucking hateful little cunts who should sort out their latent homosexuality issues and stop beating the crap out of innocent people. Oh bollocks...
Tuesday, 17 February 2009
Is Andrew Witty another undercover Jedi?
Read this article http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/feb/13/glaxo-smith-kline-cheap-medicine
What a bloke!
Is it real? I mean, really? There must be some dark dirty reason right? Or is he another good person who's slipped throught the net?
I mean, shit, Glaxo aren't exactly your local chemist and he's basically laying down the gauntlet right? Surely the world will applaud and the rest of the pharmaceuticals will have to follow suit?
At this rate we're going to run out of bubble wrap and armour plating to keep all the good guys safe...
What a bloke!
Is it real? I mean, really? There must be some dark dirty reason right? Or is he another good person who's slipped throught the net?
I mean, shit, Glaxo aren't exactly your local chemist and he's basically laying down the gauntlet right? Surely the world will applaud and the rest of the pharmaceuticals will have to follow suit?
At this rate we're going to run out of bubble wrap and armour plating to keep all the good guys safe...
Sunday, 15 February 2009
Police State?
Ladies and Gentlemen - as of today it is illegal, under Section 44 The Terrorism Act, to take a photo of a UK copper. The offence carries a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison and a fine.
http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=836675
Let's hear that again shall we?
UNDER SECTION 44 (TERRORISM ACT) IT IS NOW ILLEGAL TO TAKE A PHOTOGRAPH OF A POLICE OFFICER IN THE UK.
Should we not remember that the police are public servants? They are there to keep us safe from harm. What possible reason could there be for making it illegal to take a photo of a policeman.
In day to day policing this law is largely useless and it will obviously be used at each individual officers discretion but how about at a peaceful protest? How will it affect the behaviour of the police then? What will happen when anyone they find pointing a camera at them can be arrested? This includes press as far as I can tell.
As recently as January 2009 we have seen the police herding a group of peaceful protesters down into the Hyde Park underpass to give them a little bit of a beating away from the eyes and lenses of the public and press. From what I can tell from the footage available they then emerged from the tunnel with the group of angry, scared, attacked protesters. When the news spread about what had happened people got angry and the crowds became restless and more confrontational but THIS behaviour is what was caught on film. The police could then turn around and say "Look! Look at all the angry violent protesters!" It's like someone punching you in class when the teachers back is turned and then just as you retaliate the teacher turns round and it's YOU that doesnt get any playtime...
What will it be like when they dont even have to hide in a tunnel? How will they behave when they can arrest and confiscate the equipment of anyone pointing a camera at them?
A friend told me about a press photographer friend of his who was at one of the recent anti Israel invasion protests, (maybe even the same one as mentioned above), he was manhandled by the police, made to state his name on film, (oh yes, of course, THEY can still take photos of YOU), and then thrown back into the crowd. He was there with a fully visible press badge.
Also worth remembering:
- The UK has one of the highest rates of CCTV cameras per member of the population in the world.
- From April communications providers will be required, by law, to keep records of all telephone calls, texts and emails sent.
What the fuck is going on?
http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=836675
Let's hear that again shall we?
UNDER SECTION 44 (TERRORISM ACT) IT IS NOW ILLEGAL TO TAKE A PHOTOGRAPH OF A POLICE OFFICER IN THE UK.
Should we not remember that the police are public servants? They are there to keep us safe from harm. What possible reason could there be for making it illegal to take a photo of a policeman.
In day to day policing this law is largely useless and it will obviously be used at each individual officers discretion but how about at a peaceful protest? How will it affect the behaviour of the police then? What will happen when anyone they find pointing a camera at them can be arrested? This includes press as far as I can tell.
As recently as January 2009 we have seen the police herding a group of peaceful protesters down into the Hyde Park underpass to give them a little bit of a beating away from the eyes and lenses of the public and press. From what I can tell from the footage available they then emerged from the tunnel with the group of angry, scared, attacked protesters. When the news spread about what had happened people got angry and the crowds became restless and more confrontational but THIS behaviour is what was caught on film. The police could then turn around and say "Look! Look at all the angry violent protesters!" It's like someone punching you in class when the teachers back is turned and then just as you retaliate the teacher turns round and it's YOU that doesnt get any playtime...
What will it be like when they dont even have to hide in a tunnel? How will they behave when they can arrest and confiscate the equipment of anyone pointing a camera at them?
A friend told me about a press photographer friend of his who was at one of the recent anti Israel invasion protests, (maybe even the same one as mentioned above), he was manhandled by the police, made to state his name on film, (oh yes, of course, THEY can still take photos of YOU), and then thrown back into the crowd. He was there with a fully visible press badge.
Also worth remembering:
- The UK has one of the highest rates of CCTV cameras per member of the population in the world.
- From April communications providers will be required, by law, to keep records of all telephone calls, texts and emails sent.
What the fuck is going on?
Sunday, 8 February 2009
Friday, 30 January 2009
Obamarama!
What can I say? First of all I guess I need to say how strange it is to me that I place so much hope in a man who leads another country that is thousands of miles away.
But still, if Barack Obama does all he says he will, (or even half of it), then the world will be SO much better for lots and lots of people. Even if he just tries without succeeding at some of the things he's talking about then the world will change.
Just thinking about him fills me with a sense of such hope that my belly actually churns and I feel sick. We are peddled such a large amount of shit that makes us feel bad, not only about the world around us but bad about ourselves, that when someone comes along who says they will stand up and do good things for everyone because everyone is equal it's hard not to get very very excited. Look at how massive amounts of people line up behind him and the others that have come before him - John Kennedy, John Lennon, The Dalai Lama, Martin Luther King Jnr and Bob Marley to name a few.
Maybe I'm a hopeless optimist or romantic or something. So be it. I'd rather be embarrassingly gushingly hopeful than resign myself to the belief that the terrifying shitheads that seem to run EVERYTHING will win in the end.
I guess a bunch of you will stop reading at this point but in my opinion there are dark people running the world we live in. Maybe I'll expand on that in a later post with some kind of references or something to make it more of a legitimate argument rather than just my ramblings. But man, there is shit going on behind the scenes that we will never know anything about. There are a very small amount of people at the top of this 'democratic' pyramid that we have built who own and run everything. That includes us. They have all the money and all the power. So much money and power, in fact, that it possibly doesn’t even matter to them anymore exactly how much power they have, only that they have it and that it keeps them safe.
Ok I guess one reference is needed so have a look at this about the distribution of wealth from the Office for National Statistics: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=2
And that’s just the UK, chances are that our rich people are NOT the most powerful rich people in the worl.
These people are insanely powerful and who knows whose interests they are serving as they wield those powers. Who even knows what those powers are?
Anyone who stands up in the face of this power and attempts to serve the other 99% must face such extreme, scary opposition. But the people line up behind those that do in their droves. I line up happily.
Barack Obama appears to be one of those people. I’m sure he’ll make mistakes and I’m sure not everyone will agree with everything he does, (that would just be spooky anyway), but if he will at least stand up to some of the bad things that happen and the bad people that do those things then we should ALL line up behind him. When people get together great things really can happen.
I have a theory: Arseholes reach the top of their fields all the time simply by being bigger, stronger, more clever, more cut-throat and more arsehole-ish than their rivals. It’s in their nature to be the top dog and so they often achieve their goals. I’m not saying that it’s always the case but I reckon it happens a lot, especially in business and politics. Arseholes win all the time. It may as well be a scientific fact.
But every so often people get so sick of the arseholes and their lies that their strength of feeling has enough force to push a good guy through the net, despite all attempts by the arseholes to stop it happening.
With that in mind, the fact that Barack Obama is President of the USA means one of two things:
1. He’s been lying all along and really he’s just another arsehole. This is of course a possibility. Or
2. We’ve got one through the net! There is actually a good guy in charge of the biggest superpower in the world!
Barack Obama has a huge responsibility on his shoulders and I don’t envy him one bit but man this could be good. Like I said at the top, he’s not even my president and I’m so filled with hope by his arrival. When people all over the world celebrated the election victory it showed the importance of his rise to office and the dire need for a new era, free from the ludicrous George Fuckhead Bush and the delightful Mr Cheney.
Basically, in amongst all the thousands of total arseholes there are running things for there own ends all over the world, there is one bloke who doesn’t appear to be an arsehole and has managed to become the most powerful non-arsehole in the world.
We need to wrap him up in cotton wool, lead, and bombproof armour and then never let him out of our sight. Or maybe make him an office inside a tank, inside an armoured lorry loaded on board an armoured military bomber in a hanger with the doors open and the engines running constantly juuuust in case anyone tries anything dodgy.
This man could do truly great things, let's keep our fingers crossed and do anything we can to help. I mistakenly thought Blair was a properly good person but he turned out to be a bit of a wolf in sheeps clothing. Lets hope Obama is a bona fide sheep who successfully persuades the wolves that vegetarianism is the only way forward in todays modern world.
I found this picture, it's one way of looking at things...
But still, if Barack Obama does all he says he will, (or even half of it), then the world will be SO much better for lots and lots of people. Even if he just tries without succeeding at some of the things he's talking about then the world will change.
Just thinking about him fills me with a sense of such hope that my belly actually churns and I feel sick. We are peddled such a large amount of shit that makes us feel bad, not only about the world around us but bad about ourselves, that when someone comes along who says they will stand up and do good things for everyone because everyone is equal it's hard not to get very very excited. Look at how massive amounts of people line up behind him and the others that have come before him - John Kennedy, John Lennon, The Dalai Lama, Martin Luther King Jnr and Bob Marley to name a few.
Maybe I'm a hopeless optimist or romantic or something. So be it. I'd rather be embarrassingly gushingly hopeful than resign myself to the belief that the terrifying shitheads that seem to run EVERYTHING will win in the end.
I guess a bunch of you will stop reading at this point but in my opinion there are dark people running the world we live in. Maybe I'll expand on that in a later post with some kind of references or something to make it more of a legitimate argument rather than just my ramblings. But man, there is shit going on behind the scenes that we will never know anything about. There are a very small amount of people at the top of this 'democratic' pyramid that we have built who own and run everything. That includes us. They have all the money and all the power. So much money and power, in fact, that it possibly doesn’t even matter to them anymore exactly how much power they have, only that they have it and that it keeps them safe.
Ok I guess one reference is needed so have a look at this about the distribution of wealth from the Office for National Statistics: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=2
And that’s just the UK, chances are that our rich people are NOT the most powerful rich people in the worl.
These people are insanely powerful and who knows whose interests they are serving as they wield those powers. Who even knows what those powers are?
Anyone who stands up in the face of this power and attempts to serve the other 99% must face such extreme, scary opposition. But the people line up behind those that do in their droves. I line up happily.
Barack Obama appears to be one of those people. I’m sure he’ll make mistakes and I’m sure not everyone will agree with everything he does, (that would just be spooky anyway), but if he will at least stand up to some of the bad things that happen and the bad people that do those things then we should ALL line up behind him. When people get together great things really can happen.
I have a theory: Arseholes reach the top of their fields all the time simply by being bigger, stronger, more clever, more cut-throat and more arsehole-ish than their rivals. It’s in their nature to be the top dog and so they often achieve their goals. I’m not saying that it’s always the case but I reckon it happens a lot, especially in business and politics. Arseholes win all the time. It may as well be a scientific fact.
But every so often people get so sick of the arseholes and their lies that their strength of feeling has enough force to push a good guy through the net, despite all attempts by the arseholes to stop it happening.
With that in mind, the fact that Barack Obama is President of the USA means one of two things:
1. He’s been lying all along and really he’s just another arsehole. This is of course a possibility. Or
2. We’ve got one through the net! There is actually a good guy in charge of the biggest superpower in the world!
Barack Obama has a huge responsibility on his shoulders and I don’t envy him one bit but man this could be good. Like I said at the top, he’s not even my president and I’m so filled with hope by his arrival. When people all over the world celebrated the election victory it showed the importance of his rise to office and the dire need for a new era, free from the ludicrous George Fuckhead Bush and the delightful Mr Cheney.
Basically, in amongst all the thousands of total arseholes there are running things for there own ends all over the world, there is one bloke who doesn’t appear to be an arsehole and has managed to become the most powerful non-arsehole in the world.
We need to wrap him up in cotton wool, lead, and bombproof armour and then never let him out of our sight. Or maybe make him an office inside a tank, inside an armoured lorry loaded on board an armoured military bomber in a hanger with the doors open and the engines running constantly juuuust in case anyone tries anything dodgy.
This man could do truly great things, let's keep our fingers crossed and do anything we can to help. I mistakenly thought Blair was a properly good person but he turned out to be a bit of a wolf in sheeps clothing. Lets hope Obama is a bona fide sheep who successfully persuades the wolves that vegetarianism is the only way forward in todays modern world.
I found this picture, it's one way of looking at things...
Wednesday, 28 January 2009
And we're off...
Hello and welcome to this, my opening post on this here blog. I figure I may as well just jump straight in. For those of you who prefer a sunnier outlook than that which is imminent then stick about baby, I'll probably be writing about Obama in my next post.
So, these ads that you see on bus stops, the benefit fraud ads that say "WE'RE CLOSING IN..."
What, to "seal my doom" like Michael Jackson?
Fuck off. I find those ads so offensive.
I did a bit of research, only a little bit mind...
The National Audit Office figures show that the average amount spent on benefit fraud per year since 2000 has been £1.25 billion. It's a lot of money and I understand the need to tackle the problem and to stop people from conning the system like that. £1.25 billion would do a lot of good in the health service on in schools.
BUT. I don't see any ads down in Kensington saying "Bankers - We've got your number..." or "Dodgy Hedge Funders - Time to be trimmed..." No. You don't see those ads. Maybe the walls of the toilets in all the private members clubs in the city are plastered with them, but I doubt it.
And lets look at how much the behaviour of the bankers and traders has cost us this year. Hmmm according to what I could find so far, since last October, the treasury has spent £87 billion and made £450 billion available to underwrite loans and debts for the banks in order to try and get the wheels turning again. That's £520 BILLION. And that's not to mention all the other things the govt will end up helping with like energy supply and the transport companies. Apparently some people think it could end up costing well into a trillion. I have absolutely NO idea what that amount of money must look like.
Anyway, back to the point...
Benefit fraud yearly average: £ 1 250,000,000
Bank bailout (official only figures only): £520 000,000,000
The bailout would pay for FOUR HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN YEARS of benefit fraud.
So who are the real criminals?
Don't get me wrong, I am in no way condoning benefit fraud. It's naughty, children, and you shouldn't do it. But come ON. These arseholes in the city have fucked everything RIGHT up for everybody and barely anyone is talking about it. I have no idea what this recession will be like but as far as I can tell they're not exactly a barrel of laughs but I'm guessing that they're not so bad if you're a rich banker. Not the cannon fodder floor staff, I mean the guys running things.
I understand so little about economics and I struggle to keep up with all the financial talk but seriously, does no-one else think we've been stuffed a little bit? If you don't then maybe these might change your mind:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/jan/22/darling-fsa-short-selling
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/article5533488.ece
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/jan/27/short-selling-rbs-banking
Henry Paulson and his ilk aren't just getting rich by ripping us off, they are actively destroying stuff in order to make their last millions before the recession hits proper. Fuck. I just don't get it.
It's too confusing to think about any more right now but next time you see one of those benefit fraud ads just remember - 416 years.
Peace and Love
Joe
PS I forgot about te £50 billion that went to Northern rock so that makes it 456 years...
So, these ads that you see on bus stops, the benefit fraud ads that say "WE'RE CLOSING IN..."
What, to "seal my doom" like Michael Jackson?
Fuck off. I find those ads so offensive.
I did a bit of research, only a little bit mind...
The National Audit Office figures show that the average amount spent on benefit fraud per year since 2000 has been £1.25 billion. It's a lot of money and I understand the need to tackle the problem and to stop people from conning the system like that. £1.25 billion would do a lot of good in the health service on in schools.
BUT. I don't see any ads down in Kensington saying "Bankers - We've got your number..." or "Dodgy Hedge Funders - Time to be trimmed..." No. You don't see those ads. Maybe the walls of the toilets in all the private members clubs in the city are plastered with them, but I doubt it.
And lets look at how much the behaviour of the bankers and traders has cost us this year. Hmmm according to what I could find so far, since last October, the treasury has spent £87 billion and made £450 billion available to underwrite loans and debts for the banks in order to try and get the wheels turning again. That's £520 BILLION. And that's not to mention all the other things the govt will end up helping with like energy supply and the transport companies. Apparently some people think it could end up costing well into a trillion. I have absolutely NO idea what that amount of money must look like.
Anyway, back to the point...
Benefit fraud yearly average: £ 1 250,000,000
Bank bailout (official only figures only): £520 000,000,000
The bailout would pay for FOUR HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN YEARS of benefit fraud.
So who are the real criminals?
Don't get me wrong, I am in no way condoning benefit fraud. It's naughty, children, and you shouldn't do it. But come ON. These arseholes in the city have fucked everything RIGHT up for everybody and barely anyone is talking about it. I have no idea what this recession will be like but as far as I can tell they're not exactly a barrel of laughs but I'm guessing that they're not so bad if you're a rich banker. Not the cannon fodder floor staff, I mean the guys running things.
I understand so little about economics and I struggle to keep up with all the financial talk but seriously, does no-one else think we've been stuffed a little bit? If you don't then maybe these might change your mind:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/jan/22/darling-fsa-short-selling
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/article5533488.ece
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/jan/27/short-selling-rbs-banking
Henry Paulson and his ilk aren't just getting rich by ripping us off, they are actively destroying stuff in order to make their last millions before the recession hits proper. Fuck. I just don't get it.
It's too confusing to think about any more right now but next time you see one of those benefit fraud ads just remember - 416 years.
Peace and Love
Joe
PS I forgot about te £50 billion that went to Northern rock so that makes it 456 years...
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