The strange, sad death of our old friend.

[Guest Stephen Turner]

In 1933, Adolph Hitler invested in himself full dictatorial powers and claimed, "No other revolution will happen in Germany for a thousand years." He then unleashed the full horror of the one party State. The allies mobilised against the axis powers, and after five years finally defeated them, and we are told, smashed Nazism, and fatally wounded the one party State.

In Britain circa 2007, it will soon be time for the hoop-la of a General election, the three main contesting parties will be, as usual, Labour, Conservative and the Liberal Democrats. There will of course be others from independants to the Monster raving looney party, but most votes (over 90%) will be cast for the three above. we are now, effectively, a one Party State.

The anexation of Power is only one, and the crudest way, of achiving this. All the main Parties are now in total agreement on all main policy points, the only disagreement occurs on how best to implement them, and all policies can be reduced to the following statement. HOW BEST CAN WE SERVE THE RICH.

inch by rotten inch the possibility of a Neo- facist dictatorship comes ever closer, loss of faith in mainstream Politics, mass immigration, the slow death of trade Unionism, ditto Socialism, and the dawning reality of a stock market crash to rival the 1930s, which will cast millions into dire poverty, and the shadow of the "strong Man" is cast.

The only way out of this is to reclaim real Democracy, it needs to be rescued not only from those currently in power, but even more urgently from the lickspittal media, who serve only the interests of the present Elite.

[Guest David Guyatt]

Amen, Steve.

I always argue (and reccomend) that not voting is the only solution. At least it's the only solution I can come up with, for if a great majority of people do not vote, the Party system (the system that underscores undemocratic democracy) will begin to break apart.

With no obvious mandate from the people to rule, at least everyone will then begin to understand that there is no genuine democracy in this land. And until that happens we're in the schtuck.

At the present too many people still hold the belief that the government (no matter what its complexion) is doing its best. What they don't really know is that it's doing its best for a tiny minority of influential interests (and itself of course). The 2people" just have to pay for it and otherwise can go hang themselves...

David

[Guest Stephen Turner]

Amen, Steve.

I always argue (and reccomend) that not voting is the only solution. At least it's the only solution I can come up with, for if a great majority of people do not vote, the Party system (the system that underscores undemocratic democracy) will begin to break apart.

With no obvious mandate from the people to rule, at least everyone will then begin to understand that there is no genuine democracy in this land. And until that happens we're in the schtuck.

At the present too many people still hold the belief that the government (no matter what its complexion) is doing its best. What they don't really know is that it's doing its best for a tiny minority of influential interests (and itself of course). The 2people" just have to pay for it and otherwise can go hang themselves...

David

There are those that argue that the Labour party could have something approaching a soul transplant, and perhaps remember what the term "Labour" actually means. I personally hold out litle hope for this miracle, for two reasons one, the Neo-con take over of old Labour has been so swift, so complete that it resembles nothing as much as a coup detat, and secondly, it was never much of a workers party before. As Lenin said of it in 1918, "It is a new way to help preserve the status quo, athroughgoing bourgouise affair"

[Guest Stephen Turner]

, and the dawning reality of a stock market crash to rival the 1930s, which will cast millions into dire poverty,

Written in October, and coming to a town near you soon. Welcome to the sub-prime World.

[Dawn Meredith]

, and the dawning reality of a stock market crash to rival the 1930s, which will cast millions into dire poverty,

Written in October, and coming to a town near you soon. Welcome to the sub-prime World.

I read today that even the rich are facing this sub-prime fiasco.

Dawn

[Maggie Hansen]

, and the dawning reality of a stock market crash to rival the 1930s, which will cast millions into dire poverty,

Written in October, and coming to a town near you soon. Welcome to the sub-prime World.

I read today that even the rich are facing this sub-prime fiasco.

Dawn

Oh the poor dears. Doesn't your heart break for them? How will they cope?

[Maggie Hansen]

There are those that argue that the Labour party could have something approaching a soul transplant, and perhaps remember what the term "Labour" actually means. I personally hold out litle hope for this miracle, for two reasons one, the Neo-con take over of old Labour has been so swift, so complete that it resembles nothing as much as a coup detat, and secondly, it was never much of a workers party before. As Lenin said of it in 1918, "It is a new way to help preserve the status quo, athroughgoing bourgouise affair"

I always argue (and reccomend) that not voting is the only solution. At least it's the only solution I can come up with, for if a great majority of people do not vote, the Party system (the system that underscores undemocratic democracy) will begin to break apart.

There are those who want to put the soul back into the Labor party and they have their heart in the right place but they are ultimately flogging a dead horse.

The Labor parties of the world were only ever social democrat parties hoping for bigger crumbs for some of the workers from the table of capitalism. None of the social democratic parties ever seriously questioned or challenged the seating arrangements at that table. When things go badly in capitalism, as they inevitably do with the declining rate of profit leading to serious breakdowns in this system, the social democratic parties have proven time and again how useless they are. They can only ever lead to fascism. Only real socialist and democratic parties that are prepared to go beyond capitalism can avoid the boom and bust cycles and fascism. People have been trained all their lives to be passive and the only action the present rulers of the world want from people is to be consumers. They do not want people to be active in the processes or institutions that really impact on their lives (work places and distribution of resources) Opting out of the political process by not voting can only benefit those who currently run the show. Yes, the choice is very limited and, yes, you have to wonder in some cases if your vote going to be counted. The solution is not to opt out but to get involved and not just by voting once every four years either. Get active and organised. Link up with others who want the same as you. There IS strength in the union. You can bet that the rulers of the world are organised.

Edited January 18, 2008 by Maggie Hansen

[Guest Stephen Turner]

There are those that argue that the Labour party could have something approaching a soul transplant, and perhaps remember what the term "Labour" actually means. I personally hold out litle hope for this miracle, for two reasons one, the Neo-con take over of old Labour has been so swift, so complete that it resembles nothing as much as a coup detat, and secondly, it was never much of a workers party before. As Lenin said of it in 1918, "It is a new way to help preserve the status quo, athroughgoing bourgouise affair"

I always argue (and reccomend) that not voting is the only solution. At least it's the only solution I can come up with, for if a great majority of people do not vote, the Party system (the system that underscores undemocratic democracy) will begin to break apart.

There are those who want to put the soul back into the Labor party and they have their heart in the right place but they are ultimately flogging a dead horse.

The Labor parties of the world were only ever social democrat parties hoping for bigger crumbs for some of the workers from the table of capitalism. None of the social democratic parties ever seriously questioned or challenged the seating arrangements at that table. When things go badly in capitalism, as they inevitably do with the declining rate of profit leading to serious breakdowns in this system, the social democratic parties have proven time and again how useless they are. They can only ever lead to fascism. Only real socialist and democratic parties that are prepared to go beyond capitalism can avoid the boom and bust cycles and fascism. People have been trained all their lives to be passive and the only action the present rulers of the world want from people is to be consumers. They do not want people to be active in the processes or institutions that really impact on their lives (work places and distribution of resources) Opting out of the political process by not voting can only benefit those who currently run the show. Yes, the choice is very limited and, yes, you have to wonder in some cases if your vote going to be counted. The solution is not to opt out but to get involved and not just by voting once every four years either. Get active and organised. Link up with others who want the same as you. There IS strength in the union. You can bet that the rulers of the world are organised.

Maggie, agree with every word you have writen. the trouble is in getting people to organise, and to recognise that Union membership is in their best interests. It appears to me that many in the work place, the only place were organisation counts, don't see their fellow workers as a source of strength, but rather as competitors, which of course makes them perfect for full on exploitation.

[Guest David Guyatt]

There are those that argue that the Labour party could have something approaching a soul transplant, and perhaps remember what the term "Labour" actually means. I personally hold out litle hope for this miracle, for two reasons one, the Neo-con take over of old Labour has been so swift, so complete that it resembles nothing as much as a coup detat, and secondly, it was never much of a workers party before. As Lenin said of it in 1918, "It is a new way to help preserve the status quo, athroughgoing bourgouise affair"

I always argue (and reccomend) that not voting is the only solution. At least it's the only solution I can come up with, for if a great majority of people do not vote, the Party system (the system that underscores undemocratic democracy) will begin to break apart.

There are those who want to put the soul back into the Labor party and they have their heart in the right place but they are ultimately flogging a dead horse.

The Labor parties of the world were only ever social democrat parties hoping for bigger crumbs for some of the workers from the table of capitalism. None of the social democratic parties ever seriously questioned or challenged the seating arrangements at that table. When things go badly in capitalism, as they inevitably do with the declining rate of profit leading to serious breakdowns in this system, the social democratic parties have proven time and again how useless they are. They can only ever lead to fascism. Only real socialist and democratic parties that are prepared to go beyond capitalism can avoid the boom and bust cycles and fascism. People have been trained all their lives to be passive and the only action the present rulers of the world want from people is to be consumers. They do not want people to be active in the processes or institutions that really impact on their lives (work places and distribution of resources) Opting out of the political process by not voting can only benefit those who currently run the show. Yes, the choice is very limited and, yes, you have to wonder in some cases if your vote going to be counted. The solution is not to opt out but to get involved and not just by voting once every four years either. Get active and organised. Link up with others who want the same as you. There IS strength in the union. You can bet that the rulers of the world are organised.

Yikes Maggie, as it red what you wrote I had to pinch myself to make sure I hadn't written it myself...

The rulers of the world are most certainly organised. Much is said of the Bilderberg Conferences, the CFR, Chatham House, the Trilateral Commission etc., but it shouldn't be underrated that these groups do, in fact, act cohesively and as a consolidation of elite power.

However, the elite are so powerful these days that I really don't think it is possible to build an organisation as you suggest. Historically, every organisation that sets out to fight the elite has been very rapidly penetrated by the security services. I would argue that the only realistic countermeasure for like thinking individuals is to constantly invigorate public awareness of the beast and how it has - and does - operate to perpetuate the myth that it is beneficial to the majority while actually only serving the interests of the tiny ruling elite. These fundamental truths gradually alter conscious understanding and if spread sufficiently far and wide, will modify thought patterns and thus change things from the inside. It is, however, a slow, slow process -- but fundamentally bloodless.

Now, it's back to the looney bin for lunch and the afternoon palm scratching session..

[Maggie Hansen]

Maggie, agree with every word you have writen. the trouble is in getting people to organise, and to recognise that Union membership is in their best interests. It appears to me that many in the work place, the only place were organisation counts, don't see their fellow workers as a source of strength, but rather as competitors, which of course makes them perfect for full on exploitation.

Yes, the divide and conquer tactic works well. The rate of union membership has gone down greatly in most countries. In part because of the collaboration of some unionists with the ruling class. In part because of the outsourcing of many jobs where people must now pay to get a job. For many people there just is not a union to join as they are no longer 'workers' but 'self employed' or 'small business owners'. And yes, it is difficult to get people to join a union, to show that it is in their best interest to work together. But the Emperor really doesn't have any clothes and it is good to keep pointing this out to any and everyone

[Maggie Hansen]

Yikes Maggie, as it red what you wrote I had to pinch myself to make sure I hadn't written it myself...

The rulers of the world are most certainly organised. Much is said of the Bilderberg Conferences, the CFR, Chatham House, the Trilateral Commission etc., but it shouldn't be underrated that these groups do, in fact, act cohesively and as a consolidation of elite power.

However, the elite are so powerful these days that I really don't think it is possible to build an organisation as you suggest. Historically, every organisation that sets out to fight the elite has been very rapidly penetrated by the security services. I would argue that the only realistic countermeasure for like thinking individuals is to constantly invigorate public awareness of the beast and how it has - and does - operate to perpetuate the myth that it is beneficial to the majority while actually only serving the interests of the tiny ruling elite. These fundamental truths gradually alter conscious understanding and if spread sufficiently far and wide, will modify thought patterns and thus change things from the inside. It is, however, a slow, slow process -- but fundamentally bloodless.

Now, it's back to the looney bin for lunch and the afternoon palm scratching session..

Yes David, educating others is very important and needs to done constantly and I see what you are getting at with regard to dealing with the beast. The elite are very powerful indeed but THEY still NEED US. We don't need them. That is their Achilles heel. (and they know it too) They need us to buy their crap products, fight their wars, clean their houses, raise their children, flatter them, fear them. I say boycott them. There is almost nothing that they can do for us that we cannot do for ourselves. We can certainly minimize our exposure to them if we decide not to be mindless consumers. Don't use their media. Don't use their brands. Make our own, grow our own, exchange between ourselves. Set up our own institutions and organizations. Be the change we wish to see and show others that it can be done and ask others with knowhow how to do it better. I don't know that we need one great big organization to match their great big organization. Maybe just lots of little informal ones that can network around their power structure and eventually undermine it so it disappears up its own irrelevancy.

How was lunch?

[Guest David Guyatt]

Small is good, I think, Maggie. Loosely informal and informally networking is also good it seems to me, minimising patterns etc.

I think the main problem lies with the mindless consumer side of things. This is undoubtedly a key aspect of the entire structure.

Perhaps the key aspect.

The problem is that consumerism has become a highly addictive form of substance abuse and the great majority of people are lost to this opiate – just take a walk around a retail park on a Sunday lunchtime to see herds of people mindlessly wandering around, sniffing the goods on offer, looking for the next fix…

“Here Comes the Nice” as the old 60’s Small Faces song says.

My own sense is that it is going to be a very long time before this addiction begins to be rejected off or collapses under its own weight.

Meanwhile, the collective mind is being shaped most subtly until slave-hood becomes the default setting of society. Something like the old saw that “the perfect slave think they’re free”.

Lunch was excellent, thanks. The nice men in white coats spoon-fed me an excellent lobster bisque – that oddly smelled somewhat of tomato soup, followed by a warm crayfish salad, that reminded me of a packaged, near-stale cheese sandwich. This was swilled down with an excellent bottle of vintage Cheval Blanc that, unusually, tasted rather watery.

The post-prandial electro-shock treatment was especially good today, though. It revived me no end (but sadly buggered-up my wristwatch in the process).

[Paul Rigby]

“Here Comes the Nice” as the old 60’s Small Faces song says.

Yeah, but What'cha gonna do about it?

The Tin Soldier

[Michael Hogan]

....I think the main problem lies with the mindless consumer side of things. This is undoubtedly a key aspect of the entire structure.

Perhaps the key aspect.

The problem is that consumerism has become a highly addictive form of substance abuse and the great majority of people are lost to this opiate – just take a walk around a retail park on a Sunday lunchtime to see herds of people mindlessly wandering around, sniffing the goods on offer, looking for the next fix…

David, your last paragraph certainly evokes a multitude of vivid images.

[Guest David Guyatt]

....I think the main problem lies with the mindless consumer side of things. This is undoubtedly a key aspect of the entire structure.

Perhaps the key aspect.

The problem is that consumerism has become a highly addictive form of substance abuse and the great majority of people are lost to this opiate – just take a walk around a retail park on a Sunday lunchtime to see herds of people mindlessly wandering around, sniffing the goods on offer, looking for the next fix…

David, your last paragraph certainly evokes a multitude of vivid images.

What Mall would Jesus, Moses, or Mohammad shop at and what would they buy? America and the whole world has, indeed, become addicted to consumerism and the quest for money....though it was / is 'sold to them by a relentless campaign by the Corporate Masters who want us to: eat, shut-up, consume and die. [nothing more]

Peter, I'm not an advocate of Christianity, but I would point out the story of Jesus chucking the money-lenders out of the temple -- which strikes me as an early act of disapproval of the then ruling commerce system. Quite rebellious it seems to me and at a distinct remove from, say, our George, who prays on his knees while helping his corporate and wealthy 'have mores" to help themselves to the contents of our wallets.

But you're point is well taken...

Edited January 20, 2008 by David Guyatt