Observation of the day - Our 'great' country deals death

The five biggest arms dealers in the entire world are US, UK, France, Russia and China....

They just happen to be the only 5 members of the UN security council

Mea Culpa... I've shopped at Tesco's

Yes that's right. I've been shopping at Tesco's. Despite everything presented on http://www.tescopoly.org/

Tesco is within walking distance to my flat. If I walk, I cause less local pollution. If I drive I create more pollution and shop at ASDA which as a student I loved. However it is now owned by WalMart. I loved WalMart as well when I was shopping in the states, until I realised that everything wasn't quite as it seemed :( http://www.walmartmovie.com/

So to try and make the best of a bad situation I have been dropping my requests for more Fairtrade and product origin labelling into Tesco's customer satisfaction box each time I visit. Here is their reply. Is it a win? Or is it a fob off? You decide?

"Today there is no longer a choice between violence and nonviolence. It is either nonviolence or nonexistence. I feel that we've got to look at this total thing anew and recognize that we must live together. That the whole world now it is one--not only geographically but it has to become one in terms of brotherly concern. Whether we live in America or Asia or Africa we are all tied in a single garment of destiny and whatever effects one directly, effects one in-directly." - 1967 Interview with Dr Martin Luther King Jr.

Observation of the day:

IRAN, nukes, sustainable energy... Where has common sense gone?

I was driving to work this morning thinking... You know what? I get the impression from listening to the Media that Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei is a bit of a nutter really.

That said though does it give us the right to put sanctions on Iran because they want Nuclear power to fuel there energy demands? After all isn't the UK thinking about building more Nuclear stations? Hmm seems hypocritical to me. If Iran genuinely want Nuclear energy as a power option maybe we should help them build sustainable options. Then we'll know for sure whether they want nuclear for power or for weapons. Go green and everyone will be happy!

Now that the new year has started its important to remember that 2005 was not the end of the Make Poverty History campaign. To be honest I wasn't too sure what was going to happen this year but one thing I have been sure of it the fact that I'm damned if I'm going to give up.

Is Poverty history yet? NO!

Then lets keep on fighting!

Sign up, Your country needs you :)
http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/keepcampaigning/

Playing Hide and Seek with the Freedom of Speech

Back in December I heard an interview with Lord Falconer on the radio. Actually it was the first time I had been introduced to something which should be close to all our hearts - The Freedom of Speech.

Did you know that you can no longer protest outside of Parliament without first getting permission from the police? Apparently extra security is needed!

'Maya Evans, 25, recited the 97 names by the Cenotaph memorial to Britain's war dead in Whitehall, near Downing Street.

She was found guilty of breaking a new law stopping unauthorised protests within half a mile of Parliament.

The lord chancellor sai d the law was a "sensible" precaution to stop disorder rather than an attack on free speech.'

Source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4523838.stm

Is it just me or does anyone else feel that the media and the government are playing the old 'Terrorism' card a bit too much?

As a child of the 80s I remember the Irish Republican Army (IRA) barraging cities like London with nail bombs. Trust me the situation now seems a lot better than it did then. This ‘new’ threat has opened the gates to prejudice and fear. Did the government introduce laws a gainst protesting then?

Actually no! I don’t think they did.

The Home Secretary, Charles Clarke argued that he had to ask permission when he was young so why shouldn't we now?

'When I was a young student activist we used to organise much larger demonstrations than this outside Westminster, but always agreed with the police and that's the way things always have been in this country'

Source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/uk_politics/4527274.stm

Mr Clarke was born on September 21st, 1950. It seems a little unusual to start applying rules from his childhood to these modern times, when we should really be looking to the future don't you think? Rules for modern times! Not times gone by.

For many people protesting outside parliament, it's a way of making their voice heard to the people that can really make change – the politicians.

Not everyone knows they have to co ntact the police before protesting. The government has introduced a law which the general population don't know about. If people try to make their voice heard they will find themselves quickly arrested.

Don't get me wrong. It's not the fault of the Police. I think the police do a great job, I even used to work for them. The Police can only follow the law – they don’t make it.

Anyway the whole thing ticked me off and I wrote to my local MP Mr Robert Syms sharing my opinions and asking what the view of his party was (Conservative).

You can fax your MP, just like I did at the following address:

http://www.writetothem.com

Give it a go! After all isn't that what democracy is all about?

Here is my response:

Help create a future for those less fortunate then ourselves:

http://www.pledgebank.com/GiveAFuture

Well it's 2006. Fortunately we have been spared from the large scale natural disasters that ushered in the new year of 2005 and for that we can all be grateful.

Many of us make New Year resolutions to give up things in a vain attempt to make our lives better.

This year my New Year resolution is simple...

I'm NOT giving up damn thing, and I won't shut up either!

I'll continue campaigning...
I'll continue asking the world's politicians for a better future...
I'll continue to fight...

Fuck 'em!


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