A Non Partisan Correction To Robert Reich

Clinton’s former secretary of labour quickly describes divide and rule

“The Republican strategy is to split the vast middle and working class – pitting unionized workers against non-unionized, public-sector workers against non-public, older workers within sight of Medicare and Social Security against younger workers who don’t believe these programs will be there for them, and the poor against the working middle class,”

Now this is correct but trespasses in the shallows away from making the profound point, that class war under neoliberlaism is to split the vast middle and working class – pitting unionized workers against non-unionized, public-sector workers against non-public, older workers within sight of Medicare and Social Security against younger workers who don’t believe these programs will be there for them, and the poor against the working middle class,

Fair enough he was a Democrat politician so he makes the point for partisan means and yes the GOP are basically crypto fascist at this stage but the good cop bad cop routine of our faux democracies where all major parties are in thrall to corporations and neoliberal orthodoxy is the truly great threat to people and planet. Would that there were a progressive party that was social democratic or eco socialist to back in this fight. But still awareness of the divide and rule strategy, the competition fetishes of the elite is important, the longer people fight against each other the longer the ruling class can laugh like drains all the way to the bailed out banks.

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February 26, 2011 | | Tags: | 2 Comments »

Why Was Prof John Hughes Vice-Chancellor, Bangor University, On Cameron’s Mid East Arms Tour?

The first disturbing answer is because a few other University bigwigs went too, so it’s keeping up with the Professor Joneses, did they hang with the arms dealers and telcos who shut down networks to help tyrants? From Politics Home the full list of CEO’s and the like who figured the best way of responding to region wide movements for democracy was to go on a junket with firms trying to flog arms to repressive governments-

Samir Brikho  CEO, AMEC

Steve Marshall  Chairman, Balfour Beatty

Graham Cartledge  Chairman, Benoy

Mouzan Majidi  CEO, Foster & Partners

Ben Gordon  CEO, Mothercare

Keith Howells  Chairman, Mott MacDonald

Chris Hyman  CEO, Serco

John Stanion  Chairman & CEO, Taylor Woodrow

Prof Malcolm Grant  President/Provost, UCL

Paul Skinner  CEO, Infrastructure UK

Bob Fryar  Executive Vice President for Production, BP

Ian Gray  Non-Exec Chairman of Vodafone Egypt

Philip Dilley  Chairman, Arup

Stuart Laing  Deputy Vice Chancellor, Cambridge University

Peter Gammie  CEO, Halcrow

Lord Darzi  Imperial College

Malcolm Brinded  Exec VP, Shell

John Peace  Chairman, Standard Chartered

Ian Conn  MD & CE, BP

Richard Barrett  Regional Director, Atkins

Rob Watson  Regional Director, Rolls Royce

Victor Chavez  Thales UK

Ian King  CEO, BAe Systems

Prof John Hughes  Vice Chancellor, Bangor University

Dean Webster  EO, Cyril Sweett

Michiel Soeting  Global Head of ENR/Oil & Gas, KPMG

Rob King  Development Director ME, the Edge

Shaun Carter  Regional Director, Carillion

Sam Laidlaw  CEO, Centrica

Charles Hughes  VP Marketing, Cobham Group

Dr Rajan Jethwa  CEO, Virgin Healthbank

Sir Frank Williams  Team Principal, Williams F1

Alastair Bisset  Group International Director, QinetlQ

Andy Pearson  MD, Babcock International Group

Elizabeth Reid  CEO, SSA Trust

Douglas Caster  CEO, Ultra Electronics

Bangor University’s mission statement is-

To be a world-class research-led university, to provide teaching and learning of the highest quality, and to contribute to the development of the economy, health and culture of a sustainable Wales and a sustainable world.

Now maybe I’m failing to read between the lines but I really can’t see ‘hang out with arms dealers’ in there, then again it makes no mention of ethics so maybe that’s absolutely tickety-boo. Vice-Chancellor of Bangor University, Professor John Hughes, or to give him his full title- John Hughes, also caused a fair bit of trouble when he was appointed-

A non-Welsh speaker is to be Bangor University’s new vice-chancellor despite calls for the post to reflect its Welsh-speaking community. Prof John Hughes, currently president of the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, was described as “a proven leader” by the university’s council. Prof Hughes has undertaken to learn Welsh, the council added.

Language campaigners said the university “no longer deserved to be described as a Welsh institution”.

Prof Hughes has been president of National University of Ireland (NUI) Maynooth since 2004, during which time, Bangor University said, he transformed its fortunes.

He raised its ranking from 10th to fourth in Ireland, tripling research income to 34m euros per year, and earning Maynooth the accolade of Sunday Times University of the Year in Ireland in 2008.

He has a strong reputation for working closely with industry and in the commercialisation of research – a partnership which he forged with Intel has been widely acclaimed.

Woohoo, ‘working closely with industry and in the commercialisation of research‘ so let’s see arms dealers, BP, fraudulent accountants, dictatorship loving phone companies and tax dodgers, oh my I’ve got something in my eye *sniff*, such a dynamic group of truly sustainable corporations working towards a sustainable world full of sustainable wars, pollution and corporate crime, it’s so wonderful! I can’t wait to find out how he commercialises research and what industries he has Bangor University work closely with given this towering ethical record. Hey wait a minute, is that what the ‘Vice’ means in Vice-Chancellor? Ooh they’re clever, hiding in plain sight, cunning. He’s threatening to eclipse Cardiff University’s school of engineering with their close involvement with the biggest arms fair in Wales, what a go-getter. Soon perhaps students will be able to say ‘while I’m in extreme debt at least I know I helped to contribute towards the profits of an institution dedicated to wiping out human life’. A sustainable world indeed.

PS. And Mothercare? It’s cradle to grave profit making for these serial entrepreneurs. Awesome.

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Friday! Patti Smith- People Have The Power

Just wait for the crowd singing the chorus, Hell Yeah!

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February 25, 2011 | | Tags: , | No Comments »

Neoliberal Attacks On Welfare Murdered This Man

Amelia Gentleman has a must read article at the Guardian today about the use of computerised US insurance style tactics to deny people benefits, it is the same corporate strategy used to deny private health insurance holders treatment. Just as in the US people are being killed by the profit motive, in the UK this is done to deliver the cuts in the welfare budget and involves for profit companies. Just as Sicko exposed the murderous motives of private health corporations some of those same corporations are now being paid public money to apply the same population ‘cleansing’ methodology here. And all three parties are completely responsible, none differ significantly in supporting this process.

At the protest outside Atos’s headquarters last month, one young man, nervous and clearly not accustomed to addressing rallies, took the microphone to explain how his uncle, who had severe mental health problems, committed suicide after the test gave him zero points and found him fit to work.

Dismayed to find his benefit claim rejected, he had appealed against the decision, and won at tribunal. But shortly after that decision, he was called in for another assessment, and for a second time scored zero points and was told he did not qualify for the benefit. He began appealing against the decision again, but a few days before another tribunal date was set, he hanged himself.

His family did not want his name in the paper, but sent through a copy of the serious incident review carried out by the local jobcentre, which concluded: “We need to review the WCA and appeal process to take the needs of our vulnerable customers into account.”

Having been through this process myself I can tell you absolutely it increases stressors to such a level that suicidal thoughts increase and become a viable solution to the pain you are in. You want it clearer? This system has caused me to seriously plan suicide more than I would normally. Only my own, evolved over time, systems and defences and family have prevented it.

Labour knew this system was a danger to depressives, the coalition know this, it is not rocket science depression and attendant mental health issues have a large amount of robust evidence and awareness by now. If you add to the self destructive thoughts by stressful accusatory testing you will increase the risk of suicide. Not to mention the cut in income from already poverty levels to a quarter less and that’s at best. But frankly that is the point, they are happy to apply a eugenics approach, if you have mental health issues you are not one of the fittest, please fuck off and die. If you feel this impunes their good faith motives for ‘reform’ I simply ask you as this has been known for years and the tests have been made progressively more traumatic how can you kid yourself death is not an outcome they are comfortable with?

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February 23, 2011 | | Tags: , | 4 Comments »

Birthdaypalooza

Today it is niece number one’s 21st birthday and my mum’s 80th birthday, they were last seen gargling tequila and ecstasy tabs and heading for the docks. That may not be true, however the oldest and youngest generations of my family are represented in this moment, foolishly no one of my generation thought be born on 20th Feb too. Tsk. My mum lived through war, austerity and the brief blooming of social democracy in Britain, Kim is a good deal freer thanks to feminism but mostly it looks like she gets to live through the same parade of crap as previous generations. Class war continues with neoliberalism offering the elite the chance for a final solution, do what you’re told and here’s a choice of smart phone cases or…fuck off and die, except the damage to the ecosphere may show the human race the planet has other plans that don’t involve us. It’s either gonna be the smart move- sustainable social democracy born of eco-socilaism, or elite domed cities guarded by Blackwater as we play Mad Max meets The Road in the hinterlands, and here’s a choice of smart phone cases. I’m reminded of a great quote by Aldous Huxley

“It is a bit embarrassing to have been concerned with the human problem all one’s life and find at the end that one has no more to offer by way of advice than “try to be a little kinder.”

I think my mum has always tried to do that and that has been heroic of her.

Happy Birthday Ladies.

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February 20, 2011 | | Tags: | 4 Comments »

Bangor Resists

Saturday there is a protest rally at 11am at Holyhead Coastguard Station against its proposed closure  by the cuts loving coalition, although now the House of Commons Transport Select Committee is to conduct a full inquiry into the consultation, another ignominious U-Turn by the feckless ConDems to be forced? God (and/or any sky pixies) help them if one of their swanky yachts gets into trouble in these waters, if the station is cut you will only have-

three 24-hour operational centres – at Aberdeen, in the Southampton/Portsmouth area and at Dover.

In addition, there will be five sub-centres open during daylight hours – at Swansea, at Falmouth in Cornwall, at Humber in Yorkshire and at either Belfast or Liverpool and at either Stornoway or Shetland in Scotland.

And in Bangor from 10am until 2 or so North Wales Against The Cuts Bangor will be holding a stall at the clock on the High Street, informing and leafleting ahead of a march on the 2nd of April, a week after the big London March to spread the momentum in the region. Tonight it has broken that Barclays bank paid barely 1% tax on £11.6bn of profits, that shit ain’t gonna fly my friends. So come along, join the resistance!

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February 19, 2011 | | Tags: , | 3 Comments »

Friday! Nortec Panoptica Orchestra- Complejo de Amor con Javiera Mena

Thanks to Claudia for the tip, find out more about Panoptica and the Nortec Collective

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February 18, 2011 | | Tags: | No Comments »
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