Write to your MP urging them to insist that Prime Minister Gordon Brown acts to ensure:
* An immediate end to Israel's military assault on Gaza
* An immediate end to the blockade and siege on Gaza
* An end to Israel's violations of international law
* An end to Israeli occupation
http://www.writetothem.com
Boycott Israeli Goods - Join the protests – Take Action Now!
West Kent Stop the War coalition have organised a demonstration to protest about Israel's attacks upon Gaza's civilians:
12.00 noon at Calverley shopping precinct
Saturday 3rd January 2009
Green Party campaigner in Kent. Also a nurse, academic, former manager, writer, Druid, husband and father...
Tuesday, 30 December 2008
Monday, 29 December 2008
Iain Dale backs Gaza slaughter
It is just as well Iain Dale didn't get the Tory PPC for Maidstone - his most recent blog post fully backing the Israeli slaughter of over 300 Palestinians is, frankly, obscene.
Israel spend almost 40 years occupying territory and then withdraw only to beseige it, 1.5 million Palestinians living in appaling conditiond on a strip of land the size of the Isle of Wight are understandably hacked off (although they should stop firing rockets at Israel). Israel are accusin Hamas of using civilians as human shields and the Israeli diplomat on Today said that civilians in Gaza should tell Hamas not to fire rockets from where they live. I'd like to see him tell them that if he lived there. It now seems that Israel has declared all out war on Gaza.
Many of the comments on Dale's blog liken the situation to Northern Ireland. If the British bombed Belfast every time the IRA had attacked, we wouldn't have seen an end to the troubles.
The Green Party has put out a strong statement of condemnation and is calling for an end to the EU Israeli association agreement.
Please also sign this petition from Avaaz.
Israel spend almost 40 years occupying territory and then withdraw only to beseige it, 1.5 million Palestinians living in appaling conditiond on a strip of land the size of the Isle of Wight are understandably hacked off (although they should stop firing rockets at Israel). Israel are accusin Hamas of using civilians as human shields and the Israeli diplomat on Today said that civilians in Gaza should tell Hamas not to fire rockets from where they live. I'd like to see him tell them that if he lived there. It now seems that Israel has declared all out war on Gaza.
Many of the comments on Dale's blog liken the situation to Northern Ireland. If the British bombed Belfast every time the IRA had attacked, we wouldn't have seen an end to the troubles.
The Green Party has put out a strong statement of condemnation and is calling for an end to the EU Israeli association agreement.
Please also sign this petition from Avaaz.
Knife Crime Surveys Soar
With all the scare stories about knife crime, it is worth remembering that the number one killer of 15 to 24 year olds is the car.
This fascinating map published by Mark Easton is from the Grim Reaper’s Road Map and is an atlas of mortality in Britain. 3200 people of all ages are killed on our roads each year yet little is mentioned on the news. We scream when 1000+ die of cholera in Zimbabwe, but bizarrely over look the fact that three time more dies because of our love affair with the car.
It is worth remembering that 3200 are the direct deaths, when you add in air pollution which the EU puts at 40,000 attributable early deaths in the UK and then obesity deaths because we won't walk to the corner shop for a loaf of bread, you have a startling picture.
Our society has been built around the car and will need massive investment to change. Until politicians are elected with the guts to put real money into public transport, cycling and walking; guts to challenge the communter society and out of town shopping, then we will carry on killing our young. I see few politicians with these guts in the grey parties.
Finally, thanks to Beau Bo D'Or for the image above and to Velochick and Quickrelease.tv for pointing this out:
THE FLYING KING
There was once a devil in Hell named Carnifex, who liked to eat small children. Sometimes he would take them alive and crush all the bones in their bodies. Sometimes he would pull their heads off, and sometimes he would hit them so hard that their backs snapped like dry twigs…But one day, Carnifex got out of his bed in Hell to find there was not a single child left. ‘What I need is a regular supply,’ he said to himself. So he went to a country that he knew was ruled by an exceedingly vain king. He found him in his bathroom…and said to him: ‘How would you like to fly?’ ‘Very much indeed,’ said the king, ‘but what do you want in return, Carnifex?’ ‘Oh . . . nothing very much,’ replied Carnifex, ‘and I will enable you to fly as high as you want, as fast as you want, simply by raising your arms like this,’ and he showed the king how he could fly. ‘I should indeed like to be able to do that,’ thought the king to himself. ‘But what is it you want in return, Carnifex?’ he asked aloud. ‘Look! Have a try!’ replied Carnifex. ‘Put out your arms - that’s right, and now off you go!’
The king put out his arms, and immediately floated into the air…He went higher and higher, until he was above the clouds… Then he landed back beside the devil and said: ‘But what is it you want in return, Carnifex?’ ‘Oh, nothing very much,’ replied Carnifex. ‘Just give me one small child every day, and you shall be able to fly - just like that…there are thousands of children in your kingdom…I shall only take one a day - your people will hardly notice.’ The king thought long and hard about this, for he knew it was an evil thing, but the idea of walking anywhere, now he’d tasted the thrill of flying, seemed to him so slow and dull that in the end he agreed. And from that day on he could fly - just like that.
….Every day some poor family would find that one of their children had been taken by Carnifex the devil. Now the king’s youngest daughter had a favourite doll that was so lifelike that she loved it and treated it just as if it were a real live baby. And she was in the habit of stealing into the king’s bathroom (when he wasn’t looking) to bath this doll in one of his baths.Well it so happened that she was doing this on the very day that the king made his pact with Carnifex, and thus she overheard every word that passed between them. Naturally she was terrified by what she had heard, but because girls were not reckoned much of in that country in those days, and because she was the least and most insignificant of all his daughters, she had not dared tell anyone what had happened. One day, however, Carnifex came and took the king’s own favourite son. The king busied himself in his counting-house, and would not say a word. Later that day he went off for a long flight, and did not return until well after dark.
Eventually all the people from all the corners of the realm came to the king to protest. They gathered in the main square, and the king hovered above them looking distinctly uneasy. ‘You are not worthy to be our king!’ the people cried. ‘You have sacrificed our very children just so that you can fly!’ The king fluttered up a little higher, so he was just out of reach, and then he ordered them all to be quiet, and called out: ‘Carnifex! Where are you?’ There was a flash and a singeing smell, and Carnifex the devil appeared, sitting on top of the fountain in the middle of the square. At once a great cry went up from the crowd - something between fear and anger - but Carnifex shouted: ‘Listen! I understand how you feel!’
…But the king’s youngest daughter stood up on her stool, and cried out: ‘He’s a devil! Don’t listen to him!’ ‘Quite, quite,’ said Carnifex, licking his lips at the sight of the little girl still clutching her favourite doll. ‘But even I can sympathize with the tragic plight of parents who see their own beloved offspring snatched away in front of their very eyes.’ ‘Don’t listen!’ shouted the king’s youngest daughter. ‘So I’ll tell you what I’ll do,’ said Carnifex, never taking his beady eyes off the little girl clutching what he thought was a small baby. ‘I’ll give you some compensation for your tragic losses. I will let you all fly - just like that!’ And he pointed to the king, who flew up and down a bit and then looped-the loop, just to show them all what it was like. And there was not a single one of those good people who wasn’t filled with an almost unbearable desire to join him in the air. ‘Don’t listen to him!’ shouted the little girl. ‘He’ll want your children!’ ‘All I ask,’ said Carnifex in his most wheedling voice, ‘is for one tiny. . . weeny. . . little child a day. Surely that’s not too much to ask?’ And, you know, perhaps there were one or two there who were so besotted with the desire to fly that they might have agreed, had not a remarkable thing happened. The king’s youngest daughter suddenly stood up on tiptoe! and held up her favourite doll so that all the crowd could see, and she cried out: ‘Look! This is what he’ll do to your children!’ And with that, she hurled the doll, which she loved so dearly, right into Carnifex’s lap. Well, of course, this was too much for the devil. He thought it was a real live baby, and he had its head off and all its limbs torn apart before you could say ‘Rabbits!’ And when the crowd saw Carnifex apparently tearing a small baby to pieces (for none of them knew it was just a doll) they came to their senses at once. They gave an angry cry, and converged on Carnifex where he crouched, with his face all screwed up in disgust, spitting out bits of china and stuffing.
And I don’t know what they would have done if they’d laid hold of him, but before they could, Carnifex had leapt from the fountain right onto the back of the flying king, and with a cry of rage and disappointment, he rode him down to Hell where they both belonged. And, after that, the people gave the youngest daughter a new doll that was just as lifelike as the previous one, and she was allowed to bath it in the king’s bathroom any day she wanted. As for Carnifex, he returned every year to try and induce the people to give up just one child a day to him. But no matter what he offered them, they never forgot what they had seen him do that day, and so they refused, and he had to return empty-handed. And all this happened hundreds and hundreds of years ago, and Carnifex never did think of anything that could persuade them.
But listen! You may think that Carnifex was a terrible devil, and you may think that the flying king was a terrible man for giving those poor children to Carnifex just so that he could fly. But I shall tell you something even more astonishing, and that is that in this very day, in this very land where you and I live, we allow not one. . . not two. . . not three… but twenty children to have their heads smashed or their backs broken or to be crushed alive every day - and not even so that we can fly, but just so that we can ride about in things we call motor cars. If I’d read that in a fairy tale, I wouldn’t have believed it - would you?
Carnifex is Latin for killer or executioner.
Sunday, 28 December 2008
Eye witness report from Gaza
This is from Derek Wall:
This came throught as a comment at Socialist Unity, I am blogging a lot today and a lot of other peoples stuff but it is important to provide eye witness accounts of the assault on ordinary people at bus stops in Gaza:
My friend Safa has asked us to distribute this widely, she just wrote it on Facebook for us:
It was just before noon when I heard the first explosion. I rushed to my window, barely did I get there and look out when I was pushed back by the force and air pressure of another explosion. For a few moments I didn’t understand, then I realized that Israeli promises of a wide-scale offensive against the Gaza Strip had materialized. Israeli Foreign Minister, Tzpi Livni’s statements following a meeting with Egyptian President Hussni Mubarak the day before yesterday had not been empty threats after all.
What followed seems pretty much surreal at this point. Never had we imagined anything like this. It all happened so fast but the amount of death and destruction is inconceivable, even to me and I’m in the middle of it and a few hours have passed already passed.
6 locations were hit during the air raid on Gaza city. The images are probably not broadcasted in US media. There are piles and piles of bodies in the locations that were hit. As you look at them you can see that a few of the young men are still alive, someone lifts a hand here, and another raise his head there. They probably died within moments because their bodies are burned, most have lost limbs, some have their guts hanging out and they’re all lying in pools of blood. Outside my home, (which is close to the 2 largest universities in Gaza) a missile fell on a large group of young men, university students, they’d been warned not to stand in groups, it makes them an easy target, but they were waiting for buses to take them home. 7 were killed, 4 students and 3 of our neighbors kids, young men who were from the same family (Rayes) and were best friends. As I’m writing this I can hear a funeral procession go by outside, I looked out the window a moment ago and it was the 3 Rayes boys, They spent all their time together when they were alive, they died together and now their sharing the same funeral together. Nothing could stop my 14 year old brother from rushing out to see the bodies of his friends laying in the street after they were killed. He hasn’t spoken a word since.
What did Olmert mean when he stated that WE the people of Gaza weren’t the enemy, that it was Hamas and the Islamic Jihad who were being targeted? Was that statement made to infuriate us out of out state of shock, to pacify any feelings of rage and revenge? To mock us?? Were the scores of children on their way home from school and who are now among the dead and the injured Hamas militants? A little further down my street about half an hour after the first strike 3 schoolgirls happened to be passing by one of the locations when a missile struck the Preventative Security Headquarters building. The girls bodies were torn into pieces and covered the street from one side to the other.
In all the locations people are going through the dead terrified of recognizing a family member among them. The streets are strewn with their bodies, their arms, legs, feet, some with shoes and some without. The city is in a state of alarm, panic and confusion, cell phones aren’t working, hospitals and morgues are backed up and some of the dead are still lying in the streets with their families gathered around them, kissing their faces, holding on to them. Outside the destroyed buildings old men are kneeling on the floor weeping. Their slim hopes of finding their sons still alive vanished after taking one look at what had become of their office buildings.
And even after the dead are identified, doctors are having a hard time gathering the right body parts in order to hand them over to their families. The hospital hallways look like a slaughterhouse. It’s truly worse than any horror movie you could ever imagine. The floor is filled with blood, the injured are propped up against the walls or laid down on the floor side by side with the dead. Doctors are working frantically and people with injuries that aren’t life threatening are sent home. A relative of mine was injured by a flying piece of glass from her living room window, she had deep cut right down the middle of her face. She was sent home, too many people needed medical attention more urgently. Her husband, a dentist, took her to his clinic and sewed up her face using local anesthesia
200 people dead in today’s air raid. That means 200 funeral processions, a few today, most of them tomorrow probably. To think that yesterday these families were worried about food and heat and electricity. At this point I think they -actually all of us- would gladly have Hamas sign off every last basic right we’ve been calling for the last few months forever if it could have stopped this from ever having happened.
The bombing was very close to my home. Most of my extended family live in the area. My family is ok, but 2 of my uncles’ homes were damaged,
We can rest easy, Gazans can mourn tonight. Israel is said to have promised not to wage any more air raids for now. People suspect that the next step will be targeted killings, which will inevitably means scores more of innocent bystanders whose fate has already been sealed.
This doesn’t even begin to tell the story on any level. Just flashes of thing that happened today that are going through my head
This came throught as a comment at Socialist Unity, I am blogging a lot today and a lot of other peoples stuff but it is important to provide eye witness accounts of the assault on ordinary people at bus stops in Gaza:
My friend Safa has asked us to distribute this widely, she just wrote it on Facebook for us:
It was just before noon when I heard the first explosion. I rushed to my window, barely did I get there and look out when I was pushed back by the force and air pressure of another explosion. For a few moments I didn’t understand, then I realized that Israeli promises of a wide-scale offensive against the Gaza Strip had materialized. Israeli Foreign Minister, Tzpi Livni’s statements following a meeting with Egyptian President Hussni Mubarak the day before yesterday had not been empty threats after all.
What followed seems pretty much surreal at this point. Never had we imagined anything like this. It all happened so fast but the amount of death and destruction is inconceivable, even to me and I’m in the middle of it and a few hours have passed already passed.
6 locations were hit during the air raid on Gaza city. The images are probably not broadcasted in US media. There are piles and piles of bodies in the locations that were hit. As you look at them you can see that a few of the young men are still alive, someone lifts a hand here, and another raise his head there. They probably died within moments because their bodies are burned, most have lost limbs, some have their guts hanging out and they’re all lying in pools of blood. Outside my home, (which is close to the 2 largest universities in Gaza) a missile fell on a large group of young men, university students, they’d been warned not to stand in groups, it makes them an easy target, but they were waiting for buses to take them home. 7 were killed, 4 students and 3 of our neighbors kids, young men who were from the same family (Rayes) and were best friends. As I’m writing this I can hear a funeral procession go by outside, I looked out the window a moment ago and it was the 3 Rayes boys, They spent all their time together when they were alive, they died together and now their sharing the same funeral together. Nothing could stop my 14 year old brother from rushing out to see the bodies of his friends laying in the street after they were killed. He hasn’t spoken a word since.
What did Olmert mean when he stated that WE the people of Gaza weren’t the enemy, that it was Hamas and the Islamic Jihad who were being targeted? Was that statement made to infuriate us out of out state of shock, to pacify any feelings of rage and revenge? To mock us?? Were the scores of children on their way home from school and who are now among the dead and the injured Hamas militants? A little further down my street about half an hour after the first strike 3 schoolgirls happened to be passing by one of the locations when a missile struck the Preventative Security Headquarters building. The girls bodies were torn into pieces and covered the street from one side to the other.
In all the locations people are going through the dead terrified of recognizing a family member among them. The streets are strewn with their bodies, their arms, legs, feet, some with shoes and some without. The city is in a state of alarm, panic and confusion, cell phones aren’t working, hospitals and morgues are backed up and some of the dead are still lying in the streets with their families gathered around them, kissing their faces, holding on to them. Outside the destroyed buildings old men are kneeling on the floor weeping. Their slim hopes of finding their sons still alive vanished after taking one look at what had become of their office buildings.
And even after the dead are identified, doctors are having a hard time gathering the right body parts in order to hand them over to their families. The hospital hallways look like a slaughterhouse. It’s truly worse than any horror movie you could ever imagine. The floor is filled with blood, the injured are propped up against the walls or laid down on the floor side by side with the dead. Doctors are working frantically and people with injuries that aren’t life threatening are sent home. A relative of mine was injured by a flying piece of glass from her living room window, she had deep cut right down the middle of her face. She was sent home, too many people needed medical attention more urgently. Her husband, a dentist, took her to his clinic and sewed up her face using local anesthesia
200 people dead in today’s air raid. That means 200 funeral processions, a few today, most of them tomorrow probably. To think that yesterday these families were worried about food and heat and electricity. At this point I think they -actually all of us- would gladly have Hamas sign off every last basic right we’ve been calling for the last few months forever if it could have stopped this from ever having happened.
The bombing was very close to my home. Most of my extended family live in the area. My family is ok, but 2 of my uncles’ homes were damaged,
We can rest easy, Gazans can mourn tonight. Israel is said to have promised not to wage any more air raids for now. People suspect that the next step will be targeted killings, which will inevitably means scores more of innocent bystanders whose fate has already been sealed.
This doesn’t even begin to tell the story on any level. Just flashes of thing that happened today that are going through my head
Airport growth 'flight of fancy'
This is from the Beeb:
Kent Green Party has delivered a critical submission in response to Kent International Airport's plans.
Airport owner Infratil said it expected passenger numbers to grow as London airports became more congested.Original press release here. Airport expansion must be stopped, the ludicracy of the damage that we are doing to the eco-system seems completely missed by many, especially those who are concerned about profits rather than a future. Fortunately some of the Bishops have spoken out against the profit culture - not sure why they put their comments in the Torygraph - the Tories are even keener on profit above people than Labour.
Saturday, 27 December 2008
Israeli atrocities in Gaza
I'm no expert on Middle Eastern policy but today's actions by Israel are truly appalling. This is a tiny area oppressed and bullied by the Israeli government that is now facing an Israeli invasion and shoah (which can be translated as catastrophe or holocaust).
The Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni says that Israel should be able to defend itself, which is of course the right of any nation, but this is not defence this is unwarrented aggression.
Rupert Read has just posted the following on Facebook: "UK ought to call for suspension of EU trade agreement with Israel in response to israeli atrocity today in gaza"
The Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni says that Israel should be able to defend itself, which is of course the right of any nation, but this is not defence this is unwarrented aggression.
Rupert Read has just posted the following on Facebook: "UK ought to call for suspension of EU trade agreement with Israel in response to israeli atrocity today in gaza"
Wednesday, 24 December 2008
Galaxy's message to the Pope
While the Pope has wished good cheer on the LGBT world this Christmas, others wait to be cast into the fires of damnation at a later date. Perhaps he will decide that seals are the embodiment of the antichrist and deserve extra clubbing next Christmas? We need to send a strong message to the Pope that his views are not acceptable.
Galaxy, have rejected Christianity altogether. This year's chocolate calender from Galaxy, contains a complete homage to consumefest and rejection of Christianity. I don't pretend to be a Christian, but I am happy to celebrate it and hate the consumefest.
A selection of Galaxy's 24 calender messages:
1st Dec: When's your first Christmas party?
2nd Dec: Picture of mistletoe
3rd Dec: Picture of a tag for a present
4th Dec: Picture of handbag
5th Dec: Have you put your tree up yet?
6th Dec: Picture of mittens
7th Dec: Have you eaten your first mince pie yet?
and so on to
24th Dec: Picture of a scarf
Clearly Galaxy are as upset as the rest of us at the Pope's words and have put out this advent calender to slight him. Shame they didn't focus on a better religion than consumerism.
Galaxy, have rejected Christianity altogether. This year's chocolate calender from Galaxy, contains a complete homage to consumefest and rejection of Christianity. I don't pretend to be a Christian, but I am happy to celebrate it and hate the consumefest.
A selection of Galaxy's 24 calender messages:
1st Dec: When's your first Christmas party?
2nd Dec: Picture of mistletoe
3rd Dec: Picture of a tag for a present
4th Dec: Picture of handbag
5th Dec: Have you put your tree up yet?
6th Dec: Picture of mittens
7th Dec: Have you eaten your first mince pie yet?
and so on to
24th Dec: Picture of a scarf
Clearly Galaxy are as upset as the rest of us at the Pope's words and have put out this advent calender to slight him. Shame they didn't focus on a better religion than consumerism.
Tuesday, 23 December 2008
NETCU - a waste of time and money
Monbiot's article has prompted me to have a look at the NETCU website. "The National Extremism Tactical Coordination Unit (NETCU) promotes a coordinated response to domestic extremism" proudly states the opening paragraph. Monbiot details the case of a university lecturer trying to get his name removed from a publication by NETCU after he protested against the destruction of Radley Lakes, but perhaps an equally bizarre story exists by looking at their newsfeed.
Four arrested for leafleting: Ok, it was despicable stuff they were distributing - but surely this is not a headline event from the NETCU?Street Collector Jailed for Fraud: He nicked four grand. The NETCU are proud to have played their part in his capture. Is this the best they can do?
Two convicted of tresspass: Now it's getting serious.
Of course they also have the padlock and knives found 'in woodland outside the climate camp' and still claim that they were to be used against Kingsnorth, despite no evidence to substantiate this.
We have thousands being killed on the roads each day, thousands of children going missing, obscene profits made by the few at the expense of the many, real fraud (not £4k), abuse, hate crimes and so on. Disband NETCU now and put the resources where they will make a difference.
Monday, 22 December 2008
41
The solistice and my 41st year are now both over. While electoral success has eluded me, the rest of the year has been very eventful:
I managed to be in breach of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act while demonstrating against NHS privatisation (the rozzers were quite pleasant about it and let us carry on for half an hour before asking us to stop).
They were less pleasant during the climate camp week. A two hour wait to be searched in Kingsnorth was un-called for. Tapping my phone conversations prior to a demo outside Allington was equally bizarre. The £5.7 million has meant that police services will be cut in Kent. Clearly the climate campers were a dangerous lot - 12 police injuries, four from direct contact with protesters (hardly surprising given the way the police charged the camp), eight from wasp stings, sun stroke and the like. Also in 2008, the Kingsnorth Six got aquitted only to have the government now trying to appeal. Importantly, 2008 was the year that the climate frontier came to Kent and it looks set to stay too.
A highlight was getting published in the Internation Journal of Cuban Studies (a piece on peak oil and health care).
The campaign for ethical investments at KCC scored a victory with their adoption of the UN's Principles of Responsible Investment.
Here's to a busy and exciting 42nd year!
I managed to be in breach of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act while demonstrating against NHS privatisation (the rozzers were quite pleasant about it and let us carry on for half an hour before asking us to stop).
They were less pleasant during the climate camp week. A two hour wait to be searched in Kingsnorth was un-called for. Tapping my phone conversations prior to a demo outside Allington was equally bizarre. The £5.7 million has meant that police services will be cut in Kent. Clearly the climate campers were a dangerous lot - 12 police injuries, four from direct contact with protesters (hardly surprising given the way the police charged the camp), eight from wasp stings, sun stroke and the like. Also in 2008, the Kingsnorth Six got aquitted only to have the government now trying to appeal. Importantly, 2008 was the year that the climate frontier came to Kent and it looks set to stay too.
A highlight was getting published in the Internation Journal of Cuban Studies (a piece on peak oil and health care).
The campaign for ethical investments at KCC scored a victory with their adoption of the UN's Principles of Responsible Investment.
Here's to a busy and exciting 42nd year!
Friday, 19 December 2008
Carfull Maidstone
From Kent News (aka Kent on Sunday): "Maidstone Green Party has handed in a 347-strong signature petition to the council calling for road safety improvements."
Ian's letter was also in the KM as the star letter yesterday and the KM also showed a picture of me handing the petition to the Kent County Council Chair, Peter Lake. Last week I was on KMFM talking about this petition.
Thanks to everyone who supported it and those who came door knocking.
Let's hope the councillors listen!
Ian's letter was also in the KM as the star letter yesterday and the KM also showed a picture of me handing the petition to the Kent County Council Chair, Peter Lake. Last week I was on KMFM talking about this petition.
Thanks to everyone who supported it and those who came door knocking.
Let's hope the councillors listen!
Thursday, 18 December 2008
Residents parking in Maidstone
This is from Ian McDonald to the KM on resident's parking. Please read the entire letter as the end is different to the start!
Sir/Madam
Sir/Madam
I would tend to be one of those supporting the introduction of the charge of £25 as a minimum for residential car parking in Maidstone, including my own street, and charges for Sunday car parking in the town. We cannot cater for the growing car ownership in many older streets, with many addresses having two or three cars, unless we start knocking houses down to make room for parking lots. Also cheap and free car parking in the town centre contributes to worsening congestion and pollution. Furthermore regular shoppers will not "go and shop elsewhere instead," even if they spin these views in the papers and on television for effect. All these indignant protests are made while many of us claim to be "doing our bit" to save the planet, while others are lulled by the temporary fall in oil prices caused by economic recession. Certainly we are going to have to look more closely at our love affair with the car in a couple of years time.
But I say "would" tend to support, if I knew the finance generated was being used to improve the bus services for everyone, and either cut or keep low fares on Park-and-Ride bus services, to encourage more shoppers and workers to travel more environmentally. Or to help pay for useful new railway stations at Tovil/Fant or elsewhere in the borough. But no, far from it; the Conservative Council plans to increase these bus fares, and abolish the London Road service entirely outside the rush hours, while existing Snodland and Larkfield bus passengers are treated to an additional 3-4 minute circuit of the car park at these times!
So yes I agree that they should be examining ways to reduce car dependence and parking anarchy, and make our streets more pleasant to live in, but, no, they should not be using this charge as a cynical way to help with their other revenue shortfalls, or their overspending on the unneccessary fripperies they enjoy so much.
Ian McDonald
(Transport spokesman for Maidstone Green Party)
Solidarity with the Shministim
Please click on this and back their campaign.
http://december18th.org/
Stuart
The Shministim – all about ages 16, 17, 18 and in the 12th grade – are a new breed of conscientious objectors in Israel and right now they are taking a stand. They believe in a better, more peaceful future for themselves and for Israelis and Palestinians, and they are refusing to join the Israeli army. They're in jail, holding strong against immense pressure from family, friends and the Israeli government. They need our support and they need it today.
The Shministim have asked Jewish Voice for Peace to reach out to people like us to let the Israeli government know we are watching, and that we support their courage. They're hoping to receive hundreds of thousands of postcards to be delivered to the Israeli Minister of Defense on December 18th, when they will hold a massive rally and press conference. They're hoping to stand strong on the steps of this majestic building - and on the steps of history - representing not only the thousands of refuseniks who came before them, not only the many young people to whom they are an example of a better world, but also to represent us. They have asked you, me, and every person who strives for peace to be on those steps with them, on that day. I will be there.
http://december18th.org/
Stuart
The Shministim – all about ages 16, 17, 18 and in the 12th grade – are a new breed of conscientious objectors in Israel and right now they are taking a stand. They believe in a better, more peaceful future for themselves and for Israelis and Palestinians, and they are refusing to join the Israeli army. They're in jail, holding strong against immense pressure from family, friends and the Israeli government. They need our support and they need it today.
The Shministim have asked Jewish Voice for Peace to reach out to people like us to let the Israeli government know we are watching, and that we support their courage. They're hoping to receive hundreds of thousands of postcards to be delivered to the Israeli Minister of Defense on December 18th, when they will hold a massive rally and press conference. They're hoping to stand strong on the steps of this majestic building - and on the steps of history - representing not only the thousands of refuseniks who came before them, not only the many young people to whom they are an example of a better world, but also to represent us. They have asked you, me, and every person who strives for peace to be on those steps with them, on that day. I will be there.
Tuesday, 16 December 2008
Letter to KM on Climate Camp
Letter sent to the KM in response to this week's climate camp revalations:
Dear Editor,
Complaints by the Chief Constable and Chair of Kent Police that services will have to be cut after the force over policed the Kingsnorth Climate Camp are hardly surprising. As one of the people who spent two hours waiting to be searched by the massive police presence it seemed to me that the ridiculously large police presence was either grossly misjudged or designed to frustrate a legitimate protest.
The right to peaceful protest is enshrined in law and the camp was extremely peaceful and well organised. The minister for policing has had to apologise for misleading the public after he claimed 70 officers were injured. In fact 12 were injured and only four minor injuries resulted from contact with protesters - the rest were wasp stings and the like.
It is time for the Chief Constable to stand down. He has led his force into the worst demonstration of political policing Kent has seen, and by vastly overspending he has put the people of Kent at unnecessary risk through cuts in services.
Dear Editor,
Complaints by the Chief Constable and Chair of Kent Police that services will have to be cut after the force over policed the Kingsnorth Climate Camp are hardly surprising. As one of the people who spent two hours waiting to be searched by the massive police presence it seemed to me that the ridiculously large police presence was either grossly misjudged or designed to frustrate a legitimate protest.
The right to peaceful protest is enshrined in law and the camp was extremely peaceful and well organised. The minister for policing has had to apologise for misleading the public after he claimed 70 officers were injured. In fact 12 were injured and only four minor injuries resulted from contact with protesters - the rest were wasp stings and the like.
It is time for the Chief Constable to stand down. He has led his force into the worst demonstration of political policing Kent has seen, and by vastly overspending he has put the people of Kent at unnecessary risk through cuts in services.
Sunday, 14 December 2008
For Sale: Used Shopping Centre Maidstone - £50 ovno
Fremlin Walk is being sold by Land Securities. The shopping centre in Maidstone was opened in 2005 having been built over Fremlins and Havock Lane.
It is Maidstone's temple to consumerism with 50 chain stores, selling mostly clothes and has damaged other retail areas in Maidstone, such as Bank St.
I would stump up the fifty quid, but I have no use for a few million tonnes of pointless concrete...
It is Maidstone's temple to consumerism with 50 chain stores, selling mostly clothes and has damaged other retail areas in Maidstone, such as Bank St.
I would stump up the fifty quid, but I have no use for a few million tonnes of pointless concrete...
Mark Thomas in Maidstone
Mark Thomas is coming to Maidstone:
Just reading his book Beltching out the Devil - scary insights into the world of Coke. I've avoided Coke for the last 15 years ever since my late father-in-law showed me how good it was for cleaning metal objects and dissolving teeth. I wouldn't want that stuff in my body.
| When: | 19:30 - Tuesday 28th Apr, '09 |
| Venue: | Maidstone Hazlitt Arts Centre |
| Prices: | £15 (£10 concs) |
| Comics: | Mark Thomas |
Just reading his book Beltching out the Devil - scary insights into the world of Coke. I've avoided Coke for the last 15 years ever since my late father-in-law showed me how good it was for cleaning metal objects and dissolving teeth. I wouldn't want that stuff in my body.
Friday, 12 December 2008
Spot the difference
Spot the difference:
The one on the left is real. More worryingly it is written by David Cameron about our "Broken Society" that needs: "more police spending time in our communities – not arresting MPs just trying to get on with their job. And, yes, we do need tougher punishment, longer sentences and more prison places.". This is follow by some words on supporting families - which clearly welcome, but then he goes on to talk about privatising more schools and how he doesn't understand the benefits trap at all suggesting that people who turn down jobs should lose their benefits.
Most worrying is that this is from someone who grew up in the 1980's under Thatcherism. Obviously Eton shielded him completely from the realities of Thatcher's rule; as someone who also grew up in the 1980's but in the Medway towns, I wasn't shielded at all and know exactly how bad the Tories are for society.
Cameron is clearly signalling that he intends to be hard on people who turn to crime and hard on people who cannot earn enough to live.
The wide gap between rich and poor is a key factor in crime, a gap than needs to be closed through progressive taxation and redistrubitive policies, not tax cuts for rich friends and jail for the poor.
The benefits trap is something that the Tories will never get, I wonder at what point Cameron and Osbourn were forced onto the dole? We need to give everyone a Citizen's Income, an income payable whether we are in work or not. One that won't be reduced when we find a low paid job or a high paid job. One that redistributes income and doesn't leave people unable to work because they would lose income.
Cameron is right about one think, society is broken. Successive governments have seen to that. Instilling consumerism on society, ladening it with debts, screwing the climate, the money and the energy. Society is broken, but Cameron and his cronies are as much to blame for its state as Brown and Blair.
The one on the left is real. More worryingly it is written by David Cameron about our "Broken Society" that needs: "more police spending time in our communities – not arresting MPs just trying to get on with their job. And, yes, we do need tougher punishment, longer sentences and more prison places.". This is follow by some words on supporting families - which clearly welcome, but then he goes on to talk about privatising more schools and how he doesn't understand the benefits trap at all suggesting that people who turn down jobs should lose their benefits.
Most worrying is that this is from someone who grew up in the 1980's under Thatcherism. Obviously Eton shielded him completely from the realities of Thatcher's rule; as someone who also grew up in the 1980's but in the Medway towns, I wasn't shielded at all and know exactly how bad the Tories are for society.
Cameron is clearly signalling that he intends to be hard on people who turn to crime and hard on people who cannot earn enough to live.
The wide gap between rich and poor is a key factor in crime, a gap than needs to be closed through progressive taxation and redistrubitive policies, not tax cuts for rich friends and jail for the poor.
The benefits trap is something that the Tories will never get, I wonder at what point Cameron and Osbourn were forced onto the dole? We need to give everyone a Citizen's Income, an income payable whether we are in work or not. One that won't be reduced when we find a low paid job or a high paid job. One that redistributes income and doesn't leave people unable to work because they would lose income.
Cameron is right about one think, society is broken. Successive governments have seen to that. Instilling consumerism on society, ladening it with debts, screwing the climate, the money and the energy. Society is broken, but Cameron and his cronies are as much to blame for its state as Brown and Blair.
Thursday, 11 December 2008
Road safety petition handed to KCC
This morning I handed the fruits of this Autumn's door knocking to the Chair of Kent County Council, Peter Lake. The petition call for action by KCC to reduce the speed and volume of traffic along four roads in Fant Ward. These roads have no restrictions other than the usual 30mph speed limit, yet are used as a cut through to avoid the Tonbridge Road which is constantly subject to road works. They are Bower Place, Upper Fant Road, Gatland Lane and Glebe Lane.
We knocked on every door of these roads and collected about 350 signatures. As part of the petition we took a poll of ideas that residents would back, from road humps to cameras to a 20mph limit. Everyone wanted something slightly different by there was a great deal of consensus for a 20mph limit. Of course it is not a panacea but it would send a strong message that these roads are residential.
This was all on the back of a bad accident last month in the smallest and narrowest of the roads, Bower Place. The need for action is long standing with a variety of campaigns over the past 20 years. KCC announced in the Autumn that it would be putting some traffic calming in at one end of Gatland Lane, which is very welcome however the rest of the route needs to be addressed. Let us hope that the petition works...
3rd Annual Forum on Responsible Investing
New York is a bit far for me to travel to, especially as I don't fly any more. However the conference below looks interesting if anyone is out that way in January.
3rd Annual Forum on Responsible Investing
Union League Club, New York City
January 12-13, 2009
*** ESG on the Ground: Enhancing Profitability through Sustainable Investing ***
Responsible investing has well and truly infiltrated the mainstream, now showing an estimated $2.71 trillion in total assets under management. Don't get left behind in this huge growth curve.
This annual forum, produced in association with Foundation & Endowment Money Management, Money Management Letter and the Social Investment Forum, continues to grow every year along with the industry itself. Once again we will bring together a unique mix of pension funds, foundations, institutional asset managers, Wall Street firms, fund managers and ESG experts, providing a must-attend educational and networking platform for sharing the latest cutting edge trends and strategies for achieving ESG integration.
New for 2009, the forum has been expanded to two full days including a half-day workshop, offering an even more action-packed program of lively panel discussions, real-world case studies and interactive Q&A sessions.
Download BrochureTuesday, 9 December 2008
Fairtrade in Maidstone
Fingers crossed for our application to get Maidstone 'Fairtrade Borough' status. We sent the second application off today having been turned down last year for not having enough churches and schools on board and not having enough media coverage.
Well, we have just about every school in Maidstone (except the Girl's Gammar which I have written to). Half of the churches are supporting it. We did a picnic with 200 kids in the summer and loads of stalls throughout the year and I spoke about FT at Maidstone's Peace One Day festival which was full of teenagers.
Let's hope we are successful this time round. It does feel that we have done as much as we can.
Well, we have just about every school in Maidstone (except the Girl's Gammar which I have written to). Half of the churches are supporting it. We did a picnic with 200 kids in the summer and loads of stalls throughout the year and I spoke about FT at Maidstone's Peace One Day festival which was full of teenagers.
Let's hope we are successful this time round. It does feel that we have done as much as we can.
Global Index of Human Rights (GloHRI)
Naming and shaming is a vital part of getting improvement in most systems. Given the wealth of information about countries around the world, what could be more obvious than a Global Index of Human Rights. The the 60th anniversary of UDHR here, my friend Richard has launched a campaign to get an index run by the UN.
The report is here and there is good coverage in the Guardian. This is the opening paragraph:
"Sixty years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was drawn up, it is time for the United Nations (UN) to initiate new mechanisms to encourage member states to improve their human rights (HR) record.
"The Green Party of England and Wales is proposing that the UN establish a Global Human Rights Index (GloHRI), which would measure and rank each country according to its conformity with international human rights standards.
"Using an objective points system, GloHRI would measure every country, based on its compliance with a check-list of agreed human rights norms, such as whether or not it has the death penalty, detention without trial, freedom of the media, the right to protest, equal rights for women and minorities and so on."
The report is here and there is good coverage in the Guardian. This is the opening paragraph:
"Sixty years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was drawn up, it is time for the United Nations (UN) to initiate new mechanisms to encourage member states to improve their human rights (HR) record.
"The Green Party of England and Wales is proposing that the UN establish a Global Human Rights Index (GloHRI), which would measure and rank each country according to its conformity with international human rights standards.
"Using an objective points system, GloHRI would measure every country, based on its compliance with a check-list of agreed human rights norms, such as whether or not it has the death penalty, detention without trial, freedom of the media, the right to protest, equal rights for women and minorities and so on."
Monday, 8 December 2008
Stansted and younger people
Climate change has reached a point where every young person should start shouting about the need for urgent radical change. Their future really is in the balance because of older generations. Sadly the need for greed is just as strong as it ever was and capitalism, despite a collapsing economy, is seen as the way forward.
Well done Plane Stupid! I'm sorry about the few people who had real cause to fly this morning, such as the woman who missed her father's funeral but there is so little time left to make a difference that this type of action is completely justified.
Lily's comment says it all: ""We're here because our parents' generation has failed us and its now down to young people to stop climate change by whatever peaceful means we have left. We're afraid of what the police might do to us, we're afraid of going to jail but nothing scares us as much as the threat of runaway climate change. We've thought through the consequences of what we're doing here but we're determined to stop as many tonnes of CO2 as we can."
And this is from the excellent Marc Roberts:
.jpg)
Well done Plane Stupid! I'm sorry about the few people who had real cause to fly this morning, such as the woman who missed her father's funeral but there is so little time left to make a difference that this type of action is completely justified.
Lily's comment says it all: ""We're here because our parents' generation has failed us and its now down to young people to stop climate change by whatever peaceful means we have left. We're afraid of what the police might do to us, we're afraid of going to jail but nothing scares us as much as the threat of runaway climate change. We've thought through the consequences of what we're doing here but we're determined to stop as many tonnes of CO2 as we can."
And this is from the excellent Marc Roberts:
.jpg)
Saturday, 6 December 2008
Guns and Christmas Roses in Rochester
No being a Christian I find Christmas a bit uncomfortable at times (I prefer my religion a bit more pagan / druidic). Christmas is full of hypocrisy, but then so am I. I usually rationalise my approach to Christmas as a festival celebrating the Winter Solstice (which just happens to be my birthday too - I was born a few minutes into the 22nd Dec), that said I adore the Dickensian / Victoriana Christmas.
Kicking off Christmas for me is the Dickens Christmas in Rochester, the highlight of which is the carols outside the cathedral / castle. I have to ignore the fact that the Bishop of Rochester is not a nice chap (unlike one fairly local druid, the Archbishop of Canterbury) and the fact the the brass band that is playing is the BAE Systems band, so that I can enjoy the fake snow machine and people dressed as Victorians.
It is becoming difficult though. I resisted the urge to sing 'Hark the sniper fire rings'
but I don't know if I want to go back again. The hypocrisy of having a band from the 4th largest arms manufacturer in the world playing carols that call for 'peace on earth' is simply disgusting. You don't get peace through making arms.As George Carlin said: "Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity".
Climate talks petition
| | Dear friends, A bold EU climate package is critical to the global climate negotiations. Europe must honour their promise to increase binding, carbon-cutting commitments to at least 30% by 2020 if a global deal is reached; and provide leadership in the United Nations talks to deliver a powerful new global agreement. By simply clicking "yes," you will automatically add your name. Do you support this petition?
|
__________________________
Green Economics in The Times and FT
Samuel Britten in the FT on Thursday described an early paper by Milton Friedman which examined a 'Framework for a stable economy': "budget deficits would be financed entirely by the creation of money by the Fed and surpluses used to retire money. This would best be accomplished by adopting the 100 per cent reserve proposal for banks, “thereby separating the depositary from the lending functions of the banking system”."
The following day John-Paul Flintoff wrote on The Times' blog: "With the news dominated this week by ongoing cash shortages, rising joblessness and the need to protect the benefit system against fraud, I'm wondering if the time has come for a Citizens' Income."
While monetary reform isn't Green Party policy (yet - some of us are quite keen), it is radical and has some great supporters. I remain gobsmacked that Greidman considered it though.
Citizen's income is Green Party policy and is a fantastic idea. Paying every citizen a single income that they can top up with income from work removes the stigma and benefit trap associated with the current system. It is cost neutral to the overall tax burden (the tax that you pay gets repaid as CI - obviously if you are on a higher income you'll lose a bit and on a lower income you'll gain a bit). Pensioners should get more than the basic CI level reflecting the lower chances that they con top up their income with work.
The following day John-Paul Flintoff wrote on The Times' blog: "With the news dominated this week by ongoing cash shortages, rising joblessness and the need to protect the benefit system against fraud, I'm wondering if the time has come for a Citizens' Income."
While monetary reform isn't Green Party policy (yet - some of us are quite keen), it is radical and has some great supporters. I remain gobsmacked that Greidman considered it though.
Citizen's income is Green Party policy and is a fantastic idea. Paying every citizen a single income that they can top up with income from work removes the stigma and benefit trap associated with the current system. It is cost neutral to the overall tax burden (the tax that you pay gets repaid as CI - obviously if you are on a higher income you'll lose a bit and on a lower income you'll gain a bit). Pensioners should get more than the basic CI level reflecting the lower chances that they con top up their income with work.
Friday, 5 December 2008
New sites
Three useful sites that I have found this morning:
1. Stroud Common Wealth and Communiversity: I love the idea of a communiversity! It is similar to the work we have been trying to do in Sustainable Maidstone, but clearly they have made more progress.
2. Stop Climate Change: Site run by the Euro Greens and EFA giving news on the EU discussions on climate change. A bit techy, but interesting to see what other countries are up to.
3. Jonathon Porritt: One of the giants of the green movement, but I have never really got into him. Possibly because he is seen as one of the upper class greens? Nevertheless, a useful blog with some interesting insights. Particularly interesting was his piece on population - always a heated topic.
1. Stroud Common Wealth and Communiversity: I love the idea of a communiversity! It is similar to the work we have been trying to do in Sustainable Maidstone, but clearly they have made more progress.
2. Stop Climate Change: Site run by the Euro Greens and EFA giving news on the EU discussions on climate change. A bit techy, but interesting to see what other countries are up to.
3. Jonathon Porritt: One of the giants of the green movement, but I have never really got into him. Possibly because he is seen as one of the upper class greens? Nevertheless, a useful blog with some interesting insights. Particularly interesting was his piece on population - always a heated topic.
Tuesday, 2 December 2008
Woe is them
More trouble for the beleagured Lib Dems. Nick Clegg has put his foot in it by talking about his colleagues during an internal flight and within earshot of a journalist. He apparently was also talking about a coalition with the Tories, like many I am convinced he is Cameron's twin brother. He even seems to have taken to internal flights - when will he be calling for airport expansion?
They also seem to be in trouble as their biggest donor was convicted of stealing £30m. They really must be made to give the money back. If I was given £2.4 million in stolen cash I would be hounded, impounded and hung out to dry (mind you I don't often get offered more than £2.40).
They also seem to be in trouble as their biggest donor was convicted of stealing £30m. They really must be made to give the money back. If I was given £2.4 million in stolen cash I would be hounded, impounded and hung out to dry (mind you I don't often get offered more than £2.40).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)