Strike- see through the eyes of a child!

 Today is the dayof the strike and firstly I wish to show my support for those brave people that ar striking in order for their anger to be heard. As mentioned in my previous post- http://anthillel.wordpress.com/2011/06/28/strike-i-support-the-right-of-those-to-speak-out/ , I fully support the teachers and others on strike today, and I feeutterly disappointed that Ed decided to actually condemn them.

On Labourlist- http://www.labourlist.org/to-strike-or-not-to-strike , a good twitter friend of mine @suey2y recounts a conversation she had with her child about the strikes and him wanting to wear a homemade J30 badge in order to show that “teachers are important too. “

She comes to the conclusion that  our children shame us with their simplicity,” and perhaps “it wouldn’t do any harm to remind teachers that even a child of 6 can see that their situation is unfair and is willing to take one tiny step to support them.” I completely agree with this sentiment and have written the following poem in order to express my thoughts.

 

Through the eyes of  a child

Through the eyes of a child I can see,

Right and wrong,

Good and bad,

I can see so clearly.

Through the bullshit,

Through the fog,

Through the lies of false dialogue,

I see so clearly.

Why should we, why don’t they,

Why do these bad guys never pay?

If you want to see past the walls we build,

See past the bullshit,

Be a misfit, let your mind run wild,

See clearly, see through the eyes of a child!

 

Strike- I support the right of those to speak out

Things are heating up this week. Not just the lovely weather, I’m talking about a heatwave of anger that has settled. On the streets of Athens, the very home of democracy, the demos has indeed spoken where a 48-hour general strike is being held against a parliamentary vote on tough austerity measures, with thousands of protesters gathered outside parliament in the capital where public transport ground to a halt.

Back here in old Britannia, a similar heatwave of discontent has arrived as teachers’ unions in England and Wales which voted for strike action to protect their pensions have confirmed a co-ordinated walk-out on 30 June.

To the annoyance and dismay of many on twitter, Ed Miliband posted a blog  http://edmiliband.org/2011/06/28/my-blog-on-the-planned-pension-strikes/ ,opening with the following lines

“Strikes are a sign of failure. They are a sign of failure on both sides and Thursday’s industrial action is a mistake.”

Another line which has caused annoyance is this- “When Labour was in office we had tough negotiations limiting the taxpayers’ liability for the rising cost of public sector pensions,” – one second Ed, public sector workers ARE taxpayers, my dad’s wages are proof enough of this, so why create such a division?

I must confess, I am disappointed in Ed’s condemnation of the strikes here. These people, who provide an EXEMPLARY service to this nation are being treated with utter contempt by this government rather than with the respect that they deserve. They have the right and responsiblity to protect the pensions that will reward them for this long service and when negotiation fails, like it has done in this case, they have no other recourse than to withdraw their labour in protest.

Ed, our party and the unions are in a symbotic relationship, our party was founded with the spirit of making people’s lives better and our history as a nation is littered with strikes suck as the Jarrow March, the suffragettes and the poll tax protestors, who spoke out agianst unfairness. I for one fully support the teachers who are stiking in order to fight against this unfair and unjust government. I support all those willing to speak out, those content not to whisper, but to shout.

To all those willing to speak out,

For a fair reward for those who serve,

While others stay silent or whisper in fear,

I praise those not afraid to scream and shout.

Whose passion for fairness burns,

In the heat, for justice the worker yearns,

A just reward, for respect, the worker yearns.

My spirit is with you with the bravery to speak out,

You who will down tools to scream and shout!

 

Finding My Voice

FINDING MY VOICE

FINDING MY VOICE- poetic resistance
 
As long as there has been politics, there have been creative attempts to satirise it. The creative arts have been mustered in the war of words that is political debate from the dawn of democracy in 5th century Athens with Aristophanes being a major example. In an age where many have repeatedly stated is plagued by political apathy, is there room for such creative satire?

Well to answer that question, I would have to first combat the suggestion of a politically apathetic age. As the massive surge of membership to the Labour Party has shown, many people have regained the courage or the passion to stand up for what they believe in and to oppose a government that is launching the deepest attack on the welfare state in a generation. And as the images of the student protests and the thousands who joined the March for the Alternative have showed, a wide section of society feel betrayed, aggrieved and are ready to vent their anger.
 
For the past year, I have been one of the many who have joined the Labour Party in order to join a fight against the cuts being dished out by the government that seems to care more about figures on a balance sheet than the people on the street. As part of this journey, I have started to write political poetry of my own , to show my feelings about the government’s actions and to also to give voice to those who I know who feel betrayed by those in Number 10. Many on twitter seem to like my artistic approach as they feel it gives voice to similar views they may hold, some like the extreme passion with which I write and some think it can get too passionate. I make no apology for the passion that is contained in them as I believe these are passionate times and as such the time for airing your views is very much upon us.

Finally I collected them altogether in an ebook called FINDING MY VOICE as literally over the past year, I have found my voice and I feel bold enough to speak out-

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Finding-My-Voice-ebook/dp/B0056GXBDQ/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1
 
Here is an example of one of the poems contained within:
 
The bells of old Big Ben
 
The deceiver concocts his mysterious schemes to the bells of old Big Ben,
Bereft of free will, he crawls on his knees to the lord of number 10.
You can cover the cut with a bandage,
You can drug us to numb all the pain,
Yet the scar will remain from the cuts that you make with your lord in number 10.
Our goal to expose your traitorous words, to the bells of old BIG BEN
 
Political poetry serves a purpose as it is a good mechanism for displaying political messages or even facts in a colourful and memorable way. For instance, how many of you remember the words of a manifesto (ok, I guess you remember the Lib-Dem’s commitment to cut tuition fees), yet you probably remember the words “War is over if you want it,” from the John Lennon song Happy Christmas, a protest against the Vietnam War. Aristophanes used his plays to expose the corruption of the Athenian political system; in one play exposing the cities of the Athenian led Delian League as “as slaves grinding at a mill.” Political poetry is an ancient art, but one in my opinion that still has life left in it, especially in these times where the acts of governments are giving reasons to speak out and as we have seen with protests across the Arab world, many are prepared to die in order to resist. I challenge you to try it, I challenge you to find your voice as I have. You may just like it.

Austerity undermined?

Sorry for my lengthy absense, the reason for it was the creation and publishing of my debut collection of poems “Finding My Voice” which is now available as an e-book on Amazon.co.uk- http://www.amazon.co.uk/Finding-My-Voice-ebook/dp/B0056GXBDQ/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1 

Today, the unthinkable has happened- A TORY HAS SLAMMED OSBORNE’S AUSTERITY MEASURES!  The New Statesman today reported how the London Mayor Boris Johnson stated in his Telegraph column that

“The trouble is that the Greek austerity measures are making the economy worse.”

Johnson’s point echoes what critics of “Plan A” have said ever since the austerity measures were introduced by the Coalition government, and in particular echoes what Ed Balls argued in his LSE speech, that austerity measures adopted by Ireland, Portugal and Greece have exacerbated, rather than diminished, their economic problems,

“[W]hat they [Portugal], Ireland and Greece have all discovered – just like Argentina, Brazil and Turkey before them – is that it doesn’t matter how much they cut spending or how much they raise taxes; if they can’t create jobs and growth, their debt and deficit problems get even worse and market confidence falls further still.”

To me, it would seem logical that in order to stimulate growth, you have to create jobs. Austerity cuts just,excuse the pun, aren’t cutting the mustard. In Britain, the economy, which grew by 1.8 per cent over Q2 and Q3 2010, has not grown for the last six months. Thus it’s obvious that the cuts aren’t working.

Creating jobs doing what, you may ask? Well I have 3 words for you as a suggestion- BUILDING SOCIAL HOUSING. The housing charity Shelter stated that England is facing a housing crisis where “over 1.7 million households are currently waiting for social housing.” Thus wouldnt the construction of more social hosuing solve both a housing crisis and thus also create more jobs?

The fact that Johnson has publically attacked austerity measures in the light of events in Greece should give Osborne even more reason to look again at this. Let the home of democracy teach you another lesson apart from listening to the voice of the demos, austerity doesnt work!

DEMOS 

In Athens, the demos speaks,

Against austerity, against the axe,

 In the Acropolis’ shadow the people speak.

Take heed,

Take heed to the voice from the place of democracy’s birth,

You who take up the axe to cut with mirth.

You cut down the shoots whilst they delicately grow.

Take head of the iceburg lying ahead,

The demos speaks, not sheep to be led!

Bish bash bosh! Rowan Williams speaks out!

Released today in the New Statesman, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams  has attacked the coalition government, warning that it is committing the country to “radical, long-term policies for which no one voted.”  With specific reference to the government’s health and education reforms, Williams says that the government’s approach has created “bafflement and indignation” among the public.

In the article- http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2011/06/long-term-government-democracy he also criticises the use of “seductive language of “deserving” and “undeserving” poor”,  and ”the steady pressure to increase what look like punitive responses to alleged abuses of the system.”

Then again speaking  out against perceived injustice in Christianity isn’t new, starting with the founder Jesus, and more recently Archbishop Runcie’s attack on the Thatcher government  in 1985′s  Faith In The City.  To those who criticise Williams today, I feel he has every right to speak out and speak up for those who are suffering under coalition policies.  With this he is not pontificating, not forcing religion down people’s throats but using his influence to speak up for those who who may not be able to and most importantly to start a debate. He also isnt partisan, with constructive criticism as well for Labour, stating that “equally, the task of opposition is not to collude in it, either, but to define some achievable alternatives. And, for that to happen, we need sharp-edged statements of where the disagreements lie.” So interfering in politics he isn’t, just airing people’s grievances and suggestions for a better future. He is free to do this and whether you listen or not is your own decision.

Yet can we really condemn a good samaritan who rather than walking on by, he tries to help?

In His footsteps, he speaks out,

Against notions of deserving and undeserving poor,

Against those who have no compassion for their fellow man,

In His footsteps he speaks out,

Not afraid of the tongues lash,

Not afraid of the mockery,

For those who cannot speak,

For empowerment, for hope,

As He in the dust of Judea did so long ago,

For a ‘green and pleasant land’

In His footsteps, he speaks out!

Refounding Labour-

What is the aim of Refounding Labour?  ”Our task is nothing less than the refoundation of the Labour Party: The People’s party.” – Ed Miliband.

Bold words, an impressive task to be sure, but  the question is can it live up to this. I think it can. Over the past few days, many of the people I know from twitter have submitted their views on labour ranging from membership fees, to greater involvement in the party, to toher such diverse topics. I decided this morning to submit something of my very own to the site:

Love: What I love about Labour…
I love what we stand for, fairness and equality, which has produced legislation for civil partnerships and our commitment for fairness personified by the creation of the NHS. Also I love the friendliness of quite a lot in our party and uniting to campaign in common cause.

Change: What I want to change about Labour…
I would first of all suggest that we need more opportunities for members to have a say in the party, possibly one every year just to make members feel as if they are involved. I would also tax the bankers bonuses more as it’s obscene that the rest of the country is suffering while they still get massive bonuses. With bills rising ever higher, I believe we should try to control this, or raise wages in order for everyone to have a decent standard of living. We need to be proud of our values and be ready to stand for them!

I don’t mean to seem dull when I say this, but I actually enjoyed doing that, as I really felt that I contributed to the debate. The fact that it was displayed on their website seemed to suggest to me that my views DID matter. There have been many sceptics, those who think no-one will take notice of these suggestions, to those who see it as navel-gazing and a cover for no policies. They miss the point. Many felt disallusioned by the party’s failure and unwillingness to listen and “refounding labour” seeks to reach out and hear people’s views. I think this is a welcome development which I suggest should be repeated each year as a follow up exercise. A movement is only as strong as its members and I felt energised by doing this. To all the sceptics, I challenge you to submit something. Try it, you may end up liking it!

Refounding Labour website- http://www.refoundinglabour.org/

Manchester- we demand respect for our city!

This morning after seeing what I thought was a deeply stereotypical and offensive article on the Guardian’s website today- http://m.guardian.co.uk/culture/2011/may/28/tribes-of-manchester?cat=culture&type=article , I feel I need to put the facts straight and give you the truth about my fair city.

“Dressed head-to-toe in Reebok or Nike, tracksuit bottoms tucked into socks, the shaven-headed, perma-scowling scally is an object of much fear and/or derision in Manchester. You may laugh. You may sneer. But the scally “look” is an indigenous north-west street style.” -Look around Manchester as I do many times and there are few that actually do dress like that. With the Arndale centre being the UK’s largest inner city shopping centre, we have many places where we can purchase our style thank you.

Manchester has a cultural legacy as being a centre of music, with the likes of Oasis hailing from our fair city, and key historical significance as being a centre of cotton production earning it the name Cottonopolis. Manchester also has been at the forefront for calling for greater political recognition, one such riot ended with the Peterloo Massacre of 16 August 1819. Manchester has a notable place in the history of Marxism and left-wing politics; being the subject of Friedrich Engels‘ work The Condition of the Working Class in England in 1844; and a place where both Engels and Marx both met to think.  The first Trades Union Congress was held in Manchester, from 2 to 6 June 1868. Manchester was also an important cradle of the Labour Party and the Suffragette Movement with the Pankhursts dwelling here. This theme of left wing outlook can be seen at the council elections this year, when Manchester voted out Lib Dem councillors in order to secure the city for Labour (Ed et al, are you interested now), truly showing the government that we oppose their policies.

Most of all despite this impressiveness, what I love most about my city is the people for the most part who I have encountered are amongst the most friendly people.  Many of my friends from London have remarked about how strange it is that we say thank you to bus drivers for instance, something that comes second nature to us. We know we have rough spots as a result of 80′s deprivation, yet I ask you, what other cities do not have such rough parts? After the bombing of 1996, Manchester has turned itself around with massive regeneration and who can forget the commonwealth games in 2002, where we put on a show.

What I’m saying here is that we deserve respect for what we are as a city, not crude stereotypes from a newspaper that used to actually be named “the manchester guardian”. We have offered much to the nations story and we can continue to offer much more in the future.

In pouring rain, I walk the streets of my Manchester,

The city of King Cotton,

Grand buildings, the criss crossing canals bear witness to his distant reign,

Distant, yet not forgotten.

The city of Marx, Engels, Pankhurst, of Peterloo,

Of the dream of a world much fairer,

No matter the cost, we raise our voice unafraid, unafraid of the tryant’s sabre.

I walk the streets of my city,

Buildings of gothic stone and modern steel stand side by side,

In the hallowed stands of the Theatre of Dreams, proudly my heart pounds, a beat I cannot hide.

To a city where the blood of culture and history run through its veins,

A rainsoaked rival to Paris or Rome,

I raise a glass to Manchester, my cradle, my home.