2013 THE YEAR SO FAR

As the first five months of 2013 will come to an end today I thought that I would write a review of the year so far.

Firstly my initial optimism regarding this year has I am afraid to say now dissipated. High hopes that the 21/12/2012 day would lead to an energy shift in mankind have so far been proved to be false. It seems that we are still in the same old nasty world as in 2012.In fact in both Britain and the world I feel that the mood is increasingly nasty and ugly.

Wars and sectarian killings in Syria, Iraq, Burma and many other countries. Evil power play moves being carried out by Britain, America and other great powers. I personally feel that the situation in Syria could lead to a clash between the great world powers.

Here in Britain the anger that quite correctly existed against the bankers and the global elite has somehow been turned instead to anger against the poor, the unemployed and the people on welfare benefits. God knows how Britains ruling class have been able to perform this change of opinion as there are hardly any decent paid jobs in this country for the working class anymore. It is probably down to the global elites control of the media.

As for myself my old chronic health problems still persist as do the old problems in my life. So the question that must be asked is what can we as individuals do in this cruel heartless world. Firstly I would suggest as my heroe Eckhart Tolle does that we concentrate on the exact moment in time right now. Secondly meditate so as to relax and improve concentration.

However we must also get active in the social dimension. Get involved in the fight for social change and the fight against corporate rule and imperialist wars. However remember that the fight for social change is a long battle it will take many years of hard work. Also try and get involved in voluntary work if you have the time.

In conclusion 2013 has been a very difficult year for many people so far. However we must not give up we must keep on fighting. Lets us hope that somehow the second half of the years turns out better for us all.

Advertisement

SOCIALIST CAMPAIGN NEEDED FOR BRITISH WITHDRAWAL FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION

With the right wing neo liberal, pro corporate rule, United Kingdom Independence Party riding high in the opinion polls with their correct policy of British withdrawal from the European Union. Its was I  must say a great relief to read an article in the Guardian newspaper by the RMT trade union leader Bob Crow calling for a socialist campaign for British withdrawal from the European Union.

Now of course the leadership of the British Labour Party are strongly  pro British membership of the EU. However the Labour Party stopped being socialist many years ago and is totally committed to neo liberalism.

However genuine socialists have in my opinion no alternative but to campaign for Britains  withdrawal from the EU. It would be a disaster if the campaign for Britains  withdrawal from the Eu was left to UKIP and the right wing of the Conservative Party.

Let us make it clear the EU is a bankers technocratic dictatorship which has led to countries which are part of the Euro having their countries policies and economy run by the European Central bank. This has led to mass unemployment,austerity and privatization. So  countries in the eurozone are in fact no longer democracies their parliaments just carry out the dictates of the ECB.

Now you might say that the socialist international supports the EU and the euro. However this is a corporate fascist organization which is committed to neo liberalism and privatization and includes the Dutch finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem a member of the Netherlands Labour Party who is in favour of stealing money from working class Cypriot peoples bank accounts to pay off bankers debts.

So it is absolutely essential that we  build  a socialist campaign for Britians  withdrawal from the EU. The most important part of this campaign is that we put forward a united socialist slate of candidates for the European parliamentary elections in June 2014 calling for Britains withdrawal from the EU and at the same time putting forward a socialist programme.

So let us hope the the Socialist Labour Party, Left Unity and the Trade Union Socialist Coalition can get together and put forward a united socialist slate of candidate for the European parliamentary elections next year.

A CRITIC OF JOSEPH STIGLITZ BOOK, THE PRICE OF INEQUALITY.

Recently I read Joseph Stiglitz book The price of inequality. He is one of the worlds top economists. From 1995 to 1997 he was President of the council of economic advisors under President Bill Clinton. He has in the past been the chief economist of the world bank.

In his book Stiglitz correctly explains how the neo liberal, globalist political offensive since 1980 has been used to attack the standard of life of the worlds poor and working class. Howeverin my opinion he draws the wrong political conclusions of how to fight back against the right wing neo liberal attack.

Stiglitz is a mainstream supporter of the American Democractic party and so basically accepts the corporate system he just wants it made more human.This is part of the problem with Stiglitz analysis. He is also hostile to socialism.

Stigliz does put forward some good ideas to fight inequality. Such as free healthcare in the USA. Also much lower student tuition fees. However where I feel he is found wanting is in his plans for the economy. He take the traditional American view  that the monopoly enterprises should be broken up and the competition should be guaranteed by law so that  free market competion can be be allowed to operate in the economy.

Stiglitz cannot understand the it is the natural economic process of capitalism for companies to swallow up their rivals and so often establish monopolies in particular industries. As I have said earlier in this blog Stiglitz is hostile to socialism. For instance in relation to Venezuela he refers to the people of Venezuela electing Hugo Chavez as president as electing someone’ like him’ So stating Hugo Chavez election in a hostile manner.

Also what Stiglitz does not understand is that their is no chance of the American congress adopting even the reforms that he advocates. America is now a corporate fascist dictatorship. Virtually every member of congress both Democrat and Republican receives massive donations from big business and so they will do whatever their big business controllers tell them to do.

What is really needed in both the USA and the  rest of the world is a new political movement to fight the coroprate neo liberal world dictatorship and then to build a new world economy based on social justice and peoples control of the economy. However unfortunately Stiglitz who is a mainstream supporter of the pro war pro corporate fascist American Democratic party does not recognise this. So alas his policies to fight inequality will always be found wanting.

TIME FOR CHRISTIANS TO GET RID OF THE OLD TESTAMENT?

In this blog I will the view the view that christians should drop the old testament and base the Christian teachings  instead only on the new testament alone..

Myself I have always thought that the god of the old testament has a very different message from Jesus message in the new testament. I would totally agree with the first century christian heretic Marcion in this respect.

For instance  god ordering Abraham to offer his son Issac as a sacrifice. Also the story of the Israelites  march to the promised land where they encounter the Midianites. God orders the Israelites to kill the Midianites males, kill their livestock and take their women and children prisoner.

The old testament is full of stories of rape mass murder of women and children.They to say the least present an image of a not very nice god.

Now I am personally very uncomfortable with these stories.The message in the old testament seems totally different from Jesus message in the new testament.It portrays a totally different god in the new testament from that of the old testament.

The new testament is based on opposition to authority, anti  war and social justice. Also an emphasis on helping people in need and poverty and mercy for the wrong doer.

So I take the opinion that Christians should stop  reading the old testament and instead base the Christian religion on Jesus teachings in the new testament alone.

UKIP SUCCESS IN LOCAL COUNCIL ELECTIONS 2/5/2013.

The UKIP success in the local council elections on 2/5/2013 is clearly and event of significant importance and I personally do not feel that it is just a flash in the pan. So we must analyse the reasons for the UKIP succcess in the elections.

Firstly on one key issue UKIP,S policy is correct. They are right to call for Britain to withdraw from the European Union. The EU is behaving like an unelected central dictatorship which dictates the neo liberal pro banker policies to the governments of countries like Spain, Greece and Ireland. These counctries can no longer be considered democracies as they just rubber stamp the dictates of the EU commission.

However this is where my agreement with UKIP ends. As UKIP supports the same neo liberal policies privatization pro banker policies as the EU dictatorship. Nigel Farage supports a flat rate tax, privatization of almost all public services. He himself is a former banker and public school boy.

Also although he correctly calls for Britain to withdraw from the  EU he is in favour of British  imperialism intervening in other countries. He supported the war with Iraq and will probably support a war with Iran which may well lead to world war three. Also he supports Israels ethnic cleansing of Palestine.

A key reason for the growth of UKIP is that the Labour Party supports neo liberalism as so nearly all of the political parties of the socialist international.

The way that UKIP can be defeated is by firstly forming a new socialist party in this country. Secondly adopting a policy of withdrawing from the EU on socialist grounds,  thirdly a programme of widespread public ownership  and finally a massive programme of social housing and flat building.