F*cking Syria

Great Britain being great

At slaughter for the state

Of economies, mock democracies

Dirty, secret, deal-making cronies

Primed, prepped, erect and shiney

Ejaculating bombs

From on high as almighty

Politicians playing judge and jury

Free reigning letting loose the fury

On titled, named, shamed:

“death cult of woman-hating, muslim-murdering medieval-monsters”

With such precision do they come

Death splatters only the evil ones

No dads, kids, grandmas or mums

Are harmed in the making of this war

This mission? “Cause we can”

This entirely crazy plan

To just keep killing

Till the killing stops

And maybe the energy market’s former drop

Also stops

And coffers fill from trade in

Ill

Gotten arms

And more still from manipulating 

Staging, re-arranging political situations

In these other people’s nations

Getting one and all capitulating

To the call for new trade deals

Oiling the wheels of fighter jets

….primed, prepped, erect

Not in my Name

Sadly re-posting again... to make it clear:

NOT IN MY NAME

Threats never uttered are whispered verbatim,
creating fear of a hypothetical invasion,
as media strings play methodical hype,
orchestrating the public, to conform to type.

Spoon fed with fear on news laden,
heaped with visual connotations,
of danger lurking at our doors,
of certain death for those who ignore,
the hypothesis laid down as fact,
the incessant chitter, incessant chat,
gets us addicted to leader's projection,
junkies now for his brand of protection.

Dependent and needy,
craving, hungry, greedy.
Surrounded by blue teeth grinning barbarity,
sneering, seething images of vulgarity.

So our boys are pushed up to the wire,
shot with propoganda so they will not tire,
of protecting their families at home,
from evil doers looking to dethrone,
the powers that watch over us…
…the nervous dependent populous.

We must be saved from the supposed threat.
We must invade the terrorist nest.
We must kill the alien foe.
We must, we must, we must overthrow.

But first we must trust the source of the truths,
before we feed the war, any more youths.
Before the troops, lose one more brave soul.
Before the powers, reach any more goals.
Before Libya and Syria,
Iran and North Korea,
fall foul of our leaders' dictates of behaviour -
refuse to appreciate us as their savior.

Before we beat them into submission,
maybe we could establish just whose permission,
was granted before we shed so much blood,
before a trickle was blasted into a flood.

Before the next purple-tipped finger is crushed,
we must realise that "we the people" have been hushed,
for too long now, kept in our place,
as fellow humans are easily erased,
by bold leaders brandishing our names,
claiming we desired all of this shame.

Not in my name, not in my name, not in my name.

#UptonBlockade - Will you show up? - 4th December 2015

About this weekend at Upton Community Protection Camp​ with Frack Free Upton (Chester)​ and why we really need this #UptonBlockade on 4 December to happen in as big a way as possible. We are hoping to emulate even a fraction of the success and solidarity of the incredible #BentleyBlockade.

The following is my response to a request for a quote for a Press Release about why we're doing this and what the Direct Action Training we're thinking of having on 5 December indicates:
.....................................................................................

Our communities are being put at risk and we are no longer even able to rely on a fair hearing through our Councillors on planning applications, as Westminster has shown they are willing to make the decisions for us, if ours don't suit them. Preventing unconventional energy companies from riding roughshod over our communities whilst the government cheer-leads for them, is a demanding yet essential task.

We stand now with Upton, Cheshire as this camp defends against iGas plans for coal bed methane (techniques similar to fracking) extraction and intends on evicting the campaigners.

We are standing in defence of our young, because the regulators aren't strong enough to ensure their safety. We cannot and will not stop until the energy companies do - because to do so, would show neglect for our children.

As campaigners, activists, protectors, we have kept this industry at bay for 4 years now. We have used every legal tool our democracy allows us and we succeeded in Lancashire... until the makers of the laws and rules, took the right to decide away from us. Direct Action training is now required as we run out of options.

NONE of us want to act unlawfully but when those making the laws are acting in deceitful and corrupted ways... that remove all other options, then how do we get included in the decision making? How are we heard?

When the lawmakers act unlawfully - it becomes impossible to trust the law... or honour it.
.....................................................................................

Hopefully see you at Upton from the 4th December 2015 for the #UptonBlockade

Duttons Lane, Upton CH2 2PE

Will you show up?​ 

*Inspired by Bentley x

Lancashire Day

The ugly letter that takes decisions from Lancashire and gives them to Westminster... that paves the way for some vile interpretation of creating a 'Northern Powerhouse' operated by bureaucrats on the backs of the people of the North and takes 'localism' to comedic levels!

Today is Lancashire Day and it seems our gift is time off from involvement in decision making in our county - but if this was about windfarms, that would be an entirely different and very local matter!
.........................................................................................................................................................................
From Westminster TO:
Development Management Group
Lancashire County Council
PO Box 100
Evironment Directorate
County Hall
Preston
PR1 0LD

26 November 2015
Dear Development Management Group,
Town and Country Planning Act 1990

Appeals by Cuadrilla Bowland Limited, Cuadrilla Elswick Limited

Site Addresses: around Preston New Road near Little Plumpton, Preston; and around Roseacre and Wharles, Preston, Lancashire .

Although under the Town and Country Planning (Determination of Appeals by Appointed Persons)(Prescribed Classes) Regulations 1997, the appeals were to have been decided by an Inspector, the Secretary of State considers that he should determine them himself.

Accordingly, in exercise of his powers under section 79 and paragraph 3 of Schedule 6 ofthe Town and Country Planning Act 1990, the Secretary of State hereby directs that he shall determine these appeals instead of an Inspector. This means that instead of writing a decision, the Inspector will prepare a report and recommendation, which will be forwarded to the Secretary of State.

The reason for this direction is because the drilling appeals (3134385 and 3134386) involve proposals for exploring and developing shale gas which amount to proposals for development of major importance having more than local significance and proposals which raise important or novel issues of development control, and/or legal difficulties. The monitoring appeals (3130923 and 3130924) are being considered at the same time as the drilling appeals and will be most efficiently and effectively determined by the Secretary of State. These two appeals are therefore being recovered because of the particular circumstances.

This direction is being served on the Inspector, the appellant (or their representative) and the local planning authority.

The guidelines for 'recovering' appeals are to be found in House of Commons Hansard Ministerial Statement of 30 June 2008. We will send you a copy of the appropriate extracts if you ask for them or you can get them from the Planning Practice Guidance http://planningguidance.planningportal.gov.uk/blog/guidance/appeals/planning-appeals-general/

Yours sincerely,
Mark Boulton
Authorised to sign on behalf of the Secretary of State

Where applicable, you can use the internet to submit documents, to see information and to check the progress of cases through the Planning Portal. The address of our search page is - www.planningportal.gov.uk/planning/appeals/online/search

Linked cases: APP/Q2371/W/15/3130924, APP/Q2371/W/15/3134385, APP/Q2371/W

Sorry it didn't work out...

I am genuinely sorry that we could not succeed in stopping this man from taking his safe seat and inflicting all this damage. At no point did the voters hear any of this at the hustings or in the literature - at no point were the methods he would use made clear and now... we see the damage seeping into all parts of society, community, small businesses and families (except perhaps the 1% and those who support them).

But it's not just him is it... what is happening makes a mockery of the term 'Democracy' and is an affront to our intelligence. The words he spun during the election campaign were lies, half-truths, myths and PR BS. Voters were dragged to a world of make-believe where their comfort was indicated - they were assured they were OK and their families were OK and that all that would come, would be for the greater good of this great Britain. Lying b*stard. Through ugly cunning, masses of costly marketing and the support of the right people - George Osborne peddled his tale and conned the people.

I don't agree with all in that Will Hutton says in this article - but agree the pain he sees.

Where do we go from here? 5 years is too long to wait and between now - and then - what more harm will come?

So many 'if onlys' and one big sorry that we weren't big enough to remove him frown emoticon

Nana Bloc: 29 November 2015 London

Gathering ourselves into a mass of Nanas to accompany the many who will be in London on 29 November for:

The People's March for Climate, Justice and Jobs

We propose to meet opposite the The Dorchester Hotel on Park Lane, London - on Hyde Park side... expect we will be very yellow! Please make, buy, borrow an apron/tabard and join us - particularly if this is your first demonstration.

We will be a bloc (a grouping) inside a lovely mass of blocs lol! As we gather, so will campaigners against fracking, campaigners for climate, for renewables, for sustainable jobs, for change. The bloc we are alongside is the Climate Revolution / Time to Act Bloc - 29th Nov 15
but with us too are the following:
- March with Friends of the Earth for Climate, Justice and Jobsi
- Green Bloc @ The People's March for Climate, Justice and Jobs
- Frack Free Bloc @ People's March for Climate, Justice & Jobs - Nov 29

Which in turn is a part of the whole event The People's March for Climate, Justice and Jobs
Sign up: www.PeoplesMarch.org.uk

■ Download your leaflets here: http://bit.ly/1K14SPf
■ Provisional route of London demo: http://bit.ly/1NADUMy
● No to dirty energy!
● Yes to renewables!
● Climate jobs now!
● Justice for people!

#ClimateJusticeJobs #PeoplesMarch

From the main march organisers:
All over the world people are already putting into practice real solutions: public renewable energy, green infrastructure, millions of new, unionised clean jobs. But it needs to happen faster, at scale and with people at its centre.

With such solutions already in flow, we can leave the age of fossil fuels behind. Some choices we can each make on our own. But some, we as a society must make together.

Hope is with people who are already way ahead of those governments who lack the political will to act, and ahead of those corporate interests who are blocking the changes we need.

Together, we are more powerful than they could possibly imagine.

Whatever happens in Paris, we can, and we will, build the future from here.

A more just, more equitable and better world for us all.

Organisations supporting the demonstration include:

350.org, 38 Degrees, Action Aid, Avaaz, Bond, Campaign Against Climate Change, Centre for Sustainable Fashion, Climate Change Centre Reading, Climate Revolution, Friends of the Earth, Global Justice Now, Greenpeace, Left Unity, MADE, National Union of Students, Oil Vay, PCS, People’s Assembly Against Austerity, People and Planet, Reclaim The Power, Stop the War Coalition, Student Assembly Against Austerity, This Changes Everything, Time to Act, Trades Union Congress (TUC), UNISON, UK Youth Climate Coalition, UK Nanas

Please remember to join the event page itself.
https://www.facebook.com/events/516078015212179

Who's the Nana?

Nana Update after much interest in becoming 'Nanas' from all over:
................................................................................................
UK Nanas have been journeying around the country, supporting local anti-fracking/unconventional energy groups... and at many of the venues, we have been meeting more and more 'Nanas'. Men and women who have decided that this is a way of campaigning/activism that works for them. We have been delighted to find that each is - by sheer nature of the name and outfit - very Nana-like and purposeful...

Initially, some of us fretted a little over how to sort the surge of interest in becoming Nanas; was there a need for a behaviour checklist or rules? Constitutions were mentioned, concerns over how it could all go wrong etc. Reality is, we cannot control something as lovely as people choosing to make or enrich their involvement in campaigning/activism - by being part of a 'Nana' thing. Those of us who were inspired to get involved first... were simply the start of something that is anybody's - and not our place to say who can or can't do anything.

THEREFORE:
...if anyone would like to be a NANA.. be it :)
Simply purchase or make a tabard/apron (many use YELLOW with BLACK to represent anti-fracking - but choice is yours) and act accordingly - with others in pairs, in groups or by starting a local group.

The word NANA makes it clear that the purpose is "care for our young and generations to come..." and that the rules are simply, what a perceived NANA would have ie:
-protect without violence, use every legal tool FIRST
-set an example
-consider what is self-defence and what is lawful - and choose using good conscience and a 'Nana ethic'

We describe ourselves as Nanas with the following text that is useful as an overview - please feel free to use this description if it works for your group:

Our 'Nana' status is not so much biological... more about a state of mind. We have young male and female Nanas who don't have children and all sorts. We wanted to protect our communities from the harmful effects that industries like fracking and other unconventional techniques would bring
...and we needed the media to stop categorising and labelling us as being: 'eco activists' or 'climate campaigners' etc. We are caring human beings first and foremost - we are informed and we do this because we are OBLIGED to future generations; to ensure they can rely on fresh air and clean water.

We ARE unstoppable, not because we're tough or riotous or expert - but because we are not CHOOSING activism, we are obligated to do this. How can any of us say it's ok to let dangerous industries go ahead - that the risks don't count anymore - that generations to come don't matter enough? That would be negligent and impossible.
For us... every exit door has an image of the struggles we will leave for the next generations on it and we can't get out, till we fulfill our obligation to the children to come.

The Nanashire​ PAGE is for Nanas and their supporters anywhere to keep up with what UK Nanas are up to... and Nanashire the Group​ is for those who identify as Nanas, to join and share.

We look forward to a wave of  tabards/aprons and Nana spirit across our green and pleasant lands <3 p="">