Ko-fi

Friday 27 February 2009

Mugged & Mute...

Watching the news is like witnessing a mugging and being unable to shout for help.

It is astounding that we are fed statement after statement about how our taxes will be used to save the banks - the banks say they will only start behaving like banks if they get the money ... not 'like' extortion, this IS extortion.

The figures of millions and billions and trillions just roll off the tongues of the politicians and bankers with such ease - as we and the next generations go into debt to ensure their pensions and bonuses.

We should have elected governments of philosophers - politicians are not equipped for the job.

Sunday 15 February 2009

WHAT IF...

http://cspanjunkie.org/February 12, 2009 C-SPAN

read more | digg story

Fascinating to see a politician saying so much that I feel.

Thursday 12 February 2009

'isms

The video the title links to is narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, with music by Moby and it draws attention the stark realities of the ways of life we live alongside. Regardless of whether we look, regardless of whether we turn away - there are professions and people fulfilling them, that are beyond comprehension.

Our demands as consumers are usually blamed for these things - so as consumers, we need to know what it is we are responsible for. Blindly purchasing cannot be an option. We essentially pay others to commit atrosities on our behalf.

Earthlings is not easy to watch - but impossible to ignore.
.............................................
"OF ALL THE FILMS I HAVE EVER MADE, THIS IS THE ONETHAT GETS PEOPLE TALKING THE MOST. FOR EVERY ONE PERSON WHO SEES EARTHLINGS,THEY WILL TELL THREE." -Joaquin Phoenix, actor/narrator

"EARTHLINGS MAY BE THE MOST POWERFUL FILMEXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER KNOWN!"-Brent Emery, Senior VP, Maverick Films

"WATCHING EARTHLINGS IS THE GREATEST GIFTI HAVE EVER RECEIVED.
I CANNOT BELIEVE HOW IGNORANT I HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST."
-Bryce Dallas Howard, actress

"IT IS A RARE EXPERIENCE TO BE CHANGED BY A FILM. EARTHLINGS HAS THAT POWER."-Persia White, actress/activist

"THE MOST POWERFUL MOVIE I HAVE EVER KNOWN."-Robert Cohen, NotMilk.com

"THE CITIZEN KANE OF DOCUMENTARY FILMS."-Linda Blair, actress/activist

"A REAL TESTAMENT TO THE QUALITY OF A FILM.EARTHLINGS IS AMAZING!"-Professor Cristina Gibson, UC Irvine

"ONE OF THE MOST PERSUASIVE MOTION PICTURES EVER MADE!"-Ron Lipshultz, director
Green Reel Film Festival

"VIEWERS WILL NEVER BE THE SAME."-Carly Harrill, 944 Magazine

Thursday 5 February 2009

Childish politics

Just reading about Nick Clegg asking Gordon Brown to close the loopholes that allow the wealthiest to avoid taxes...

Brown's answer included putting the ball in some other country's court whilst waiting for international law to come into play (does he have to wait for everyone else in the world? Can't we ever act AS a country FOR our country?) - plus the fun last-line-dig (like children do) saying that a past donor to the LibDems was a tax evader and he never paid up.

I could weep at the pettiness and small mindedness of those that we let run our way of life - how can this last foolish comment have ANY bearing on the loopholes that he is well aware of, that allow ridiculous amounts (estimated £14 billion in corporation tax alone) to go unclaimed and make a mockery of any idea of fair play?.

A good line from the LibDems though "Instead of going on about British jobs for British workers, is it not time that he went on about British taxes for British companies?"

Bothered with elections...

What bothers me a great deal is that we are constantly offered a choice of two political parties - never are we given the hope that if we all voted with our desire (rather than to get one bad party out to be replaced by a slightly less bad party), then we could get a complete change of the appalling status quo that has yet to work well for the people of this country.


When I wonder how government comes to the decisions it does - I look at how independent or alternative political parties would have handled the same situations and find that EVERY TIME, they have better solutions.


I will vote Liberal Democrat because they have policies I agree with and I am sick of hearing that it is a wasted vote... because it shouldn't be.

Back to the Philosophical Basis

  Thank you to Ecosocialist Alliance for publishing my piece in time for last week's Green Party of England & Wales, Spring confere...