Documentary watching April 4, 2008
Posted by Luke in Anarchism, History, Politics.2 comments
I haven’t written anything political on this page in a very long time. And I’m not really going to now… but I just watched a fantastic documentary that @ndy at slackbastard posted called “Breaking the Spell.” It’s an independently filmed documentary on the WTO protests in Seattle way back when in 1999. It’s apparently distributed by the Crimethinc Network (who can be found at http://www.crimethinc.net) in their Guerrilla film series.
Watch this documentary. In the words of Me’shel Ndege’Ocello “if you put property rights ahead of human rights, you’re tampering with nature.”*
*Note: These may not actually be her words but they are from a track on her CD: “Cookie: An Anthropological Mixtape.” Anyway, watch this documentary.
Sometimes I think this is why I’m leaving this country… May 23, 2007
Posted by Luke in History, Opinion, Politics, Spain.2 comments
@ndy at slackbastard quotes this news from the SMH today.
“Demonstrators and anyone under suspicion can be arrested and held without bail under unprecedented police powers being brought in for the APEC summit in Sydney… Tough APEC security legislation being drawn up by NSW cabinet this week will include the suspension of normal bail provisions, new powers to do random searches and ban “prohibited” people from restricted zones. [NSW Police Minister David] Campbell said if police arrested anyone who did not obey orders to disperse or leave an area, they could be held in jail until APEC was over. Demonstrators will be kept well away from the world leaders during the summit from September 7 to 9 in order to avoid any “embarrassment” to VIPs. Known troublemakers will be refused entry to the city restricted zone. ~ Crackdown on ‘nasty’ summit protesters, Sydney Morning Herald, May 20, 2007
My initial reaction to this is pretty null. It is utter lack of surprise, albeit with some degree of disbelief that the illusion of democracy is now going so far as to restrict the movements of its populace, to extinguish the capacity for people to dissent. There are so many issues with this attempt at state control – so many that Australians should be violently angry. Who determines who these “known troublemakers” are? Are these ‘trouble makers’ anyone with a dissenting opinion? Is it the “Arterial Bloc” (and yes, newspapers of the world, it’s bloc with a ‘c’ not with a ‘ck’ ! Do your research!)? Is it the Democratic Socialist Party? Is it the peace loving hippies or the uninformed high school students who are just along for a ride? Is it the Chaser? Is it those ‘nasty’ anarchists in their masks, preaching ideas that most people won’t even listen to – let alone consider?
My very own, righteously elected, Acting Premier K.Fol, kicked his feet into our very own ‘terrorist’ David Hicks this week, throwing him into a maximum security prison, where he’ll be in basically 24/7 isolation for the duration of his farcical 9 month sentence. (Note to the PM: when is the election gonna be?) I’m going to go out on a limb here and say I don’t really understand what Hicks has done wrong. What, he fought against our country? So what? Isn’t that his own ethical decision? When we live in a world of private militaries, should it matter if someone decides they want to fight for their religion? If afghanistan had been a christian paradise and the US (and Australia for that matter) an islamic society, how many Australian christians would want to fight against their country then? Should we not encourage children to stand for their beliefs?
In 1936, 40,000 foreigners went to Spain and fought for a Republic they did not live in, did not speak the language of to fight a war their countries did not support. Germans, French, Italians, Australians, Americans, Brits etc all joined forces under the International Brigades and fought…. illegally – Some could never return to their countries, some died. But they fought for freedom and lost. Do we remember them as terrorists?
What was the point of this post? A rant. Maybe I want to see if I get some crazy comments. I doubt it.
My $2 worth: I don’t like the way this country is heading. I think it’s time to get out – like rats from a ship – so I can assess the situation from a distance. I’m hoping many more of ‘mi amigos’ decide to do the same. Then maybe we can return to wrestle control of the supposed ‘lucky’ country from bigots, liars, corporations and conservative news services.
Out.
Ignore the previous posts… May 1, 2007
Posted by Luke in Adelaide, Anarchism, Canterbury TEFL, History, Politics, Spain, Teaching English.add a comment
First post… what to write? Hmm… if anyone reads this, what would they want to know? okay… i lie… this is the seventh post. I just backdated it. It’s now the first. The details I talk about after this post I did not know at the time of writing those posts but at the time of writing this post I did. Comprehend? I don’t.
Okay…. I don’t read blogs a lot. I mean, I read some regularly, some occasionally, but I wouldn’t say I’m a blog fiend or anything. I like the idea though.
So.
Hmmm…
Me? You ask. Well, I’m 24. I’m male. Currently, my town/city of residence is, as we like to call it in the locale, A-Town or Radelaide. But not for much longer. On the 19th of September, I’m moving to Madrid. That’s right, Madrid, Spain. It’s a little nervewracking. I speak minimal Spanish. Kinda like the Buenas dias…..ummm errr… Como estas? ummm errrr Hablas inglese? type of Spanish. Although I’m trying to learn – fast.
So why Spain? Good question. I’m fascinated with the country for reasons that are now 70 years old. The Spanish Civil War. It’s been in my bones for nigh on five years now. And I can’t shake it. You’d think writing a 15,000 word thesis could kill the interest, but no. It heightened it.
Why? One word – anarchism. The only country in the world where anarchism nearly prevailed. And that could have been amazing. I don’t want to get into a politics lecture here. Not yet anyway. But if there is an ‘ideology’ more misunderstood, I’ve yet to find it. I’d like to call myself an anarchist, indeed I have at times, but I’ve always done so with that sinking feeling that one is lying somewhat. In my mind, to be an anarchist requires passion; it requires dedication; it requires immediacy – and I am lazy. It’s taken me five years to get to Spain. How long will it take me to get politically active?
Plus, as some of my friends succinctly point out, how can you be an anarchist and work in government? Well, that, my dear, is a very good question. It’s difficult. And you hate yourself, your job and your decisions more every moment.
But hence Spain. Hence resignation. Hence, I don’t know, everything. I’m getting out of the G to the T, and I’m not coming back to it.
So, I land in Spain on the 20th September. I start a TEFL course at Canterbury TEFL on the 24th. I know no one there. I barely speak the language. I have an EU Passport (dual citizenship is equivalent to a golden ticket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, methinks). I’m leaving some person/s here that I’ve grown to love very dearly, who don’t realise quite how much, nor how much I fear that I’ll lose them whilst I’m gone. I have to do this. I have no idea how long I’m going for.
And I have this.
