Economy Archives - Page 2 of 3

Idle No Far more starts to idle…

by Zig Zag, Warrior Publications, January 30, 2013 January 28 was Idle No Way more&#8217s &#8220Global Day of Action,&#8221 however one more in a series of rallies meant to put pressure on the Canadian government to rescind Bill C-45 and engage in &#8220meaningful dialogue&#8221 with Native peoples. The date was chosen as it is the day when members of parliament resume sitting in the Residence of Commons, located in Ottawa. As opposed to previous days of action, this a single was also called with Frequent Causes, a new (and tiny heard of) coalition that consists of the Council of Canadians, environmentalist and labour groups. Regardless of the new coalition and nearly two weeks of promotion, even so, numbers have been far lower than previous national days of action, such as these on December 10 and 21, 2012. These mobilizations every saw quite a few thousand Natives rally across the country, accompanied by numerous blockades of railways and highways. Ottawa, which had observed plenty of as 4,000 rally on December 10, saw much less than 600 persons on Jan 28. When probably as a variety of as two,000 rallied in Edmonton on Dec ten, less than 500 attended on Jan 28. Winnipeg, which had also noticed some 2,000 rally previously (on Dec 21), saw an estimated 800 gather at the Manitoba Legislature (regardless of the scheduled appearance of singer Buffy Ste-Marie). Full post: warriorpublications.wordpress.com/2013/01/30/idle-no-a lot more-starts-to-idle...

Jim Leyland’s Occupy Baseball Moment

Occupy Toronto 22 October 2012 by Michael Holloway Wrote this in the Youtube page where I created the video edit, reprinted in it’s entirety. First the Video: MLB Tigers’ manager Jim Leyland’s Occupy Baseball Moment (00:31) What I wrote under it: Jim Leyland’s Occupy Baseball Moment Published in Youtube, Oct 22, 2012, by Michael Holloway In this edit, Tigers manager Jim Leyland talks about the World Series festivities in Detroit, the focus in the media on big money, and “the spirit of the people”. A nod to the emphasis in this economy on money; Leyland points out – like the older ones are supposed to do – that it is “the spirit of the people” that is the most valuable commodity when a whirl-wind of consumerism and hedonistic excess lands on a place. As soon as the words uttered his mouth I had a sudden image of Zuccotti Park on a rainy fall day last year – the hope we created, the Joie de vivre we enjoyed. Another World is Possible....

Fast and Vigil for Climate Justice

Hungry for Climate Leadership is holding a fast and vigil for twelve days on Parliament Hill. Our purpose is to demand that the Canadian government address climate change, the greatest threat to our children. As the Earth warms and extreme weather events become increasingly common, hundreds of thousands perish each year. Our children will feel the deadly effects of the carbon we pump into the atmosphere. In the second half of this century, the vast majority of humanity may perish from the droughts, floods and diseases that climate change is expected to bring. Experts estimate that by 2100 the Earth may only be able to support one billion people. Climate change is humanity’s biggest challenge, yet Canada is not making even the most modest effort to reduce this threat. climatefast.ca...

Capitalism in Crisis?

Capitalism in Crisis? with David Harvey and Richard Wolff on the Charlie Rose show (July 26, 2012) at: www.charlierose.com/view/interview/12474...

VIDEO: ‘shatterer’ of Glass-Steagall, ‘we need Glass-Steagall back!’

Occupy Toronto 26 July 2012 by Michael Holloway Sanford Weill, financier turned banker – CEO of Citigroup (retired) – suggests in a CNBC interview on Wednesday, July 25th 2012, that finance and banking should be split again – like the 1933, Glass-Steagall Act mandated. He also says derivatives should be traded on their own exchange – so innovative vehicles (like credit default swaps) are ‘marked’ in a transparent market place. He also prescribes that all banking transactions be transparent. (!!!) The CNBC interviewer Rebecca Quick points out in passing that the too big to fail law, Dodd-Frank (intended to replace Glass-Steagall in the aftermath of the 2007/2008 collapse) has been ineffective. Sanford ‘Sandy’ Weill goes on to explain (in ‘neo-liberal-ese’) that, if another country can’t yet lead the world, then the U.S. has to do it – but this current banking system is hindering that hegemony, that order; so let us (the conspiracy nutters like to call the ‘us’ in this context “The Illuminati” – but really it’s just (just) a collusion between global sized corporations, financial institutions, big banks and governments – aka G-20) … so let ‘us’ agree on Real Regulation – this time not to protect the American Taxpayer, or American Business – as Glass-Steagall did – but rather to protect the Global American Empire Project (‘Global Economy’ in neo-liberal speak). Very Interesting. I’d back that reform – it could save civilization. Here’s a snippet of the write up of the story from Kevin Drum at Mother Jones: Sandy Weill Joins Occupy Wall Street Movement In 1985, after he was forced out of American Express, Sandy Weill went on an acquisitions tear. He took over a consumer finance company, then acquired an insurance company, then a retail brokerage, then Travelers Insurance, then another brokerage, an investment bank, and finally a merger of his entire empire with Citigroup. But that last step required more than money. Merging an investment bank with a commercial bank required a repeal of Glass-Steagall, the New Deal law that had broken up commercial and investment banks in the first place. So Weill went to work, and a year later Glass-Steagall was gone. Sandy Weill was, in a very real sense, the midwife of repeal, or, as he preferred to call himself at the time, “The Shatterer of Glass-Steagall.” For years Weill has denied that repeal played any role in the 2008 financial crisis. Today, it appears that he’s changed his mind: Weill did a 180 on CNBC’s Squawk Box this morning, saying that he now believes big banks — like, presumably, Citigroup — should be broken up: What we should probably do is go and split up investment banking from banking, have banks be deposit takers, have banks make commercial loans and real estate loans, have banks do something that’s not going to risk the taxpayer dollars, that’s not too big to fail. Sandy Weill advocating for the reinstatement of Glass-Steagall is among the biggest flip-flops imaginable. (In political terms, it would be akin to Rick Santorum announcing he was becoming a GLAAD spokesman.) And when Weill called for a bank breakup this morning, CNBC’s incredulous anchors gave him a chance to walk back what they assumed was a spur-of-the-moment gaffe. But Weill didn’t budge: I’m suggesting that they be broken up so that the taxpayer will never be at risk, the depositors won’t be at risk, the leverage of the banks will be something reasonable. ..read the rest at Mother Jones… – http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2012/07/sandy-weill-joins-occupy-wall-street-movement Here’s the Video: Wall Street Legend Sandy Weill: Break Up the Big Banks – CNBC (via New York Magazine) References: Mother Jones | “Sandy Weill Joins Occupy Wall Street Movement” | by Kevin Drum | Wed Jul. 25, 2012 – http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2012/07/sandy-weill-joins-occupy-wall-street-movement Video embed via New York Magazine, “Former Citigroup Boss Goes H.A.M. on Big Banks, Advocates Return of Glass-Steagall” by Kevin Roose [what’s H.A.M. mean?] – http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/07/sandy-weill-goes-ham-on-big-banks.html CNBC | “Wall Street Legend Sandy Weill: Break Up the Big Banks” | Wednesday, 25 Jul 2012 | by CNBC.com – http://www.cnbc.com/id/48315170 ...

TRNN’s Bill Black Reports: Bank regulators conspired with HSBC bank to hide fraudulent practices

Occupy Toronto 25 July 2012 by Michael Holloway First instalment of a regular series at The Real News Network today, “Bill Black, author of ‘The Best Way To Rob a Bank is to Own One’ begins a regular TRNN feature reporting on financial news.” Youtube Channel: TheRealNews Bill Black is an associate professor of economics and law at the University of Missouri–Kansas City, a white-collar criminologist, a former financial regulator, author – and now television commentator! Great move by TRNN. I can’t wait for the next episode from Professor Black. He has been a clear voice at TRNN on these complex issues. In the first half of today’s report, Black lays out how Bank Regulators conspired with banks to break banking regulations. When massive violations were unearthed by regulators, HSBC bank fraud was ostensibly ignored. The Senate investigation ongoing now into HSBC, by the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, is so late in coming that statue of limitations have run out on most of the wrong doing – negating any prosecutions. In the second half of today’s feature, Bill Black reports on Neil Barofsky’s new book, ‘Bailout’ – about his time as SIGTARP (SIGTARP: ‘SIG’, Special Inspector General, ‘TARP’, Troubled Asset Relief Program). The bank bailout watch-dog, appointed by then President Bush, over saw the $700Billion TARP bank bailout program. While Special Inspector General for TARP, Barofsky forced the Justice Department to take several small banks to court. As ‘SIG’ it was not Barofsky’s role to pursue prosecutions – but as no government agencies were pursuing evidence of fraud that he had uncovered – he decided to prefer charges on several smaller banks where his team had found record-fixing and fraud by executives at the highest levels; as a test to see if a prosecution would result in convictions — they did. (more on TARP below) TheRealNews: “Bill Black Reports: LIBOR and HSBC” Wolf Blitzer interviews Special Inspector General, Neil Barofsky on CNN, Oct 5, 2009: SIGTARP Neil Barofsky Discusses New Report with Wolf Blitzer (interview begins at 0:46) Links: The Real News Network | Bill Black Reports: (updating link) – http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=832&Itemid=74&jumival=891 The Real News Network | Bill Black Reports: LIBOR and HSBC: http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=8617 Gaurdian.uk.co, “HSBC, Libor and the cynical ethos of international banking” – http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jul/17/hsbc-libor-cynical-ethos-international-banking?intcmp=239 NYT – Books, “Bad Banks, Big Bailouts and Bruises” ‘Bailout,’ by Neil Barofsky, review by Jackie Calmes, published July 24, 2012, NYT – Books – http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/25/books/bailout-by-neil-barofsky.html?pagewanted=all SIGTARP – Home – http://www.sigtarp.gov/Pages/home.aspx mh...

VIDEO: RSA Animate’s “Crises of Capitalism” up to 1,802,717 views, 14,002 likes, 966 dislikes

Occupy Toronto 24 July 2012 by Michael Holloway “.. renowned academic David Harvey asks if it is time to look beyond capitalism towards a new social order that would allow us to live within a system that really could be responsible, just, and humane?” (RSA Animate) Good description of the current crisis of capitalism, Karl Marx’s ‘shrinking rate of return’ observation, and ends suggesting senisible people have to join an anti-capitalist organization. His description, and action suggestion come straight from the Communist Manifesto. References: RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) – http://www.thersa.org/ David Harvey – (PhD Cambridge 1962; Distg Prof) Cultural, Urbanization, environment, political economy, geography and social theory; Advanced capitalist countries – http://web.gc.cuny.edu/anthropology/fac_harvey.html Reading Marx’s Capital with David Harvey A close reading of the text of Karl Marx’s Capital – http://davidharvey.org/ Communist Manifesto – http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1848/communist-manifesto/ ...

Economics for the 99% Booklet

By Center for Popular Economics CPE supports and stands with the Occupy movement. We have produced this resource which we hope will be useful for activists who are fighting for an economy for the 99% – one that is just and sustainable. This booklet is intended for distribution to activists in the Occupy movement. It is designed to serve as a resource for anyone working in any of hundreds of ways in that movement: organizing, writing, teaching, discussing with neighbors, protesting to build a more just and sustainable economic system. This 15-part booklet presents a coherent analysis that is developed step by step for the reader. It starts by addressing major economic problems — by no means the complete list! — and looking at their dimensions and their roots in the economic system. It then introduces some economic alternatives — visions of a different kind of economy. The booklet includes a timeline of the period since 1900 and an accompanying narrative. free download: http://www.populareconomics.org/economics-for-the-99-bookletzine/...

The ‘R’ word, at radical economist site, Zero Hedge – “Where Is The Line For Revolution?”

Occupy Toronto 01 August 2012 by Michael Holloway One of my favourite blogs, Zero Hedge, where “Tyler Durden” (re: movie ‘Fight Club’, 1999) posts about the collapse of the new world order. Posted July 19 2012: Guest Post: Where Is The Line For Revolution? Submitted by Tyler Durden on 07/19/2012 18:41 -0400 at Zero Hedge ETC Federal Reserve Guest Post LIBOR Martial Law national security SPY Submitted by Brandon of Alt-Market, The subject of revolution is a touchy one. It’s not a word that should be thrown around lightly, and when it is uttered at all, it elicits a chaotic jumble of opinions and debates from know-it-alls the world over. The “R” word has been persona non grata for quite some time in America, and until recently, was met with jeers and knee-jerk belligerence. However, let’s face it; today, the idea is not so far fetched. We have a global banking system that is feeding like a tapeworm in the stagnant guts of our economy. We suffer an election system so fraudulent BOTH sides of the political spectrum now represent a hyper-rich minority while the rest of us are simply expected to play along and enjoy the illusion of choice. We have a judicial body that has gone out of its way to whittle down our civil liberties and to marginalize our Constitution as some kind of “outdated relic”. We have an executive branch that issues special orders like monarchical edicts every month, each new order even more invasive and oppressive than the last. And, we have an establishment system that now believes it has the right to surveil the citizenry en masse and on the slightest whim without any consideration for 4th Amendment protections. There are plenty of pessimists out there who would assert that Americans are totally oblivious to these developments. I have not found that to be true at all. Millions of people are awake to such issues, and millions more are, at the very least, angry at the state of things, though they may not fully understand the source of their distress. Only a fool would deny that a fight is in the air… Though the atmosphere of conflict is present, we are indeed experiencing a pause, a breath, a quiet moment before the breach, and this is a confusing time for many. … ..read the rest … Zero Hedge – “Where Is The Line For Revolution?” –http://www.zerohedge.com/news/guest-post-where-line-revolution?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+zerohedge%2Ffeed+%28zero+hedge+-+on+a+long+enough+timeline%2C+the+survival+rate+for+everyone+drops+to+zero%29...

‘new economics foundation’ – ‘new economy’ renegade economists propose radical changes in banking

Occupy Toronto 01 August 2012 by Michael Holloway ‘The Centre and Centre-Left, Social Democrats and Liberal opposition parties could effectively, electorally challenge neo-liberal governments’ economic policy with this model…’ “new economics foundation” is a group of renegade economists who have named themselves as part of a new school called the ‘new economy’ school. They propose specific changes to banking rules; basically a coarse away from fractional reserve banking – and towards sovereign central banks under democratic control. ‘New Economics’ is a sensible and realistic economic policy alternative to the neo-liberal regime and their austerity approach to solve the crisis they have created. It’s a template that a people’s government could institute right now as an alternative to the neo-liberal economic model. The strategy takes key powers away the banks and financial institutions which presently account for almost all the ‘growth’ in the neo-liberal economys. New Economics proposes a restart the economy with spending by central banks to maintain and expand public infrastructures – education, transportation, housing, energy. Centre and Left-Centre, Social Democratic and Liberals in opposition could effectively, electorally challenge neo-liberal governments with this model – the model becomes a more effective political tool as the crisis deepens. “new economics foundation” (nef) is a group of ‘radical’ economists who propose specific changes to banking rules that would end the financial crisis. By returning the power to create new money back to the central banks, thus ending the recent era marked by the dominance of the financial sector. Solving the Debt Problem & Financial Crisis: On Monetary Reform with Ben Dyson About nef (http://www.neweconomics.org/about) nef (the new economics foundation) is an independent think-and-do tank that inspires and demonstrates real economic well-being. We aim to improve quality of life by promoting innovative solutions that challenge mainstream thinking on economic, environment and social issues. We work in partnership and put people and the planet first. nef was founded in 1986 by the leaders of The Other Economic Summit (TOES) which forced issues such as international debt onto the agenda of the G7 and G8 summits. We are unique in combining rigorous analysis and policy debate with practical solutions on the ground, often run and designed with the help of local people. We also create new ways of measuring progress towards increased well-being and environmental sustainability. nef works with all sections of society in the UK and internationally – civil society, government, individuals, businesses and academia – to create more understanding and strategies for change. Renegade Economist with Positive Money Ben Dyson lecture (24:24) Ben Dyson of Positive Money at the Just Banking conference on 20th April 2012 Dyson fields questions from the audience at 19:16. Via Critical Mass Film | Critical Press | podcasts | “The Magic Box of Money Creation with Ben Curtis and Ben Dyson of Positive Money “ * * * [Via Donna Jennison post at Casseroles Canada –https://www.facebook.com/groups/242330792546515/permalink/263875993725328/] Links: Positive Money – http://www.positivemoney.org.uk/ New Era Network | Ben Dyson profile – http://neweranetwork.info/generationnext/ben-dyson/ Youtube, Event Video Services | playlists | Just Banking Conference – “Just Banking conference on 19th April 2012” (2 videos) – http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDF418BE7D931F75A&feature=plcp “Just Banking conference on 20th April 2012” (13 videos) – http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6A55C517496A1DE7&feature=plcp Just Banking – www.justbanking.org.uk/ Critical Mass Film | http://www.criticalmassfilm.com/ The American Monetary Institute – http://www.monetary.org/ The American Monetary Institute 2012 Conference – Chicago, Sept. 20-23, 2012 –http://www.monetary.org/2012-conference Alternet, “The Rise of the New Economy Movement” (Activists, theorists, organizations and ordinary citizens are rebuilding the American political-economic system from the ground up.)– http://www.alternet.org/economy/155452/the_rise_of_the_new_economy_movement mh...

VIDEO: Tim O’Reilly, ‘Work on stuff that matters’

Occupy Toronto 01 August 2012 by Michael Holloway “..a business should create more value than it captures.” One of the most engaging philosophers of our time, combining a leading edge comprehension of technology and ancient understandings in the humanities – O’Reilly Media and Open Source Convention founder, Tim O’Reilly talks about ‘what’s wrong with this economy’ in keynote at OSCON 2012. “The Clothesline Paradox and the Sharing Economy” Watch live streaming video from oreillycode at livestream.com References: O’Reilly Radar, January 11, 2009 “Work on Stuff that Matters: First Principles” by Tim O’Reilly – http://radar.oreilly.com/2009/01/work-on-stuff-that-matters-fir.html Open Source Convention – OSCON 2012 – http://www.oscon.com/oscon2012 Via, Google+ post by Tim O’Reilly –https://plus.google.com/u/0/107033731246200681024/posts/Ga2tWrgtqCr Search: “Lynn Stout, The Shareholder Value Myth” mh...

VIDEO: Gar Alperovitz, ‘these are revolutionary times’ in keynote at U.S. Green Party Convention

Occupy Toronto 01 August 2012 by Michael Holloway By the looks of it, the Green Party of the United States is FAR to the left of the Green Party of Canada, after the US party’s national convention this weekend. What do you think? Is that true? Via “Domocracy Now!“, Gar Alperovitz gave this keynote address at the United States Green Party convention that selected Massachusetts physician Jill Stein and anti-poverty campaigner Cheri Honkala as presidential and vice-presidential candidates for the November 2012 general elections in the United States. His speech outlines what he believes is a period of history that is revolutionary in nature, he compares it to the rise of he Republican Party as the anti-slavery party in the 1850′s. While he doesn’t call for a revolution via armed insurrection (the hollywood vision of what revolution means), he does call for the end of capitalism – to be replaced by a socialist state. Gar Alperovitz’s Green Party Keynote: We Are Laying Groundwork for “Next Great Revolution” FOLLOW DEMOCRACY NOW! ONLINE: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/democracynow Twitter: @democracynow – http://twitter.com/democracynow Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/democracynow Listen on SoundCloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/democracy-now Daily Email News Digest: http://www.democracynow.org/subscribe Gar Alperovitz is a professor of political economy at the University of Maryland, co-founder of the Democracy Collaborative (imagining a future we want – and creating it here, now), and author of, “America Beyond Capitalism: Reclaiming Our Wealth, Our Liberty, and Our Democracy“. mh...

VIDEO: Spanish coal miners conclude 3 week march to Madrid with mass rally at Puerta del Sol

Occupy Toronto 13 July 2012 by Michael Holloway Update: 20 July 2012 – This story so, did NOT get coverage in the 1% media that it’s taken me until now to come across this great photo of the Spanish Coal Miners arrival in Madrid 10 July 2012 – via Twitter user, ‏@EnekoAA (Eneko Aritz) – at 4:43 PM – 10 Jul 12 –https://twitter.com/EnekoAA/status/222838397209808898 – and Via a Retweet by XenoxNews @xenoxnews – https://twitter.com/xenoxnews. @EnekoAA (Eneko Aritz) – at 4:43 PM – 10 Jul 12 https://twitter.com/EnekoAA/status/222838397209808898 (Image link to original Tweet) I don’t follow mainstream broadcast news – did this story make the evening news Wednesday? Please comment. Spanish coal miners walked 400km across Spain from the Castile coal mining region, to the Spanish capitol in Madrid on Wednesday – to protest new austerity introduced by Spain’s centre-right, People’s Party (PP) government. Today the miners continue their protest with a civil disobedience occupation of of Madrid’s Puerto Del Sol, the place where in October 2011 decisions were arrived at though consensus in general assembly, which lead to the birth of the North American Occupy Movement. * * * (A little history: The PP has been in charge of Spain’s austerity regime after beating the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) in a Novemeber 2011 general election. The PSOE’s electoral fortunes began to take a turn for the worse after they introduced Spain’s first – G20Toronto mandated – austerity budget in 2010. The democratic socialist’s first hit came after regional elections on May 22nd, 2011 with 28,000 ”Indignados” occupying Puerta Del Sol the result of a spontanious grass roots movement known as 15M (May 15th). About a week after the regional elections police forces of various Spanish cities began to clear occupiers by force. An on-going cat-and-mouse game developed over the summer all across Spain: occupyers occupying Squares; police clearing them; a new occupation of different square. This police crack down on dissent, more austerity, and constantly higher unemployment, resulted in a massive 500,000 strong Occupation of Puerta Del Sol on October 15th 2011. The result was another election trouncing for the democratic socialists, about a month later – this time in a general election. The centre-right PP gained the most from PSOE’s collapse – many observers noted a record number of spoiled ballots as an important factor in the PSOE’s demise. The PSOE suffered it’s worst showing in the modern democratic era (which begins at the end of the fascist dictatorship of Francisco Franco, 1975). * * * The coal miners three-week march against a proposed slashing of Federal Coal Subsidies began in the last week of June. As the procession neared Madrid people joined the march in their thousands – by the time the procession reached Puerta del Sol on Wednesday (11 July 2012) the rally had swelled to 10′s of thousands of people. On the same day as the mners arrived in Madrid, Spain’s Prime Minister announced another round of austerity cuts to services – with new taxes – that helped swell the crowd appreciably. The Guardian’s Giles Tremlett reports from Madrid, “A tense standoff saw occasional police charges, rubber bullets, and demonstrators hurling objects at police. At least 76 people were injured in clashes along Madrid’s central Castellana Boulevard, but the march eventually ended with nothing more violent than a rousing singsong.” (from “Spanish coal miners bring message of defiance to Madrid” – link below) Some real beautiful moments in the video below (Reuters, published at the Guardian), of men letting themselves show ‘feminine emotions’; coal miners from small mining towns and urban Indignados hugging and crying. Spanish miners’ anti-austerity protest reaches Madrid – Guardian.co.uk (Source: Reuters) Once again, The Indignados rock! Map indicating Spain’s coal mining region of Castile via Google Maps In the central Spanish coal mining region of Castile, miners have been on strike against the government’s plan to end coal subsidies since May 1, 2012. There, residents of coal mining towns are blockading roads – defying government authority over the region – after the minister of natural resources tried to downplay the effects of the subsidy changes – that miners now believe will end coal mining in the region for good. The government’s tactic of lies and half-truths has lead to a loss of faith by area residents in the democratic institutions of the country, and to daily running street battles between police armed with riot guns and rubber bullets; and teams of protesters armed with fireworks, practicing their aim with bottle-rockets shot out of pipes. One teenager has been killed by a rubber bullet to the head. Protesters have found golf balls which have been fired out of riot guns – a much more lethal projectile, says one activist. The video below reminds more of the civil war than a contract negotiation. Spanish coal miners: ‘We need to keep on fighting’ – Guardian.co.uk Meanwhile in Madrid o Wednesday, Al Jazeera reporter Tim Friend reports “isolated clashes between police and demonstrators”. The article under the video embedded below seems to have little to do with Tim Friend’s reporting. It tries to accent the violence that ended the day at the Industry Ministry – where, the unattributed Al Jazeera article says, “The miners detonated deafening fireworks as they marched, then hurled them at the police riot vans guarding the ministry, which oversees the mining industry.” The article, which sights “Agencies”, goes on to say the violence caused the demonstration to break up immediately, “Most demonstrators fled to side streets for safety after the violence began, …” . These ‘Block bloc’ style tactics (teenagers and young men with psychological problems – or an all-consuming hedonism), use mass demonstrations to launch violent attacks on authority figures – then run and hide in-amoungst parents, children and the elderly who are participating in these other-wise peaceful mass demonstrations. In this writers opinion, there is a good possibility that agent provocateurs are nested in amoungst these masked anonymous ones who don’t like to take responsibility for their actions (unlike the everyone else). Wednesday’s isolated incidents of violence in Madrid give authorities the framework they need to justify violent police action to break up the peaceful, mass, civil-disobedience occupation now under-way at Puerto Del Sol – by the miners and their Indignados supporters. Spanish miners dig in for prolonged protest – Al Jazeera I suppose if there was any coverage from Spain on the evening news Wednesday, it most likely focused on this tiny minority of hedonistic individuals with unresolved parental issues. A quick video search of of the major broadcast outlets confirms my prediction; in all, the accent is on the isolated incident at the Industry Ministry building. Most people ignorant of the details of a news story will stare at violence on a screen – it attracts our attention because of our social imperatives – we are soft wired to resolve conflict. But because it is virtual, not real – and we know it – we slide into a transfixed, zombie like state, much like that which happens when an advertisement offers an intellectual paradox. Our eyes widen, the pupils dilate – and the ears open, and the subtle narrative message seeps in without the reasoning parts of our intellect getting in the way – because that part ofour brain is busy trying to resolve the paradox; either – as in the advertising example – an intellectual one, or the paradox attacking one of our most essential imperatives – our conflict resolution imperative: settle conflict – (can’t, not there) – but watching… . The zombie reaction is most common, but another popular one is the individual who jumps up and starts yelling at the screen, throwing pop-corn spilling drinks – unfortunately that is also a neutered response – (and one that internalizes a violent response to a conflict resolution paradox). It’s a symptom of a condition of isolation from real life, community – identity. Later, after getting drunk – in order to numb an intuition towards this truth – this individual will hit a significant other, or fantasize about running down a cyclist (or other non-conformist) on the way to a job they hate (but which, paradoxically, provides for the beer, or whatever the addiction is – shopping for example). Anyways, enough amateur physiology. Turn off your air conditioning; turn off your Facebook – get out of the house, meet your neighbours – talk to them. References: Wikipedia, “Spanish local and regional elections, 2011″: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_local_and_regional_elections,_2011 Wikipedia, “Spanish general election, 2011″: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_general_election,_2011 Al Jazeera, 12 July 2012, ”Spanish miners dig in for prolonged protest“: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2012/07/20127126330831737.html Guardian.co.uk, 11 July 2012, ”Spanish coal miners bring message of defiance to Madrid” – Article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/11/spanish-coal-miners-protest-madrid Guardian.co.uk, 11 July 2012, ”Spanish coal miners: ‘We need to keep on fighting’ ” – Video: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2012/jul/11/spanish-coal-miners-video mh...

Occupy Homes Minneapolis’ on-going neighbourhood non-compliance civil disobedience

Occupy Toronto 24 June 2012 by Michael Holloway UptakeVideo covers Minneapolis Occupy Homes on-going action at the Cruz family home in South Minneapolis. Occupy Homes occupied the house to prevent the families eviction after they fell into foreclosure due to a bank error. Minneapolis Police are now occupying the house – so Occupy members in carefully planned actions, are volunteering to cross the police lines and be arrested for tresspass. This in an on-going protest. Good tactic in my opinion – one that focuses global economic issues through a local lens – illustrating the effect that the hair-brained, G20 Austerity Policy is having on neighbourhoods. UptakeVideo‘s post under the video : (video embed below) 125 community members gathered at the home of the Cruz family in South Minneapolis and 13, including hip-hop artist Brother Ali, were arrested when they crossed the police line to protest PNC Bank?s reversal of their commitment to work with the family after the family fell into foreclosure due to a bank error. Brother Ali, who grew up in north Minneapolis, has been an outspoken supporter of Occupy Homes anti-foreclosures protests for about a year. In front of the crowd of supporters, each of the 13 spoke as to why they were willing to cross the police line before asking the officers to allow them to step onto the property and be arrested, bringing the total arrest count at the home to 39 within the past month. Despite Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak?s statement that the city was not in the foreclosure business, nearly two dozen Minneapolis police officers stood guard on the Cruz home to protect it for mortgage holder Freddie Mac. The arrests they made were for trespass. Cruz family tries again in Pittsburgh The Cruz family was not at their former home for Thursday?s arrests. Instead they had traveled to Pittsburgh, PNC Bank?s national headquarters. They came because the bank promised it would try to work something out, but had refused to discuss the loan with Occupy Pittsburgh activists who were demonstrating outside the bank on the family?s behalf. The family tried to meet with PNC Bank CEO Jim Rohr on Thursday and Friday to demand a good faith negotiation. But both times the bank refused to allow them to talk to Rohr. ?PNC did not give us the meeting we requested. Instead of sitting down for a good faith negotiation with someone who had the power to fix the bank?s error, they sat us down with low-level PR executives who had no intention or authority to negotiate with us,? said Alejandra Cruz. ?We came here to resolve this issue, and we?re not leaving without some answers.? The Cruz family drove 800 miles to hand deliver their loan modification documents in person, along with more than 40,000 petition signatures.The bank turnaround incited outrage and disgust among the family?s supporters. The rally at the Cruz family home concluded a nationwide day of action in which 18 cities rallied to demand PNC negotiate with the family. “Hip-Hop Artist Brother Ali Arrested At Evicted Minneapolis Family’s Home” UpTakeVideo on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/UpTakeVideo Occupy Our Homes: http://occupyourhomes.org/...

Upcoming conferences that Occupiers should attend:

First, on the weekend right before May Day, the Joint Graduate Program in Communication & Culture at York and Ryerson Universities is hosting their annual conference, which is going to be almost exclusively about the Occupy Movement this year. Check it out: http://thecomcult.wordpress.com/intersections-2012/ April 27–29, 2012 at the Ryerson university. Just to give you a sens of how cool this confrence sounds, here’s the descripton of the first keynote speaker (check the rest out at the website above!) “Because the Night Belongs to Lovers: Occupying the Time of Precarity Sarah Sharma, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill While much of Occupy’s political power is rooted in its spatial tactic, the movement’s temporal realities are also key to understanding its complexities. This talk considers those realities, specifically turning to the night: a time when the spatial practice of occupying and the temporality of precarity find each other in a strange embrace. In the dark, new and unheard of demands emerge for the first time. At night, the faultiness of the movement ruptures to the surface in new ways. It is also at night, that those outside the camps, from the police, journalists and the public, fix their gaze upon Occupy. Night also reflects the lived experience of precarity that Occupy and other activists and theorists have long mobilized against. To be precarious means to be unsure, uncertain and exposed to forces beyond one’s control. It means to live and work without a sense of a guaranteed future. As Judith Butler offers, precarity is not just an economic reality, it is a characteristic of the lives of those who “do not qualify as recognizable, readable or grievable. And in this way, precarity is a rubric that brings together women, queers, transgender people, the poor, and the stateless (2009).” To be precarious means to live in something akin to a permanent state of night with no guarantee of dawn. In these darknesses, what is revealed about the conceptual vitality and political possibility of ‘generalized precarity’?” Yes, it’s very academic, but speaking for myself, I can’t wait to go check it out! Next is the yearly conference organized by the International Socialists, also at the Ryerson University. “Marxism 2012 is a three-day political conference of more than 30 talks and panels from May 25-27 at Ryerson University in Toronto. 2011 was a historic year of revolt. There have been revolutions across the Arab world, general strikes in Europe, a massive campaign to stop the Keystone XL pipeline, student strikes in Chile and huge working class fightbacks in Wisconsin and Ohio. The #Occupy movement shook the world, spreading to over 1,700 cities worldwide. In 2012, the ruling class shows no sign of straying from its austerity agenda, but people are continuing to fight back. From the deepening revolution in Egypt to the Quebec student strike, resistance is challenging the logic of the status quo and posing alternatives to the crisis and cruelty of the capitalist system. Join the discussion about how to build a better world. Topics include the Arab Spring, the #Occupy movement, rank-and-file rebellion, anti-imperialism, environmental justice, disability rights, anti-oppression and much more.” For more information, check out : www.marxism2012.com...

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